User talk:Daveb: Difference between revisions

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Dave Brown - hacker in spirit.
Dave Brown playing for a while:)
==Project intended to progress sometime in the future==
{|border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
|'''Project''' || '''Status''' || '''Notes'''
|-
|'''Reconfigurable sailing proa'''|| mostly inactive, built small bits || Rob Denny at http://www.harryproa.com has some interesting things to say about Proas and how they could be the basis for a cheap, high performance, spacious sailing cruising boat. Perhaps the ideal cruising boat :). I want to explore the sailing characteristics in a model.
|-
|'''LED lights and lenses for my bike''' || active || http://pilom.com/BicycleElectronics/DynamoCircuits.htm explains the matching of LEDs to bike generators. I plan to have several strings of LEDs with different beam angles and aiming points - and the appropriate string of LEDs turned on for the current bike speed.
Success criteria:
* generate some light at low speed
* generate more light at high speed
* get it too work
* don't break the bank
|-
|'''Visible surge arrestor''' || project || I want to know when power surges happen, and if possible stop them cheaply and quickly. [http://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/view/Project:SurgeArrestor Project:Surge Arrestor]
|-
|'''Low viscosity blood'''|| thoughts || I have some more reading to do; but am intrigued by http://customers.hbci.com/~wenonah/new/mcdaniel.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_Pulmonary_Index
|-
|'''Quiet boxed PCs''' || project || I want to run more than one PC, and the droning gets to me :(  [http://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/view/Project:QuietBoxedPCs Project: Quiet Boxed PCs]
|}


==Project Ideas==
==Project Ideas==
Line 5: Line 24:
|'''Project''' || '''Status''' || '''Notes'''  
|'''Project''' || '''Status''' || '''Notes'''  
|-
|-
|'''LED lights and lenses for my bike''' || plan  || http://pilom.com/BicycleElectronics/DynamoCircuits.htm explains the matching of LEDs to bike generators. Have ordered LEDs, reflectors and lenses. Have an attiny85 from the space components. Still need a dynamo, some diodes, mosfets, npns, a circuit and some firmware - oh and maybe a heatsink for the LEDs:). The project is moving along.
|'''Power efficient raid'''|| idea || Data needs to be written to multiple drives; so a single head-crash does not wipe it out. However, it could be staged to disks sequentially, remaining in memory until it has been written on the 2nd (or n'th) drive. The drives could be spun up more rarely, to simply update the file-store.
Perhaps it can be done using two or more file systems and unionfs; with the data eventually residing on a spinning disk, but initially being saved on ssd. The spinning disk using btrfs to make a sequence of stable snapshots from changes preserved on the ssd.
Maybe btrfs offers this sort of thing directly?
|-
|'''Make solar cell?'''|| idea || Link http://www.freewebs.com/acselectronics/TiO2solar.html
|-
|'''Safe by design nuclear'''|| meme || [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9M__yYbsZ4 2 hour promo]
|-
 
|-
|'''bike trailer'''|| sketches on envelopes || to carry standard building 2.44 x 1.22 M sheets, 2up kayak, etc.  Considering
* extending the bike rack so the trailer can be carried inverted over the rack;
* wheel mounts that can be pivoted to vary the trailers wheelbase
** narrow for storage on bike
** wider for normal use
** extra wide to control the windage of a building sheet
|-
|'''tricycle'''|| just a thought || Means of getting around...
|-
|'''hack caliphers'''|| seen in sparkfun comments || Member #333257
 
If you measure current, you will see that the power off state draws 90% of the current of the power on state. For some reason, all electronic calipers seem to be this way- power off is actually display (only) off. THIS is why the batteries go bad quickly.


I just open the caliper case, cut the battery trace (which one doesn’t matter), drill two holes to allow the fine (wire wrap) wire to come out the top to a micro-miniature slide switch glued to the top. I always turn the switch off, rather than press some caliper “off” button, and find that a button cell lasts for many years. I would attach a picture if Sparkfun allowed, but it doesn’t. Caliper thickness is unchanged, and the outline is very nearly unchanged.
|-
|-
|'''LED lights in walking stick''' || idea  || Want to combine a torch and walking stick for my father. Should be reliable over several years, have little impact on the walking stick, and provide light when needed with no manual switch.
|'''temperature controller'''|| plan || to control cooker for soldering SMD.
# ssr to control power to heating plate
# type k thermocouple to measure temperature
# attiny 84a dip
# usb/serial converter to talk to netbook
* solder-less breadboard with banana-sockets to link 2 through 4
|-
|-
|}
|}
Headlight
Parts ideas:
Switches for LED current..
* This [http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/zxms6005dt8ta/mosfet-nn-ch-w-esd-60v-1-8a-sm8/dp/1902497 SMD Dual Logic Level MOSFET] will control two sets of LEDs directly from the MCU - given enough heat-sink capability on the board and enough voltage from the MCU (3.3 or 5v compatibke , Has ESD, over temp and over current protection... is really tiny! If the logic level REALLY needs to be 3.3v then that is an issue :( 3.3v logic turns into about +3.45v regulator (3.3v + a 200mV diode drop to allow the MCU tp be reprogramed in circuit) with 415mV regulation margin - nearly 4v reqd for the MCU.. when the LEDs start to light up near 3v :(.


* This [http://uk.farnell.com/stmicroelectronics/stp16nf06l/mosfet-n-ch-60v-16a-to220/dp/9803068 TO220 MOSFET] should carry the 0.5a curent - perhaps without any heatsinking at all. and combined with a small transister should operate well at a supply voltage of 3v.
==Crazy Ideas==
{|border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
|'''Project''' || '''Status''' || '''Notes'''
|-
|'''Infer unit-testcases from a functions code'''|| thought || Summary: Use the parse tree for a function as input to heuristically apply symbolic logic that aims to build information about the values of parameters required to invoke particular functionality with-in the function.  
So for example given a function "uint32_t f(uint32_t i, std::string s)", it starts with a range of possible inputs of (i in [0,2^32-1] x (s.size() in [0,2^32]) x [set-of-possible-values-of-actual-length]) , which is nearly infinite.
Then from the parse tree, derive the possible effects of the code, and the sub-ranges of the inputs that are required to have these effects.
 
|-
|'''prime number generator'''|| thought || Invert the sieve of Aristophanes, so the data structure holds primes and the next multiple of each prime. Keep the data-structure sorted by the next multiple. When a gap occurs between the current nearest multiple and the next nearest the gap contains prime number(s).
The algorithm requires sorting subsequent multiples into place.
If N is the number of discovered primes N, and the size of the primes is S; then the memory used is O(N*S) and the
CPU time used is O(S*N*N).


There are a few impacts of this choice..
Other thoughts:
* SMD or through hole!!!
* use wheel factorisation of the first M primes to compactly and efficiently represent the impact of these first M primes, where M is chosen so the product of these primes fit in a machine word, and so that the primes less than the product fit in affordable memory.
* Many fewer devices from the SMD integrated logic level MOSFETS
* use interval arithmetic to keep track of the intermediate numbers.
* Higher operating voltages might be required by the SMD MOSFETs
* can it be fitted to hardware?
|-
|'''factorisation'''|| thought || By trial division using list of known primes; is exceedingly slow for large numbers; the number of potential factors is O(sqrt(N)) - if N is more than 100 bits that is a big number.  However, can knowledge of the factors be used to restrict the search space usefully? What are the constraints on the factors imposed by PGP for example
|-
|}
 
==Dead Ideas==
{|border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
|'''Project''' || '''Status''' || '''Notes'''
|-
|'''mirrored coils'''|| reinventing the wheel; already exists as a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choke_%28electronics%29#Common-mode_choke ''Common mode choke''] || wind two coils on the same core, one left hand the other right hand and link them together. I think they should act as a filter of some sort, because the emf generated by the first travels faster than the electrons and reinforces the current in the other coil, smoothing out the edges of each pulse. The filter frequency being related to the speed of light and electrons in copper and the coil winding length. Maybe there would be less energy lost in the filter?
I need to learn some maths so I can understand the wiki explanation.
|-
|}
==Completed projects==
{|border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
|'''Project''' || '''Status''' || '''Notes'''
|-
|'''Lowered Desk'''|| complete || Comfort requires a good desk:). [http://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/view/Project:Lowered_Desk Project:Lowered Desk]
|}
==Project Status==
See [http://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/view/Project:SpeedAdjustableBikeLight Speed Adjustable Bike Light]


Voltage regulator for the MCU. Needs to operate of a widely varied supply voltage. The dynamo generates a voltage proportional to the bike speed. Potentially reaching hundreds of volts. And the higher the voltage climbs, the more power I can use in the LEDs! Many components to deal with 0.5A are specced at about 40 to 60V - so that is a very high limit for the working voltage. A chain of 6 LEDs would need 24v. My plans are for 3 LEDs in a chain - so 20V is a good target.
==Parts Shopping==
[http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/GTCA28-421M-R05-2/GTCA28-421M-R05CT-ND/2931568 GDT 420v] surge arrestor for 240v (if my calculations are right)


For 2.7V MCUs these are the possible best regulators.
[http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/ED110%2F2DS/ED1605-ND/33880 wire to board screw connectors] 300V 20A
* [http://uk.farnell.com/national-semiconductor/lm2936mp-3-0-nopb/ic-ldo-volt-reg-3v-50ma-sot-223/dp/1496125 3.0v, 200mV drop out, 50 mA, max 40v supply] gets 2.8v MCU supply after a 200mV diode, from a 3.2V supply :). It is a 4 pin SMD device for £1.60.
* [http://uk.farnell.com/national-semiconductor/lp2980im5-3-0-nopb/ic-ldo-volt-reg-3v-50ma-5-sot-23/dp/1559574 3.0v, 120mV drop out, 50mA, 16V max supply] will do above from a 3.12V supply, but restricts me to chains of fewer than four LEDs. £0.46
* [http://uk.farnell.com/on-semiconductor/lp2950cz-3-0g/ic-ldo-volt-reg-3v-0-1a-to-92-3/dp/1354344 3v, 350mV drop out, 100mA, 30V max supply] is a small 3 pin through hole package for £0.46. Supply voltage is now 3.35V :(.


For 1.8V MCU it is really easy to operate when ever a LED can light up!
[http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/ELXZ500ELL222MM35S/565-2018-ND/756534 Electrolytic Cap] 50v, 2200uF, 8k hours lifetime, 3A ripple current, 23mOhm inductance, ?ESR.

Latest revision as of 07:46, 24 October 2014

Dave Brown playing for a while:)

Project intended to progress sometime in the future

Project Status Notes
Reconfigurable sailing proa mostly inactive, built small bits Rob Denny at http://www.harryproa.com has some interesting things to say about Proas and how they could be the basis for a cheap, high performance, spacious sailing cruising boat. Perhaps the ideal cruising boat :). I want to explore the sailing characteristics in a model.
LED lights and lenses for my bike active http://pilom.com/BicycleElectronics/DynamoCircuits.htm explains the matching of LEDs to bike generators. I plan to have several strings of LEDs with different beam angles and aiming points - and the appropriate string of LEDs turned on for the current bike speed.

Success criteria:

  • generate some light at low speed
  • generate more light at high speed
  • get it too work
  • don't break the bank
Visible surge arrestor project I want to know when power surges happen, and if possible stop them cheaply and quickly. Project:Surge Arrestor
Low viscosity blood thoughts I have some more reading to do; but am intrigued by http://customers.hbci.com/~wenonah/new/mcdaniel.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_Pulmonary_Index
Quiet boxed PCs project I want to run more than one PC, and the droning gets to me :( Project: Quiet Boxed PCs

Project Ideas

Project Status Notes
Power efficient raid idea Data needs to be written to multiple drives; so a single head-crash does not wipe it out. However, it could be staged to disks sequentially, remaining in memory until it has been written on the 2nd (or n'th) drive. The drives could be spun up more rarely, to simply update the file-store.

Perhaps it can be done using two or more file systems and unionfs; with the data eventually residing on a spinning disk, but initially being saved on ssd. The spinning disk using btrfs to make a sequence of stable snapshots from changes preserved on the ssd. Maybe btrfs offers this sort of thing directly?

Make solar cell? idea Link http://www.freewebs.com/acselectronics/TiO2solar.html
Safe by design nuclear meme 2 hour promo
bike trailer sketches on envelopes to carry standard building 2.44 x 1.22 M sheets, 2up kayak, etc. Considering
  • extending the bike rack so the trailer can be carried inverted over the rack;
  • wheel mounts that can be pivoted to vary the trailers wheelbase
    • narrow for storage on bike
    • wider for normal use
    • extra wide to control the windage of a building sheet
tricycle just a thought Means of getting around...
hack caliphers seen in sparkfun comments Member #333257

If you measure current, you will see that the power off state draws 90% of the current of the power on state. For some reason, all electronic calipers seem to be this way- power off is actually display (only) off. THIS is why the batteries go bad quickly.

I just open the caliper case, cut the battery trace (which one doesn’t matter), drill two holes to allow the fine (wire wrap) wire to come out the top to a micro-miniature slide switch glued to the top. I always turn the switch off, rather than press some caliper “off” button, and find that a button cell lasts for many years. I would attach a picture if Sparkfun allowed, but it doesn’t. Caliper thickness is unchanged, and the outline is very nearly unchanged.

temperature controller plan to control cooker for soldering SMD.
  1. ssr to control power to heating plate
  2. type k thermocouple to measure temperature
  3. attiny 84a dip
  4. usb/serial converter to talk to netbook
  • solder-less breadboard with banana-sockets to link 2 through 4

Crazy Ideas

Project Status Notes
Infer unit-testcases from a functions code thought Summary: Use the parse tree for a function as input to heuristically apply symbolic logic that aims to build information about the values of parameters required to invoke particular functionality with-in the function.

So for example given a function "uint32_t f(uint32_t i, std::string s)", it starts with a range of possible inputs of (i in [0,2^32-1] x (s.size() in [0,2^32]) x [set-of-possible-values-of-actual-length]) , which is nearly infinite. Then from the parse tree, derive the possible effects of the code, and the sub-ranges of the inputs that are required to have these effects.

prime number generator thought Invert the sieve of Aristophanes, so the data structure holds primes and the next multiple of each prime. Keep the data-structure sorted by the next multiple. When a gap occurs between the current nearest multiple and the next nearest the gap contains prime number(s).

The algorithm requires sorting subsequent multiples into place. If N is the number of discovered primes N, and the size of the primes is S; then the memory used is O(N*S) and the CPU time used is O(S*N*N).

Other thoughts:

  • use wheel factorisation of the first M primes to compactly and efficiently represent the impact of these first M primes, where M is chosen so the product of these primes fit in a machine word, and so that the primes less than the product fit in affordable memory.
  • use interval arithmetic to keep track of the intermediate numbers.
  • can it be fitted to hardware?
factorisation thought By trial division using list of known primes; is exceedingly slow for large numbers; the number of potential factors is O(sqrt(N)) - if N is more than 100 bits that is a big number. However, can knowledge of the factors be used to restrict the search space usefully? What are the constraints on the factors imposed by PGP for example

Dead Ideas

Project Status Notes
mirrored coils reinventing the wheel; already exists as a Common mode choke wind two coils on the same core, one left hand the other right hand and link them together. I think they should act as a filter of some sort, because the emf generated by the first travels faster than the electrons and reinforces the current in the other coil, smoothing out the edges of each pulse. The filter frequency being related to the speed of light and electrons in copper and the coil winding length. Maybe there would be less energy lost in the filter?

I need to learn some maths so I can understand the wiki explanation.

Completed projects

Project Status Notes
Lowered Desk complete Comfort requires a good desk:). Project:Lowered Desk

Project Status

See Speed Adjustable Bike Light

Parts Shopping

GDT 420v surge arrestor for 240v (if my calculations are right)

wire to board screw connectors 300V 20A

Electrolytic Cap 50v, 2200uF, 8k hours lifetime, 3A ripple current, 23mOhm inductance, ?ESR.

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