Hardware – Page 4 – PocketMagic

Building a robot – Make the robot follow you

By Radu Motisan February 7, 2013

Building an autonomous robot using a rover platform and advanced electronics is not an easy job. Kevin asked me to build a robot that would follow its user. A companion, very much like a robo-dog. See the project log here.

Electronics Hardware Nuclear Research

uRADMonitor – Unusual Background Radiation Reports – Explained

By Radu Motisan January 31, 2013

This page has been created to report unusual activity (radiation, temperature, humidity, luminosity, barometric pressure), as recorded by the uRADMonitor, including all the debug data to support the results. I cannot guarantee the measurement precision, I merely present the data recorded by the instruments.

Electronics Hardware Nuclear Tubes

Top 10 Radioactive Electronic Tubes

By Radu Motisan December 30, 2012

Some of these tubes contain small quantities of Cesium-137, Cobalt-60, Radium-226, Krypton-85. The radioactive elements have been added to increase the electronic response by improving the internal ionization processes.

Hardware Optics Reviews

Digital Soldering station ZD937

By Radu Motisan December 25, 2012

A short review on my new Christmas gift, a neat digital soldering station, ZD 937, and a quick light installation that I did with LEDS, running directly on mains , 220V, using the ZD937.

Electronics Hardware Nuclear

DIY/Homemade Radiation Geiger Dosimeter

By Radu Motisan December 1, 2012

A digital dosimeter design that can be used with multiple geiger tubes, constructed around the atmega8 microcontroller and a 2x16 LCD. Equipped with a radio Bluetooth module for remote operation.

Electronics Hardware

BMP085 Barometric pressure sensor

By Radu Motisan November 11, 2012

The BMP085 is a compact, low power sensor for reading temperature, barometric pressure and altitude. See it in use with Atmel microprocessors.

Electronics Hardware

Temperature and Humidity sensor DHT-22

By Radu Motisan November 9, 2012

DHT-22 is a small size, compact, dual temperature and humidity sensor featuring one-wire connectivity.

Electronics Hardware

HC-SR04 Sonar with Atmega8 microcontroller

By Radu Motisan November 4, 2012

Build an ultrasonic sonar for non-contact distance measurements, using an Atmega8 and a HC-SR04

Electronics Hardware Nuclear

Statie de monitorizare a radiatiei de fond in Timisoara

By Radu Motisan October 30, 2012

Locuiesc in Timisoara, si de curand am terminat o statie de monitorizare a nivelului de radiatii de fond. Cu exceptia catorva institute din tara, care rar dau publice graficele, statia mea e probabil singura alternativa de acest gen, accesibila utilizatorului obisnuit. Acest articol, redactat in romana, prezinta detalii asupra statiei, explica ce este radiatia de fond si cum apare ea, dar si ilustreaza grafice in timp real.

Electronics Hardware Nuclear Research

uRADMonitor – Online Radiation monitoring station

By Radu Motisan October 21, 2012

I've developed the uRADMonitor as an Environmental Radiation Surveillance automated monitoring device. Data is gathered in real time, 24/7, and is exported via the Internet to a database online. The data is available in customizable charts for analysis.

Electronics Hardware High Voltage Nuclear Tubes

DIY/Homemade Geiger Muller Digital Counter V3

By Radu Motisan October 11, 2012

A story of making a DIY Digital Geiger counter circuit, that can be used with several tubes. Add an enc28j60 Ethernet module and use the data to create graphs available online!

Electronics Hardware

Temperature Sensors DS18B20 and DHT11 with Atmega8

By Radu Motisan October 7, 2012

Use the Atmega8 with two temperature sensors: the DS18B20 and the DHT-11. The latter also offers relative humidity data.

Electronics Hardware High Voltage

Vacuum tube tesla coil (VTTC) using Russian GU-81m

By Radu Motisan September 26, 2012

Vasil sent me 3 of his complete tesla coil systems. So here I am rebuilding his GU81m VTTC.

Hardware Tubes

Tube: G21-H Geiger Muller

By Radu Motisan September 16, 2012

A Geiger Muller tube for Gamma radiation.

Hardware Tubes

Tube: UX-6653

By Radu Motisan September 5, 2012

A TR Switch tube used in Radar technology, manufactured by Raytheon.

Hardware Tubes

Tube: EMI9524

By Radu Motisan September 2, 2012

A sensitive photomultiplier tube, used in scintillation detectors.

Hardware Tubes

Tube: ZV1009

By Radu Motisan September 2, 2012

A klystron capable of up to 6000MHz

Hardware Optics Photography Reviews

Bausch and Lomb Microscope

By Radu Motisan August 4, 2012

Read a post on my new acquisition, a Bauch&Lomb compound binocular microscope, a high quality tool, put to some good use to capture a few micro photographs. It can get up to 1000X with its current optics.

Electronics Hardware

Atmega8 and enc28J60 for ethernet support

By Radu Motisan July 30, 2012

Learn how to create a network interface for your microcontroller projects. Here I have shown an example using the Atmega8 and the enc28j60 . Build a simple Webserver to show sensor data such as temperature or humidity.

Electronics Hardware

Capacitor Discharge Microspot Welder / Cutter

By Radu Motisan July 15, 2012

A DIY microspot soldering/welding/cutting device using energy stored in a very large capacitor delivered as precisely calculated pulses to working electrodes.

Hardware Reviews

Atten ADS1102CAL Oscilloscope

By Radu Motisan June 17, 2012

For my first oscilloscope, I opted for the Atten ADS1102CAL. A few months after, I could say I'm extremely happy choosing this robust device, that does an excellent job on my workbench.

Electronics Hardware Reviews

Projection keyboard

By Radu Motisan May 26, 2012

The laser keyboards use laser and infra-red technology to create the virtual keyboard and to project the hologram of a keyboard on a flat surface.

Electronics Hardware

USBAsp – AVR USB Programmer

By Radu Motisan May 2, 2012

A good source for cheap AVR USB Programmers. USBasp modules.

Electronics Hardware

Simple Switched power Supplies

By Radu Motisan May 1, 2012

Several simple SMPS designs, constructed by Daniel, @danyk.wz.cz . A great resource to learn about various SMPS topologies.

Electronics Hardware Image processing Optics Photography

Canon S2 IS CCD Repair and IR Mod

By Radu Motisan March 18, 2012

A quick CCD replacement for my Canon S2 IS camera. CCD IR filter removed to enable IR photography options.

Electronics Hardware Software

AVR Studio 5 snprintf / vsnprintf problem with Floats

By Radu Motisan February 8, 2012

How to fix the problem with Float variables in AVR Studio

Hardware Tubes

Tube: IVL1-8/13 (ИВЛ1-8/13)

By Radu Motisan January 26, 2012

The device consists of a hot cathode (filaments), anodes (phosphor) and grids encased in a glass envelope under a high vacuum condition. The cathode is made up of fine tungsten wires, coated by alkaline earth metal oxides, which emit electrons when heated by an electric current.