Arduino

As the preeminent tool for makers, Arduino is a versatile platform that covers almost every type of creative making. With its simple-to-use coding language and fun programming concepts, Arduino enables users to create modern electronics with ease. From beginner level projects like flashing LED lights to more advanced builds such as interactive robots, there are an endless number of possibilities when it comes to building projects with Arduino. Whether you are new or an experienced builder in search of fresh ideas, these posts will provide interesting Arduino tutorials and unique ideas that may spark your creativity and motivate you take on any type of maker project!

Arduino Shield Makes 8-Pin Chip Programming a Snap

Arduino Shield Makes 8-Pin Chip Programming a Snap

I was delighted to see the positive reaction to my latest video, Shrinkify Your Arduino Projects, which is based on a tutorial by MIT Media Lab’s High-Low Tech Group. Their tutorial walks you through the process of not only using the Arduino as a programmer for 8-pin ATtiny chips, but also how to use Arduino code and the Arduino IDE to program them. In order to make this process easier, Randy Sarafan created an Arduino shield for programming these diminutive chips. Head over to his Instructable to get the board and learn to build your own!

Continue Reading Matt Richardson6
How-To: Shrinkify Your Arduino Projects

How-To: Shrinkify Your Arduino Projects

If you have a simple Arduino project that uses only a few pins, you might be able to shrink it down to a single 8-pin ATtiny chip. In this video, Matt Richardson shows you how, based on a tutorial from MIT Media Lab’s High-Low Tech Group. The best part is you can use the same Arduino code and development environment that you’re already used to.

More information about this how-to is available at: http://blog.stage.makezine.com/archive/2011/10/how-to-shrinkify-your-arduino-projects.html

Continue Reading Matt Richardson19
Rainbow Tracer: Photographing Rainbows at Night

Rainbow Tracer: Photographing Rainbows at Night

Bring to Light took place last weekend as New York’s incarnation of Nuit Blanche, an international night time arts festival. The Bring to Light organizers invited artists to make site specific installations of light, sound, performance, and projection art in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn. Among the artists were Sean McIntyre and Reid Bingham, who created this long exposure, programmable rainbow maker they call Rainbow Tracer.

Continue Reading Matt Richardson2
Dual Stage Heating/Cooling Temperature Controller with RGB Display

Dual Stage Heating/Cooling Temperature Controller with RGB Display

I am probably flattering myself, taking any sort of credit for inspiring this sweet custom temperature controller built by Adafruit reader Mike to keep his beer-brewing fridge at a constant temperature. Like my recent project, it simultaneously controls AC-powered heating and cooling equipment to maintain a constant temperature, and is mounted in a CANTEX PVC junction box. But there the similarities pretty much end: Whereas I used a cheap off-the-shelf thermostat module from China, Mike built and programmed his own controller using an Arduino for brains, an Xbee for remote temperature control and data logging, and a cool multicolor LED display with letters that turn red when the system is heating, blue when it is cooling, and green when it is at the correct temperature.

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan2