The “magic” of Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) process control can be mystifying. In this article, we’ll step you through using an Arduino in a hands-on exercise using a solid-state relay to control a 1,500 watt hotplate in a real world solution to a tricky problem: automating a vegetable canning process.
Here’s a quick beginner-friendly tutorial that shows you how to interface and read data with the popular serial protocol, I2C. In particular, we’ll be reading data from the NXP MPL3115A2 altimeter/barometer/temperature sensor. The principles found here can also be applied generically, even to your ambifacient lunar wane shaft positioning sensor of your turboencabulator.
Reverse engineering is one of the most challenging and rewarding endeavors in electronics. I’m talking about replicating the functionality of a device that you’ve seen or read about but that’s too expensive or otherwise unavailable. There are numerous issues involved in reverse engineering — from creating a schematic to locating parts. Moreover, you have to understand what’s going on.
Inspired by Forrest Mims and his Mini-Notebook series, we'll detail the emulation of a 555 or 556 using a PIC in several different circuits. The particular implementation this time covers both monostable and astable modes, and the PIC does not have to be reprogrammed in any way.
It’s not all that often that a different piece of hardware comes along that immediately captures the attention of the builder community. The ESP8266 is an example of this. It’s only about the size of a nickel, yet contains a powerful 32-bit microcontroller and a Wi-Fi interface, plus you can buy it for under $10.
Construction articles found in electronics magazines use printed circuit boards for all but the simplest circuits, so investing time and money into the PC board fabrication process seems to be the next logical step, albeit a bit daunting for the new hobbyist. PC board fabrication is not necessarily the next step. There is another alternative … wire wrap.
Rings, beads, cores ... find out exactly what ferrite is and what makes it ideal for a variety of uses in electronics. First created in 1930, they have since become important materials in the electronics and RF world.
Whether you need to flash an LED, energize a relay, turn a buzzer or alarm on or off, or invert a voltage level, the NPN transistor switch can easily solve your problem. This article shows you how to use a transistor as a simple SPST switch.
Most electronic devices today have a single button you push to turn them on and off. Think of your cell phone, laptop, and even your TV. There is no toggle to flip, no knob to turn back and forth, nor slide switch to move. So, how do you get one of these power buttons into your project so your latest gadget can sit next to your other devices without the embarrassment of a toggle or slide switch?
Many techs of yesteryear built their projects on a breadboard, then would transfer everything to a mirror copper clad board. Here's everything you need to know to use this timeless technique to wire up circuits for prototyping or functional applications.
