DEC31
Muscle powered electronic dice
If you are tired of shaking dices in your hands in order to randomize them before throw, you can shake some electronics instead. The realisation of this device is very interesting. It doesn't have any batteries, it is realised using ATtiny13 microcontroller and it is capable of generating enough power to power the micro and LEDs.
Power generation is accomplished by using Faraday power generator. It is basically a wire wound on a tube with neodymium magnets moving in that tube. In order to generate a dice's number (roll a dice), you must shake the device to generate some power. On the authors website you can find a double-dice version of the device.
Source: Gadre
DEC30
Eight channel IR light dimmer
For some reason, this month was all about IR dimmer circuits, so I found another IR dimmer with 8 output channels realized on ATtiny2313 microcontroller. The way it dimms light is nothing special - it fires up triacs in particular time intervals. What is interesting about this one is actually the author's detailed explanation of the device itself. The IR remote that can be used is any RC5 remote and the only disadvantage of the whole thing is the way it's powered up. It should be powered in parallel with the existing switch in the wall! Source code is also available on author's website.
Source: René
DEC29
Mousey robot from a mouse
Here you will se a little light-following robot made in a housing of an old PC mouse. It moves around thanks to the two DC motors which are controlled by LM386 OpAmp and two light sensors. When the robot hits the obstacle it changes direction.
This was on Make in year 2007, but still it's cool for beginners.
Source: Make
Backwards clock mod
With this, the concept "clockwise" makes no sense at all. If you whish to turn back time, you don't need a time-machine. All you need is a $2 chinese travel alarm clock and a screw-driver.
On the link you will find a whole procedure of modding your clock to run backwards. All you need to do is flip the electromagnet's core by 180 degrees. That's all! Pretty useless but excellent thing when it comes to confusing people.
DEC28
Car computer OBD-II VPW with ATmega168
It is sometimes required to diagnose a vehicle in order to find what's wrong with it and to fix it. Besides that, using OBD, one could read other information like: car speed, RPM, coolant temperature, throttle percentage and so on. That is particulary interesting when you don't have to carry a laptop with you.
Here is presented a device based on ATmega168 which implements VPW protocol (Variable Pulse Width). OBD interface is realised with just two optocouplers 4N35. Source code written in C is available on the authors website for download. If you whish to build this device, you must make sure that your vehicle uses VPW protocol.
Source: NerdKits
DEC27
LED clock with DCF77 time sync
This is what I call a project! No, it is not yet another POV LED clock, this one is quite simple. Well, not simple "simple" really, it actually syncronises itself with atomic clock located in Germany over long waves on 77.5 kHz by using DCF77 receiver.
Another very important thing about this project is using ISA NE2000 network adapter card with target microcontroller ATMEGA8515. With network support this device dan be used as NTP server. Now that is something! Source-code is available for download on author's webpage.
Source: Michael M.
DEC26
WAP controlled automation
This system enables you to control 8 appliances with your WAP-enabled GSM phone. For this project you will need:
- constant internet connection
- allways-on PC (at your home)
- web server (hosting package) with PHP
- PIC16F84 for "control box" which will control the relays
- WAP-enabled mobile phone
Everything else (software) is on author's webpage. Be sure to check it out!
Source: Neonascent
DEC25
Giant LED desk lamp
Now this is some freakishly great stuff! Who doesn't love a good old LED, especially when it is 100mm in diameter and bright white. A guyfrom7up must love them pretty much because he built a desk lamp out of his home-built 100mm LED. First he made a mold out of wood which he used to make a light diffusor - clear LED body. Be sure to check it out.
I know I want to build one...
Source: guyfrom7up
