PPAC Progress: RTC, Jog/Shuttle

I got my old test sketches working again for the DS1307 clock and jog/shuttle controller, and suddenly everything is working...:) It's "just" a matter of software and hardware layout at this point [gulp!].

RepRap Day?

4/20 has been a banner day for the RepRap Foundation with the release of the V2.2 extruder controller board and news of the first RepRap-printed circuit board.

The controller includes H-bridges, MOSFET drivers, RS485, thermistor circuit, and lots of little niceties. While currently offered only as a $30 SMT kit, the impressive assembly how-to makes surface-mount soldering look not so scary.

And printing a circuit board is... just astounding! For all the criticism levied against RepRap's claims of (eventual) self-replication, this step says to me that RepRap has real legs-- it's not just an open source 3D CNC platform with an insane goal. The resulting board functions as an optical end stop for a RepRap-- to Rhys Jones, I offer my humble [APPLAUSE]!!!

BrewTroller Brewing Control System

Excellent project out today: BrewTroller - Brewing Control System. Starting with the Sanguino layout, Jeremiah Dillingham built out a custom 1-sided board with a great interface-- rotary encoder and character LCD display. Nice use of RJ11 connectors for temperature sensor input, plus a 6-pin rotary encoder header and screw terminals for other connections. (via Hacked Gadgets)

Smapler v0001r2 by BlushingBoy

Smapler v0001r2 by BlushingBoy
Originally uploaded by dcuartielles

That's a lot built-in-- audio out, SD, keyboard port, vreg... doesn't expose pins so is it "Arduino-compatible"? Very nice-- I like blushingboy's stuff.

Prioritizing Projects

Too many parts and projects lying around-- need to nail down an order and finish something soon!

PPAC should be the first priority-- I've gotten it to work, but attempts at packaging it have been held up by the fact that I'm still not sure about UI and whether I even want to use high pressure air or a pump. Would be great for a contest, but not unless it's (1) done and (2) demonstrated through video. First-things-first time:

• EAGLE: set up with display, jog/shuttle, RTC, buttons, switch, power, and output. Don't worry about whether output is to relays or oo's,
• Arduino: get a good program working on the breadboarded circuit,
• Figure out best fill/empty plan,
• THEN start laying it out in 3D for the final build.

Next up (while figuring out ppac fill/empty plan) is a working growduino with relays, no sensing, no logging, and no solar-- don't try everything at once! Better to get something growing.

The invervalometer is so close, but needs:

• To be reeled back to the breadboard after the stuffing problem-- Arduino OK?!
• Panasonic-capable trigger,
• Serious power system consideration.

The mutetater should be a simple build:

• Limit to Sony since that's easy to read, and I have Samid's old Sony TV,
• Breadboard > potato should be simple using a dorkboard with female header pins.

Comprehensive Arduino-Compatible Hardware List?

I can't find a complete list anywhere, so here's my stab at it, starting with the list at arduino.cc, Make's 2008 Arduino Gift Guide, Freeduino, Adafruit, Sparkfun, Seeed Studio, RepRap, Wulfden, [more]. Not sure about the Orangutan and mpguino since not all pins are exposed, and unsure of Teensy boards since they need custom Arduino IDEs.

Update (June 16): I revised the spreadsheet and messed around with font and cell sizes to make it more easily viewed in-line here, plus it should update automatically as I add or edit boards. Happy hacking!

Update... ALL THE TIME!: This is constantly being updated as new Arduino-compatible boards are announced!

Click here for the spreadsheet on its own in Google Docs.

Broken?

After trying to stuff the intervalometer circuit into a jar a few days ago, it just hasn't worked right. LCD goes blank in trigger and shoot modes, and it doesn't trigger the camera, though the serial output is right. The backlight "peek" function has stopped working too.

Using the protoshield on my "proper" Arduino has been too limiting space-wise anyway-- time to transfer to a bigger breadboard with an Boarduino or iDuino to sort things out and finalize the controls and ports in Eagle, plus I'll have room to mess with audio amplifier circuits and FZ20 vs. EOS remotes.

Had an idea about an Arduino variant this morning (in the shower of course) but wonder if something like it has been made already... is there a comprehensive list of *duinos anywhere?

IR receiving success

Following this example on rtfa.net, I'm reading remote codes from all of my Sony remote controls-- works like a charm! Need to make sense of the Arduino timing code, then I'll try the RC5 example from 5volt.eu.

Update: I programmed all of the codes for my RMT-V203A and even took it apart to put the window back in and to try getting FF to work-- still no good. Found a list of Sony VCR codes and commands, and it looks like that's them, with 1408 added, or 10110000000.

Mutetater: IR work

I was able to get an IR LED to snap the trigger on my Rebel XT following jaycee's example in the Arduino forum-- pretty simple code.

It looks like I'll need to use more complicated, standard remote control protocols for "mute"-- RC5, RC5X and RC6 come up in searches, and Allesandro Lambardi did much of the legwork programming Arduino to read RC5 signals.

Time to dig through the TV-B-Gone threads at Limor's forums...

Ping... ing... ing...

Using a bunch of Arduinos for projects, it makes sense to post about it to help keep track of what I'm doing.

Current in-progress projects:

• PPAC: Princess and the Pea Alarm clock: "pea" inflates to eject whiny princess (or, um, me) from bed,
• Intervalometer-in-a-jar or "intervalomejar": time lapse camera controller with beam break, light level, and audio triggers,
• Mutetater: TV mute control with a potato (seriously),
• EL-wire suit: audio level meter of EL-wire,
• Cheapo general-purpose PID-based temperature controller,
• Growduino w/logging, solar power,
• Smart shower controller,
• [more...]