PC Computers

Hardware and Interface with Computer and Hobby Programming.

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Termite is an easy to use and easy to configure RS232 terminal. It uses an interface similar to that of “messenger” or “chat” programs, with a large window that contains all received data and an edit line for typing in strings to transmit.

Termite Terminal – RS232 Interfacing – CompuPhase

Plug-in interface for pre-processing or alternative views of the data, logging received data to a file, adding a toolbar to Termite, and other functionality that you may think of.

Termite Terminal

It can also do ..

  • A history of commands that you typed, with auto-completion.
  • Support for non-standard Baud rates (MIDI, DMX512).
  • Data can be forwarded between two RS232 ports.

The free Hyperterminal seemed to be missing, Now new and better feature rich terminals are available – Here’s one from CompuPhase who are our kind of people the EE kind. This terminal ought to help serial port SBC development.

PuTTY is a client program for the SSH, Telnet and Rlogin network protocols.

Realterm is a terminal program specially designed for capturing, controlling and debugging binary and other difficult data streams.

Realterm terminal program

Serial terminal program partcularly targeted at binary and difficult data 1) binary data, and debugging difficult communications problems. 2) use as a comms component for other s/w via full activeX interface Support for physical comm ports, and TCP

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The first microcontroller I became fascinated with was the 8048 (and 8748). This site has a lot of info on the 8048 and Z80, including an 8048 Development System.

Coprolite Homebrew Computer Construction

“The roadside attraction of this site is the Z-80 Homebrew Computer. This was a project that I started in 1980. I moved many, many times between 1983 and 1996, and the project often was shut up in a trunk. In some cases I lost (or gave away) most of my equipment and parts.”

Coprolite Homebrew Computer Construction

“The first PC that I interfaced the homebrew computer to was a Toshiba 8086 laptop. This was back when it was just on a breadboard during the summer of ’91. This was also when I built the front panel. These days, I use a uClibc GIAGD system, but there are a lot of old XTs and even newer systems that can be put to good use to control random projects like this. ”

“I use a book called 80×86 IBM PC and Compatible Computers: Assembly Language, Design, and Interfacing Volume I and II by Muhammad Ali Mazidi and Janice Gillispie Mazidi for the nitty gritty stuff on the printer ports, which is where I found the above very cool debug test. It has many details on the design and Interfacing of PCs. Another good book is Parallel Port Complete by Jan Axelson.”

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Aaron Cake has many basic electronic circuits and other electronics information in his archive that is online since the 90s. Antique electronics and Parallel Port Programming.

Aaron Cake Electronics

Aaron Cake Basic Electronics

The Schematic Symbol Reference, How To Solder and Desolder helped many electronic beginners in building their Projects. This was a valuable resource in those days even though it appears common today. The internet was used to genuinely share useful learning and ideas.

Some highlights are circuits on Power Supplies, a 120VAC Inverter, FM Transmitter, Automatic Headlight Brightness Switch, Car Alarm  and a Wireless Auto Tachometer. see also the Simple Colour Organ and the Solid State Tesla Coil.

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“This page is the result of a lot of effort over the past couple years to develop a quality, inexpensive device to test shutters on the classic film cameras that I have been using…” .. Mike

Mikes Optical Timer Counter

Once built, this counter timer/device is easily adapted to a wide variety of applications, simply by construction of a new sensor. Although designed to be used with photo-transistors, this device can also use relays, transistors and many other kinds of electrical switches as a sensor.

Mikes Optical Timer Counter

Other Projects

Model Railroading, 3 Transistor Audio Preamp for a Dynamic Microphone

Configuration and control of this counter/timer is through a RS232 port. Cable configuration for a usual PC compatible would consist of a null modem cable, with a female connector on the timer/counter end of the cable. The correct cable for a PC or usb to serial adapter with a DB-9 interface is listed in the bill of materials.

delabs Page Digital Timers Counters and Clocks 

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Zelscope is a Windows software that converts your PC into a dual-trace storage oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer. It uses your computer’s sound card as analog-to-digital converter, presenting a real-time waveform or spectrum of the signal – which can be music, speech, or output from an electronic circuit.

Zelscope Sound card oscilloscope

Zelscope features the interface of a traditional oscilloscope, with conventional gain, offset, timebase, and trigger controls. As a real-time spectrum analyzer, Zelscope can display the amplitude and phase components of the spectrum.

Zelscope Sound card oscilloscope

The typical input voltage should be about 1 volt AC at the line-in jack of the sound card, so a voltage divider or a buffer amplifier is highly recommended.

xoscope for Linux –  Similar Ptoject

Zelscope also allows for an easy measurement of short time intervals in mechanics experiments. Zelscope has proven useful in debugging music and sound processing software.

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A super ARM DIY Platform. Measuring only 65.46mm by 102.04mm, the MarS Board is a low-cost highly-integrated controller board based on Freescale’s i.MX 6 Dual ARM Cortex-A9 application processor which encompasses a dual-core platform running up to 1 GHz with 1 MB of L2 cache and 64-bit DDR3 or 2-ch., 32-bit LPDDR2 support.

MarS Board – Freescale ARM Cortex-A9

MarS Board - Freescale ARM Cortex-A9

The MarS Board is a ready-to-run platform with ported Linux 3.0.15 or Android 4.0.4. Additionally, Embest provides the demo for uC/OS-II V2.92.05 for user experience. It is an ideal core processing component for your end devices based on a single hardware design

Features Include These too

  • MarS Board is a Multi-Display platform.
  • MarS Board is a Multi-Expansibility Platform
  • NEON SIMD media accelerator
  • HD class 1080p encode/decode video engine
  • 10M/100M/1Gbps Ethernet Interface

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A Need created a concept of no Commercial Value. I was unable to revive my Pentium from the Nineties, the FDD drives have gone bad, those i am able to get from some salvage computer shops are not working. 1.2 and 1.44 both, it may be FDD controller.

SD Card boot for Old Computers

I have all the various boot floppies and software from 1990 onward and have made images also on CDROM.

If there was a SD Card interface for the Plugin Slots and an update for the Award Bios to boot from the SD card, i could get this going.

The HardDisk sizes needed are not available even in the salvage.

The External Pipeline cache also keeps popping out. The heatsink fan gone bad. But the things starts up and you can tweak only the Bios.

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Many people give up on Wireless Keyboard Mouse Combo after a few months of “Novelty”. This is due to the chore of replacing batteries and also the cost and wastage (carbon foot).

Then i have long been suggesting, nineties, ferrite smps coupled charger docks. This is like RFID, but more like RF power transfer. One half of Ferrite E-Core is in the Gadget and the other half is in the Dock. When the Gadget is docked it is sensed and power transfer just like in SMPS. Rechargeable batteries in the gadget.

How-To Convert Wireless to Pseudo-Wired

Wired Wireless Keyboard Mouse Combo  -Here is the Schoodle for building this. The Mumbo Jumbo to make a Wired-Wireless Combo is below.

Wired Wireless Keyobard Mouse

Now you got a Wireless Combo, it can be converted into wired yet wireless, it is simple the wires will now carry 3V power to the Keyboard and Mouse, so no batteries. A little gentle and smart drilling is needed for the Mouse.

Get a 5V Adapter, the ones used for charging phones and music players. If you cannot get 5V use a 7805 to derive a 5V from 6 or 9. Use two 1N4007 in series on the positive line to drop 1.5V – test out with a dummy load of 10K and 100uF cap. Now use this to power both the mouse and keyboard with thin dual-core wires leading to the battery terminals. Soldering this may be a delicate job. Now you got a Perpetual Wired Keyboard Mouse Combo. The Interface still remains Wireless.

Another way is use Rechargeable Batteries for both. The wires will carry exactly a regulated 3.3V from a LM317 circuit which can be tweaked. The Mains adapter can be any 6V or 9V raw DC. You can have a Connector for the power wires when you want it to be wire free. This may require greater Gadget Opening and Drilling Expertise.

Reuse – Be Earth Friendly – Keep your Carbon Footprint smaller than that of a Yeti.