7 Oct 2015

Introducing the TreadGaming video game controller

The TreadGaming device

I recently received my TreadGaming treadmill video game controller and noticed a lack of basic information about setting it up, how to use it, suitable games, and user opinions. I’m hoping to fill that void, starting with this introduction to the TreadGaming project. Once I’m all up and running I’ll post an update with my […]

18 Jul 2015

Review: Cheap eBay transistor tester

A review, test, and teardown of a cheap transistor / component tester purchased on eBay. eBay item: LCD ESR Meter Transistor Tester Capacitance Inductance Diode Triode MOS NPN PNP http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/171753821157 Here’s the original review and teardown video: Here’s a follow up video where I test some old germanium transistors:

30 May 2015

Protek 608 RS-232 details

Protek 608 RS-232 login analyser

This is following on from my previous post introducing the Protek 608 multimeter and my software project. In this post I detail the communications hardware, an important consideration for future development. The Protek 608 uses an RS-232 connection to allow for interfacing with a PC. This is a very common connection that most DMMs used. […]

30 Mar 2015

Protek 608 multimeter overview

Protek 608 multimeter

The Protek 608 is a 5000 count digital multimeter made by Hung Chang, who have since changed their name to GS Instruments. I’ve owned one of these since about 2009. This multimeter is now discontinued and no longer available new, although they occasionally show up on the second-hand market from forums and eBay. This DMM […]

26 Mar 2012

Home-made GPS and compass update

GPS and compass project - Breadboard prototype

After posting my project I had a number of questions online. I thought this is a good opportunity to update the blog to share more information on this project. GUI concepts I’ve made some more progress on the software side of things, mostly just playing around with the graphics display. The Nokia 3310 LCD screen […]

21 Mar 2012

Home-made GPS and compass

GPS and compass project - Breadboard prototype

This is a project I started about a week or so ago and have been working on when I find time after work. It’s a GPS and compass that temporarily uses an Arduino Nano micro-controller, Nokia 3310 screen, EM-406A SiRF III GPS receiver, and a simple (non-tilt compensated) magnetometer for compass heading. It’s obviously in […]

10 Nov 2008

Lowboy arcade cabinet modifications

Lowboy arcade cabinet - Joystick height comparison

The lowboy arcade cabinet design, as the name suggests, is a relatively small cabinet that was common in Australia during the 90s. I remember these being more popular in corner stores than video game arcades. They were a cheap and compact alternative to the standard larger cabinets and could easily be converted to play different […]