Recent content by krypton_john

  1. K

    Any Kiwis looking for GPS/GPRS modules on the cheap?

    These could be worth a punt: http://www.graysonline.co.nz/catalogue.asp?SALE_ID=404183&SALE_TYPE=THUMB The blurb says GPS but am pretty sure form preliminary proof-by-google that they also have GPRS and possibly more. Cheers, JohnO
  2. K

    Momentary push button to power on, software controlled power down

    Hi all, In another post I mentioned this had been covered here... but I couldn't find anything. Any reason this would not work: Connect power to the Picaxe power pin through a momentary action push button, perhaps with a capacitor/resistor to ground. This will power up the picaxe when pressed...
  3. K

    Wireless suggestion please?

    Hi All, I need to place a keypad outside our automatic gates to allow remote opening. However the keypad will need to be on the opposite side from the power and the gate control box and I don't want to dig up a trench to lay more wires. I could easil make a keypad and simple picaxe circuit but...
  4. K

    Cheap DX Scopes

    Hi All, These look handy - anyone here have any experience with them? http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.30573 http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.35971#open full view Cheers JohnO
  5. K

    Off topic - circuit for sensing daylight

    Hi all, I need to disable some 12VAC garden lights using a relay, when it is daylight. I don't think I need a PIC to do this and suspect it is a simple (for some) job for something like an LDR and an op-amp comparator? Or a photo transistor? to switch the relay. But it would need to be...
  6. K

    Relay vs SCR or TRIAC

    Just wondering what the advantage of a relay is apart from perhaps isolation? Why would you ever bother with a bulky relay that has mechanical wear and requires more power to activate? I need to take a logic level output from a gate motor controller and use it to switch on some 12V AC garden...
  7. K

    Redundancy, self checking and fail-over

    Hi Just wondering if anyone had any experience in implementing a redundant fail-over picaxe based system? I'd be interested to hear how it can be done. In particular I wonder how a picaxe could be monitored to ensure it is doing it's job properly, getting valid readings from it's sensors etc...
  8. K

    Car power supply

    This has been hotly debated in the past - in particular the risk of spikes etc blowing up your circuit. My question is this: what about the cheap cigarette lighter power units that abound for powering everything from cellphones to gameboys? I've never had an electronic device connected to one...
  9. K

    iRDA - I'll be damned!

    It never ceases to amaze me the range of PIC compatible modules out there, that can make our lives easy. I recently looked up iRDA and decided it was way too hard for PICAXE, unless there was a module available with built in iRDA protocol stack. At the time I couldn't find such a device...
  10. K

    PE for Linux?

    Hi - I asked if there was an update on this in the PE forum but no answer. Could Technical or anyone else let us know the status of this project? Cheers JohnO
  11. K

    Stackable modules?

    Hi All, I really like the idea of using communicating picaxes to split the logical workload into distinct functions. As an example, a picaxe as an RF comms processor, another as a data collector, another as a user interface processor etc all given directions by a master controller. Each can be...
  12. K

    SD/MMC Interface

    Hi All, I just stumbled over this and recall there were some discussions here on the same subject: http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=7955 User guide: http://www.dosonchip.com/products/module/assets/CD17B10_User_Guide_0v1.pdf Does this make SD card storage for Picaxe...
  13. K

    Attn Kiwi Picaxers

    I noticed a couple of items at the Big Red Shed today that may be of interest: - Outdoor solar garden lights for $2.95. It has a mushroom-like enclosure with a clear 360 degree window, rechargeable battery, bright wite LEDs, solar cell and presumably a light sensor of some sort, so should be...
  14. K

    Driveway Gate Obstruction Detection

    Good Morning, all. I would like to implement an obstruction detector to stop the automatic driveway gates from closing when there's an obstruction between them. The gate controller as a simple NO switch input that returns the gates to open whenever it is closed. I wondered if this could be...
  15. K

    Who has had a play with fluxgate compasses?

    Hi All, There's a couple of cheap i2c compasses available, and I'm thinking of making a compass for use in an aircraft*. On the face of it, the project is very simple - a PICAXE, an i2c compass and an LCD display to show the heading. However in an aircraft, you are tilting in the turns and...
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