Taiwan based Blkbox may have designed the world’s smallest WiFi IoT module with their Espressif Systems ESP8285 based BB-E01P module pin-compatible with ESP-01 module, and measuring just 14×10 mm. BB-E01P module specifications: WiSoC – Espressif ESP8285 WiFi SoC with 1MB internal flash Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n WiFi with chip antenna Expansion – 8-pin (2.54mm pitch) with Tx/Rx, CP, RS, GPIO0, GPIO2, 3V, GND (Same layout as ESP-01) Misc – Jumper supports Deep Sleep Mode (AT+GSLP) Power Supply – 3-3.6V Dimensions – 10 x 14 mm The board is preloaded with firmware version AT v1.6 / SDK v2.2. The module can be purchased on Tindie for $6.80 + shipping, so not quite as cost effective as ESP-01 module, but if the size / thickness is important for your project, that may still be worth it. The developer/company? seems to specialize in tiny modules, and they have a slightly larger (19x13mm) module […]
Easily Make DIY Battery Packs with this Building Kit for 18650 Batteries (Crowdfunding)
If you have a project that requires some serious battery power, and can’t find a battery pack that matches your requirements, making your own is possible, but usually expensive as the commonly used spot welding method requires expensive tools. Vruzend has created a modular lithium-ion battery building kit that greatly ease the making of DIY battery pack using 18650 battery cells using caps, nuts and bolts. There are two versions of the kit: V1.5 kit which supports up to 3.5A continuous and 7A peak per cell, and for higher power levels, the new V2.0 kit can handle up to 20A continuous (25A peak) per cell thanks to nickel plated copper-based conductors. It makes it suitable for EV racing, high power battery banks, and other power-hungry projects. The short video below explains how the kit works. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1354698863/diy-li-ion-battery-building-kit-make-your-own-1865?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=diy%20battery Vruzend battery build kit is now offered on Kickstarter, and the projects has been […]
TTGO T5 is an ESP32 WiFi + Bluetooth Board with ePaper Display and Speaker
Lilygo has made another ESP32 board part of their TTGO family with TTGO T5 board powered by Espressif System ESP32 WiFI & Bluetooth SoC, and offering a choice of ePaper displays from 1.54″ to 2.9″, as well as built-in speaker. TTGO T5 board specifications: SoC – Espressif ESP32 dual core Tensilica LX6 processor with WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.1 LE Storage – micro SD card slot Display (one of the other) 1.54″ 200×200 black & white ePaper display; Full refresh time – 2 seconds 2.13″ 250×122 black & white ePaper display; Full refresh time – 2 seconds 2.7″ 264×176 black & white ePaper display; Full refresh time – 6 seconds 2.9″ 296×128 black & white ePaper display; Full refresh time – 2 seconds Viewing angle – >170° Power Consumption – Refresh: 26.4mW(typ.); standby: <0.017mW Connected via SPI interface Audio – Mini Speaker Expansion – 24-pin header with GPIO, UART, […]
Measy RCA220 is a $35 Wireless AV Transmitter / Receiver Kit with a 200m Range
There are several ways to send video & audio data over a distance without using long cables, from professional DVB-T transmitters with up to 10km range, to cheaper DIY SDR solutions with a shorter range , and HDMI transmitters leveraging your existing electrical cables. Those all work for different target applications (drones, video signal extender), but cost at least a few hundred dollars. If you just intend to transmit composite video (PAL/NTSC) and audio within a house or building, Measy RCA220 will be a more cost effective solution with a range of up to 200 meters. Measy RCA220 AV transmitter / receiver specifications: Connectivity – 2.4GHz wireless transmission with up to 200m range; built-in antenna, 8x selectable channels Video / Audio Ports Transmitter – RCA composite input, 2x RCA L/R audio input Receiver – RCA composite output, 2x RCA L/R audio output Misc – IR jack, channel selection button, front […]
RockPro64 Board is Now Available for $59.99 and Up for Early Adopters & Developers
Several Rockchip RK3399 development boards and SBCs were announced or launched in Q4 2017 / Q1 2018, including Orange Pi RK3399, ODROID-N1, Rock960, etc… RockPro64 was the most aggressively priced of the lot as it was expected to launch for about $60. The good news is that Pine 64 is now selling the first production batch for $59.99 (2GB RAM) or $79.99 (4GB RAM). The less good news is that software is still being worked on so the company only recommends it for early adapters and developers. RockPro64 specifications have changed a bit since the board now comes with LPDDR4 memory instead of LPDDR3: SoC – Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core processor with 2x ARM Cortex A72 cores up to 2.0 GHz, 4x Cortex A53 cores, and an Arm Mali-T860 MP4 GPU System Memory – 2 or 4 GB LPDDR4, dual channel Storage – eMMC flash module (up to 128 GB), micro […]
Jorjin WS2118/WS2119 is a Sigfox & Bluetooth LE Module Based on STMicro BlueNRG-1 & S2-LP Chips
Jorjin WS211X is a family of certified dual radio modules combining Sigfox wireless technology thanks to STMicro BlueNRG-1 BLE System-on-Chip (SoC) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) using STMicro S2-LP sub-1GHz RF transceiver. Two models are currently available: WS2118-00 certified for Sigfox regions RCZ1 (Europe, Middle East, South Africa) and RCZ3 (Japan), and WS2119-A0 for regions RCZ2 (USA, Mexico, Brazil) and RCZ4 (Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Argentina). Jorjin’s WS211x specifications: Connectivity Bluetooth LE STMicro BlueNRG-1 Arm Cortex M0 @ 16 MHz with 160 kB flash, 24 kB RAM with retention Up to +8dBm BLE RF output power Sigfox STMicro S2-LP sub-1GHz transceiver WS2118-A0 – Up to +16 dBm sub-1GHz RF output power WS2119-A0 – Up to +27dBm sub-1GHz RF output power Receiver sensitivity – Up to -88dBm (BLE) and -130dBm (Sub-1GHz). I/Os – 38-pins package. Security – STSAFE-A1SX for SIGFOX secure element Power Supply – 2.0 to 3.6V Dimension […]
Eufy EverCam Full HD Waterproof WiFi Security Camera Works for Up to a Year on a Single Battery Charge
Wired security cameras can be troublesome to installed due to the cabling required, but luckily there are solutions to avoid all those long cables with solar powered IP cameras, or battery powered IP cameras. A few years ago I wrote about Immedia Blink WiFi HD camera that claimed to last a year on a charge, and despite several complains on Kickstarter, they seem to still be in business. There’s now a more advanced model by Eufy – an Anker brand – that supports 1080p video recording with motion sensing and face recognition, that also lasts up to one year on a charge, and offers free storage. Eufy EverCam specifications: Resolution – 1080p Video Format – H.264 High profile Image Sensor – Sony Exmor IMX323, 1/2 9-inch Field of View (FoV) – 140° Night Vision Range – up to 10 meters Digital Pan & Zoom – Yes, up to 8x Motion […]
Working on High Quality Low Cost DIY 3D Scanning using Structured Light
Hello all, Karl here. I just wanted to send a note about what I have been working on. As the title says shows it is about 3d scanning. I have found it pretty fascinating so far. These are mainly based on structured light 3d scanning. From Wikipedia: Structured light is the process of projecting a known pattern (often grids or horizontal bars) on to a scene. The way that these deform when striking surfaces allows vision systems to calculate the depth and surface information of the objects in the scene, as used in structured light 3D scanners. There are a few commercial offerings that I have run across or have found while searching around but they are very expensive. The first one I ran across was made by Einscan. They are over 1k and have been reviewed a lot. It seems like they put out a good product and keep […]