Electronic hobbies and discussion

[4runner DOA]

Thought @WileECoyote and @Chris In Milwaukee would get a kick out of knowing that they're teaching engineering in high school now.

My kid (a freshman) is learning how to write C/Python, along with using cad, to create virtual circuit boards and program them to work. Eventually they'll move to the physical creation of the circuit boards and passing the programming to them. Pretty damned cool and my son is loving it. By the end of the school year they're supposed to have working robots.

 

[Chris In Milwaukee]

Thought @WileECoyote and @Chris In Milwaukee would get a kick out of knowing that they're teaching engineering in high school now.

My kid (a freshman) is learning how to write C/Python, along with using cad, to create virtual circuit boards and program them to work. Eventually they'll move to the physical creation of the circuit boards and passing the programming to them. Pretty damned cool and my son is loving it. By the end of the school year they're supposed to have working robots.

That’s killer! I hope you can post progress on his projects from time to time. Creating and building a circuit board with CAD/CAM is something I’ve been dying to do. Once life gets out of the way I’m looking forward to taking a stab at it.

 

[4runner DOA]

That’s killer! I hope you can post progress on his projects from time to time. Creating and building a circuit board with CAD/CAM is something I’ve been dying to do. Once life gets out of the way I’m looking forward to taking a stab at it.

He's got a working CAD model of a timed stop, start, go LED lights like at the races and he showed me the new one last night that uses C to tell which color led to turn on and stay on. Pretty basic so far, but he's getting it down.

Once they start creating the physical models I'll have him send me pictures. Pretty sure he told me they're going to be making sumo wrestler robots.

 

[WileECoyote]

Thought @WileECoyote and @Chris In Milwaukee would get a kick out of knowing that they're teaching engineering in high school now.

My kid (a freshman) is learning how to write C/Python, along with using cad, to create virtual circuit boards and program them to work. Eventually they'll move to the physical creation of the circuit boards and passing the programming to them. Pretty damned cool and my son is loving it. By the end of the school year they're supposed to have working robots.

That’s killer! I hope you can post progress on his projects from time to time. Creating and building a circuit board with CAD/CAM is something I’ve been dying to do. Once life gets out of the way I’m looking forward to taking a stab at it.

F'N AWESOME and F'N FINALLY!!!

THIS is what we need back in our school system is the sciences!!!

NOT this stupid shit F'N race/gender F'N crap!!! I mean, WTF does "woke" even mean??? It's like our "adult kids" are F'N back in preschool and shit??? How F'N STUPID does that even sound... "woke"???

Sorry for the rant, but YES, I am pretty damn stoked to hear of this!!! I know C, more specifically Embedded C.

Python, in the colleges, came out a few years after I had graduated, so I am not all too familiar with Python in general. Funny though, Python syntax is very eerily similar to DOS BASIC, QBASIC, etc. Yes, it IS different in that sense, but I'm speaking strictly more of the syntax structure. I'm teaching myself Embedded Python (i.e Raspberry Pi... THONY).

If Robbie is doing how you described, he is doing more specifically Embedded programming, which is very nice. He's learning how to "control", basically, a processor or "mini computer" in the most basic descriptive sense.

Anyways, I'll compile some things and post. A nice "Python microController" would be a Raspberry Pi ZERO and you can get them at MicroCenter in Tustin for about $5 or so? I believe you need to solder the male-male headers, but you can get the same one that already has the headers on them for just a few dollars more.

Anyways, I'll post some links.

Also, on another note, VHDL is still being used as well with regards to other "old" programming languages. I'm very familiar with VHDL and eventually plan on doing personal projects with what I have.

Hell, even COBOL is still used???!!! Like I always tell people, it ALL depends on the end goal. Even RS-232 protocol is still used. Doesn't make sense to over engineer something that will NEVER go beyond a certain working function.

Finally, when designing, that includes programming, always keep in mind of any possible future "upgrades" that can be thought of, but at the same time, try to keep your design as simple and to the point of its primary function. I really don't know how better to say that?

But yeah, please keep updating on progress!!!

This is really awesome news brother!!!

 

[Stairgod]

F'N AWESOME and F'N FINALLY!!!

THIS is what we need back in our school system is the sciences!!!

NOT this stupid shit F'N race/gender F'N crap!!! I mean, WTF does "woke" even mean??? It's like our "adult kids" are F'N back in preschool and shit??? How F'N STUPID does that even sound... "woke"???

Sorry for the rant, but YES, I am pretty damn stoked to hear of this!!! I know C, more specifically Embedded C.

Python, in the colleges, came out a few years after I had graduated, so I am not all too familiar with Python in general. Funny though, Python syntax is very eerily similar to DOS BASIC, QBASIC, etc. Yes, it IS different in that sense, but I'm speaking strictly more of the syntax structure. I'm teaching myself Embedded Python (i.e Raspberry Pi... THONY).

If Robbie is doing how you described, he is doing more specifically Embedded programming, which is very nice. He's learning how to "control", basically, a processor or "mini computer" in the most basic descriptive sense.

Anyways, I'll compile some things and post. A nice "Python microController" would be a Raspberry Pi ZERO and you can get them at MicroCenter in Tustin for about $5 or so? I believe you need to solder the male-male headers, but you can get the same one that already has the headers on them for just a few dollars more.

Anyways, I'll post some links.

Also, on another note, VHDL is still being used as well with regards to other "old" programming languages. I'm very familiar with VHDL and eventually plan on doing personal projects with what I have.

Hell, even COBOL is still used???!!! Like I always tell people, it ALL depends on the end goal. Even RS-232 protocol is still used. Doesn't make sense to over engineer something that will NEVER go beyond a certain working function.

Finally, when designing, that includes programming, always keep in mind of any possible future "upgrades" that can be thought of, but at the same time, try to keep your design as simple and to the point of its primary function. I really don't know how better to say that?

But yeah, please keep updating on progress!!!

This is really awesome news brother!!!

Hope you had a sock at hand.

 

[WileECoyote]

Hope you had a sock at hand.

Just very passionate about where the school system has been going.

I was very fortunate at my high school to enroll in their electronics class. We even had a computer class that was really meant for "occupational programs", but only had highschool students in the class. I think there may have been some adults attending too? That was back in the 90's.

Anyways, my teacher realized the other student and I was far more advanced than the rest of the class and let us basically do our own thing. The other guy was even more advanced than me.

But yeah, got an A+, technically, in the class plus my "certification" that I learned the applications that we were supposed to learn... But yet, I was teaching myself, at the time, QBASIC.

My first program that I wrote on my own was a password program. It was turning into a "database access program", of course very basic, no pun intended, but by the time it got more deep into writing code, that was when I had graduated highschool.

Anyways, that is a very long story in of itself.

Kids need more science based stuff back in the class rooms and less political bs, but that is just me.

At my age, I'm too tired to even argue anymore, which is why I was very happy to hear such good news.

 

[Stairgod]

Just very passionate about where the school system has been going.

I was very fortunate at my high school to enroll in their electronics class. We even had a computer class that was really meant for "occupational programs", but only had highschool students in the class. I think there may have been some adults attending too? That was back in the 90's.

Anyways, my teacher realized the other student and I was far more advanced than the rest of the class and let us basically do our own thing. The other guy was even more advanced than me.

But yeah, got an A+, technically, in the class plus my "certification" that I learned the applications that we were supposed to learn... But yet, I was teaching myself, at the time, QBASIC.

My first program that I wrote on my own was a password program. It was turning into a "database access program", of course very basic, no pun intended, but by the time it got more deep into writing code, that was when I had graduated highschool.

Anyways, that is a very long story in of itself.

Kids need more science based stuff back in the class rooms and less political bs, but that is just me.

At my age, I'm too tired to even argue anymore, which is why I was very happy to hear such good news.

I find it intriguing how much energy I get from a younger tradesperson.
I am fortunate to have a 27yo carpenter working for me that is talented and conscientious. I absolutely love teaching him my tricks and seeing his skill set grow. I actually enjoy it more than the work at this point. I am honored to help this young man gain skill and help him earn more so that he can support himself better.

 

[Chris In Milwaukee]

I met my brother’s new electrician apprentice yesterday. A great candidate. He’s been having a hard time getting good help. This one came to him asking to work and learn. I hope like hell he turns out well.

 

[4runner DOA]

F'N AWESOME and F'N FINALLY!!!

THIS is what we need back in our school system is the sciences!!!

NOT this stupid shit F'N race/gender F'N crap!!! I mean, WTF does "woke" even mean??? It's like our "adult kids" are F'N back in preschool and shit??? How F'N STUPID does that even sound... "woke"???

Sorry for the rant, but YES, I am pretty damn stoked to hear of this!!! I know C, more specifically Embedded C.

Python, in the colleges, came out a few years after I had graduated, so I am not all too familiar with Python in general. Funny though, Python syntax is very eerily similar to DOS BASIC, QBASIC, etc. Yes, it IS different in that sense, but I'm speaking strictly more of the syntax structure. I'm teaching myself Embedded Python (i.e Raspberry Pi... THONY).

If Robbie is doing how you described, he is doing more specifically Embedded programming, which is very nice. He's learning how to "control", basically, a processor or "mini computer" in the most basic descriptive sense.

Anyways, I'll compile some things and post. A nice "Python microController" would be a Raspberry Pi ZERO and you can get them at MicroCenter in Tustin for about $5 or so? I believe you need to solder the male-male headers, but you can get the same one that already has the headers on them for just a few dollars more.

Anyways, I'll post some links.

Also, on another note, VHDL is still being used as well with regards to other "old" programming languages. I'm very familiar with VHDL and eventually plan on doing personal projects with what I have.

Hell, even COBOL is still used???!!! Like I always tell people, it ALL depends on the end goal. Even RS-232 protocol is still used. Doesn't make sense to over engineer something that will NEVER go beyond a certain working function.

Finally, when designing, that includes programming, always keep in mind of any possible future "upgrades" that can be thought of, but at the same time, try to keep your design as simple and to the point of its primary function. I really don't know how better to say that?

But yeah, please keep updating on progress!!!

This is really awesome news brother!!!

I'm actually taking a python class at Fullerton college this semester. Some of the stuff I've been thrown into at work requires API work, which I also don't quite understand, but learning Python points me in the right direction.

My boss hired someone that had "knowledge" of APIs, but apparently what we're trying to do is over her head. my guess is she simply doesn't know wtf she's doing.

It seems simple in theory, but I really just haven't dug into it enough to understand the way an API works. Between the python class and some internal help from the data engineering team I should get up to speed pretty quickly.

 

[Stairgod]

I was surprised to find out that G code isn't some funky magic. Actually easy to understand once you get the basics down.
3D printing really got me up to speed with Fusion 360 and understanding G code.
Now hopefully I can handle the wiring of a VFD for the 3 phase motor going on my belt grinder.

 

[WileECoyote]

I just moved, so once I start getting my electronics bench back up, I will also send some pictures of my Pi ZERO setup.

 

[WileECoyote]

Here's a project I'm currently working on.

It's basically an RS-232 "shield". They sell RS-232 interface boards, but it's a hassle as you have to obviously wire the board blah blah blah and TRUST ME, it IS a F'N wired mess in the end.

Anyways, this board rides on top of the microController and connects directly to the TX/RX pins of the Pi ZERO.

Just gotta finish it.





Btw, the square board I made a few years back for another project I was doing with a co-worker, but it just fell through the cracks. Anyways, that is RS-232 and you can easily connect it to the Pi ZERO just like any other interface you can buy.

But yeah, so much cleaner with hookup and less of a rat's nest of wires with my recent project.

Going to make an "LCD shield" that rides on top of the RS-232 board will be my next project.

 

[WileECoyote]

For the LCD display, there really wasn't a driver that was made? I mean there is, but ALL of the ones I found were customized and quite a few of them, pretty heavily customized.

In other words, no "generic driver" or more specifically called "header files" that could be found.

So, I made my own. I more or less pieced one together. The same goes for a "generic USART" file that you need to setup/configure for RS-232 communication.

 

[Chris In Milwaukee]

Data destructo day. 20 tons of fun.

 

[4runner DOA]

Data destructo day. 20 tons of fun.

View attachment 83541View attachment 83543View attachment 83544View attachment 83545

I need to do that. I have so many old hard drives floating around. Used to just take a huge magnet and a hammer to them.

 

[Chris In Milwaukee]

I need to do that. I have so many old hard drives floating around. Used to just take a huge magnet and a hammer to them.

I don’t have a big magnet, sadly. But a 20-ton press, now that’s a hoot. Of some ne’erdowell gets data off of these, then they deserve to keep it.

 

[4runner DOA]

I don’t have a big magnet, sadly. But a 20-ton press, now that’s a hoot. Of some ne’erdowell gets data off of these, then they deserve to keep it.

Picked these up from a buddy some 20 years ago. Guitar cabinet speakers (never used them, still have all 4). That's a size 11 for reference. Tends to work well to bake a hard drive for a few weeks.

 

[Chris In Milwaukee]

Well I don’t know why I didn’t think of that.

I guess I do have a couple of big ol’ magnets.

 

[WileECoyote]

Here's some better pictures of my RS-232 Pi project...

It will grab power from an external source or from the Pi board itself, which has it's own 5V source. I'd rather take from an external source though.

Anyways, the green LED is letting me know the onboard 5V reg is outputting 5V.





The breadboard is then used for whatever circuit you want to connect to your Pi ZERO.

The male header pins up top you can connect F-M wires to jumper to whatever part of your circuit if need be.

 

[WileECoyote]

I was testing my LCD "driver file". I tried to modify one I found online, but it was more of a headache than it was worth. That is when I just pieced one together myself and it took less time to do that than figure out someone else's "code".

It utilizes I2C. I wasn't familiar with I2C. I know of it, but never used it until now.


This is the bottom side of the LCD display.


Text sent to the display...


But yeah, without a header file or whatever they call it in Raspberry Pi, you can't run/interface to certain things. In C, they are called header files.

For many different reasons, I prefer Arduino more when it comes to "autonomous circuits", but Raspberry Pi is pretty damn powerful as well.