Arduino

Use It Better

A Rapid AVR Prototype Programmer

A cure for the heartache of bent pins

If you've ever bent the pin on a microcontroller while trying to insert it into a DIP programming socket, you're not alone. Aligning those crazy pins again and again, while intermittently prying them out of the programming socket and then inserting your freshly burned chip into a target circuit, can lead to a long and sleepless night. Luckily, there is a cure for the bent pin nightmare. And this prescription costs less than $35.

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Arduino Muscle Car

Convert a cheap, dumb RC truck into an autonomous “smart” auto

If you're looking for an easy way to add DC motor control to your next Arduino project, look no further than the Orangutan LV-168 Robot Controller by Pololu. Equipped with two bidirectional, low-voltage, H-bridge motor controls, this ATmega168 board can handle many of the tasks that are typically sought by Arduino DIYers. Plus you won't have to monkey around with lots of complex programming, either.

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Processing Beauty

Open source goes highbrow with an algorithmically generated jewelry line that mimics nature

Diehard Arduino users know that Processing is the framework that is used for building a sketch into an ATmega168 AVR project. Well, step aside, Arduino, because there’s a new maker on the block: Nervous System.

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Build It

Build A Gas Guzzler Meter

Take an accelerometer, add a microcontroller and display, and watch the dollars fly out of your carburetor

Pain at the pump continues to reach new levels of misery every day. While most of us can’t afford to trade our current gas guzzler for a more fuel economical model, it would be nice to adopt some new driving skills that will translate into greater fuel economy. But where do you start? How do you know if your current jitney is a fuel sipper or a gas guzzler?

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The Hands-Free Etch-a-Sketch

A class project pairs a microprocessor and some accelerometers with the classic drawing toy

SparkFun Electronics is showcasing a recent class project from Alex Dow at the University of Colorado. Derived from a box full of SparkFun widgets, Mr. Dow was able to concoct a digitally controlled Etch-a-Sketch.

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The Littlest Arduino

Build a matchstick-sized Freeduino kit and add a 5V battery for microcontroller power in a tight space

Do you need a microcontroller for a project (maybe, ahem, our Mood Cube project?) but case space is at a premium? Well, fret no more. The Really Bare Bones Board (RBBB) Freeduino PCB is the perfect fit.

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Build It: A Smart, Ambient LED

Paired with a sensor, your "mood cube" can change color based on any number of outside stimuli

Ambient technology is the current rage for presenting information in a unobtrusive and, sometimes, sublime manner. Information suited for an ambient format ranges from complex number-laden data streams to simple one- or two-digit numbers. The idea here is that you can glean the same information by simply looking at the color of a cube, rather than consulting a sensor's text output.

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