RGB controller

 

Hi! I like decoration lights, so RGB controllers are "must have" devices for me =)

I decided to make module system, so for any light power I need only different type of repeaters instead of making new controller board for each purpose.

So this is main RGB controller board designed for my KSN20 CAN network:

UPS for smart home =)

 Hi! During apartment renovation I've routed 12V supply wires to all rooms. For a several years this worked without UPS and everything was fine. Recently I've got used Back-UPS CS 500 and finally decided to upgrade power system.

I have a metal electric route box installed at storage room, but inner size of it is too small to fit UPS. So UPS was disassembled and mounted into this box =)

I've surprised that control board has same mounting hole position as main board, so they perfectly fit together.

On these photos I didn't yet connect AC mains and 12V output wires, just test UPS run on battery.

Another WS2812b VU Meter (Tiny version)

Hello friends!
About a month ago I bought several pieces of WS2812b LED strip. Why not make another VU meter?
I decided to make mini VU meter for single channel which can fit to CFL lamp base.

Cheap LED string rework (220VAC to 12VDC)

Hi friends!
Before New Year I've searched for a multicolor LED strings to decorate my home. But there was a problem. All strings at our stores must be powered from mains 220VAC. But there are some places at home without mains power outlets due to safety and 12VDC only. And the other reason is poor quality of most these products. Some of them are really dangerous and can burn without any visible reason.
So I decided to make some rework of a cheap LED string.

Click on any photo for full size.

60+60 series LED's work with 12VDC supply

Thermal transfer paper DIY PCB test

Hi!
Some days ago I've got another pretty thing from Aliexpress: thermal transfer paper for PCB DIY.
After making some boards with 0.5mm traces with perfect quality, I decided to test capability of this paper and my printer (HP 1020). Main goal was to create home made PCB with 0.25mm traces and 0402 components =)
So here is a test board after etching in ferric chloride:

Left side: 0.33mm traces with ~0.3mm spacing. Right side: 0.25mm traces, ~0.2mm spacing, one 0603 and two 0402 components.

Let's have a close look (click for large images):

Close to perfect for home DIY! Link to Ali store if you're interested.

DIY switch indicator light

Customized light indicator for wall switches.

Holes were made with a piece of tungsten carbide drill with engraving tool. After milling holes were filled with clear glue. LEDs are covered with pieces of opal diffusor and a piece of white thick paper (120 g/m2) for additional light scattering.

Switches control low-voltage signal, no mains voltage is applied. LED's are driven independently by light control unit.

Analog audio via UTP twisted pair

Hi all! Every time I want to listen music from my collection in another room (ex. kitchen), I have to take my tablet, connect it to audio system and setup streaming over WiFi. It's boring.

But what about direct audio from sound card to another room without network transcoding? I know there are devices starting from low costs to high-cost multiroom systems. Not my choice. It is interesting for me to make some kind of "multiroom audio" by myself =)

Buck-Boost LED Driver (34063)

Hi all! Earlier this year I've made improved version of 34063 LED driver. This is combined buck-boost converter witout output voltage inversion. Now I have some time to describe it =)

9V multimeter powered from single AA battery

Hi! Another 9V battery was dead in my 830 multimeter. I've used this situation to make some modifications. I have a lot of half empty AA and AAA batteries, so I decided to power up multimeter from 1.1V (fresh AA/AAA have 1.5V).

DIY solder smoke absorber

Hi! As you could note my hobby is electronics =) So solder station is my frequently used tool. Long time I've used it without smoke absorber. I think that it is really useful thing =) I had a choice: buy it or make it. Of course, the simplest way is to buy, but I'm not looking for simple ways).
So I've decided to make something like this:

Update: Device is complete =)

Light for Dremel Workstation 220. New version.

Hi!
About two years ago I've made a work area lighting for my Dremel Workstation 220. Really simple  - 3AA batteries, resistor and a bunch of white LEDs (all in parallel) from broken flashlight. Not bad, but these LEDs have narrow light spots and large power consumption.

74HC595 breakout board

Recently I've bought a bunch of cheap 74HC595 shift register IC's. But SOIC case is not suitable for solderless breadboard. I didn't want to buy this IC's in a DIP case too, so I've made my own breakout board for them.
Single side PCB with 3 jumper wires on top side. Not so small as Adafruit's (for example), but easy to make with laser printer and iron. Supports daisy chain.

Etched PCB's

Tiny glue gun mod

Some time ago I've bought a really cheap and simple glue gun. Device works fine, but there was no power-on indication.

Today I decided to make tiny device update =)

Disassembled gun

Cheap breadboard wires

When testing circuits on a breadboard or my modules, I often need jumper wires with non-standard length. Yes, there are packs of factory wires in shops, but why buy, when you can make them? =)

Atmega8/48/88/168/328 EV-X2 board

Today I've made another MCU-based device: breadboard-like unit with Atmel Mega88 MCU core.

EV-X2 board with my USBASP connected

Device contains:

• Built-in 5V supply (L78M05) for MCU
• 3pcs 5V outputs for external devices
• Onboard AVRISP socket
• Reset button
• Clamping zeners for ADC6 and ADC7 inputs
• Switched I2C pull-up's (not exists on photos, I don't have dual DIP switches now, it will be installed later =( )

3A USB device charger (LM2576) (Updated)

DC-DC Boost LED driver (based on MC34063)

New update of my DC-DC boost LED driver (full story you can see here (in Russian)). Added output overvoltage protection (D2,D3) and D1 changed to Vishay 30BQ100. Also I've added simple amplifier for current-sense resistor, so it can be now 1W (1 Ohm for 700mA LEDs, 2 Ohm for 350 mA).

Inductor: 60 turns of 18AWG copper wire on T90-52 core (I've used inductor from dead ATX PSU).

Please note: There is no short-circuit protection for output!

Some other notes.

• Overvoltage limiting 1W zener diodes D2 and D3 may be changed to single 0.5W zener for appropriate maximum output voltage. For example BZX55C47 for max. 47V output.
• Maximum output power depends on primary power supply maximum load capability, current sense resistor R1, MOSFET Q1, inductor coil and flyback rectifier D1.
• This circuit cupports max. 16V input (limit by MOSFET driver).
• NCP3065/66 is more suitable for CC LED driving (lower feedback voltage) but I don't have them now for test.