Raspberry Pi VGA HAT, 24-bit 1080p
The Raspberry Pi VGA Board by lo-tech.co.uk offers a high quality 24-bit colour display at 1080p.
Amazon's Echo DOT 2 controls ESP8266
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LQ2GrqlbJ5Q/0.jpg
Since Amazon's Echo Dot 2 can control the Belkin's WeMos why not emulate it with this Esp8266 .
ESP after is connected to the WiFi network will start an UDP server on address 239.255.255.250 port 1900 and an HTTP server on its own IP address and port 80. Alexa on "Alexa, discover my devices " will send UDP on multicast address/port and the ESP will reply with its configuration (IP/PORT).
Echo Dot 2 will get the setup.xml from ESP on provided IP and Port.
From now on the Echo cand send SendBinaryState command that will end up in trigger a GPIO.
SSDP protocol is...
IoT with ESP8266
Accessing 3GPP specs in PDF format
When you work with GSM/cellular systems, the definite resource are the specifications. They were originally released by ETSI, later by 3GPP.
The problem start with the fact that there are separate numbering schemes. Everyone in the cellular industry I know always uses the GSM/3GPP TS numbering scheme, i.e. something like 3GPP TS 44.008. However, ETSI assigns its own numbers to the specs, like ETSI TS 144008. Now in most cases, it is as simple s removing the '.' and prefixing the '1' in the beginning. However, that's not always true and there are exceptions such as 3GPP TS 01.01 mapping to ETSI TS 101855. ...
Open Hardware IEEE 802.15.4 adapter "ATUSB" available again
Many years ago, in the aftermath of Openmoko shutting down, fellow former Linux kernel hacker Werner Almesberger was working on an IEEE 802.15.4 (WPAN) adapter for the Ben Nanonote.
As a spin-off to that, the ATUSB device was designed: A general-purpose open hardware (and FOSS firmware + driver) IEEE 802.15.4 adapter that can be plugged into any USB port.
This adapter has received a mainline Linux kernel driver written by Werner Almesberger and Stefan Schmidt, which was eventually merged into mainline Linux in May 2015 (kernel v4.2 and later).
Earlier in 2016, Stefan Schmidt (the current ATUSB Linux driver maintainer) approached me about the situation that ATUSB hardware was frequently asked for,...
The IT security culture, hackers vs. industry consortia
In a previous life I used to do a lot of IT security work, probably even at a time when most people had no idea what IT security actually is. I grew up with the Chaos Computer Club, as it was a great place to meet people with common interests, skills and ethics. People were hacking (aka 'doing security research') for fun, to grow their skills, to advance society, to point out corporate stupidities and to raise awareness about issues.
I've always shared any results worth noting with the general public. Whether it was in RFID security, on GSM security, TETRA security, etc.
Even more so, I always...
DHL zones and the rest of the world
I typically prefer to blog about technical topics, but the occasional stupidity in every-day (business) life is simply too hard to resist.
Today I updated the shipping pricing / zones in the ERP system of my company to predict shipping rates based on weight and destination of the package.
Deutsche Post, the German Postal system is using their DHL brand for postal packages. They divide the world into four zones:
Zone 1 (EU)
Zone 2 (Europe outside EU)
Zone 3 (World)
You would assume that "World" encompasses everything that's not part of the other zones. So far so good. However, I then stumbled about Zone 4 (rest of world)....
Project: Wooden synchronous clock
My first time-keeping device, using a stepper motor to control the main wheels and mains frequency counting circuits to keep the time. Full schematic included with bonus errors.
Diodes part 2: Homemade aluminium diodes
We're back in the lab trying some new combinations and methods to make diodes. This time: aluminium and wet electrolytes. Getting closer to the idea of just being able to 'dab' diodes onto PCBs, but not quite there yet.
BMP280 and ESP8266
The BMP280 is the next generation sensor from Bosch and follows its predecessors BMP085 - BMP180. Price for it is now under $2 with free shipping.
Key parameters
Pressure range 300 … 1100 hPa (equiv. to +9000…-500 m above/below sea level)
Package 8-pin LGA metal-lid
Footprint : 2.0 × 2.5 mm², height: 0.95 mm
Relative accuracy ±0.12 hPa, equiv. to ±1 m
(950 … 1050hPa @25°C)
Absolute accuracy typ. ±1 hPa (950 ...1050 hPa, 0 ...+40 °C)
Temperature coefficient offset 1.5 Pa/K, equiv. to 12.6 cm/K (25 ... 40°C @900hPa)
Digital interfaces I²C (up to 3.4 MHz) SPI (3 and 4 wire, up to 10 MHz)
Current consumption 2.7µA @ 1 Hz sampling rate
Temperature range -40...
IoT with ESP8266
Ten years anniversary of Openmoko
In 2006 I first visited Taiwan. The reason back then was Sean Moss-Pultz contacting me about a new Linux and Free Software based Phone that he wanted to do at FIC in Taiwan. This later became the Neo1973 and the Openmoko project and finally became part of both Free Software as well as smartphone history.
Ten years later, it might be worth to share a bit of a retrospective.
It was about building a smartphone before Android or the iPhone existed or even were announced. It was about doing things "right" from a Free Software point of view, with FOSS requirements going all the way...