Posts tagged Battery
Solar Panel Characterization and Experiments with Arduino
Solar Panel Characterization and Experiments with Arduino

In this tutorial, the aim is to characterize a solar panel by varying the load at (near) peak solar insolation to identify the panel's nominal values such as open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, max power voltage and current, and max power output. These values help users understand the expectations from a photovoltaic array and how their power needs may be met with a given PV system. An Arduino board will be used to log the current and voltage values outputted from a small solar panel. The current and voltage are measured using a 16-bit analog-to-digital converter power module, the INA226, which will allow us to track the power outputted from the photovoltaic panel. A potentiometer acting as a rheostat will serve as the varying load on the system, which will be used to identify the peak power points of the system. Finally, analyses will be conducted in Python 3, which will allow us to identify the peak power region and also the total power outputted over a duration of 24 hours.

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Arduino, Data Analysis, EngineeringJoshua HriskoSolar, Solar Panel, Solar Cell, Photovoltaic, SD, SD Card, Arduino SD, Arduino SD Card, BLE Nano, BLE-Nano, BLE, Bluetooth, Datalogger, Data, Python, Current, Power, Open-Circuit Voltage, Short-Circuit Current, Max Power Point, Arduino Datalogger, LiPo, Battery, Solar Insolation, Solar Irradiance, Irradiance Comment
ATtiny85 Internet of Things Bluetooth Arduino Board
ATtiny85 Internet of Things Bluetooth Arduino Board

In this tutorial, the ATtiny85 is reintroduced, this time as a Bluetooth-enabled device. First, some of the basics of burning the bootloader to the ATtiny85 and using the Arduino board as an in-system programmer (ISP) are explored. Then, a CC2541 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module is used to communicate with an iOS device using the BLExAR app. Lastly, temperature and humidity data is read by the ATtiny85 and transmitted via Bluetooth to the smartphone.

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Arduino, Electronics, Bluetooth, ProgrammingJoshua HriskoArduino, BLExAR, Arduino BLExAR, BLE, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, iOS Bluetooth, AT-09 Bluetooth, CC2541 Bluetooth, Arduino Bluetooth, Arduino iOS Bluetooth, DHT22, Arduino DHT22, LiPo, Battery, Breadboard, ATtiny85, ATtiny, Arduino ATtiny85, ATtiny85 Microcontroller, IoT, Internet of Things, Arduino Internet of Things, Arduino IoT Comments
Arduino LoRa Network Part I: Radio Basics and Range Tests
Arduino LoRa Network Part I: Radio Basics and Range Tests

LoRa modules, such as the SX1276 used in this tutorial, are widely available and relatively inexpensive, all while being fully compatible with Arduino. LoRa modules are also modular in software and hardware: transmission power is configurable, the modules can be outfitted with antennae, and transmission speed and packet information size are both modifiable. In this tutorial, an Arduino board and SX1276 modules will be used to create a network of long range (LoRa) nodes designed to communicate and transport information. The use of antennae will also help broaden the range of the nodes, and tests in New York City will help quantify the efficiency and cone of functionality for such a node in a complex environment.

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Arduino, Electronics, Engineering, ProgrammingJoshua HriskoLoRa, LoRaWAN, EBYTE, Arduino, Arduino IoT, Arduino LoRa, LoRa Network, LoRa Device, LoRa Communication, Breadboard, Radio, Long Range, Arduino Wireless, SX1276, New York City, IoT, 915MHz, Frequency, Frequency Spectrum, Decibel, Decibels, Power, Distance, E32, E32-915T20D, E32-915T30D, Arduino Wiring, LiPo, Battery, Programming, SoftwareSerial, Serial, UART, Map Comments
DIY Laser Pointer Cat Toy
DIY Laser Pointer Cat Toy

This is a quick and fun tutorial on how to create an inexpensive laser pointer cat toy using DIY parts either found around the maker space or bought for other projects. It is an inexpensive and fun project that almost any maker or engineer could put together in a matter of minutes. It uses a cheap laser that can be found in many electronics kits (I’m using a red, 650 nm), a small button, and a 3.7V LiPo battery.

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ElectronicsJoshua HriskoLaser, DIY, Laser Diode, Diode, DIY Laser, DIY Laser Pointer, DIY Toy, DIY Electronics, Electronics, LiPo, Battery, nanometer, Nano, Push ButtonComment