Recently, I began exploring circuit design, and I liked the idea of creating my own custom graphics card because it sounded like a fun project. After some back and forth of choosing requirements for the GPU, I settled on using a Raspberry Pi Pico as the main processor. It already had a graphics library made for it, which would make adding HDMI support simple. I added 32MB of VRAM (Video Random Access Memory), which is about 250 times less capacity and 36 million times slower than the memory on a modern GPU. (As you can probably tell, I was not going for speed.) The Pico also has Wi-Fi and extra general-purpose pins. That means the card can take in user inputs like a keyboard and output data in ways other than just a display. It can also fetch data (e.g stock market information) from the Internet. I prioritized versatility over speed.
The project aims to create a retro-style 8-bit computer based on the 65(c)02 microprocessor. It includes custom-designed main board, development board, backplane boards, various peripheral cards, various helper boards, and a simple operating system.
The project is designed using KiCad for PCB design and is open-source, allowing enthusiasts to contribute and modify the designs. The boards are manufactured by JLCPCB and use a combination of surface-mount and through-hole components.
Santa's Little Hackers is a seasonal toy drive to adapt toys. We make simple modifications to the electronics of toys and give them away. These adaptations make the toys accessible to individuals with disabilities so they can play independently.
Santa's Little Hackers is an annual event put on by MaxMods. MaxMods is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation chartered to 'make the world accessible for all' by identifying adaptations and modifications to make the world work for individuals living with disabilities.
For more than twenty years the DIMM form-factor (a.k.a. RAM stick) memory has been a consumable for laptops, personal computers and servers. Despite its widespread market availability and affordable pricing, the technological and engineering details has never been revealed to the public in an open source manner. Documentation and reference designs are not easily discoverable and understandable by the public. Complex PCB design requirements is another factor that has distanced startups, enthusiast and makers from attempting to design and manufacture DRAM modules.
The OpenDIMM project is an open source initiative to design the following three components for every DDR generation (starting from DDR4):
- Pinout Tester Board
- SPD Programmer (RPi Hat)
- Memory Stick (the DIMM module itself)
Pre-installed with a bunch of apps to use and customise + our full set of libraries and APIs to control the hardware. Program apps easily using our supplied libraries. Double-tap RESET to go into disk mode, edit files directly on the device. The on-board 1000mAh battery provides plenty of juice to run for hours on end. Simply plug it into a USB-C charger to top up. Apps can talk to online services with ease. Badge-to-badge communication over Bluetooth allows multiplayer fun. Can be worn with a lanyard and also free-stand a desk or a shelf. Create useful internet connected apps for your home. Equipped with a Qw/ST port you can connect a wide range of sensors + addons. Perfect for making data dashboards.
A detector for Meta Ray-Ban glasses. Consists of C++ source code for the firmware and greyprints for a PCB.
Disposable vapes show up all the time in e-waste and are often found as litter at the side of the road (shame!) but they contain some useful components that can be reused by the cost-conscious hacker.
Note: Wear gloves when handling used devices and don't allow the vape liquid to contact your skin or eyes.
I've reverse engineered a number of different brands and placed the schematics and layout files in this repository. The summary table below is a good starting point.
Many of the vapes have debugging connections accessible through the USB-C charging cable interface, typically SWD on the CC pins, so you may be able to reprogram the vape without even opening up the case.
An open-source HDMI Keyboard/Video/Mouse (KVM) switch, which lets you switch two monitors and four USB devices between up to three computers. Theoretically, it should support HDMI 1.3a and up to 1920 x 1200 resolution. Anecdotally, it has been tested up to 2560 x 1440 at 75 Hz and it seems to work. I currently don't have the equipment to measure the signal quality or anything like that, and don't have a monitor with a higher resolution, so I don't know how far it can be pushed.
The base has a total of six HDMI inputs (three computers with two monitors each) and two HDMI outputs (for the two monitors). It also has four mini-USB ports (three computers and one for power), four USB host ports (to connect a mouse, keyboard, and anything else), and a connector that goes to the keypad.
The keypad has a 3x3 grid of buttons. Pressing the buttons lets you switch monitor 1, monitor 2, and the USB ports between the three computers. It connects to the base via a cable, and receives power over that connection.
The OUI Spy is a cutting-edge, functional art piece that combines technology and style. Based on the ESP32-S3 platform, this BLE detection system is designed to be both practical and visually striking, with a clear, flexible PCB that’s ready to be sewn or displayed. Integrated PWM-controlled buzzer alerts you to detected signals. Charge, power, and program via the convenient USB-C connector. 512KB SRAM, 384KB ROM, 8MB Flash memory provide plenty of storage for custom firmware and flexible use cases. Includes routing holes for attaching/sewing a battery controller to power your patch on the go.
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Electrical and Electronics Drafting provides you with basic instructions in electronics drawing. It begins with a review of drafting fundamentals including drafting tools, inking methods, and taping methods. Electronics drafting topics include the meanings of electronics terms, electrical component descriptions, electronic component symbols, reference designations, and PC board conductor spacing. You will learn the proper use for symbols in block diagrams, flow diagrams, single line diagrams, schematic diagrams, and logic diagrams.
Electrical and Electronics Drafting teaches you to think, create, and draw in a logical sequence. You are asked to begin with a sketch. From this, you will generate all of the formal schematic drawings, parts lists, wiring designation lists, printed circuit board layouts, PC board artworks for photoresist exposure, PC board marking artworks, and packaging drawings.
Electrical and Electronics Drafting is written in concise, easy-to-read language and illustrated with hundreds of photos and drawings to help you learn. The guide typically provides you with two visual examples for each major topic covered. You will have the opportunity to complete many problems to aid in your learning experience. The questions provided at the end of each Section emphasize the important information covered in the text.
An audio interface for ham radio operators. Designed to connect amateur radios to computers to operate digital modes (CW and PTT keying, AX.25, APRS, FLDIGI, PSK, FT8). Has isolation between the radio and the computer to avoid ground loops and DC isolation between radio input / output and GND. Has a serial interface for external devices.
Open-source hardware, Linux-based, SDR handheld transceiver. OpenHT successor with greatly simplified hardware - no FPGAs involved. This project offers a replacement board for the Retevis C62 radio, greatly expanding its capabilities.
The device uses an MCM-iMX93 System on Module (SoM) running Linux. The RF front-end is based on the Semtech SX1255. The chip is used as a complete IQ modulator/demodulator, allowing for true all-mode support.
Jumperless V5 is a breadboard where any point can be connected to any other with software-defined jumpers. RGB LEDs under each hole turn the breadboard itself into a display; paired with its assortment of routable analog/digial IO, Jumperless V5 gives you real-time information about everything that's happening in your circuit and the ability to change it at a whim.
The 4 individually programmable ±8V power supplies, 5 voltage/current/resistance measurement channels, and 10 GPIO can all be connected anywhere on the breadboard or the Arduino Nano header. Connections made with its matrix of 12 analog crossbar switches can be changed in just a few microseconds, so measurements and GPIO can multiplexed to cover the entire board at once.
This repo contains all files related to the flip-card project, which is a business card that runs a fluid-implicit-particle (FLIP) simulation. The PCB design files are in the "kicad-pcb" folder. The flip-card project is inspired by mitxela's fluid simulation pendant project.
If you have a Commodore 64, chances are you’ll eventually need to connect a modem or other serial device to it. You’ll find that’s not quite that easy since the C64 doesn’t have a standard RS-232 serial port. What it does have is called the “user port” and it can do serial over this port but it needs to be changed from TTL levels (0 to +5v) to RS-232 levels (-15v to +15v).
If you’ve ever attempted to purchase a VIC-1011, a terminal type, SwiftLink or Turbo232 from eBay you’ll quickly find out that the price gets out of hand. Expect to pay upwards of $100 or more for these adapters.
Luckily, there’s an inexpensive way to get a RS-232 port on your C64 and it’ll cost you less than $15. Ready?
Evertop is a portable PC that emulates an IBM XT with an 80186 processor and 1MB RAM. It can run DOS, Minix, and some other old 1980s operating systems. It also runs Windows up to version 3.0. Because it's based on a powerful yet very low power microcontroller, uses an e-ink display, packs two 10,000mAh batteries, and implements extreme power saving measures, it can run for hundreds or even thousands of hours on a single charge. Combine that with its built in solar panel, and you should be able to use it indefinitely off grid without ever having to worry about battery life.
It features a built in keyboard, external PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports, full CGA, Hercules, and MCGA graphics support, partial EGA and VGA support, PC speaker, Adlib, Covox, and Disney Sound Source audio output, built in speaker and headphone jack with volume control wheel, one DB9 RS232 serial port, one TTL serial port, dual keyboard and mouse PS/2 ports, USB flash drive port for convenient file transfer, an RJ45 ethernet port, wifi, and LoRA radio (I wrote a LoRA realtime chat client in QBASIC in about 15 minutes). Bluetooth hardware is present but I have not yet implemented it in any features, though I plan to add support for BT keyboard and mouse, and maybe serial over BT, IP over BT, audio over BT, and BT file transfer. The keyboard can be easily detached on a short tether to make it convenient to prop up the device at an angle while placing the keyboard on a flat surface. Or you can just plug in your own to the PS/2 port, as sometimes it's nice to be able to use a full sized keyboard, though the one I built into this device is big enough for normal typing.
Ultra-compact radiation detector add-on for your Flipper Zero. Monitor beta and gamma radiation levels. Gain environmental awareness instantly.
This is a MicroPython implementation of the TV-B-Gone project. The TV-B-Gone (by Mitch Altman) is a universal remote control that can turn off most televisions. Unfortunately, the existing open-source implementations (for the ATTiny microcontrollers) have very outdated code databases and don't work with many modern TVs. This project is designed to work with the ESP32 microcontroller and a recent version of MicroPython (I used v1.25.0). I wanted to use the ESP32 because its RMT peripheral allows for simple and well controlled modulated IR signal generation.
Currently supports around a dozen different manufacturers.
You can also capture new shutoff codes from remote controls in the wild.
Radio is an incredible technology with many uses but getting started can be tricky. Many existing resources require either deep electrical engineering experience. Many other sources cater to licensed Radio Amateurs with a focus on letting them communicate with other radio hobbyists.
This site instead focuses on the person that wants to learn how things work, and may not already have a deep electrical engineering background. We have found that learning is often the most effective (and fun) when building things hands-on, so that is what we will do here.