Author: mbparks

GoR 91: Fun with Sparks and Other Assorted Embedded Goodness
Oct 29

GoR 91: Fun with Sparks and Other Assorted Embedded Goodness

Gears of Resistance #91 for October 28, 2020 http://greenshoegarage.com/podcast/GOR/2020/GOR_0091_20201028.mp3 This week we cover: AllAboutCircuits.com Moore’s Lobby Podcast SparkFun MicroMod SparkFun A La Carte Custom PCB Design Service Arduino IoT Opla Development Board Released Using FreeRTOS on Arduino Using MIT App Inventor and Arduino Cloud PSpice Circuit Simulator Software Goes Free E-Textile Tools AI and AR…

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GoR 90: Arduino Fanboying and Right-to-Repair Diatribe
Aug 25

GoR 90: Arduino Fanboying and Right-to-Repair Diatribe

Gears of Resistance #90 for August 24, 2020 http://greenshoegarage.com/podcast/GOR/2020/GOR_0090_20200824.mp3 This week we cover: New Updates for Arduino CLI and Arduino Pro IDE HeliOS for Arduino Arduino Security Primer DIY ASICs Alchitry FPGAs Arduino Cloud IoT App for Android and iOS Google Science Journal app moves to Android COVID and Right To Repair Ventilators Dongles from…

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GNURadio 3.7, HackRF, Python 3.8, Win 10, QT vs WX
Jun 26

GNURadio 3.7, HackRF, Python 3.8, Win 10, QT vs WX

So a lot has changed since I last fired up my HackRF. GNURadio hit version 3.8, so did Python. GNURadio deprecated WX GUI and moved to QT GUI elements. My two go-to test flow graphs didn’t work anymore on my Windows 10 machine. So here is what I changed: FM Radio Receiver In the osmocom…

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Replacing BusPirate with GreatFET
May 31

Replacing BusPirate with GreatFET

I am starting to tinker with the GreatFET as a possible candidate to be included in my toolbox of embedded development tools. I2C is a protocol I spend a lot of time messing around with, so that provided a good test case for trying out the GreatFET in a real-world situation. As of the GreatFET’s…

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Tinkering with Arduino's IoT Cloud
May 21

Tinkering with Arduino’s IoT Cloud

Another day (of quarantine), another project. Today explore the latest version of the Arduino IoT Cloud (beta). For the hardware we have the following: MKR 1010 MKR ENV Shield ST LPS22HB : atmospheric pressure ST HTS221 : temperature and humidity VISHAY TEMT6000 : Lux of the ambient. VISHAY VEML6075 : UltraViolet wavelengths A / B…

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Controlling a NodeMCU from the Browser
May 20

Controlling a NodeMCU from the Browser

One of the silver linings of coronavirus quarantine has been time to tinker with development boards long ago acquired yet rarely tinkered with. Such is NodeMCU. I am interested in self-contained devices that rely on little support infrastructure yet offer lots of functionality. So one project I have tackled was the ability to remotely and…

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Saleae Logic Analyzer and I2C Addresses
May 13

Saleae Logic Analyzer and I2C Addresses

One of the challenging head-scratchers I came up against in learning embedded electronics was analyzing communications that utilized the I2C protocol. One challenge was realizing there was 7-bit and 8-bit address implementations. Not realizing this made for a very long debugging session. It was one those sessions where everything was working, but from my analysis,…

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Factory vs. Warehouse Brain; the Generalist and the Specialist
Apr 16

Factory vs. Warehouse Brain; the Generalist and the Specialist

This past week as I took an evening stroll with my maker-in-training teenage daughter we stumbled up the topic of what most would call the ‘impostor syndrome’. She, like myself, have a plethora of interests. They run the gambit from woodworking to embedded electronics, from cosplaying to drawing. However, she feels like she is not…

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The Case for Continuously Upgrading Your Systems
Apr 7

The Case for Continuously Upgrading Your Systems

It is unlikely the world will emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic completely the same as it was before the virus swept the planet. No doubt this is almost purely a story of human tragedy, but as an engineer, my ears were piqued to hear how antiquated technology was contributing to the slow response to alleviate…

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Resources for Makers Who Want To Help Save The World
Mar 26

Resources for Makers Who Want To Help Save The World

The COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed the Maker Movement into embracing their role in emergency response. Like ham radio operators before, Makers are helping governments, NGOs and non-profits fill critical skill and manufacturing gaps that are exacerbated when disaster strikes. From 3D-printing face shields and sewing face masks; to MacGyver’ing a massive number of ventilators, makers…

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