Hackaday Links: January 24, 2012

Open source engraving

[Scott] wanted to do some v-carving with a CNC router, but couldn’t find software to generate GCode that didn’t cost hundreds of dollars. He ended up doing the sensible thing and wrote his own that will generate tool paths from CXF fonts. We’ll be bookmarking this for when our router project is done.

Improving Genesis sound output

Dissatisfied with the sound output on his Sega Genesis, [Drakon] installed a few mods into his console. How much could it really affect the sound? Listen to the video. The changeover happens at 0:50. Impressive. Now if only the chiptune scene would get into Segas.

Yes, we did, and now we’re seeding

Here’s an alternative to Thingiverse: The Pirate Bay has a new category for 3D-printable objects. The best file so far? A 1970 Chevelle. US Copyright law does not protect (most) physical objects, so it’s not illegal. Honestly, we can’t wait for somebody to take this to the courts; It’s sure to be an interesting case. Somebody upload a ship hull design and give the EFF a buzz.

Just be glad it’s not a QFN

[Mikey] was pulling a PDIP ATMega8 out of a socket with pliers and a screwdriver and broke the RESET pin. Ouch. He fixed it by soldering on a lead from a resistor. We’ve all done this before, but [Mikey]’s results look really good. Here’s the gallery.

This might be fake

If you want a second analog stick for your 3DS, you could wait a month and buy a Circle Pad Pro, or install a PSP analog stick. We’re not sure how this would work – the Circle Pad Pro works over IR, and we’re not seeing an IR transmitter on this build. Here’s the source if anyone wants to give this a shot.

21 thoughts on “Hackaday Links: January 24, 2012

    1. I’m sooo, not even close to ready for the world of SMD. And seriously, nothing wrong with a little glue gun if it makes things stable. My hats off to you sir! :D

      p.s. Thanks HaD! — I love that I got featured right below the “Yes, we would SO download a car” link! :D

      1. Yes you are. I’ve said it many times before here on HaD, SMD is MUCH easier than what it looks like. Seriously, just give it a go you’ll be surprised. Just get yourself a 1-2mm chisel tip, some good flux and thin solder and have at it. I was just like you; “man, that stuff looks hard!” and then I tried it and I became more like “oh wow, screw through hole!”.

    2. SMD is much easier and faster once you figure it out. Anybody that can solder half way decent can solder the vast majority of SMD packages. Just start out with some 0805 resistors for practice and you’ll quickly see that with very little practice you get the hang of it.

      I highly suggest that anybody afraid of SMD work should give it a shot. It is not difficult at all if you already have the basics of through hole soldering down…

  1. Oh that is ridiculous now, the audio improvement is great. BUT IT IS NOT HOW IT SHOULD HAVE SOUNDED!

    If that were true half the hacks on this website would be pointless, nostalgia FTW!

    1. It is probably how the designers and engineers wanted it to sound, but then the accountants made it sound like what you remember so fondly in order to save $.01 per unit. Either way, it is a pretty remarkable mod!

    2. For anyone who cares (and didn’t read the videos comments). The original genesis already sounded like the modded version in the video. It was only the second gen genesis that had the audio sound muddy.

  2. About the pirate bay things. It all started when someone uploaded models which where based of ideas from Games Workshop. And Games Workshop has a tendency to sue anyone or anything doing something else then playing their games. Like… making fan-sites.

    Thingiverse had to honor the DMCA request, and the guy who made the models (from scratch, not copies of the original thing) doesn’t have the legal means to fight it.

    1. Wait – so a guy made his own ORIGINAL Warhammer compatible models (or whatever) and posted them to Thingiverse and simply because they COULD be used for playing games based on IP that Games Workshop owns – they sent a fraudulent DMCA takedown request to bully Thingiverse into taking them down to maintain safe harbor status? Am I understanding what you are saying correctly here? If those facts are correct (which I have no way to verify) then that is wrong on multiple levels.

      1. Well, it looks like original. It’s like taking pictures of a Ferrari, model your own car from the pictures and then build that car. And then call it a Ferrari. Because he gave it the same name as the Warhammer object.

        Fun fact, the models are still on google 3d warehouse. (Just search for Warhammer) So it’s not really about the models, it’s about linking the models to 3D printing.

        Another fun fact, someone is putting “Wargamining” miniatures on Thingiverse. Which are based on models from World Of Warcraft. The base models he’s using are exports from the game, even if he got them from the google warehouse.

      2. If they’re made in the likeness and named the same thing, then it’s an infringement.
        — Don’t get me wrong, I hate the DMCA as much as the next HaD visiter, but they do have the right to stop counterfeit products just the same as sunglasses and purse manufacturers do all the time.

  3. It’s BU****IT that the 3DS has a new attachment that communicates over IR. Seriously, has Nintendo lost their freaking mind with this? They obviously released the 3DS WAAYYY before they were ready to, and now they are just mucking things up even worse. They are starting to look like Sony.

  4. The statement, “You wouldn’t download a car”, is just as wrong as the statement that normally accompanies it, “Copyright is theft”.

    Copyright is not theft – ask any dictionary.

    And I will download a car the instant it becomes possible.

  5. Haha, this reminds me of about 1989 when I broke a pin off of one of the DIP packaged RAM chips I was installing in my parents XT computer. I took a junk circuit board, clipped a lead off of something, and soldered it on. Being 10 years old, I was quite proud of myself, and my parents were… worried that I might be a nerd.

    I had to re-do the repair about 2 years later, after corrosion had set in… The computer must have been obsolete by about 3 generations at that point. Lol.

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