A Deep Dive Into The Sterzo Steering Plate

September 11, 2020 by Tom Nardi 15 Comments

Pedaling in place isn’t the most exciting pastime, so it’s no surprise that modern technology is being used to make the in-home biking experience a bit more interactive. With a stand on the rear wheel providing resistance, and a movable steering plate under the front to read the handlebar angle, you can now use your standard bike as the “controller” in a virtual environment provided by software such as Zwift.

Paving the way towards a DIY Sterzo clone

[Keith Wakeham] wanted to take a closer look at how Zwift communicated with his Sterzo steering device, and it turned into a pretty epic bout of exploration and reverse engineering. As the video after the break shows, he didn’t just go from sniffing the device’s proprietary Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communications protocol to figuring out how to emulate it in software so you could roll your own Zwift peripheral. He also tore the device apart, pulled the firmware from its microcontroller, and postulated how you could build your own low-cost clone device that would work with the existing software.

Even if you have absolutely zero interest in virtual biking, the video [Keith] has put together for this project is really a must watch. Have you ever wanted to sniff and reverse engineer BLE communications? Looking for a real-world example of pulling the firmware off of a consumer device? Maybe in the market for some tips on how to identify unknown ICs on a board? All of that, and quite a bit more, is covered in this nearly hour long hacking tour de force.

On the other hand, if you are interested in adding your own hardware to Zwift, then this look at getting an unsupported stationary bike working with it should be useful.

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A Gaming Mouse With Recoil Feedback

September 8, 2020 by Lewin Day 21 Comments

Rumble first hit the gaming mainstream back in the mid-1990s, and has become de rigeur for console players using gamepads ever since. It’s less prevalent on the PC, because most players rely on keyboards and mice that are rumble-free. However, innovation is possible, and [ilge] put together a modified mouse for shooters that has an excellent recoil feedback device.

The feedback effect is run by an Arduino, which receives serial data from a Python program running on the host computer. When the mouse is clicked, the Python program notifies the Arduino, which then fires a bank of four solenoids repeatedly back-and-forth to generate the feedback effect. The solenoids are triggered by a relay, which is an easy way to switch such a load, though we suspect it may not hold up well over time due to the rapid fire rate and the likelihood of spark damage over time from high inrush current to the solenoids.

It’s a simple build that nonetheless adds a great haptic feedback effect to the otherwise humble computer mouse. While we don’t expect to see pros using the device anytime soon, it’s a great concept that does add to the shooter experience. Similar hardware could likely be put to great use in a VR context, too. The state of the art of haptic technology continues to move at a rapid pace, and we can’t wait to see what comes next. Video after the break.

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40% Keyboard Build Is 100% Open Source

September 7, 2020 by Kristina Panos 21 Comments

[Blake]’s interest in building keyboards happened naturally enough — he was looking for a new project to work on and fell into the treasure chest that is the mechanical keyboard community. It sounds like he hasn’t built anything but keyboards since then, and we can absolutely relate.

This tidy 40% ortholinear is [Blake]’s third build, not including macro keebs. It’s based on an open source case and plate from Thingiverse, and uses an Arduino Pro Micro running the popular QMK firmware to read input from 47 Gateron blues and a rotary encoder.

We particularly like the double rainbow ribbon cable wiring method [Blake] used to connect each row and column to the controller. It looks beautiful, yes, but it’s also a great way to maintain sanity while programming and troubleshooting.

Keyboard builds can look daunting, even at 40% of standard size. But as [Blake] discovered, there are some really good guides out there with fantastic tips for hand-wiring in small spaces. And now there is another well-written guide with clear pictures to point to.

Looking to split from the standard rectangle form factor but don’t know what to go with? Divine your next clacker with this split keyboard finder.

Thanks for the tip, [jrdsgl]!

S400 Scanner Modified For Finding Hidden Watermarks

September 4, 2020 by Lewin Day 31 Comments

Computer hardware is by and large compromised out of the box. Whether it’s sloppy factory code, or government-installed backdoors, it’s difficult to trust anything. A great example is that of color laser printers, the vast majority of which place hidden watermarks on printed pages. It’s a somewhat forgotten issue these days, but back in 2005, [bunnie] set out to modify a scanner to help better image and investigate these watermarks.

The watermarks in question have been investigated by the EFF, and often, but not always, consist of tiny yellow dots printed on the page. They can store data such as the name of the computer that printed the document, as well as the serial number and model of the printer used. With this functionality baked into the firmware, all prints made on such a printer are compromised.

The easiest way to see these watermarks is with blue light, which is reflected by the white paper, but causes yellow dots to show up as dark spots. To make scanning affected documents quick and easy, [bunnie] whipped up a linear LED light array, installing it in a spare slot in his scanner’s light assembly, next to the stock white CCFL. Usage is a little more complex, with the scanner’s automatic calibration getting confused if the blue LEDs are left on at the start of a scan. Instead, the LEDs must be turned off initially, and then powered up once the calibration is complete.

Results are good, with the tiny dots made much clearer in the test scans [bunnie] performed. Unfortunately, the watermarking technology has moved on, and it’s likely that modern printers use a variety of techniques that are even harder to detect. By and large, ransom notes are best made the old fashioned way – by cutting up some old magazines.

3D-Printed Flight Controls Use Magnets For Enhanced Flight Simulator 2020 Experience

September 3, 2020 by Donald Papp 23 Comments

We have seen quite a few DIY joystick designs that use Hall effect sensors, but [Akaki Kuumeri]’s controller designs (YouTube video, embedded below) really make the most of 3D printing to avoid the need for any other type of fabrication. He’s been busy using them to enhance his Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 experience, and shares not just his joystick design, but makes it a three-pack with designs for throttle and pedals as well.

Hall effect sensors output a voltage that varies in proportion to the presence of a magnetic field, which is typically provided by a nearby magnet. By mounting sensors and magnets in a way that varies the distance between them depending on how a control is moved, position can be sensed and communicated to a host computer.

In [Akaki]’s case, that communication is done with an Arduino Pro Micro (with ATmega32U4) whose built-in USB support allows it to be configured and recognized as a USB input device. The rest is just tweaking the physical layouts and getting spring or elastic tension right. You can see it all work in the video below.

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The USB Null Modem Cable Is Now A Thing

August 25, 2020 by Lewin Day 87 Comments

The classic serial null-modem cable was, among other things, used to connect two computers together for communications and file transfer. Largely eliminated in daily use by the advent of home networking, there are still fringe applications where such a thing can come in handy. [Nick Sayer] needed just such a tool, but one that would work in a modern USB environment. Enter the isolated USB null-modem.

The device consists of two USB Communication Device Class, or CDC chips, creating a USB serial port for each attached computer. The TX and RX lines are cross-connected to allow communication between the two sides. Rather than directly connect the lines, however, they pass through an opto-isolator. This is important, as it allows two computers at different ground potentials to be safely connected to each other without damage.

[Nick] originally created the device to solve a specific problem at his day job, but community response was large enough that he was kind enough to share the project online. Expect to see devices available on Tindie in future for those that need a hookup. While it’s not something everyone will need, for those that do, it should come in handy. If you’re looking for other useful applications for USB-serial devices, there’s plenty – you can even try your hand at software-defined radio!

Monitor Not VESA-Compliant? It Is Now!

August 23, 2020 by Donald Papp 37 Comments

Some monitors lack the holes on the back that make them VESA-compliant, so mounting them on a monitor arm can be a non-starter. To handle this, [Patrick Hallek] designed and 3D printed these adapter arms to make flat monitors mount to VESA hardware whether they want to or not.

How does it work? When a monitor can’t attach directly to a VESA mount, this assembly attaches to the mount instead. The three arms extend around the edge of the monitor to grip it from the bottom and top. Some hex-head M5 bolts and nuts are all that are required to assemble the parts, and the top arm is adjustable to accommodate different sizes of monitor. As long as the screen size is between 17 and 27 inches diagonal, and the monitor thickness falls between 30 mm and 75 mm, it should fit.

It’s a smart design that leverages one of the strengths of 3D printing: that of creating specialized adapters or fixtures that would be troublesome to make by hand. That is not to say that there’s no other way to make exactly what one wants when it comes to mounting monitors: check out this triple-monitor setup using some common metal struts, no welding required.

[via reddit]