Recent Blog Posts
Seeed Studio – Grove Beginner Kit
I’ve always liked Seeed Studio’s products and own several. Their Grove system (similar to Adafruit and Sparkfun systems) enable one to easily interconnect sensors without soldering. Their Grove Beginners kit takes it one step further beyond no-solder to no-cables. The entire kit is interconnected via one circuit board, so you can start programming out of…
Fab City Foundation Announces New Release of Smart Citizen: Open Tools for Environmental Learning
The Fab City Foundation has released the latest version of their networked air quality monitor as an easy to assemble kit. Thousands of these kits are installed world-wide monitoring local air quality and uploading real-time data that can be viewed at https://smartcitizen.me/kits/ Complete details, including documentation, can be found at: https://smartcitizen.me Kits can be ordered…
ISS Mimic Project on Github
The ISS Mimic Project on Github https://github.com/ISS-Mimic/Mimic/wiki uses the actual live data from the International Space Station to control a 3D-printed model that moves the solar arrays and radiators to track the real ISS in real time. It’s a complex model that’s perfect as a MakerSpace project as it combines 3D printing and assembly with…
Sparkfun Article on Field Testing the Range of LoRa Antennas
Opps! Forgot to publish this. https://www.sparkfun.com/news/5497
Write Your Code Like NASA Does
Make Magazine recently published a video by Allyson Aberg highlighting 3 guidelines from JPL’s “Rules for Developing Safety Critical Code”. Worthwhile to watch the video for it contains more information than the written text. The guidelines can be found at: http://pixelscommander.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/P10.pdf Pixelscommander has applied these guidelines to JavaScript in this post. A more detailed document…
Arduino EDUvision on YouTube
This is embarrassing, but I just learned that arduino.cc (the mothersite) has a STEAM channel on YouTube. Season 2 focus was on the Internet of Things (IOT). Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT6rF_I5kknPWSLv9uU3Kc0v9-1q4IymY
XinaBox – Modular Components
One of the sponsors of the CTE Mission CubeSat challenge is XinaBox.cc. They developed a unique system of arduino based components, sensors and radios for the STEM/STEAM market. The components “snap” together forming a rigid stable platform for experimentation. Their system is much faster to assemble than traditional breadboarding or even 4-wire systems such as…
Fredric Raab 