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IoT on Wheels Part 2: Smart Bike Aug 24, 2017

Show notes

The team are on the road with the IoT on Wheels design challenge to make their bicycle smarter. Using ST Microelectronics Nucleo hardware with Bluetooth Low Energy means the project can pair with other devices, such as an Android smartphone. The team decided to use the sensors in the Nucleo to detect accidents and potholes in the road and be able to record and report them. Due to the project being a prototype it is large and bulky. This is due to the demonstration versions of the hardware, and the 3D printed parts designed in Autodesk Fusion 360 to protect it. Watch now to find out how Felix overcomes problems with the mBed codebase and how the android app works! What do you think of the project? Or have you entered the design challenge? Let us know on the element14 Community!

N64 Portable: It's Alive! Aug 11, 2017

Show notes

After many comments, requests, questions, badgering, hounding and hinderance thanks to hardware problems, the Nintendo 64 Portable is finally finished! Ben took the N64 portable to the Midwest Gaming Classic for help with the hardware, thanks to the Community of followers and people familiar with the hardware, the problematic RAM add-on was soldered flat and in place! Thanks to the introduction of new hardware, the case has to be completely redesigned (which is a small price to pay). Ben makes swift use of his CNC Router to create a suitable heatsink for the N64, which is pretty cool! What do you think of the finished product? Let the team know on the element14 Community!

IoT on Wheels Part 1: Smart Bike Aug 09, 2017

Show notes

Ben and Felix are taking part in element14's IoT on Wheels Design Challenge with help from a local electrical engineer, Bob Baddeley, to use ST Microelectronic's Nucleo microcontroller board and bluetooth module. The team decided to work on an IoT project for use with a bicycle, perhaps to notify your local council about pot holes found in the street! This project will involve Ben doing some trusty 3D modelling and printing to create the mount, and also Felix programming with mbed to get the microcontroller operating how we want it to. You can enter the IoT on Wheels design challenge, or give the team feedback on the element14 Community!

Logic Gate Board Game 05: Epic Conclusion! Aug 03, 2017

Show notes

The team have had their troubles with the Logic Gate Board Game, so is it time to put it out to pasture? The team meet with Hari from element14 to help determine what the costs are realistically like if the product went to mass market for the components used. Karen and Ben discuss the lessons learned from going from Hackmanji to a dedicated Logic game, and discover that they were fighting battles and experiencing losses along the way. Do you think the team's made the wrong decision? Is there something obvious they've missed? Let us know on the element14 Community!

Portable Raspberry Pi Photo Booth Jul 27, 2017

Show notes

Karen has an idea for a project, with Felix's help to create a portable Raspberry Pi photo' booth, useful for weddings and other events. This isn't only a hardware project, it also needs the linux software to help ensure we're saving the files where we want them and even upload them to an online service! Felix takes this as an opportunity to give everyone a crash course in how to use linux on the Raspberry Pi and keep it up to date. After the design's put together, Karen talks us through her python logic to have the camera take pictures! How's your Python programming? What Pi Cam projects have you made? Or how would you have changed this one? Let us know on the element14 Community! ---

Super Glue Gun 06: First Working Prototype! Jul 20, 2017

Show notes

Now that the team's making progress with the electronics for the handle design, Ben's working with Autodesk Fusion 360 to create the 3D model for the 3D printer to house the trigger and the protoboard. The rest of the super glue gun case also needs to be modelled and Fusion 360 helps by being able to import some parts to be able to get the sizing right, for example with the bearings for the hot end feed system/nozzle. It's not only the physical design that needs some tweaks, the team are having difficulty with math calculations on the ATTiny hardware, and Felix is repairing the electronics for the hotend and motor control. How's your C programming? What would you design differently? Join the team on the element14 Community!

Super Glue Gun 05: Hall Effect Sensor Hysteria! Jul 13, 2017

Show notes

The team are knuckling down to get the pieces to stick together for the Super Glue Gun build. Felix is bringing together a custom designed motor control circuit that will be used for extruding the glue. Meanwhile, Ben cuts up the perfboard to prototype the size of the printed circuit board that will eventually fit inside the handle. Thankfully, this task is made easier with the help of 3D printing and using an existing circuit to control the 110v AC power to what's needed. It's not all electronics though as Hari from element14 steps in to give guidance on how the project will ultimately come to kickstarter, and introduces some ideas that the team hadn't entirely thought out about bringing the product to market! How do you think the build's going? Would you do anything different? Let us know on the element14 Community!

The Ultimate Media Center for Under $400 Jul 06, 2017

Show notes

In what may be a strange change of pace for The Ben Heck Show, instead of voiding warranties, Felix is following them as he puts together the components necessary to build an Arch Linux based media centre personal computer for your living room, or underneath your television! There are a number of considerations to bear in mind when you're putting together a computer system, cooling, wiring, airflow and ensuring that the software is setup properly! What operating system do you run on your media centre? Or what difficulties have you encountered building computer systems? Let the team know on the element14 Community.

Mini Pinball 04: Pinball Simulation with MATLAB and Simulink Jun 29, 2017

Show notes

Ben and Felix meet with Terry from Mathworks to find out how he can use Matlab and Simulink to create a simulation of the mini Pinball Table and teensy microcontroller. Terry talks through how Simulink, and hardware running a Real Time Operating System, can help to simulate an embedded hardware system. When this is combined with an accurate 3D model created with Autodesk's Fusion 360 the team can get a good idea of how the prototypes will work without having to rebuild the design. The team can even control it with an XBox One controller! Join in with the build on the element14 Community.

Mini Pinball 03: Codemania! SoundFX and State Machines Jun 22, 2017

Show notes

t's time to code with Arduino and the Teensy 3.6 to create the game logic and sound for the Miniature Pinball machine. Using the C++ Programming language, Ben takes Felix's C code and makes it suitable for embedded microcontroller hardware with a logic state machine, this virtualised state machine monitors what is going on with the Pinball hardware, such as buttons and what the pinball touches, to react to it by increasing your score or playing music and sounds! Follow along with the build and give the team your suggestions on the element14 Community!

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