Kit Review – JYE Tech FG085 DDS Function Generator
Introduction
There has been a lot of talk lately about inexpensive DDS (direct digital synthesis) function generators, and I always enjoy a kit – so it was time to check out the subject of this review. It’s the “FG085 miniDDS function generator” from JYE Tech. JYE is a small company in China that makes inexpensive test equipment kits, for example their capacitance meter (my first kit review!) and DSO. The capacitance meter was good, the DSO not so good – so let’s hope this is better than their last efforts.
Assembly
The instructions (AssemblyGuide_085G) are much better than previous efforts, and if you have bought the kit – read them. The kit arrives in a large zip-lock bag, with the following bundle of parts:
The AC adaptor is 100~240V in, 15V DC out. Everything is included with the kit including a short BNC to alligator clips lead for output. The PCBs are very good, with a nice solder mask and silk screen:
and back:
At this point we realise that most of the work is already done. There’s two microcontrollers ATmega48 and ATmega168- one for display and user-interface control, and the other for function generation. It takes only a few minutes to solder in the through-hole parts, headers and sockets:
… then you flip over the PCB and add the LCD:
… followed by the buttons and rotary encoder. From previous research this is the part that causes people a lot of trouble – so read carefully. There’s a lot of buttons – and if they aren’t inserted into the PCB correctly your life will become very difficult. The buttons must be inserted a certain way – they’re “polarised” – for example:
As you can see above, one side has a double-vertical line and the other side has a single. When you fit the buttons to the PCB – the side with the double-vertical must face the left-hand side of the PCB – the side with the DC socket. For example:
Furthermore, don’t be in a rush and put all the buttons in then try to solder them all at once. Do them one at a time, and hold them tight to the PCB with some blu-tac or similar. If they don’t sit flush with the PCB the front panel won’t fit properly and the buttons will stick when in use. So exercise some patience, and you’ll be rewarded with an easy to use function generator. Rush them in and you’ll be very unhappy. I warned you! After fitting each button, test fit the front panel to check the alignment, for example:
Then you end up with nicely-aligned buttons:
… which all operate smoothly when the panel is fitted:
After the buttons comes the rotary encoder. Be very careful when fitting it to the PCB – the data legs are really weak, and bend without much effort. If you push in the encoder, be mindful of the legs not going through the holes and bending upwards. Furthermore, when soldering in the encoder note that you’re really close to an electrolytic – you don’t want to stab it with a hot iron:
The CP2012 chip in the image above is for the USB interface. More on that later. Now the next stage is the power-test. Connect DC power and turn it on – you should be greeted by a short copyright message followed by the operation display:
If you didn’t – remove the power and check your soldering – including the capacitor polarities and look for bridges, especially around the USB socket. Now it’s time to fit the output BNC socket. For some reason only known to the designers, they have this poking out the front of the panel for the kit – however previous revisions have used a simple side-entry socket. Thus you need to do some modifications to the supplied socket. First, chop the tag from the sprocket washer:
… then remove the paper from the front panel:
Now solder a link to the washer in a vertical position:
… then fit the BNC socket to the panel, with the washer aligned as such:
Finally, align the top panel with the PCB so the BNC socket pin and washer link drop into the PCB and solder them in:
If you want to use the servo mode, solder three short wires that can attach to a servo form the three “output” pads between the BNC and USB socket.
Finally, screw in the panels and you’re finished!
Using the function generator
Operation is quite simple, and your first reference should be the manual (manual.pdf). The display defaults to normal function generator mode at power-up – where you can adjust the frequency, offset, amplitude and type of output – sine, square, triangle, ramp up, ramp down, staircase up and down:
The ranges for all functions is 0~10 khz, except for sine which can hit 200 kHz. You can enter higher frequencies, such as up to 250 kHz for sine – but the results aren’t so good.
Instead of filling this review with lots of screen dumps from an oscilloscope to demonstrate the output – I’ve made the following video where you can see various functions being displayed on a DSO:
You can also create signals to test servos, with adjustable pulse-width, amplitude and cycle times. However you’ll need to solder three wires onto the PCB (next to the BNC socket area) to attach to the servo.
According to the user manual and various retailers’ websites – the FG085 can generate frequency sweeping signals. These are signals that sweep from a start to as finish frequency over a period of time. However the firmware on the supplied unit is old and needs updating to enable this function. You can download the firmware in .hex file format from here. Then go and dig up an AVR programmer and avrdude. At the time of writing we had some issues with the signature not being recognised when updating the firmware, and solidly bricked the FG085. Our fault – so when that’s sorted out we’ll update the review – stay tuned.
There is also a USB port on the side – after installing CP2102 drivers in Windows we could connect at 115200 bps with terminal, however all the FG085 returned was the firmware version number. Perhaps later on the designers will update the firmware to allow for PC control. Somehow I wouldn’t bank on it.
Oh – if you’re wondering what DDS is - click here!
Conclusion
It’s an interesting piece of equipment. Putting the firmware upgrade issues to one side, the FG085 does what it sets out to do. During testing it worked well, and we didn’t come across any obvious inaccuracies during use. The price varies between US$43 and $50 – so for that money it’s a good kit. Just take care during construction and you’ll be fine.
The function generator is available in kit form or assembled, with or without panels from China. The kit version with panels is also available from Sparkfun (KIT-11394) and their resellers. Full-sized images available on flickr. This kit was purchased and reviewed without notifying the supplier.
In the meanwhile have fun and keep checking into tronixstuff.com. Why not follow things on twitter, Google+, subscribe for email updates or RSS using the links on the right-hand column? And join our friendly Google Group – dedicated to the projects and related items on this website. Sign up – it’s free, helpful to each other – and we can all learn something.
Kit Review – SC/Jaycar USB Power Monitor
Introduction
Every month Australian electronics magazine Silicon Chip publishes a variety of projects, and in December 2012 they published the USB Power Monitor by Nicholas Vinen. Jaycar picked it up and now offers a kit, the subject of our review. This small device plugs inline between a USB port and another device, and can display the current drawn, power and voltage at the USB port with a large LCD module. This is useful when you’re experimenting with USB-powered devices such as Arduino projects or curious how external USB devices can affect your notebook computer’s battery drain.
Assembly
The kit arrives in typical Jaycar fashion:
… everything necessary is included with the kit:
The instructions arrive as an updated reprint of the original magazine article, plus the usual notes from Jaycar about warranty and their component ID sheet which is useful for beginners. The PCB is quite small, and designed to be around the same size as the LCD module:
As you can see below, most of the work is already done due to the almost exclusive use of SMD components:
That’s a good thing if you’re in a hurry (or not the best with surface-mount work). Therefore the small amount of work requires is simply to solder in the USB sockets, the button and the LCD:
It took less than ten minutes to solder together. However – take careful, careful note of the LCD. There isn’t a pin 1 indicator on the module – so instead hold the LCD up to the light and determine which side of the screen has the decimal points – and line it up matching the silk-screening on the PCB. Once finished you can add the clear heatshrink to protect the meter, but remember to cut a small window at the back if you want access to the ICSP pins for the PIC microcontroller:
How it works
The USB current is passed through a 50 mΩ shunt resistor, with the voltage drop being measured by an INA282 current shunt monitor IC. The signal from there is amplified by an op amp and then fed to the ADC of a PIC18F45K80 microcontroller, which does the calculations and drives the LCD. For complete details purchase the kit or a copy of the December 2012 edition of Silicon Chip.
Operation
First you need to calibrate the unit – when first used the meter defaults to calibration mode. You simply insert it into a USB port. then measure the USB DC voltage brought out to two pads on the meter. By pressing the button you can match the measured voltage against the display as shown below – then you’re done.
Then you simply plug it in between your USB device and the socket. Press the button to change the measurement. The meter can measure the following ranges:
For an operational example. consider the next three images are from charging my phone – with the power, current and voltage being shown:
“P” for power…
current in mA
“b” for bus voltage
If you want to use the USB ports on the right-hand side of your computer, just press the button while inserting the meter – and it flips around:
Finally – here’s a quick video of the meter at work, whilst copying a file to an external USB hard drive:
Conclusion
I really like this – it’s simple and it works. Kudos to Nicholas for his project. You can purchase it from Jaycar and their resellers, or read more about it in the December 2012 edition of Silicon Chip. Full-sized images available on flickr. This kit was purchased without notifying the supplier.
In the meanwhile have fun and keep checking into tronixstuff.com. Why not follow things on twitter, Google+, subscribe for email updates or RSS using the links on the right-hand column? And join our friendly Google Group – dedicated to the projects and related items on this website. Sign up – it’s free, helpful to each other – and we can all learn something.
Review: Gooligum Electronics PIC Training Course and Development Board
Introduction
There are many types of microcontrollers on the market, and it would be fair to say one of the two most popular types is the Microchip PIC series. The PICs are great as there is a huge range of microcontrollers available across a broad range of prices. However learning how to get started with the PIC platform isn’t exactly simple. Not that we expect it to be, however a soft start is always better. There are some older books, however they can cost more than $100 – and are generally outdated. So where do you start?
It is with this problem in mind that led fellow Australian David Meiklejohn to develop and offer his PIC Training Course and Development Board to the marketplace via his company Gooligum Electronics.
In his words:
There is plenty of material available on PICs, which can make it daunting to get started. And some of the available material is dated, originally developed before modern “flash” PICs were available, or based on older devices that are no longer the best choice for new designs. Our approach is to introduce PIC programming and design in easy stages, based on a solid grounding in theory, creating a set of building blocks and techniques and giving you the confidence to draw on as we move up to more complex designs.
So in this article we’ll examine David’s course package. First of all, let’s look at the development board and inclusions. Almost everything you will need to complete all the lessons is included in the package, including the following PIC microcontrollers:
You can choose to purchase the board in kit form or pre-assembled. If you enjoy soldering, save the money and get the kit – it’s simple to assemble and a nice way to spend a few hours with a soldering iron.
Although the board includes all the electronic components and PICs – you will need are a computer capable of running Microchip MPLAB software, a Microchip PICkit3 (or -2) programming device and an IC extractor. If you’re building the kit, a typical soldering iron and so on will be required. Being the ultra-paranoid type, I bought a couple extra of each PIC to have as spares, however none were damaged in my experimenting. Just use common-sense when handling the PICs and you will be fine.
Assembly
Putting the kit board together wasn’t difficult at all. There isn’t any surface-mount parts to worry about, and the PCB is silk-screened very well:
The rest of the parts are shipped in antistatic bags, appropriately labelled and protected:
Assembly was straight forward, just start with the low-profile parts and work your way up. The assembly guide is useful to help with component placement. After working at a normal pace, it was ready in just over an hour:
The Hardware
Once assembled (or you’ve opened the packaging) the various sections of the board are obvious and clearly labelled – as they should be for an educational board. You will notice a large amount of jumper headers – they are required to bridge in and out various LEDs, select various input methods and so on. A large amount of jumper shunts is included with the board.
It might appear a little disconcerting at first, but all is revealed and explained as you progress through the lessons. The board has decent rubber feet, and is powered either by the PICkit3 programmer, or a regulated DC power source between 5 and 6V DC, such as from a plug-pack if you want to operate your board away from a PC.
However there is a wide range of functions, input and output devices on the board – and an adjustable oscillator, as shown in the following diagram:
The Lessons
There is some assumed knowledge, which is a reasonable understanding of basic electronics, some computer and mathematical savvy and the C programming language.
You can view the first group of lessons for free on the kit website, and these are included along with the additional lessons in the included CDROM. They’re in .pdf format and easy to read. The CDROM also includes all the code so you don’t have to transcribe it from the lessons. Students start with an absolute introduction to the system, and first learn how to program in assembly language in the first group of tutorials, followed by C in the second set.
This is great as you learn about the microcontroller itself, and basically start from the bottom. Although it’s no secret I enjoy using the Arduino system – it really does hide a lot of the actual hardware knowledge away from the end user which won’t be learned. With David’s system – you will learn.
If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you can review the tutorial summaries. Finally here’s a quick demonstration of the 7-segment displays in action:
Where to from here?
Once you run through all the tutorials, and feel confident with your knowledge, the world of Microchip PIC will be open to you. Plus you now have a great development board for prototyping with 6 to 14-pin PIC microcontrollers. Don’t forget all the pins are brought out to the row of sockets next to the solderless breadboard, so general prototyping is a breeze.
Conclusion
For those who have mastered basic electronics, and have some C or C-like programming experience from using other development environments or PCs – this package is perfect for getting started with the Microchip PIC environment. Plus you’ll learn about assembly language – which is a good thing. I genuinely recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about PIC and/or move into more advanced microcontroller work. And as the entire package is cheaper than some books – you can’t go wrong. The training course is available directly from the Gooligum website.
Disclaimer - The Baseline and Mid-Range PIC Training Course and Development Board was a promotional consideration from Gooligum Electronics.
In the meanwhile have fun and keep checking into tronixstuff.com. Why not follow things on twitter, Google+, subscribe for email updates or RSS using the links on the right-hand column? And join our friendly Google Group – dedicated to the projects and related items on this website. Sign up – it’s free, helpful to each other – and we can all learn something.
Kit Review – AVR ISP Shield
Introduction
In the last few weeks I needed to flash some ATmega328P microcontrollers with the Arduino bootloader. There are a few ways of doing this, and one method is to use an AVR ISP shield. It’s a simple kit to assemble and use, so let’s have look at the process and results.
As the kit is manufactured by Sparkfun, it arrives in typical minimalist fashion:
The kit includes the following items:
That’s it – no URL to instructions or getting started guide or anything. Luckily we have a bit of knowledge behind us to understand what’s going on. The PCB has all the components as SMT including the status LEDs, so the only soldering required is the shield header pins and the six or ten-connector for the programming cable. You receive enough header pins to fit everything except for both six and ten – you can have one or the other, but not both. Having some handy I thought adding my own socket would be a good idea, however the pins are placed too closed to the group of six, nixing that idea:
Assembly
After collecting all my regular soldering tools and firing up the ‘888 it was time to get to work:
The first thing to fit were the shield headers. A simple way to do this is to break off the required lengths:
… then fit them to a matching board:
… then you place the shield on top and solder the pins. After that I used some of my own headers to fit both six and ten-pin ISP headers – it never hurts to do both, one day you might need them and not have soldering equipment at the ready. Finally the zero-insertion force (ZIF) socket goes in last. Push the lever down so it lays flat before soldering. Then you’re finished:
Operation
Now to program some raw microcontrollers. Insert the shield into your board. We used Arduino IDE v1.0.1 without modifying the original instructions from the Arduino team. Now upload the “ArduinoISP” sketch which is in the Examples menu. Once this has been successful the PLS LED will breathe. You then insert the microcontroller into the ZIF socket and gently pull the lever down. The notch on the microcontroller must be on the right-hand side when looking at the shield. Finally – check the voltage! There is a switch at the bottom-left of the shield that allows 5V or 3.3V. This only changes the Vcc so programming a 3.3V microcontroller will still involve 5V via SPI – possibly causing trouble.
Next you need to select the target board for the microcontroller you’re programming. For example, if it’s going into a Uno – click Uno, even if you’re hosting the shield with an older board such as a Duemilanove. Next, choose the programmer type by selecting Tools > Programmer > Arduino as ISP. Now for the magic – select Tools > Burn bootloader. The process takes around one minute, during which time the “PROG” LED on the shield will blink and flicker. It turns off once finished, and the IDE also notifies you of this. For the curious, the process is in the video below:
As you hopefully noticed earlier a cable is included which allows in-circuit programming from the shield to your existing project or prototype. However we didn’t have use for it at this time, it will come in handy when doing more advanced work later on.
Conclusion
It’s simple and it works. So if you need to flash a whole tube of raw micros with the Arduino bootloader, this is an option. In Australia you can get the kit from Little Bird Electronics. Full-sized images available on flickr. This kit was purchased without notifying the supplier.
In the meanwhile have fun and keep checking into tronixstuff.com. Why not follow things on twitter, Google+, subscribe for email updates or RSS using the links on the right-hand column? And join our friendly Google Group – dedicated to the projects and related items on this website. Sign up – it’s free, helpful to each other – and we can all learn something.
Adventures with SMT and a POV SMT Kit
Introduction
There’s a lot of acronyms in the title for this article – what I wanted to say was “Adventures with surface-mount technology soldering with the Wayne & Layne Blinky Persistence-of-vision surface-mount technology reprogrammable light emitting diode kit…” No, seriously. Anyhow – after my last attempt at working with hand soldering surface-mount components couldn’t really be called a success, I was looking for something to start again with. After a little searching around I found the subject for today’s review and ordered it post-haste. Delivery from the US to Australia was twelve calendar days – which is pretty good, so you know the organisation is shipping quickly once you paid.
The kit is by “Wayne and Layne” which was founded by two computer engineering graduates. They have a range of open-source electronics kits that look like fun and a lot of “blinkyness”. Our POV kit is a simple persistence-of-vision display. By using eight LEDs in a row you can display words and basic characters by waving the thing through the air at speed, giving the illusion of a larger display. An analogy to this would be a dot-matrix printer that prints with ink which only lasts a fraction of a second. More on that later, first – putting it together.
Assembly
Like most other kits it arrived in an anti-static bag, with a label clearly telling you where the instructions are:
Upon opening the amount of items included seemed a little light:
However the instructions are detailed:
… and upon opening, reveal the rest of the components:
… which are taped down to their matching description on the cardboard. When cutting the tape to access the parts, do it slowly otherwise you might send them flying off somewhere on the bench and spend ten minutes looking for it. Finally, the PCB in more detail:
After reviewing the instructions, it was time to fire up my trusty Hakko and get started. At this point a few tools will come in handy, including SMT tweezers, some solder wick and a piece of blu-tac:
Following the instructions, and taking your time are the key to success. When mounting the two-pad components – put a blob of solder on one pad, then use tweezers to move the component in whilst keeping that pad of solder molten, remove the iron, then let go with the tweezers. Then the results should resemble capacitor C1 on the board as shown below:
Then a quick blob at the other end seals it in. This was easily repeated for the resistors. The next step was the pre-programmed PIC microcontroller. It is in the form of a SOIC package type, and required some delicate work. The first step was to stick it down with some blu-tac:
… then solder down one pin at each end. Doing so holds it in place and you can remove the blu-tac and solder the rest of the pins in. I couldn’t solder each pin individually, so dragged solder across the pins then tried to soak up the excess with solder wick. I didn’t find this too successful, so instead used the solder sucker to mop up the excess:
If you solder, you should get one of these – they’re indispensable. Moving forward, the PIC finally sat well and looked OK:
Next was the power-switch. It clicks neatly into the PCB making soldering very easy. Then the LEDs. They’re tiny and some may find it difficult to identify the anode and cathode. If you look at the top, there is a tiny dot closer to one end – that end is the cathode. For example, in the lineup:
Soldering in the LEDs wasn’t too bad – however to save time do all the anodes first, then the cathodes:
At this point all the tricky work is over. There are the light-sensor LEDs and the reset button for the top:
And the coin-cell battery holder for the bottom. The battery is also included with the kit:
Operation
Once you’ve put the battery in, turn it on and wave it about in front of yourself. There are some pre-programmed messages and symbols already loaded, which you can change with the button. However you’ll want to put your own messages into the POV – and the process for doing so is very clever. Visit the programming page, and follow the instructions. Basically you enter the text into the form, set the POV to programming mode – and hold it up against two squares on your monitor. The website will then blink the data which is received by the light-sensitive LEDs. Once completed, the POV will inform you of success or failure. This method of programming is much simpler than having to flash the microcontroller every time – well done Wayne and Layne. A pin and connector is also included which allows you to wear the blinky as a badge. Maybe at a hackerspace, but not in public.
Once programmed some fun can be had trying out various speeds of waving the blinky. For example, here it is with the speed not fast enough at all:
… and a little bit faster:
And finally with me running past the camera:
Furthermore, there is an ‘easter egg’ in the software, which is shown below:
Conclusion
We had a lot of fun with this simple little kit, and learned a thing or two about hand-soldering SMT. It can be done with components that aren’t too small – however doing so was an interesting challenge and the results were quite fun. So it met our needs very well. Anyone can do it with some patience and a clean soldering iron. You can order the Blinky POV SMT kit directly from Wayne & Layne. Full-sized images available on flickr. This kit was purchased without notifying the supplier.
In the meanwhile have fun and keep checking into tronixstuff.com. Why not follow things on twitter, Google+, subscribe for email updates or RSS using the links on the right-hand column? And join our friendly Google Group – dedicated to the projects and related items on this website. Sign up – it’s free, helpful to each other – and we can all learn something.
Kit Review – akafugu Simpleclock
Introduction
Finally another kit review! Thanks to akafugu in Japan (the people who brought us the Akafuino-X) we have a new clock kit to assemble – the Simpleclock. But first, what is it?
A clock – yes. You can never have too many clocks. Also, a digital thermometer and an alarm clock. It is based on the Atmel ATmega328 and Arduino IDE, with open-source firmware. The real-time clock uses the DS1307 circuit with battery backup that we know and love. This means you can completely modify the clock or concoct a completely different use for your Simpleclock. Countdown timer? There’s an idea…
Furthemore, the display module is their individual I2C-interface TWI Display. Therefore you have a clock as well as some Arduino-based hardware to experiment with later on. However, let’s assemble it first.
Assembly
Putting it all together was quite straight-forward. You can follow the detailed instructions at the akafugu site. All the parts required to make a functional clock as advertised are included with the kit:
Here are the brains of the operation – the pre-programmed microcontroller and the DS1307 real-time clock IC:
You do receive an IC socket for the MCU, but not for the RTC – however this shouldn’t be an issue – just double-check your soldering and have some confidence. The PCBs are nicely laid out with solder-masking and a clear silk-screen:
The PCB on the left in the images above is for the display module – it runs an ATtiny microcontroller than can be worked with separately. Moving forward, you start with the lowest-profile components including the resistors and capacitors:
Take note of the vice – these are great, and light years ahead of the “helping hands” things you see around the traps. This was a Stanley model from element14. The resistors sit in nicely:
The next step is to put a blob of solder on the solder pad which will be beneath the backup battery holder – this forces contact between the negative side of the coin cell battery and the PCB:
Everything else went smoothly – I did have a small worry about the pin spacing for the USB power socket, however a clean tip and a steady hand solved that problem:
The rest of the clock board is much easier – just follow the instructions, take your time and relax. Soon enough you’ll be finished:
However I did have one “oops” moment – I left the PTC in too tall, so it needed to be bent over a little to give way for the display module when inserted:
The next task is to solder the four digit display to the display PCB – nothing new here:
Which leaves you with the standalone display module:
Using the Simpleclock
The firmware for clock use as described in the product page is already loaded in the MCU, so you can use it without needing and programming time or effort. It is powered via a mini-USB cable which you will need to acquire yourself. Frankly the design should have a DC socket and regulator – perhaps for the second revision With second thought, it’s better running from USB. When I turn on the computer in the morning the Simpleclock beeps and ‘wakes up’. The menu system is simple and setting the time and alarm is deceptively so. Some thought has been put into the user interface so once assembled, you could always give the clock away as a gift without fear of being asked for help. However mine is staying on top of the monitor for the office PC:
And here it is in action on the bench:
If you get the urge to modify and update the code, it is easily done. As the Simpleclock kit is open source, all the data required is available from Akafugu’s github page. Please read the notes and other documentation before updating your clock. The easiest way to physically upload the new code will be with a 5V FTDI to USB adaptor or cable.
Conclusion
The Simpleclock was easy to assemble and works very well. It would make a fun kit for those learning to solder, as they have something that once completed is a reminder of their success and useful in daily life. Apart from using USB for power instead of a DC socket – it’s a great kit and I would recommend it to anyone interested in clocks, enjoys kit assembly, or as a gift to a young one to introduce them to electronics and microcontrollers.
Note – the Simpleclock kit was a promotional consideration from akafugu.jp, however the opinions stated are purely my own.
Clock Kit Round-up – December 2011
Hello Readers
If there’s one thing that I really like it’s a good clock kit. Once constructed, they can be many things, including:
- a point of differentiation from other items in the room;
- a reminder of the past (nixie tubes!) or possible visions of the future;
- the base of something to really annoy other people;
- a constant reminder to get back to work;
- a source of satisfaction from having made something yourself!
So just for fun I have attempted to find and list as many interesting and ‘out of the ordinary’ kits as possible, and ignored the simple or relatively mundane kits out there. If you are in the clock kit business and want a mention, let me know. So in no particular order, we have:
adafruit industries “ice tube” clock
Based around a vintage Soviet-era vacuum IV-18 type fluorescent display, the ice tube clock is a rare kit that includes a nice enclosure which keeps you safe from the high voltages as well as allowing the curious to observe your soldering skills. I reviewed this kit almost a year ago and the clock is still working perfectly. Here is a video of the ice tube clock in action:
After some travelling meeting various people it seems that quite a few of us have an ice tube clock. There is something quite mesmerising about the display, perhaps helping to recall memories of our youth in the 1970s and 80s.
nootropic design Defusable Clock Kit
As recently reviewed, this kit allows you to build a simulated ‘countdown’ timer for a hypothetical explosive device that also doubles as a clock with an alarm. For example:
Whatever you do, don’t make a ‘fake bomb’ and leave it out in public! Only bad things could happen
ogilumen nixie tube kits
Not a clock kit as such, however they have made doing it yourself very easy with their power supply and IN-12A nixie board kits. We made one ourselves in a previous review, as shown below:
Alan Parekh’s Multimeter Clock Kit
This is certainly one from left field – using the analogue multimeters to display hours, minutes and seconds. See Alan describe his kit in this video:
Certainly something different and would look great on the wall of any electronics-themed area or would easily annoy those who dislike the status-quo of clock design.
akafugu VFD Modular Clock
The team at akafugu have created a modular baseboard/shield kit which holds a shield containing four IV-17 alphanumeric nixie tubes to create your own clock or display system:
Unlike some of the other nixie tube kits the firmware has been made public and can be modified at will. In the future different display shields will be available to extend the use of the kit.
tubeclock.com kits
This site has two kits available, one using either four or six Soviet-era IN-12 type nixie tubes:
… and another kit using the Soviet-era IN-14 nixie tubes:
You have to hand it to the former Soviet Union – they knew how to over-produce nixie tubes. One rare example where we can benefit from a command economy!
evil mad science clocks
The certainly not evil people have two clock kits, the first being the Bulbdial Clock Kit:
This uses a unique ring of LEDs around the circumference of the clock face to create shadows to mark the time. It is also available in a range of housing and face styles. Their other kit of interest is the Alpha Clock Five:
The photo of this clock doesn’t do it justice – the alphanumeric displays are 2.3″ tall, making this one huge clock. It also makes use of a Chronodot real-time clock board, which contains a temperature-controlled oscillator which helps give it an accuracy of +-/ 2 minutes per year. Furthermore you can modify this easily using an FTDI cable and the Arduino IDE with some extra software. Would be great for model railways (or even a real railway station) or those insanely conscious about the time.
Kabtronics Clock Kits
This organisation has several clock kits which span a range of technology from the later part of the twentieth century. These guys can only be true clock enthusiasts! Starting with the 1950s, they have their Nixie-Transistor Clock:
Look – no integrated circuits, leaving the kit true to the era. If you need to hide from someone for a weekend, building this would be a good start. Next we move onto the 1960s and the Transistor Clock:
The 1960s brought with it LEDs so they are now used in this kit, however the logic is still all analogue electronics. However next we can move to the 1970s, and finally save some board space with the TTL Clock:
This would still be fun to assemble but somewhat less punishing for those who don’t enjoy solder fumes that much. However you still have a nice kit and something to be proud of. Finally, the last in the line is the 1980s-themed Surface-Mount Technology Clock:
So here we have a microcontroller, SMT components, and a typical reduction in board size. Their range is an excellent way of demonstrating the advances in technology over the years.
Wow – this clock makes use of huge Burroughs B7971 15-segment nixie tube displays and a GPS receiver to make a huge, old-style/new-tech clock. Check out the demonstration video:
This thing is amazing. And it is actually cheaper to buy a fully-assembled version (huh). The same organisation also offers another GPS-controlled clock using IN-18 nixie tubes:
Again, it isn’t inexpensive – however the true nixie tube enthusiasts will love it. This clock would look great next to a post-modern vintage hifi tube amplifier. Moving forward to something completely different now, we have the:
adafruit industries monochron®
Almost the polar opposite of the nixie-tube clocks, the monochron uses an ATmega328 microcontroller and a 128 x 64 LCD module to create some interesting clock effects. For example:
Many people have created a variety of displays, including space invaders and the pong game simulation. The clock also includes the laser-cut acrylic housing which provides a useful and solid base for the clock.
Spikenzie Labs Solder : Time™ watch kit
Technically this is a watch kit, however I don’t think that many people would want to walk around wearing one – but it could be used in more permanent or fixed locations. Correct me if I’m wrong people. However in its defence it is a very well designed kit that is easy to solder and produces a nice clock:
It uses a separate real-time controller IC to stay accurate, and the design However this would be a great suggestion as a gift for a younger person to help them become interesting in electronics and other related topics. The asm firmware is also available for you to modify using Microchip MPLAB software if that takes your fancy.
Velleman Kits
The Velleman company has a range of somewhat uninspiring clock kits, starting with the Scrolling/Rolling LED Clock:
… the 2¼” 7-Segment Digital Clock:
This clock includes the housing and also accepts an optional temperature sensor, and therefore can display this as well. There is also the aptly-named – Digital LED Clock:
It tells the time and would be useful in a 1980s-era idea of the future movie set. The final velleman clock kit is the Jumbo Single-Digit Clock:
In all fairness this one looks quite interesting – the LED display is 57mm tall and the time is display one digit at a time. It is powered by a PIC16F630 however the firmware is proprietary to velleman.
Nocrotec Nixie Clocks
This company has a range of kits using nixie tubes and numitrons (low voltage incadescent displays in tubes). One particularly lovely kit is their IN-8 Blue Dream kit:
The blue glow at the base of the nixie tubes is due to an LED mounted at the bottom of the tube. Another aesthetically-pleasing kit is their Little Blue Something nixie clock. Check out their demonstration video:
More IN-12 nixie clocks from Germany, the first being the Manuela_HR. You can buy the kit without an enclosure, or choose from the ‘office’ style:
… or this funky number:
You can specify it with RGB LEDs which colour-cycle to provide the effect shown above. For those not too keen you can also buy the kits pre-assembled. Their other kit is the Sven:
It is available with IN-8 or IN-14 nixie tubes. The design quality of the enclosure is outstanding, a lot of effort has been made to produce a complete kit that “won’t look like a kit” when completed.
This is a small binary clock kit that fits in an Altoids tin:
This is a nice little kit as it is inexpensive, easy to make and very well documented. You could also mount this in a variety of flat surfaces, limited only by your imagination.
The Chronulator
Here we find a unique design that uses analogue panel meters in a similar method to the multimeter clock detailed previously. Here is an example of the completed kit:
The kit contains the electronics and meters (or you can delete the meters for a discount if you already have some) however the housing is up to you. Furthermore, this kit has some of the best instructions (.pdf) I have ever seen. They are a credit to the organisation. Our final clock kit is the …
This is another clock kit in the style of ‘suspicious bomb timer’-looking – and it pulls this off quite well. Consider the following video demonstration:
As well as a normal clock it can function as an alarm, stopwatch, countdown timer and lap counter. The instructions (.pdf) are well written and easy to follow. Furthermore the Denkimono is also well priced for the kit and delivery.
Hopefully this catalogue of clock kits was of interest to you. If you have found some other kits to add to the list, or wish to disagree or generally comment about this article please do so via the comment section below. This article was not sponsored in any way.
Have fun and keep checking into tronixstuff.com. Why not follow things on twitter, Google+, subscribe for email updates or RSS using the links on the right-hand column, or join our Google Group – dedicated to the projects and related items on this website. Sign up – it’s free, helpful to each other – and we can all learn something.
Review – nootropic design defusable clock kit
Hello Readers
In this review we examine an interesting, fun and possibly a prankster’s delight – the “Defusable Clock Kit” from nootropic design. The purpose of this kit is to construct a clock that counts down in a similar method to “movie-style” bombs, and it has terminals to connect four wires to the board. When the countdown timer is beeping away, you need to choose which wire to cut otherwise the “bomb” (alarm) goes off.
Furthermore, it also functions as a normal clock with an alarm, so you can use it daily normal activities. And finally it is based on the Arduino system which allows the kit to be reprogrammed at a later date. Now let’s move forward by examining kit construction.
Packaging
The kit arrives in a re-sealable antistatic pouch that can be reused without any effort:
Assembly
Detailed instructions can be found on the product website. The kit has a very clear and well-detailed silk screen on the PCB:
All the parts required are included, as well as an IC socket for the microcontroller:
Moving forward, the first parts to solder in are the resistors:
… then to the other lower-profile components:
… and the rest:
Which leaves us with the final product:
The clock is designed around simple Arduino-compatible circuitry, so if you wish to alter the firware for the clock or upload your own sketch, you will need to fit the six-way header pins (in order to connect a USB-FTDI cable). As the pins are horizontal and tend to fall over, it’s easier to solder the first pin from the top of the PCB to hold it in place:
… then turn the PCB over and solder the rest.
Operation
Power is supplied via the DC socket on the PCB, and converted to 5V with a typical 7805 regulator. Therefore your input voltage can range between normal levels of 9~12VDC. Once the power is connected you can set the time for the clock and alarm for normal use. However if you feel like some sweat-inducing excitement, connect four wires each between the terminal blocks at the top of the PCB. Then press the red button to start the ten-second countdown. You can also increase or decrease the countdown time.
Your chances of defusing it in time can be quite low – by cutting one wire you can defuse it, by cutting two other wires nothing will happen and the clock keeps ticking – and by cutting the final wire… well, it’s all over. The wires are randomly chosen each time so you can’t predict which will be the correct wire. (Unless you change the firmware). Now let’s see the clock in action:
At this juncture it would be appropriate to warn the users of this kit not to … well, misuse the clock. To be honest I’m surprised such a kit originated from the US in the first place, but then again it never hurts to have a sense of humour. But seriously, to the untrained eye or casual security guard – this kit will look pretty damn real. So no making any mock explosive models with Play-Doh or metal cylinders and leaving them on the train or bus or under someone’s toilet seat. Then again, that would be good for a laugh – so please keep it at home, not in the railway station.
Further expansion
As mentioned earlier this kit is Arduino (Duemilanove) compatible, you can upload new sketches using a 5V FTDI cable or swapping the microcontroller over in another Arduino-style board. You have four LEDs, a 4-digit 7-segment LED module, a buzzer, and four digital I/O pins via the terminal block on the top-right of the PCB which could control external devices. Furthermore you can download and examine the clock sketch to modify or deconstruct it to determine the operation.
Conclusion
Apart from the laughs and possible mayhem you could cause with this, the kit is easy to assemble and works as described. It would make a great present to get someone interested in electronics, or help them with soldering practice. Furthermore it is certainly unique, and would be fun at parties and other events. High-resolution images available on flickr.
Have fun and keep checking into tronixstuff.com. Why not follow things on twitter, Google+, subscribe for email updates or RSS using the links on the right-hand column, or join our Google Group – dedicated to the projects and related items on this website. Sign up – it’s free, helpful to each other – and we can all learn something.
October 2011 Competition Results
Hello readers
October has now passed by (too quickly!) and it is time to announce the winners of the October competition. Congratulations to all those who entered – there was some great examples of creativity and enthusiasm. Although less people entered this month, the standard of entries was very high – which made judging very difficult. However with some deliberation we narrowed it down to three entries:
First Prize:
Congratulations to Nick P from New York, USA for his entry:
Droid ‘bot assassin,
Misses elevated mark.
Forgot third axis.
Nick will receive a Freetronics USBDroid and one Terminal Shield:
Designed in Australia and manufactured to the highest quality standards the USBDroid combines the functionality of the Freetronics Eleven along with a USB host-mode controller and a microSD memory card slot all merged together into a single, integrated board that is 100% Arduino compatible. This is the ideal platform for developing peripherals or projects based around Android devices with ADK (Android Developer Kit) functionality, but without requiring a USB host controller shield stacked onto an Arduino. Connect your Android phone for all kinds of controller and networking features, and other USB devices like game controllers, Bluetooth dongles, digital cameras, etc. All the good things about the Eleven are included:
- Gold-plated PCB.
- Top and bottom parts overlays.
- Top-spec ATmega328P MCU.
- D13 pin isolated with a MOSFET so you can use it as an input.
- Robust power filtering.
- Sexy rounded corners.
- PC communications with the Mini-USB connector: no more shorts against shields!
- And of course the USB Host connector to go out to your Android phone and other USB devices.
In addition we’ve included a high current onboard power supply so you can charge your Android device directly off the USBDroid. Available now from a Freetronics reseller near you.
The Terminal Shield breaks out all the Arduino headers to handy screw terminals, making it really easy to connect external wires without using a soldering iron. Ideal for quick experiments or for robust connections! The center area of the shield is also a huge prototyping area, allowing you to add your own parts to suit your project. A blue “power” LED shows when your Arduino is powered up, and there are also red, green, and blue general-purpose LEDs with current-limiting resistors. The Terminal Shield comes with all the supporting components already fitted as surface-mount parts so you can start using it right away, and we even provide stackable headers to allow you to mount another shield on top.
Features
- Gold-plated surface: solders easily and very resistant to finger oil, etc.
- Large prototyping area with through-plated holes.
- Clearly marked GND and 5V rails beside prototyping area.
- Blue surface-mount “power on” LED.
- 2 × 100nF power supply smoothing capacitors pre-fitted as surface-mount parts.
- Reset button wired through to the Arduino so you can reset it even with the shield mounted over the top.
- 3 general-purpose surface-mount LEDs (red, green, blue) with current limiting resistors pre-fitted: driveHIGH to illuminate.
- Overlay printed on both the top and the bottom of the board so you don’t have to turn it over to see what you’re soldering onto.
- Sexy rounded corners.
Congratulations to James from Christchurch, New Zealand for his entry:
Ether Ten, what shall I make?
Why, remote access.
My home is automated.
James will receive a Freetronics EtherTen and the new AM3X 3-Axis Accelerometer Module:
This is the mother of all Arduino-compatible boards. Designed in Australia and manufactured to the highest quality standards the EtherTen replaces three boards – consider having an Arduino Uno SMD, Ethernet shield with PoE, and a microSD shield – all on the one board. From the Freetronics website:
The EtherTen is a 100% Arduino compatible board that can talk to the world. Do Twitter updates automatically, serve web pages, connect to web services, display sensor data online, and control devices using a web browser. The Freetronics EtherTen uses the same ATmega328P as the Duemilanove and the same Wiznet W5100 chip used by the official Arduino Ethernet Shield, so it’s 100% compatible with the Ethernet library and sketches. Any project you would previously have built with an Arduino and an Ethernet shield stacked together, you can now do all in a single, integrated board.
We’ve even added a micro SD card slot so you can store web content on the card, or log data to it.
All the good things about the Eleven and the Ethernet Shield have been combined into this one device so please see those pages for all the specific details, but the highlights include:
- Gold-plated PCB.
- Top and bottom parts overlays.
- Top-spec ATmega328P MCU.
- Mini-USB connector: no more shorts against shields!
- D13 pin isolated with a MOSFET so you can use it as an input.
- Power-over-Ethernet support, both cheapie DIY or full 802.3af standards-compliant.
- Ethernet activity indicators on the PCB and the jack.
- 10/100base-T auto-selection.
- Fully compatible with standard Ethernet library.
- Reset management chip.
- Fixed SPI behavior on Ethernet chipset.
- Robust power filtering.
- Sexy rounded corners.
Note that just like our Ethernet Shield with PoE support, the EtherTen provides a number of options for different Power over Ethernet. You can use the supplied jumpers and feed 7-12Vdc down the wire for cheap DIY version, or you can fit our PoE Regulator 24V and feed a bit more voltage down the wire, or you can use our PoE Regulator 802.3AF along with a proper commercial PoE injector or switch. It’s up to you.
Which way is up?
This tiny 3-axis accelerometer module can operate in either +/-1.5g or +/-6g ranges, giving your project the ability to tell which way is up. Ideal for robotics projects, tilt sensors, vehicle dataloggers, and whatever else you can dream up. It has independent X, Y, and Z axis outputs ready to connect directly to analog inputs on an Arduino, and we’ve included an onboard 3.3V regulator so that you can run it from either 5V or 3.3V. It even has a “zero g!” output to detect when the device is in free-fall, so you could connect that to an “interrupt” pin on an Arduino to have your project react immediately if it’s dropped!
Very cool.
The module includes mounting holes suitable for M3 or 1/8″ bolts, and a flat rear face so you can easily glue it to any surface. Available here now or at a Freetronics reseller near you.
Third Prize:
Congratulations to CV Rao from New Delhi, India for their entry:
I waiting to receive the Zoombadger,
To play with my daughter.
A game of detective and murderer,
Along with her lovely mother.
CV will receive three Snootlab Zombadge Kits:
With Trippy RGB sketch uploaded, this is the Snootlab games platform based on the Mitch Altman original design, it can receive original Snootlab collaborative games. This badge can be used for soldering workshop and electronic board programming. Being a badge, it can be worn as a pendant. More details on the dedicated website zombadge.com.
Once again thanks to everyone for their entries. We had a few ineligible entries and two rude ones. Such is the Internet!
And of course thanks to our sponsors Freetronics and Snootlab
Stay tuned for the November competition which will be announced shortly.
So have fun and keep checking into tronixstuff.com. Why not follow things on twitter, Google+, subscribe for email updates or RSS using the links on the right-hand column, or join our Google Group – dedicated to the projects and related items on this website. Sign up – it’s free, helpful to each other – and we can all learn something.
October 2011 Competition
Hello Readers!
The October competition has now closed and the entries will be judged very soon. Stay tuned for the results and the forthcoming November competition!
— *** Prize One *** —
Prize One consists of a Freetronics USBDroid and one Terminal Shield:
Designed in Australia and manufactured to the highest quality standards the USBDroid combines the functionality of the Freetronics Eleven along with a USB host-mode controller and a microSD memory card slot all merged together into a single, integrated board that is 100% Arduino compatible. This is the ideal platform for developing peripherals or projects based around Android devices with ADK (Android Developer Kit) functionality, but without requiring a USB host controller shield stacked onto an Arduino. Connect your Android phone for all kinds of controller and networking features, and other USB devices like game controllers, Bluetooth dongles, digital cameras, etc. All the good things about the Eleven are included:
- Gold-plated PCB.
- Top and bottom parts overlays.
- Top-spec ATmega328P MCU.
- D13 pin isolated with a MOSFET so you can use it as an input.
- Robust power filtering.
- Sexy rounded corners.
- PC communications with the Mini-USB connector: no more shorts against shields!
- And of course the USB Host connector to go out to your Android phone and other USB devices.
In addition we’ve included a high current onboard power supply so you can charge your Android device directly off the USBDroid. Available now from a Freetronics reseller near you.
The Terminal Shield breaks out all the Arduino headers to handy screw terminals, making it really easy to connect external wires without using a soldering iron. Ideal for quick experiments or for robust connections! The center area of the shield is also a huge prototyping area, allowing you to add your own parts to suit your project. A blue “power” LED shows when your Arduino is powered up, and there are also red, green, and blue general-purpose LEDs with current-limiting resistors. The Terminal Shield comes with all the supporting components already fitted as surface-mount parts so you can start using it right away, and we even provide stackable headers to allow you to mount another shield on top.
Features
- Gold-plated surface: solders easily and very resistant to finger oil, etc.
- Large prototyping area with through-plated holes.
- Clearly marked GND and 5V rails beside prototyping area.
- Blue surface-mount “power on” LED.
- 2 × 100nF power supply smoothing capacitors pre-fitted as surface-mount parts.
- Reset button wired through to the Arduino so you can reset it even with the shield mounted over the top.
- 3 general-purpose surface-mount LEDs (red, green, blue) with current limiting resistors pre-fitted: driveHIGH to illuminate.
- Overlay printed on both the top and the bottom of the board so you don’t have to turn it over to see what you’re soldering onto.
- Sexy rounded corners.
— *** Prize Two*** —
Prize Two consists of a Freetronics EtherTen and the new AM3X 3-Axis Accelerometer Module:
This is the mother of all Arduino-compatible boards. Designed in Australia and manufactured to the highest quality standards the EtherTen replaces three boards – consider having an Arduino Uno SMD, Ethernet shield with PoE, and a microSD shield – all on the one board. From the Freetronics website:
The EtherTen is a 100% Arduino compatible board that can talk to the world. Do Twitter updates automatically, serve web pages, connect to web services, display sensor data online, and control devices using a web browser. The Freetronics EtherTen uses the same ATmega328P as the Duemilanove and the same Wiznet W5100 chip used by the official Arduino Ethernet Shield, so it’s 100% compatible with the Ethernet library and sketches. Any project you would previously have built with an Arduino and an Ethernet shield stacked together, you can now do all in a single, integrated board.
We’ve even added a micro SD card slot so you can store web content on the card, or log data to it.
All the good things about the Eleven and the Ethernet Shield have been combined into this one device so please see those pages for all the specific details, but the highlights include:
- Gold-plated PCB.
- Top and bottom parts overlays.
- Top-spec ATmega328P MCU.
- Mini-USB connector: no more shorts against shields!
- D13 pin isolated with a MOSFET so you can use it as an input.
- Power-over-Ethernet support, both cheapie DIY or full 802.3af standards-compliant.
- Ethernet activity indicators on the PCB and the jack.
- 10/100base-T auto-selection.
- Fully compatible with standard Ethernet library.
- Reset management chip.
- Fixed SPI behavior on Ethernet chipset.
- Robust power filtering.
- Sexy rounded corners.
Note that just like our Ethernet Shield with PoE support, the EtherTen provides a number of options for different Power over Ethernet. You can use the supplied jumpers and feed 7-12Vdc down the wire for cheap DIY version, or you can fit our PoE Regulator 24V and feed a bit more voltage down the wire, or you can use our PoE Regulator 802.3AF along with a proper commercial PoE injector or switch. It’s up to you.
Which way is up?
This tiny 3-axis accelerometer module can operate in either +/-1.5g or +/-6g ranges, giving your project the ability to tell which way is up. Ideal for robotics projects, tilt sensors, vehicle dataloggers, and whatever else you can dream up. It has independent X, Y, and Z axis outputs ready to connect directly to analog inputs on an Arduino, and we’ve included an onboard 3.3V regulator so that you can run it from either 5V or 3.3V. It even has a “zero g!” output to detect when the device is in free-fall, so you could connect that to an “interrupt” pin on an Arduino to have your project react immediately if it’s dropped!
Very cool.
The module includes mounting holes suitable for M3 or 1/8″ bolts, and a flat rear face so you can easily glue it to any surface. Available here now or at a Freetronics reseller near you.
— *** Prize Three *** —
Prize Three consists of not one, not two – but three Snootlab Zombadge kits:
With Trippy RGB sketch uploaded, this is the Snootlab games platform based on the Mitch Altman original design, it can receive original Snootlab collaborative games. This badge can be used for soldering workshop and electronic board programming. Being a badge, it can be worn as a pendant. More details on the dedicated website zombadge.com.
— *** How to Enter *** —
In thirty words or less explain what you would do with your preferred prize if you received it. Use your imagination and have some fun – perhaps try your hand at Haiku or some nerdy poetry. You can enter once for each prize bundle, however you can only win one out of three prizes.
Email your submission along with your name, email address and postal address to competition at tronixstuff dot com with the subject heading October. Entries will be accepted until 01/11/2011 (that’s November the first) 0005h GMT.
As with any other competition, there needs to be some rules:
- The winners’ entry, first name and country will be announced publicly;
- Entries that contain text not suitable for minors or insulting to the competition will be rejected;
- Prizes will be delivered via Australia Post domestic or regular international air mail;
- Winners outside of Australia will be responsible for any taxes, fees or levies imposed by your local Governments (such as import levies, excise, VAT, etc.) upon importation of purchased goods;
- Prizes may take up to 45 days to be received;
- If you have met John Boxall in person, or you have won a previous tronixstuff.com competition you cannot enter;
- No disputes will be entered in to;
- Incomplete entries will be rejected;
- Prizes carry no warranty nor guarantee – and are to be used or abused at entirely your own risk;
- Entries will be accepted until 0005h GMT on 1st November 2011.
So have fun and keep checking into tronixstuff.com. Why not follow things on twitter, Google+, subscribe for email updates or RSS using the links on the right-hand column, or join our Google Group – dedicated to the projects and related items on this website. Sign up – it’s free, helpful to each other – and we can all learn something.
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