Ternary RISC Processor Achieves Non-Binary Computing Via FPGA

You would be very hard pressed to find any sort of CPU or microcontroller in a commercial product that uses anything but binary to do its work. And yet, other options exist! Ternary computing involves using trits with three states instead of bits with two. It’s not popular, but there is now a design available for a ternary processor that you could potentially get your hands on.

The device in question is called the 5500FP, as outlined in a research paper from [Claudio Lorenzo La Rosa.] Very few ternary processors exist, and little effort has ever been made to fabricate such...

Recycled Plastic Compression Molding With 3D-Printed Molds

https://invidious.privacyredirect.com/watch?v=CWjjZHdZ4WQ

Recycling plastic at home using 3D printed molds is relatively accessible these days, but if you do not wish to invest a lot of money into specialized equipment, what’s the most minimal setup that you can get away with? In a recent [future things] video DIY plastic recycling is explored using only equipment that the average home is likely to have around.

Lest anyone complain, you should always wear PPE such as gloves and a suitable respirator whenever you’re dealing with hot plastic in this manner, just to avoid a trip to the emergency room. Once that issue is taken care...

Rabbit-Labs Flipper Zero ESP32-C5 multi-board features CC1101, GPS, and dual-band Wi-Fi 6

Designed by Rabbit-Labs EU, the Flipper Zero ESP32-C5 multi-board is an expansion board for the Flipper Zero built around the ESP32-C5 dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) microcontroller. The board also features a TI CC1101 sub-GHz transceiver, a GPS module, an SD card slot, and a USB-C port for power and programming. Last month, we wrote about the ESP32 Marauder 5G Apex 5 module, another ESP32-C5-based add-on for the Flipper Zero that comes with dual-band Wi-Fi 6, two sub-GHz radios, an NRF24 radio, and a built-in GPS module, which makes it quite bulky, to say the least. Compared...

Industrial Wi-Fi 7 access point with redundant 12V – 48V DC inputs targets autonomous systems

Advantech EKI-6333BE-4GD is a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 industrial-grade access point designed for autonomous systems with support for redundant 12V – 48V DC inputs and a -40°C to 75°C operating temperature range. The access point delivers up to 5.8 Gbps throughput over Wi-Fi 7, features four 2.5GbE RJ45 ports, and the Taiwanese company also highlights compliance with IEC 62443 industrial cybersecurity standards and CE RED (Radio Equipment Directive) regulations, as well as support for WPA3 authentication and encrypted SNMP communication. Advantech EKI-6333BE-4GD specifications: SoC / Memory / Storage – TBD Wireless Compatible with IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be standard WiFi 7 bands and...

SparkFun OpenScale IoT – An ESP32 board with HX711 ADC for smart scales with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity

The SparkFun OpenScale – IoT project is a ready-to-use ESP32-based IoT smart scale with open-source hardware and firmware support that makes it easy to read precise weight data from load cells without writing custom code from scratch for basic operation. It handles amplification via the HX711 24-bit ADC, calibration, temperature compensation (using the onboard TMP102 and an optional external DS18B20 probe), and serial output/configuration through a simple text-based menu. It also features Wi-Fi for live data and OTA firmware updates, requiring no dedicated apps—just standard terminal tools and a browser for viewing data. Additionally, there is a Qwiic I²C connector...

M5Stamp C6LoRa tiny (18×15×2.3 mm) SMD module pairs ESP32-C6 with SX1262 LoRa chip

The M5Stamp C6LoRa is a compact LoRa SMD module that combines the ESP32-C6 Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth LE, and 802.15.4 microcontroller with the SX1262 LoRa transceiver for both high-speed and long-distance communication. The module targets applications such as smart agriculture, remote meter reading, industrial monitoring, and outdoor long-range wireless control systems. The module measures 18 × 15 × 2.3 mm, making it suitable for space-constrained systems and compact embedded designs. M5Stack has also added an SGM13005L4 low-noise amplifier (LNA) to improve reception performance, along with a PI4IOE5V6408 I/O expander that manages the LoRa control signals without using too many of the...

AMYboard ESP32-S3 Synth Board Supports MIDI, CV, and Eurorack Integration

AMYboard is a compact DIY music synthesizer board designed for integration into custom music projects or installation as a Eurorack-compatible 10HP module. The board is powered by an ESP32-S3 module and runs the open-source AMY synthesizer engine, which supports multiple synthesis techniques including virtual analog, FM, wavetable, and sample playback. The system is built around […]

AERIS-10 open-source hardware radar can track multiple objects up to 20km away

AERIS-10 is an open-source hardware, “low-cost” (more on that later) 10.5 GHz phased array radar system featuring Pulse Linear Frequency Modulated (LFM) modulation and based on an AMD Artix-7 FPGA. Two versions are available: the AERIS-10N (Nexus), providing up to 3km range with an 8×16 patch antenna array, and the AERIS-10X (Extended), offering up to 20km range thanks to a 32×16 dielectric-filled slotted waveguide array. ARIES-10 key components and features: Main board FPGA – AMD Artix-7 XC7A100T for: PLFM Chirps generation via the DAC Raw ADC data read Automatic Gain Control (AGC) I/Q Baseband Down-Conversion Decimation Filtering Forward FFT Pulse...

Esparagus Audio Brick ESP32-based DIN-rail 65W Hi-Fi amplifier supports Home Assistant and Squeezelite (Crowdfunding)

Sonocotta (Andriy Malyshenko), the developer of Esparagus “Media Center”, HiFi-Amped, Louder Raspberry Pi, and Louder Raspberry Hat Plus, has returned to Crowd Supply with the Esparagus Audio Brick, a compact ESP32 or ESP32-S3-powered Hi-Fi Class-D amplifier with Home Assistant support. With support for Music Assistant, Snapcast, and Logitech Media Server (LMS), the module can be used to build whole-home audio setups, retrofit vintage speakers with modern streaming features, or power custom speaker configurations such as subwoofers or bi-amp systems. The board is built around an ESP32 or ESP32-S3 dual-core microcontroller with 16 MB flash and 8 MB PSRAM, and features...

Restoring an Xserve G5: When Apple built real servers

Recently I came into posession of a few Apple Xserves. The one in question today is an Xserve G5, RackMac3,1, which was built when Apple at the top—and bottom—of it's PowerPC era.

This isn't the first Xserve—that honor belongs to the G41. And it wasn't the last—there were a few generations of Intel Xeon-powered RackMacs that followed. But in my opinion, it was the most interesting.

Unfortunately, being manufactured in 2004, this Mac's Delta power supply suffers from the Capacitor Plague. The PSU tends to run hot, and some of the capacitors weren't even 105°C-rated, so they tend to wear out, especially...