The Alpha Geek – Geeking Out

#01 – AcceleroSynth

SparkFun – ProtoBoard – Rectangle Wired 3″

SparkFun PRT-08812 Mk01

SparkFun PRT-08812 Mk02

SparkFun PRT-08812 Mk03

SparkFun: PRT-08812

Description: This is a different kind of perf board. 3″ long and 2″ wide, the holes are plated through and PCB is double sided like you would expect. All holes are routed together on both sides. The really neat thing about this board is every pad has a 20mil width trace connecting to every other pad. Every pad is shorted together! This actually speeds up prototyping because instead of having to wire from one point to another, you simply cut the traces to isolate the route or pad you want to use. Your board will look a lot better and be more robust without lots of point to point wires to interfere. Standard 0.1″ spacing with a 4-40 (3mm) holes for mounting. Great for quickly prototyping stackable circuits.

Don Luc

SparkFun – Resettable Fuse PTC

SparkFun COM-08357 Mk01

SparkFun COM-08357 Mk02

SparkFun COM-08357 Mk03

SparkFun: COM-08357

Description: This is a handy little device that can save your system from smoking. A resettable fuse (also known as a PTC) is a resistor that has very unique properties.

For this model, if your circuit tries to draw more than 250mA of current (if you have a bad short for instance) the PTC would ‘trip’ (by heating up). The increased resistance (trip state) would break the circuit and allow only a small leakage current.

The leakage current may still be enough to hurt some electronics but it’s much less than the 3A that the short may have allowed. Removing the short, the PTC ‘resets’ and allows current up to 250mA to flow again. It’s a resettable fuse that protects your system! Good for use on battery powered devices that need to protect again high-current accidental discharges.

The thermal pictures to the right do a great job of showing what happens when the PTC is tripped. The first thermal picture shows a voltage regulating circuit in its normal state. In the second picture the circuit is shorted, notice how hot the PTC gets (213 °F!) as it limits the amount of damaging current going through the circuit. Major thanks to Joshua Weaver for the great thermal shots!

Don Luc

SparkFun – Arduino Stackable Header Kit

SparkFun PRT-10007 Mk01

SparkFun PRT-10007 Mk02

SparkFun PRT-10007 Mk03

SparkFun: PRT-10007

Description: These headers are made to work with the Arduino Main Board, Arduino Pro, and the Arduino Mega. They are the perfect height for clearing the USB-B connector and great for stacking multiple shields. This kit includes 4 headers (2 8-pin and 2 6-pin), enough to connect a shield to an Arduino Main Board. These are the same headers we use in our tutorials and with our own shields.

Don Luc

SparkFun – JST Jumper 2 Wire Assembly

SparkFun PRT-09914 Mk01

SparkFun PRT-09914 Mk02

SparkFun PRT-09914 Mk03

SparkFun: PRT-09914

Description: This is a simple two wire cable. Great for jumping from board to board or just about anything else. There is a 2-pin JST connector on one end, bare cable on the opposite end. It also comes with the mating connector for the JST.

Dimensions: 6″ length

Don Luc

SparkFun – ProtoShield for Arduino Pro Mini

SparkFun DEV-09709 Mk01

SparkFun DEV-09709 Mk02

SparkFun DEV-09709 Mk03

SparkFun DEV-09709 Mk04

SparkFun: DEV-09709

Description: This is a small prototyping shield for the Arduino Pro Mini. If your project requires just a little bit more space for your external circuitry, this might be a perfect addition. 38 unconnected PTHs are provided for your prototyping needs.

The shield fits the small form factor of the Arduino Pro Mini – connecting to the ‘top’ four pins on each side of the Mini (‘GND’-‘TXO’ & ‘VCC’-‘RAW’). There are small buses for VCC, GND and RAW. In addition to the power buses, the serial pins are also broken out on the shield. The analog and digital pins are not broken out on the shield.

Features:

  • VCC, RAW and GND buses
  • Serial (RXI & TXO) pins broken out to small buses
  • Works with both 5V and 3.3V Pro Mini versions
  • Upholds the Pro Mini’s small form factor
  • 38 unconnected PTHs for prototyping

Don Luc

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