/diy/ - Do It Yourself

Junior EE major looking to get ideas for my next project. My friend and I are looking to use a raspberry pie as an add-on to his RC helicopter. What are some cool things we can do?

Hi /diy/, I bought one of those stellaris launchpads from the thread a while ago, I just got it and I want to know what I can do with it.

Don't get me wrong, if you don't tell me I'll find out on my own, I just want to know what you guys ideas are...

Not exactly related, but close enough. Just got this in the mail. $12 shipped, has an FTDI chip on the bottom, along with a voltage regulator, like the Arduino Nano. I'll be adding a few relays and voltage dividers to it so it can function as an interface between my carputer and car/audio stuff.

>>349264

Webcam and image processing for unknown purposes?

>>349296

Surely there's something you want that could be built with a microcontroller?

Trying to conceive a way to turn some plexi scraps and a cheap hood into a useable fish tank hood-lamp.
Frankensteining misc. PCs
Repurposed a pallet to make a little covered firewood rack.
Plebian tasks by any account, but it keeps me busy.
pic related but not relevant. or vice versa?

>>349317
>Surely there's something you want that could be built with a microcontroller?

Could I use it to build a CNC XY Table & tool (On/off) control unit??

Here's the finished Arduino for my carputer. The three pin connector plugs into the modified wiring harness in my car, two are inputs for ignition and lights, the third is an output to turn my audio amps on and off. The red/black wires are connected directly to a relay and will be connected to the on/off button on the motherboard.

So, when the car turns on, the Arduino notices and uses a relay to bring the computer out of sleep mode. After that, a python program on the computer monitors the Arduino serial port, so it knows when the car turns off(and the computer then goes to sleep) and the state of the lights(to adjust the backlight).

This could have been done without a microcontroller, but I plan on adding more functions.

>>349326

Certainly possible.

http://hackaday.com/2010/03/24/arm-based-cnc-mill-needs-no-computer/

>>349352
indeed. using the lid switch function of any given ps would have worked just as well. but if you need more functionality a micro controller is your best bet.

>>349352
Wow, that is pretty cool, I've seen a lot of threads about these arduino things lately both in diy/ and /g/ and have been thinking about getting one to muck around with, I have a basic understanding of electronics, babby when it comes to programming, but can follow clear instructions well and can usually figure out how things work, would you recommended learning a bit more before buying one or just jump in and figure it out? Like how hard was it to do what you have done there? The process sounds pretty simple and almost pointless(not knocking your work here) but I love to do things just cos it can be done

>>349423
as a guy with experience predating the entire arduino thing, i can tell you it's never been easier, ever. i started burning PICs and erasing them with a UV light for 20 minutes between compiles.

you kids nowadays lol

>>349423
Get one of the Arduino expermenters kits, you want something to connect to the board and you can probably find one that has accompanying labs.

>>349461
>>349424
thanks, also..
>kids
I'm 28, but an intruiged child at heart, so I can live with this

>>349317
voltage divider will be too slow. You will need a proper level shifting chip.