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Power Factor, THD, and Why Linear Power Supplies Fail to Meet Power Standards

Power Factor, THD, and Why Linear Power Supplies Fail to Meet Power Standards

A discussion of international electrical quality standards and why basic linear power supplies fail to meet them.


The Holiday Season Analog Alarm! A Gift-Defending System

The Holiday Season Analog Alarm! A Gift-Defending System

Nowhere to hide presents this holiday season? No problem! This alarm will sound anytime a loved one tries to get a sneak peek at his or her surprise.


Projects Dec 05, 2016 by Ryan Jones
Build Your Own LED Saber—Firmware, Microcontroller, and Testing

Build Your Own LED Saber—Firmware, Microcontroller, and Testing

In part 3, we compile the firmware and build the controller at the heart of the Saber, then do initial testing and diagnostics.


Projects Oct 20, 2016 by Jeremy Lee
Build Your Own LED Saber—Audio and Power Systems

Build Your Own LED Saber—Audio and Power Systems

In part 2 of the LED saber project, we'll assemble the power and audio systems.


Projects Oct 19, 2016 by Jeremy Lee
How to Build the Brightest LED Saber in the World

How to Build the Brightest LED Saber in the World

The brightest blade in the world. Fluid sound effects generated in real time. Any colour, changeable on the fly. If you want to know what it feels like to hold a Lightsaber, this project is the closest you can get today.


Projects Oct 18, 2016 by Jeremy Lee
C-BISCUIT: Schematic Design for the RCB—Power, Stepper

C-BISCUIT: Schematic Design for the RCB—Power, Stepper

We’ll continue our discussion of the C-BISCUIT demo bot by looking at portions of the RCB schematic that weren’t covered in the previous article.


Projects Oct 07, 2016 by Robert Keim
Build Your Own Metal Detector with an Arduino

Build Your Own Metal Detector with an Arduino

Building a metal detector using a Colpitts oscillator and an Arduino.


Projects Oct 03, 2016 by Evan Kale
DIY Tools—Build Your Own Logic Probe

DIY Tools—Build Your Own Logic Probe

Having a logic probe handy is always a must for an electronics workshop. But instead of buying one, why not build your own for a fraction of the cost and have it working in an hour?


Projects Sep 22, 2016 by Robin Mitchell
Inspecting Electronic Circuits with an Audible Circuit Probe

Inspecting Electronic Circuits with an Audible Circuit Probe

When inspecting electronic circuits, most measurements are displayed visually. This tool provides audible feedback to augment your analyses.


DIY Synth Series Part 1 — The Exponential VCO

DIY Synth Series Part 1 — The Exponential VCO

Build a 1V octave voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) module and create your own analogue synth sounds.


Projects Aug 08, 2016 by Robin Mitchell
Build Your Own RFID Technology Using an Arduino MEGA

Build Your Own RFID Technology Using an Arduino MEGA

In this article, we are going to learn some basics about RFID technology and use an Arduino MEGA to a play around with a popular RFID module, the ID12LA.


Projects Jul 20, 2016 by Joseph Corleto
Building an RC Robot Using a Wheelchair Base—Part 2

Building an RC Robot Using a Wheelchair Base—Part 2

The Sabertooth 2x32 motor controller can be used to create a robust drive platform for your next robotic endeavour. This article uses an Arduino Uno to communicate with the Sabertooth 2x32 controller.


Projects Jul 13, 2016 by Mark Hughes
Building an RC Robot Using a Wheelchair Base

Building an RC Robot Using a Wheelchair Base

This two-part project will begin by showing you how to create a robot base from a used electric wheelchair. Part 1 creates a simple robot platform for use with remote control. Part 2 will develop a platform for use with and Arduino.


Projects Jul 06, 2016 by Mark Hughes
The How and Why of Energy Harvesting for Low-Power Applications

The How and Why of Energy Harvesting for Low-Power Applications

Harvesting energy from non-conventional sources has received an increased interest as designers look for alternative power sources. Even though the power is usually harvested in small amounts, it is adequate for various low-power applications.


Understanding and Using the SAM4S Digital-to-Analog Converter

Understanding and Using the SAM4S Digital-to-Analog Converter

Part Two in this three-article series explores the SAM4S DAC. We’ll look at hardware configuration, electrical characteristics, and the application programming interface.


Projects May 04, 2016 by Robert Keim
Classification of Signals used in Electrical Engineering

Classification of Signals used in Electrical Engineering

Classifying signals is a way to organize the signals that surround us. It focuses design, testing requirements, measurement tools, and expected results. There are many ways to classify signals!


Low-Pass Filter a PWM Signal into an Analog Voltage

Low-Pass Filter a PWM Signal into an Analog Voltage

In this article we will take a closer look at how to effectively low-pass filter a PWM signal into an analog voltage.


Characteristics of Operational Amplifiers

Characteristics of Operational Amplifiers

One of the reasons the operation amp (op-amp) is so reputable is because of its versatility. In this article, you will see that almost anything can be done using an op-amp. It is also notable that this integrated circuit has many characteristics that approach those that are considered to be ideal.


Build Programmable Time-based Switches Using a Real Time Clock

Build Programmable Time-based Switches Using a Real Time Clock

Use DS3231M RTC alarm functions to make programmable, time-based, switches to power devices on and off at precise times.


C-BISCUIT Power: 5V 3A Buck Regulator for Wandboard

C-BISCUIT Power: 5V 3A Buck Regulator for Wandboard

Design and theory behind the 5V-3A buck regulator based on the LM25575 to be used in the C-BISCUIT robot project.


Projects Feb 26, 2016 by Patrick Lloyd