By: Lasse Jespersen The LM350 is a tried and true adjustable voltage regulator. It is rugged beyond belief. Where fairly beefy step-down converters go up in smoke, the LM350 just takes a nap. And a nap is infinitely better than a plume of smoke. To keep a circuit on a breadboard safe, it can… Continue reading LM350 Adjustable Voltage Regulator- Variable Power Supply In Miniature
Category: Projects
Timelord – The Ultimate Time Control Device
By: Lasse Jespersen Timelord Overview: The Timelord is a time control device that you can customize to automate practically anything. Make it. Set it. Forget it. In this tutorial, we will learn how to: Use a DHT22 sensor to sense temperature and humidity Use a RTC module to set and keep time Use a PIR… Continue reading Timelord – The Ultimate Time Control Device
DIY Solar Panel Guide
By: Lasse Jespersen While small solar panels are a convenient way of getting power on-the-go, and you can certainly buy them off-the-shelf at an unfair price, a little understanding of their practical setup can go a long way. This DIY solar panel guide will show you how to properly configure your own for a fraction of… Continue reading DIY Solar Panel Guide
A Charger Lightly – How to Make a Battery Charger Part 2
By: Lasse Jaspersen Once you’ve done the initial build setup from Part 1, now we can move on to completing the battery for the solar tracker here in Part 2. How to Make a Battery Charger Wiring for Perfboard and PTH-Soldering Pay attention to the schematics – the charger has been divided into… Continue reading A Charger Lightly – How to Make a Battery Charger Part 2
5 Green Projects for St. Patrick’s Day
Are you feeling lucky? How about techy? Why not try your luck with one of these green tech projects for St. Patrick’s Day! 1. drinkerBot The drinkerBot by littleBits is the perfect way to serve up a selection of green-colored drinks (note: does not work with carbonated beverages). Cups travel along a conveyor belt, while… Continue reading 5 Green Projects for St. Patrick’s Day
A Charger Lightly – How to Build a Battery Charger Part 1
By: Lasse Jaspersen In this 2-part series on how to build a battery charger for a solar tracker (instructions to follow), you will learn how to: Build a 12V lead-acid battery charger Use an Arduino Nano to control the charging circuit Use perfboard for plated-through-hole (PTH) soldering of a circuit. Mount a circuit on “something”, just… Continue reading A Charger Lightly – How to Build a Battery Charger Part 1
5 Applications for Micro Linear Actuators
By: Lasse Jespersen The Morai Motion Inline Nexus micro linear actuator is beguiling. I have shown it to a few technicians I know, and all responded as most people do when they see a new Apple product – they touch it, look at it from all sides, and wonder how it could be used in… Continue reading 5 Applications for Micro Linear Actuators
One Bridge to Rule Them All
By: Lasse Jespersen When you are building anything that requires a micro linear actuator to go BOTH ways, such as raising or lowering a table, or pushing or pulling a deadbolt in order to lock a door, you can use the mechanical relay. It works well enough for simple applications. Over time, however, their… Continue reading One Bridge to Rule Them All
Home is Where the Heart Is
By: Lasse Jespersen In home automation, individual controller units that respond to infrared control, light changes, temperature, motion, PIN entry or NFC/RFID scans are perfectly fine. These light-weight DIY projects are compact, simple and easily scalable. But in the interest of convenience, they should all be connected to a central hub. Home is where the… Continue reading Home is Where the Heart Is
Child Proofing Your Home Using Micro Linear Actuators and Keypads
By: Lasse Jespersen A nice and comfortable way to child proof your home using micro linear actuators and keypads involves nothing more than membrane switch keypads of the generic variant and a Morai Motion Inline Nexus micro linear actuator. Google for “4×3 membrane switch keypad” and you will not want for results. Unless mounted inside a waterproof case, their application is… Continue reading Child Proofing Your Home Using Micro Linear Actuators and Keypads