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bladeRF: a low cost wideband SDR transceiver

13/02/2013
With a 300MHz to 3.8GHZ range, 40MHz bandwidth, USB 3.0 interface and priced at only $400, it's hardly surprising bladeRF reached its $100,000 Kickstarter goal in under 8 days.
Ofcom publish statement on UHF strategy

21/11/2012
Following an earlier consultation Ofcom has now published a statement on its proposed strategy for UHF spectrum. Through which it will attempt to address the growing demand for mobile broadband services, while enabling new services based on white space technology, and balancing this with the ongoing need for digital terrestrial television (DTT).
A Playful Internet of Things Futures

09/11/2012
A report from the IoT futures unconference hosted by BBC R&D on 7th November 2012.
A Closer Look at Parallella

07/01/2013
As Parallella prototypes start to ship this post takes a look in more detail at what this potentially game changing single board computer provides and a few potential applications.
Detecting Lightning with an Arduino

14/11/2012
This post takes a look at interfacing the novel AS3935 lightning sensor with an Arduino.
Software-defined Radio (SDR)

13/11/2010
- Analogue
- Communication
- FPGA
- GSM
- PIC
- Power
- Programming
- Research Phase
- Serial Peripheral Interface
- Test
- Wireless
John Melton holding a HPSDR Mercury Digital Down-conversion board at OSHUG #5Last month the Open Source Hardware User Group were treated to a presentation on the High Performance Software Defined Radi
Gas Guzzlers and Green Chips

03/07/2012
- Analogue
- ARM
- Batteries
- Communication
- Cortex-M
- Development Kits - Electronics
- Display & Lighting
- Enclosures
- Mbed
- Microcontrollers
- PIC
- Power
- RENESAS
- Research Phase
- RL78
- Robots
- Sensors
- Serial Peripheral Interface
- Test
- Wireless
The socially responsible among us wishing to save the planet from a carbon dioxide doom should quickly move on to the next blog post now, as I have a confession to make: I own and occasionally get to
Learning how to be Smarter with Energy

08/12/2010
RS hosts Microchip seminars.
An RTOS for EDP - Part 2

16/05/2011
- Communication
- Development Kits - Electronics
- Display & Lighting
- DSP
- dsPIC
- FLASH
- LCD
- Mbed
- PIC
- Programming
- Research Phase
- Resistors
- SERIAL
- Serial Peripheral Interface
- Test
In a previous post on this subject I described how I had got as far as running a FreeRTOS demo program on Microchip Explorer 16 development board. The next phase involved getting the same demo to work
Panasonic Power Device Simulator Introduction

23/05/2013
Power Device Simulator is the Web Simulator provided by Panasonic.
Great British Audio Part 1: Calrec

22/05/2013
The first in a series of posts which take a look at great British audio engineering companies.
A Parallella Update

23/04/2013
As the first Parallella beta boards arrive this post takes a look at recent project developments.
Make your own walking, talking, living….robot

29/02/2012
- Accelerometers
- ARM
- Beagle
- Coldfire
- Communication
- Cortex-M
- Development Kits - Electronics
- DSP
- dsPIC
- Freescale
- Interconnect
- Manufacture
- Mbed
- Memory
- Microcontrollers
- PIC
- PIC32
- Power
- Programming
- Raspberry Pi
- Research Phase
- Robots
- Sensors
- Serial Peripheral Interface
- Test
As I wrote this blog Raspberry Pi exploded on the scene taking everyone by surprise with the sheer volume of people wanting to buy it. Many readers will have to wait a while to get their hands on one so why not use the time to investigate rather more interesting projects than just writing games? How about giving a humanoid walking robot some Artificial Intelligence…
OpenRelief: Clearing the Fog of Disaster

25/04/2012
- Arduino
- Batteries
- Beagle
- Communication
- DSP
- FRAM
- Functional Test
- GPS
- Manufacture
- PIC
- Power
- Programming
- Research Phase
- Robots
- Sensors
- Test
- Wireless
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology is becoming increasingly affordable, and when combined with low cost wireless sensor networks and computer vision opens up exciting possibilities for use in di
Embedded development with EDP

01/02/2011
The RS Embedded Development Platform offers an alternative path to the engineering prototype stage of a project allowing quick and easy changes of processor at the time of initial design or for upgrad
Turning an £8 child's toy into a spectrum analyser

13/07/2012
- Batteries
- Display & Lighting
- DSP
- FLASH
- GSM
- Human Machine Interface
- LCD
- Microcontrollers
- MSP430
- PIC
- Power
- Research Phase
- Solder
- Test
- USB (Universal Serial Bus)
- Wired
- Wireless
This posts looks at how a child's toy can be reprogrammed to provide a simple spectrum analyser that may be useful when working with licence-free wireless technologies.Like so many great open source h
NetWorker - an advanced web server with a microcrontroller

13/04/2011
- Analogue
- Capacitors
- Circuit Design
- Communication
- Display & Lighting
- DSP
- dsPIC
- EEPROM
- Ethernet
- FLASH
- Functional Test
- GAL
- Human Machine Interface
- Interconnect
- Manufacture
- Mbed
- Memory
- Microcontrollers
- PIC
- PIC24
- PIC32
- Power
- Programming
- Research Phase
- Resistors
- RS232
- RX
- SERIAL
- Serial Peripheral Interface
- Solder
- Test
- Trial & Evaluation
An Internet connection would be a valuable addition to many projects, but often designers are put off by the complexities involved. The ‘NetWorker’, which consists of a small printed circuit board
Exploring mbed with the Application Board

28/01/2013
A first look at the mbed platform and the recently launched Application Board.
The Birth of the Engineering Renaissance

15/07/2011
- Analogue
- Arduino
- Communication
- Designspark PCB
- Display & Lighting
- FLASH
- GAL
- LASER
- Manufacture
- Mbed
- Microcontrollers
- PIC
- Power
- Research Phase
- Safety Testing
- Solder
- Standards
- Test
- USB (Universal Serial Bus)
Developments in recent years suggest that we may be on the cusp of an engineering renaissance. Significant advances are being made in key areas such as tools, technology, principles and methodologies,
Use your Cortex in the ARM jungle

15/12/2011
- ARM
- Batteries
- Communication
- Cortex-A
- Cortex-M
- Cortex-R
- Development Kits - Electronics
- DSP
- Enclosures
- FLASH
- Freescale
- Manufacture
- Mbed
- Memory
- Microcontrollers
- Microprocessors
- MIPS
- PIC
- PIC32
- Power
- Reliability Testing
- Research Phase
- Robots
- Test
There was a time when deciding which microprocessor to use for a new project was pretty easy: there weren’t that many to choose from. Who remembers the Intel 8080, Motorola 6800 or the CBM 6502? The
Think globally, act locally

19/04/2011
- 802.15.4
- Bluetooth
- Communication
- Freescale
- Manufacture
- Microcontrollers
- PIC
- Power
- Sensors
- Standards
- Test
- WiFi
- Wireless
- Zigbee
Wireless Personal Area Networks: Zigbee or IEEE 802.15.4? Certification, Standards and Alliances.
HD Audio from ground up (Part 1)

18/05/2011
- Analogue
- ARM
- Capacitors
- Circuit Design
- Communication
- Cortex-M
- DSP
- FLASH
- Functional Test
- Human Machine Interface
- Interconnect
- LCD
- Mbed
- Memory
- Microcontrollers
- PIC
- Power
- Programming
- Research Phase
- Resistors
- Serial Peripheral Interface
- Test
- Trial & Evaluation
There are different ways for a system to interact with the real world. Starting with the use of a simple LED that describes the state of a process and going all the way down to complicated graphic LCD
Hands on with a 144 core processor

16/07/2012
The GA144 from GreenArrays is a highly novel 144 core processor that combines high performance with low power consumption. This post covers initial experiences with breadboarding the GA144 and using t
Microchip EDF - Report

19/11/2010
- Batteries
- Communication
- Display & Lighting
- DSP
- dsPIC
- Ethernet
- GPS
- Human Machine Interface
- Mbed
- Memory
- MiWi
- PIC
- PIC24
- Power
- Scientific Applications
- Serial Peripheral Interface
- Test
- USB (Universal Serial Bus)
- Wired
- Wireless
- Zigbee
Yesterday, anyone following me on Twitter will have seen that I attended the 2010 Microchip EDF (Embedded Design Forum) at RS Components in Corby. As an engineer it’s important for me and my employe
Renesas Electronics participate in WSC 2013

28/10/2012
The next World Solar Challenge car race takes place in October 2013. The race involves purpose-built vehicles being driven from the north to the south coast of Australia powered by energy which must come from the sun or be recovered from the kinetic energy of the vehicle itself. Here is the first post in a series charting the development of one entrant sponsored by Renesas Electronics.
A Practical intro to programming an open source SoC

30/03/2012
A post-event report from Open Source Hardware User Group meeting No. 17.At the seventeenth OSHUG meeting we were given an introduction to the practicalities of programming your own open source system-
Diary of a Field Sales Engineer

16/11/2012
It's a glamorous life isn't it? Well a bit of a curates egg actually. It's certainly a roller coaster ride. That project you were assured you had in the bag suddenly goes quiet. No one answers your calls. Is the project dead or has someone else pipped you at the post? Ask anyone in sales and it's a familiar tale. The customer spreads his enquiry far and wide and in so doing uses the field sales engineer as a free consultancy service or occasionally a spy, to find out what his competition is up to. Whizzing round the country (and some time the globe), meeting all manner of people and all types of business, no, the life of a Field Sales Engineer is never dull…
PiGo Sneak Preview

22/03/2013
A first look at the upcoming modular expansion system for Raspberry Pi.
Does in-vehicle technology reduce driver safety?

16/03/2012
- Bluetooth
- Communication
- Display & Lighting
- Enclosures
- Functional Test
- GPS
- Human Machine Interface
- LCD
- Mbed
- PIC
- Power
- Research Phase
- Safety Testing
- Test
- Trial & Evaluation
- Wireless
There is a lot of focus these days on safety in vehicles, particularly associated with distracting electronic gadgets, installed in the drivers view. It could easily be argued that adding a computer s
So when will we get the Star Trek Tricorder then?

19/01/2012
- ARM
- ARM11
- Communication
- Cortex-M
- Development Kits - Electronics
- Enclosures
- Ethernet
- Human Machine Interface
- Interconnect
- Mbed
- PIC
- Power
- Programming
- Raspberry Pi
- Research Phase
- Robots
- Sensors
- Serial Peripheral Interface
- Switches
- Test
A competition has been announced with a $10m prize for the first working medical tricorder. If you claim to be an engineer and don't know what I'm talking about, then may I suggest locking yourself in
Xbee and mbed streaming live data

11/06/2012
I seen a few reviews now of devices like the Xbee and they never seem very exciting. So this is the first of a number of posts I'll be writing were you see me using the product. So let get started and
Driving a robot - with a flick of the wrist

24/02/2011
- Accelerometers
- Batteries
- Communication
- Development Kits - Electronics
- Enclosures
- FLASH
- Manufacture
- Mbed
- PIC
- Programming
- Robots
- Sensors
- Switches
- Trial & Evaluation
- Wireless
I got hold of a TI Evalbot Stellaris MCU development kit the other day together with the necessary firmware enabling it to be driven from TI's other geek-magnet, the MSP-430 based Chronos sports watch
Engineering education is going CubeSat shaped....

08/04/2013
First it was the home computer, then the mobile phone: now it’s your own earth-orbiting satellite. Alright, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but about 5000GBP will buy you a kit of parts for the latest high-tech gadget, sorry, valuable research tool that no self-respecting technological university will want to be without...
HKUST ROV Team shone in Asia Regional IET/MATE Underwater Robot Challenge 2013

26/04/2013
The ROV Team, a sub-team of HKUST Robotics Team, shone in the Asia Regional IET/MATE Underwater Robot Challenge 2013 held on 13-14 April 2013. 9 university and 24 high school teams from 8 countries around Asia competed in two categories, Ranger Class and Explorer Class, respectively. The HKUST ROV Team won the Champion Award in the Explorer Class, and they will represent Hong Kong to join the International MATE ROV Competition 2013 Explorer Class in USA in June 2013.
The Low Cost GSM Network is Here

10/08/2012
- Communication
- Enclosures
- FPGA
- Functional Test
- GSM
- PIC
- Research Phase
- RX
- Test
This post takes a look at custom hardware that can be used with open source GSM network software to enable the creation of extremely low cost mobile network infrastructure
The Arduino Effect

09/11/2011
- Arduino
- ARM
- AVR
- Beagle
- Chipkit
- Cortex-A
- Cortex-M
- Development Kits - Electronics
- DSP
- FRAM
- Freescale
- Manufacture
- Mbed
- Microcontrollers
- MSP430
- PIC
- PIC32
- Power
- Programming
- Research Phase
- Robots
- Serial Peripheral Interface
- Test
I’ve noticed an interesting trend recently. Forgive my lack of awareness if this has all been said before, but here it is: microcontroller chip manufacturers are making/supporting some very cheap development kits nowadays.
Old and New at Sci-Fi London 2012

10/05/2012
- Analogue
- Arduino
- ARM
- ARM11
- Development Kits - Electronics
- Display & Lighting
- FLASH
- H8
- Human Machine Interface
- Interconnect
- Manufacture
- Memory
- Microcontrollers
- PIC
- Power
- Programming
- Raspberry Pi
- Research Phase
- Robots
- Sensors
- SERIAL
- Serial Peripheral Interface
- Test
A major highlight of a week of activity at the Sci-Fi London festival was the Horizon Spectrum event at the BFI Southbank celebrating 30 years of the Sinclair Spectrum 'home' computer. I attended the
Going FORTH - Some 'Bare-Metal' Bashing

14/03/2013
My posts last year on the old Jupiter Ace computer and the more recent FIGnition kit provoked some interesting reactions to their use of the Forth programming language. Some loved it, others hated it. I dug out a version I wrote many years ago for the 8085 microprocessor and overcome with nostalgia decided to port it to a more modern platform. This post covers the initial stage of this less-than-logical process involving processor selection and first attempts at programming. For that authentic 'vintage' feel note the Toshiba Tecra laptop running the terminal emulator under Windows 3.11.
Software-defined Radio on a Shoestring

22/05/2012
- Communication
- FRAM
- GSM
- PIC
- Power
- Scientific Applications
- Test
- USB (Universal Serial Bus)
- Wireless
Software-defined radio (SDR) holds incredible promise for the future of communications: from reducing the bill of materials and enabling software upgrade of equipment, to cognitive radio systems that
Superfast 4G, The next generation of wireless

04/05/2012
Just as we’re getting used to what 3G wireless communications has to offer us and our mobile phones, it appears that 4G is coming – or is already here, depending on where in the world you live and
iSay - Flexibility gives FPGAs the advantage

20/04/2011
- Circuit Design
- Communication
- Display & Lighting
- FPGA
- Functional Test
- Manufacture
- PIC
- Safety Testing
- SRAM
- Standards
- Test
- Wireless
Flexibility gives FPGAs the advantage in growing number of applications.
Metamorphosis - Project Engineer to Product Designer

05/03/2013
Good Product Designers, are involved in the overall system design and interact with other team members to achieve intended product functionality. What happens if every team member has this kind of attitude?
Using the eZ430 Chronos with a Raspberry Pi

01/06/2012
- Accelerometers
- Communication
- Development Kits - Electronics
- Microcontrollers
- MSP430
- PIC
- Power
- Pressure Sensors
- Raspberry Pi
- Sensors
- SERIAL
- Test
- Wireless
- x86
The eZ430 Chronos development kit from Texas Instruments represents great value for money and provides a wristwatch with a wireless-enabled microcontroller, accelerometers and temperature...
Connecting electronics design to Google SketchUp

14/07/2011
RS’ free of charge IDf-to-Collada converter allows EDA tools to connect with the popular Google SketchUp 3D Modelling package. Ever had a design that did not quite fit the mould? You have laid out t
Building the SoftRock SDR

20/12/2012
- Assembly
- Communication Applications
- DSP
- GSM
- Solder
- Test
This is the first of two posts which take a look at the relatively simple and easy to construct SoftRock software-defined radio (SDR) that is designed for HF amateur radio use.
A step back in time to the 1980's with a Raspberry Pi...

12/03/2012
- Analogue
- Capacitors
- Ethernet
- Memory
- PIC
- Power
- Programming
- Raspberry Pi
- Research Phase
- Standards
- Test
Over the weekend I took home one of the Raspberry Pi prototypes. From the moment I took the first byte of the Pi, memories came flooding back...
EDP from RS

08/04/2010
- Analogue
- Communication
- Development Kits - Electronics
- Ethernet
- Mbed
- PCB Drilling
- PIC
- Power
- Programming
- RS232
- Sensors
- Test
- USB (Universal Serial Bus)
Microchip - Microstick 16-bit MCU dsPIC33F, PIC24H Review

13/12/2010
With the likes of the Arduino and the mbed filling the hobbyist workbenches, Education and even into the work place what have Microchip got to offer as a competing product? Well in the summer of this
Pi Perspectives: Jeremy Ruston (Federatial)

28/03/2012
Image © Nick J. Webb (CC BY 2.0)Jeremy Ruston is the inventor of TiddlyWiki and founder of software consultancy, Federatial Ltd, and gained his introduction to computing during those heady
HANDY-CAP: Final Blog

16/05/2013
The competition has reached his final stage and our group has finished the major part of our project which is the HW board.