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Machina Speculatrix
Electronics, robotics, home automation, hacking and more. The lab notebook of an amateur meddler who likes playing with things until they work — or blow up.
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AVR
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Fun with chips: SN76489 sound generator IC
Fun with chips: SN76489 sound generator IC
Audio is an important component of a computer’s power. And producing sound can be surprisingly simple.
Mansfield-Devine
May 19
Debouncing fun with Schmitt triggers and capacitors
Debouncing fun with Schmitt triggers and capacitors
The humble switch is a treacherous device that needs to be tamed.
Mansfield-Devine
May 14
Fun with chips: MC1441 bit rate generator
Fun with chips: MC1441 bit rate generator
Playing with the technology of the past gives you a deeper understanding of how it works, and an appreciation for what we have today.
Mansfield-Devine
May 7
Programming
A beginner’s experience of CUPL and CPLDs
A beginner’s experience of CUPL and CPLDs
Making your own logic chips has a lot to recommend it. You just need to get to grips with the language.
Mansfield-Devine
Apr 28
AVR Basics: Receiving I2C data
AVR Basics: Receiving I2C data
Getting information back from a peripheral device is a key part of the I2C protocol. Let’s see how to do it.
Mansfield-Devine
Apr 23
AVR Basics: Transmitting across I2C
AVR Basics: Transmitting across I2C
The I2C protocol is all about communicating. So let’s take a look at how you send data.
Mansfield-Devine
Apr 19
Retrocomputing
From the archive: Cambridge Computer Z88 review
From the archive: Cambridge Computer Z88 review
Clive Sinclair always aimed for the stars. The Z88 was a classic example of how he just failed to reach them.
Mansfield-Devine
Apr 21
From the archive: Olivetti Quaderno review
From the archive: Olivetti Quaderno review
This attempt to put a lot of computing capability into a small package was bold. But the result proved too fragile.
Mansfield-Devine
Apr 15
From the archive: Amstrad PPC 640 review
From the archive: Amstrad PPC 640 review
This was one of the strangest PCs I ever used. Luckily, I didn’t have to use it for long.
Mansfield-Devine
Apr 2
Microcontrollers
AVR Basics: Getting started with I2C
AVR Basics: Getting started with I2C
Being able to communicate with other devices opens up a world of possibilities — if you know what’s going on.
Mansfield-Devine
Apr 14
AVR basics: Using the ATMEGA SPI bus
AVR basics: Using the ATMEGA SPI bus
Once you have the Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) set up on your microcontroller, putting it into action is easy.
Mansfield-Devine
Mar 31
AVR basics: SPI on the ATMEGA
AVR basics: SPI on the ATMEGA
The Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) on AVR microcontrollers is very versatile, once you understand it.
Mansfield-Devine
Mar 29
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