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�SEPT 9, 2008
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Hydrochloric Acid Etch Despite being low on funds, I'm moving forward with the Etchlab II upgrade tonight with a hydrochloric acid test. This one will be done by hand for documentation purposes and hopefully reveal the ideal etch times for this material. In total, two circuitboards will be printed. One is a positive UV mask consisting of text and lines of varying size. The second--should the initial test succeed-- is a positive mask for a fine-pitch circuitboard. For the time being, this one will not involve a heating apparatus. | |
| �JUNE 9, 2008
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Robot War TI goes photo-real
Thanks to help from Spencer over at Revsoft.org (maker of the upcoming TI-83+ Zelda adventure), Robot War 2 is already being ported to the TI-83+ and TI-84+ series of graphing calculators. Building a TI-83+ app for the first time offers a long list of advantages over working with the usual TI-82 hardware. For starters, the 83+ has a faster, memory-mapped display that allows grayscale graphics in ways not possible with Robot War 1. Grayscale photos like this one for the Grand Grove level will appear in the flash app versions of this game. So far, five images have been drafted. The additional storage capacity of these calculators will allow even more to be added in the future. | |
| �MAY 10, 2008
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New Series Coming A few years ago, I started putting together a few analog projects for various purposes (FM radio, etc.). At the time, I wasn't sure they were noteworthy designs, but after revisiting some my older electronics forums, it looks like there is an unmistakable demand for analog projects. So starting next week, I am going to start introducing the T-Series devices alongside the current E-Series under my hardware page. They differ from the current E-Series in that they are non-programmable. A few however involve the non-programmable state machines you typically learn the first year of college. There are 3 T-Series projects currently on tap:
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| �APRIL 21, 2008
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Etchlab II Having been on a job search recently, I decided it is a good time to upgrade the Etchlab system to keep my spirits up. I also bought a licensed version of the EAGLE CAD editor, which will make double-sided boards possible with this new setup. So basically, this is the new Etchlab shell. It uses the same PVC piping and aquarium parts from the original design, but takes up about a cubic foot less space. The notable improvement is that the chem tanks are permanent fixtures to this design, whereas in Etchlab I, they were fastened on. The tanks (labeled 1 through 4) will use forced air to move the caustic acids and oxidizers to the circuit board. Since this is meant to be double-sided board-capable, a second pair of exposure lamps will be added as soon as I can afford them. Although I'm reusing the control computer I built, I'm thinking of reprogramming it in C for easier debugging. Likewise, the PC control program will be in Visual Basic 2005 rather than QBasic. The pace of this project hinges on how fast I can reprogram the controller, how soon I can acquire the chemicals, and whether anyone will hire me in the coming weeks. |
| �JAN 18, 2008
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Upcoming Security Project
A new revision on an older project, the Secure Monitor is being added to the hardware section next month. This is an access control panel that works just like the keypads in any resisdential alarm system. Unlike its predessor --the Code Lock--this one is meant to be networked to a central controller, using an RS-232-like wire interface. Like always, this project is target towards AVR microcontrollers in the assembly language.As it stands, the Secure Monitor is about 95% assembled. Among other things, it will use the LCD and telephone keypad from the E-13 Card Reader as a user interface. This control pad is only one a collection of networkable alarm devices I hope to document on this webpage. Look for the Secure Monitor in February 2008. |
| �JAN 13, 2008 | Hardware Project Redocumenting With my past email going inactive in the next year, I've spent the past few weeks redocumenting all some of the old hardware files to include --among other changes-- the newer email. The valid email address is shown at the bottom of this page. New DOC and PDF templates are also underway that will allow entire projects and new high-res photos to be downloaded in once step. The first project to offer DOC and PDF formats will be an upcoming security system control panel programmed for the AVR. |
| �MAY 17, 2007 | Robot War TI: Psychopath Back to assembly coding. It's been nearly one year since the Robot War sequel was announced. Despite the usual pleasantries like hardware limits, and odd bugs development is going well at United TI. A winter 2007 or winter 2008 release is almost guaranteed. Help from community pixel artists and some new screenshot software are really helping breathe new life into the series. The gameplay in Robot War TI: Psychopath is going in a completely new direction. The target this time around is speed; with a bigger emphasis on faster, more intuitive gameplay. The battle system already showcases a real-time physics simulator that will definately push these graphing calculators to the limit. |
| �MAY 16, 2007 | Hardware Mod The latest of the TI calculator mods will be featured in the hardware section in the coming weeks. It's a very successful design and clears up many of the performance issues incurred by it's predecessor, the Original TI mod. For those unfamiliar, it's a power management system that attaches to the calculator. It allows the option to use AAA batteries, AA batteries, external power or any combination of the three. The original perks are still here: extended gameplay, status LED, built-in chick magnet. The DC port will accept power from wall adapters, cigarette lighters, car batteries, USB ports, a hampster wheel, it won't matter. |
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