On-line temperature sensor site

A site that refreshes an on-line temperature sensor. Nice PHP script working

and using sensor from fascinating electronics

XY axes

Making an XY axis bot requires two stepper motors, and then either 2 belts or 2 rods.  Been used many times before in CNC machines and 3-D printers:
including
Makerbot
RepRap

Nice tutorial on constructing Y-axis and also idler pulley assembly from Makerbot

Low cost CNC

Instructable using servo motors

We got our timing belts and pulleys from McMaster-Carr (but they are available elsewhere):
part # 6484K454 Trapezoidal Tooth Neoprene Timing Belt .200" Pitch, Trade Sz 770XL, 77" Outer Circle, 3/8" Wide
part # 57105K21 Acetal Pulley for XL-Series Timing-Belt for 1/4" & 3/8" Belt Width, 1.63" OD, 22 Teeth

Bearings and Collars
For the timing belt pulley bearings, make sure to get the extended inner ring ones so they don't rub against the shaft collars. You could also use regular ones with small washers on the inner ring. We used flanged ones to make mounting easier.


We got our timing belts and pulleys from McMaster-Carr (but they are available elsewhere):

part # 6462K12 Type 303 SS Set Screw Shaft Collar 1/4" Bore, 1/2" Outside Diameter, 9/32" Width
part # 57155K337 Miniature Precision SS Ball Bearing - ABEC-5 Flanged Shield, Extended Inner Ring, .25" ID, .5" OD

After building these, we noticed that Home Depot has ball bearings for patio doors, and these may work almost as well at a much lower price. Rather than mounting the bearing in a hole, you could put a couple bolts right through the outer plastic ring and bolt it right to an L bracket.

Magnetic reed switches

Using magnetic reed switches may be the answer to my underwater switch issues.  But how do they work? and where are the fields?

100kGarages, CNC, and Shopbot

At makerfaireRI, 100kGarages were there, a great resource for shopbot sites

Multiple RGB LEDS and expanding PWM controls

Increasing the number of PWM channels can use a TLC5940.  The arduino playground has some code, and an interesting thread. Digi-Key number 296-17732-5-ND, and the 28 PIN DIP is TLC5940NT and everyone is out of stock until Feb 2010 - must be a good chip!

Alternatives - could use multiple arduinos (each providing 6 PWMs) and use I2C to connect or maybe use an Arduino Mega (12 PWM).

analog gauges

Found some interesting analog gauges from old instruments and am thinking about interfacing them with arduino.  A good page on checking the series resistor (yes series) values to run them, and page on controlling with an arduino, so time to play with arduino or 5V...

PCB Boards

Perf boards, cheaper than Radio Shack and LadyAda uses them!!!! 21-113  are good small ones.
Then there are strip boards....

Controlling multiple LEDs

As ever tigoe has great information:

If you want discrete analog control over one output at a time, you can use a multiplexer. For digital control over multiple pins, you could use an addressable latch or a shift register. If you need pseudo-analog control over multiple pins, you could use a PWM driver.  There are also several LED driver chips that are designed specifically to control groups of LEDS.

So the ST16C596 shift register is similar to the popular 74HC595 shift register, but it’s nicer because it can sink a constant current to the LEDs it’s driving.

arduino xbee temperature sensor

Starting on a remote temperature sensor that will be connected to the web (perhaps).  I can hopefully log temperature data and also display real time on the web using a PHP script.  Here are some useful links:

Tweet-A-Watt from LadyAda is great
and also in the forums  lots of details



Here is the inital mock-up...

Code to use in processing may be modified from Tom Igoe
and XBee library

IR sensor with processing

Using a Sharp IR sensor to interface with processing . My current version works with changing the delay on a flashing LED

Arduino blog

Jeff's arduino blog with a list of arduino compatible hardware, very useful

Solar cells and recharging

Nice tutorial on solar cells from the Evil Mad Scientists

Pummer beginnings

After many procrastinations, it's time to make a pummer. Using MAKE magazine and BEAM resources, my breadboard pummer works.  Made several changes to the capacitors to get a good "pummmm"

BEAM robots - plant life

BEAM robotics ideas at
http://www.streettech.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1618

BEAM robotic art

Amazing robotic art by Christopher Conte at http://www.microbotic.org/

First step towards motor control

Constructed the L298 motor driver from Solarbotics.

NOw time to start constructing the motor systems to make a kinetic scultpture.....

Stepper Motor control

Using an EasyDriver to control a stepper motor.
Good tutorial http://danthompsonsblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/easydriver-v31-tutorial.html

Stepper Motor liberated from CD Drive and Floppy Drive

floppy drive pin out and cables at http://www.codeproject.com/KB/system/floppystepper.aspx
Good photos of liberating the motor at http://flickr.com/photos/russnelson/sets/72157594331481462/
good photos of salvaged motors from printer, CD drives at http://www.flickr.com/photos/anachrocomputer/282293157/

Belt driven robotics

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Positioning objects in an XY plance require belts and stepper motors

There is an interesting set of brackets, pulleys, worm gears at http://www.vexrobotics.com/vex-robotics-advanced-gear-kit.shtml