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Showing posts from January, 2016

Making 3D Parts in VCarve, a 2D Editor

In my quest to get certified to use the MultiCam CNC router table at the local Makerspace, I need to create some kind of part that requires use of at least a couple different types of end mills, plus do various cuts such as pockets, profiles, V-carves, engraving, and so on. First, a bit about the Makerspace movement, in case you haven’t heard: Makerspaces (or Hackerspaces) are places set up for community good that allow people to share knowledge, resources, and tools to help further DIY activities such as programming, electronics, 3D printing, machining, or other activities where people make something.  Makerspaces come in various flavors: some are set up as startup incubators, others as for-profit centers where paid employees build things for people, and still others where members mostly come to work on something completely different from work.  The tools one would find at a makerspace were traditionally owned by companies or by individuals who have spent a long time honing thei

Interrupts for the Arduino Uno - More than you might think!

Are you looking to make a program that requires a bunch of interrupts using an ATmega328 or ATmega168 chip (such as on the Arduino Uno, Nano, or Mini platforms)?  If so, you may have been disappointed by the  basic documentation  you can find on this matter, and tempted to buy a more advanced Arduino such as the Mega2560, Zero, or even Due.  But have you seen how much their chips  cost  on Mouser?  If you're looking to do a small run of boards with what you ultimately produce, you will be taken aback to find that ATmega2560-16AU chips cost over 5x more than ATmega168A-AU chips!  In fact, I just recently bought an Arduino Mega2560 for less than what you can buy its chip for.  Having seen this, I knew there had to be a better way to leverage a cheaper chip. The Problem, In Short I need an application that can read from multiple sensor inputs, each of which will pulse with a high-frequency square wave (i.e.  toggle on & off very rapidly)  upon activation of the particula