One of my first classes when I returned to Grad schools was MEMS (Microelectromechanical systems). The course consisted of a variety of MEMS topics, including microfluidics, sensors, batteries, gyroscopes, and many others. In class we generally discussed a relevant research paper and then went over related theory and principals each class, but the majority of […]
RGBLED Update: R1 PCB Aseembly Code
I assembled two of the RGB LED boards and mounted them on some 20mm extruded aluminium for testing. Here is picture of them on the aluminum, and a closeup of the assembly. I found that 6-32 nylon screws are almost a perfect fit to hold down the LED, but […]
First Attempt at Reflow
While somewhat intimidating at first, it turns out reflow is actually really easy compared to hand soldering each part. First you apply solder paste to the pcb, I used a stencil for this that I got from www.oshstencils.com . I held down the stencil with some tape and spread out the paste. I ended up with a […]
RGB LED Driver
Project Overview Goal: Drive high power RGB LED pixels (350mA each channel) with control over each pixel and color. The LED: I bought 15 of these a few years ago , http://www.dx.com/en/p/3w-led-emitter-on-star-multicolored-rgb-4530 . It is a high power RGB LED on a metal core PCB. Here are the specs: Red: 2.5V ~ 3.0V, 350mA Green: 3.2V ~ […]
BTLE 4.0 to 900Mhz Project Overview
This is my Bluetooth 4.0 to 900Mhz mesh network bridge. Here is a quick summary of what it will do. I plan to use this design as a development platform. There is plenty of room for code, and potential applications are starting to pile up. Possible applications so far are home automation, weather stations, boat monitor […]
Revision 1: PCBs, Parts, and Stencil Ordered
Going into this project I knew two things. I wanted a radio, and I wanted the PCB to be full of parts. I decided to make something with a BTLE (Bluetooth 4.0) radio so I could control it with my phone. After looking at a few BTLE chips, I decided on the Nordic Semiconductor’s nrf51822. […]