The OSMC project was started in 1998 to provide a high quality H-bridge speed control to hobbyists and professionals. The original design was intended to be used by people who were building Battle Bots and other competition robots, but the line has expanded since then. The project embraces the open source spirit by making the plans freely available and encouraging … Read the rest
Open source motor controller
December 28, 2005 By 7 Comments
Magellan eXplorist upgrade
December 27, 2005 By 9 Comments
This Russian site has all the details needed to upload new maps to a Magellan eXplorist 300, 200, or 100. Inside the battery case are four pads that can be used for serial communication. You will have to use a MAX232 to shift the voltage levels. Since this occupies the battery space you’ll need to provide power as well. This … Read the rest
Printed circuit board etching
December 26, 2005 By 53 Comments
This isn’t meant to be the definitive PCB etching post. I don’t have any experience etching boards and was hoping readers could contribute their best/favorite methods for etching boards in the comments.
We’re linking to Tom Gootee’s page on toner transfer etching. The first step is to print the design on glossy paper using a laser printer. An iron … Read the rest
Tempest for Eliza
December 25, 2005 By 27 Comments
“Tempest for Eliza” is a program written by Erik Thiele to demonstrate the RF transmission properties of CRT monitors. The program is capable of transmitting sound over AM frequencies just by the unique way it drives the monitor. The electromagnetic emissions of CRTs can be a security problem as demonstrated by Van Eck phreaking, watching someone’s screen … Read the rest
Disco dance floor roundup
December 24, 2005 By 9 Comments
Probably the most popular project this summer was the MIT Disco Dance Floor. The build team eventually released the controller schematics and software. Several other projects spun off as a result of this.
We’ll start with the Disco Bar (since it has the most pictures). David has been actively building the bar and is nearing the finish line. He … Read the rest
Arcade game chair
December 23, 2005 By 18 Comments
[Chuck Cage] and friends have been building a variety of arcade racing platforms. The third version, pictured above, has a real racing seat and can support a 32″ television. They’ve got advice for navigating the local “you-pull-it” when buying seats. There are material and paint selection tips on the site as well along with pictures of their three different versions.… Read the rest
iPod breakout dock
December 22, 2005 By 14 Comments
Since the time it was first featured on MAKE, Steve Chapman has continued to develop his iPod breakout dock. The dock provides all of the possible connections that could be made through the 30-pin connector. Of interest is the iPod’s serial interface. I had seen a break down of the control codes before, but Steve has taken the … Read the rest
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