Open Hardware/Modding Leftovers
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CNX Software ☛ M5Stack StamPLC – An ESP32-S3-based PLC with opto-isolated inputs, relay ouputs, RS485, CAN Bus, and more
“M5Stamp PLC Controller with M5StampS3” or just “M5Stack StamPLC” is a programmable logic controller (PLC) based on the StampS3A ESP32-S3 wireless module and offering 8 opto-isolated digital inputs, 4 relay outputs supporting both AC and DC loads, plus RS485 and CAN Bus interfaces. The DIN Rail IoT controller also features a 1.14-inch color display, a RESET/BOOT button, 3 user buttons, and a buzzer or user interaction.
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Hackaday ☛ Thanks For Hackaday Europe!
We just got back from Hackaday Europe last weekend, and we’re still coming down off the high. It was great to be surrounded by so many crazy, bright, and crazy-bright folks all sharing what they are pouring their creative energy into. The talks were great, and the discussions and impromptu collaborations have added dramatically to our stack of to-do projects. (Thanks?) Badges were hacked, stories were shared, and a good time was had by all.
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Jonathan Pallant ☛ Playing with HP PA-RISC
Having enjoyed some time with my Silicon Graphics POWER Indigo 2, I started to wonder what the other 1990's UNIX RISC machines might be like in comparison. The ones I had in mind were: [...]
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The Register UK ☛ Museum digs up DEC's dusty digital equipment
Reading Museum is hosting an exhibition marking more than 60 years since Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) opened its first UK office.
The office was opened in 1964 and rapidly grew until DEC employed more than 2,000 people in the Berkshire town west of London.
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Mere Civilian ☛ Why I preordered a Pebble in 2025?
The second best thing about Pebble is its open source operating system, PebbleOS. It is a fun operating system. For example, when charging, the screen will show a takeaway coffee mug. I like that.
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CNX Software ☛ rpi-image-gen build system creates custom images for Raspberry Pi boards
Raspberry Pi has just released the rpi-image-gen build system to generate custom Raspberry Pi images designed for a specific application and based on packages from the Debian and Raspberry Pi OS repositories I was initially surprised by this announcement, as there are already build tools like the Yocto Project or buildroot designed for this purpose. They are however somewhat complex to use and there’s a steep learning curve, so maybe Raspberry Pi made something easier to use. Let’s have a look. The build is mostly defined by a configuration file which defines the profile and image layout.
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Low Tech Mag ☛ The Compressed Book Edition
The Compressed Edition is available in our bookshop as a paperback and hardcover.
In 2018, Low-tech Magazine launched a low-energy website that runs on solar power. To reduce energy use and make the content accessible for readers with old computers and slow internet connections, we opted for a back-to-basics web design, optimising image and file sizes, as well as using a static site generator instead of a database-driven content management system. In 2019, we also launched a book edition of Low-tech Magazine, which consists of three volumes with articles and one volume with comments.