Make Magazine’s Raspberry Pi meetup

MAKE magazine organized a web meetup today. Eben Upton (Founder of Raspberry Pi foundation), hackerspace folks participated in this meetup. If you missed it, here is Google Hangout video

Testing Blinkm with PiCrust

I just posted testing Blinkm with PiCrust at D.I.Y with Pi.

Have fun by making something cool!

Raspberry Pi à la mode

AlaMode is a stackable arduino clone that empowers a Raspberry Pi with the ability to add arduino shields to it. It is an open source platform and easy to use.

AlaMode comes in a package like the one shown below:

The datasheet for the AlaMode is available here.

It is possible to program the platform via the UART pins of the Raspberry Pi’s GPIO. The Wyolum webpage has provided clear instructions to get started with the hardware.

The board can be driven by the power supply via the Raspberry Pi or a wall wart. The jumper is located here as shown below:

I got the typical arduino LED example working using the AlaMode.

Happy Hacking!

Cubieboard goes for crowd funding

The DIY world is abuzz with Raspberry Pi news. I read a new project idea based on the Raspberry Pi every other day.  Though not a competitor to the Pi, there is another product in the market that uses a Cortex A8 processor.

Photosource: Cubieboard

In my opinion, the Raspberry Pi’s sole purpose is to help students (it is being used by anyone who wants to be “hands-on”) while the Cubieboard is more directed towards DIY enthusiasts.  I do envision an “Arduino like revolution” with the Cubieboard. I wouldn’t be surprised if Cubieboard complements Raspberry Pi in reaching a larger audience. Their website claims the following:

• 1G ARM cortex-A8 processor, NEON, VFPv3, 256KB L2 cache
• Mali400, OpenGL ES GPU
• 1GB DDR3 @480MHz
• HDMI 1080p Output
• 10/100M Ethernet
• 4GB Nand Flash
• 2 USB Host, 1 micro SD slot, 1 SATA, 1 ir
• 96 extend pin including I2C, SPI, RGB/LVDS, CSI/TS, FM-IN, ADC, CVBS, VGA, SPDIF-OUT, R-TP..
• Running Android, Ubuntu and other Linux distributions

This might attract any DIY enthusiast They have been selling it via Ali-express and also shipped the first batch to developers. They are currently pitching for crowd funding through Indiegogo. I am also a proud supporter of the Cubieboard. I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Using PICkit3 with a Windows 7 64 bit machine

I was not able to get my PICkit3 working with a Windows 7 64 machine. Though  I tried different suggestions offered at the Microchip forums, the error seemed to be the one shown below:

  

I found a possible solution to this issue. I downloaded the PICkit3 GUI and scripting application from here.  

I extracted the PICkit3 application and launched it. Under tools, there was an option called “Download PICkit3 operating system”

There was a file called “PK3OSV020000.hex” in the PICkit3 GUI directory. This hex file updated the firmware on the PICkit3 and this solved my problem!

 

Raspberry Pi has arrived

My Raspberry Pi has arrived. its time to begin some serious hacking

Mini STM32 STM32F103 TFT LCD Board

I came across this cool LCD on Micro 4 you. I bought this board because the LCD runs of a microcontroller that runs the Sony LiveView.

How do I know this fact?

I found it from this site.

 

Its time for some hacking