This project intend to be a multiplatform oscilloscope which can run on different hardware and software. So far there are two working platforms Arduino and Parallax.

Of course you can’t expect great performance and accuracy but still its fun and yet useful. Features include:

• Panoramic view
• Load and save waveforms
• Zoom in and out
• Can open several waveforms at the same time
• Can run several oscilloscopes/logical analyzers simultaneously
• frequency analysis using FFT
• Works on Windows and Linux (needs mono)
• Autodetects the hardware

Arduino lovers will squeeze up to 7kHz acquisition with no additional hardware. There can be up to 4 channels with 8 bit resolution. So Hobbyists should find this interesting.

Tachometers are gadgets / measuring instrument that measures rotational velocity and it give out its readings is rotation per minute (RPM – does this ring a bell?). The biggest hazard that most tachometers  pose is that most of them has physical contact to the spinning shaft where we want to take the measurement of velocity – so what’s the hazard? The person taking the measurement might loose a finger get entangled  in the rotation, get hit with something and there’s more some of which you can barely imagine.

To lower risks when measuring rotational velocity Rajendra Bhatt came up with a tachometer that makes use of Infrared (IR) bouncing to measure rotational velocity. He used an IR pair, one transmitter and one receiver to detect a strip of white paper on the rotating disk. The paper will serve as a tripwire being counted by the PIC18F2550 on the startUSB module – the PIC18F2550 also takes care of the display procedures on the 2×16 LCD display. This project also include the configuration of the timers in th PIC18F2550 to run in 16bit resolution. It is estimated to be able measure up to 99,960 RPM with a resolution of 60RPM – Lets get spinning!

POV devices are great way to express yourself. These little devices use only few LEDs to display large messages. The only disadvantage is that board with LEDs has to be moved forth and back periodically.

rucalgaric have shared his uPOV design which is based on AVR Atmega48a microcontroller. To synchronize displayed messages he used a Freescale MMA7660. Most of parts are SMD so its really tiny and can be carried around in pocked and used anywhere.

This clock uses a Persistence Of Vision (POV) technique to display time by using few LEDs. Probably you can find tons of similar projects on Internet because these things are simply Cool. This project uses parts that you can probably find on your shelf. So implementing this device shouldn’t be painful.

POV clock uses a PIC18F252 microcontroller that reads a tachometer data for synchronization and drives 16 LEDs via two 74LS373 latch. Project provides detailed explanation of operation, so anyone can find something useful even if you have build one POV device before.