2010.05.28
Metapost Changes
03.36.36 - Mark
A few months ago I restarted my metapost feature, built a working version (as opposed to a nonfunctional heap of code I had when I first tried building the feature), then set up a cron to run it every day. At the time I think I was probably going to be writing more articles, talking about cool things, the way I used to run this site. If that had been done, daily bursts wouldn't have been a bad thing.
But obviously that didn't quite happen.
There are reasons why, which shall be written, just not in this little note. So since the metaposts have been showing up like crazy I decided last week to make it a weekly occurrence, rather than a random day. Methinks it'll look better with the blurbs I've been doing on them as well. Course a tweak here and redesign there, it's always adding more things to change on this site.
Link | 0 Comments | code features metaposts site updates
Weekly Metapost : 2010.05.21 - 2010.05.28
00.00.02 - Mark
Weekly Metapost from May 21st, 2010 to May 28th, 2010
Elsewhere Online [collection of past links]
Beef Jerky Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/beef-jerky-recipe/index.html
Tagged : Alton Brown beef jerky cooking DIY food fun geek good eats
A long time ago I saw this episode of Good Eats where Alton Brown made beef jerky. At the time the making jerky thing didn't do much for me - it's easy enough to buy, but the idea of using a box fan and a few air filters, I loved that idea. Beeing a geek I tried it out, and I love his recipie - it's far better than commercial jerky.
pcb_fabrication [tanjent.com wiki]
http://tanjent.com/doku.php?id=pcb_fabrication
Tagged : articles electronics hackaday howto todo
While I've known about this technique for preparing and etching circuit boards for a while, I more or less followed it's instructions, and I'm sold. Inexpencive, accurate, and and wildly difficult. [via hack-a-day]
YouTube - Pixel - A pixel art documentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mqAZ06dwKU
Tagged : art creativity documentary pixels videos youtube
Nice little mini-documentary on Pixel Art, from it's origins in video games to it's use of art, music, and creativity. Plus I had to run off and look at half the stuff it uses as clips or referances [via Adafruit]
One More Production - video - Pixels
http://www.onemoreproduction.com/video/209.html
Tagged : animation art entertainment pixel videos
One of the video clips from the Pixel - A Pixel Art Documenraty. The clip in there was amazing, the alternative universe the full video creates is lovely, and the work put into it is a bit mindboggling.
Eye Candy [list of other movies]
District 9 (2009) RatedMaverick (1994) Rated
The Sting (1973) Rated
2012 (2009) Rated
Link | 0 Comments | metaposts Movies Weblinks
2010.05.25
Intervalometer Version 1.3
16.44.40 - Mark
I've been working on my home made intervalometer on and off for well over a month now. I bought the parts for it in early April, bounced between building the original version based on it's schematic and reading up and learning how to actually use 555 ICs in mid April. Finally got the first working version packed into an Altoids sized tin in a frantic morning on April 20th (written inside the tin since I was pulling it off between going to a class then driving 6 hours to go camping for a weekend) About a week after finishing it I got around to putting together a semi-decent time lapse video.
Part of the reason I had held off on the time lapse is because I wanted this to work as a wired remote for my camera, rather than having to carry around a couple candy tins with switches and cables attached. This however has been my big problem.
The original schematic calls for a NPN transistor to work as the switch for the shutter release. When it's base is getting power, the emitter and collector are bridged and the circuit for the shutter is closed. Since the manual switches are wired in parallel, they can't override a closed circuit and are blocked until the base looses power - be it the few moments the 555 drops power or when the battery is disconnected. If I had gone this way I probably wouldn't have had a problem using it as a wired remote, but it is mentioned as a glitch in the original write up.
In my build however I used a PNP transistor, originally for no reason other than I had a bunch more of them than NPNs and they worked in the breadboard prototype. It's emitter and collector are still the connections for the shutter release loop, but those points are only bridged when the base is grounded. Unfortunately this was a somewhat massive problem for me. It not only blocked me from using it as a wired remote when powered off, the second it was plugged into the camera was the second it would take the first exposure. I could jerry rig it into working in my favor, but I wanted full control all the time.
At that point I started thinking about how to get that control. I first thought of using multiple transistors, looking into Darlington transistors or Sziklai pair, even started thinking of Logic Gates and building them with transistors. All it needed to do would be isolate the transistor from the circuit when the power was off. As I got frustrated with the complex schemes of using transistors to control transistors, I started to rethink the simplest approach of isolating the key PNP transistor.
A quick test on the breadboarded version, and just unplugging the PNP's base made it work with the parallel switches when the power was off. While I could have wired in and mounted another switch, I preferred simplicity, and a DPST switch was purchased to replace the SPST power switch. One side still for power, the other between the 555 and the PNP base. It's a good fix, and I finally feel good documenting my version.
In addition to my use of a DPST switch and a PNP, there are a few other changes I made. The first is the different selection of resistors. While the potentiometer and paired 100k ohm resistors remain the same as the original, I changed the LED resistors to 10 ohm (I wanted some more light coming off the LEDs).
Since I wanted a time lapse mode faster than once every 30 seconds or so, the fastest given by the 220uF capacitor (up to about 4 and a half minutes as its slowest), so I used a SPDT switch and 22uF capacitor to add in a second mode that can shoot as fast as one exposure every 9 seconds (which goes up to ~30 seconds).
I also changed the .1uF with 33k Ohm resistor to a 10uF capacitor and 470k resistor. The original design didn't allow my Canon XSi enough time to run the shutter. This my change is a particularly long break for the shutter trigger, about a full second. While I originally only changed the resistor for a sufficient delay, I realized that the SPDT switch with the key capacitors, really had three positions.
This switch happens to have ON - OFF - ON positions. While I only cared about being able to switch the 2 key capacitors, when testing it I accidentally had it on the off position. When I powered it on it started running the shutter faster than once a second. While I may not be getting this right, when the one of the 2 larger capacitors are connected the circuit is monostable, a quick burst for the transistor, then starts over. When neither large capacitor is connected however, it starts running as a bistable, or flip-flow, circuit, opening the shutter loop for a second, then closing it for a second, with it's pace set by the small capacitor and resistor. While I have yet to find a real reason for this feature, I decided to take advantage of it and added the 10uF capacitor. So, if you follow this design, this gives the camera shutter a full second or so to run when it's in Monostable mode, and get an exposure every 2 seconds or so when in Bistable mode.
While I'm sure there are other changes that could be made, I think I'm done with this one (with the possible exception of designing a real circuit board for it). Between arduinos boards and the parts for building a Camera Axe, I think this will suit me well for a carry around wired remote and intervalometer.
If you want to build one for yourself, feel free to work off my schematic (image above, enlarged, or EAGLE Schematic) put it's still a good idea to refer to the article I worked from in Make Volume 15 or the extremely useful discusion thread on it's Instructables page.
The components are all from Mouser, but I got the perf board from Radio Shack. You can get all the parts there as well (in theory) but they charge a lot for the things they do stock, and sadly my local Radio Shack's component area is a sad disorganized mess. Of course Digikey is on par with Mouser (just a bit harder to navigate) and in this case everything you need (including perfboards) can be purchased at All Electronics (which just takes a good bit of hunting) It's worth nothing however that you can scrounge together a lot of these parts from old electronics.
| 555 Timer IC Based Intervalometer Part List | ||
|---|---|---|
| Parts Needed | Part Description | Price Per Part |
| 1 | 1M Ohm Potentiometer | $.80 |
| 1 | DPST Toggle Switch | $1.24 |
| 1 | SPDT Slide Switch | $.75 |
| 2 | Tactile Switches | $.31 |
| 2 | Tactile Square Caps | $.15 |
| 2 | LEDs | $.08 |
| 1 | 220uf Capacitor | $.14 |
| 1 | 22uf Capacitor | $.10 |
| 1 | 10uf Capacitor | $.06 |
| 1 | 555 IC | $.31 |
| 1 | PNP Transistor | $.11 |
| 2 | 10ohm Resistor | $.10 |
| 2 | 100k ohm Resistors | $.10 |
| 1 | 470k Ohm Resistor | $.10 |
| 1 | 2.5mm Stereo Plug | $1.55 |
| 1 | 9v Battery Snap | $.38 |
| 1 | Multipurpose PC Board | $1.99 |
| Hookup wire | ||
| Solder (you should have it) | ||
| Enclosure (I used an altoids sized tin) | ||
| Total: | $9.01 + taxes and shipping | |
Link | 0 Comments | article documentation electronics howto instructables Intervalometer MAKE photography projects schematics
2010.05.19
May 18th, 2010 Metapost
00.00.02 - Mark
Elsewhere Online [collection of past links]
Clever Canon AE-1 Program Digital Mod
http://www.petapixel.com/2010/04/29/clever-canon-ae-1-program-digital-mod/
Tagged : ae-1 camera canon hack hackaday mod photography technology
While it's not the dream I once had of seeing digital camera backs for Canon AE-1s, it is an impressive hack fitting a modern Canon Powershot into a classic AE-1. [via hack-a-day]
Link | 0 Comments | metaposts Weblinks
2010.05.15
May 14th, 2010 Metapost
00.00.02 - Mark
Elsewhere Online [collection of past links]
Solar water disinfection - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_water_disinfection
Tagged : articles health plastics science sodis technology water wikipedia
I'm not a fan of bottled water - at least not the 20oz bottles of glorified tap water being sold a buck or two then seeing it tossed into a trash can on a day to day basis. I've got Nalgene bottles for that. In emergencies it's a different situation, but now, finding out that those bottles we trash can be used for disinfecting questionable water. That's amazing. [via National Geographic, via There, I Fixed It]
Light Graffiti Cars - BBC Top Gear
http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/lightbulb-moment-supercar-art
Tagged : art images light light painting photography topgear
The beauty of light graffiti is that simplicity works. That's why I play with it from time to time. However when you see work like this, you're left a bit speachless.
The Lost Tribes of RadioShack: Tinkerers Search for New Spiritual Home | Magazine
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/04/ff_radioshack/
Tagged : article businesses electronics radio shack wired
As I'm once again playing with electronics, my last minute needs and occassionally suggested parts have me going over to Radio Shack for one or the other, I've yet to come out of there without a bit of fustration. From employees who neither know or care about the electronics they stock, the disoranized cabinets they carry, or the moderatly painful prices they set. However this article covers both sides, from the saving and survival of the company to the few stores that still care about the DIYers.
Link | 0 Comments | metaposts Weblinks
2010.05.08
May 7th, 2010 Metapost
00.00.02 - Mark
Elsewhere Online [collection of past links]
Geocities-izer - Make Any Webpage Look Like It Was Made By A 13 Year-Old In 1996
http://wonder-tonic.com/geocitiesizer/index.php
Tagged : eyegouging funny geek geocities humor parody technology
When I was in middle school (~1999), I had friends that created geocities (or similar) websites. Geocities-izer remindes me why I never hopped onto that bandwagon.
Link | 0 Comments | metaposts Weblinks
2010.05.05
May 4th, 2010 Metapost
00.00.03 - Mark
Elsewhere Online [collection of past links]
Doctor Octoroc Presents | 8-Bit Dr. Horrible
http://www.doctoroctoroc.com/8-bit-dr-horrible/
Tagged : animation Dr. Horrible geek NES video video game
Dr. Horrible Sing Along Blog, reincarnated as a NES game look-alike (where in one wishs it was available as a real game). A great way of rewatching Dr. Horrible. [via waxy links]
Link | 0 Comments | metaposts Weblinks
2010.05.01
April 30th, 2010 Metapost
00.00.02 - Mark
Elsewhere Online [collection of past links]
Thoughts on Flash
http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/
Tagged : Adobe Apple articles flash geek iPad iPhone pr technology
Interesting seeing why Apple decided to exclude Adobe Flash from the iPhone/iPad OS.