If you are looking for convenient USB based programmer adapter that can support multiple standards of programming you should go for a USBprog. This is great project and and even better that it is open source. Adapter is based on really cool idea. It flashes firmware from online pool on demand. You just have to select in special program what you will be programming and adapter updates itself by downloading firmware form server. Currently firmware pool includes following hex codes that converts adapter to:

• AVR ISP 2 clone;
• OpenOCD Interface (ARM Debugging);
• AT89 Programmer;
• SimplePort (10 I/O lines);
• USB to RS232 converter (without drivers!!);
• JTAGICE mk2 clone (under development).

Site provides all schematics and PCB files for everyone to download and build adapters at home. But before you build one check this out. Dean Hall has modified this adapter with some small hardware changes that you may find interesting.

He made following chages:

• Changed CONN1 to a type Mini-B receptacle (so it would be surface mount);
• Changed most parts to have surface mount packages (except jumpers and headers);
• Added capacitors C1 and C2 for decoupling;
• Added CONN3 2×5 pin header for Port A (the ADC inputs);
• Added JP3 jumper header to choose which pin controls LED1.

When a jumper is placed across JP3 pins 1 and 2 adapter becomes an UsbProg-SHARP exactly compatible with the original UsbProg otherwise board is no longer compatible with USBProg and requires special firmware (for programming SHARP bots) which seems is still under development.

Did you have a situation when you simply needed a big screen for viewing information from your embedded device? Probably yeas. First thing you thought - maybe I need bigger character or graphical LCD, or more 7 segment LEDs. One issue is to send data via serial terminal to your PC, but what if it is occupied. Then look around and probably your eyes will stop by TV.

This construction is simple terminal which can be connected as module to any embedded device and act as simple terminal hooked to TV.

It’s features are:

• Display mode: black and white;
• Text mode: 40 characters x 25 lines;
• Semigraphic mode: 80 x 75 “points”;
• Printable characters: ASCII 32 - 127;
• Keyboard: IBM PC AT compatible;
• Control characters: 11;
• Serial line speeds: 1200 Bd to 115.2 kBd;
• Power supply: 9 - 12 V or 5V;
• Current consumption: cca 30 mA + keyboard consumption.

So you can have great terminal screen with lots of space for seeing multiple information at one time. All that joy is controlled by Atmega8 microcontroller which is clocked at 20MHz. Better solution would be 22MHz(you can try if you want) which means overclocked, but 20MHz works well for hobby purposes. Program is written in assembler for better performance and predictability. You can get it here. It’s time to turn off your favourite channel and output some lines.

Tinkerlog has posted a great post about how to build a digital frame that fetches pictures from Flickr. Project is based on Atmega8 microcontroller which downloads image from PC and displays it on Nokia 6100 color screen. Images are scaled to 128×128 pixels with 8 or 12 bit color depth.

You don’t have to worry about connecting Nokia LCD as you can get it from Sparkfun with PCB and convenient SPI pins ready to plug in to a breadboard. The actual fun is to get Flickr images and transfer them to microcontroller via RS232 interface. Images are fetched with ready to use Flickr API, the rest is left to Python scripts that scales images and sends them via serial port. Put everything in a nice frame and it can be a great souvenir on your hi-tech table.

Stand alone digital thermometer is very easy to build - especially when microcontroller has an ADC interface built in. Tuxgraphics has posted a new cute thermometer project which uses two NTC temperature sensors. They are cheap and quite precise for most hobby projects. One problem that they are non linear. But this what microcontroller is for. Some basic semiconductor physics and math and characteristics is straighten.

Device reads temperatures from two sensors - inside and outside. Both temperatures a displayed on standard HD44780 compatible display and additionally information is sent to PC via I2C interface. Why I2C and not UART? It helps to save the hardware like MAX232 and multiple capacitors. Having connectivity with PC is great - you can always call a small GUI to see current temperatures or by running cronjob you can collect a long term statistics or even publish on the web.

You always dreaming of own a scanner that can scan with infrared and ultrasonic, like those you’re normally watching in the movies?

Kill the daydreaming and start to make yourself an interactive infrared and ultrasonic scanner.

Here is a scanner that can scan a 180 degree area from 5 to 21 inches away, and will display the information on a color LCD. Read more »