Digital Electronics

Digital Electronics

Adafruit – PowerBoost 500 Shield – Rechargeable 5V Power Shield

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Adafruit 2078 Mk01

Adafruit 2078 Mk02

Adafruit 2078 Mk03

Adafruit 2078 Mk04

Adafruit 2078 Mk05

Adafruit: 2078

Description

What’s a project if it’s trapped on your desk? Now you can take your Arduino anywhere you wish with the PowerBoost shield! This stackable shield goes onto your Arduino and provides a slim rechargeable power pack, with a built in battery charger as well as DC/DC booster.

Compatible with Arduino Uno, Duemilanove, Mega, Leonardo and Due – basically any Arduino-pinout-shaped Arduino as only the GND and 5V pins are used. You can stack shields on top, or stack the PowerBoost on top. Please note that the powerboost does not pass through the ICSP headers (the battery is in the way) so if your stacking shield uses ICSP for data transfer (like the Ethernet Shield), you’ll need to stack the PowerBoost above it!

The PowerBoost shield can run off of any Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer battery (3.7/4.2V kind) but we suggest our 1200mAh capacity or 2000mAh capacity batteries, both of which fits very nicely in the empty space of the shield. Plug in the battery and recharge it via the microUSB jack. When you’re ready to go, just unplug the Arduino from USB or the wall adapter and it will automatically switch over to shield power.

The onboard boost converter can provide at least 500mA current, and can peak at 1A. There’s an onboard fuse to protect against higher current draws which could damage the boost converter or battery.

The shield comes as a kit of parts, some light soldering is required to attach the stacking headers and switch! Battery is not included, but you can pick one up in the shop (again, we suggest our 1200mAh battery or 2000mAh battery, but you can use any 500mAh+ size you like) There’s even an optional switch. If you choose to solder it in, it will let you turn the shield and Arduino power on/off.

Technical Details

  • Dimensions: 53mm x 69mm x 2mm / 2.1″ x 2.7″ x 0.08″
  • Height w/ JST: 8mm / 0.3″
  • Weight: 12.5g

Don Luc

Adafruit – FLORA – Arduino-compatible V1.0a

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Adafruit 659 Mk01

Adafruit 659 Mk02

Adafruit 659 Mk03

Adafruit 659 Mk04

Adafruit 659 Mk05

Adafruit: 659

Description

FLORA is Adafruit’s fully-featured wearable electronics platform. It’s a round, sewable, Arduino-compatible microcontroller designed to empower amazing wearables projects.

The FLORA is small (1.75″ diameter, weighing 4.4 grams). The FLORA family also has the best stainless steel threads, sensors, GPS modules and chainable LED NeoPixels, perfect accessories for the FLORA main board.

The FLORA has built-in USB support. Built in USB means you plug it in to program it, it just shows up – all you need is a Micro-B USB cable, no additional purchases are needed! We have a modified version of the Arduino IDE so Mac & Windows users can get started fast – or with the new 1.6.4+ Arduino IDE, it takes only a few seconds to add Flora-support. The FLORA has USB HID support, so it can act like a mouse or keyboard to attach directly to computers.

The FLORA has built-in USB support. Built in USB means you plug it in to program it, it just shows up – all you need is a Micro-B USB cable, no additional purchases are needed! We have a modified version of the Arduino IDE so Mac & Windows users can get started fast – or with the new 1.6.4+ Arduino IDE, it takes only a few seconds to add Flora-support. The FLORA has USB HID support, so it can act like a mouse or keyboard to attach directly to computers.

FLORA has onboard power switch connected to 2A power FET for safe and efficient battery on/off control, so you can power quite a bit without burning out your switch. The FLORA has an onboard 3.3v 250mA regulator with a protection diode and USB fuse so that the microcontroller voltage is consistent and can power common 3.3v modules and sensors.

We spent a lot of time on the power supply because the FLORA power system is specifically designed to allow easy control and power of a large quantity of addressable NeoPixels. Flora can easily drive 50 pixels directly from the onboard power supply, or up to 500 with the pixels externally powered by a separate 5V supply.

  • FLORA is fabric friendly– all the components on board are flush to the PCB and won’t snag delicate garments (it does not use FTDI headers).
  • FLORA is extremely beginner-friendly – it is difficult to destroy the FLORA by connecting a battery backwards due to polarized connector and protection diodes. The on-board regulator means that even connecting a 9V battery will not result in damage or tears.
  • The FLORA has 4 indicator LEDs: power good, digital signal LED for bootloader feedback, data rx/tx. Also onboard is an ICSP connector for easy reprograming for advanced users. Flora v2 even has an RGB NeoPixel for even more colorful lighting.
  • There are 14 sewing tap pads for attachment and electrical connections. Data buses are interleaved with power and ground pads for easy module and sensor attachments without worrying about overlapping traces which are not possible with conductive thread.
  • The FLORA works great with the Arduino IDE and is super easy to install support if you have IDE 1.6.4 or later

The FLORA is not the first wearable Arduino / Arduino-compatible. Leah Buechley’s Lilypad was developed in 2007 and while they are both round, FLORA is a completely new platform that works seamlessly with the FLORA accessories.

The FLORA is made in NYC at Adafruit, it was designed by Limor Fried (Ladyada), Adafruit’s founder and engineer. Adafruit has a proven track record of providing 100+ high-quality libraries for Arduino/Arduino IDE, hundreds of tutorials, open-source code and contributions to the Arduino project. Ladyada was a member of the MIT wearables group and likes to sew.

You may get an off-white or black JST connector.

Technical Details

  • Dimensions: 45mm round x 7mm thick/ 1.8″ round x 0.3″ thick
  • Weight: 4.7g

Don Luc

Adafruit – Micro Lipo – USB LiIon/LiPoly Charger

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Adafruit 1304 Mk01

Adafruit 1304 Mk02

Adafruit 1304 Mk03

Adafruit: 1304

Description

Oh so adorable, this is the tiniest little lipo charger, so handy you can keep it any project box! Its also easy to use. Simply plug in the gold plated contacts into any USB port and a 3.7V/4.2V lithium polymer or lithium ion rechargeable battery into the JST plug on the other end. There are two LEDs – one red and one green. While charging, the red LED is lit. When the battery is fully charged and ready for use, the green LED turns on. Seriously, it could not get more easy.

Charging is performed in three stages: first a preconditioning charge, then a constant-current fast charge and finally a constant-voltage trickle charge to keep the battery topped-up. The charge current is 100mA by default, so it will work with any size battery and USB port. If you want you can easily change it over to 500mA mode by soldering closed the jumper on the back, for when you’ll only be charging batteries with 500mAh size or larger.

For use with Adafruit LiPoly/LiIon batteries only! Other batteries may have different voltage, chemistry, polarity or pinout.

  • Comes assembled and tested with a free bonus JST cable!
  • 5V input via PCB-style USB connector
  • For charging single Lithium Ion/Lithium Polymer 3.7/4.2v batteries (not for older 3.6/4.1v cells)
  • 100mA charge current, adjustable to 500mA by soldering a jumper closed
  • Free 2-pin JST cable included!

Don Luc

Pololu – Sub-Micro Servo 3.7g (Generic)

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Pololu 1053 Mk01

Pololu 1053 Mk02

Pololu 1053 Mk03

Pololu 1053 Mk04

Pololu 1053 Mk05

Pololu 1053 Mk06

Pololu: 1053

This generic sub-micro servo is one of the lightest servos we carry, weighing just 3.7 g (0.13 oz) without the lead. It is intended for use between 4.8 and 6 V (i.e. with 4- or 5-cell NiMH or NiCD battery packs). Servo horns and associated hardware are included.

Key specs at 6 V: 0.07 sec/60°, 6 oz-in (0.4 kg-cm), 3.7 g (0.13 oz).

Description

This tiny servo is great for applications such as:

  • Building a miniature walking robot.
  • Creating grippers or other mechanisms for small robots.
  • Moving control surfaces on small model aircraft.

It measures just 20.2 x 8.5 x 20.2 mm (0.80″ x 0.33″ x 0.80″) and weighs only 3.7 g (0.13 oz) without its 15 cm (6″) lead. The lead is terminated with a standard “JR”-style connector, which is Futaba-compatible. The distance between the two mounting holes is 23.5 mm.

The servo ships with additional servo horns.

Specs

Dimensions

  • Size: 20.2 x 8.5 x 20.2 mm
  • Weight: 3.7 g

General Specifications

  • Digital: No
  • Speed @ 6V: 0.07 sec/60°
  • Stall torque @ 6V: 6 oz·in
  • Speed @ 4.8V: 0.09 sec/60°
  • Stall torque @ 4.8V: 4 oz·in
  • Lead length: 6 in
  • Hardware included: Yes

Don Luc

SparkFun – Bluetooth Mate Silver

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SparkFun WRL-10393 Mk01

SparkFun WRL-10393 Mk02

SparkFun WRL-10393 Mk03

SparkFun: WRL-10393

Description: The Bluetooth Mate is very similar to our BlueSMiRF modem, but it is designed specifically to be used with our Arduino Pros and LilyPad Arduinos. These modems work as a serial (RX/TX) pipe, and are a great wireless replacement for serial cables. Any serial stream from 2400 to 115200bps can be passed seamlessly from your computer to your target.

Bluetooth Mate has the same pin out as the FTDI Basic, and is meant to plug directly into an Arduino Pro, Pro Mini, or LilyPad Mainboard. Because we’ve arranged the pins to do this, you cannot directly plug the Bluetooth Mate to an FTDI Basic board (you’ll have to swap TX and RX).

The RN-42 is perfect for short range, battery powered applications. The RN-42 uses only 26uA in sleep mode while still being discoverable and connectable. Multiple user configurable power modes allow the user to dial in the lowest power profile for a given application. If you need longer range, check out the Bluetooth Mate Gold.

The Bluetooth Mate has on-board voltage regulators, so it can be powered from any 3.3 to 6VDC power supply. We’ve got level shifting all set up so the RX and TX pins on the remote unit are 3-6VDC tolerant. Do not attach this device directly to a serial port. You will need an RS232 to TTL converter circuit if you need to attach this to a computer.

Unit comes without a connector; if you want to connect it to an Arduino Pro, we’d suggest the 6-pin right-angle female header.

Note: The hardware reset pin of the RN-42 module is broken out on the bottom side of the board. This pin is mislabeled as ‘PIO6’, it is actually PIO4. Should you need to reset the Mate, pull this pin high upon power-up, and then toggle it 3 times.

Features:

  • Designed to work directly with Arduino Pro’s and LilyPad main boards
  • FCC Approved Class 2 Bluetooth® Radio Modem!
  • Low power consumption: 25mA avg
  • Hardy frequency hopping scheme – operates in harsh RF environments like WiFi, 802.11g, and Zigbee
  • Encrypted connection
  • Frequency: 2.4~2.524 GHz
  • Operating Voltage: 3.3V-6V
  • Serial communications: 2400-115200bps
  • Operating Temperature: -40 ~ +70C
  • Built-in antenna

Dimensions:

  • Board: 1.75×0.65″

Don Luc

SparkFun – Bluetooth SMD Module – RN-42-HID

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SparkFun WRL-10823 Mk01

SparkFun WRL-10823 Mk02

SparkFun WRL-10823 Mk03

SparkFun: WRL-10823

Description: This is the same Roving Networks Bluetooth module that you already know and love, but it comes firmware-configured for the HID protocol. HID, or “Human Interface Device”, is the communication protocol used for computer peripherals such as keyboards, mice and joysticks. This makes the RN-42-HID a simple and powerful tool for creating wireless peripheral devices which can be universally recognized and used without the installation of special drivers. The manual included in the documentation below goes into more detail about the Bluetooth HID profile.

The RN-42 is perfect for short range, battery powered applications. The RN-42 uses only 26uA in sleep mode while still being discoverable and connectable. Multiple user configurable power modes allow the user to dial in the lowest power profile for a given application.The RN-42 is even FCC and Bluetooth SIG certified making it a complete embedded Bluetooth solution.

Features:

  • Fully qualified Bluetooth module
  • FCC Certified
  • Over air data rate of 721kbps to 2.0Mbps
  • Low power sleep mode
  • 3.3V operation
  • Status pin
  • Bluetooth Technology v2.0 compatible
  • Class 2 power output

Don Luc

Pololu – Adjustable Boost Regulator 2.5-9.5V

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Pololu 791 Mk01

Pololu 791 Mk02

Pololu 791 Mk03

Pololu 791 Mk04

Pololu 791 Mk05

Pololu: 791

This powerful, adjustable boost regulator can generate an output voltage as high as 9.5 V from an input voltage as low as 1.5 V, all in a compact, 0.42? x 0.88? x 0.23? package. A trimmer potentiometer lets you set the boost regulator’s output voltage to a value between 2.5 and 9.5 V.

Overview

The Pololu adjustable boost regulator is a very flexible switching regulator (also called a switched-mode power supply, SMPS, or DC-to-DC converter) that can generate voltages higher than its input voltage. We offer two adjustable ranges: approximately 2.5 V to 9.5 V and 4 V to 25 V. The output voltage can be set using the trimmer potentiometer in the upper-right corner of the board. The input voltage range is 1.5 V to 16 V (the input voltage should be kept below the output voltage). The integrated 2 A switch allows for output currents high enough to drive small motors, as in our 3pi robot, and allows large voltage gains, such as obtaining 24 V from two NiMH or NiCd cells.

Some example applications include:

  • Powering 5 V or 3.3 V systems from lower-voltage batteries
  • Powering 5 V subsystems (e.g. sensors) in lower-voltage (e.g. 3.3 V) systems
  • Achieving consistent actuator operation when powered by fluctuating batteries
  • Powering high-brightness LEDs or a large number of LEDs in series

Note: For high-volume applications, this product can be customized with fixed output voltages ranging from 2 V to 30 V.

Feature Summary

  • Input voltage: 1.5 V to 16 V
  • Output adjustable from 2.5 V to 9.5 V or 4 V to 25 V
  • 750 kHz switching frequency
  • 2 A switch (and input) limit
  • Integrated over-temperature and over-current shutoff
  • Typical efficiency of 80-90% when doubling voltage and with 100-500 mA output
  • Small size: 10.7 x 22.4 x 5.8 mm (0.42″ x 0.88″ x 0.23″)
  • Weight without header pins: 1.6 g (0.06 oz)

Don Luc

SparkFun – Max Power IR LED Kit

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SparkFun KIT-10732 Mk01

SparkFun KIT-10732 Mk02

SparkFun KIT-10732 Mk03

SparkFun KIT-10732 Mk04

SparkFun: KIT-10732

Description: Infrared LEDs are awesome. Along with an IR receiver they can be used for remote control and even basic remote data communication. The only problem is that your Arduino won’t drive them to their full potential. The SparkFun Max Power IR LED kit solves this problem by providing you with everything you need to drive a 950nm IR LED properly. Simply solder together this easy through-hole kit and you can switch the LED using a transistor.

Once the kit is assembled, simply provide it with voltage (5V), ground, and connect the CTL pin to a digital pin on your Arduino, and you can drive this kit just like a normal LED. Although the LED won’t be visible to your naked eye, you can use a video camera, cell phone camera, or digital camera to see if the LED is working properly.

Don Luc

LowPowerLab – Moteino

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LowPowerLab Moteino Mk01

LowPowerLab Moteino Mk02

LowPowerLab Moteino Mk03

LowPowerLab Moteino Mk04

LowPowerLab Moteino Mk05

LowPowerLab Moteino Mk06

LowPowerLab: Moteino R2

What is Moteino?

Moteino is a low cost low-power open-source wireless Arduino compatible development platform based on the popular ATMega328 chip used in traditional Arduinos, making it 100% compatible with the Arduino IDE (programming environment). Regular Moteino does not include an onboard USB-Serial converter (like traditional Arduinos), instead you need to use an external FTDI adapter to load sketches, the advantages being lower cost, smaller size. However there is a MoteinoUSB variant that the serial converter onboard. They are compatible with any other Arduino clones that use the popular HopeRF RFM69 transceiver, or the older RFM12B. Moteino also comes with an optional SPI flash memory chip for wireless programming, or data logging.

Soldering antenna and headers

Moteinos come without any soldered headers or antennas. Without the wire antenna the range will be only a few feet, and while this is OK for testing purposes it’s recommended that an antenna be soldered before real application use of the transmitter. The provided wire monopole antenna has to be soldered to the “ANT” pin hole (just above the FLASH chip) to achieve any usable range. Regular Moteinos will come with a 1×6 male header that you have to solder before you can power it and upload sketches through an FTDI Adapter.

Specifications for Moteino R2

  • Microcontroller: ATmega328
  • Transceiver: RFM69 W/HW/CW, RFM12B
  • Transceivers frequencies: 434Mhz, 868Mhz (EU), 915Mhz (US, Australia, etc.)
  • Input Voltage: 3.5V-16V (up to 12V recommended)
  • Operating Voltage: 3.3V (regulated by MCP1703 on most recent Moteinos)
  • Digital I/O Pins: 14+6 (6 PWM capable: marked with “~” symbol)
  • Analog Input Pins: 8 (2 analog-only pins more than regular Arduinos)
  • DC Current per I/O Pin: 20 mA
  • Flash Memory: 32 KB of which 1 KB used by DualOptiboot bootloader
  • SRAM: 2 KB
  • EEPROM: 1 KB
  • Clock Speed: 16 MHz

MISC

  • Onboard LED on pin D9 instead of D13 (D9 is PWM!)
  • RFM12B or RFM69 SPI-CS on D10
  • FLASH SPI-CS on D8
  • A6 and A7 are analog pins only, cannot be used as digital pins

Don Luc