Author Archives: R-B

Microsoft brings free Windows 10 for Raspberry Pi 2

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Microsoft has announced that it will give away a free version of Windows 10 that supports Raspberry Pi 2.

Free Windows for Raspberry Pi 2 is coming soon

Free Windows for Raspberry Pi 2 is coming soon

We’re excited to announce that we are expanding our Windows Developer Program for IoT by delivering a version of Windows 10 that supports Raspberry Pi 2. This release of Windows 10 will be free for the Maker community through the Windows Developer Program for IoT.

Windows 10 is the first step to an era of more personal computing. This vision framed our work on Windows 10, where we are moving Windows to a world that is more mobile, natural and grounded in trust. With the Windows for IoT developer program we’re bringing our leading development tools, services and ecosystem to the Raspberry Pi community!

We see the Maker community as an amazing source of innovation for smart, connected devices that represent the very foundation for the next wave of computing, and we’re excited to be a part of this community.

We are excited about our partnership with the Raspberry Pi Foundation and delivering a version of Windows 10 that supports Raspberry Pi 2, and we will be sharing more details about our Windows 10 plans for IoT in the coming months.

 

Meet Teensy LC (low cost)

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Meet the new Teensy LC, a more affordable version of popular Teensy ARM development board and is now available for pre-order for only $$11.65. It features an ARM Cortex-M0+ processor at 48 MHz, 62K Flash, 8K RAM, 12 bit analog input & output, hardware Serial, SPI & I2C, USB, and a total of 27 I/O pins. And most importantly, Teensy-LC maintains the same form-factor as Teensy 3.1, with most pins offering similar peripheral features.

Teensy LC pinouts

Teensy LC pinouts

Most modern projects involve serial communication with sensors, other chips, other systems, or even the internet. Hardware serial ports greatly simplify projects and enable excellent performance.

Teensy-LC provide plenty of serial connectivity: 2 SPI ports, 2 I2C, and 3 Serial ports. All 3 serial ports are supported by high quality drivers in Teensyduino, with both transmit and receive buffering, and even support for RS485 transmitter enable.

Teensy-LC will be ideal for inexpensive “Internet Of Things” projects when paired with a ESP8266 Wifi module, which requires a fast hardware serial or SPI port.

 

Microchip’s new Gesture controller IC

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Microchip Technology has announced the second member of its award-winning and patented GestIC® family. The new MGC3030 3D gesture controller features simplifies user-interface options focused on gesture detection, enabling true one-step design-in of 3D gesture recognition in consumer and embedded devices. Housed in an easy-to-manufacture SSOP28 package, the MGC3030 expands the use of highly sought after 3D gesture control features to high-volume cost-sensitive applications such as toys, audio and lighting.

3D gesture controller

3D gesture controller

The simplicity of gesture-detection integration offered by the MGC3030 is also achieved through Microchip’s free, downloadable AUREA graphical user interface (GUI) and easily configurable general purpose IO ports that even allow for host MCU/processor-free usage. The MGC3030’s on-chip 32-bit digital signal processor executes real-time gesture processing, eliminating the need for external cameras or controllers for host processing, and allowing for faster and more natural user interaction with devices.

Making an audio treasure hunt box

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Treasure hunts are a great adventure to play inside or outside of house. Jasen Smith’s audio treasure hunt box project is a unique variation of this game, where the treasure hunters are given a code to enter into the box, and the box plays a short audio clip containing a clue as to where to look for next. As they arrive at this location, they get a new code, which has to be entered into the box again to get next clue. This continues until the treasure is found.

Treasure hunt box

Treasure hunt box

The wave shield connects to the Arduino board with header pins on the bottom side of the wave board. These pins fit into the pin sockets on the Arduino. Adjacent to the pin holes where these header pins are mounted is a second set of holes that are connected to them. These let you connect external components to the pins on the Arduino. You can solder wires directly to these holes or you can use header pins for removable connections. The kit comes with eight additional header pin connectors. Two of these I soldered to the 5V and GND pin holes. The remaining six I connected to the analog input pins.

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