General - Open Source Hardware

Set Screw: what it is and applications

set screw or stud

There are many screw types on the market, some quite popular and others a bit more exotic for certain specific applications. One of those types is the so called set screw or stud, to which we will dedicate this article to describe everything you need to know about this variety and how it can help you with your DIY projects.

The screw is a very genuine type of screw that is used in some practical applications that I’m sure you have seen on some occasions. For example, the first thing that comes to mind now is in the beacons or streetlights, where they are usually used to hold certain parts of these lights when they come dismantled …

DXF: what you should know about this file format

DXF, file icon

You may have come to this article because you know the DXF files and you need to know more about them, or simply out of curiosity because you didn’t know them. In both cases, I will try to show you all the basics you should know about this important file format in the design field.

Also, you should know that there are many software compatible with this format, and not only AutoCAD can store designs or open them in DXF. In fact, the possibilities are quite numerous…

ASUS Tinker Board: all you need to know

ASUS Tinker Board

ASUS has also joined the Raspberry Pi alternatives with its own SBC (Single Board Computer). And it does so with its ASUS Tinker Board model, a board with higher performance, and somewhat more expensive, than the Pi. Something that could be interesting for those makers who are looking for higher performance for their DIY projects and can’t find it on the Raspi.

However, it also has many similarities with the Raspberry Pi, as the ASUS Tinker Board is also an SBC for assembling your mini PC with which to have a complete computer at a great price and a small size…

Nest Thermostat: Google’s smart home device

Thermostat Nest

The home automation system has gone from being something complex and involving a specific installation in the home to being something affordable and that can be adapted to any house, even those of older construction. Now there are a lot of devices to domotize your home like smart speakers, smart bulbs, programmable plugs, or devices like the Google Nest thermostat.

The Google Nest thermostat can be a good alternative and/or complement to the smart speakers, bringing other advantages and different functions to your home. If you want to discover more about this invention, I invite you to continue reading this guide…

MQTT: an open network protocol and its importance in the IoT

MQTT network protocol IoT

Remember the name MQTT, since it is a network communication protocol type M2M (Machine to Machine) that will sound quite a lot. It is becoming quite popular thanks to the new era of the Internet of Things (IoT). Also, it’s an open protocol, which gives a lot of advantages.

In fact, it has become one of the central pillars of the IoT, as it is quite good in devices with some transmission limitations like these. The acronym MQTT comes from Message Queuing Telemetry Transport, an open standard from OASIS and ISO (ISO/IEC 20922) for network communications and that is usually executed over the famous TCP/IP.

How to update Kodi on all your devices and platforms

Kodi, main screen

Previously known as XBMC (Xbox Media Center), it started as a free implementation of the center of this famous Microsoft console. Kodi is a software to implement a media center, so you can have music, images, video, Internet and some add-ons together in one program. This software has been written using the C++ language, along with Python add-ons. Besides, it is a free and open source project under the GNU GPL v2 license.

It is multi-platform, so it can work on several different devices and operating systems. It can run on GNU/Linux, Android, BSD, macOS, tvOS (Apple TV), Windows, and iOS. In addition, it has been ported to run on various architectures, such as PPC, ARM, x86, so you can run it on SBC boards like the Raspberry Pi as well.

How to make a powerful home metal detector

If you like DIY and adventure, one of the best instruments you can have is a homemade metal detector. With it, you will not only have fun searching the countryside for “hidden treasures”, but also have fun setting up this device with your own hands and following a few simple steps. There are several methods to do this, although some propose to use an old radio that you do not use, but the results will not be as good.

This article proposes a more professional metal detector with higher power that allows you to detect smaller metal parts or those that are located at greater depth. This will avoid you to invest a significant amount of money in a metal detector, which can vary a lot in price. For example, you can find some very cheap ones that will give poor results for about 40 to 4800 euros on some professional products.

RAM types: everything you need to know about main memory

A computer’s RAM memory is one of the most important and most sought-after elements, bringing speed to your system. In addition, there are many types of RAM memory, and each one has certain characteristics that the user must monitor to know if the module is compatible or not with his computer or if it will provide more or less performance. Many of these technical features are completely unknown to most users.

That’s why in this article I show you everything you need to know about RAM, so that the next time you buy a module to expand your computer’s memory it will have no secrets for you. If you want to become an expert in RAM memory, read on…

What is an API

what is an API

You’ll have seen the API acronyms more than once and twice when you read software articles. But not everyone knows what an API really is. That’s why we make it clear in this article. The first thing to say is that it stands for Application Programming Interface. And many times it generates confusion even among those who know something about programming.

For example, Arduino has its own programming API, offering a number of functions that you can use in Arduino IDE or other environments to program the microcontroller to allow you to create your projects. But… could you tell me the difference between a programming library and an API? are there differences between a framework and an API? is an API the same as an ABI? There are many doubts that perhaps continue to generate confusion and that right now we are going to make clear.

ORM (Object Relational Mapping): automates data recording

ORM (database and source code logo)

Have you ever thought about or needed to pass the data of your source code objects in a table of contents or database? It would be very practical to have a tool to be able to do that automatically and not do it manually, right? But for that to be possible, those values should be in the right format. Well, if you need to do this, you must know ORM (Object Relational Mapping).

With ORM the data of your objects will be passed to a correct format to be able to save all that information in a bbdd mapping them. That creates a virtual database where the values that are in the application you have created in your code, and this way ‘string’ are linked to this database to give them persistence and register them in this simple way. This gives the registered information persistence to be able to store, analyze, register or use it later.