CMiYC Labs, Inc.

MEMS Gyroscope Picture from Chipworks.com

One of the major feature updates for the iPhone 4 included a gyroscope.  There are two applications that a gyroscope can be used for:  keeping an object in balance and providing precise positioning data.  Obviously, the intended application in an iPhone is improved positioning and control of software objects.  One of the questions I had about the iPhone 4 was whether there was something (very tiny) spinning inside of the iPhone or if the device was solid state.  Until now, I had no idea that solid state gyroscopes existed.  Engineers at iFixIt, with help from Chipworks‘s Electron Microscope, have done a teardown of the iPhone 4′s MEMS based Gyroscope.

The pictures and lessons on how Gyroscopes work is fascinating.  Their article not only educates on how Gyroscopes work, but compare a spinning gyroscope to a MEMS based gyroscope.  The summary is, the iPhone and compact mobile devices like it, are packing some of the highest levels of technology we have on our planet.  Think about that the next time you are sending someone “just a txt.”

The folks over at Seedstudio have created a first for Arduino:  a FPC version!  In the past, it was very common for this material to be used as interconnects between circuit boards in production products.  The flexibility makes it simple to use and the ability to attach components directly saves space.  These are just prototypes, but Seeedstudio is looking for ideas to help move into higher volume production.  Who is going to make the first Arduino watch?

Electronic communications systems are made up of three basic components: a transmitter, a receiver, and a transmission medium. Use a video game system with a wired controller as an example. The controller is a transmitter, while the console is a receiver, and the wire that connects the two is the transmission medium. This wire is typically made up of copper. The distance from a couch to your tv is relatively short compared to the distance two continents separated by an ocean. For this distance fiber optic cables are used. Instead of electrical signals being transmitted, lasers are used to generate light across fibers of glass.

Until recently, to transmit 1s and 0s the laser would turn the light would be pulsed on from an off state. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado have reversed the process and have successfully generated a series of “dark pulses.”

Any transmission medium will have irregularities which disrupt communications. What the researchers have found is that by sending Dark Pulses they can minimize the irregularities typically found in Fiber.

According to the lead researcher, Richard Mirin of NIST, it will be a few years before this technology makes it into the commercial marketplace.

More information can be found in this article at PhysicsWorld.

In July, I left on a trip that took my friend and I around the world.  While traveling, I kept a blog of the trip at trip.cmiyc.com.We visited New Zealand and Australia during winter.  After that we spent a week swimming and sunning on beaches in Bali.  Then we made some quick stops to Tokyo, Bangkok, and Egypt.  In Egypt, we got to ride camels and see the Pryamids.  While in London, I met with another friend for a few days before visiting Budapest and Ireland.  Pictures can be found on my Picasa Albums.  Now that the trip is over, it is time to get back to work.  :)

TLC5940NT Painter Board

This screen shot is an all-layer view of my TLC5940 painter board.  The 1st draft featured two TLC5940s, but I decided it made the board too large.  Instead, I wanted the ability to mount the painter boards around the LED’s shadow box.  This should make routing all the wires much easier.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

This pattern is called Row Your Boat. As one of the strips starts to get brighter, a nearby strip will join in the fading.  After completing a fade cycle, they start switching colors. There is a random strobe thrown in there as well.  The first 10 seconds are with a diffuser (piece of paper), the last 10 seconds are without.  The final panel will use a diffuser.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

Quick schematic in gschem running on OS X.

In an attempt to find a free set of schematic and PCB tools for hobby work, I looked back at gEDA. The last time I used it was when the project first started, years and years ago. I was happy to see that OS X had a set of fink packages for the gEDA suite. After figuring out how to get X11 in Leopard (since I didn’t include it when I installed 10.5) and install fink, getting gEDA going was a snap.  The user jluciani in the Arduino forums has provided some free pcb footprints he has used from previous projects.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

Landing on water isn’t easy. In fact, most aerospace engineers never considered it possible.

see more Political Pictures

Initially I tried to get a LCD screen working with my Illuminato based Arduino. After a couple of attempts I realized two things: 1. The Iluminato is not ready for prime time. and 2. I burned out the LCD.  So I decided to move on to the LCD strips I have from Sparkfun.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

This morning I woke up somewhere in Southern Austria. When I looked outside my window, I found a very heavy snowfall. My local colleagues tell me that we received somewhere between 50 and 60cm of snow. That is between 10 and 20ft, based on what I can see.

Four weeks ago, I developed a rash (no, not that kind). My dermatologist (www.webmd.com) concluded it was a result of being exposed to extreme dry and cold conditions. In fewer words, I was allergic to Colorado. So, I moved from Colorado Springs back to Austin. Despite growing up in Northwest Indiana, which received significant amounts of snow fall and ridiculous below freezing temperatures, I am very warm blooded. After moving just 2 or 3 weeks ago and becoming acclimated to warm weather again, I found myself headed to Europe on a business trip.

This is my third extended visit to Europe. The previous two were in November and Januarys, respectively. Eventually I will visit Europe when I don’t need 9 layers of clothing.

[Read the rest of this entry...]