Windows: Just another pane in the glass.
 
What's your favorite "Back To The Drawing Board" moment?

"Negative results are just what I want. They're just as valuable to me as positive results. I can never find the thing that does the job best until I find the ones that don't."

- Thomas A. Edison

While most people would rather focus the spotlight on their great successes, it's often more interesting and educational to take a look at the "less than perfect" outcomes of the electronics hobby and profession, what was learned from it and how it was remedied. I'm sure everyone has a favorite story or two about an unfortunate "back to the drawing board" moment they could tell about. So let's hear 'em! 
 
 
Congratulations
to Promptjock, the winner of our last newsletter's storytelling prize. Like those that came before him, Promptjock will be getting an R Cube Talking Alarm Clock kit. It's fun to build and does some pretty cool stuffAll you have to do to be eligible for this week's prize is click the link above and share your story. It's that easy! Then, we'll pick a winner at random.
   
CD-ROM Update (Good News!) 
We expect to have the new 2015 CD-ROMs arriving at our office this week. We'll immediately jump on it and get them all shipped out. A big thank you to everyone for your patience while we sorted out the "technical issues." The pre-order special price will be ending this Thursday (4/14/16 at midnight), so if you were waiting for the last minute to order, this would be it.

Nuts & Volts     SERVO   

And welcome back ExpressPCB. Thanks for making it happen again!   

That's it, Enjoy!
A MAKER'S DOZEN: Designing Around Failure

I just finished a major production run of simulators for training physicians on how to examine the eye. Based on my failure rate, I'd say that a proper maker's dozen is 13.5 units. That is, if you need to make a dozen relatively complex devices, order enough spare parts for 1.5 additional units. But, when it comes to DIY, it's not really a "failure rate" but a learning opportunity.

Read It Now!
Making Waves
Making Waves         

Most digital circuits are limited to outputting zeros and ones. And while they can do this quickly and efficiently, there are many more types of signals in the real world that require something other than zeros and ones.

The High Voltage PIC
The High Voltage PIC - Part 2
 
Let's build the power supply we designed in Part 1and write the software to drive the PIC in a free version of C. Then discuss the software that drives the A/D conversion, the LCD display, and the pulse width modulation before programming the microprocessor.

Read It Now!
Low Cost, Quick Turnaround Prototyping!
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Smiley_s Workshop
Smiley's Workshop 45
C Programming * Hardware * Projects


Last time, we had some fun with the simple chaser lights board and some pain with an introduction to C pointers. Now, we're going to have some fun by expanding our chaser lights into a movie theater style marquee frame, and go a little deeper with C pointers.

  Read It Now!  
Understanding Digital Logic ICs
Understanding Digital Logic ICs - Part 4

One of the most important events in the history of digital electronics was the development of the new IC technology known as CMOS. This final episode explains the operating principles of these 4000- and 74-series CMOS devices, and describes CMOS basic usage rules.  

Programming the Intel Edison_ Getting Started with Processing and Python
Book Pick Of The Week
From the Nuts & Volts Webstore
 
Programming the Intel Edison:       
Getting Started with Processing and Python

The Intel Edison development system is designed to lower the barriers to entry for a range of inventors, entrepreneurs, and consumer product designers to rapidly prototype and produce IoT and wearable computing products.
   
Find out what all the rage is about and get started with this ultra-tiny computing system to make ultra-tiny projects. You know you want to!    

Check It Out!
  • Explore the capabilities and features of the Edison
  • Connect SparkFun, Break-out, and Arduino boards
  • Program your Edison through the Arduino IDE
  • Set up USB, GPIO, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connections
  • Learn Python basics and start writing custom programs
  • Interface through the Edison's serial and parallel ports
  • Collect and remotely process data using a Web browser
  • Design your own Internet-enabled embedded technology devices
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