0.1″ DIP connectors provide a compact interconnection method. Suitable for ribbon cable IDC connectors, their 0.1″ pin spacing also makes them suitable for standard 0.1″ headers. Direct soldering of equipment wire is of course an option. But they have a big drawback (especially for the hobbyist), in that their two rows of connectors are also […]
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Improving the appearance of a project with a 1602 LCD display
The 1602 LCD is a widely used character display module. But, as with many displays using in hobbyist projects of for one-off or prototype products, it can look a little “untidy” with mounted in a panel or in a project box. As with many (f not most) displays, there are two challenges with mounting these […]
Mounting an RFM69 Radio Transceiver on 2.54mm prototype PCB or breadboard
We think the RFM69 modules (from HopeRF) are teriffic. The only challenge for the hobbyist is that these transceiver do not use a standard 0.1″/2.54mm hole spacing, as used on prototype boards or breadboards. Rather they use 2mm spacing, with castellated pads. So, though you can use tinned wire links to convert from 2mm spacing […]
Sleeping an ESP-01S without wire links
The ESP-01S is easy to sleep. The ESP.deepsleep() function put the device into a very low-power sleep mode. The challenge is waking it up again! The most common method appears to be to solder a wire link between pin-8 of the ESP8266 processor (the ‘XDP-DCDC’ pin) to the reset pin on the header. When the […]
Example of a professional finish with an OLED Bezel
This is an example of a project that utilises a display bezel to give a very professional finish. This project is a timer for some low voltage outside lighting. It was prototyped on an Arduino Nano, but the final project used a stand-alone ATMEGA328P-PU. Time-keeping is facilitated by a DS3231 RTC (Real Time Clock). The […]
Adding a voltmeter bezel to a Bench Power Supply
In this post, we explain how we added a digital voltmeter to a case.
Improving an Arduino Project with a Bezel
Having spent time, effort and money on building your latest project, you want it to look good too! The challenge with many project is mounting a display so that the overall project looks neat and more professional. But some displays are really tricky to mount into a project box. A great example is the 128×32 […]
The problems with the 28BYJ stepper motor and how to fix them
The 28BYJ stepper motor is a terrific device but it presents some design challenges. Here is a way to overcome those challenges.
Solving three big problems in electronics projects
There are some common challenges with electronics (such as Arduino) projects, and we set out to help you solve those.
How to mount tactile button switches into a project box or panel
This is an alternative and flexible way to present external buttons to give a tidy and professional finish – in a compact space.