Open Hardware and Linux Devices

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Aug 04, 2023

• Introducing support for the new Nano ESP32 board in Arduino Cloud

  Great news for Arduino enthusiasts! The new Nano ESP32, just released on July 17th, is now officially supported by the Arduino Cloud. This powerful combo brings MicroPython and IoT capabilities right to your fingertips, simplifying all your smart device projects.

  The Nano ESP32‘s native MicroPython support empowers you to code in Python effortlessly. It opens up a world of possibilities for all skill levels, from simple scripts to complex IoT applications.

• Open-Source Cell Phone Based On ESP32

  Over the past decade or so, smartphones have exploded in popularity and seamlessly integrated themselves into nearly every aspect of most people’s lives. Although that comes with a few downsides as well, with plenty of people feeling that the smart phone makes it a little too easy to waste time and looking to switch to something simpler, like an older-style flip phone. If this style of phone is more your speed, take a look at this DIY cell phone which takes care of everything a phone really needs to do. (Google Translate from French)

• Mac mini with Power over Ethernet

  Below I’ll talk about the project, I think you can replicate it, but I don’t think you’ll want to.

  Keep in mind it’s quite time-consuming. Something can go wrong at every step. You will void the warranty on your Mac mini. So it’s your responsibility.

  It was an experiment, a test of skills, a topic for discussion, and just a hardware-hacking project

• Amiga 4000 Restoration x2: Part 1

  Due to a series of strange events, I have ended up with not one, but two Amiga 4000s in the last few weeks. They are both in need of very different restorations. I hope that I can get at least one complete machine out of them, and then sell the other one. I don’t have room for two in my collection, and it will help recoup the costs.

• How to emulate an Atari ST from inside

  Like the Commodore Amiga, the Atari ST was an iconic home computer, offering many people their first glimpse of the 16-bit digital world. After almost 40 years, it’s still an engaging design, although the internal hardware may need a few repairs and upgrades to fit in with the modern standards. In this article, you’ll see how to replace the internal electronics of an Atari-ST with a Raspberry Pi, while retaining the original keyboard. None of the changes performed require modifications to the original case or to the circuitry of the Atari, making the process completely reversible in the future.

• Jumperless breadboard makes prototyping a breeze

  Most makers start their initial electronics prototypes on a breadboard, which is great for quickly setting up temporary circuits. But forming the connections requires jumper wires and even a basic project quickly becomes a rats’ nest of wiring that is difficult to manage. Tracking down issues within that tangle of wires is a massive headache, which is why Architeuthis Flux designed this jumperless breadboard to make prototyping a breeze.

• Home Assistant – moving from the HA Greeneye integration to hacs-greeneye-monitor

  I started using Home Assistant (HA) for graphing the power consumption of my house. Many months before venturing down that road, I bought a Greeneye Monitor (GEM). A current transformer has been installed on each circuit in my breaker box (see the photos near the bottom of this album). I chose HA for that. I first trying installing from FreeBSD packages into a FreeBSD jail, but then reluctantly abandoned that approach in favor of running HA natively in bhyve.

• The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard looks awesome

  While their software for programming it only officially supports Windows and Android, the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard sure does look awesome. I need this. Supporting connecting up via USB, Wireless 2.4G and Bluetooth it has a range of options for whatever way you wish to use it.

• GroupGets officially launches Core-V DevKit with RISC-V MCU

  The open-source Core-V MCU development kit, created by OPENHW, has been launched today on GroupGets. The kit incorporates a 32-bit CV32E40P open-source RISC-V core, the ArticPro eFPGA from QuickLogic, and Espressif’s AWS IoT EspressLink module for Wi-Fi connectivity.