Want your own piece of history? Why not build an Enigma machine. This Enigma kit is not a true reproduction since it uses modern components. For example LEDs replace the original lamps, but the operation is the same! “During WWII the German army used Enigma coding machines to encipher most of their radio messages. At the time the Germans were convinced that this machine was unbreakable, but recent history has
Jos van Eijndhoven has proved that high end audio equipment does not have to be bought at a store. His audio DAC (digital to analog converter) is proof that with lots of knowledge and some hard work it can be a DIY project! “Features of this new DAC: * Four separate SPDIF inputs are provided. For now one is configured as optical-in, the other 3 as coax-in. The microcontroller that
Using a card reader that was purchased for $1.50 Mondo Technology used a PIC12F675 to bring it to life. “The unit provides the magnetic head on a spring mechanism along with low level head signal amplifiers and data slicers. Three signal lines comming from the unit provide card presence, clock, and data. When actively reading a card, it draws about 50ma of current at 5 volts.”
If you want a unique pocket watch, you can’t beat this one. You will have to be patience though since it takes some time for the CRT to warm up and show you the time. “The time is displayed on a tiny 3/4” diameter screen at the press of a button. (Well, you do have to wait 10 seconds for the tube to warm up.) This watch is powered by
If you can’t afford to buy something, make it yourself. Full instructions and code are available to make your own computerized embroidery machine. “After seeing some computerized home embroidering/sewing machines in operation, we were intrigued. But they were priced in the range of a good multimedia PC system. We next happened upon a store where a large, costly embroidery system was in operation making large jacket designs. This was in
Philippe Hurbain has created a pneumatic LEGO wheel. This wheel has no electronics and is controlled by two hand pumps, also made from LEGO. There are very detailed construction details available on his site that were created using LeoCAD and some LeoCAD plugins. “The principle is simple: * a piston is pressurized and contract. * this contraction causes an arm to pull out the wheel. This arm pushes on ground
OK this is another Nixie clock right? WRONG! Ryan Brooks has gone old school, he built this clock around 31 year old processor technology! The controller chip is a MOS 6502, unlike modern microcontrollers this CPU requires a host of supporting circuitry and logic for it function. Ryan has all of the details you need to build your own on his site. “So, I wanted a Nixie clock and I
