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Featured articles

WiFi – IR Gateway a.k.a. Give your Dumb (Old) Devices the Smarts!

Some time ago I also completed this project that I...

ActoSenso Server – Controlling it all

Introduction Although optional, having a central coordinator (ActoSenso Server) in...

ActoSenso – My Automation Project – System Overview

Introduction Over the past few months I have created an...

If you have an idea for a project or you want to improve on a project you see on my pages and you would like to collaborate with me on it, send me a message – I’m happy to work together with like minded people towards a common project.

Latest from the blog

automation, iot, review

New Product Review: Wio Terminal

January 12, 2022 January 12, 2022 0

Recently, SeeedStudio sent me a Wio Terminal for review. The Wio Terminal is powered by Microchip’s ATSAMD51P19. I had no prior development experience with the core (ATSAMD51) or with the built-in network chip (Realtek RTL8720DN), so it took me some research to get familiar with this development board. In the …

fix/repair, life hack

USB Mini-B Socket – USB Type-A Plug Conversion on a USB-TTL Adapter

December 19, 2021 December 19, 2021 0

Introduction Earlier today I needed an extra of those USB-to-TTL-Serial adapters for a project I am currently working on. Among my spare parts I found an old one, based on the PL-2303HX chip, but when I attached it to my Windows 11 PC, it didn’t seem to work. I remember, …

life hack, midi

Creative Blasterkey MP3 External Power Mod

February 15, 2021 February 15, 2021 2

How to use Creative’s BlasterKey MP3 with a dedicated power source.

life hack

Power a Laptop without a Dedicated Power Adapter

December 19, 2020 December 19, 2020 0

I am often given laptops for repair/cleanup. However, not everybody brings the power adapter along. Anyone who has ever dealt with laptops knows from experience that pretty much every make/model has a different kind of power socket, even though they pretty much have the same power requirements. In this quick …

automation, car, project

GPS/GSM Vehicle Tracker/Recorder

November 23, 2020 June 16, 2021 13

The article below is a detailed description of a GPS and GSM based vehicle tracking solution I have created recently. Its major features: Real time location reports using an onboard GSM modem. Has a micro SD card socket for offline storage on a memory card – this way using a …

life hack, proof of concept

Custom Development Boards To Speed up Development

October 18, 2020 October 24, 2020 0

(This article is updated regularly as I create new development boards. The new ones are towards the bottom of this page.) Over the years I have created several development boards and breakout boards. Despite their cost (time, effort, money) they are invaluable investments for development. They simplify and speed up …

featured, project

WiFi – IR Gateway a.k.a. Give your Dumb (Old) Devices the Smarts!

October 8, 2020 October 30, 2020 5

Some time ago I also completed this project that I never got around to publish. This project is a WiFi-Infrared gateway. I am aware that such commercial products exist, but at the time I needed one for my home the available options all suffered from one or more shortcomings, such …

project

Mirror LED Clock

September 13, 2020 September 13, 2020 0

I must have thought there were not enough kinds/shapes/etc clocks in the world. Or maybe I thought: “I made one in the eighties, one about 10 years ago, so it is time for another one.” I’m not sure at this stage. What I do know is that I wanted to …

automation, software, tutorial

Tutorial: How to Install Home Assistant on a Generic Linux System

July 25, 2020 September 2, 2020 3

Are you as baffled as I am about Home Assistant installation? Got a generic Linux system and are not sure where to begin? Well, look no further, as i am setting out here the necessary steps, as i identified them through my recent research. Home Assistant is one of the …

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