Electronics and related things
I took an X-Ray of a Gameboy classic. Coincidental a transparent one. This was actuality one of the first X-Rays I took with the X-Ray machine. This picture shows the projection of X-Rays on a fluoroscopic screen (intensifier screen) normally found in X-Ray cassettes. On the right side the Gameboy can be seen.
I am working on modifying a NES gamepad. I took me some time to take the dimensions of the PCB and the keepout area where the mounts are in the controller. I’m posting the dimensions here so maybe it saves you some time.
And remember, the dimensions are not guaranteed to be correct. If you find a mistake, drop me a note.
The column stand in use. The camera shutter is triggered with the foot pedal.
I have an old Sanyo Xacti video camera which I use very rarely. Therefore every time I need the camera the battery is empty. Since I use the camera mostly at home I built a dummy battery for the camera. This post is not meant as instruction but as suggestion how it could be done. 
I sourced an old tube radio from an good will store. Since it was defective I got it for free. Anyways, I have already striped the electronics inside so this does not matter. I am going to build a Bluetooth speaker box with the case. Bluetooth receiver, Class-D Amplifier, bass reflex loudspeaker, lead-battery, USB-charging port and a carry handle.
Continue reading Worklog: Conversion of an old tube radio into a Bluetooth boombox
EPROM short for Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory is a relict from the early days of computing. It is a from of memory used to store program code for CPU and micro computer. As the name states it is a read-only memory this means that in normal operation the memory content can only be read but not altered. To erase then the memory the chip needs to be exposed to UV light. For this propose the housing of the chip has a built in quartz glass window. I used a so called flash gun which is basically a mains powered fast firing strobe light which is pointed on to the window.
The process of erasing the memory takes some time. I interrupted the erasing process to monitor the progress erasing process by dumping the chips memory into a file. During the first 60 seconds of the chip being exposed to the light no data change occurs. After that the memory fades pretty fast. Even the placement and structure of the memory cells on the chip is somewhat recognizable.
This post can be seen as a follow up to my recent post ((My first impression of the Genius G540 universal programmer)) adressing the G540 universal programmer. The reason why I bought this programmer was that I have collected many old memory chips. I was always curious what kind of interesting data they might contain. A EPROM reader was needed and since my urge to build an Arduino shield for that purpose lapsed soon after sourcing some MCP23S17 ((Microchip product page of the MCP23S17)) SPI port expander chips. So I bought the G540 I mentioned before. Continue reading Reading Flash and EPROM chips and visualizing their contents
I have been collecting old EPROM chips for many years. Now I was curious what data these hold exactly. I am not looking for program data but more for character maps, hidden “Easter eggs” . Something like this Hack a day ((Hack a day on hidden photographs in old Mac ROM chips )) post.
So I went to ebay an bought one of this widespread available “Genius G540 ((G540 programmer on ebay))” EPROM programmers. Continue reading Genius G540 EPROM programmer: what’s inside and initial startup
Der HD44780 ist ein Controller um alphanummerische Zeichen auf einem Matrix-LCD anzuzeigen. Mit einem Controller können Maximal 80 Zeichen in zwei Zeilen zu jeweils 40 Zeichen angesteuert werden. Continue reading HD44780 Einführung
Urban Cricket is a small circuit that imitates the call of a cricket, only being powered by a small solar cell ((Introduction to Urban Cricket (German) (youtube) )) ((Introduction to Urban Cricket (English) (youtube))). The idea comes from Reinhard Gupfinger ((Reinhard Gupfingers website)) a Linz based artist I met during the Ars Electronica Festival 2011 in Linz. This circuit here is a altered version of his original circuit. He distributes this little sound bugs all over the world ((Sound tossing website )) ((Sound tossing Facebook page)). Until early 2013 on was in a tree at the Schwedenplatz in Vienna ((A Urban Cricket in the wild)).