Well, my stint as Makezine's Soldering Makecation councellor is over. Last thing to do is go over the entries and pick some winners. See them here!
The Googles tell us that 'synapse' is defined as "a junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter." This, however, is one of the rare instances where The Googles are wrong, because what Synapse actually is (according to Jeremie, our tech guy) are RF engines that possess a 3 mile line of sight outdoor transmission range and 1000ft indoor transmission range (as opposed to Synapes, which is a synchronized swimming team formed from a family of larger primates). You're probably thinking that XBee is a pretty great wireless communications system with lots of support, and you'd be right. Synapse Wireless is just as great, though, and has longer range at really affordable pricing. Plus, they were used for remotely controlling the costume lighting in Tron Legacy, which adds, like, at least 50 cool points.
One of the problems of using Synapse Wireless modules, however, is that they don't quite have the catalogue of accessories and add-ons (like XBee modules have) to make them easy to use. Well, you're in luck - Solarbotics is here to make them more usable and accessible with two new kits and some documentation to match. If you're more of a visual person, check out this three part video for a rundown of what these modules are, how they work, and what you can do with them:
Solarbotics Synapse-to-FTDI Adapter Kit Want a board that can breakout the Synapse RF module pins, gives you a USB port/FTDI chip to program, supplies it with a regulated 3.3V, integrates a reset switch (for updating & erasing), and also gives you mounting options? Well the Solarbotics Synapse-to-FTDI Adapter Kit can do it all. |
Solarbotics Synapse-XBee Adapter Kit If you want to use Synapse modules in an XBee application, this will let you adapt it to work. With a few extra parts, you can even go back the other way (Xbee modules for Synapse setups). |
We'll keep putting items on discount over the next week, so keep an eye on the Clearance category. That's it for now. Keep in mind that we'll be closed to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving on October 10th. It's still just over a week away, so we'll give you another heads-up next week.
Well, my stint as Makezine's Soldering Makecation councellor is over. Last thing to do is go over the entries and pick some winners. See them here!
WOW! What a week! Most of us have returned from Maker Faire, where we had a fantastic time. We met a lot of great people, saw loads of neat projects and displays, and got a chance to take in some beautiful California weather. We're absolutely exhausted after an insanely long and busy weekend, but we're […]
Bleh. It's the middle of the week. Two-and-a-half days down, and two-and-a-half more to go. For a little bit of inspiration (and a bit of distraction), check out this week's round of neat-o links from around the office: The Stream : The future of drone technology This YouTube video features some interesting discussion about Drones […]
Lights. They're so purdy. Whithout 'em, we'd have one heck of a time to find things that would hypnotize us so effectively. So this week we have a few different LEDs that we're now carrying as well as... A NEW KIT! That's right, we're releasing a brand-new Solarbotics item with built-in blinky light technology. The […]
Solarbotics, Ltd. is not responsible for misprints or errors on product prices or information. For more information, please see our Terms and Conditions.
Warning: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov for more information. This item was manufactured prior to August 31, 2018.