Electronics: 20th May 2025

Merliot – plugging physical devices into LLMs (github.com, 2025-05-17). Merliot Hub enables natural language control of homemade devices using LLMs like Claude and Cursor, requiring maker skills and hobby components like Raspberry Pis and Arduinos, with integrated firmware and Docker support

Overclocking the Raspberry Pi Pico in MicroPython (lucstechblog.blogspot.com, 2025-05-16). Gain additional speed from Raspberry Pi Pico using MicroPython by overclocking up to 400MHz with built-in commands. Consider effects on onboard memory and lifespan when modifying frequency

Joltron, a very shocking game (lapinozz.github.io, 2025-05-14). Joltron is a multiplayer reaction-time game that shocks losing players using high-voltage modules, Arduino Nano for control, and interactive mini-games like pong and a voting-based challenge with OLED displays

$30 Homebrew Automated Blinds Opener (sifter.org, 2025-05-18). A DIY blinds opener built with spare parts, featuring a 12V motor and magnetic angle encoder. It integrates into home automation systems, operates quietly, and gradually opens blinds, taking up to 8 minutes

A Linux kernel developer plays with Home Assistant: case studies (lwn.net, 2025-05-17). A kernel developer utilizes Home Assistant to monitor solar panel data locally, create virtual sensors using helpers, and manage Mitsubishi heat pumps, enhancing visibility into power consumption and promoting data ownership

Octopus, solar & e-paper energy dashboards (interactionmagic.com, 2025-05-19). A custom energy dashboard combines e-paper displays with real-time data from a Solax inverter and Octopus energy tariffs, utilizing an ESP32 for data processing and a unique design for low-resolution displays

Outsourcing Herb Growing to My Smart Home (thestockpot.net, 2025-05-16). Transforming a backyard garden into a smart greenhouse using an ESP32 controller, temperature and humidity sensors, and automated systems to grow herbs and chillis year-round with minimal upkeep

UniFi Raspberry Pi WAN Failover: DIY 4G/LTE Backup Internet Guide (bret.dk, 2025-05-14). Create a Raspberry Pi-based 4G/LTE WAN failover for UniFi routers using ModemManager and NetworkManager to maintain internet connectivity during outages, leveraging DHCP and dynamic routing configurations

Loïc Le Page: Have fun with Cam and Berry (blogs.igalia.com, 2025-05-19). Learn how to utilize libcamera on a Raspberry Pi 5 with Camera Module 3, connecting via SSH for remote development using Visual Studio Code and integrating Meson for project management

Those Blinking LEDs on Your Raspberry Pi Have Special Meanings (itsfoss.com, 2025-05-20). Raspberry Pi's status LEDs serve as effective diagnostic tools. Understanding blink patterns can reveal issues like missing boot files or SD card problems, especially useful in headless setups without a monitor

Whimsical Wire Detector (sometimes.digital, 2025-05-16). This post discusses a whimsical wire detector, created as an art piece using a Raspberry Pi, which turns detecting electricity into a fun experience rather than the typical annoying sounds of commercial devices

My home server (usebox.net, 2025-05-16). After years of using VPS, a user rekindles the joy of home servers with a Raspberry Pi 2B, setting up unbound DNS and a DHCP server, while embracing experimentation with Linux

↩️ Reply to: https://reillyspitzfaden.com/notes/2025/05/tracking-planes-with-a-raspberry-pi/ (journal.robbi.my, 2025-05-18). Hugo discusses using './dump1090 --interactive --net' on a Raspberry Pi for tracking planes, facing technical challenges due to Kodi's web interface occupying port 8080

10 PRINT for the KIM-1 (imapenguin.com, 2025-05-16). Explore the KIM-1's 7-segment display with a creative implementation of '10 PRINT' using assembly programming and random patterns to generate a scrolling visual effect, utilizing the unique hardware of the microcomputer

Emulator Debugging: Area 5150's Lake Effect (martypc.blogspot.com, 2025-05-17). Using bus sniffing to debug Area5150's 'Lake' effect reveals insights into CGA limitations and emulator enhancements with tools like timer interrupts and cycle-counting for precise visual effects

This might just be the most cursed SE/30 ever built. (lowendmac.com, 2025-05-15). Timothy de Denaro modifies a Macintosh SE/30 with a clear case, dual monitors, and an adapted USB port, making it a unique example of retro Mac tinkering

RADUGA: The Retro Computer from Behind the Curtain (hackaday.com, 2025-05-14). Kasyan restores a RADUGA computer, a 1990s Russian clone of the Spectrum 48K, facing challenges due to its outdated components and seeking an exact schematic for repairs

Fancy Adding a Transputer Or Two To Your Atari ST? (hackaday.com, 2025-05-15). Axel Muhr's ATW800/2 card revives the Transputer concept for Atari ST, featuring an FPGA for enhanced graphics, support for multiple T-series transputers, and various storage options

Determine Fundamental Constants with LEDs and a Multimeter (hackaday.com, 2025-05-17). Using a multimeter and LEDs, fundamental constants like Planck's constant can be measured with reasonable accuracy in a benchtop setup, demonstrating educational potential with simple components and techniques

How I stream video from every old device on my desk. (kianryan.co.uk, 2025-05-15). Kian Ryan discusses streaming video from various old devices using Startech USB3HDCAP capture cards, audio through a Focusrite 18i8, and MIDI hardware setup for a unique gaming experience

Smarter Design Trumps Brute Force Every Time (idiallo.com, 2025-05-15). Smarter design, emphasizing hardware acceleration and dedicated components, outperforms raw processing power. Devices like the Raspberry Pi 5 leverage optimized architectures for efficient 4K video playback, showcasing the importance of specialized hardware solutions

2025 Week 20 (rkrishnan.org, 2025-05-18). Exploration of M4 macros for circuit drawing, experiences with GrapheneOS on a Google Pixel 7a, insights on automation in amateur radio, and reflections on technical complexities in modern computing

How to Build a Smartwatch: Picking a Chip (ericmigi.com, 2025-05-14). Building a smartwatch involves selecting components like MCUs, sensors, and displays. Key decisions include the choice of the nRF52840 and SiFli SF32LB52x chips for functionality and open-source SDK support

LED Layer Makes Plywood Glow (hackaday.com, 2025-05-14). Zach of All Trades embeds LEDs, microcontrollers, and touch sensors into plywood using flexible PCBs and the PY32 microcontroller, demonstrating innovative techniques for creating interactive wooden designs

You Can Build an Open Source Humanoid Robot for Just $5,000 (news.itsfoss.com, 2025-05-14). UC Berkeley introduces the Berkeley Humanoid Lite, a customizable, 3D-printable open source humanoid robot costing under $5,000, featuring a teleoperation system and reinforcement learning-based locomotion for agile movements

Polyphonic pickup, amplitude (wreckage.link, 2025-05-17). Explores polyphonic pickups' design, noise floor measurement, amplitude calculation techniques using decibels, and the integration of flow control for reliable data transmission in audio systems

Bare metal JavaScript on RISC-V (popovicu.com, 2025-05-15). Run JavaScript on bare metal RISC-V hardware without an OS using the Elk engine and Newlib, demonstrating code execution through UART with an example program in a 64-bit environment

The ESP32-S2 reset pin (qsantos.fr, 2025-05-17). The ESP32-S2's RST pin, connected to CHIP_PU, behaves high by default while allowing external controls. It includes pull-up resistors, capacitors for debouncing, and options for disabling automatic resets

Talking to Espressif’s Bootloader (qsantos.fr, 2025-05-15). Explore two-way interactions with Espressif's Bootloader using UART setup and esptool, including manual bootloader mode initiation and commands like flash_id for chip information

Gophyr: Building a Gopher Client for Zephyr with Claude (interrupt.memfault.com, 2025-05-16). An engineer builds Gophyr, a Gopher client for the Zephyr RTOS, utilizing AI assistant Claude for agile coding. The project navigates Gopherspace via a minimal TCP-based protocol suited for resource-constrained systems

NuttX for Motor Control and Sensing: MCPWM and DC Motor Control (developer.espressif.com, 2025-05-16). Implement motor control and speed sensing on the ESP32-C6 using NuttX RTOS with MCPWM and ADC for a DC motor, incorporating quadrature encoder for measurement and remote data logging

Running Zephyr RTOS on NEORV32 Soft Processor (ejaaskel.dev, 2025-05-14). Explore setting up Zephyr RTOS on the NEORV32 soft processor using the Basys 3 FPGA board. Learn about configuring tools, bootloaders, and compiling programs for RISC-V

How to Read CT Scans, Part 3: Identifying Common Structures (ifixit.com, 2025-05-14). Explore CT scans to identify common structures in electronics, including PCB antennas, traces, vias, and battery types, while understanding artifacts, density variations, and micro-welding vs. soldering techniques

A Brain Transplant for a Philips Smart Lamp (hackaday.com, 2025-05-14). A Philips Hue Ambiance smart light was reverse-engineered and its mainboard replaced using an ESP32C6, with firmware and PCB designs shared on GitHub under GPL v3, addressing security and functionality

What’s an LCR Databridge? (hackaday.com, 2025-05-14). Exploring the AIM LCR Databridge 401, a vintage LCR meter with a Z80 CPU, autoranging capabilities, and unique quirks like a malfunctioning Bias button, alongside details of its teardown and measurement functions

Analyzing USB-PD negotiation with an oscilloscope (Rigol DS1202Z-E) using Audacity and PulseView (blog.qiqitori.com, 2025-05-16). Use the Rigol DS1202Z-E oscilloscope, Audacity, and PulseView to analyze USB-PD negotiations. Learn to decode raw WFM data and configure your setup for logic analysis and USB-PD decoding