Open Hardware: Arduino, SparkFun, Reverse-Engineering, RISC-V, Retro, and Mor
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Arduino ☛ GreatScott! childproofs his lab with a fingerprint-reading smart lock
Smart locks are actually trickier than they seem. Some require apps, others run on batteries that need frequent replacement or recharging, and none of them will work with every type of door. GreatScott! wanted something that didn’t require an [Internet] connection, that was easy to open, and that used mains power so that he’d never have to worry about batteries. The only way to get that was by building it.
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Hackaday ☛ Humble Arduino As PLC
On the surface, a programmable logic controller (PLC) might seem like nothing more than a generic microcontroller, perhaps outfitted to operate in industrial settings with things like high temperatures or harsh vibrations. While this is true to some extent, PLCs also have an international standard for their architecture and programming languages. This standard is maintained by the International Electrotechnical Commission, making it so that any device built under these specifications will be recognizable to control engineers and maintenance personnel worldwide. And, if you use this standard when working with certain Arduinos, this common platform can become a standard-compliant PLC as well.
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SparkFun Electronics ☛ Dumpster Dive 2023!
What's a Dumpster Dive? Between samples, customer returns, demo items and old stuff that’s been sitting on the shelves for way too long, we’ve amassed quite a few bins worth of various electronics. It ranges from one-off items, to items that are a little broken or ugly, to items that aren’t worth individually listing and selling. We didn’t like the idea of recycling them, since it could still be useful and worth getting into people’s hands. And so behold: the Dumpster Dive.
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Linux Gizmos ☛ CanMV K230 features dual RISC-V processors and KPU
AnalogLamb recently featured a new development platform powered by the Kendryte K230 chip which incorporates two RISC-V C908 cores and a new generation Knowledge Process Unit for AI computing.
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Linux Gizmos ☛ CPU module taps Allwinner T113-i with HiFi4 DSP
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Hackaday ☛ You Can Now Order A Brand-New Amiga PCB
The Commodore 64 has been pulled apart, reverse engineered, replicated, and improved upon to no end over the last four decades or so. The Amiga 500 has had less attention, in part due to its greater level of sophistication. However, you can now order a brand-new Amiga-compatible PCB if you’re looking to put together a machine from surplus parts.
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Hackaday ☛ Reverse-Engineering The Mechanical Bendix Central Air Data Computer
Before the era of digital electronic computers, mechanical analog computers were found everywhere. From the relative simplicity of bomb sights to the complexity of fire control computers on 1940s battleships, all the way to 1950s fighter planes, these mechanical wonders enabled feats which were considered otherwise impossible at the time.