tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25367571968313858192024-03-13T23:12:37.590-07:00The Maker's BoxLearn - Play - ShareKenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-76384050613092801112020-07-02T13:04:00.003-07:002020-07-02T14:43:29.049-07:00Pandemic Sports<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
With the COVID-19 lock down in place, there was a large gap in sports and activities. Enter Die Cast Racing! I'm not sure how I stumbled on this, but I'm hooked. Here is a prime example:<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AsMm955W_tQ" width="560"></iframe>
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There is action, humor, and compelling story lines. Fun for both grandpa and grand kids!<br />
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Best of all, this is a sport anyone can participate in. Even during a pandemic. Without breaking the bank! There are mail-in races around the country you can send cars into. They each have their own categories and limits. <a href="http://www.racehotwheels.com/" target="_blank">Diecast64</a> has a monthly race where there are categories for everything from straight out of the package, to highly modified and weighted cars.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9vIMge5Gm9o/Xv48NYOKmsI/AAAAAAAAFxU/fbZnv9O1lfE7gsZs11Ve1efriibVEwMhQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/PoPo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="953" height="277" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9vIMge5Gm9o/Xv48NYOKmsI/AAAAAAAAFxU/fbZnv9O1lfE7gsZs11Ve1efriibVEwMhQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/PoPo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For the June races, I send in 9 cars, one of which had <a href="https://youtu.be/nqlVZCUe47o?t=129&fbclid=IwAR36_I2EiO18rZIriIws0eHgl2EebRVanm3TgOtANX5FyndrFjJuMNdZsT4" target="_blank">custom flashing lights</a> that started when the race started. None of my cars placed in the top ten, showing you how competitive it was. I still had a lot of fun preparing the cars and watching them race. Here are the two entries I made for the apocalyptic "<a href="https://gaslands.com/" target="_blank">Gaslands</a>" game category:<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-reoudK72nn8/Xv4-zqXyJDI/AAAAAAAAFxs/n-IxT10ixfQsU495pZoT8QljyZ-8Tf1IgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/gaslands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1015" data-original-width="1600" height="253" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-reoudK72nn8/Xv4-zqXyJDI/AAAAAAAAFxs/n-IxT10ixfQsU495pZoT8QljyZ-8Tf1IgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/gaslands.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The El Camino on the right made it to the second round and <a href="https://youtu.be/RFepBXs_42o" target="_blank">won a rough-n-tumble race</a>, but missed out on the finals. I am already preparing cars for the next race. I have been working on an electronic timer to help gauge performance. I will also have grand kids helping with the selection and testing of the candidates!<br />
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Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-71985567759948266662020-03-04T19:44:00.000-08:002020-03-07T09:29:35.740-08:00ChickTech Turtle Robot Workshop 2020<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It is hard for me to believe that it has been seven years since my first <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/2013/11/arduino-is-for-girls.html" target="_blank">ChichTech.org workshop</a>, and five years since I started with the <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/2015/11/chicktech-robotics-2015.html" target="_blank">Turtle Robot workshop</a>. The <a href="https://github.com/aspro648/OSTR" target="_blank">Open Source Turtle Robot</a> I designed specifically for this workshop has gotten better and better. My workshops leader skills have gotten better and better. And this workshop was the best so far. It was designed to introduce high school age girls to engineering, mainly electrical, mechanical, and firmware. I tell them that engineering is all about problem solving. The trick is figuring out which problems you like solving!<br />
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It was held on February 22nd, 2020, in an Oregon State University engineering building. I love doing these workshops on college campuses because it shows the participants that college is a real, tangible place, not some hypothetical scary future. They get to take a campus tour during lunch and a lot of the volunteers are students which make great examples of what the future may hold for them.<br />
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The challenge for this workshop was that it was one day instead of normal two. By abbreviating the solder portion, we can concentrate on assembling and programming the robot. There is great value in just getting a soldering iron in their hand, and them being able to point to the robot and say I soldered this part. They also soldered a Maker Faire LED Robot that they could wear.<br />
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I had three excellent volunteers. One was a high school STEM teacher I know from our HP days. One was a OSU professor in computer science (very helpful). Another was an OSU student who helped with the soldering. I can design, plan, and assemble forever, but I cannot run these workshops without help, and I really appreciate them volunteering their time. I point out to the participants that we are all volunteers giving up our weekend because we feel that creating this experience for them is important.<br />
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The stand-out student (there is always one), not only figured out how to draw a circle (a many-sided polygon), but also worked out one of her trigonometry homework problems and had the robot draw the solution. Nothing more powerful than the real-world output of a theoretical problem.<br />
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In past workshops, we have struggled making sure that everyone takes home a working robot. These gals all finished early and had time to explore the example programs I had prepared, and to attempt some of the challenges I had issued such as navigating a maze.<br />
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The high-light of these events is when the parents and siblings come in for a "tech show" and you get to hear the girls explain how they built and programmed the robot. It is an amazing feat to accomplish in just a few hours. I predict great success for these girls in what ever they decide to pursue in their lives!<br />
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I am already planning on how to improve the next workshop. Stay tuned . . .<br />
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Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-10201868687161245892019-09-06T09:50:00.000-07:002019-10-14T21:39:37.496-07:00Basic Nerf Stryfe Electrical Modifications, Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Or, "Fuses and MOSFETs, oh my!"</i></h3>
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In <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/2019/09/basic-stryfe-electrical-modifications.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a>, we showed how a simple pair of 14500 sized rechargeable IMR batteries, without any rewiring or shell cutting, can take your dart speed from 60 fps to nearly 100 fps. The one practical consideration I skimmed over was how to run two cells in a four cell blaster. "Dummy cells" are the answer.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NnO_Ht983fg/XXFTEoCnWYI/AAAAAAAAFiI/IGi3OU3eV3wYEAEowPTkkmoB8mAah7r2QCLcBGAs/s1600/P1090153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NnO_Ht983fg/XXFTEoCnWYI/AAAAAAAAFiI/IGi3OU3eV3wYEAEowPTkkmoB8mAah7r2QCLcBGAs/s640/P1090153.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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You can usually pick up a set from the same place you buy your batteries, or make your own:</div>
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<li><a href="https://outofdarts.com/collections/batteries-chargers/products/dummy-battery-14500-aa-sized-4-pack-with-case">https://outofdarts.com/collections/batteries-chargers/products/dummy-battery-14500-aa-sized-4-pack-with-case</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3846743">https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3846743</a></li>
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On a graph of performance verses effort/cost, IMRs represent the biggest bang for the buck and the "lowest-hanging fruit". It is all uphill from here, so if your thirst for performance is already satisfied, quit now while you still have some cash left in your pocket.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cNz4m1d6hwU/XXGMKEzS0tI/AAAAAAAAFjE/QQJwJIVQzZQ8mI4Fy2KXkDo0suwXZTnMgCLcBGAs/s1600/diminishing_returns.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="1600" height="243" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cNz4m1d6hwU/XXGMKEzS0tI/AAAAAAAAFjE/QQJwJIVQzZQ8mI4Fy2KXkDo0suwXZTnMgCLcBGAs/s400/diminishing_returns.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The graph, while meant to be humorous, also provides a bit of a roadmap of where we are going. Everything from here on out will require you to violate the "do not modify blaster" molded into the shell. You will need to open it, and learn how to solder. Time to become a rebel hardware hacker!</div>
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If you are still tempted to bypass your fuse at this point, let me show how little it will gain you, and why upgrading the wiring and adding a MOSFET is a better choice.</div>
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Comparison of average dart speed in feet per second of fused and bypassed fuses in stock blaster:</div>
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Comparison of average dart speed in feet per second of stock wiring and upgraded wiring with MOSFET control:</div>
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The increase in current that comes with MOSFET control means we need to change out the stock fuse if we are going to use anything other than AA or NiMH batteries. The higher the current we subject a fuse of a given rating to, the quicker it will activate, and at some point that will start to occur during the normal starting surge.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T-ptnZUePrg/XXKNhDwpkaI/AAAAAAAAFj8/iwhaeGYn2DkpWZo_iI78VyKvKGjFlKHPgCLcBGAs/s1600/graph_stall2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="537" height="380" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T-ptnZUePrg/XXKNhDwpkaI/AAAAAAAAFj8/iwhaeGYn2DkpWZo_iI78VyKvKGjFlKHPgCLcBGAs/s640/graph_stall2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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A fuse rated at "1 amp" doesn't actually tell us everything we need. Since starting current and stall current are the same, it is time we are really interested in. We need the fuse to activate sometime after the starting current normally subsides (< 1 second) and before the motor is damaged (> several seconds). The datasheet for a fuse series will give us what we need to select the correct fuse. If we want the fuse to activate at 5A, we just need to find which fuse line crosses in the "seconds" time-frame. In this case, it looks like the AHEF100 (C), which is confusingly identified as a "1 amp" fuse will activate in about 3 seconds at 5A. Just remember that the graph, like our earlier starting current graph, is log scale.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ry-58hFkPbY/XXFlMsbJeSI/AAAAAAAAFiU/DAEhKfJ5wGAdRZSgBOw5FpK_3daZNmw-ACLcBGAs/s1600/graph_fuses_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="506" height="384" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ry-58hFkPbY/XXFlMsbJeSI/AAAAAAAAFiU/DAEhKfJ5wGAdRZSgBOw5FpK_3daZNmw-ACLcBGAs/s640/graph_fuses_2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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As far as the actual operation of a MOSFET goes, and trying to keep this more practical than theoretical, see the circuit diagram below in conjunction with the following points:</div>
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<li>The "Gate" of the MOSFET is the signal from the rev switch that allows current to flow through the motor and from "Drain" to the "Source" to ground.</li>
<li>A small resistor from the "Gate" to ground keeps the MOSFET turned off until it gets an actual signal from the rev switch. This prevents "floating" signals from accidentally activating the motor. It can happen, and it is spooky.</li>
<li>An inductive load like a motor or solenoid will generate a voltage spike when de-energized as the magnetic field collapses. This can damage the MOSFET, so a "off-ramp" is provide in the form of a "kickback" diode.</li>
<li>And finally, the MOSFET must be on the low side, or down-stream side of the load to work. Much frustration will result if you try it the other way around. Ask me how I know.</li>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KY_VgAqgUyk/XXFqr3WqGcI/AAAAAAAAFig/jKEwkeNbxo4ZUit7rhH6mculqCvTf2caACLcBGAs/s1600/img_MOSFET.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="914" height="596" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KY_VgAqgUyk/XXFqr3WqGcI/AAAAAAAAFig/jKEwkeNbxo4ZUit7rhH6mculqCvTf2caACLcBGAs/s640/img_MOSFET.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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A MOSFET with a kickback diode and pulldown resistor can be just "wired into" a circuit, as demonstrated masterly by <a href="https://youtu.be/aTIMXKTnai8?t=183" target="_blank">Tungsten EXE in this video</a>, but I find it much easier and less error prone to design and test a circuit board. That also lets me add a fuse! In the Stryfe, I'm using the existing wiring tray cover screw locations and all components are on the back to avoid interfering with the darts.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cpt5M4dDrpY/XXFsYOiM47I/AAAAAAAAFis/ZryRwBfGfwY3a_3hTN3E4ZJcMag9rhuegCLcBGAs/s1600/img_MOSFET_brd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cpt5M4dDrpY/XXFsYOiM47I/AAAAAAAAFis/ZryRwBfGfwY3a_3hTN3E4ZJcMag9rhuegCLcBGAs/s640/img_MOSFET_brd.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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My designs are freely shared as Open Source, so you can buy the PCBs and parts yourself, or modify the design to meet your own needs. You can also save yourself the trouble and help me pay for this type of experimentation and design by buying a kit from me:</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="https://github.com/aspro648/KiCad/tree/master/projects/Nerf/ArduStryfe_MOSFET" target="_blank">Github Design Files</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.tindie.com/products/MakersBox/ardustryfe-mosfet-board/" target="_blank">Tindie kit</a> </li>
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Tune in to Part 3 where we will finally upgrade the motors and hit the big league of starting currents. And more fuses. </div>
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Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-75834745206295733962019-09-03T21:14:00.000-07:002019-09-06T10:28:20.876-07:00Basic Nerf Stryfe Electrical Modifications, Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Or, "<i>How not to let the magic smoke of your blaster</i>".</h3>
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Quite frequently, a post on Reddit will ask, "<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Nerf/comments/cqbt38/so_i_just_bought_a_stryfe_what_are_some_good_mods/" target="_blank">Just got a new Stryfe, what mods should I do</a>?" Inevitably, a rapid barrage of well-meaning advice will overwhelm the newbie. Among these are:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Do not use IMRs, they are unsafe. You will have to rewire it and use LiPO.</li>
<li>Twist your fuse to bi-pass it.</li>
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The first, while always couched as promoting safety in our hobby, is unfortunate and mixed up with a lot of baggage. It is also discouraging to anyone looking to take first steps in modding. Recommending someone completely rewire their blaster with a high-energy source without proper understanding and most likely, as in the second piece of advice, without fuses, is in my opinion significantly more dangerous. I think we should encourage beginners to take small steps and learn as they go.</div>
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<div>
Captain Xavier did a good <a href="https://youtu.be/CHWBB48oO2U" target="_blank">video on rechargeable</a> "AA-sized" batteries covering the history and why TrustFires, which are actually ICRs, not IMRs, ruined it for everyone. My testing of various types of rechargeable batteries (other than ICR) show that they are safe in stock systems with the following caveats:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Stock motors only, not aftermarket which draw exponentially more current.</li>
<li>Reputable brands with capacity ratings, not cheap ebay stuff.</li>
<li>Two cells (2S) only, and with the stock fuse in place.</li>
</ul>
<div>
So, in my effort to "promote safety in our hobby", let's take a look at what actually occurs in a stock blaster when you pull the rev switch and fire a dart. Ignoring the power source for a moment, let's concentrate on the motor, which is the primary factor in current draw. The motor has several operating conditions:</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tebo5Y7DnGA/XW75-cKj2iI/AAAAAAAAFhU/aeNMF3e5y_Qg81dRdKwl8ENcXtMSO9N7wCLcBGAs/s1600/stock_firing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="518" height="354" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tebo5Y7DnGA/XW75-cKj2iI/AAAAAAAAFhU/aeNMF3e5y_Qg81dRdKwl8ENcXtMSO9N7wCLcBGAs/s640/stock_firing.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Total Current" is the combination of both motors, or total battery current.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Starting current, which occurs when power is applied but the motor hasn't started turning yet. In our stock system with AA batteries, this may be above 2 amps, but will last less than a second.</li>
<li>Unloaded current: As the motor comes up to speed, until a dart is introduced to the freewheel, it is essentially idling. In our stock system, this is under 0.5 A.</li>
<li>Loaded current: As the dart is introduced to the flywheels, the motor is loaded for the period it takes for the dart to clear. At 16000 rpm, the flywheel is actually making a single revolution in under 4 ms, <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/2013/12/arduino-beyond-blink-how-fast-is-fast.html" target="_blank">faster than an eye blink</a>, so this occurs very, very, quickly, but the repercussion of the drop in flywheel speed plays out over a second or more. This max current will be somewhat less than starting current, and will fall back to the unloaded current as the flywheels come back up to idle speed.</li>
</ul>
<div>
There is one other motor condition that is important to the discussion and that is stall current. If a dart jams and the motors come to a stop, we basically have the starting current scenario with the exception that is does not resolve itself. The motor will continue to draw maximum current unless a) the jam clears, b) the rev switch is released, or c) the thermal fuse comes to the rescue! As the fuse heats up, it increases its resistance which, according to Ohm's law (I = V/R) throttles the flow of current, saving your motors. After it cools down, usually in the same amount of time it takes to clear the jam, you are back in the game.</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aabwN1qizmM/XW75f8hwbLI/AAAAAAAAFhM/MgZd7R7jkH8gzBKIhSFoo6uH8XYcLZ_OQCLcBGAs/s1600/stall.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="478" height="384" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aabwN1qizmM/XW75f8hwbLI/AAAAAAAAFhM/MgZd7R7jkH8gzBKIhSFoo6uH8XYcLZ_OQCLcBGAs/s640/stall.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stock System Stall Current and Motor Speed.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Of course, if you bypassed your fuse and fail to recognize a jam in the heat of battle, your motors become an expensive, non-resettable fuse, and the release of the acrid<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_smoke" target="_blank"> magic smoke</a> occurs. Hopefully you are carrying a secondary because your primary is literally and figuratively "toast".</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Alright, enough doom-and-gloom. We know a stock setup on AAs draws just over two amps and is anemic on dart speed. What are the "first steps" for modding? Change your batteries. Let's look at data for the following:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>AA x 4 (6 volt) Duracell Coppertops, the baseline case</li>
<li>NiMH x 4 <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JHKSMJU/" target="_blank">Panasonic Eneloops</a> 1900 mAh</li>
<li>IFR (LiFePO4) x 2 <a href="https://outofdarts.com/collections/batteries-chargers/products/coolook-imr-14500-battery-2-pack-entry-level-imr" target="_blank">Coolook 600 mAh</a> (needs a special charger)</li>
<li>IMR (LiMn2O4) x 2 <a href="https://outofdarts.com/collections/batteries-chargers/products/nitecore-imr-6-5a-high-drain-14500-battery-2-pack-best-imrs-out-there" target="_blank">Nitecore 650 mAh</a></li>
<li>LiPO (LiPO4) 2S 45C <a href="https://hobbyking.com/en_us/zippy-compact-1000mah-2s-40c-lipo-pack.html" target="_blank">Zippy 1000 mAh </a>(requires opening the blaster and soldering)</li>
</ul>
<div>
We are primarily interested in dart speed, but in our quest for understanding the system, let's look at the startup current and flywheel speed of the various configurations. Since this occurs on such a quick time frame, the x-axis is log scale. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qZUwJqJ4qT8/XW77y-lasEI/AAAAAAAAFhg/l8Kij0ngvZokz5piXTEkZ4ks9OmoOPhdwCLcBGAs/s1600/starting_current.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="478" height="382" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qZUwJqJ4qT8/XW77y-lasEI/AAAAAAAAFhg/l8Kij0ngvZokz5piXTEkZ4ks9OmoOPhdwCLcBGAs/s640/starting_current.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Clearly Ohm's law is still in effect as the LiPO and IMR systems, fully charged at over 8V, show significant increases in starting current and motor speed over the others. NiMH, with the lowest voltage, is still able to provide similar starting currents as alkaline and LiFePO4, but the lower motor speed will show in lower dart speeds, relegating the venerable NiMH as merely a cost-saving option if you already have them available.</div>
</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XzLm2lMQwP4/XW7_HIPDPBI/AAAAAAAAFh8/v3U83F6HELUVhYSnbbwCOzMM9j8qAGaDwCLcBGAs/s1600/flywheel_speed.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="474" height="380" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XzLm2lMQwP4/XW7_HIPDPBI/AAAAAAAAFh8/v3U83F6HELUVhYSnbbwCOzMM9j8qAGaDwCLcBGAs/s640/flywheel_speed.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
Time for a comparison of darts speed, which are the average of 10-shot series using Adventure Force waffle darts because, name brand, readily available, inexpensive, yada yada . . .</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0">
<colgroup width="153"></colgroup>
<colgroup width="73"></colgroup>
<colgroup width="98"></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="right" height="22" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><span style="color: black;"><b>Battery</b></span></td>
<td align="right" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><b>fps</b></span></div>
</td>
<td align="left" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><b>% difference</b></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black;">AA x 4</span></div>
</td>
<td align="right" sdnum="1033;" sdval="67.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;">67.5</span></div>
</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#C5E0B4" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><span style="color: black;">-</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black;">NiMH x 4</span></div>
</td>
<td align="right" sdnum="1033;" sdval="66.4" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;">66.4</span></div>
</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#C5E0B4" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="-0.0167308261770802" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><span style="color: black;">-1.7%</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black;">LFR x 2</span></div>
</td>
<td align="right" sdnum="1033;" sdval="65.4" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;">65.4</span></div>
</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#C5E0B4" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="-0.0322771690849866" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><span style="color: black;">-3.2%</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black;">IMR x 2</span></div>
</td>
<td align="right" sdnum="1033;" sdval="96.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;">96.5</span></div>
</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#C5E0B4" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.428190701806337" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><span style="color: black;">43%</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black;">LiPO 2S</span></div>
</td>
<td align="right" sdnum="1033;" sdval="97.1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;">97.1</span></div>
</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#C5E0B4" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.437518507551081" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="bottom"><span style="color: black;">44%</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<br />
Clearly, for a first step in performance upgrades without rewiring or shell cutting, the Nitecore IMR batteries look like a winner. Their 6.5A current rating is clearly within the draw requirements of the stock motors. The stock fuse, while engaging in about half the time of AAs during a stall test, is still protecting the system, even with repeated rev cycles. If power is applied while the motors are still spinning, the starting current is significantly lower, so a natural time buffer keeps the fuse from overheating.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/2019/09/basic-nerf-stryfe-electrical.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a>, I will try and convince you that if you are going to open your blaster to rewire, that MOSFET switching is the way to go and will provide a bigger increase in performance for a given configuration than removing your fuses. Standby for more data. And more talk of fuses . . .</div>
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Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-33254507425411009132019-08-14T21:50:00.001-07:002019-08-14T21:50:19.832-07:00Nerf Mod Party<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Nunito, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">At our most recent family reunion, in addition to the </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1194501230583751/" style="background-color: white; color: #0d9ba3; cursor: pointer; font-family: Nunito, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-all;">traditional rock painting</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Nunito, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">, this year we modified Nerf blasters and then had an epic family Nerf war. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Nunito, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AYmbI_A1Xlw/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AYmbI_A1Xlw?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Nunito, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Nunito, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">I really like the Nerf Disruptor for this type of "modding":</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Nunito, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Nunito, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">They are inexpensive and available both commercially and at thrift stores.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Nunito, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">The shell comes apart into several pieces for painting.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Nunito, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">They are very easy for children to operate.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: Nunito, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">I made a short video that shows how to reassemble a Nerf Disruptor. If you use another type of blaster, be sure to take a picture after you open it up to aid in reassembly!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: Nunito, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: Nunito, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">I've published more details on how to do a Nerf Mod Party at: </span></span><a href="https://www.instructables.com/id/Nerf-Mod-Party/">https://www.instructables.com/id/Nerf-Mod-Party/</a><br />
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: Nunito, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
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Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-18928198997768245882019-07-17T18:25:00.001-07:002019-07-17T18:34:45.329-07:00An Experiment in Nerf Blaster Modification Performance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been dabbling in modifying Nerf dart blasters recently. The modifications fall into two categories: appearance and performance. Nerf "blasters" themselves fall into two broad categories: manual spring powered and electronic flywheel powered. I've been drawn to all areas of the hobby, but have spent the most of my time with performance modifications of flywheel blasters. I've been particularly interested in using Arduino microcontrollers to monitor and control the operation of the blaster. You can see my published projects to date:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="https://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-for-Nerf-Ballistic-Chronograph/">https://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-for-Nerf-Ballistic-Chronograph/</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-for-Nerf-Chronograph-and-Shot-Counter/">https://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-for-Nerf-Chronograph-and-Shot-Counter/</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
Most performance Nerf "mods" seem to fall into two categories: </div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Cheap Chinese kits that are <a href="https://www.instructables.com/id/SMD-Soldering-Practice-Kit-or-How-I-Learned-to-Sto/" target="_blank">poorly documented</a>.</li>
<li>Very cool custom builds that are complex, poorly documented, and hard to replicate.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
My goal, as always, is to document inexpensive and easy to build projects geared towards a successful and rewarding "first mod" experience. In working towards that, I've gathered quite a bit of data about what modifications provide the best performance. Starting with the most popular modding blaster, the Nerf Stryfe, I looked at the effect of flywheel speed, motor current, and dart velocity for a number of configurations.<br />
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<div>
<b>Batteries</b>: The stock Stryfe is powered from 4 x AA batteries for a nominal 6V. Upgrades to lithium polymer increases voltage (7.2 V) and significantly increases current delivering capacity. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Wiring</b>: The increase in current from LiPo batteries require upgrading the stock wiring to at least 18 AWG, and either replacement of the microswitches to higher rating or the use of a MOSFET control circuit. The MOSFET control circuit lends itself well to microcotroller use, and eliminates the need to upgrade the wire to all but the short section from battery to motor.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Motors</b>: Over-volting the stock motors would certainly be frowned upon from an engineering design standpoint, but going from 6V to 7.2V is fairly minor and I have noted no increase in motor temperatures or indication of degradation. Given the short run-times of motors during typical use, the longevity of the motors does not appear to be an issue. Aftermarket motors are designed for higher voltages, current, and speed.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Instrumentation</b>: Motor speed and dart velocity are measured using infra-red emitter detector pairs monitored by Arduino. Motor current is measure using an Adafruit INA260 breakout board attached to the Arduino. Configuration tests are run twice, once measuring motor speed and current, and once capturing dart velocities of ten shots. Data from the Arduino is outputted over a serial console and copied into spreadsheets.</div>
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<b>Enough babbling. The data!</b></div>
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Additionally, I was interested in the operation of the stock resetabble fuse. This fuse limits current as it heats up, and resets itself after cooling down. This is clearly shown in a graph of current verses time for a stalled stock motor:</div>
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A lot of modders remove the fuses since the increase in current draw will trip the stock fuse quickly. I have heard of and witnessed motor burnouts caused by stalls with removed fuses. A novice who jams a dart on a modded blaster while continuing to hold down the rev switch with cause this in short order. I advocating protecting your after-market motors with appropriate capacity fuses. It is worth it if for nothing other than avoiding the smell of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_smoke" target="_blank">magic smoke</a> that come out!</div>
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<b>Conclusions</b>:</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>It is very easy to get to 100 fps using stock motors by upgrading the battery and wiring.</li>
<li>The 2S Lipo and aftermarket motors were able to achieve near the 130 fps limit set by a number of competitions.</li>
<li>Aftermarket motors significantly decrease the motor spin up time at the cost of very high starting currents. And noise.</li>
<li>Increase in dart speed using the aftermarket motors was only realized using aftermarket flywheels.</li>
<li>The use of 14500 Lipo batteries, while controversial in the Nerf community, appear quite compatible <b>with the stock motor</b> currents. These have the advantage of not requiring any shell cutting. You will note that I did not try them with the aftermarkert motors for concern about the current draw.</li>
<li>It is interesting to note that stall current and starting current of the stock motor are nearly identical. The listed stall current of the <a href="https://foamblastshop.com/product/meishel-2-0-motor/" target="_blank">Meishel 2.0 motors are 18.8 A</a>, or 37.6 A for a pair, which is close to 33 A starting current observed. This should be useful in choosing fuse size.</li>
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As in most hobbies, incremental increases in performance come at exponential increases in cost and effort. People are spending hundreds of dollars to achieve 200+ fps blasters while experiencing diminishing, even <a href="https://youtu.be/YyCQKTD8lI8?t=538" target="_blank">deteriorating returns on accuracy and distance</a>. For now I intend to stay in the shallow end of pool while concentrating on the benefits of smart, Arduino-controlled blasters, such as ammo counting, clip capacity detection, battery monitoring, and select fire.</div>
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Stay tuned for a kit. You may have seen a sneak peek in the first photo.<br />
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Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-20114586137341029162018-03-28T22:40:00.000-07:002018-03-29T07:08:12.888-07:00What Open Source Means to Me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I look back at starting with electronics, I would point to <a href="https://www.adafruit.com/" target="_blank">Adafruit</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limor_Fried" target="_blank">Lady Ada</a>. I bought her <a href="https://www.adafruit.com/product/72" target="_blank">Boarduino</a> (which is still on sale!) back in 2008, and while I was able to solder the kit together easily, I was quite confused by by the difference between Atmega168 pin numbers, and Arduino pin designations. She answered my questions quite patiently:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-njzJnXgYEpQ/Wrx2kgxbEMI/AAAAAAAAFEc/YjWNFWRS2hI3rIdi0dmvBi6JyCqXZlKjgCLcBGAs/s1600/adafruit1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="1295" height="256" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-njzJnXgYEpQ/Wrx2kgxbEMI/AAAAAAAAFEc/YjWNFWRS2hI3rIdi0dmvBi6JyCqXZlKjgCLcBGAs/s640/adafruit1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is my first project with that board: <a href="https://youtu.be/vEATaGx28_8" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/vEATaGx28_8</a>. I went on to design a <a href="https://dawson-station.blogspot.com/2009/10/welcome-to-dawson-station.html" target="_blank">model railroad</a>, a <a href="https://www.instructables.com/id/Radio-Telemetry-for-a-Model-Rocket/" target="_blank">rocket telemetry system</a>, and most recently, a deviously difficult <a href="https://hackaday.io/project/25265-an-unfortunate-smd-project/" target="_blank">surface mount challenge</a>.<br />
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The Boarduino, while I paid for a kit, was free. It was <a href="https://opensource.com/resources/what-open-source" target="_blank">Open Source</a>. Lady Ada published the <a href="http://ladyada.net/images/boarduino/boarduinosch.png" target="_blank">schematics</a> and even the files necessary to reproduce the PCB.<br />
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Fast forward a decade. I can design a PCB. I can program an Attiny. My first published project was a<a href="http://www.makersbox.us/2013/12/anatomy-of-small-open-source-hardware.html" target="_blank"> programmer for microcontrollers</a>. I published my designs for free. Why? Because Lady Ada did. That is how I learned. That is how I hope to teach.<br />
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One of the designs I am most proud of is my <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Low-Cost-Arduino-Compatible-Drawing-Robot/" target="_blank">Drawing Robot</a>. I have spent a lot of hours designing and refining the 3D files, electrical design, and the firmware. I have used it to teach several workshops. Many people of have copied it. Several people have improved on it. That makes me happy:<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PRVH5_ZO6XM/WryLK6BcMgI/AAAAAAAAFFw/8IlP8x9W61ASThWjTKlGDnfE04e0UWvGgCLcBGAs/s1600/twitter1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="619" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PRVH5_ZO6XM/WryLK6BcMgI/AAAAAAAAFFw/8IlP8x9W61ASThWjTKlGDnfE04e0UWvGgCLcBGAs/s640/twitter1.png" width="532" /></a></div>
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Recently, I was excited to see a picture on Twitter, but when I commented on it, I was surprised to see it attributed to someone else:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-unfUerhAzkA/WryLTKzBCDI/AAAAAAAAFF0/DnJIZMA1gaEZnpvl8by7hh_Uo5QGOoZYwCLcBGAs/s1600/twitter2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="635" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-unfUerhAzkA/WryLTKzBCDI/AAAAAAAAFF0/DnJIZMA1gaEZnpvl8by7hh_Uo5QGOoZYwCLcBGAs/s400/twitter2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Wait! What? It is being used in a classroom: Good! But who is Josh Burker? Well, apparently it is someone who used my designs, and decided to <a href="https://squareup.com/store/imagination-heavy-industries-llc" target="_blank">sell a kit</a>! For $275?<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oZGMC11djvk/Wrx72aJbSXI/AAAAAAAAFFA/Rwn4zYtvdpAsnDspsyT5Hf_g44xAvNjBwCLcBGAs/s1600/squarup.com.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="621" height="354" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oZGMC11djvk/Wrx72aJbSXI/AAAAAAAAFFA/Rwn4zYtvdpAsnDspsyT5Hf_g44xAvNjBwCLcBGAs/s640/squarup.com.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Is that legal? Ethical? Moral? What I have been spending all my time doing this for?<br />
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The <a href="https://www.instructables.com/id/Low-Cost-Arduino-Compatible-Drawing-Robot/" target="_blank">Instructable</a> on which is project is based is published under a Creative Commons licence, which is pretty clear:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zoJ581fTBBg/Wrx-z3gfJOI/AAAAAAAAFFM/j34Siq86HE03Lfmbcm9f7hSSCsy7nCgkACLcBGAs/s1600/CC1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="687" height="337" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zoJ581fTBBg/Wrx-z3gfJOI/AAAAAAAAFFM/j34Siq86HE03Lfmbcm9f7hSSCsy7nCgkACLcBGAs/s400/CC1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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So far, so good. He is sharing, and adapting, but:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zb_84e_6tWE/Wrx_CQC7ESI/AAAAAAAAFFQ/JfFdg8xhExsUSiWXsF0lJDc7G_spXa8fQCLcBGAs/s1600/CC2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="729" height="203" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zb_84e_6tWE/Wrx_CQC7ESI/AAAAAAAAFFQ/JfFdg8xhExsUSiWXsF0lJDc7G_spXa8fQCLcBGAs/s400/CC2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Oops. While I see a link to my Instructable on his <a href="https://squareup.com/store/imagination-heavy-industries-llc" target="_blank">webpage</a>, I see nothing on his website to indicate the original design isn't his. The fact that the teacher using the project attributes it to him would further indicate this failure. Oh, and there is the noncommercial thing. I assume that means the $275 is a no-no.<br />
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Let's take a moment of self-reflection. A drawing robot is not my idea. Did I attribute it?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">Here is the robot that came closest to what I wanted to do: </span><a href="http://mirobot.io/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #e86c00; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;">http://mirobot.io</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">. I don't have a laser cutter and shipping from England was prohibitive. I do have a 3D printer, so I guess you can see where this is going . . .</span></blockquote>
<a href="https://mime.co.uk/products/mirobot/" target="_blank">Mirobot</a> claims to be Open Source, and has<a href="https://github.com/mimeindustries" target="_blank"> published repositories</a>, but it is laser cut and Wifi controlled. Way past what I want to get into. I didn't use their design files or code. About all I used was the "pen in the center of the wheelbase" idea. The <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/2015/06/turtle-programming-in-real-life.html" target="_blank">Turtle idea</a> goes back even farther, to the 1960s!<br />
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So, I'm mad. Certainly not at the teacher, who is trying to bring ideas and concepts to their classroom to the best of their ability and under a tight budget. But, someone is trying to profit off my my work. When I point out the CC License violations, I am told to "bugger off," and that "<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">We redesigned the electronics: they use a completely different microcontroller and programming language."</span><br />
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I will give him that using the Logo language takes the project one step closer to it's 1960 roots, and if that helps with the classroom curriculum, I will adapt that and attribute him. That is how Open Source works. However, if he thinks that switching from an <a href="https://www.adafruit.com/product/2010" target="_blank">Adafruit Trinket Pro</a> to an <a href="https://www.adafruit.com/product/2590" target="_blank">Adafruit Metro Mini</a> constitutes "redesigning the the electronics", I would point out that they both use the Atmel ATmega328 microchip, and are both Open Source projects, by the same author, Adafruit. Wow, did that just circle around, or what?<br />
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So, back to the original question, what does Open Source mean to me? <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/" target="_blank">I learn</a>, <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/search?q=workshops" target="_blank">I play</a>, <a href="https://www.instructables.com/member/MakersBox/instructables/" target="_blank">I share</a>, and I may even try to <a href="https://www.tindie.com/stores/MakersBox/" target="_blank">sell you a kit</a>, but if you try and profit off my work, I'll get mad. And do a blog post. And probably get blocked by @joshburker on Twitter. Wait, was I following him? No. Didn't think so.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FFxudbLoHks/WryIeVWaM4I/AAAAAAAAFFk/ldP5N7OMTyYkSJnm3Vgvb0_3BB56ErS6QCLcBGAs/s1600/twitter3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="911" height="209" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FFxudbLoHks/WryIeVWaM4I/AAAAAAAAFFk/ldP5N7OMTyYkSJnm3Vgvb0_3BB56ErS6QCLcBGAs/s640/twitter3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you want to follow me, and be the first to see the next generation drawing robot, or what ever Open Source idea I attribute or contribute to next, you can follow me at <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMakersBox" target="_blank">@TheMakersBox</a> on Twitter.<br />
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Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-36514234525977374542017-12-30T10:06:00.000-08:002017-12-30T10:06:48.512-08:00Is Your LED in Backwards?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Since the Arduino I/O pins can sink and source current, it is possible to use one pin as the ground and the other the supply for an LED. One of my <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Buggy-A-Crafty-Programmable-LED-Creature/" target="_blank">very first projects</a>, actually used bi-colored LEDs and you could change the color by reversing the pins.<br />
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I've been doing beginner soldering kits, and putting an LED in backward is a common mistake. It occurred to me I could use this trick so that a reversed LED could still be used without having to remove and reverse it. Better yet, could it be detected and accounted for automatically?<br />
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Since the LED only allows current to flow one direction (unless it is bi-colored), and we have the ability to read the pins as well as output to them, we should be able to figure this out. If we apply voltage (via the internal pull up resistor) to one leg of the LED, if it goes high, near the source voltage, we can assume we are dealing with the cathode, or negative side since no current is flowing. Conversely, if the voltage drops, we can assume we have the anode, or positive side since current is flow.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vjGyf4kBmeI/WkfSLX-Q0CI/AAAAAAAAFAY/eKlo1rk94AsDHgjF4nkoEJRPJ-4NEIgPwCLcBGAs/s1600/LEDs%2BSketch_bb.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="1266" height="297" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vjGyf4kBmeI/WkfSLX-Q0CI/AAAAAAAAFAY/eKlo1rk94AsDHgjF4nkoEJRPJ-4NEIgPwCLcBGAs/s400/LEDs%2BSketch_bb.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Enough theory. Time for proof. With the LED correctly installed, an analogRead() on the pulled up port reads ~350, or 1.7 volts. With it in backwards, it reads nearly 5 volts. Since the voltage drop is more than half, the digitalRead() can be used and the resulting true/false value assigned to correct or incorrect orientation.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hxDZr28j8sk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hxDZr28j8sk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Seems like a silly thing, but then again, silly things can be useful at times.<br />
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Here is my code if you want to try it for yourself:<br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">int ledPinNeg = A0; // assume negative lead</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">int ledPinPos = A1; // assume positive lead</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">void setup() {</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Serial.begin(9600);</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> // test: with a weak pullup, the pin will read HIGH if LED in backward (no path for current)</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> pinMode(ledPinPos, INPUT);</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> pinMode(ledPinNeg, OUTPUT);</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> digitalWrite(ledPinPos, HIGH); // turn on pull up</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> digitalWrite(ledPinNeg, LOW); // sink current</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> int testVal = digitalRead(ledPinPos); // reads < 400 if orientation is correct</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Serial.print("Pin ");</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Serial.print(ledPinPos);</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Serial.print(" = ");</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Serial.println(analogRead(ledPinPos));</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> // set both pins to OUTPUT and LOW</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> digitalWrite(ledPinPos, LOW); // turn off pullup</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> pinMode(ledPinPos, OUTPUT);</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> if (testVal){// LED is backward, just swap pins</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> int temp = ledPinPos;</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ledPinPos = ledPinNeg;</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ledPinNeg = temp;</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Serial.println("LED IS BACKWARDS OR MISSING");</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> }</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> else {</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Serial.println("LED APPEARS CORRECT");</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> }</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">}</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">void loop() {</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> digitalWrite(ledPinPos, HIGH);</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> delay(1000);</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> digitalWrite(ledPinPos, LOW);</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> delay(1000);</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">}</span><br />
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Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-10428016540451344572017-12-27T20:59:00.000-08:002017-12-27T20:59:34.864-08:00How to Price a Kit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k1y2-exyZCY/WkR5quTxonI/AAAAAAAAFAA/euOtGH6-IfEExG-pjcnRjhC8P_pldQmQwCLcBGAs/s1600/GeekSpinner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="800" height="216" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k1y2-exyZCY/WkR5quTxonI/AAAAAAAAFAA/euOtGH6-IfEExG-pjcnRjhC8P_pldQmQwCLcBGAs/s320/GeekSpinner.png" width="320" /></a> </div>
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<b>- VS -</b></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vuYz_HVADkU/WkR5vSrAqMI/AAAAAAAAFAE/2SzimaakmwApV0hmbRSPN8f-F9VndSkqQCLcBGAs/s1600/Cheap.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="777" height="138" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vuYz_HVADkU/WkR5vSrAqMI/AAAAAAAAFAE/2SzimaakmwApV0hmbRSPN8f-F9VndSkqQCLcBGAs/s320/Cheap.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've seen a couple of post recently on Hack-a-day and Twitter about my Geek Spinner (and US based kits in general) being priced too high. As both a maker and consumer of kits, let me first say that I am sensitive to this issue. When I price a kit, the first question is always, "would I pay this much for it?" Consider the following:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>I publish my BOM and PCB files along with instructions and firmware, so you don't need to buy anything from me.</li>
<li>I sell kits to cover the cost of my developing them. I usually build at least three versions before I'm willing to put it out there for others to try.</li>
<li>I price the kits to cover the cost of materials and my time for packaging the kits.</li>
<li>I enjoy designing and making kits and helping others make them. I do not enjoy kitting or selling them. It is a lot of work.</li>
<li>I'm selling at very low volumes, usually in multiples of ten, where the scale of economy has barely begun.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I think, in general, what we fail to recognize when we look at the price of kit, are the intangibles:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Well documented, well supported.</li>
<li>Quality components from known sources.</li>
<li>Design files and schematics so we can understand or modify the design to our own purpose.</li>
<li>Tutorials and examples files.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I've sold enough kits to know that I'm at least in the ball park. I'm making enough so my wife doesn't need to see the credit card bill for the weekly Digi-Key delivery, or to sweat making a medium-run OSH Park PCB order when I'm ready to face the public. I'm also sure, that if I total it all up, I'm making below minimum wages. But then again, I'm doing something I enjoy. For the most part.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, vote with your dollar. But also ask yourself, "is the seller adding any value?"</div>
</div>
Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-69120255730056882952017-12-18T19:31:00.000-08:002017-12-18T19:31:30.848-08:00Building Your Own Multimeter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
An experienced hobbyist should be able to build a well designed project from the BOM (bill of materials) and the markings on the PCB. The rest of us need some help. I recently put together an $11 multimeter that had very little documentation, and I figured I might add some tidbits to the interwebs that might help others get through this. Like a Jedi and their lightsaber, what could be better than building your own instruments!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VHLk7Lj_zlo/WjhgCyySuSI/AAAAAAAAE-s/q41JeQc6kjIzIdaJNwG4-pHrVKXWHa2PwCLcBGAs/s1600/Fluke.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1371" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VHLk7Lj_zlo/WjhgCyySuSI/AAAAAAAAE-s/q41JeQc6kjIzIdaJNwG4-pHrVKXWHa2PwCLcBGAs/s400/Fluke.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This is a <a href="https://www.banggood.com/DIY-DT-830T-Digital-Multimeter-Electronic-Training-Kit-p-1140316.html" target="_blank">DT-830T "Digital Multimeter Electronic Training Kit</a> from Banggood.com. If by "training", they mean figuring things out on your own, this is a winner. My first plan of attack was to sort the resistors and mark the PCB diagram with values (why don't they do that to start with?) Ironically, since I can't identify anything other than 330, 1K and 10K by sight, I used a multimeter to test and label the resistors. Kind of a chick-and-egg thing. There are more 220K resistors than any other, so getting them out of the way significantly lowers the others than need sorting.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6WHljhI9eao/WjhgJuOpwgI/AAAAAAAAE-w/h3ef9T9y0kI-hg82P2MUoE4fosEL64_JwCLcBGAs/s1600/resistoring.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6WHljhI9eao/WjhgJuOpwgI/AAAAAAAAE-w/h3ef9T9y0kI-hg82P2MUoE4fosEL64_JwCLcBGAs/s400/resistoring.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The only thing that tripped me us was the fact that resistors R17 and R38 have switch position between the diagram and the PCB silk screen.<br />
<br />
With resistors out of the way, I turned my attention to capacitors. Again, I'm not good with reading values, but another recent project, a <a href="http://a.co/7PRQjvF" target="_blank">GM328 Transistor Tester</a>, got put to go use.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ruIdUZLYzRM/WjhgOEqTu0I/AAAAAAAAE-0/kG56z5YQ0Jo3r1Ya6AywXaDPLGJn3SL8gCLcBGAs/s1600/CapTesting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ruIdUZLYzRM/WjhgOEqTu0I/AAAAAAAAE-0/kG56z5YQ0Jo3r1Ya6AywXaDPLGJn3SL8gCLcBGAs/s400/CapTesting.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here are the values and markings:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>C1 - 100 pF - "<i>101</i>"</li>
<li>C7 - 220 pF - "<i>221</i>"</li>
<li>C2, 4, ,5 ,6 - 100 nF - "<i>104</i>"</li>
<li>C3 - 220 nF - "<i>224</i>"</li>
<li>C8 - 1 uF - "<i>105</i>"</li>
</ul>
<br />
The final unidentified component was marked "4B DMZ". This is a re-settable thermal fuse, and by this point there are only a couple of empty spots on the PCB it could go (R32).<br />
<br />
There are some springs and ball bearings that were not obvious (to me) where they went. I found a <a href="https://youtu.be/I_eO-pj1Z4s" target="_blank">Youtube video</a> of someone assembling this as a clue.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wUxY_VUIlIM/WjhgY7bxlGI/AAAAAAAAE-4/hleKjBS4wfMlwRSKI1eY2gEZoBxBP4_yACLcBGAs/s1600/springs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wUxY_VUIlIM/WjhgY7bxlGI/AAAAAAAAE-4/hleKjBS4wfMlwRSKI1eY2gEZoBxBP4_yACLcBGAs/s400/springs.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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With everything assemble, it worked, and I tested it against known voltage and resistance, and it was pretty close. There is an a potentiometer (VR1), which I assume is for adjustment, so I tweaked it to match the known voltage.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-66HrxUzy_3k/WjhhIPiBfRI/AAAAAAAAE_A/_RGWjiClb3AUMeLWurEDsxBjN6OA5vYxACLcBGAs/s1600/assembled.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="800" height="270" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-66HrxUzy_3k/WjhhIPiBfRI/AAAAAAAAE_A/_RGWjiClb3AUMeLWurEDsxBjN6OA5vYxACLcBGAs/s400/assembled.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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My main use for a multimeter is as a continuity checker with the buzzer. That is where this meter shines. Instead of having to rotate the selector switch to the resistance setting on the Fluke and then press a button to get the speaker, I can leave the rotary on the DT-830T on continuity and just turn it on and off with the push button. Not many meters work that way. That alone makes it a keeper. Plus, I can say "I made this myself".<br />
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And, if it helps you, here is my scratchpad:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wdR1SEp9ylc/WjhkHg4D8VI/AAAAAAAAE_M/47DQDyeQZb4JP2_k_OQ_yB2qyaw5kYNawCLcBGAs/s1600/resistors.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wdR1SEp9ylc/WjhkHg4D8VI/AAAAAAAAE_M/47DQDyeQZb4JP2_k_OQ_yB2qyaw5kYNawCLcBGAs/s640/resistors.JPG" width="490" /></a></div>
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Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-44005289778320359632017-11-24T19:30:00.000-08:002017-11-24T21:56:10.700-08:00How Fast is Your Fidget Spinner?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You never know what people will do with your ideas, and it is always fun to see someone do something I would have never thought of with them. I got a video from someone who built my <a href="https://www.tindie.com/products/MakersBox/programmable-pov-fidget-spinner/" target="_blank">Programmable Fidget Spinner</a>, and used a leaf blower to see how fast they could get it to go. Fortunately, they were wearing safety glasses, and no, it didn't come flying apart. It did, however, start displaying erratically at about 3600 RPM (the fastest I can get it by hand is just under 2000 RPM).<br />
<br />
So, what is going on? TLDR: I figured it out and fixed it, and here is proof.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C-jusQLt-L0" width="459"></iframe>
<br />
One of the reasons I love Arduino is because it is so easy to write and understand it's code. All the hard parts that scare beginners away have been abstracted out. Case in point, to turn on a single LED, all I have to do is call the function <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://www.arduino.cc/reference/en/language/functions/digital-io/digitalwrite/" target="_blank">digitalWrite(LED, HIGH)</a></span>. The only thing I need to know is what pin number the LED is attached to and that "HIGH" means "ON" (and "LOW" means "OFF"). To display on the eight LEDs on the fidget spinner, I can use<br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> for (int led=0; led<8; led++) {</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> digitalWrite(LEDS[led], state[led]);</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> }</span><br />
Which means to iterate over the eight pins the LEDs are attached to, one at a time, and turn them on or off based on the value held in the state array. Easy-peazy, and all is well, unless you are doing something that becomes time limiting like turning those LEDs on and off in an ever decreasing amount of time as the figet spinner speeds up. At some point (about 3600 RPM), there just isn't enough time, and the CPU moves on to something else, leaving the LED output garbled.<br />
<br />
Now intuitively, I know the Arduino is more than fast enough to do what I want, the problem is that the digitalWrite() function hides a lot of dirty work under the hood, and calling it in a loop only multiplies the problem by eight! When you realize that each of the eight pins is actually an 8-bit port, and that you can set all eight at once using a <a href="https://www.arduino.cc/en/Reference/PortManipulation" target="_blank">PORT command</a>, you can increase your speed by almost an order of magnitude.<br />
<br />
Of course, there is a lot more detail (and math) to this than I feel qualified to try and explain, but I did try a <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/2013/12/arduino-beyond-blink-how-fast-is-fast.html" target="_blank">few timing experiments a while back</a> that probably helped me figure my current conundrum out. Perhaps the most instructive thing to do here is demonstrated how to do the venerable "blink" sketch using ports.<br />
<br />
First step in leaving the comfort of Arduino abstaction is figuring out from a <a href="https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=146315.0" target="_blank">Pin-Out chart</a> that Digital Pin 13 (the built-in Arduino LED) is actually bit 5 of Port B on the <a href="http://www.atmel.com/images/Atmel-8271-8-bit-AVR-Microcontroller-ATmega48A-48PA-88A-88PA-168A-168PA-328-328P_datasheet_Complete.pdf" target="_blank">Atmega328 chip</a>, a.k.a "PB5".<br />
<br />
Instead of <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">pinMode(13, OUTPUT);</span> we set the data direction bit of DDRB for bit 7 to 1 using the command <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">DDRB = B00100000; </span><br />
Now to turn the LED on, we set bit 5 of port B high using <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">PORTB = B00100000</span>, and off using<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> PORTB = B00000000</span><br />
<br />
Realize, off course, that we are controlling all the bits of the port the same time, and that there are clever ways to hit just the bits we want, but I'll save that for a later post.<br />
<br />
The most instructive part of this experiment is seeing the difference in the sizes of the regular blink sketch (1030 bytes), and the port manipulation equivalent (634 bytes) is almost 400 bytes! That doesn't seem like much if you are thinking about 32K of memory, but realize that each byte represents an instruction, and you can see we are not just wasting program space, but also using a lot instructions to do the same thing.<br />
<br />
I think the bottom line here is to realize that Arduino is great, and abstraction makes life easy, but at some point, you will have to get your hands dirty if you want to go fast!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-89212414257044600112017-11-14T22:29:00.000-08:002017-11-18T15:06:18.026-08:00500 Tindie Orders, 1200 Kits Sold!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I started selling kits on <a href="https://www.tindie.com/stores/MakersBox/" target="_blank">Tindie</a>, I made 50 <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/2013/12/anatomy-of-small-open-source-hardware.html" target="_blank">Yet Another Programming Shield Kits</a>, and hoped to sell half of them to break even. The one thing I realized quickly was that I would need more than one kit offering if I hoped to make any money.<br />
<br />
Three and a half years later, I've filled 500 orders consisting of more than 1200 kits of eleven different types. This doesn't count kits I've sold for <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/2016/10/girl-scout-girls-are-awesome.html" target="_blank">workshops</a> and <a href="https://github.com/aspro648/KiCad/tree/master/projects/Attiny/Attiny85SMD_OSHPark_R2" target="_blank">conferences</a>, which would be at least another 500. I'm making just enough money to keep developing new kits and buying PCBs from <a href="https://oshpark.com/" target="_blank">OSH Park</a> without putting them on a credit card my wife can see.<br />
<br />
I've been amazed at how many overseas sales I've had since the shipping costs seem prohibitive. I've sold to every continent except Antarctica (contact me and I'll make you a deal):<br />
<br />
<iframe height="480" src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1vOPs5UAqfAzUoDxDyUk0L1FPxSvecmZO" width="640"></iframe>
<br />
I've also sold something to every US state except Montana, North and South Dakota, Alaska, and Maine (contact me and I'll make you a deal).<br />
<br />
I've got some great kits in the works, including an awesome <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/2015/11/chicktech-robotics-2015.html" target="_blank">low-cost robot</a> and a Raspberry Pi Camera setup. I can't wait to see where the next 500 kits go!<br />
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<br /></div>
Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-42882573401623735212016-10-02T10:03:00.000-07:002016-10-02T10:03:44.363-07:00Girl Scout Girls Are Awesome<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I got invited to do an electronics workshop at a Fall Girl Scout daycamp. I had been on a Maker hiatus since HP let me go back in February, and I was really missing the fun and joy of teaching. The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CampWhisperingWinds/" target="_blank">camp was on the east side of the Oregon Coast Range</a>, and although it was cool and a bit wet, the lodge was warm and dry and overlooked a serene pond.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CBUQCwOsIc/V_E853M5oSI/AAAAAAAAEvg/JPn5MxgeocIdxCb8sgkM-ByZbFMZeoHaACLcB/s1600/girlscamp_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CBUQCwOsIc/V_E853M5oSI/AAAAAAAAEvg/JPn5MxgeocIdxCb8sgkM-ByZbFMZeoHaACLcB/s400/girlscamp_01.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The sessions were an hour and half which was more than enough time to assemble my <a href="https://www.tindie.com/products/MakersBox/led-eyes-simple-soldering--soft-circuit-project/" target="_blank">simple LED kit</a> and give the girls time to incorporate it into a craft project. Before starting, I talked about <a href="https://www.facebook.com/amightygirl/posts/1117864394916539:0" target="_blank">Ann Makosinski</a>, a young lady who invented a LED flashlight powered by body heat, as an example of why you would want to learn to solder. I also gave the girls a "nanosecond" of wire and told briefly of the contribution of <a href="http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Grace-Hopper-nanosecond" target="_blank">Grace Hopper</a> to computer science.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kAWwkArcUv0/V_E9FTX2CnI/AAAAAAAAEvk/74h1OpsraAkT_1QTKJPAmoaZ3r_Nm79jwCLcB/s1600/girlscamp_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kAWwkArcUv0/V_E9FTX2CnI/AAAAAAAAEvk/74h1OpsraAkT_1QTKJPAmoaZ3r_Nm79jwCLcB/s400/girlscamp_02.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The girls were positive and awesome and picked up the skills quickly. It always gives me warm fuzzies when I overhead comments like "this is fun" and see the girls helping each other! It is fun to learn, fun to do, and fun to teach others!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yg1iSirIrks/V_E9NSdsjJI/AAAAAAAAEvo/FB35dpZFHOko7y0sE6HW3XJm4RbSbRn2ACLcB/s1600/girlscamp_03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yg1iSirIrks/V_E9NSdsjJI/AAAAAAAAEvo/FB35dpZFHOko7y0sE6HW3XJm4RbSbRn2ACLcB/s320/girlscamp_03.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The final group was more advanced, and had purchased <a href="https://www.adafruit.com/products/2221" target="_blank">Adafruit LED goggle kits</a>. I pre-programmed the microcontrollers, and the session was just enough time to assemble and test them. Since the theme of the camp was Steam Punk, they fit right in with the costumes the girls had prepared.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GPSUZb7VUtY/V_E9VtirF-I/AAAAAAAAEvs/uOgjmxCG9BoVwNxI4_YXid_U5J9Yto5JgCLcB/s1600/girlscamp_04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GPSUZb7VUtY/V_E9VtirF-I/AAAAAAAAEvs/uOgjmxCG9BoVwNxI4_YXid_U5J9Yto5JgCLcB/s400/girlscamp_04.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am always grateful that my girls are growing up in an age when they can be independent and do anything their heart desires. I am also grateful for opportunities to help others find their passion.</div>
Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-69947171008762414382015-11-22T20:16:00.000-08:002015-11-22T20:16:53.899-08:00ChickTech Robotics 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-flCl3rUTcA0/VlKFXlKa5lI/AAAAAAAAEhE/3usWgcvCAGk/s1600/01_Robotics.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-flCl3rUTcA0/VlKFXlKa5lI/AAAAAAAAEhE/3usWgcvCAGk/s320/01_Robotics.JPG" width="262" /></a></div>
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I've spent a lot of the past year designing and testing a <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Drawing-Robot/" target="_blank">low-cost robot</a> that could be assembled and programmed in a workshop. It has been, in one form or another, demonstrated at three Maker Faires this year. I finally got a chance to put the project to a full test for <a href="http://chicktech.org/" target="_blank">ChickTech's</a> Portland High School workshop. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u6dRz000M24/VlKFXyvU8KI/AAAAAAAAEhI/vIW6hINbsHw/s1600/03_robotics.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u6dRz000M24/VlKFXyvU8KI/AAAAAAAAEhI/vIW6hINbsHw/s640/03_robotics.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
The event was held at Portland State University. There were more than one hundred students that got to chose between eight different workshops. We had fourteen girls for robotics. We spent the first day building the robot and learning how to program an Arduino microcontroller.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q52h70o39qU/VlKFXfl-5CI/AAAAAAAAEhA/O3z_c43CFjI/s1600/02_robotics.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q52h70o39qU/VlKFXfl-5CI/AAAAAAAAEhA/O3z_c43CFjI/s640/02_robotics.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
The second day we finished the robot and learned how to program it. In my workshops I always emphasize that makers have to patient and persistent, and the girls, most of whom had no prior programming or electronics experience, did a great job in picking up those skills.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ObRpdMcgQWY/VlKFYf9DYoI/AAAAAAAAEhU/vS1bmJ7Hv1E/s1600/04_robotics.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ObRpdMcgQWY/VlKFYf9DYoI/AAAAAAAAEhU/vS1bmJ7Hv1E/s640/04_robotics.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
At the end of the event, the girls got a chance to show off what they had learned to family and friends. This is always the pay off for me as I hear them proudly explain things I was teaching them just hours earlier. It always makes all the time planing, preparing, and teaching well worth it.</div>
Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-77106767140424272112015-08-02T15:37:00.003-07:002016-01-29T08:46:47.210-08:003D Printing and Design STEM Academy Summer Camp<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In addition to <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/2015/07/my-first-3d-design-and-printing-class.html" target="_blank">Outside the Box</a>, I volunteered to lead a 3D Design and Printing class for the <a href="http://academy.engr.oregonstate.edu/" target="_blank">OSU STEM Academy</a> this summer. This time I had <a href="http://guides.library.oregonstate.edu/3Dprinting" target="_blank">Margaret Mellinger</a>, the 3D print guru from the OSU Library, as a co-teacher. This class was 3 hours a day for 5 days and had fifteen students. I was told there was a wait list of at least that many more!<br />
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We started each class off with a short instructional or inspiration video:<br />
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<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-64d0667f-f055-06d2-c818-8de286fa2850"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will 3D printing change the world? </span><a href="https://youtu.be/X5AZzOw7FwA" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://youtu.be/X5AZzOw7FwA</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-64d0667f-f055-7ec5-9439-44e2b88de3df"><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;">Powdered Printing </span><a href="https://youtu.be/kBHsfNDsbCs" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">https://youtu.be/kBHsfNDsbCs</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-64d0667f-f055-b9d1-1c7e-92bf024fe85d"><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;">3D Lithography Printing </span><a href="https://youtu.be/l3TgmvV2ElQ" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">https://youtu.be/l3TgmvV2ElQ</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;">We are all makers: </span></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-64d0667f-f055-f61e-ee10-7a6db8aa544e"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/dale_dougherty_we_are_makers" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.ted.com/talks/dale_dougherty_we_are_makers</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-64d0667f-f056-7507-49c6-05f0a8416c81"><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;">Digital Archeology </span><a href="https://youtu.be/ZJVY-CtveDs" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">https://youtu.be/ZJVY-CtveDs</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-64d0667f-f056-b383-a60a-264b8123e8df"><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;">Limor Freid: That’s what makes it worth it. </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://youtu.be/MSJVB_ouGmk" style="text-decoration: none;">http://youtu.be/MSJVB_ouGmk</a></span></span></span></span></li>
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We also had a guest speaker, Kevin, an intern working with Margaret who does model rocketry and is working on a 3D printed Ironman mask. The students started with some tutorials in the web-based <a href="https://www.tinkercad.com/" target="_blank">Tinkercad</a>. We followed that up with taking a look at <a href="http://www.123dapp.com/howto/design" target="_blank">123 Design</a>. Later in the week we also looked at <a href="http://www.openscad.org/" target="_blank">OpenScad</a>. All these projects are free to use, and students were encouraged to continue their design work at home.<br />
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The kids had an hour of print time to work with, and they came up with some creative projects. They learned how to design for efficient prints, how and when to add supports, and how to slice projects into smaller units for printing. We also uses a Makerbot scanner to scan in small objects, and an X-box Kinect scanner to scan in a student.<br />
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In all, I think it was a very successful class. We learned a lot, and we got a lot of good feedback from both students and parents. I can't wait to do it again! Here is to the future of 3D design. . .<br />
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Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-88735845998754953432015-07-19T21:29:00.001-07:002015-07-19T21:29:25.504-07:00My First 3D Design and Printing Class<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For this summers <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/precollege/box/" target="_blank">Outside the Box</a> pre-college classes at Oregon State University I pitched an idea for a 3D design a printing class. Based on my experience with 3D printing in the <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/2015/07/maker-exploratorium-2015-edition.html" target="_blank">Maker Exploratorium</a>, I knew there was some interest, but when the kids signed up and the choices were sorted, I had nearly 60 students signed up over four different classes.<br />
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We had two <a href="http://printrbot.com/shop/assembled-simple-metal/" target="_blank">Printrbot Simple Metal</a> printers on hand, one mine, and the other a loaner from the <a href="http://guides.library.oregonstate.edu/3Dprinting" target="_blank">OSU Valley Library</a>.<br />
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The students were given an hour of print time to do with as they which. This is about enough for an object 2 inches by 2 inches. Some students created a number of small objects like ear rings.<br />
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Others created large single projects using all their time. Several gals created mult-room houses with removable roofs.<br />
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On the final day, for the older class, we broke out an X-Box Kinect scanner and replicated a couple of students.<br />
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While there were a number of super-creative project, including helicopters, tanks, stealth planes, spaceships, Minions, Eva, and Wall-E, my favorite two were puzzles. One was a cube puzzle and the other an enclosed "black box" maze.<br />
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We learned quite a bit about designing to minimize support, using filament as design elements (whiskers, canes, axles). We also learned a lot about post-processing prints including support removal, hot-glue gun repair and shaping. I also learned a lot about file and print queue management. For a first-time offering, I think the class went well. I can't wait to do it again!</div>
Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-59879012816080979512015-07-19T20:17:00.000-07:002015-07-19T21:31:22.879-07:00Maker Exploratorium 2015 Edition<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We finished the third round of my offering for Oregon State's <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/precollege/ail/" target="_blank">Adventures in Learning</a> pre-college program. Here is the course description:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.0030002593994px;"><i>We are all makers at heart. We just have to find our passion. Explore electronics with Arduino microcontrollers. Learn how computers work with Raspberry Pi. Learn how to program in Scratch, JavaScript and Python. Incorporate computing in textiles with soft-circuits. Take apart an appliance to see how it works. Create art from junk. Explore and utilize online maker resources. Go home with the skills and confidence to follow your passion.</i></span></blockquote>
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For this session we had seventeen young makers age 10 to 12. I had one college assistant, a mechanical engineering student named Jeremiah. This was the first class of the day and met for eighty minutes, Monday through Friday, for two weeks.<br />
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I like starting classes by showing showing short videos each day. We start with Dale Dougherty's TED talk entitled "<a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/dale_dougherty_we_are_makers" target="_blank">We are Makers</a>". He points out that there are lots of different types of makers, and that everyone is a maker of some sort or another. I also showed videos about how <a href="https://youtu.be/nKIu9yen5nc" target="_blank">everyone should learn to program</a>, and that sometimes it is <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Cli%3E%20%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.ted.com/talks/dale_dougherty_we_are_makers.html%22%3EDale%20Dougherty:%20We%20are%20makers%3C/a%3E%3C/li%3E" target="_blank">frustrating but worth it</a>, and how you have to be <a href="https://youtu.be/eZqKqI8AvnA" target="_blank">persistent</a>.<br />
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This time around we broke the kids in to four groups, and assigned a different activity for each group. Each group rotated to a new activity every day. This made it easier to monitor the intensive activities like soldering and required less hardware for activities like Arduino. The first four projects were:<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Blinkies-Revisiting-the-LED-Throwie/" target="_blank">Blinky LED</a> circuit where we learn a little bit about electrical circuits and how they work.</li>
<li>How to <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/157YgDNYyVW3DxpvRb1AMPFA8YVU_HMOYqb6ZFKOVaC4/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">blink an LED</a> with a programmable Arduino.</li>
<li>Some simple programming in <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/10NIs9bgmuG3jZtZHWrXLqCYF51GDx_MZ5Mt6geXRQAo/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Scratch</a>.</li>
<li>3D design with <a href="http://www.tinkercad.com/" target="_blank">Tinkercad</a>.</li>
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The 3D printing has come a long way since last year, when all they did was customize a coin which we then had the Valley Library print out for us. This year we had our hands on two printers, one mine and the other a loaner from the Valley Library. The students were given 15 minutes of print time, enough to print out an object about one square inch in size, and allowed to design anything they wanted. We had lots of MineCraft objects, a chess piece, and a replica of the Parthenon. I also taught dedicated 3D printing classes which you can read about <a href="http://www.makersbox.us/2015/07/my-first-3d-design-and-printing-class.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Projects for the second series of rotations included:<br />
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<li>Learning to solder by building a <a href="https://www.tindie.com/products/MakersBox/easy-joule-thief-soldering-kit/" target="_blank">Joule Thief circuit</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nEVHLS0tUuIhOidNWDOKXNhYV9E6g31gqpiBPNPL798/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Programming in Python</a>.</li>
<li>Encoding <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/4ncb5hmbjhscx9v/Binary%20Conversions.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">initials in binary</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://code.org/learn" target="_blank">Hour of Code</a> from Code.org.</li>
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I also brought in my Maker-Faire turtle robot for the kids to play with and a Raspberry Pi.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">The final two days we finished up the soldering projects, dissembled a laptop, created junkbots from the parts, and had the parents in to learn what the kids were doing. It was an exhausting and exhilarating week. I learn new things every time I teach. Hopefully the kids do too!</span></div>
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Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-7561147990502922232015-06-12T12:51:00.000-07:002016-04-03T09:02:25.988-07:00Turtle Programming in Real Life <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td valign="top">For the <a href="http://www.eugenemakerfaire.com/" target="_blank">2015 Eugene Mini-Maker Faire</a>, I want to try something a little different and a bit more interactive. I had been toying with the idea of a low-cost, 3D printed robot. Using Python code to create real-world "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle_graphics" target="_blank">Turtle-like</a>" graphics sounded like a killer application.<br />
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The history of Turtle robots goes back a bit farther than I originally realized. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Grey_Walter" target="_blank">William Grey Walter </a>created a pair of light-sensing robots called "Elmer" and "Elsie" in the 1940s! These were designed to explore artificial intelligence at very simple levels and while not controlled by programmable digital computers, they exhibited some very distinctive life-like behaviors.
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<br /></td><td valign="top"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-khDXlQXTBJ0/VXslj53dAQI/AAAAAAAAEWo/n9P6ZUsB6iM/s1600/WGreyWalterElsieJ10p2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-khDXlQXTBJ0/VXslj53dAQI/AAAAAAAAEWo/n9P6ZUsB6iM/s200/WGreyWalterElsieJ10p2.jpg" width="200" /></a>
<i>Walter's 1948 robot named "Elsie".</i>
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<tr><td valing="top"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wTpQDe3BHY8/VXsn8lyoolI/AAAAAAAAEW8/L4UUJoeCuyc/s1600/orig-logo-turtle-mit-x640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wTpQDe3BHY8/VXsn8lyoolI/AAAAAAAAEW8/L4UUJoeCuyc/s200/orig-logo-turtle-mit-x640.jpg" width="200" /></a> <i>MIT's 1970 robot named "Arthur".</i>
</td><td valign="top">In the 1960 and 70s, professors at MIT, most notable <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Papert" target="_blank">Seymour Papert</a>, explored using robots and the programming language <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo_(programming_language)" target="_blank">LOGO</a> to teach computer science. The idea that complex algorithms can be executed using simple instructions is a powerful concept common to a number of fields of study.
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Enter the 21st Century. 3D printing is hitting the main-stream. Open Source projects like <a href="https://www.python.org/" target="_blank">Python</a> are making programming easier for everyone. And Open Hardware philosophy have us sharing both code and design files freely. Time for another era of Turtle!</td></tr>
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<tr><td valign="top">I will post more about the robot's construction elsewhere. It suffices to say that it is powered by a <a href="https://www.raspberrypi.org/" target="_blank">Raspberry Pi</a> Model A+ running Linux with code written in Python! The beauty of this is that you can write and test your Python Turtle commands on your computer or in a browser before they even get to the robot.
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Lets look at what it takes to create a box in Turtle:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SbZNMWpH9Ko/VXsr8xArEyI/AAAAAAAAEXY/dyhn3ZW0R3o/s1600/square.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SbZNMWpH9Ko/VXsr8xArEyI/AAAAAAAAEXY/dyhn3ZW0R3o/s320/square.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Don't just sit there. Try these out for yourself at <a href="http://www.skulpt.org/" target="_blank">www.skulpt.org</a>! With any luck, you will see something like this:<br />
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You will have to add a <span style="color: #999999; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-small;"><b>t.shape("turtle")</b></span> command if you actually want to see the Turtle.</td><td valign="top"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WmIzVcuBq6Y/VXsqZnsDqkI/AAAAAAAAEXI/AxsTGLon0oE/s1600/TIRL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WmIzVcuBq6Y/VXsqZnsDqkI/AAAAAAAAEXI/AxsTGLon0oE/s200/TIRL.jpg" width="178" /></a><i>Python powered, 3D-printed, yet to be named Turtle robot.</i>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jGw8VHUfBfk/VXsr87tB0lI/AAAAAAAAEXU/TsJU4yuQgJU/s1600/Turtle_commands.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jGw8VHUfBfk/VXsr87tB0lI/AAAAAAAAEXU/TsJU4yuQgJU/s1600/Turtle_commands.png" /></a></td></tr>
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If I've got you hooked, your next challenge is to figure out how to change the "square" code to create a hexagon. I'll give you a hint. For the square, 360 degrees divided by four sides equals 90 degrees. Those number should look familiar. Next, how would you create a star pattern? That one took me a bit to figure out, and there is certainly more than one way to do it.<br />
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<tr><td valign="top">Your next hurdle, if you want to print your name, is to create letters using Turtle commands. Let us look at one way to create a letter "A" in a 2 x 4 grid (that keeps right-angle math simple).<br />
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One tidbit that is helpful is that the distance across the corners of a 10cm block is 14.1cm.<br />
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Well, there you have a preview of my Maker Faire booth. Hopefully participants will go home with a piece of paper containing their first initial created by a program they wrote and executed by a robot while they watched! And new-found appreciation for programming!<br />
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Update, April 2016:<br />
I've documented two versions of the robot, one with a regular Arduino, and the other with a low-cost Arduino compatible board from Adafruit.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Low-Cost-Arduino-Compatible-Drawing-Robot/">http://www.instructables.com/id/Low-Cost-Arduino-Compatible-Drawing-Robot/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Drawing-Robot/">http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Drawing-Robot/</a><br />
I've also documented how to use the robots with the <a href="https://studio.code.org/s/frozen/stage/1/puzzle/1" target="_blank">"Hour of Code"</a> tutorials:<br />
<a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Using-an-Arduino-Drawing-Robot-with-Hour-of-Code-T/">http://www.instructables.com/id/Using-an-Arduino-Drawing-Robot-with-Hour-of-Code-T/</a></div>
Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-5641979969726708722015-04-25T11:44:00.000-07:002015-04-25T12:17:38.149-07:00Ken Verses the PrintrBot Z-Stop<b>TLDR</b>:<br />
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<li><a href="http://printrbot.com/product-category/3d-printers/simple-metal/" target="_blank">PrintrBot Simple Metal</a> printers experience a lot of <a href="http://help.printrbot.com/Answers/View/14719/Z-Axis+only+moves+up,+Z-stop+always+triggered" target="_blank">Z-stop circuitry failures</a>, which can be easily diagnosed and repaired.</li>
<li>This only applies to Rev F PrintrBoards which had an inferior transistor. This can cause either the probe to fail, or the transistor to fail, either of which result in the printhead only moving upward when homing.</li>
<li>DO NOT reflash your firmware unless you have made hardware changes to board, as it likely came with the correct firmware on it already, and is only behaving in the best interest of your printhead when it doesn't get the correct signals! </li>
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<i><b>My PrintrBot Simple Metal in Action.</b></i></div>
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The first big decision when jumping in to 3D printing is choosing the printer. I decided on PrinterBot Simple Metal based on Make Magizine's review and the fact is was an Open Source / Open Hardware project. The second decision was whether to buy one assembled, or build it from a kit. I went with a kit because I wanted to learn a little about what was going on under the hood and hopefully be able to repair or modify it if needed. Of course, if you really want to dig deep, you can <a href="http://reprap.org/" target="_blank">build one from scratch</a>, but I am not that glutton for punishment.<br />
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The first big obstacle I had to overcome was the fact that when I tried to print something, the printhead (extruder) would only move up, and not down. As beginners, we always have to struggle with simple concepts that experts seem to take for granted. This is even more a problem when we haven't seen it working correctly in the first place and so have no experience if what you are seeing it normal or not. I had to struggle with this for a bit before coming to an understanding that the Z-stop probe circuity was not working, and that the printer firmware, in an effort to protect the extruder, would not move down without the right signal.<br />
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<a href="http://help.printrbot.com/Answers/View/14719/Z-Axis+only+moves+up,+Z-stop+always+triggered" target="_blank">Googling this problem</a> indicates that it is happening to a lot of people, and that I am not the only one struggling to figure out why. Lets take a look at the circuitry, since understanding that will go a long way toward troubleshooting the problem.<br />
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The first concept to understand is that the Z probe inductively detects the build plate, and will emit a 12 volt signal when it is within about 4 mm of ferrous metal. This, combined with the Z offset you determined during your initial calibration, tells the printer where the extruder is in the Z-axis (up and down), and also, by probing three different spots during start up, how to compensate for the level of your bed plate. This is really an awesome feature, and well worth the trouble is has provide me so far.<br />
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The second concept that is tricky is that the Printrboard uses the 12 volt signal from the probe control a 5 volt signal by applying the voltage to the base of a transistor. I am more used to using a 5 volt signal being used to control a higher voltage through a transistor, and not the other way around, but hey, it works as long as they have a common ground.<br />
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And, if this did not hurt you head thinking about it, there is one more twist. The microcontroller (MCU) is providing the 5 volt signal to the collector of the transistor using an internal pull-up resistors, so that when the probe turns the transistor on, it allows a path to for the 5 volt signal to ground, which the MCU detects as a Z-stop trigger. A bit convoluted and confusing, especially to a beginner.<br />
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OK, now that we have a rudimentary understanding of how things should work, lets think about how they can go wrong. If a probe fails, and provide 12 volts at all time, the 5 volt signal drops to ground, causing the MCU to think a Z-stop is triggered regardless of proximity to the build plate, and will only move the probe upward. This is what was happening when I first built my kit, and it is fairly easy to diagnose. If you issue a M119 gcode instruction, it will report "TRIGGERED" when the Z-probe is connected (regardless of proximity to metal), and "OPEN" when the probe is disconnected because the transistor turns off. Printrbot sent me a new probe, and my 3D printing journey was quickly back on track. Seeing how many other folks had experienced the same problem, I bought a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/LJ12A3-4-Z-Sensor-Proximity-Switch-10-36V/dp/B008MU1OUU" target="_blank">backup probe</a>.<br />
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Imagine my consternation when the "always moving up" issue surfaced again several months latter right before I was to give a 3D printing seminar at <a href="http://beaverbarcamp.org/" target="_blank">OSU's Beaver Bar Camp</a>! Double that when connecting the new probe failed to solve the issue! Back to the drawing board of understanding. The M119 command would again showed "TRIGGERED" with the probe connected, but also "TRIGGERED" with the probe disconnected. A multi-meter check of the transistor showed that the probe was indeed sending the correct 12 volt signal when metal was present, but that the collector pad, which should have shown 5 volts without the probes signal present, showed 0 volts regardless, indicating the transistor must have failed and grounded out.<br />
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Replacing a surface mount transistor is probably not in most beginner's skill bucket, and PrintrBot offered to send me a new board despite my being outside of the one month warranty period for kits. I assume they are sending boards repaired with a better (biased) transistor, and that lots of people have had this issue since the original transistor was unbiased (like I know what that really means). I do know how to read schematics and <a href="http://goo.gl/hQNEm" target="_blank">BOM</a>s (bill of materials), so I ordered the <a href="http://www.digikey.com/short/7w8tfr" target="_blank">correct transistor</a> for 14 cents (plus about three dollars shipping). I also know from past experience, that surface mount soldering is more art than rocket science, and after snipping away the old transistor and cleaning up the pads, quickly had the new one in place and the printer running again. I also took the time to <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:793061" target="_blank">print an enclosure</a> and relocate the PrintrBoard to the side of the printer since I did not like always having to reach under the build plate to connect the power and USB cables and reach the SD card.<br />
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<i><b>Ain't pretty, but it works!</b></i></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X3Km7hc9gco/VTvjXZOQjFI/AAAAAAAAEU0/ie8GXQpF9pI/s1600/enclosure.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X3Km7hc9gco/VTvjXZOQjFI/AAAAAAAAEU0/ie8GXQpF9pI/s1600/enclosure.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>New Print Enclosure.</i></div>
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So, here are my lessons learned:<br />
<ul>
<li>There is pride in building something, even from a kit.</li>
<li>There is pride in fixing something, even when you had to have others help.</li>
<li>PrintrBot Simple Metals are still awesome printers, despite having some flaws.</li>
<li>PrintrBot as a company is awesome for how it is handling the problems.</li>
<li>Open Source / Open Hardware is awesome because even if you don't built it from scratch, you can certainly determine how it should work and diagnose why it isn't.</li>
</ul>
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I also, with some tips from PrintrBot, learned how to print without the functioning probe, and although I scratched my bed several times attempting it, it never hurts to have a backup plan when the workshop is about to start:<br />
<ul>
<li>Shim your build plate so that it is reasonably level. You can do this by finding which corners are the highest by manually lowing the z-axis and using a piece of paper as a feeler gauge. Shim the low corners using paper or aluminum.</li>
<li>Modify your "start" gcode to remove the "G28 X0 Y0 Z0" homing commands, and change the "G29" probing command to the "G90" start from here command.</li>
<li>Check your current Z offset using "M501" and write it down for future use if you don't move or replace the Z-probe during repairs (you have to <a href="http://help.printrbot.com/Guide/4.+Using+Cura+to+Set+Up+Your+Auto-Leveling+Probe+and+Create+Your+First+Print/190" target="_blank">re-calibrate</a> if you do).</li>
<li>Remove your Z offset using "M212 Z0" followed by "M500" (the opposite of what you did to calibrate it).</li>
<li>Use the software manual control to home X and Y.</li>
<li>Use a piece of paper as a shim and rotate the lead screw manually to place the extruder one paper width above the build plate. I do this with the extruder at working temperature.</li>
<li>Start your print, being prepared to pull the plug if it the extruder starts to grind into the built plate.</li>
</ul>
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<br />Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-71093891561292888392014-10-26T16:55:00.001-07:002014-10-26T17:01:20.811-07:00A Good Week for a World-Wide Maker . . .<br />
A man from Australia checked in to share the progress on his model railroad that was inspired by my <a href="http://dawson-station.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dawson Station</a>. He is using my backdrop photos, but has taken it a step further by using Google Earth footage of the mill to help plan the layout.<br />
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My <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Message-in-a-Chip/" target="_blank">"Message in a Chip" Instructable</a> has had more than six thousand viewers in about two weeks. I've helped someone from Finland interface with the chips and sent a couple of them to a school teacher in Canada who wants to use them for a Mother's Day project for his students.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MpdB1vRjFsU/VE2HBJrPUHI/AAAAAAAAEOw/SBEzdTrFjis/s1600/Miac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MpdB1vRjFsU/VE2HBJrPUHI/AAAAAAAAEOw/SBEzdTrFjis/s1600/Miac.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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A lady (from Netherlands, presumably), contacted me about the <a href="http://makersbox.blogspot.com/2013/10/magnipy-low-vision-music-reader.html" target="_blank">magnification program</a> I wrote for my niece. After trying it, she responded, "<i>this truly is brilliant, really, to me you are a genius! You solved the problem i had been struggling with for the past 15 years.</i>" You can see how talented she is in this video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tEsHVjFNG9k" width="560"></iframe>
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And finally back on the home front, I made some progress on a soft-circuit prototype that I think will cut the cost of my workshops in half!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aIQo6nlgnu0/VE2LHfauB1I/AAAAAAAAEPI/wA0d1td2q1w/s1600/tacunio_prototype2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aIQo6nlgnu0/VE2LHfauB1I/AAAAAAAAEPI/wA0d1td2q1w/s1600/tacunio_prototype2.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was a very good week . . .Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-68683406351743659912014-09-24T08:13:00.000-07:002014-09-24T09:14:31.662-07:00Raspberry Pi Cable Management<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Raspberry Pi is an awesome project, but I've had trouble implementing it into our after-school program, probably because I dread hooking everything up. I think I've solved that problem, and will share the broad strokes with you here.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-urcWVyqb9d0/VCLsXD3MhRI/AAAAAAAAENA/2MMS21YIY6Y/s1600/CIMG0032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-urcWVyqb9d0/VCLsXD3MhRI/AAAAAAAAENA/2MMS21YIY6Y/s1600/CIMG0032.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">People are always impressed when you tell them it is a $35 dollar computer, but what that gets you is just the circuit board. You are going to need the following:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">A HDMI or DVI monitor. Smaller is better for portability. VGA is a no-go since the cable to go from VGA to HDMI is too expensive. Fortunately, you can get suitable monitors at the thrift store for $15 - 25 (make sure it is DVI, not VGA). Onboard speakers is a plus (<a href="http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/projects/raspberrypi/sonicpi/" target="_blank">Sonic Pi!</a>). A suitable new monitor can be had for $100 (example: <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://amzn.com/B004N5AH1U">http://amzn.com/B004N5AH1U</a>).</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;">The appropriate video cable. Shorter is better. If you obtained a DVI monitor, you would need a DVI to HDMI cable like </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://amzn.com/B000QYZZFK.">http://amzn.com/B000QYZZFK.</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">A USB hub if you have a Model B Pi, which only has two USB ports, and you want to add a WiFi dongle. A plus is if the hub can power the Pi (one less connection). You can see a confusing list of hubs at<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1463126876"> </a></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://elinux.org/RPi_Powered_USB_Hubs">http://elinux.org/RPi_Powered_USB_Hubs</a>. I've had luck with this Belkin Slim-line: </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://amzn.com/B005A0B3FG">http://amzn.com/B005A0B3FG</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">USB Cables. Shorter is better. Right-angle connectors is a plus. You need:</span></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;">USB A to Micro B for power: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://amzn.com/B003YKX6W2">http://amzn.com/B003YKX6W2</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;">USB A to Mini B for data to the hub (may come with hub): </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://amzn.com/B004W8EIMW">http://amzn.com/B004W8EIMW</a></span></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">WiFi adapter. If had luck with the Edimax: </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://amzn.com/B003MTTJOY">http://amzn.com/B003MTTJOY</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">A power strip, especially if you are powering more than one Pi, and an extension cord depending on how close to the outlets you are.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">4 GB SD Card.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Protective case for the Pi. An opening over the GPIO header and camera connector is a plus. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"> <a href="http://amzn.com/B008TCUXLW">http://amzn.com/B008TCUXLW</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh, and lets not forget a keyboard and mouse.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TzAXyXU7JK4/VCLdJW4Y0fI/AAAAAAAAEMU/byTB8RBQSEc/s1600/CIMG0029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TzAXyXU7JK4/VCLdJW4Y0fI/AAAAAAAAEMU/byTB8RBQSEc/s1600/CIMG0029.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, depending on the monitor you obtain, you are closer to the $100 - 200 range by the time you are done. Still a bargain in my book.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">I've set four of these up, each with a different monitor and USB hub, so I can't provide detailed instructions. For attaching the Pi Case to the monitor, I removed the monitor back and drilled matching holes in both the case and the back and attached them together with tie-wraps. Depending on the hub, you can use the same tie-wrap method. I've also used two-part epoxy, or double-back tape may do the trick.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-otFwCkZPqfE/VCLc-voU3DI/AAAAAAAAEMM/PO_zs9dcG5s/s1600/CIMG0030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-otFwCkZPqfE/VCLc-voU3DI/AAAAAAAAEMM/PO_zs9dcG5s/s1600/CIMG0030.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since you have to take the monitor back off to attach the case, you might as well see if there is room to run the USB power and data cables from the hub to the Pi inside. Drill holes large enough for the smaller USB connector and thread them through. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even with the shorter 3-foot video cable, you still have about two and a half feet too much. I just loop it around the monitor mount and tie-wrap it together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The final detail I add is to wrap and tie-wrap the USB hub power cable and the monitor power cable together. Since I had different hubs, I didn't want to have to figure out which cable went with each set up each time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So there it is. Your </span>mileage<span style="font-family: inherit;"> may vary. Let me know what you come up with. In the future I'll detail my experience with MineCraft and Python on the Pi!</span><br />
<img border="0" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MR29t_tIKcs/VCLdWdcNgMI/AAAAAAAAEMc/lj21reUOh44/s1600/CIMG0028.jpg" width="640" /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='640' height='400' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/KJYkQW7ls54?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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The girls had an ice-cream social in the evening, watched the movie <a href="http://therepresentationproject.org/films/miss-representation/" target="_blank">Miss-representation</a>, and slept over in the OSU dorms. At lunch on the second day they got to create "electronic" jewellery using components and some unused circuit boards from previous workshops.</div>
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My favorite part was at the close of the second day when the parents and public were invited in for a "Tech Show". There was cake and ice cream and the girls could show off their hard work and see what the other workshops were like.<br />
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Hopefully, I've recruited some <a href="http://cbcpubliclibrary.net/teen-makers-2/" target="_blank">Teen Makers</a> for the Fall!<br />
<br />Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-13345165712461112982014-07-02T09:26:00.002-07:002014-07-02T09:26:51.369-07:00Bring Your Child To Work Day 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We had an awesome Bring Your Child To Work Day this year. I headed up three different programming activities in the same room with the help of friends from the HP Arduino and Python Groups. We had well over 200 children attend.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2IM7w_QaSwg/U7Qfylt6wxI/AAAAAAAAEFI/z9Se0wc3XCU/s1600/CIMG1232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2IM7w_QaSwg/U7Qfylt6wxI/AAAAAAAAEFI/z9Se0wc3XCU/s1600/CIMG1232.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lOzjETdABUBMQA1cBQzub_OaAaHjX9UXku3JjN_hMyk/edit#heading=h.glvtdoi2x3y9" target="_blank">Program Your Parent</a> was a paper and pencil exercise for younger children to get a faulty robot (the parent) to retrieve a sample of "candium" from a bucket. The robot could only move forward or turn right, and had to maneuver around a shield. The activity teaches how literal computers are at following instructions, and how complex tasks can be achieved with sequences of simple commands.<br />
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I also had programmable Arduino microcontrollers and my <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/FunShield-an-Arduino-Educational-Platform/" target="_blank">FunShield</a>. The first activity is to <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wCQU4uNaAxuRkSk0ELe7qIo2WHQcwIErrw_5qEmE0I4/edit" target="_blank">get an LED to blink</a>. Then you see how fast you can get it to blink and still see it. This leads to interesting discussion about how the eye works and how fast computers actually are. Participants still interest at that point could continue and learn how to blink a series of LEDs using For loops or play sounds, detect light, or measure temperature. Arduinos are a great way to interface a computer with the physical world.<br />
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Finally, we had Raspberry Pi computers running MineCraft. Instead of just playing the game, kids used Python programming to <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J7quQ1Q9DMV1TP7VoMXY1p8s4x1kg1EyVpgfu81vC_E/edit" target="_blank">interact with the world</a>. There was a hide and seek game and a maze. They could create a code to place their name or initials using blocks. The idea was to introduce how algorithms can be used to perform repetitive task such as designing a building and then being able to place multiple copies anywhere in world.<br />
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Kids got to take home their worksheets which had links to online programming activities like <a href="http://reeborg.ca/">Reeborg.ca</a> where they could continue to learn JavaScript and Python. I also pitched the library's <a href="http://cbcpubliclibrary.net/teen-makers/" target="_blank">Teen Makers</a> program, which unfortunately is on hiatus for the summer. The activities were not too much different from last year. The big improvement was recruiting volunteers to help at teach of the stations. I've already got some ideas for improvements next year, but first I need to get a paper rocket activity setup for the site picnic in August!<br />
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Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-74832154477307379002014-06-08T09:54:00.000-07:002014-06-08T09:55:34.495-07:00Eugene Mini-Maker Faire 2014I got invited to bring <a href="http://dawson-station.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dawson Station</a> back to the <a href="http://www.eugenemakerfaire.com/?p=1900" target="_blank">Eugene Maker Faire</a>. It is one thing to talk your way in to an invitation to an event like this. It is another to get invited back. Not only that, I got asked to give a talk! Well, I may have talked my way into that last part this year.<br />
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There were a number of new exhibitors this year. The only one I remember from last year was <a href="http://fertilabthinkubator.com/" target="_blank">Fertilab Thinkubator</a> who had the awesome <a href="http://makersbox.blogspot.com/2013/06/eugene-maker-faire-highlights.html" target="_blank">chromatography and spectroscopy projects</a>.<br />
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I think a lot of people think making is only about electronics and science, but I think it is much more fundamental than that. I was glad to see groups like the <a href="http://www.eugeneweavers.com/index.html" target="_blank">Eugene Weaver's Guild</a> invited to the Maker Faire. They had a spinning wheel, a loom, and some hands on weaving projects for the visitors to try.<br />
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I think my favorite exhibit this year, given my recent disassembly activities with the Cub Scouts and Teen Makers, was <a href="http://nextsteprecycling.org/" target="_blank">Next Step Recycling</a>. They brought a number of electronic devices and let the visitors take them apart. I wish I had more time to help them use Arduino to bring the <a href="http://youtu.be/PgvgolgXokE" target="_blank">components back to life</a>.<br />
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My talk was in the planetarium in front of about thirty people. I gave a rambling account from my first time at <a href="http://bugled.blogspot.com/2008/10/seven-bytes-about-me.html" target="_blank">trying to build a computer</a> (disaster) up to my recent class on how to build a computer (success). I tried to express that "making" and "sharing" are fundamental human characteristics that have always existed, and that current technology is allowing us to share ideas and projects with more and more people. I closed with some pictures of my decidedly <a href="http://makersbox.blogspot.com/2014/05/how-to-make-egg.html" target="_blank">low-tech chicken coop</a> and challenged the audience to find a project they were interested in and make it.<br />
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Exhibiting (and speaking) at these events is a lot of work. The Makers exhibit for free. The visitors pay to get in. It is an interesting dynamic that I'm still trying to grasp. At any rate, it does give me a chance to share, learn, and connect, so I feel it is worth it. I've been feeling a bit over-committed lately, but definitely think this event was well worth it. It might, however, be Dawson Station's only public appearance this year. It is time to follow my own advice and find a new project to learn, make, and share.Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536757196831385819.post-77138732051379549042014-05-25T18:53:00.000-07:002014-05-25T21:50:26.572-07:00How to Make an EggStep 1. Get some chickens.<br />
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Step 2. Build a Coop.</div>
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OK. That is a bit out of order, but that is how we did it. Building a coop is a bit daunting. There are a lot of designs out there, and a lot of really cute looking coops. It is overwhelming, to say the least. Luckily, my wife spotted a <a href="http://www.thegardencoop.com/garden-ark-coop-plans.html" target="_blank">coop that looked perfect for the rainy Pacific NW</a>, and there were detailed plans available. When I am overwhelmed, I will gladly pay for some well documented, well thought-out plans.</div>
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Of course, that doesn't mean you have to follow the plans. My first deviation was to switch the siding to vertical. I don't know why, but I think it looks better, and it matches our house. Unfortunately, that meant I had to transpose all cut layouts in the plan.</div>
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Deviation number two was the roof. The original design had an angled support piece that messed up <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_shui" target="_blank">feng shui</a>, like I know what that means, so I adapted the plans from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_shui" target="_blank">larger coop plan</a> they sell (and we bought). This coop is intended as an intern solution and practice run for building the full size one that the adult birds will need. </div>
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The other changes are less obvious, but more original. I'd been following a <a href="http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/621363/poop-board-convert-warning-graphic-gross-poop-pictures" target="_blank">forum post</a> where they were talking about using a <a href="http://www.sweetpdz.com/" target="_blank">horse stall freshener</a> like kitty litter in the roost. I thought it would be nice to have a removable tray to facilitate cleaning. Turns out an inexpensive <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/Oatey-Washing-Machine-Pan-34067/100080446" target="_blank">washing machine drip tray</a> was close to the inner dimension of the planned roost, and only required adding a few inches here and removing a few there.</div>
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Somewhere else, I had read about <a href="http://www.thegardencoop.com/nipple-waterer-for-chickens.html" target="_blank">water nipples</a>. The standard feeders have two problems. The first is that the birds like to roost on the top of them. The second is that they like to poop when they roost. That leads to lots of water changes. Most people put water nipples on the bottom of five gallon buckets and then hang them, but with a small coop, there wasn't the space or access to do that. Enter PVC. I integrated 2" PCV piping so that it could be easily filled. I used the remaining PCV to make a feeder attached to the door. Now food and water move with the coop and don't take up any floor space.</div>
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And then there is the paint job. Hope the hens like it. We want them to be happy. After all, the rest of the egg making is up to them!</div>
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Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com2