Devices: HackerBox, ARV6X, Raspberry Pi, and More

posted by Roy Schestowitz on May 01, 2023

• HackerBox #90 – Modem explores FM radio applications

  This month’s HackerBox provides a learning kit based on Arduino Nano boards and various breakout modules used for implementing user-friendly FM radio projects.  

• Open Source flight controller taps STM32H743 microcontroller

  The ARV6X by Ark Electronics is a tiny flight controller that follows the latest Pixhawk v6 set of standards. The open source device features a high-performance STM32 microcontroller along with triple synced IMUs.

• Name that Ware, April 2023

• First look: ASUSTOR's new 12-bay all-M.2 NVMe SSD NAS

  Last year, after I started a search for a good out-of-the-box all-flash-storage setup for a video editing NAS, I floated the idea of an all-M.2 NVMe NAS to ASUSTOR. I am not the first person with the idea, nor is ASUSTOR the first prebuilt NAS company to build one (that honor goes QNAP, with their TBS-453DX).

• Raspberry Pi Gaming Rig Looks Like an Angry Watermelon

  Loebenberg explained in the original thread that his brother is a STEM teacher. He wanted a retro gaming system for his students to play with and asked Loebenberg if he was up to the challenge. After a bit of sculpting in Blender, the Melon Pi was ready to be 3D printed. For a professional finish, Loebenberg opted to use a resin printer which has yielded some seriously smooth results in the end product.

• Schneider Euro PC: Restoration Part 4

  I’m not an expert at restoring power supplies and I didn’t really trust this one. So, I decided to replace the internals with a Meanwell RT-50B. I have those units lying around my workshop because I use them for Amiga restorations. The voltages required by the EuroPC are the same and it is well within spec for the current requirements. I had to cut away a bit of plastic on the PSU case to make this work but I’m not really upset about that, I just wish I could have implemented some strain relief on the mains cable.

• Camera in the Attic

  So I measured out some CAT6 and got my fishing tools in order. I got very lucky with this fishing attempt and I got my line fished from the attic into my office in one go. It was more difficult running the line down that molded cover into the switch then going through the wall.