Tools Hack Daily: May 2021

Monday, May 31, 2021

A tiny MIDI controller with Raspberry Pi Pico and #CircuitPython

Sebastian builds a nine key MIDI keyboard.

With a MIDI library available for the Raspberry Pi Pico making a little MIDI “piano” is relatively easy. The MacroPad which I build last month is the perfect little device to play around with this.

If you want to follow along exactly, first you’ll have to build my MacroPad, though pretty much any Raspberry Pi Pico with a few buttons attached will do. Just make sure to update the code below so that the pins correspond with your hardware.

The Raspberry Pi Pico will need to run CircuitPython for this to work, my MacroPad already had this.

Scientific Glass Blower Makes Beer Glasses

Really awesome video on Tim Drier’s glass blown drink-ware, specifically designed for beer, from WIRED.

Tim Drier works with scientific glass all day, but what if he took some of those techniques he’s perfected for scientific glass and applies them to standard barware? Watch as Tim takes us step-by-step through his process of making beautiful drinking glasses.

Saturday, May 29, 2021

“Bakery” – Machine Learning on the Edge with Adafruit & Microsoft Lobe

Machine learning is a transformative tool that’s redefining how we build software — but up until now, it was only accessible to a small group of experts. At Adafruit, we think machine learning should be accessible to everyone, that’s why Adafruit partnered with Microsoft and their Lobe platform for an easy to use machine learning kit using the Adafruit Braincraft hardware for Raspberry Pi, to bring your machine learning ideas to life – video.

This is one of the demos we made for the Microsoft Build keynote with the Kevin Scott, CTO of Microsoft.

Kevin Scott, CTO of Microsoft & Limor Fried, founder and engineer at Adafruit
https://youtu.be/ML0s-T55VPA

Full keynote – starts at 2 hour, 5 min, 33 secs
https://youtu.be/b4ryyEm5rSc?t=7533

lobe.ai
https://www.lobe.ai
https://twitter.com/lobe_ai

4963 08

Microsoft Machine Learning Kit for Lobe with Raspberry Pi
https://www.adafruit.com/product/4963

Machine Learning 101 with Lobe and BrainCraft
https://learn.adafruit.com/machine-learning-101-lobe-braincraft?view=all

GitHub
https://github.com/lobe/lobe-adafruit-kit

Special thanks the folks @ Microsoft
Adi Azulay
Ben Skoch
Dee Templeton
James Olson
Jen Fox
Kevin Scott
and more!

Friday, May 28, 2021

A Big YouTube Art Collaboration

YouTube artist Ten Hundred started a piece of collaborative chain art for fellow YouTubers. He started the painting, sent it on to another ‘Tuber, who sent it on to another, etc.

The piece will continue to change hands until it is done and then it will be auctioned off for charity. Prints are also going to be made.

In this NerdForge video, Martina gets the painting in Norway after four artists from the US and Europe have worked on it.

There are links in the video description to the other artists. It’s fun to watch the evolution of the image.

YouTube Streaming Bird Box #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

via buestad on instructables

This Instructable shows my approach on getting a live YouTube video stream from a bird box outside our house.

To achieve this I used a Raspberry Pi nano W microcomputer and night vision camera. I swapped the original 3.6mm lens with a 2.1mm lens to get a bit wider field of view inside the bird box. If I’d use the original lens, the bird box had to be quite tall, and I didn’t want that. This hardware is then mounted to a custom 3D printed mounting plate which againg is mounted inside a water tight electronics box with a transparent lid.

Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!

A New Tool May Make Geological Microscopy Data More Accessible #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

Clinopyroxene crystals 800x600

PiAutoStage is a project using the Raspberry Pi to digitize microscope slides. This will greatly help geology researcher’s workflow. From Eos:

PiAutoStage consists of an open-source mechanism that moves the sample around the microscope, attached to a high-resolution integrated camera and inexpensive Raspberry Pi computer. The researchers wrote computer code to take hundreds of high-resolution images of an entire microscope sample and combine them into a single panorama.

This technique allowed two undergraduate students—one at Michigan State University in East Lansing and another at Wayne State University in Detroit—to work collaboratively on the same project at the same time using the same thin sections of a flood basalt sequence, said Rooney.

Create a weather forecasting station using a Feather S2 and an OLED #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

via Raspberry Pi Pod and micro:bit base

At the moment, I am waiting for the second version of my PCB for the PicoPicorder. In a departure from my regular making, I decided to buy a Feather S2 from Pimoroni. This is a Feather-format board with built-in WiFI that comes with CircuitPython pre-installed (although I believe you can install MicroPython if you want to – but in the end, I stuck with CircuitPython). If you want to know more about the Feather S2, take a look at this website.

Grabbers #3Dprinting #3DThursday

cooasty shared this project on Thingiverse!

A remix of wonderful builds by SirRob. Scaled and added spring loaded button.

Drill HD pivot pin units with a # 50 index bit for a nice firm hole. Requires careful use of knife to break loose components. Install filament for pin. Heat pin ends to form a button. Best to use a soldering iron or equal for the side close to the grabber.

LD uses a ball point spring cut down. HD uses a full spring. Install spring, glue button, button reinforcement, then position clip and glue. Clip is applied to the bottom to help hold the spring and rod in place.

Download files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4798450

Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!

Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!

Toy Yes/No #3DThursday #3DPrinting

Good for games or teaching a simple Y/N button shared by tomasz_chicken on Thingiverse:

Battery_holder attached to the Bottom with cyanoacrylate glue. Speaker fixed with hot glue. Some screws to attach the Top to the Bottom and the Battery_cover.
And 2.4x14mm TIG for lanyard.

Download the files and learn more

Online multiplayer – on original Game Boy Tetris #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

As far as I know, Game Boy Tetris is one of the oldest games in human history. The ancient Greeks originally played it with marble consoles. This classic version really deserves online competitive play. Shared by stasksmashing on YouTube:

Via Read Retro:

Back in 1989, nobody would even dream of playing their Game Boys together with people on the other side of the planet. But now, over 30 decades later, it is finally possible.

stacksmashing, an expert in reverse engineering, analyzed the data sent between two Game Boys when they were hooked up via a link cable. Using that, he built a PCB, which is then attached to a Raspberry Pi Pico, which in turn is plugged into a PC to allow the internet connection. Everything is showed and explained in a video on YouTube.

Build a Mute/Unmute Button for your Video Calls with a Raspberry Pi Pico and MicroPython #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

Miguel Grinberg made this mute/unmute button for all of us who still can’t remember to mute ourselves during video chats and meetings.

via Twilio

I always have trouble remembering what is the Zoom keyboard shortcut to mute or unmute my audio, so I end up grabbing the mouse and clicking the button instead. While there isn’t really a problem with clicking, it feels inefficient, and that awkward silence while every other call participant is waiting for me to unmute and start speaking appears to last an eternity.

I thought it would be interesting to use my Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller board and MicroPython to design a single-key keyboard with the only function to toggle the audio on my video calls. That way, there is no key combination to remember!

Build a seismograph with Raspberry Shake @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

Raspberry shake original pi full kit 1

Awesome project! Check out the full write-up from The MagPi magazine.

We love Raspberry Shake here at The MagPi. This geology project kit uses a powerful geophone sensor attached to a Raspberry Pi to detect earth tremors.

The geophone converts ground movement into voltage; this analogue signal is then converted into a digital read-out (by the Raspberry Shake board) and the data is stored on Raspberry Pi.

SleePi Sleepiness Detector with Raspberry Pi @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

If you’ve ever been in class and tried to keep your eyes open, this project may be for you. But please listen to the creators: don’t drive tired. Here’s more from the Raspberry Pi Blog:

Firstly, you should absolutely never drive tired. The UK’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency says that, by law, after every 5 hours 30 minutes of driving you must take a break of at least 30 minutes.

We’re sharing this project because we like the software behind this sleepiness detector, which can tell when your eyes narrow and alert you before you nod off. A safer application of this invention could be for exam cramming season when you don’t want to fall asleep before reading that final chapter of your revision guide. Or perhaps for the sleepier among us who need extra help staying awake for the New Year’s Eve countdown. We cannot miss another one of those. But we get SO sleepy.

See more!

Make a Dish Detergent Dispenser with Raspberry Pi Pico #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

We clicked to learn about this project, but then we saw the awesome art that accompanied the write up and got SUPER distracted! From mellowfire:

I still think you could easily use something a lot smaller than the raspberry pi pico, it’s very overpowered for this project. But it’s what I had at hand.

DIY Hidden Arcade Machine with Raspberry Pi @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

We all probably have a much better sense of the size of our living space. And if what you want is a home arcade, and you just don’t have enough space, this project from makerAlexandre Chappel might be right up your alley. Here’s more from the Raspberry Pi Blog:

It’s a big piece of furniture, so you’ll need a big space and a good table saw to get all the wood cut. Alexandre made the whole thing out of just one piece of oak plywood. He’s a woodwork perfectionist, and didn’t want any visible screws on the finished product, so he had to get fancy with biscuit joints. He also ironed on edge banding, to give an extra-smooth finish to the rough cuts of plywood.

See project!

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Raspberry Pi Pico Controlled Simple Automated Model Railroad @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

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Neat project and write-up from KushagraK7 on Instructables.

A Raspberry Pi Pico is a new addition to the family of microcontrollers. Its low cost makes it a good option for beginners. So I thought of introducing this microcontroller in model railroading. Today, let us learn how to make a basic automated oval model railroad layout using this microcontroller. So without further ado, let’s get started!

Making a DashCam with Pi Zero #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

Check out part 1 of bitsNblobs Electronics video on building a dashcam on YouTube:

In part 1, we tackle the recording section, which involves capturing video from the Pi camera and storing it to the microSD card. We also take care of file numbering, detecting remaining storage, stopping the script if it is low and we also add the FTP functionality to access the files remotely.

See more on YouTube, GitHub, Instructables and Hackster.io:

Articulated Giant Isopod #3Dprinting #3DThursday

itbefred shared this project on Thingiverse!

Giant isopod with articulating body joint, front legs, rear legs, and tail flippers

Download files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4777921

Amiga 1200 hanger and generic box #3DThursday #3DPrinting

From FerryA1 on Thingiverse:

A case that hangs in the back of the Amiga 1200 holding a CF2IDE44 adapter. The data cable goes out the computer by the joint of the two Amiga case parts (it may require to sand the lower part a bit).

Download the files and learn more

Predator Elder Bio Mask #3DPrinting #3DThursday

Jace1969 shared this project on Thingiverse!

Thanks Troy for sharing this .PDO. I still have some other files to upload which will allow for easier printing, but I thought while I had some time I’d through this up here for you to review.
Cheers Jace

Please note main pic is in no way associated with this model and was for reference only!

Download files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4798859

COMING SOON – Raspberry Pi PoE+ HAT

Coming soon! Sign up to be notified when we get these in the store!

Power over Ethernet (PoE) can make your project wiring a breeze – instead of needing a wire for power and data, you can use one Ethernet cable for both!

Simply attach the standoffs in the four corners of the HAT, then connect to the 40-pin header. Once the HAT is connected, you can power your Pi through the RJ-45 network connector.

Compatible with Raspberry Pi 3 B+ that has PoE pins and Raspberry Pi 4. The Raspberry Pi computer is not included.

For people with neither Pi 3 B+’s nor Pi 4s, or if you can’t use a HAT in your setup, check out our PoE to MicroUSB splitter, which will work with any computer that is powered from Micro USB.

Standard: IEEE 802.3at-2003 PoE
Input voltage: 37–57 V DC, Class 4 device
Output power: 5VDC / 4A
Cooling: real cute 25mm × 25mm brushless fan delivering 2.2 CFM for processor cooling
Fully isolated switched-mode power supply and fan control
Operating temperature: 0°C ~ +50°C

We also still carry the V1 version of the PoE HAT.

Coming soon!

PCB Feet/Standoffs for M3 #3DThursday #3DPrinting

Give your PCBs a little clearance with these handy feet. From scruss on Thingiverse:

Basic “I don’t want my protoboard shorting or gouging holes in my desk” feet/standoffs for M3-drilled 1.6 mm thick PCBs.

Download the files and learn more

PCB Feet/Standoffs for M3 #3DPrinting #3DThursday

scruss shared this project on Thingiverse!

Basic “I don’t want my protoboard shorting or gouging holes in my desk” feet/standoffs for M3-drilled 1.6 mm thick PCBs.

Download files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4796603

D20 Wall Art #3DThursday #3DPrinting

The next phase should be a wall sized die. From geoffreyyoung on Thingiverse:

Some wall art for all the DnD fans out there, including my daughter.

If you use the provided guides for spacing the end product is about 15″ x 15″ (38cm x 38cm).

I used Protopasta’s Iron-filled Metal Composite PLA

Download the files and learn more

Shelby Cobra #3Dprinting #3DThursday

citowell shared this project on Thingiverse! Download files here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3529845

3D Models of Adafruit USB Trinkeys @ecken

We have some 3D models of the USB trinkeys available to download from our 3D parts github repo. These models feature a 2mm thick PCB and various components like the 35mm slide potentiometer, cherry MX switch and a rotary encoder. You do not need Fusion 360 to use these 3D models. The STEP file format is widely used in CAD applications with solid modeling capabilities. For folks who may use TinkerCAD, a STL file is also available.

Download 3D Parts on GitHub

For folks who are curious how I make these, there’s a video I put together, Layer by Layer tutorial (a few years ago) that walks through my workflow.

The rendered silkscreens are generated by Eagle and Fusion 360. I ran into issues with the bottom silkscreen so I had to resort to exporting a PNG image of the bottom silk and remapping it using the edit decal feature within the edit PCB workspace inside Fusion 360. I couldn’t quite figure out what is causing this issue. Rest assured, the silkscreen preview in Eagles manufacturing tab does a good job of exporting a decent hi-res image of the silkscreen. I’m still using the legacy Eagle PCB > Fusion 360 from Eagle 9.3 because the latest version of Eagle does away with the ability to “Replace Component Body”. The newer 3D PCB from Eagle and Fusion 360 does not have this feature and favors linking 3D models through their managed library business.

Creating animations inside of Fusion is relatively easy but requires a bit of understanding how to use assembly joints. I tend to rotate the boards in the center of the origin but this can be problematic with odd shaped PCBs. Each PCB with components tends to be unique and there isn’t a cookie cutter way for me to make these. With these USB Trinkeys, I thought it’d be interesting to animate the components, such as the Potentiometer Slider, Cherry MX Switch and the Rotary Encoder. Since two of the four USB Trinkeys require soldering their main component, I felt animating them coming on and off not only looked cool, but makes sense.

I hope folks find these interesting and useful, feel free to use them in your projects.