DIY Science and Electronics Projects

Very simple DIY Radio

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:04:20 +0000

A fun weekend DIY project presented by Make magazine – a DIY AM-radio. It can be built from scratch in a couple of hours and, believe it or not, it works:

A neat infrared thermometer with PIC microcontroller

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:58:32 +0000

A DIY infrared (IR) thermometer with a PIC 16F690 microcontroller. The thermometer uses a MLX90614 IR sensor to measure the temperature with high resolution and accuracy and displays the result on a LCD display. Click here to see details.

Interfacing an ISA Ethernet card to a PIC microcontroller

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:12:20 +0000

This looks like a promising way to internet-enable your PIC microcontroller projects. ISA Ethernet cards are now obsolete and you can get piles of them from junk electronics stores for next to nothing.

The project implements a simple webserver based on a PIC18F452 microcontroller that plugs to the net through a 3COM 3C509B Ethernet ISA card. Possibilities are endless.

SIM-card reader

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:46:50 +0000

Today I found this neat SIM-card reader/writer project. Can access information on SIM- and smart-cards. Interesting toy to play with.

The site says that the project can be used to “backup/restore stored SIM card data, recover deleted SMS’s and phone contacts, examine the last phone numbers dialed, etc.”. The most intriguing – and not necessarily legal – possibility is the “etc.” part.

PIC Microcontroller Voltmeter/Amperemeter

admin — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:15:29 +0000

Here is something I’ve been looking for for a while – a simple and versatile PIC-microcontroller-based voltmeter/amperemeter. Of course, there are many similar projects, but this one fits my requirements best. It is simple to build and not picky when it comes to the need of high-precision resistors, because of an easy calibration routine.

The code is a great starting point for building a more complex project.

[ Go to project ]

DIY infrared security camera conversion

admin — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 06:16:09 +0000

DIY Infrared Camera

Here is another project I like – a DIY infrared camera. The part list reads like something you took from the trash bin – I mean this as a compliment. Read for yourself:

webcam
camcorder – working or not, you’ll just use the lens assembly
infrared LEDs, or IR illuminator board kit
computer power supply case, or any other type project box
power supply, i used a 12v (from printer) and a 6v (from cell phone charger)
misc switches
wire, solder, rubberband
nuts, bolts, scrap metal (for making/mounting brackets)
hot glue, blank cds (the clear plastic ones)
IR filter- make out of 35mm negatives, find the black part at the beginning of the strip
patience

Check the project here.

PIC-microcontroller based thermometer with recycled Nokia screen

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 03:55:50 +0000

Isn't it cute?

If there is something I love about an electronics project, it is reuse of old parts – be it a modem, or a power supply, or just a clever use of an old device for a project enclosure.

This project hooks a Nokia 3310 LCD to PIC12F629 or PIC12F675 microcontroller and uses a DS18B20 thermal sensor to measure the temperature. The project is completely documented, with list of components, PCB layout, and detailed construction and configuration instructions.

Not only this, but the design is really cute – no enclosure needed, if you ask me. Everything fits behind the LCD. Hey Apple, even the sleekest new iThingy can’t beat that!

[ Go to project ]

Impressive Alarm Clock

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:55:56 +0000

I’ve seen quite a few DIY alarm clocks, and even have designed one myself. But this clock is something really different – it it can’t wake you up, nothing will. This is DIY taken to the extreme. I pithy the neighbors on the floor below:

Multimeter Clock

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:27:38 +0000

Here is another one of those projects that are just too-cool to describe – a multimeter clock. I just love the design. And such an idea, I think, can come only from a seriously weird brain. I mean this as a compliment.

Here, see for yourself:

Ball-balancing robot

admin — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 03:54:57 +0000

This is quite an amazing sight, worth seeing: