Information, description of use, datasheets, pinouts, online resources, tutorials and everything needed to learn how to use the main electronic components of our projects.
As important as buying a transistor, a goddess, an intensity regulator or a temperature sensor is to know how to use it, the characteristics it has to know if it is useful in our work and how far we can force it.
For those projects where a conversion from analog to digital signal is needed, and the microcontroller used does not have this capability, it is interesting to have this type of module ADS1115, which provides this ADC conversion capability with 16-bit accuracy.
Furthermore, this electronic component may also be interesting to extend the conversion capabilities, even if the microcontroller you are using for your project has such capability but you need something else.
There are a lot of batteries as you learned with the article about the battery CR2032. You should also know by now that there are modules for Arduino like the TP4056 which is specific for charging batteries. Now, in this new article you will learn more about LiPo batteries. That is, a specific type of lithium battery that is gaining a lot of fame in the market together with the Li-Ion.
I also recommend you to take a look at the article about the battery charger IMAX B6, in which I wrote a section about the most important types of batteries, accumulators and batteries with their differences, advantages and disadvantages. That might help you to understand what is going to be discussed here about LiPo batteries.
Read moreLiPo batteries: the secrets of these lithium batteries
You probably need to add some color to your DIY projects. For this purpose, many makers use the famous WS2812B RGB LED strips, with which you can achieve varied color control and quite attractive lighting effects for your projects. Of course they are fully compatible with Arduino boards, so you will have no problem when trying to integrate them.
You can find them in lengths of 1 meter, for example, although they can vary depending on the type of density of LEDs per meter they have. For example, there are from 30 LEDs to 144 LEDs. However, if you need longer lengths to obtain a larger surface, you also have other options on the market such as RGB panels of LEDs or you can always use several strips .
We have already analyzed everything about the stepper motors that you can use with your Arduino projects, but there is one of those engines that stands out from the rest of the models like the Nema 17, since it is a very precise engine with several applications, among them replacing the broken engine of some 3D printers.
With this stepper motor you will be able to control very precisely the rotation of its axis to make precision movements and thus control the movement of your machine or robot. And in this guide you will get all the information you need to know it closely and start working with it.
Read moreNema 17: all about the Arduino compatible stepper motor
Now that it’s time to be home, to be confined, you can get a homemade pinball machine so you can hang out. You have several options to achieve this, as I will now tell you and making use of everyday development boards such as Arduino or the Raspberry Pi. Maybe you still have certain devices at home for it and enough material to get your hands on it as a good maker.
If you don’t have the ingredients for this recipe, you can buy them online without any problem. These services will remain active during these weeks of confinement by the coronavirus. Therefore, the material will be guaranteed so that you can distract and isolate yourself from what is happening in these difficult times. And once the project is complete, you’ll be able to play a few games with your loved ones…
Read moreHome Pinball: how to become one of these entertainment machines
There are several “flavors” of Arduino, so to speak. Besides Arduino UNO and his big brother Arduino Mega, there are more of these boards. Some of them have very specific characteristics to satisfy all possible needs of the makers. This way they will adapt to all kind of DIY projects. A different one from the above mentioned is Lilypad.
Lilypad is a small open source development board and with some features similar to the board Arduino UNO base, but whose size has been reduced considerably so that it can be adapted to embedded projects, low power consumption, small devices where reducing size is important, and even for home wearables .
If you are working with transistors, there is probably a combination of these semiconductor devices that will interest you. This is the pair of transistors known as Darlington. This configuration is quite interesting for many DIY electronic projects, and you can find them cheaply in the IC ULN2803.
You will be able to find the ULN2803 manufactured by different companies, like the mythical Texas Instruments, or the European STMicroelectronics, etc. And in this guide article, I will try to solve all the doubts about this product, tell you where you can buy it, and how to work with it…
One of the most practical gadgets I’ve tried is the IMAX B6 multi-function charger. A product that can serve you to feed many projects with Raspberry Pi, Arduino, since it allows you to charge different types of batteries that are used in projects of many makers.
All these DIY projects need power, and it’s not always possible to leave the Arduino board connected to the PC’s USB for power or you may need a special type of ‘string’ power supply. It is also sometimes not possible to have a specific type of charger for each battery. With the IMAX B6 charger you can get what you need from everything it has to offer.
If you want to equip your Arduino DIY projects with the ability to detect proximity or motion, and based on that do some kind of action, such as recording an event, turn on a light, set off an alarm, activate a DC motor, etc, then you should know the HC-SR501 sensor.
This sensor uses IR, like other similar types of sensors, and in this guide I will try to explain everything you need to know to start using it from scratch. From its features, to how to integrate HC-SR501 with your Arduino UNO board, to how to integrate it with . Everything in a more practical way to make it as simple as possible.
There are a lot of arcade joystick controllers for video games on the market, some of them for DIY arcade machines, such as those compatible with boards like the Raspberry Pi or with Arduino. They don’t have a high price, so they turn out to be a very interesting device to manage your projects and enjoy them like a child.
Choosing the best of these arcade joysticks is no easy task, as there are many of them, and sometimes the differences between them are conspicuous by their absence. But there are some whose small details can make the difference. If you are interested, you can read on to find out what these controllers are, and how to choose the best ones.
Read moreJoystick Arcade: the best game controllers for your retro projects