News

When an embedded project grows to a certain level of complexity, there can be a requirement for multitasking - the ability to run overlapping tasks, rather than the sequential one-after-the-other order of a normal Arduino sketch. This can mean a shift to a more powerful platform, but it doesn't have to: Yves Demirdijan's OS47, spotted by our friends at Freetronics, allows any ATmega328-based Arduino to perform both pre-emptive and cooperative multitasking with no additional hardware. That includes the Arduino Uno, the Arduino Pro Mini, and even our pocket-friendly Breadboard Arduino Compatible Kit (BBAC). If you think multitasking might be just what...

Integrated circuits often look dull and uninspiring, clad as they are in black or grey plastic and ceramic. Even microprocessors, some of the most complex ICs in existence, have a plain metal cover as their focal point. Take the lid off and fire up a microscope, however, and their true beauty is exposed. These classic shots from Andrew Resnick, source of the image above, are a perfect example: simple field-effect transistors (FETs) look like Pac-Man stages, while more complex ICs take on the appearance of city maps. Sometimes there are even hidden secrets, as gathered in the Florida State University's...

The team at Eureka, the national children's museum located practically at our back door, is celebrating this week and with good cause: the Halifax Mini Maker Faire went off without a hitch. Announced earlier this year, the Mini Maker Faire took place this weekend just gone with everything from 3D printing and laser cutting to hydraulics and art on display - and an opportunity for attendees to get hands-on time with our ARDX Kits, Arduinos and LEDs, as you can see from the picture above. If you attended, you'll know what a great event it was; if not, the official...

One of the biggest differences between a hobby project and one aimed at wider dissemination is the design process, in particular modelling things before building them. While you can spend a fortune on the equipment for this - everything from 3D printers to high-end modelling software - there are cheaper options, and Jude Pullen has released the files required to build a handy low-cost device to add to your bag: a tool for making rabbet joints in corrugated cardboard. That might sound very garden-shed basic, but the same materials and techniques have been used to create design models of everything...

One of the biggest advantages to the Arduino and similar hobbyist development boards is that it gives beginners the chance to quickly implement ideas without needing prior experience. Reddit user MrTheOx is a perfect case in point: using a Teensy 3.1 microcontroller, he was able to interface an M1 gunner turret yoke to his PC for use as a games controller. The finished product is certainly robust - it's estimated that it requires around 3-5 pounds of force to begin rotation - but more importantly begins MrTheOx's hacking and making career with a satisfying device he'll likely use every day....