From Joe's thread on his "Pico 1/2 /Picomite PDB" (https://savagechats.com/index.php?topic=396.0):
Quote from: granz on Jul 11, 2025, 03:34 PMWhile browsing eBay, I found the following sales, and thought about you, and this PicoMite PDB. While these boards are specifically for the Arduino, the components, and ideas, would go well for your board.
I just found these on eBay, and ordered them for my experimenting:
- Multifunction Expansion Board DHT11 LM35 For Arduino UNO 9 in 1 Sensor Shield - https://www.ebay.com/itm/204865329325
- Multi-functional Expansion Development Shield Base Learning Arduino - https://www.ebay.com/itm/204866996021
These are kind of cool, but they have the soldered on male pin headers to plug directly into the Arduino. This blocks the Arduino pins which are not used. They are great for learning, but you cannot use them for more than the included components. You should probably think about that if you directly run PCB traces from the PicoMite to the components, leave connectors for the non-dedicated pins. Or, you could do like the Parallax PDBs and leave all the pins uncommitted, and let the user use hookup wire to connect components. The dedicated PCB traces to the components are easier for beginners, while the undedicated hookup wire connections are better for more advanced users.
Well, I have received these boards, and even though they have the male headers soldered in (they should have used pass-through female headers) I saw one of my Arduino Mega-2560 boards which will hold one of these, and still provide many GPIO pins for further experimenting.
In addition, while at Dollar Tree today, I saw this "wall shelf" (https://www.dollartree.com/small-decorative-hanging-wall-shelves-with-rope-2ct-packs/336687.) This looks like a 5" X 6.75" piece of plywood at about 1/2" thick. It looked like a great little board for mounting Arduino-type projects. We could screw the Arduino, a battery box and a breadboard (some breadboards) to it and have some thing kind of compact to play with.
When I got home, I noticed that I had missed that it was a 2-pack. Since it is a 2-pack, each board will be half as thick as I thought. I may have to use glue, rather than the small screws that I was planning on using. This may end up being a pretty cool little experimenting station for Arduino
playing, err studying. ;D
(https://files.granzeier.com/Downloads/SavageCircuits/ArduinoBoard.jpg)
How does this look? Nothing is stuck down, yet. The breadboard has double-sided sticky tape on the bottom, it should do fine. The Arduino has screw holes for mounting, or I could use the foam tape there, also. The battery box does not have any mounting screws, but I could drill a couple holes for that, or use the tape here, too.
Unfortunately, the board is so thin, that the screws would have to be tiny, and they may not hold well. So, tape (or glue of some kind) may turn out to be the best option. Another option would be to go back to Dollar Tree, and buy some other board.
What do you guys think?
Quote from: granz on Jul 16, 2025, 04:28 PMHow does this look? Nothing is stuck down, yet. The breadboard has double-sided sticky tape on the bottom, it should do fine. What do you guys think?
I'm going to have to check it out from home...you're still blocked at work.
Website_Blocked.jpg
Thanks.
I tried to get with SophosLabs, but they won't help me now - they want me to schedule a meeting. I'll try again tomorrow (heading to my meeting with Brendan in a few minutes.)
Quote from: granz on Jul 16, 2025, 04:28 PM(https://files.granzeier.com/Downloads/SavageCircuits/ArduinoBoard.jpg)
How does this look? Nothing is stuck down, yet. The breadboard has double-sided sticky tape on the bottom, it should do fine. The Arduino has screw holes for mounting, or I could use the foam tape there, also. The battery box does not have any mounting screws, but I could drill a couple holes for that, or use the tape here, too.
Unfortunately, the board is so thin, that the screws would have to be tiny, and they may not hold well. So, tape (or glue of some kind) may turn out to be the best option. Another option would be to go back to Dollar Tree, and buy some other board.
What do you guys think?
Houston We Have A Problem!In your picture you are showing using an Arduino Mega 2560 "clone" board.
You also show using two AA 1.5 Vdc batteries with in a battery holder, the pair of batteries would have a max voltage of about 3 Vdc.
(Maybe the battery holder in your picture has four batteries (2 pairs stacked on top of each other, would a max voltage of about 6 Vdc.)
If you would use 6 AA Vdc batteries, the max voltage would be about
9 Vdc.
As "The Robot" from "Lost In Space" would say "
That does note compute!"
From the Official Arduino Store at https://store-usa.arduino.cc/products/arduino-mega-2560-rev3 (https://store-usa.arduino.cc/products/arduino-mega-2560-rev3)
PowerThe Mega 2560 can be powered via the USB connection or with an external power supply. The power source is selected automatically.
External (non-USB) power can come either from an AC-to-DC adapter (wall-wart) or battery. The adapter can be connected by plugging a 2.1mm center-positive plug into the board's power jack. Leads from a battery can be inserted in the GND and Vin pin headers of the POWER connector.
The board can operate on an external supply of 6 to 20 volts.
If supplied with less than 7V, however, the 5V pin may supply less than five volts and the board may become unstable. If using more than 12V, the voltage regulator may overheat and damage the board. The recommended range is 7 to 12 volts.
The power pins are as follows:
- Vin. The input voltage to the board when it's using an external power source (as opposed to 5 volts from the USB connection or other regulated power source). You can supply voltage through this pin, or, if supplying voltage via the power jack, access it through this pin.
- 5V. This pin outputs a regulated 5V from the regulator on the board. The board can be supplied with power either from the DC power jack (7 - 12V), the USB connector (5V), or the VIN pin of the board (7-12V). Supplying voltage via the 5V or 3.3V pins bypasses the regulator, and can damage your board. We don't advise it.
- 3V3. A 3.3 volt supply generated by the on-board regulator. Maximum current draw is 50 mA.
- GND. Ground pins.
- IOREF. This pin on the board provides the voltage reference with which the microcontroller operates. A properly configured shield can read the IOREF pin voltage and select the appropriate power source or enable voltage translators on the outputs for working with the 5V or 3.3V.
Quote from: zappman on Jul 16, 2025, 07:26 PMHouston We Have A Problem!
In your picture you are showing using an Arduino Mega 2560 "clone" board.
You also show using two AA 1.5 Vdc batteries with in a battery holder, the pair of batteries would have a max voltage of about 3 Vdc.
(Maybe the battery holder in your picture has four batteries (2 pairs stacked on top of each other, would a max voltage of about 6 Vdc.)
If you would use 6 AA Vdc batteries, the max voltage would be about 9 Vdc.
As "The Robot" from "Lost In Space" would say "That does note compute!"
From the Official Arduino Store at https://store-usa.arduino.cc/products/arduino-mega-2560-rev3 (https://store-usa.arduino.cc/products/arduino-mega-2560-rev3)
Power
The Mega 2560 can be powered via the USB connection or with an external power supply. The power source is selected automatically.
External (non-USB) power can come either from an AC-to-DC adapter (wall-wart) or battery. The adapter can be connected by plugging a 2.1mm center-positive plug into the board's power jack. Leads from a battery can be inserted in the GND and Vin pin headers of the POWER connector.
The board can operate on an external supply of 6 to 20 volts. If supplied with less than 7V, however, the 5V pin may supply less than five volts and the board may become unstable. If using more than 12V, the voltage regulator may overheat and damage the board. The recommended range is 7 to 12 volts.
The power pins are as follows:
- Vin. The input voltage to the board when it's using an external power source (as opposed to 5 volts from the USB connection or other regulated power source). You can supply voltage through this pin, or, if supplying voltage via the power jack, access it through this pin.
- 5V. This pin outputs a regulated 5V from the regulator on the board. The board can be supplied with power either from the DC power jack (7 - 12V), the USB connector (5V), or the VIN pin of the board (7-12V). Supplying voltage via the 5V or 3.3V pins bypasses the regulator, and can damage your board. We don't advise it.
- 3V3. A 3.3 volt supply generated by the on-board regulator. Maximum current draw is 50 mA.
- GND. Ground pins.
- IOREF. This pin on the board provides the voltage reference with which the microcontroller operates. A properly configured shield can read the IOREF pin voltage and select the appropriate power source or enable voltage translators on the outputs for working with the 5V or 3.3V.
Good point - I just grabbed the battery holder that was in the same box as the Arduino Mega. Although, I am pretty sure that if I were to plug the wires into the 3.3V pin on the Arduino header socket, it would still work.
No worries, though. It would probably be best to get some kind of Arduino-good power source.
I don't know, maybe I should just get a 7.5VDC wall wart, or something, and use the space for a tiny component box with some LEDs, resistors, etc. Another possibility would be to move the Arduino up a bit, and slip a single-cell 18650-based USB power pack (something like https://www.amazon.com/Tmboryuu-Friendly-Charging-Enclosure-Smartphones - caution, month-long delivery time) in between the Arduino and the breadboard. A small USB type B cable from that power pack to the Arduino would power up the system. Then we could place the component box where the battery is in the picture.
I have so much in the way of development gear (Arduino, as well as others) that I am thinking of maybe giving this away when I am done with it. Maybe I'll use these as door prizes at the meetup. I don't really know - I got it to show Joe (and to make sure that I was right) for some ideas for his PicoMite Professional Development Board (see link above.)
Quote from: granz on Jul 16, 2025, 08:59 PMGood point - I just grabbed the battery holder that was in the same box as the Arduino Mega. Although, I am pretty sure that if I were to plug the wires into the 3.3V pin on the Arduino header socket, it would still work.
I think you meant to say:
"I am pretty sure that if I were to plug the wires into the
3.3V 5.0V pin on the Arduino header socket, it would still work."
The board uses 5V logic levels/power not 3.3V logic levels (yes, some features / ICs on the board run on 3.3V)
I like to use these (https://a.co/d/38UTZ39) on my breadboards.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71v2aByO3ZL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)
Quote from: granz on Jul 16, 2025, 03:27 PMFrom Joe's thread on his "Pico 1/2 /Picomite PDB" (https://savagechats.com/index.php?topic=396.0):
Quote from: granz on Jul 11, 2025, 03:34 PMWhile browsing eBay, I found the following sales, and thought about you, and this PicoMite PDB. While these boards are specifically for the Arduino, the components, and ideas, would go well for your board.
I just found these on eBay, and ordered them for my experimenting:
- Multifunction Expansion Board DHT11 LM35 For Arduino UNO 9 in 1 Sensor Shield - https://www.ebay.com/itm/204865329325
- Multi-functional Expansion Development Shield Base Learning Arduino - https://www.ebay.com/itm/204866996021
These are kind of cool, but they have the soldered on male pin headers to plug directly into the Arduino. This blocks the Arduino pins which are not used. They are great for learning, but you cannot use them for more than the included components. You should probably think about that if you directly run PCB traces from the PicoMite to the components, leave connectors for the non-dedicated pins. Or, you could do like the Parallax PDBs and leave all the pins uncommitted, and let the user use hookup wire to connect components. The dedicated PCB traces to the components are easier for beginners, while the undedicated hookup wire connections are better for more advanced users.
Well, I have received these boards, and even though they have the male headers soldered in (they should have used pass-through female headers) I saw one of my Arduino Mega-2560 boards which will hold one of these, and still provide many GPIO pins for further experimenting.
In addition, while at Dollar Tree today, I saw this "wall shelf" (https://www.dollartree.com/small-decorative-hanging-wall-shelves-with-rope-2ct-packs/336687.) This looks like a 5" X 6.75" piece of plywood at about 1/2" thick. It looked like a great little board for mounting Arduino-type projects. We could screw the Arduino, a battery box and a breadboard (some breadboards) to it and have some thing kind of compact to play with.
When I got home, I noticed that I had missed that it was a 2-pack. Since it is a 2-pack, each board will be half as thick as I thought. I may have to use glue, rather than the small screws that I was planning on using. This may end up being a pretty cool little experimenting station for Arduino playing, err studying. ;D
Looks pretty interesting.
Quote from: zappman on Jul 16, 2025, 09:37 PMQuote from: granz on Jul 16, 2025, 08:59 PMGood point - I just grabbed the battery holder that was in the same box as the Arduino Mega. Although, I am pretty sure that if I were to plug the wires into the 3.3V pin on the Arduino header socket, it would still work.
I think you meant to say:
"I am pretty sure that if I were to plug the wires into the 3.3V 5.0V pin on the Arduino header socket, it would still work."
The board uses 5V logic levels/power not 3.3V logic levels (yes, some features / ICs on the board run on 3.3V)
No, I did say what I meant to say. I may be wrong, but the ATMega 2560 runs at 3.3V, and so I think that it would work.
Any way, it's all academic since I'm not interested enough to try it - I've got too many other things to do. Plus you were right that it should be higher voltage - that is why I have some USB power banks on order to test it out.
Quote from: Chris Savage on Jul 16, 2025, 10:10 PMI like to use these (https://a.co/d/38UTZ39) on my breadboards.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71v2aByO3ZL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)
Yeah, I ordered a few of those, years ago. I was disappointed in that they required USB-A to USB-A cables. These are the only things that I have which require that type of cable. I have dozens of USB-A to USB-mini, dozens of USB-micro, a couple of USB-C and even a couple Apple Lightning cables. Why would they use a cable that is rare, when there are millions of the -micro laying around gathering dust. Unfortunately, when I look for them, I don't find the ones with a micro, or mini, connector on the board.
As far as the 2.5mm barrel connector, I have a couple of those, but nowhere near as many as my -mini and -micro cables. If the industry is producing gazillions of the -micro cables for phones, and other devices, those should be used.
Quote from: JKnightandKARR on Jul 17, 2025, 03:39 AMLooks pretty interesting.
Yeah, I thought so, too. I was also hoping that it would give you some ideas to help with your PicoPDB project. I love those types of dev boards/kits.
Quote from: granz on Jul 17, 2025, 08:29 AMAs far as the 2.5mm barrel connector, I have a couple of those, but nowhere near as many as my -mini and -micro cables. If the industry is producing gazillions of the -micro cables for phones, and other devices, those should be used.
If you click on the
link in my original message, you'll see these come with a small cable that plugs into the barrel jack and has a 9V battery snap. That way you're getting good voltage and it still remains portable.
Quote from: Chris Savage on Jul 16, 2025, 10:10 PMI like to use these (https://a.co/d/38UTZ39) on my breadboards.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71v2aByO3ZL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)
Yes, those boards are great!
As the picture shows:
Input voltage on the 2.5mm barrel connector: DC 6.5~9v
Output Voltage on Header Pins: 3.3v
Output Voltage on Header Pins: 5v
The Female USB connector on the board is labeled "USB interface to power external device"; so it i
s an OUTPUT connector.
Quote from: granz on Jul 17, 2025, 08:31 AMQuote from: JKnightandKARR on Jul 17, 2025, 03:39 AMLooks pretty interesting.
Yeah, I thought so, too. I was also hoping that it would give you some ideas to help with your PicoPDB project. I love those types of dev boards/kits.
Maybe, right not got my RP500 project on my mind.
Quote from: zappman on Jul 17, 2025, 10:01 AMThe Female USB connector on the board is labeled "USB interface to power external device"; so it is an OUTPUT connector.
Ah, yes! You are correct; on this model the USB-A is for output. I missed that, just thought back to the ones that I purchased - on those boards the USB-B was for input. I would still like one like this, except for the USB-A
output connector being replaced with a USB-micro
input.
Of course, on this project, it is immaterial; the Arduino should provide power to the breadboard, or else you would need two power cords (or one with two connectors.) The Arduino accepts power through the USB connector, or the 2.5mm barrel connector.
The best way to power this thing would be to use the standard USB cable from the PC to power the system while developing. Then you would remove the computer's USB cable and replace it with the power pack's USB cable for unattended/unconnected operation.
Actually, if we have the USB power pack, and add in the super-capacitor (https://savagechats.com/index.php?topic=364.msg1892#msg1892) the program could even survive the disconnect of the USB power from the computer and to the power pack.
Well, I just received the 18650 flat-tops. Still waiting on the carriers/chargers.
I just noticed that these do not say if they are over- under-charge protected. :( I need to check on that.
Okay, whew! I was able to find that they are protected:
Quote from: Amazon Seller Yuntunele【Battery Protection】 Built with six layers of protection – temperature control, short circuit prevention, overcharge safeguard, and overcurrent defense – our battery maintains stability and reliability. It's a high-performance, durable replacement for worn-out or faulty batteries. Store it in a cool, dry place for extended life.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR69WZ1L
Quote from: granz on Jul 17, 2025, 04:46 PMOkay, whew! I was able to find that they are protected:
Quote from: Amazon Seller Yuntunele【Battery Protection】 Built with six layers of protection – temperature control, short circuit prevention, overcharge safeguard, and overcurrent defense – our battery maintains stability and reliability. It's a high-performance, durable replacement for worn-out or faulty batteries. Store it in a cool, dry place for extended life.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR69WZ1L
Interesting, I thought the battery chargers did that, but nothing wrong with built in protection.
Quote from: JKnightandKARR on Jul 17, 2025, 07:58 PMQuote from: granz on Jul 17, 2025, 04:46 PMOkay, whew! I was able to find that they are protected:
Quote from: Amazon Seller Yuntunele【Battery Protection】 Built with six layers of protection – temperature control, short circuit prevention, overcharge safeguard, and overcurrent defense – our battery maintains stability and reliability. It's a high-performance, durable replacement for worn-out or faulty batteries. Store it in a cool, dry place for extended life.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR69WZ1L
Interesting, I thought the battery chargers did that, but nothing wrong with built in protection.
Yeah, some chargers do just that. But not all of them. Fortunately LiIon cell manufacturers apparently got tired of people not knowing enough to stop charging before the battery blew up. So, they started putting that kind of protection into the individual cells themselves.
Quote from: granz on Jul 17, 2025, 09:10 PMQuote from: JKnightandKARR on Jul 17, 2025, 07:58 PMQuote from: granz on Jul 17, 2025, 04:46 PMOkay, whew! I was able to find that they are protected:
Quote from: Amazon Seller Yuntunele【Battery Protection】 Built with six layers of protection – temperature control, short circuit prevention, overcharge safeguard, and overcurrent defense – our battery maintains stability and reliability. It's a high-performance, durable replacement for worn-out or faulty batteries. Store it in a cool, dry place for extended life.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR69WZ1L
Interesting, I thought the battery chargers did that, but nothing wrong with built in protection.
Yeah, some chargers do just that. But not all of them. Fortunately LiIon cell manufacturers apparently got tired of people not knowing enough to stop charging before the battery blew up. So, they started putting that kind of protection into the individual cells themselves.
That's a good idea.
Quote from: JKnightandKARR on Jul 19, 2025, 11:54 AMThat's a good idea.
Agreed, I would rather not have my LiIon cells catch fire. Apparently, there have been a couple (or maybe only one) PicoCalc that had the battery catch fire. The guy plugged the charging cable to the wrong (unprotected) port, and left it in too long. Using the correct (protected) port, or using protected cells prevents fires (so, apparently not only
I can prevent forest fires - sorry Smokey. ;) )
Quote from: granz on Jul 19, 2025, 02:07 PMQuote from: JKnightandKARR on Jul 19, 2025, 11:54 AMThat's a good idea.
Agreed, I would rather not have my LiIon cells catch fire. Apparently, there have been a couple (or maybe only one) PicoCalc that had the battery catch fire. The guy plugged the charging cable to the wrong (unprotected) port, and left it in too long. Using the correct (protected) port, or using protected cells prevents fires (so, apparently not only I can prevent forest fires - sorry Smokey. ;) )
Theres been alot of issues thats for sure.
The power banks arrived:
(https://files.granzeier.com/Downloads/SavageCircuits/Pwr-Bank.jpeg)
Hah! I missed the part about these being power
banks. There is no power switch, and (did not notice until I put the lid on one for the photo shoot ::) ) once the lid goes on, it does not come off. >:( So, this is a no-go for this project.
(https://files.granzeier.com/Downloads/SavageCircuits/PoweredBoard.jpeg)
And, double-hah! This thing is way bigger than I thought. There is no way that this is going to fit on this board. Need a bigger board, or a smaller power source. Even the 18650 bank without a case is too big.
Quote from: granz on Jul 16, 2025, 08:59 PMI don't know, maybe I should just get a 7.5VDC wall wart, or something, and use the space for a tiny component box with some LEDs, resistors, etc.
Yeah, that may just be best for me to use a simple USB-B, or a 7.5 VDC, wall-wart for powering this thing. The USB-B would only work for an Arduino Mega, but if I swapped it out for a different Arduino, I would have to swap the power cord as well - not a big deal.
I thought about turning the board 90°, but the breadboard won't fit that way. Next, I thought that the breadboard doesn't have to be the big 830-hole one, but could be the smaller "half-sized" breadboard. So, I snuck in a few of those smaller boards into one of my other orders. They came in yesterday, and now the board looks like this:
(https://files.granzeier.com/Downloads/SavageCircuits/Arduino-Dev%20Kit.jpeg)
Nothing is glued down yet, but it gives an idea of what it could look like. If the breadboard is pushed all the way to the right, there is enough room for a tiny storage compartment (about 1.5" X 3") for components. Actually, I just tried it, and the breadboard can be rotated 90° and that gives room for a storage compartment of about 3" square. Time to fire up the old printer and make a small storage case - I like the sliding lid on the Tiny Breadboard Dev Kit (https://savagechats.com/index.php?topic=444.0). Maybe I'll copy, and enlarge that.
I decided that I wanted to keep the Arduino Mega. So, there are now two Arduino Unos on order. In addition to them being pretty cheap, they are smaller, leaving a bit more space on the board. They are also a bit more standard, less differences for the beginner.
Will update when they get in.
Quote from: granz on Aug 06, 2025, 06:25 AMSo, there are now two Arduino Unos on order.
I have UNOs on my development boards, however, for one-off or permanent projects I find the Arduino Nano is the best bang for the buck, since it is smaller and doesn't have all the overhead in connectivity / shield components. In terms of code compatibility, they're the same.
Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 06, 2025, 09:25 AMQuote from: granz on Aug 06, 2025, 06:25 AMSo, there are now two Arduino Unos on order.
I have UNOs on my development boards, however, for one-off or permanent projects I find the Arduino Nano is the best bang for the buck, since it is smaller and doesn't have all the overhead in connectivity / shield components. In terms of code compatibility, they're the same.
Absolutely. There are several Nanos, but very few Unos, in my stock (thus needing to order them.) I actually prefer Nanos for my dev work, due to their breadboard-friendly footprint. I chose the Unos, for beginners, due to the shields, and the more unusual layout.
Quote from: granz on Aug 06, 2025, 12:18 PMAbsolutely. There are several Nanos, but very few Unos, in my stock (thus needing to order them.) I actually prefer Nanos for my dev work, due to their breadboard-friendly footprint. I chose the Unos, for beginners, due to the shields, and the more unusual layout.
20250210_002340_640x480.jpg
I'm using Nanos here because they're going to be used in the prototypes. But for
experimenting, I tend to use the UNO, since it's mounted to a board with a separate breadboard and power (and even a Raspberry Pi).
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61NKtUgq1bL._AC_SL1000_.jpg)
Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 06, 2025, 01:09 PMI'm using Nanos here because they're going to be used in the prototypes. But for experimenting, I tend to use the UNO, since it's mounted to a board with a separate breadboard and power (and even a Raspberry Pi).
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61NKtUgq1bL._AC_SL1000_.jpg)
I like this system; found one on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/SunFounder-Raspberry-Breadboard-solderless-Circuit/dp/B07ZYR7R8X $13.99 with all the extra parts - breadboard, jumpers, GPIO cable, GPIO breakout board, screws & driver, some LEDs and resistors and rubber feet! 8) ) that somehow found its way into my "buy now" cart :P . For some strange reason, it just got itself ordered - I should receive it tomorrow. ;D
Quote from: granz on Aug 06, 2025, 05:20 PMI like this system; found one on Amazon
20250806_201928.jpg
That's actually the one I have...I was at work so I posted a random one from Amazon. However, now that I'm home, I was able to take these photos...you might recognize my messy bench. ;)
20250806_201938.jpg
Both are SUNFOUNDER from Amazon...this one just has an UNO on it.
20250806_201943.jpg
This one also has a Raspberry Pi Model B as well as the UNO. Both have the breadboard power supplies I previously showed.
Those are pretty nice. I was planning on getting the one without all the extras, because it is a whole $3 cheaper. But then I started counting up all the stuff that is included in the one that I did purchase (the stuff from above) - the breadboard alone is worth more than the $3. :o
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/812lhPVCEhL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)
It is supposed to arrive today.
Quote from: granz on Aug 07, 2025, 06:41 AMI was planning on getting the one without all the extras, because it is a whole $3 cheaper. But then I started counting up all the stuff that is included in the one that I did purchase (the stuff from above) - the breadboard alone is worth more than the $3. :o
Apologies for the confusion. I didn't get the one with the extras, simply because I already have so many extras. However, these are the same mounting board, which I also find very useful.
Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 07, 2025, 10:38 AMQuote from: granz on Aug 07, 2025, 06:41 AMI was planning on getting the one without all the extras, because it is a whole $3 cheaper. But then I started counting up all the stuff that is included in the one that I did purchase (the stuff from above) - the breadboard alone is worth more than the $3. :o
Apologies for the confusion. I didn't get the one with the extras, simply because I already have so many extras. However, these are the same mounting board, which I also find very useful.
Yeah, the thing came in today. It looks pretty good, but with my son, and daughter-in-law, here today, I haven't gotten much chance to look at it.
In addition to all the other stuff I have, my youngest son is getting married in Dec, and their wedding theme is the movie "Up." I have been trying to print something from that movie, but having troubles with the prints. Currently printing a Benchy, to see if the trouble is with my printer, or the "Up" files that I have been trying.
Well, just checked again, and Benchy - which printed perfectly as my first print - is total trash. :'( I already cleaned the print bed with alcohol, next is to try glue stick. If that doesn't work, time to check other possibilities.
Also, I found, and purchased, another Monoprice Voxel, for $100. It is in Cleveland, and does not offer shipping. Peter said that he can pick it up. Hopefully, the seller will give me the address soon; Peter is coming to Pittsburgh Saturday, and he is supposed to bring it with him.
I purchased 2 of these at Micro Center today. (no breadboard or components)
https://www.microcenter.com/product/632041/52pi-abs-experiment-holder-platform
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61NKtUgq1bL._AC_SL1000_.jpg)
Quote from: zappman on Aug 19, 2025, 08:27 PMI purchased 2 of these at Micro Center today. (no breadboard or components)
...
Yes, that is almost exactly like the one that I ordered, and received.
The ones from Amazon were $10 for the empty platform, and $3 more for the breadboard, some LEDs and resistors, a bunch of jumper wires, the screwdriver with mounting screws, the Pi breakout board with ribbon cable and the rubber feet. Like I mentioned above, the breadboard alone is usually more than the $3, so I got the full-blown version.
I have mixed feelings about mine, in some ways it is pretty good; not so much in other ways. We'll have to see what happens to it.
Quote from: zappman on Aug 19, 2025, 08:27 PMI purchased 2 of these at Micro Center today. (no breadboard or components)
Nice price! Especially for local pickup! 8)
Yeah, $8 is pretty good. I'll have to see what kind of stuff I can print; see if that is any better (of course, it will match my needs/desires perfectly, but I mean better in strength, cost, etc.)
Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 20, 2025, 12:36 PMQuote from: zappman on Aug 19, 2025, 08:27 PMI purchased 2 of these at Micro Center today. (no breadboard or components)
Nice price! Especially for local pickup! 8)
I agree. But, if I had not been
following the discussion in this thread :) , I would NOT have known these bread boarding mounting plates existed ??? . So, I would have missed out on purchasing and using them :( . I am
happy I saw & purchased them in Micro Center ;D .
Quote from: zappman on Aug 20, 2025, 09:03 PMI agree. But, if I had not been following the discussion in this thread :) , I would NOT have known these bread boarding mounting plates existed ??? . So, I would have missed out on purchasing and using them :( . I am happy I saw & purchased them in Micro Center ;D .
Micro Center is a great place, but it has so much great stuff that it can be easy to miss some of the deals. The ads that I get from them normally concentrate on the computers, and other stuff, but skip the electronics stuff that I normally purchase. :'( They need to create a maker-specific flyer (paper, or e-mail.)
Quote from: granz on Aug 21, 2025, 06:43 AMMicro Center is a great place, but it has so much great stuff that it can be easy to miss some of the deals. The ads that I get from them normally concentrate on the computers, and other stuff, but skip the electronics stuff that I normally purchase. :'( They need to create a maker-specific flyer (paper, or e-mail.)
I've never been to a Micro Center, so I can't really draw a comparison, but when I moved to CA to work at Parallax, I was introduced to Fry's Electronics! To say it was Radio Shack on steroids is a gross understatement! Of the three stores I visited in my time out there, the sections for electronics, microcontrollers and related tools would have taken up more space than most Radio Shack stores had in total!
Do you know how much self control it takes
NOT to buy something when you were in Fry's Electronics?!? Me neither, because I
always left with something! I would go in just to get a USB HD case or memory card and walk out with a cart! Fry's had all the electronics parts that Radio Shack had, but in larger quantities. Need an IC? They had a huge section of NTE parts, plus most microcontrollers.
I'm getting nostalgic just thinking about it...
Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 21, 2025, 07:58 AMI've never been to a Micro Center, so I can't really draw a comparison, but when I moved to CA to work at Parallax, I was introduced to Fry's Electronics! To say it was Radio Shack on steroids is a gross understatement! Of the three stores I visited in my time out there, the sections for electronics, microcontrollers and related tools would have taken up more space than most Radio Shack stores had in total!
Do you know how much self control it takes NOT to buy something when you were in Fry's Electronics?!? Me neither, because I always left with something! I would go in just to get a USB HD case or memory card and walk out with a cart! Fry's had all the electronics parts that Radio Shack had, but in larger quantities. Need an IC? They had a huge section of NTE parts, plus most microcontrollers.
I'm getting nostalgic just thinking about it...
I did manage to go to a Fry's Electronics store, once. Unfortunately, it was while we were in San Diego for my son's wedding, and
everyone was pushing for me to hurry up! Cash was also tight, since we had to get the whole family from Pittsburgh to San Diego - not cheap! :( Not a good way to explore.
I don't remember whether I was able to buy anything, or not, but it was enormous! I regret that they have shut down, and I wish that Micro Center was closer.
On the plus side, since my son, Peter, lives in Cleveland, it gives me reason to go visiting Cleveland (and of course, we
have to make a side trip to Micro Center. ;) )
Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 21, 2025, 07:58 AMI've never been to a Micro Center
From the church where we are meeting, next month, it is just over an additional 1.5 hrs (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/503+North+Main+Street+Extension,+Meadville,+PA+16335/Micro+Center,+SOM+Center+Road,+Mayfield+Heights,+OH/
Quote from: granz on Aug 21, 2025, 11:59 AMQuote from: Chris Savage on Aug 21, 2025, 07:58 AMI've never been to a Micro Center
From the church where we are meeting, next month, it is just over an additional 1.5 hrs
TEASE! :P
Yep, it's good to experience new (as in: "never been to a Micro Center") things every now and then. 8)
LOL. ;D
Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 06, 2025, 11:36 PM20250806_201938.jpg
Well, checking out sites with 3D print files, there are a whole lot of these available. I've been perusing Thingaverse, and have looked at over 1000 breadboard-related prints. The vast majority of them have been variations on these SunFounder (and other) trays (although a couple of them are related to slicing bread :o .) I haven't seen anything that particularly grabbed my attention, however several did come close.
So, I'm going to fork my project here. The new fork will be for my dream dev board, and it is going to be documented/discussed here: https://savagechats.com/index.php?topic=448.0
For continuing this thread, I will just put together two simple dev boards with the material that I already have. Then we can hand those boards out at the meetup.
Well, here they are:
(https://files.granzeier.com/Downloads/SavageCircuits/Arduino%20Dev%20Kits.jpeg)
You can see that I put the two shields (mentioned in my first post in this thread) on the Arduinos. They look nice, and should make some nice additions for the people who "win" the boards.
The blank space at the top of the boards will contain a small case:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61zdb91q-rL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)
These boxes are from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXXYS2P7 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXXYS2P7),) and will just fit on the board above the power pack. They will hold a few components, and some jumper wires.
These look like they will be nice give-aways for the meetup.
I received ONE of these cases - somehow I got it into my head that they were in sets of three. :( That makes them three times as expensive as I thought. Oh well, $6 isn't all that bad; so another case is on order right now.
As you can see, they fit perfectly (although they do hang off the top edge of the board by about 1/16th of an inch - if I were to do this again I would move the other stuff down a tiny bit.)
(https://files.granzeier.com/Downloads/SavageCircuits/ArduBoards.jpeg)
I think that they look pretty good (other than the garbage on my lens. ::) )
I'll add a few jumper wires, some LEDs with resistors and maybe a few other components to the box. Hopefully, that will get some beginner started in a new hobby, and maybe even a new career.
I think that this can be marked as completed.
I really need to remember to re-read this thread after I'm home. I read it here and it's marked read. Then I get home and forget. At work I cannot see the photos.
Reminder text message scheduled for 7:00PM. It will automatically go out then. 8)
Quote from: granz on Aug 27, 2025, 05:35 PMReminder text message scheduled for 7:00PM. It will automatically go out then. 8)
I got it. And though I was eating at the time, I did go upstairs after and look at this thread. I was able to see your photos from home. Apparently, Spectrum doesn't consider your site to be a threat. LOL :P
Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 28, 2025, 08:02 AMQuote from: granz on Aug 27, 2025, 05:35 PMReminder text message scheduled for 7:00PM. It will automatically go out then. 8)
I got it. And though I was eating at the time, I did go upstairs after and look at this thread. I was able to see your photos from home. Apparently, Spectrum doesn't consider your site to be a threat. LOL :P
I actually ran check programs (from several different sites) against my site - all showed that my site, itself, was clean. Only eight, out of ninety-seven, test sites showed that my
email was marked as phishing. I checked through most of my email accounts (there are a couple of addresses that I did not check because they were given to friends.) But there is no sign of any phishing from any of my addresses.
I'm not sure what to do from here. :(
Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 28, 2025, 08:02 AM...I was able to see your photos from home. Apparently, Spectrum doesn't consider your site to be a threat.
So, what do you think?
Actually, I'm thinking of putting them up for sale (maybe $30-$60) but offer them to some people as freebies. Maybe some people will believe that the things are worth that much (you always treat things better when they seem expensive,) or maybe I'll get a few bucks out of them.
Quote from: granz on Aug 28, 2025, 12:55 PMSo, what do you think?
Well, I think you should do what works for you. I think you've got something there. But only trying it out publicly will let you know how much interest there is. I don't do that as much these days. The lack of forum participation (on
three forums) has made me wonder where the hobbyists have all gone (as we discussed in another thread).
I learned something as an engineer; it was completely proven when I worked at Parallax. If you give an engineer a task, you generally end up with a decent product. Give
three engineers the same task, and you get three completely different products.
So, while it would be something I could see people buying, I originally built mine differently. Of course, after interest dropped, I decided to keep my two prototypes and use them myself. Those blue boards with the breadboard, Arduino and a dual power supply were something I was trying to use to get some locals interested in electronics. As for power I have several wall adapters I got for around $3.00 / each from Amazon and my power supplies also came with an adapter to use a 9V battery.
Finally, everyone I know these days has a battery bank for charging their phone (since some people can't put them down...EVER), and so you can optionally power it from that. I have
two battery banks; one for my phone / tablet, which also supports wireless charging and another one I use strictly for mobile power.
Of course, the meet up is the first time I will be mobilizing things since I settled back down, and I sure didn't prepare for that. But we'll see what happens. :-[
Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 28, 2025, 01:13 PMWell, I think you should do what works for you. I think you've got something there. But only trying it out publicly will let you know how much interest there is.
Oh, I don't really intend to sell them. Just that if I get some money from one, or both, I'm not going to complain.
Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 28, 2025, 01:13 PMI learned something as an engineer; it was completely proven when I worked at Parallax. If you give an engineer a task, you generally end up with a decent product. Give three engineers the same task, and you get three completely different products.
At least... We saw that in watching the design of the Propeller 2. :(
Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 28, 2025, 01:13 PMOf course, the meet up is the first time I will be mobilizing things since I settled back down, and I sure didn't prepare for that. But we'll see what happens. :-[
Yep, I'm really looking forward to it.
Quote from: granz on Aug 28, 2025, 05:10 PMAt least... We saw that in watching the design of the Propeller 2. :(
Feature creep is the bane of the design process. And when you've got a whole forum of people asking for features, well...when a design takes so long (years) and costs so much money to realize, you have to make cuts elsewhere. I was one of those cuts.
Looks good Granz, and Chris, that's SAD.....
Quote from: JKnightandKARR on Aug 28, 2025, 11:42 PMLooks good Granz, and Chris, that's SAD.....
To be fair, I wasn't the only one. But I was one of those people that used to be told how much of an integral part of the company I was; how invaluable I was. But, I guess if you're going to shoot yourself in the foot, you need to amputate the limb.
My feature-creep stage was in 1988-1993 when I was writing programs on the Commodore 64. Sadly, when you're consistently hitting the limitations of the hardware with the features, you're overthinking it. I am much more concise in my approach these days, which is why, despite numerous "objects" on the Propeller to do much of what I wanted to do, I tended to write my own to K.I.S.S. as well as eliminate unnecessary delays often written into drivers.
Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 29, 2025, 08:48 AMQuote from: JKnightandKARR on Aug 28, 2025, 11:42 PMLooks good Granz, and Chris, that's SAD.....
To be fair, I wasn't the only one. But I was one of those people that used to be told how much of an integral part of the company I was; how invaluable I was. But, I guess if you're going to shoot yourself in the foot, you need to amputate the limb.
My feature-creep stage was in 1988-1993 when I was writing programs on the Commodore 64. Sadly, when you're consistently hitting the limitations of the hardware with the features, you're overthinking it. I am much more concise in my approach these days, which is why, despite numerous "objects" on the Propeller to do much of what I wanted to do, I tended to write my own to K.I.S.S. as well as eliminate unnecessary delays often written into drivers.
Oh I bet, that's why I want to get better at electronics n be my own "Electronics Engineer" even though it would be unofficial, just a "In My World" thing.
Quote from: granz on Aug 27, 2025, 04:00 PMI received ONE of these cases - somehow I got it into my head that they were in sets of three. :( That makes them three times as expensive as I thought. Oh well, $6 isn't all that bad; so another case is on order right now.
Well, I received the other case, so both kits are now done, and their components are loaded into the boxes:
(https://files.granzeier.com/Downloads/SavageCircuits/Arduino%20Dev%20Kit%20Components.jpeg)
The components are:
- 4 Each of M-M, M-F and F-F jumper wires
- 2 Each of red, yellow and green LEDS
- 6 360 ohm resistors for LEDs
- 1 Breadboard speaker
- 3 Each pushbutton switches
(https://files.granzeier.com/Downloads/SavageCircuits/Arduino%20Dev%20Kit%20w%20Components.jpeg)
The components fit nicely.
Quote from: granz on Aug 29, 2025, 09:04 PMQuote from: granz on Aug 27, 2025, 04:00 PMI received ONE of these cases - somehow I got it into my head that they were in sets of three. :( That makes them three times as expensive as I thought. Oh well, $6 isn't all that bad; so another case is on order right now.
Well, I received the other case, so both kits are now done, and their components are loaded into the boxes:
(https://files.granzeier.com/Downloads/SavageCircuits/Arduino%20Dev%20Kit%20Components.jpeg)
The components are:
- 4 Each of M-M, M-F and F-F jumper wires
- 2 Each of red, yellow and green LEDS
- 6 360 ohm resistors for LEDs
- 1 Breadboard speaker
- 3 Each pushbutton switches
(https://files.granzeier.com/Downloads/SavageCircuits/Arduino%20Dev%20Kit%20w%20Components.jpeg)
The components fit nicely.
Still not too bad vs other stuff out there.
Quote from: JKnightandKARR on Aug 29, 2025, 11:04 PMStill not too bad vs other stuff out there.
Yeah, I'm guessing that they're worth about $50-$75 each. I think that I'll put that price tag on them, but still give them away.
Quote from: granz on Aug 30, 2025, 07:34 AMQuote from: JKnightandKARR on Aug 29, 2025, 11:04 PMStill not too bad vs other stuff out there.
Yeah, I'm guessing that they're worth about $50-$75 each. I think that I'll put that price tag on them, but still give them away.
Wonder what would be before the whole everything went up crap??
Quote from: JKnightandKARR on Aug 30, 2025, 08:33 PMQuote from: granz on Aug 30, 2025, 07:34 AMQuote from: JKnightandKARR on Aug 29, 2025, 11:04 PMStill not too bad vs other stuff out there.
Yeah, I'm guessing that they're worth about $50-$75 each. I think that I'll put that price tag on them, but still give them away.
Wonder what would be before the whole everything went up crap??
According to Bankrate.com: (https://www.bankrate.com/banking/federal-reserve/latest-inflation-statistics/)
Quote from: bankrate.comConsumers pay more close attention to cumulative inflation, and prices are 24.3% more expensive today than they were before the coronavirus pandemic recession began in February 2020.
I was guessing about 20%-25%, so I was pretty close. 8)
So, my prices today should have been about $40-$60 prior to the government trying to destroy the country using CoVid as the excuse.
Quote from: granz on Aug 31, 2025, 06:18 AMQuote from: JKnightandKARR on Aug 30, 2025, 08:33 PMQuote from: granz on Aug 30, 2025, 07:34 AMQuote from: JKnightandKARR on Aug 29, 2025, 11:04 PMStill not too bad vs other stuff out there.
Yeah, I'm guessing that they're worth about $50-$75 each. I think that I'll put that price tag on them, but still give them away.
Wonder what would be before the whole everything went up crap??
According to Bankrate.com: (https://www.bankrate.com/banking/federal-reserve/latest-inflation-statistics/)
Quote from: bankrate.comConsumers pay more close attention to cumulative inflation, and prices are 24.3% more expensive today than they were before the coronavirus pandemic recession began in February 2020.
I was guessing about 20%-25%, so I was pretty close. 8)
So, my prices today should have been about $40-$60 prior to the government trying to destroy the country using CoVid as the excuse.
It's BS that prices went up, I thought Trump was going to take care of this, so far, I'm not seeing anything... Really went up when Stupid/Worthlessette got in office.
Quote from: JKnightandKARR on Aug 31, 2025, 10:45 AMIt's BS that prices went up, I thought Trump was going to take care of this, so far, I'm not seeing anything... Really went up when Stupid/Worthlessette got in office.
Keep in mind that most of what you can get on Amazon and everything from AliExpress is from overseas, so subject to the illegal tariffs, which I think are like 50% currently.
Quote from: Chris Savage on Sep 01, 2025, 12:49 AMQuote from: JKnightandKARR on Aug 31, 2025, 10:45 AMIt's BS that prices went up, I thought Trump was going to take care of this, so far, I'm not seeing anything... Really went up when Stupid/Worthlessette got in office.
Keep in mind that most of what you can get on Amazon and everything from AliExpress is from overseas, so subject to the illegal tariffs, which I think are like 50% currently.
I know, sadly... I don't agree with those....
Quote from: JKnightandKARR on Sep 01, 2025, 09:47 AMQuote from: Chris Savage on Sep 01, 2025, 12:49 AMQuote from: JKnightandKARR on Aug 31, 2025, 10:45 AMIt's BS that prices went up, I thought Trump was going to take care of this, so far, I'm not seeing anything... Really went up when Stupid/Worthlessette got in office.
Keep in mind that most of what you can get on Amazon and everything from AliExpress is from overseas, so subject to the illegal tariffs, which I think are like 50% currently.
I know, sadly... I don't agree with those....
Why? When China (and many other countries) have up to %500 tariffs on our stuff, plus government support to people selling to us. These tariffs are just trying to level out the playing field.
Quote from: granz on Sep 01, 2025, 10:46 AMQuote from: JKnightandKARR on Sep 01, 2025, 09:47 AMQuote from: Chris Savage on Sep 01, 2025, 12:49 AMQuote from: JKnightandKARR on Aug 31, 2025, 10:45 AMIt's BS that prices went up, I thought Trump was going to take care of this, so far, I'm not seeing anything... Really went up when Stupid/Worthlessette got in office.
Keep in mind that most of what you can get on Amazon and everything from AliExpress is from overseas, so subject to the illegal tariffs, which I think are like 50% currently.
I know, sadly... I don't agree with those....
Why? When China (and many other countries) have up to %500 tariffs on our stuff, plus government support to people selling to us. These tariffs are just trying to level out the playing field.
That makes sense, I just wish crap would drop in price..
Quote from: granz on Sep 01, 2025, 10:46 AMWhy? When China (and many other countries) have up to %500 tariffs on our stuff, plus government support to people selling to us. These tariffs are just trying to level out the playing field.
Average tariff amount from China on us is ~32%, but the problem I have is two-fold; the tariffs are causing chaos in the markets and also, we the people, pay the tariffs on U.S. goods. I think taxes are too high already, so paying more is not acceptable. Besides, I know what's going to happen after the tariffs are shut down...the prices aren't going to go down. Corporations will leave the prices at where we're used to paying and pocket the extra profits.
Quote from: JKnightandKARR on Sep 01, 2025, 05:14 PMThat makes sense, I just wish crap would drop in price..
See my previous post for why I don't think the prices will go back to where they were before the tariff war. But I think we're all familiar with Adafruit, right? When this tariff war started, look how much Adafruit had to pay to get their order in when this first started. Some smaller companies went under from it all, as they couldn't afford the tariffs to get their product in.
High tariffs become 'real' with our first $36K bill (https://blog.adafruit.com/2025/05/08/high-tariffs-become-real-with-our-first-36k-bill/)
Quote from: Chris Savage on Sep 01, 2025, 10:17 PMQuote from: JKnightandKARR on Sep 01, 2025, 05:14 PMThat makes sense, I just wish crap would drop in price..
See my previous post for why I don't think the prices will go back to where they were before the tariff war. But I think we're all familiar with Adafruit, right? When this tariff war started, look how much Adafruit had to pay to get their order in when this first started. Some smaller companies went under from it all, as they couldn't afford the tariffs to get their product in.
High tariffs become 'real' with our first $36K bill (https://blog.adafruit.com/2025/05/08/high-tariffs-become-real-with-our-first-36k-bill/)
ok will look later
Quote from: JKnightandKARR on Sep 02, 2025, 10:49 PMok will look later
It's all good. You don't need to respond. I was just stating how things are and giving an example. I haven't purchased much online since this whole thing started.
Quote from: Chris Savage on Sep 04, 2025, 11:25 AMQuote from: JKnightandKARR on Sep 02, 2025, 10:49 PMok will look later
It's all good. You don't need to respond. I was just stating how things are and giving an example. I haven't purchased much online since this whole thing started.
Sounds like, all of them need to go everyplace, but not going to happen...