November 2024 Update
What happened? How can it be November already!? In my part of the world, it's got damn cold, so I've been staying indoors indulging in YouTube and Maker articles...
Welcome to the November 2024 edition
It's the end of November!
I hope you’ve all been making your lists of gadgets, tools, components and any other bits and bobs that have taken your fancy over the year.
We’ve got another bumper edition for you packed full of great videos and articles to read.
So, grab yourself a nice cup of your favourite beverage and settle in for a good time.
Things to watch
Dialling Up the Digits
David Watts introduces BCD thumbwheel switches. After a quick demo with a seven-segment display, he explores ideas for projects involving these switches.
Humidifying on a Budget
Mellow_Labs ventures into DIY territory to see if an ultrasonic humidifier can be built for just £12. A few design hiccups later, and with some creative engineering, the answer is of course yes!
Berry Interesting Updates
Do you see what we did there in the title…? Our very own Clem catches up with Eben Upton on the Farnell channel to discuss Raspberry Pi's AI ambitions and the unexpected joy of a Raspberry 5 with a powerful GPU.
UART Speed Control
James Sharman revisits his UART board and adds hardware flow control. He’s a speed demon when it comes to typing and this update makes sure that his computer can keep up with him!
Loading from tape
We’re going old school with atomic14 as he tries out loading data from audio files. Brace yourself for the terrifying speed of 170 bytes/s! I’m amazed that 11 year old me had the patience to load games.
Precision Pasting
Who needs stencils when you have something that will dispense solder page. Stephen Hawes has taken his Lumen PMP tool head to new heights by adapting it for solder paste dispensing - we’re getting close to having one machine to rule them all.
Frickin Laser Beams
Luni is channeling his inner Dr Evil and adding laser beams everywhere - in this project he’s making a mini CRT TV.
DIY USB-C Upgrade
The surprise in the voice of Mellow_labs when this upgrade actually works is priceless. He’s taking his old TS100 barrel jack soldering iron and adding on USB-C.
Things to buy
Do occasionally get all misty eyed and nostalgic for your youth? Do you remember the halcyon days of 8-bit computing? Why not indulge yourself with a ZX Spectrum recreation from atomic14?
Things to try
Tiny Tapeout 9 beat all our records!
With 95% of the space used, 369 projects submitted from 21 countries and a hefty datasheet, TT09 was our best run yet! With a varied mix of projects from classic Atari 2600 to analog DACs, this chip is a treasure trove for open source silicon enthusiasts! If you missed your chance to submit, TT10 is already open and closes early March 2025.
The long read
We’re going to include the occasional longer article in the newsletter. This month The Electronic Engineer is contributing.
Introduction to a Vocoder Journey
So, the other day I was picking my own brain while doing research for a project involving pixel LEDs, microcontrollers, and audio pitch changers… BAM! (That was the sound of me falling down a rabbit hole called: Vocoders.)
While digging into loop buffers and voice changers, I stumbled upon a technology that became popular in the 1980s. A fascinating piece of analog engineering involving mostly op-amps, band filters, and noise generators. Before I knew it, I completely lost track of time, watching YouTube episodes on how vocoders were used to create robotic voices that would leave a lasting impression.
“By your command” must be the most popular robotic phrase, created using a vocoder. Here I was, thinking that creating the voice of a Cylon Centurion Warrior would be as simple as mixing a microphone with a ‘hum.’ Well, I quickly learned that I know little to nothing about voice-changing technologies.
Point taken—using a microcontroller or computers, the world of vocoders is a lot more accessible for you and me. Or is it? It took me days of research to find published projects using microcontrollers to build a vocoder. I did find some, and I will share my own piece of code and hardware on this topic. However, most of what I found were analog projects from the 1980s and 1990s.
The good news is that full schematics and even some building tutorials are available. Some projects even publish audio files produced using specific vocoders, and although the results vary, some sounds are truly amazing. It’s precisely that part that got my attention and made me decide to dig into vocoder technology even more.
My aim is to learn enough about analog vocoders so that I can digitize that knowledge and design and build my own digital vocoder using nothing more than a microcontroller and maybe some external I2S DAC/ADC if needed. Along the way, I will publish some articles and related projects so that everyone can learn from it.
So, keep your eyes on the upcoming episodes of this newsletter to learn more.
Other things that caught our eye
I sent an ethernet packet
For nearly six years, the low byte productions youtube channel has been wanting to make a series about "Networking from scratch". It’s baby steps in this post - on the surface, it's about how they successfully sent their first ethernet packet, but really it's a story about bugs and debugging, and some thoughts about overcoming challenges in projects.
Motor’s Unplanned Marathon
In the latest chapter of the Kona EV conversion saga, the bench setup gets a workout it didn't plan for. A spirited test run leads to unexpected motor acceleration, unraveling some surprising control dynamics. Here's a closer look at why the motor decided to go rogue and what it reveals about the intricacies of vehicular CAN systems
Robots on a Roll
Meet Upkie, the open-source robot that's taking strides—literally and figuratively—on wheeled legs. Whether you're coding in Python or C++, this project might just roll into your next big adventure
Caliper Caper
Ever dreamed of a DIY, millimeter-precise positioning system? With a bit of circuit board, a simple microcontroller, and some math, Kevin's project might just be what you're looking for. Perfect for makers curious about digital signal processing without breaking the bank
Mom’s Memory Monitor
Two years ago, Jan installed an e-ink display for his mom to ease her daily anxiety caused by amnesia. Read how this simple setup became a comforting presence for her, delivering updates that help keep her at ease.
Tube Revival
Once obsolete, nixie tubes are now making a stylish comeback in the maker world. From retro clocks to unique anachronistic designs, explore how these cold cathode glow-discharge devices are breathing life back into vintage aesthetics.
Microphone Array of Possibilities
Ben Wang's latest project involves a 192-channel phased array microphone. With open-source designs and fascinating implications for sound directionality through FPGA and GPU combination, this might just change how we listen.
Closing thoughts
Another month brimming with bold experiments and creative endeavors has come and gone.
If you've been meddling in any mischief or concocting your own peculiar projects, we'd love to hear about it—just give us a shout. Who knows, you might see your creation featured in a future edition.
As always, a big thank you for your continued support and contributions. Here's to more inventive exploits in December! Keep creating and questioning. See you next time.
Wicked edition folks - so many great projects!