Biometric devices are the backbone of modern security and access systems. The most commonly used biometric device is a fingerprint scanner. Fingerprints are unique identifiers that cannot be easily faked. Optical fingerprint sensors are widely used in security systems as these are low-cost compared to capacitive and ultrasonic scanners. Optical fingerprint sensors digitize fingerprints by…
Sensor value display on TFT LCD using Arduino: Part I
Displaying potentiometer value and temperature using LM35 In my previous tutorial series on displaying sensor data (value) on OLED display, I have explained how to display values of different sensors like a potentiometer, LM35, soil moisture sensor, DHT, HC SR04, etc. on a tiny 1” OLED display. This time, I will demonstrate and explain how…
How to play MP3 files on Arduino using the DFPlayer Mini or the MP3-TF-16P
Including an audio option with an electronic or Internet-of-Things (IoT) project is often an ideal addition. However, microcontrollers cannot process MP3 files, which is the most common audio file format. Fortunately, there is a solution. It is possible to play MP3 audio files on Arduino using dedicated MP3 decoders like the DFPlayer Mini or MP3-TF-16P.…
How to design a weighing scale using Arduino
Weighing scales are frequently used to measure the weight of goods, such as bulk items and raw materials. We sometimes use them at grocery stores to weigh produce or at home to measure our weight. Building a weighing scale is no simple task. It involves a combination of load cells, amplifier circuits, and microcontrollers or…
How to design an OTP-based door lock
Today, mobile-based authentication to verify a person’s identity is common. Online service providers often use it for access to services, approval of transactions, or to change a user’s credentials. Imagine using a similar mobile-based authentication to enter your home, office, or any private space. It’s possible. In this project, we’ll design a mobile-based access system…
How to design a power supply for Raspberry Pi
In this do-it-yourself circuit, we’ll design a Raspberry Pi (RPi) power supply. First, we’ll create a list to follow as a blueprint for the circuit, ensuring we design it correctly. Let’s start with a list of our goals for the circuit. Goals 1. A steady power supply: Ensure RPi receives a consistent and stable…
How to design an automatic streetlight system using Arduino
In this project, we’ll design an automatic, energy-efficient streetlight system using Arduino. A streetlight will automatically turn on when the outside ambient light falls below a certain threshold, as evening turns to night. They turn off when sufficient light returns in the morning to conserve energy. So, these streetlights only power on when needed. The…
How to make an IoT-based analog clock using ESP32
In this project, we’ll design an analog display clock using ESP32. The clock is an Internet-of-Things (IoT) device that retrieves the local time from a Network Time Protocol (NPT) server and displays the time (as well as the date) like an analog clock. The display used to build this IoT clock is SSD1306. However,…
How to design an app-controlled irrigation system
In this project, we’ll design a mobile app-controlled watering system that drip irrigates a home garden or small farm. This system is developed on an ESP8266 microcontroller, which controls the water pump through a 3V relay or an electronic valve. The user can switch the water’s motor/electronic valve ON or OFF and even set a…
How to design an IoT-based digital watch using ESP32
In this project, we’ll design a digital watch as an Internet-of-Thing (IoT) device. It will connect to an online API through a Wi-Fi network. Based on the user’s location, it will display the local date, time, and weather conditions. The watch is built using an ESP32 microcontroller and an SSD1306 OLED display. The Weather API…
How to design an emergency rechargeable bulb circuit
In this article, we’ll explain how an inverter or emergency bulb operates. An inverter bulb is an emergency LED bulb. However, the term is confusing because there’s no conversion process (from dc to ac or vice versa) in the circuits where these bulbs are applied. The technology lets the bulbs automatically light during a power…
Innoscience unveils GaN gate driver for high-performance power applications
Innoscience Technology announced the INS1001DE which is designed to drive single-channel GaN HEMTs in either low-side, high-side, or secondary-side SR applications. The new gate driver has dual non-inverting and inverting PWM inputs, enabling flexible operation with the controller, optocoupler, and digital isolator. Independent Pull-up and Pull-down outputs facilitate the control of turn-on and turn-off speeds. Driver…
How to build an IoT-based flood monitor using ESP8266
Floods are generally considered natural disasters. Depending on their severity, they can have a devastating impact on human life, agriculture, and infrastructure. In serious cases, floods can result in significant economic losses due to property damage, disruption of transportation, and the cost of emergency response and recovery efforts. This is why, flood monitoring is crucial…
How to build a real-time vehicle tracking system
A vehicle tracking system is a technology that tracks and monitors a vehicle’s location in real time. It uses the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) — typically, the Global Positioning System (GPS) — to accurately determine a vehicle’s location. The GPS monitors and relays data to a server through a cellular or satellite network. In…
How to turn Arduino into 16-bit IO port
In this project, we’ll design a 16-bit IO port (input-output port) library for Arduino. It’s possible to send direct 16-bit data to any Arduino board using this library. It connects any of Arduino’s 16 pins, so they work as a 16-bit IO port. First, you must select 16 pins from Arduino to combine as the…
TDK boosts capacitance in compact 100 V automotive MLCCs for 48 V electrical systems
TDK Corporation has expanded its CGA series of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) to 2.2μF in 2012 size (2.0 x 1.25 x 1.25mm – L x W x T) and 4.7μF in 3216 size (3.2 x 1.6 x 1.6 mm – L x W x T), with the industry’s highest capacitance*, as 100V products for automotive…
Arduino-based optical proximity sensor using IR LEDs
Proximity sensors are used to detect something approaching near. These sensors are useful in many applications like collision avoidance, obstacle detection, path following, touchless sensing, motion detection, and object detection. There are different types of proximity sensors like optical, ultrasonic, capacitive, inductive, and magnetic. The capacitive, inductive, and magnetic proximity sensors are used in specific…
Display custom urdu language characters on 16×2 lcd using pic16f877a microcontroller
In this project i am going to display urdu language characters on 16×2 lcd using pic16f877 microcontroller. Urdu is a language spoken in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Character lcd’s generally contains a Hitachi HD4478 controller in it. Hd4478 only contains ASCII character set in it and we can only display the predefined characters that are present in it. It…
Microcontroller Project: STM32 low power modes analysis
Power constraint is a critical consideration undertaken by designers when selecting a microcontroller for an application — particularly with IoT applications where power plays a vital role. IoT nodes are only useful in the field if they last for years or even a decade on a single battery. The race for lower power devices between…
Getting started with the ARM Cortex M3 (LPC1768)- (Part 1/21)
This is the Article to introduce the programming of ARM Cortex-M3 LPC1768 Microcontroller. First step in this journey is to get yourself introduced to the programming Environment. For programming LPC1768 plenty of free software are available online. For ARM-based Microcontrollers it is suggested to go with Keil µVision4. For the beginner, Demo version of Keil is more than enough to start with. Let’s start with the brief introduction to the LPC1768 ARM cortex M3 based Microcontroller.