Just another quick note that Solarbotics will be closed for Victoria Day, Monday May 23. Any orders received after 2pm today will not go out until we open back up on Tuesday the 24th.
We're working on some new Arduino projects. It's fun working on open-source hardware. Both these projects are out for manufacture now, so hopefully it will only be a few weeks until they are ready.
We love Phidgets. They have all kinds of useful sensors, to which most subscribe to a handy pinout "Ground / Vcc / Signal", which also describes most servo interfaces. It's turning into the general standard for most dedicated interfaces. So, to make use of these with an Arduino, we've put together our own GVS Shield.
We could have made it with a simple 3-row x 18 block of male pins, but that wouldn't fit the locking buckle-type connectors found on many Phidget and other accessory items. We're using nicely space, proper shielded pin plugs. Here are some design highlights:
Yes, the name was a challenge. They didn't think I'd have the guts to follow through with the name, but it's just so suitable.
This project is inspired by Kimio Kosaka's One Chip Arduino project, where he jams all the parts for an Arduino on top of the IC, and just plugs the IC into the breadboard directly.
This is an Arduino PCB designed reverse to most others. Instead of mounting the IC to the board, we're mounting the board to the IC (let me clarify...).
Put all the stuff on the top. Install looong leads through the rows on the outside edge. Jamb your ATMega328 in from the underside so the chip leads are pointing down, in the same direction os the long leads. Tack solder the chip leads to the long leads. Or not, if you think friction fit works.
Depending how you soldered the ATmega to the pins, you can either make it fit a 0.3" space header (where it straddles the breadboard centerline perfectly) or 0.4" wide (where it straddles the breadboard centerline, but uses up 1 extra empty hole next to the centerline).
Besides needing an FTDI cable, or SparkFun-like USB adapter/programmer, this will be a very inexpensive and compact way to do Arduino development. Stay tuned!
Just another quick note that Solarbotics will be closed for Victoria Day, Monday May 23. Any orders received after 2pm today will not go out until we open back up on Tuesday the 24th.
We've churned out another Bicore Experimenter's PCB project: The "Bare Bones PhotoVore". This is an elegant little circuit, which offers the functionality of a basic photovore (with tactiles) all on a very simple circuit. Ours is solar-powered by a Miller Solarengine, but if you wanted to build one with a battery, your parts count would […]
The night before WCRG, and all through the office, not a creature was stirring...except two dozen mini-sumo robots - AAAHH! Thanks to Alberta Printed Circuits, we were able to sponsor a mini-sumo workshop to build 24 robots to compete in the next day's Western Canadian Robot Games.
We are closed on Monday, July 3rd in lieu of Canada Day this Saturday (July 1st)! We will be back in business July 4th. Happy Canada Day!
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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.