I own a decorative light for the winter which I controlled using a simple time switch in the past. The time of dusk is continually shifting, so I had to adjust the turn-on time multiple times each year. This year, I planned to automate the turn-on time. I tried to find a light controlled switch,…
Snowflake Project Documentation
I wrote a short page about the snowflake project from the end of 2017. On the page, you will find a summary of the project and the link to the repository with all the required files. Everything is open-source, including the design files for the hardware and a base version of the firmware for the…
Good Quality Boards from PCBWay
Recently I received boards for a sensor array from PCBWay. This boards were made in a very good quality considering the low price level. I really like the green solder mask they use, it creates a nice optical effect shifting the green colour towards yellow somehow. The solder mask produces a very nice contrast between…
How to Deal with Badly Written Code
Sadly there is a ton of badly written code out in the wild. Hardware related code, seem to suffer more in this regards. I imagine, many developer in this segment are unwillingly to invest time in quality or are just inexperienced. Even if you are dedicated in reliable and high quality code, you will probably…
Make your Code Safe and Readable with Flags
Flags play an important role in embedded software development. Microcontrollers and chips are using registers where single bits or combinations of bits play a big role in the configuration. All the bits and their role are described in the specification, but writing the bits directly in the code would be very confusing and hard to…
Testing the TPS61092 Boost Converter
For my current project I searched for a good boost power converter which is able to deliver continuous 400mA power for various sensors. There are an endless number of good boost converters around, but not many can be hand soldered to a board. I would really like to see some like the TPS61092 with SOIC…
PCBite Kit 2.0 from Sensepeek Arrived
Last week the new PCBite Kit 2.0 from Sensepeek arrived. The new kit comes with the great PCBite holder from the previous version, which are very useful to fasten a PCB for soldering, rework or analysis. New to this kit are the handy probes, which also can be magnetically attached to the mirror board. The…
Open Position for Step-Up Converter
For a current project I need a step-up converter to get 5 volts from 2.5V-5.5V input. The output of this converter is used to power sensors which drive motors and small heat elements from this source. The average consumed current is 160mA with a peek at 320mA. In the photo you can see the latest…
Adafruit PCB Coaster Arrived
Today I got the PCB coaster from Adafruit. They look so much better in real than on the photos in the shop. The coasters are made from 2.4mm FR4 PCB material. There is a transparent solder mask on the top to protect the copper and gold elements. The frame around the image is black silkscreen. I…
Boards in Good Quality from SeeedStudio Fusion
SeedStudio offered me a coupon to evaluate their PCB service “Fusion“. I am currently working on a new project, so I gave this service a try. I used the following options ordering the two boards: PCB Dimensions 68mm*108mm Impedance Control No Surface Finish HASL Lead Free Minimum Solder Mask Dam 0.4mm↑ Copper Weight 1oz. Plated…