Getting decent quality prototype breadboards for a reasonable cost is something that has eluded me for years. I think I have finally found a reliable source. Those advertised on eBay or at least the cheaper ones seem that I have previously purchased too often have poor metal connectors inside. It can be difficult to insert... Continue Reading →
IR remote control mute button
I recently built a simple one button Arduino based IR remote control to mute our TV and Computer amp. I am quite happy with the results. The idea to use half a stress ball for the mute button I thought was inspired. The timber case built using with the aid of some jigs I made... Continue Reading →
Timber breadboards and serving boards with Arduino
Originally, according to Wikipedia and other articles I’ve read wooden kitchen breadboards were used for electronics, which is where the term started. I’ve started using them too. I had a couple of accidents where they magic smoke was released from a couple of Arduino boards when an Arduino module was bumped and moved over a... Continue Reading →
Using the DS3231 Real Time Clock alarm with the Adafruit RTClib library
I love the DS3231 RTC module and have used it in a couple of projects without a library using code based on Ralph Bacon’s example. It worked well, but I wanted to use the alarm and working out how to do that was a step too far for me. There doesn’t seem to be a... Continue Reading →
A deceptively simple but not very secure security key
I recently recalled an interesting security key for a building car park at a block of units we stayed at a few years ago. It was a small block of units with maybe 10 - 20 units in the whole complex, probably built in the 1970s. Underneath was a carpark with a roller door to... Continue Reading →
Original Zork source code available
One of the first computer games I played was Zork. It was back in 1981 and on a Dec 20 mainframe. I have a lot of happy memories of Zork so I was interested when Hackaday posted that MIT has released the original source code on Github. It wasn’t the puzzles that interested me back... Continue Reading →
Measuring audio frequency with an Arduino
When I was working on the Morse Code Decoder project I got unexpected results from the output of of the KY-037 audio module. The output was being monitored by an interrupt in the Arduino Nano. It was triggering far more than I expected. I wondered if it was triggering at the frequency of the audio... Continue Reading →
Morse Code Decoder using an Arduino Nano
Decoding recreated Morse code from the Titanic I find the history of Morse code fascinating. I admire those that are able to send and interpret Morse code messages at high speed. Some time ago I saw a YouTube video about a Morse Code decoder that was based on a micro controller. I didn’t see the... Continue Reading →
Hello world
Hi, welcome to my new blog. I created it so that I can share some of the projects and activities I do, not because they are great, but to entertain and inspire. I hope you get something from it.