Welcome to our maker news where we wrap up some fun and interesting stories in the maker world from the last few weeks. The video will come out on Fridays, but we are posting a topic here on Wednesdays to post the video’s sources and to collect any news from the community to potentially include in next week’s as well as just open up general discussion.
This week we looked at:
A New World’s Smallest Blinky
Mark Roller has set a remarkable world record with the world’s smallest “blinky” - the classic Hello World project of embedded systems. This tiny marvel measures just 2.4 by 1.45 millimetres (approximately 1/10 by 1/18 of an inch). Despite its minuscule size, the device packs an Attiny20 microcontroller, an LED, a current-limiting resistor, a decoupling capacitor, and another capacitor used as a power supply. It’s a really cool short read, and you should definitely check out his write-up.
The Ultimate Connection Solution: A Board with “All the Ports”
YouTuber Pakéquis has created something both amusing and impressive: a prototype board featuring what appears to be nearly every connector imaginable. This whimsical creation serves as the ultimate solution for those rare situations where you need to simultaneously connect multiple interface types.
The board includes an impressive array of connection options:
- DE-9 Connector: Supports serial, joystick, or CAN communication.
- RCA Connectors: Includes 3 RCA connectors.
- Audio Connectors:
- 1 P2 audio jack (up to 4 pins).
- 1 6.3 mm audio jack.
- Screw Terminals: Includes 2 screw terminals, one dedicated to power supply.
- Barrel Connector: For power input, with integrated 78XX voltage regulator and on/off switch.
- Potentiometer or Rotary Encoder: For adjustable input functionality.
- 40-Pin I/O Connector: Compatible with Raspberry Pi and other Single Board Computers (SBCs).
- JTAG Connector: Standard 20-pin JTAG interface.
- SWD Connectors:
- 10-pin SWD with 2.54 mm pitch.
- 10-pin SWD with 1.27 mm pitch.
- Programming Connector: 4-pin interface for STM32 programming.
- USB/Serial Converter Connector: Simplifies communication setup.
- Microcontroller Spaces: Dedicated spaces for microcontroller boards with widths of 600, 700, 800, and 1000 mils.
- Arduino Shield Compatibility: Area for connecting Arduino-compatible shields.
- Matrix Keypad: Includes a 12-key matrix keypad.
- LED Indicators: 8 LEDs with current-limiting resistors.
- USB Connectors:
- 1 USB Type-A connector.
- 1 USB Type-B connector.
- 1 USB Type-C connector.
- Ground Pad: Convenient GND pad for prototyping needs.
Is it practical? Not particularly. Would most makers use it in their projects? Probably not. Is it a fun, whacky demonstration of connector convergence? Absolutely!
Glow-in-the-Dark PCBs
YouTuber Botmatrix collaborated with PCBway to create what they claim to be the first commercially available glow-in-the-dark PCBs. Similar to those familiar glow-in-the-dark stickers from your childhood, these PCBs have a UV phosphorescing silkscreen that stores UV energy.
While it might seem like a novelty, this technology offers intriguing possibilities for makers, especially with the ability to add a UV LED to your board to activate the silkscreen. This is just such a novel tool to add to your maker toolbox, and I think we will see projects down the line utilising this. Currently, PCBway is offering this glow-in-the-dark silkscreen option, but only for custom orders that you have to manually contact them about.
If you have any news from the maker world, feel free to post it below and we may include it in next week’s video, until then we will see you next week!
