Touch-based synthesizer is a wiring nightmare

[Jane] wrote in to let us know about the touch-based synthesizer she and her classmates just built. They call it the ToneMatrix Touch, as it was inspired by a flash application called ToneMatrix. We’re familiar with that application as it’s been the inspiration for other physical builds as well.

A resistive touch screen in the surface glass of … Read the rest

PIC based picture frame

Take a PIC 24HJ256GP206 processor and add a dash of knock-off touchscreen and a pinch of SD card compatibility for a DIY digital picture frame. [Daniel] wrote his own driver for the HX8347 controlled LCD that can achieve 15 FPS at 320×240 resolution with 16-bit color. As this was a gift for his wife, [Daniel] included a heart-shaped ring of … Read the rest

Touch screen for graphing calculator

[Owen] got down and dirty by adding a touchscreen to his TI-84 graphing calculator. The dirty part is the z80 assembly code he wrote to use the linkport as a UART (assembly always makes us feel queasy). Once that was working he implemented some commands using an Arduino and then hooked up an Nintendo DS touch screen. Now he’s got … Read the rest

8-bit device quenches iPhone envy

avr-iphone-envy

[Peter] deserves an award for doing more with less. He’s built a handheld device based on an AVR controller that has features normally associated with much more powerful devices. Here’s what it doesn’t do: no phone calls, no text messages, no accelerometer, and best of all no app approval needed. What it does do is leverage inexpensive, readily available components … Read the rest

The CrunchPad tablet shows its face

crunchtablet-1

After a few pictures of the CrunchPad tablet leaked onto the internet, Crunchgear decided to release some more info.  The prototypes you see are fully functional, have Intel Atom processors, and a 12 inch capacitive touchscreen. There isn’t much else available yet as far as details. What we’re most curious about is how the interface works. As many people … Read the rest