Blog
Build logs, project notes, and write-ups from the workshop.
- How to Arduino #4 — analogRead, Potentiometers, and map() to Control a Servo A potentiometer outputs a voltage between 0V and 5V. The Arduino reads it as a number between 0 and 1023. map() converts that to 0–180 for a servo. This post covers the theory, the wiring, and the one-line conversion that ties it all together.
- How to Use Servos with Arduino — Wiring + Code (HiTec HS-322HD, TowerPro MG995) How to wire and control hobby servos with Arduino — external power, common ground, lead color schemes for HiTec and TowerPro, Servo library code, and why jitter happens.
- How to Arduino #2 — Wire a 1602 LCD Display (HD44780 Parallel Wiring + LiquidCrystal Library) A complete walkthrough for wiring a 1602 character LCD to an Arduino Uno in 4-bit parallel mode using the LiquidCrystal library — plus a bonus run on the TI MSP430 Launchpad with Energia.
- How to Arduino #1 — Installing the IDE and Uploading Your First Sketch Installing the Arduino IDE, selecting the right board and serial port, uploading the Blink example, and reading your first sketch. Also: why the Arduino Nano fits on a breadboard and the Uno does not, and a plain-English walkthrough of the three sections every Arduino program has.
- How to Replace the Screen on an HP Envy dv6 Laptop A cracked screen does not mean a dead laptop. Four screws, a pried bezel, one ribbon cable, and a replacement panel from Screen Country — this repair takes about 20 minutes and costs a fraction of a new machine.
- Programmable LED Jack-o-Lantern with the TI MSP-430 Launchpad + Energia IDE Replace a fake pumpkin's incandescent bulb with 6 individually-controlled LEDs and program the whole thing with the TI MSP-430 Launchpad and Energia — which is basically the Arduino IDE with a red color scheme and TI chip support.
- How to Find and Eliminate a Yellowjacket Nest in Your Yard (The Brick Trick) When you have multiple ground holes and no idea which one the yellowjackets are using, covering them with bricks one by one tells you exactly which hole is the active nest. Then you deal with it.
- How to Fix Nintendo Wii Disc Read Errors — Optical Drive Replacement Tutorial The dreaded "Unable to read disc" error on a Nintendo Wii is almost always the optical drive — and a $20 replacement from overseas plus one very specific screwdriver will fix it in about 35 minutes.
- How to Use a Nokia 5110 LCD with Arduino — $3 Display + Clock Demo The Nokia 5110's 84×48 monochrome LCD is surplus from one of the best-selling phones in history, which is why you can get five of them for $15 shipped. Full wiring guide, Adafruit PCD8544 library setup, and a sweeping clock-face demo.
- Using the TI Launchpad as an In-System Programmer for MSP430 Chips You already own an MSP430 programmer. Pull three jumpers off the Launchpad and you can flash chips in-circuit on a breadboard — no separate programmer needed. Here is the four-wire hookup and why it beats the pop-and-swap approach.