Lady Ada's sneak peek RGB LCD plate

Many thanks for this link Jennifer, and the possible hint at things to come that it implies.  It was good to read that Element 14 were paying Adafruit a visit.

Limor and her people are an exceptional outfit, and for all the praise already heaped on them, more is deserved.

I couldn't be more excited to have ladyada on our Community here and for Adafruit's wonderful Open Source Hardware products to be available from Newark element14.  The Raspberry Pi accessorries page lists many of Adafruit's Raspberry Pi accessories.  A search for "adafruit" on newark.com will display the full list of 20 Adafruit products.  That search returns 19 Adafruit products for uk.farnell.com.  (Farnell customers will have to pay delivery charge £15.95 once per order since it's direct ship from the US)

Here's some fun projects from my previous blog posts that can be built with Adafruit's products:

• time and temperature display using the Adafruit Real-Time Clock breakout boardAdafruit Real-Time Clock breakout board and Adafruit Pi CobblerAdafruit Pi Cobbler
• automate beer brewing using the Adafruit Pi CobblerAdafruit Pi Cobbler, the MCP3008 ADCMCP3008 ADC, and the TMP36 temp sensorTMP36 temp sensor
• portable Pi using this 3,300mAh USB battery pack3,300mAh USB battery pack from Adafruit to power the Pi anywhere
• "headless" Pi using this USB to serial cableUSB to serial cable from Adafruit to directly access the console

There's plenty more exciting examples on the Adafruit Learning System:

• Volume control knob with the Adafruit Pi CobblerAdafruit Pi Cobbler, the MCP3008 ADCMCP3008 ADC and a potentiometerpotentiometer
• Play sounds when buttons are pressed with the Adafruit Pi CobblerAdafruit Pi Cobbler and tactile switchestactile switches
• Detect light with the Adafruit Pi CobblerAdafruit Pi Cobbler and a photoresistorphotoresistor
• Cloud-based temperature logging with the Adafruit Pi CobblerAdafruit Pi Cobbler, the MCP3008 ADCMCP3008 ADC, and theTMP36 temp sensorTMP36 temp sensor

Finally, I've got to point out Adafruit's handy 8x8 LED matrix modules which come in GreenGreen, YellowYellow and RedRed.  Only 4 wires are needed to be hook these displays up to the Pi via I2C.  Their great tutorial will have pixels dancing around in no time:

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RE: Lady Ada's sneak peek RGB LCD plate Adafruit and Newark element14 team up! Adafruit and Newark element14 team up!

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Cheers,

Drew

Postage. I know. OUCH.

Yeah, I can relate as I never like seeing Farnell direct ship be the only option for something I want on Newark (since I'm in the US).  Farnell customers: would you like to see these Adafruit products stocked locally for Europe?

For Farnell to have the Adafruit availble for UK/Europe would be FRUITANGSTIC. Thanks for even hinting at that possiblitly Drew.

Ray

Drew Fustini wrote:

 

Farnell customers: would you like to see these Adafruit products stocked locally for Europe?

Would we?  Hahaha, you jest.

Thanks, Ray & Morgaine.  I don't mean to get unnecessarily get your hopes up, but my thinking is it might be helpful for Farnell customers like you to voice their desire here.

Thanks, Ray & Morgaine.  I don't mean to get unnecessarily get your hopes up, but my thinking is it might be helpful for Farnell customers like you to voice their desire here.

Understood, Drew.

Well I've stated why I enjoy ordering from Farnell UK several times in this group in passing, but there's no harm summarizing it again more explicitly.

• The product website is very comprehensive and informative, datasheets for almost every product.
• Stock levels are indicated, and moreover, the range of products held in plentiful stock is just vast.
• The next-day delivery is perfect (some failures are statistically inevitable, but it has not failed me yet).
• Farnell pricing is so competitive that looking elsewhere is usually quite pointless, in the pennies.

I do not normally purchase any product that isn't ex-stock for next-day delivery on principle (Pi was an unavoidable exception back in March), so Farnell's policy of maintaining good stock levels makes it the first site to check, and usually I have no need to look elsewhere for the reasons given above.  I'm sure I'm not the only person to value ex-stock + next-day delivery so highly.

If Adafruit products are stocked at Farnell, I think I can forecast that I'll be buying more than is good for me.

Morgaine.

Hi Morgaine,

That's what has happened to me. It's like an addiction - AdaFruit store + Drew's great "how to's" = purchase of storage trunk to hold all my "projects". It is all ridiculously fun. I'm still soldering all manner of things for the Pi(s).

So, yes, AdaFruit in EU would equal a dangerous situation,

Best

Peg

Haha, well put Peg.

And as for Drew, yes indeed, what incredible energy he puts into his blogged projects, and how excellently described and illustrated they are.  I won't say more since he's reading this, but ... well done Drew.