Logic Sniffer
Logic Sniffers? Bus Pirates?? IR Toys???
Names can be deceiving. These little gizmos allow unfettered, real time access to the bits and bytes flying around us all day long. Now if only they had some wireless tools 
While I was browsing the RepRap site yet again (I neeeeeed to get a reprap). I came across and advert for the mbed. It is billed as a rapid prototyping platform (which it is) but it has a TON of features including 12 bit adc, USB host, . You can pre-order now and save some money. The only downside I see is that the IDE and compiler look to be in browser only. I’m sure someone will come up with a solution for that.
I’m a big fan hardware projects and have recently been playing around with a couple of Digi XBee pro modules for a UAV controller. Anyway I came across Travis Goodspeed’s blog post explaining a method for extracting keys from certain ZigBee chipsets. I won’t ruin the surprise for everyone so go on over to and check it out.
Via Hack A Day
Strobit is a neat open source project from strobotics creating a small cheap Arduino based wireless widget. They are creating “personalities” which look like different sets of functionality. It looks like they are working on mesh networking and solar power which would make this a great candidate for the Short Hop Messenger project.
Tags: Arduino
I came across this article on The Firearm Blog and started thinking about how feasable it would be to build a system like this. I started a project stub on the project wiki. If anyone is interested in contributing please feel free to email me and I’ll add you to teh wiki etc.
While I was looking for a simulation environment for the Arduino I came across Fritzing. It is a very exciting project. Their goal is to allow someone to go from a virtual breadboard design right to a PCB layout. I’m downloading it as I type. If it’s as good as it looks a review should show up pretty soon.
Tags: Arduino
I ran across this little gem the other day. It’s an OS meant to run on the ARM that is entirely pythonic. From their site: “Pycorn is an interpreted operating system written in Python, intended
to recreate the easy learning possibilities of 8-bit microcomputers.
Device drivers, file systems, network protocols can all be implemented
in Python with no C or assembler code.”
It seems like a promising platform for building hacker friendly embedded systems.
I’ve been tossing an idea I call DrumLine around in my head for a while now. The idea is to build a network of drums that, when within range of each other, will automatically start playing a beat dictated by a master drum or drums. I was looking around for an easly library to use to test some variations before buying the basic hardware and came across this page. http://www.media.mit.edu/resenv/classes/MAS961/schedule.html I found the simpulator.py code particularly helpful.
I’ve been tossing around an idea I call DrumLine around in my head for a while now. The idea is to build a network of drums that, when within range of each other, will automatically start playing a beat dictated by a master drum or drums. I was looking around for an easly library to use to test some variations before buying the basic hardware and came across this page. http://www.media.mit.edu/resenv/classes/MAS961/schedule.html I found the simpulator.py code particularly helpful.
I came by this at Trossen Robotics. It looks like a pretty nice little microcontroller. It reminds me of the arduino but with a LOT more IO pins (55 in all). Definitely looking into if your project is outgrowing PICish setups.
http://www.societyofrobots.com/axon/axon_datasheet.shtml
Axon Wiring Demo
