Nuts and Volts Magazine
Features
Last month, we established a hardware platform to work on. This time, we’ll dive right into working in a new environment.
RTCs have all kinds of neat uses in microcontroller projects. Get introduced to this wonderful world of timekeeping with the popular and inexpensive TinyRTC.
Do more stuff with microcontrollers than just blinking LEDs.
Projects
Ever built a project that needed an accurate timer to switch something on or off at regular intervals? See if this simple one fits the bill.
Ever built a project that needed an accurate timer to switch something on or off at regular intervals? See if this simple one fits the bill.
You’ll always be ready for April Fool’s Day with this easy circuit that will help bring practical jokes to a whole new level.
Columns
TechKnowledgey
by Jeff Eckert
Events, Advances, and News (04.2015)
The world’s largest digital camera has been funded, Intel is getting sticky, you can get skin care via your iPhone, plus there’s lots more to read about.
Q&A
by Tim Brown
Reader Questions Answered Here (04.2015)
Making a smart house smarter, a telephone off-hook alarm, and radio tuning are question topics this time.
The Spin Zone
by Jon McPhalen
Can We Talk? Again?
This month’s project goes through setting up a simple command language for controlling the Propeller through a serial interface.
The Design Cycle
by Fred Eady
The RN4020 PICtail Plus BLE.
Bluetooth 4.0 is becoming the de facto standard when it comes to embedded device monitoring and control from iPhones and Android devices. Microchip’s BLE radio module is called the RN4020. Unlike many of the other BLE offerings, the RN4020 Bluetooth Low Energy radio module comes backed with a full load of example code and hardware development tools. This month, we’ll get started on the BLE path with Microchip’s RN4020 PICtail, a terminal emulator, and a laptop.
Practical 3D Printing
by Chuck Hellebuyck
3D Custom Storage Boxes
Get your electronics über organized with specially designed storage drawers.
Near Space
by L. Paul Verhage
CubeSats — Part 3: Attitude and Velocity
Learn about some “toys” that help CubeSats control their own attitude and velocity.
Departments
Amateur Radio – Not Just For the Nostalgic
by Bryan Bergeron
It’s no secret that amateur radio has been in decline for a while, hastened by the popularity of the Internet. Today, all that’s required for world-wide video and audio communications is a cell phone — not a room packed with powerful gear.
