After buying a Bluetooth audio adapter at a yard sale, I just needed cables for audio and power. Buy them? No way. How many times have you thought about buying something, then thought “I’m an engineer, I can figure out a workaround” or simply decided not to spend money? It’s happened to me several times.…
Home-made digital clock keeps time after 45 years
Look inside this one-chip clock built from surplus parts. With the case open, replacing parts waiting to fail seemed like a good idea. In my second year at WPI, I found myself in “B term” where I had a scheduling problem. Being as WPI operates on a four-term academic year, I couldn’t find a one-term…
The Apollo missions — humanity’s giant leap to the moon
Recently, the Indian space agency ISRO successfully soft-landed a spacecraft on the lunar south pole. This makes India the first country to land a spacecraft on the challenging southern region of the moon, where there is a high probability of finding ice and resources for future human spaceflight missions to deep space. India aspires to…
Everything you need to know about Chandrayaan-3
On August 23, 2023, India’s space agency Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully soft-landed its moon mission Chandrayaan-3 on the south pole of the moon. This makes India the first nation to land a spacecraft on rough terrains near the lunar south pole in human history and the fourth to successfully land a spacecraft on…
WhatsApp-based home automation: Protocol bridging with MQTT
In this article, we will be controlling devices that do not support WhatsApp but support other communication protocols like MQTT, TCP, IMAP, etc. If a house is installed with home automation devices that do not support Whatsapp, we will communicate with these devices (controllers) using protocols supported by these devices. Thus, we will be able…
WhatsApp-based home automation
In this article, we will learn how to control our IoT home appliances using the messaging app WhatsApp to easily and effectively communicatie with those devices. So we will be sending WhatsApp messages to a number of “lights on,” and lights at our house will turn ON. Components required Tools Required/ libraries required: WhatsApp API…
Understanding the basics of MicroPython programming
MicroPython is a software implementation of the Python 3 programming language for microcontrollers. Nearly all major microcontroller platforms are supported by MicroPython’s firmware. MicroPython eases the development of embedded systems in a couple of ways. For one, it lets users program microcontrollers and microcomputers in a common programming language (such as Python, which is currently…
How to log sensor data using SD and Micro SD card with Arduino
It is common to use different sensors with microcontrollers in embedded applications. Microcontrollers are equipped with parallel data ports and several serial data communication interfaces that allow them to interface and communicate with sensors. There are times when the data fetched from sensors need to be stored for future use. This may be just for…
MicroPython – Digital input/output in ESP8266 and ESP32
The first step in programming embedded devices is to perform digital input/output. Digital input/output refers to reading parallel data. The same logical signals are utilized for switching and control operations. MicroPython, an embedded firmware, essentially includes libraries to control digital input/output and other hardware functions. MicroPython can be uploaded and run on a variety of…
How to use a DHT sensor to show humidity and temperature values on an OLED display
In Part I and Part II of this series, we learned how to use an analog sensor — including a potentiometer (POT), a light-dependent resistor (LDR), and a soil-moisture sensor — to present values on an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. In Part III, we’ll also present data on an OLED display, but this time…
How to use interrupts with Arduino
Microcontrollers are designed to run concise firmware that’s dedicated to a specific application. The firmware is embedded software, which is written into the program memory. The firmware codes are typically short and designed to manage and execute several micro tasks down to the hardware level. Since microcontrollers are dedicated to a single application, these devices…
Medical PCB assembly: Know these regulations and standards
by Ken Ghadia, Sales Engineer, TechnoTronix The reliability and safety of Medical PCB assembly are of utmost importance as they directly impact human healthcare. It is one of the most critical applications that demand the best PCB performance. Setting stringent regulatory standards is compulsory in medical device manufacturing. The standards also apply to the printed circuit…
How to read analog signals in Raspberry Pi using ADS1015/ADS1115
Raspberry Pi is the most popular single-board computer. As an embedded microcomputer, data acquisition is almost essential in Raspberry Pi. Though Pi has several GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) pins, it does not have any built-in or onboard analog-to-digital converter. Therefore, Pi on its own cannot sample data from analog sensors. In embedded applications, analog sensors…
What is a Schottky diode?
A diode is a two-terminal device that acts as a one-way switch. The Schottky is a metal-semiconductor diode known for very low forward voltage in which the metal forms the anode and the n-type semiconductor acts as the cathode. The diode is named after German physicist Walter H. Schottky. It is also called Schottky barrier…
What are the top programming languages for machine learning?
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are continuing to become more mainstream and you’ll find the technology in everything from your smartphone apps and computer programs to smart tech and appliances — and automobiles (think self-driving cars). These technologies are no longer confined to scientific computing and statistical research but have, for the most part, become a…
Current and future PCB fabrication trends you need to know
by Ken Ghadia, Sales Engineer, TechnoTronix PCB fabrication is transforming circuit board design into a physical PCB based on design specifications. It is usually an outsourced activity done by a Contract Manufacturer (CM) who strictly follows the specifications provided by the designer. Certain critical factors like choice of the PCB substrate, layout strategy, surface coating requirements…
What is a tunnel diode?
A tunnel diode—also called Esaki diode because Leo Esaki invented it in 1957—is a heavily doped PN junction diode that exhibits negative resistance and high conductivity due to the tunneling effect. In signal diodes (small signal diodes and rectifier diodes), charge carriers gradually overcome the depletion region. In a tunnel diode, the charge carriers spontaneously…
Smartphone-operated omnidirectional robot
There are many different types of robot projects that you might be aware of including the following: Remote-controlled robot (car type 3/4-wheeler) Joystick controlled robot Gesture controlled robot Smartphone (Bluetooth) controlled robot Obstacle avoidance robot Object follower robot Object finder robot Robotic Arm Pick and place robot And many more This article also describes a…
Getting started with ESP8266
ESP8266, a System-on-Chip (SoC) manufactured by ESpressif, is the most popular IoT development platform is a complete and self-contained Wi-Fi networking solution. The SoC consists of a Tensilica L106 32-bit microcontroller and a Wi-Fi transceiver. Therefore, the chip can be used to self-host an IoT or embedded application or offload Wi-Fi networking functions to another…
How computer vision works
Machine vision has changed dramatically in the wake of its convergence with artificial intelligence. Traditional computer vision systems were dependent on predefined library functions and user-defined algorithms for all kinds of image processing tasks. In the past decade, researchers realized that human vision itself is inextricable with the human mind and learning. It was that…