I got a prototype zifduino, its an arduino, but with a zif socket on it. This makes it ideal for prototyping, and them simply popping the chip out, and putting it in a more permanent fixture once the software is complete. It will also be good for flashing lots of chips, verifying them, then using them. It is a prototype, but I think its fun helping the designer and providing feedback. I should have the next version of the zifduino as well, since there will probably be a few cycles till the boards is complete.

Eventually I will make some of my own boards, I hoping to learn a little in this process as well.

I got a pololu chasis, tamiya gearboxes, a pololu dual serial motor controller... and the damned controller does not work... so as an experiment I picked up a boarduino, and retested everything... still no workie... so I'm sending back the controller...

I refuse to give up however so I plugged an L293DNE into the board next to the boarduino... it works, but only with a motor supply current of 6V(4xAA batteries) I tried 3V(2xAA) and it was a no go. The motors are rated at 1.5-3v... hrm.... I've got some questions to ask. The 293 runs at 4.5-6v... and I have it on the 5v vcc from the boarduino(thats the reference voltage for the chip)... I'm not sure it it will push 3v through as 2x1.5 motors though... does the 6v battery pack for the motors get its voltage split? If so I'm great... if not its gonna melt these motors... but hey it works!

here is a pic and link to the gallery with a few pics of my lame bot.

I dont recall talking up this book to him ?

Yangbo has a big Chinese New Year party... and I had a really good time. the food was f-ing awesome... seriously what a feast. He even broke out one of those bottles of chinese alchohol, looked like a small kerosine bottle(and I think I'm going blind now)... I dont know what its called, but Yangbo said that this is what Nixon and Chairman Mao drank when Nixon visited China. Back then it was only available to party members, and though it is available to the public now it is considered "the best" and its still pretty hard to come by.

I found a book here about it. I may want to read.

anyway here is the most memorable picture of the night... as always the Gabe man. As you can see he is working hard... and someone left their hoegaarden to close.

I've been playing with an arduino, partly cause I"m bored, partly because I want to learn more about microcontrollers. The low level stuff. Arduino has a library that can control an LCD directly... no challange in using a pre-writen library... and it uses a whole lotta pins... so I picked up a K107 serial controller from Wulfden the firmware was actually writen by Peter H. Anderson he uses to proceeds to help fund his classes. It came as a kit, so I had to solder, and all that... pretty simple really.

Not challenging to use but I though it was worth a picture. My arduino decimilia and the k107 with a blue/white backlit LCD... aint she pretty.

Click the image for a few more pics

Got the "Cold Light" wired up on my trex-450. Here is a pic

I should have some action shots soon.

I just got night flying gear on my heli and wow, it is badass... I have a little more to do, and then I will put up some pics. it is soo cool to fly at night.

The fall soccer season starts next week, and Gabe was so excited we had to try on some of his new gear. It's not easy finding gear this small but the soccer post in Allentown got us what we needed. What they didn't have in stock, they had delivered directly to our house.

Click below to see a few more pics, the only thing was I couldn't get Gabe to hold still, he was sooo excited, it was mostly action shots of him showing off his cleats, and his big kicks.

I should have more pics from the field in a few weeks.