More and more applications are emerging with the XBee module, and the Arduino developers are the most dynamic users, but most of the projects take some basic things as granted, like connecting the two boards. Since the XBee needs 3,3V and all the inputs must be limited to 3,3V otherwise you can damage the XBee module and the outputs will deliver no more then 3,3V which can lead to communication problems. The project presented here solve this problem and gives you two solutions one with voltage level translators and one with a simple resistive divider.
Beside the schematics you will find a step by step tutorial how to make the connections and the configurations, and ideas for future improvements, like using a switching regulator or a rechargeable Li-ION cell.
Before you make any XBee project, my advise is to read trough this interfacing tutorial.
XBee with Arduino: [Link]
First of all for those who don’t know, the monome is a music controller which is used to generate sound effects, is has a lot of push buttons which have different color back lights to generate a visual effect to. DJ’s VJ’s use the commercial version, but there are also available DIY kits, open source open hardware designs, the most simple is to use the Arduino with the monome shield, but you can build your custom shield or entire system.
The basic functions are, use a large keyboard matrix, with back lit buttons and based on the sequence which the user pushes the keyboard generate a MIDI output which is interpreted by a mixer or synthethizer.
The sound and visual effects can be customized if you build your own monome, most of the parts can be bought from Sparkfun, including the pcb’s, although there are open source projects, the programming part is not for beginners and you need some external MIDI interpreter which can be expensive.
Monome with Arduino: [Link]
Nowadays everybody is using LCD’s, OLED’s, TFT’s to display information, this project is almost a gadget since it uses analog meter gauges to show the time, off course you can display other stuff to, like Internet connection speed, or your stock status, check the link for details.
The hardware is based on Arduino, but you can use it as a starting point to adapt to your favorite controller, for the displays you can use the commonly used 0-20mA or the 0-10V gauges with customized back plane, if you choose the 0-20mA type than a voltage to current circuit is needed, if you use the 0-10V type then a voltage amplifier with a gain of 2. In both cases you use the PWM outputs to make the Digital to Analog Conversion (DAC) and one op-amp to adapt the 0-5V to the meter gauge.
Analog display reinvented: [via] [Link]
Yes, it is an Arduino board, but I omitted to mention in the title not to discourage those who doesn’t have one, because the project needs just a few passive components beside the ATmega168 you can even build it on a breadboard.
The project is a great example of the AVR micro controllers speed since it does a real-time audio signal sampling and output on the PWM channel, it has also a couple of audio effects like reverberation, overtone. Because it isn’t a dedicated audio DPS it has some limitations, like 15kHz sampling rate, 512byte ring buffer, 8bit PWM which handles the digital to analog conversion, so don’t expect for high quality sound output. Consider this a scaled down audio effect generator, it covers the basic effects and is a great introduction for more complex audio processing
ATmega audio processing: [Link]
This is a simple robotics project, but with great potential and lot of fun, the only drawback is that you need a Wii fit or Xbox360 game controller, the rest is affordable. The Wii fit stepper plate position is interpreted by the Arduino board and sent to the servos, basically you control the labyrinth game with your foot.
I think that the project can be easily developed further, you can make a replacement hardware for the Wii fit, and the wooden game can also be customized, there are many possibilities to expand, maybe you will attach a webcamera and make an intelligent robot which solves the puzzle by itself.
Arduiono+Wii fit:[Link]
