Open Source Hardware

Open Source Hardwarehttps://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/What is the connection between Open Source Hardware and traditional engineering companies. How can professionals & hobbyists learn from each other. What can hardware developers learn from Open Source Software.en-USTelligent Community 12<link>https://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/b/blog/posts/open-source-casio-fx-9750-and-web-broswer-app-to-restore-hasbro-smart-r2d2-functionality?CommentId=78e6edde-ff1b-495b-b3dd-5ec9daa4af82</link><pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 20:08:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:78e6edde-ff1b-495b-b3dd-5ec9daa4af82</guid><dc:creator>DAB</dc:creator><description>Nice fix.</description></item><item><title>Blog Post: Open-source Casio FX-9750 and web broswer app to restore Hasbro Smart R2D2 functionalityhttps://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/b/blog/posts/open-source-casio-fx-9750-and-web-broswer-app-to-restore-hasbro-smart-r2d2-functionalityMon, 31 Aug 2026 11:41:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:7cc226f4-11a2-4f33-999c-7a4547cc2930MikeNZThe droid that outlived its app A graphing calculator, an ESP32, and a toy nobody can play with - until now... Hasbro's Smart R2-D2 was sold in 2016 with an Android app that controlled it over Bluetooth. Modern phones will not install it, so the toy has lost a lot of its playability - until now! Nothing is wrong with the robot. It still advertises itself over Bluetooth LE to anything that knows how to ask. What died was the software, and with it every one of these toys still sitting in a cupboard. This project puts a Casio FX-9750 graphing calculator in charge of it, through the same 2.5 mm serial port and the same four-component interface circuit as every other build in this family of projects by the author. It then adds DroidX , a block-coding web page served by the ESP32 itself, so a phone or tablet can drive the droid with no app, no install, and no internet connection. Not just a phone app Restore phone control of your Hasbro Smart R2D2 The Casio remains a teaching tool connecting to R2D2 AT THE SAME TIME as the ESP32 serves an app to your phone, tablet or laptop webbrowser. The calculator sends the commands. The ESP32 translates them into Bluetooth. The droid moves. And the calculator screen shows what the droid is actually doing, read back from the robot rather than assumed. The calculator is the interesting control surface, but it is not the only one. Because the ESP32 has WiFi, it can run as its own access point and serve a page. A phone will not find the Hasbro R2D2 droid in its Bluetooth list, but it will find the ESP32 in its WiFi list. Join it, open a browser, and the controller appears. DroidX is that page: snap blocks together into a sequence, press Run, and watch the droid execute it while the calculator mirrors each step. There is no app to install, no store, no account, and no internet connection anywhere in the chain. [ Phone / tablet browser ] --WiFi WebSocket--> [ ESP32 ] --serial--> [ Casio screen ] DroidX block UI | +--Bluetooth LE--> [ droid ] Not just a toy controller This is an extension of my 2008 research, which carried classroom validation and student feedback, now with a modern facelift and cross-platform compatibility. Learners can record heart rate, temperature, sound level, and other readings using sensors they build themselves, for cents or a few dollars. The simplest build is a Casio FX-9750 or FX-9860 graphing calculator, a microcontroller costing a few dollars, and a cross-over cable. Sensor readings arrive at a set interval and land in the calculator's own lists, where the graphing and statistics tools students already know are waiting for them. For a few dollars more, the Casio can log data from remote sensors wirelessly and serve a web page with data to smart devices including phones, tablets, and laptops. The calculator needs no modification or firmware change. It does not need to know what is on the other end of the cross-over cable. https://mikefentonnz.github.io/projects/casio-calculator-r2d2-droidx.html www.youtube.com/watch All open source, low cost, for educational purposes only. And fun!codingHasbro R2D2michael fentonstemCasio FX-9860educationremote controlHasbro Smart R2D2robotprogrammingMaker ScienceCasio calculatorwirelessstar warsCasio FX-9750funFile: The Steam Deck's Screen Now Works on a Raspberry Pihttps://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/m/managed-videos/151656Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:31:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:6f753730-3bd1-4345-98cb-fddf01c10adastantoYou can use the Steam Deck's touchscreen LCD with a Raspberry Pi thanks to this HAT. Thanks to Scandent for open sourcing their design and code to make this work! Mentioned in this video: - Steam Deck LCD Pi TV070WXM-HAT: https://github.com/Scande...driverlcdcsimipitouchconnectorhardwaredsichiptouch screensbctopcomputerretroattachedrepairsteam deck7 inchraspberry piusedgamingopen sourceffcdisplayfpcscreenhandhelddimmingmounthattilinuxrecompileForum Post: Use the Steam Deck's LCD Screen on a Raspberry Pi (or something else, I'm not gatekeeping)https://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/f/forum/57218/use-the-steam-deck-s-lcd-screen-on-a-raspberry-pi-or-something-else-i-m-not-gatekeepingThu, 27 Aug 2026 16:30:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:45f8b26e-37a7-486d-a863-1e0c14e3a40fstantoNice video coverage by Jeff Geerling here: www.youtube.com/watch The Steam Deck LCD screen panel's MIPI pinout was unobtanium for ages, and since there are so many of these screens available, people want the pinout, mainly to be able to have different screens on the Steam Deck. Finally though, someone's decided to open this up a bit. It's in the form of a HAT but the project is open source: https://github.com/ScandentLLC/tv070wxm-hat Check it outsteam deck lcd screenlcd streenraspberry pi screensteam deckraspberry pisteam deck lcdopen source<link>https://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/b/blog/posts/discrete-difference-amplifier---ac-analysis-gain-and-bandwidth?CommentId=4a513be4-d90d-48d3-944d-0461f773d2d1</link><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:13:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:4a513be4-d90d-48d3-944d-0461f773d2d1</guid><dc:creator>Jan Cumps</dc:creator><description>Does AoE say how you use the 'active load', or do they just give you that partial schematic? They elaborate on the current source and on the active load. The dedicated subsection "Biasing with a current source" and "Current-mirror active load" give (short) background. I'll do the extra measurements when the heat wave is over...</description></item><item><title /><link>https://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/b/blog/posts/discrete-difference-amplifier---ac-analysis-gain-and-bandwidth?CommentId=ecf447b0-0573-4502-8482-cdb4de4e3a5d</link><pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:11:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:ecf447b0-0573-4502-8482-cdb4de4e3a5d</guid><dc:creator>jc2048</dc:creator><description>Does AoE say how you use the 'active load', or do they just give you that partial schematic? It's not going to work well open loop - the operating point and the gain that results as the two sources (the mirror output and the diff pair output) fight comes from the slopes specified by the Early voltages, and they're not well characterised, and not necessarily balanced between the PNP and the NPN part. [It works best used with further stages and then overall feedback to determine the operating point and the actual, precise gain.] Besides which, that's not how Shabaz is using the mirror, anyhow. He's got it the other way round so that it's mirroring the output current that flows in the passive resistor load as feedback to the other transistor in the diff pair. It's unconventional, and I'm not very sure what all the consequences of doing that might be. It seems to give a small amount of loop gain (which we might expect to [slightly] improve the distortion performance (maybe not - the diode-connected transistor at the mirror input is itself a major source of distortion in the output), lower the output impedance, maybe give some PSRR, and all those kinds of benefits that you get from feedback). The biggest obvious problem is the higher gain on the left side will drive the other diff pair transistor into the saturation region with larger input signals, compromise the operation of the diff pair, and result in the sudden onset of output distortion. And it's all a bit uncontrolled, and most definitely the simulation won't get it right because the Early voltages in the transistor models probably won't be very typical of the actual parts. If you view an FFT of the output, do you see the output distortion suddenly rise at some point as you increase the signal level? It should be around the same point that the waveform on the other side limits against the lower transistor collector. As to the current source in the tail of the diff pair, the two transistors would lead to a higher slope on the current vs voltage characteristic, which you would think would result in more output distortion (over the simpler, one-transistor sink), but maybe Shabaz was adjusting that to partially counter one of the other distortion sources.</description></item><item><title /><link>https://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/b/blog/posts/simple-dcr-assembling-a-7-mhz-40m-direct-conversion-radio-receiver-part-1?CommentId=b9a71430-6531-4692-bb31-89793cac47a9</link><pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 2026 12:34:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:b9a71430-6531-4692-bb31-89793cac47a9</guid><dc:creator>rsjawale24</dc:creator><description>As a kid, I always wanted build a receiver myself, but I could never build one as it was difficult to find toroidal cores locally and then wind the inductors. I used to look for circuits that do not use them.</description></item><item><title>Forum Post: RE: Open Source Hardware Camp 2026 — Sat 29/08 & Sun 30/08, Hebden Bridge, Englandhttps://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/f/forum/57080/open-source-hardware-camp-2026-sat-29-08-sun-30-08-hebden-bridge-england/236459Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:24:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:2550ab3f-ae99-4b51-9be8-20c19c3d19a9cstantonDoes this mean you're going OwainM ? You could even take some community swag to unofficially give out.Forum Post: RE: Open Source Hardware Camp 2026 — Sat 29/08 & Sun 30/08, Hebden Bridge, Englandhttps://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/f/forum/57080/open-source-hardware-camp-2026-sat-29-08-sun-30-08-hebden-bridge-england/236458Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:19:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:d7ceaee6-a9c0-4b2e-a1f4-86f9a4b71db7OwainMIf you're around Hebden Bridge before or after the camp, the Hebden Bridge Picture House is also in the centre of the town. It's a beautiful 105-year old cinema which has interesting film showings on, I saw some indie films there last year. Their website is here, only a couple of showings seem to be on during the camp: hebdenbridgepicturehouse.co.uk/HebdenBridgePictureHouse.dll/Home<link>https://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/b/blog/posts/discrete-difference-amplifier---ac-analysis-gain-and-bandwidth?CommentId=4e67ec02-7bed-45f9-8040-52b6171d1c3d</link><pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 09:30:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:4e67ec02-7bed-45f9-8040-52b6171d1c3d</guid><dc:creator>Jan Cumps</dc:creator><description>In LTSpice, with NPX BC547C model: ... and the zoom:</description></item><item><title /><link>https://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/b/blog/posts/discrete-difference-amplifier---ac-analysis-gain-and-bandwidth?CommentId=510d4ee5-40cb-4310-aa3f-02d7921952ad</link><pubDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:37:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:510d4ee5-40cb-4310-aa3f-02d7921952ad</guid><dc:creator>jc2048</dc:creator><description>I'd do it like this with Tina-TI. Here I've asked for a DC Transfer Analysis where it sweeps a generator between two voltages and plots the result. I imagine you'll be able to do something equivalent, because it's almost certain to be fundamental to the spice simulator. The graph then shows the compliance of the source. Not very useful below 2V, but fine above, with a reasonably flat top. Below 0.5V the current goes negative, because there's a path back through the base-collector diode from the potential divider, but you can ignore that. This is with the vertical scale magnified so that you can see the slope better. Keep in mind that that's coming from simplified transistor models in a simulator - so the real slope may be different, and may not even be a precise straight line like that.</description></item><item><title /><link>https://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/b/blog/posts/discrete-difference-amplifier---ac-analysis-gain-and-bandwidth?CommentId=8258906f-774a-4e70-93c8-e2af2b0abca8</link><pubDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:51:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:8258906f-774a-4e70-93c8-e2af2b0abca8</guid><dc:creator>Jan Cumps</dc:creator><description>IN1 out Q4 collector conditions: V+: 9V IN1: sinus 1 kHz, 100 mV rms IN2: ground</description></item><item><title>Forum Post: RE: Open Source Hardware Camp 2026 — Sat 29/08 & Sun 30/08, Hebden Bridge, Englandhttps://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/f/forum/57080/open-source-hardware-camp-2026-sat-29-08-sun-30-08-hebden-bridge-england/236422Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:04:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:0034cd00-4d28-472b-a9d8-20c1f0816945dang74Thanks<link>https://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/b/blog/posts/discrete-difference-amplifier---ac-analysis-gain-and-bandwidth?CommentId=6fe42aca-7ad9-4cf4-8105-e9fb2de76a91</link><pubDate>Sun, 19 Jul 2026 11:51:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:6fe42aca-7ad9-4cf4-8105-e9fb2de76a91</guid><dc:creator>Jan Cumps</dc:creator><description>First attempt to simulate the current source / sink:</description></item><item><title>Forum Post: RE: Open Source Hardware Camp 2026 — Sat 29/08 & Sun 30/08, Hebden Bridge, Englandhttps://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/f/forum/57080/open-source-hardware-camp-2026-sat-29-08-sun-30-08-hebden-bridge-england/236419Sun, 19 Jul 2026 10:17:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:911524a1-cfb9-42e7-bc1e-24415e4d1677michaelkellettThe OSHG weekend is still happening this year. MKForum Post: RE: Open Source Hardware Camp 2026 — Sat 29/08 & Sun 30/08, Hebden Bridge, Englandhttps://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/f/forum/57080/open-source-hardware-camp-2026-sat-29-08-sun-30-08-hebden-bridge-england/236418Sun, 19 Jul 2026 10:16:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:690b6581-9f06-4ddb-a524-48d2480a6de4michaelkellettWuthering Bytes isn't happening this year but it's never all about one subject. You can check out some history here: https://wutheringbytes.com/about MKForum Post: RE: Open Source Hardware Camp 2026 — Sat 29/08 & Sun 30/08, Hebden Bridge, Englandhttps://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/f/forum/57080/open-source-hardware-camp-2026-sat-29-08-sun-30-08-hebden-bridge-england/236417Sun, 19 Jul 2026 10:06:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:832dc1c1-59dc-47b0-9ba2-cf6aa5953cefdang74I just watched a video on Tiny Tape out. Getting your chip fabricated sounds intriguing. Is this what Wuthering Bytes is all about as well?<link>https://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/b/blog/posts/discrete-difference-amplifier---ac-analysis-gain-and-bandwidth?CommentId=f9a6c97d-ac31-419d-baf9-d10aa41cc573</link><pubDate>Sun, 19 Jul 2026 08:04:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:f9a6c97d-ac31-419d-baf9-d10aa41cc573</guid><dc:creator>jc2048</dc:creator><description>"...since there are two inputs and I'd have to keep changing the signals..." Something that's handy for these kind of situations are the controlled sources in spice. Here I've got a voltage-controlled voltage source on the second input controlled by the generator on the first. If I set the controlled source gain to -1, then the second input is simply the inverse of whatever the generator is set to, and if I set the gain to 1, both inputs are the same and the second tracks the generator.</description></item><item><title>File: BJT Differential Amplifier with Active Load & Cascode Current Source Example 6https://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/m/managed-videos/151525Sat, 18 Jul 2026 08:27:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:824c46c9-eeb0-45ae-8680-8acd0b5b5075Jan CumpsIn this video, we will discuss the sixth example of a BJT differential amplifier. In this example, the differential amplifier is biased using a cascode current source, which ensures the tail current source connected to the two emitters of the diff...nodal analysisthevenin nortonwiskundecalculuscircuitscontrol systemsbode plotRegeltechniekComplexe getallenanalog electronicsknooppuntsmethodesteady-state analysislinear algebrpower amplifierssuperpositionmatlabstabilitydifferential equtionsinleiding elektronicaSPICE PID Controllerelectronicselectrical engineeringelectric circuitssimulinkmesh current analysissource transformationelektrische netwerken<link>https://community.element14.com/technologies/open-source-hardware/b/blog/posts/discrete-difference-amplifier---dc-analysis?CommentId=0cf445c9-3082-49cb-948e-ee7c975d8113</link><pubDate>Sat, 18 Jul 2026 08:26:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:0cf445c9-3082-49cb-948e-ee7c975d8113</guid><dc:creator>Jan Cumps</dc:creator><description>Explanation from CAN education. There are a few differences in the circuit but the overall explanation holds: - slightly different active load / current mirror (connection of the Q2 and Q3 basis, R13 - different current source topography. Assume 2.2 mA in our circuit www.youtube.com/watch</description></item></channel></rss>