Convert an ATX Computer Supply to a Bench Power Supply

Convert an ATX Power Supply to a Workbench Supply

A Bench Power Supply is an essential component for any serious electronics experimenter. But a good supply with multiple output voltages and a high current capability can set you back some serious cash

In this article we’ll look at an alternative – using an old computer ATX power supply as a high-performance workbench power supply.

It’s a simple project that can give you a highly capable piece of equipment for next to nothing

Build a remote Surveillance Camera using motionEyeOS & Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi Remote Camera with motionEyeOS

motionEyeOS is an open-source product that can turn any Raspberry Pi into a sophisticated surveillance system. It’s very easy to use as the product is available as an image file for the Raspberry PI as well as several other single board computers.

In this article we will set up both a Raspberry Pi 3B+ and a Raspberry Pi Zero W with motionEyeOS. We will then learn how to use all of the features of this amazing product. If you are looking for an inexpensive yet advanced surveillance system this could be the answer!

A Drone You Can Program – Introducing PlutoX

PlutoX Aerial Robotics Kit

The PlutoX Aerial Robotics Kit is a DIY quadcopter that you can program and add your own hardware to. This unique device is perfect for experimenters, hobbyists and basically anyone who is interested in developing a project that can fly.

In this article I’ll introduce you to the PlutoX and to the Cygnus IDE, the development environment you’ll use to write code for the drone.

Arduino UV Index Meter – Measuring UV Light

Arduino UV Index Meter

Ultraviolet Light is used in many industrial and medical applications. We also receive a dose of UV light from sunshine, and while a little UV light is good for you excessive exposure can lead to eye and skin damage.

In this article I will explain how to safely work with ultraviolet light and I’ll show you how to build a UV Index Meter that can accurately measure the level of UV and help keep you safe in the sunshine.

So grab your hat and sunscreen and follow along!

DFRobot 5 DOF Robot Arm – Building the Robotic Arm

Robot arm with controller

The DF Robot 5 DOF Robot Arm kit is a high-quality robotic arm that you can assemble yourself. With heavy duty servo motors and sturdy aluminum parts this inexpensive arm is perfect for your robotics experiments

Follow along as I assemble the robot arm. I’ll also build a simple robot arm controller based on the Arduino Nano and the PCA9685 16-channel PWM module.

Build a Robot Car with Speed Sensors

Robot Car With Speed Sensors

I’m sure you have seen those inexpensive robot car chassis kits, the ones that come with two 6-volt motors. They are great fun and very useful and they even come with a couple of speed encoder disks (those little black circles full of holes). Problem is, no one tells you how to use them!

Let’s resolve that and build a robot car with speed sensors. Along the way we’ll learn how to use Interrupts, a valuable programming technique.