Wednesday 27 January 2016

The Interactive Donation Box


For step by step instructions, visit: http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Interactive-Donation-Box/


Introduction:
Donation boxes can be much more interesting and attractive when you combine them with electronics and a little bit of programming. As the name explains, making donation boxes interactive can help you gain much more attention and make people happy at the same time! Indeed, and awesome way to set up a charity and help the needed ones by installing it in shopping complexes and other public places (if a bigger version of the same is made). This was just a prototype to present the basic idea which when modified and used at a bigger level, can definitely help.
The following project uses an arduino for all it's processing. The RGB LEDs installed inside the box keep on flashing and changing colors which can attract much attention. When a person donates a coin, the ultrasonic sensor installed just on the box detects that and the servo present at the top waves 2-3 times with a 'Thank You' message displayed. This feature can surely bring a smile on the person's face who just donated that coin! Using only arduino and some other basic parts, you can make this project within 3-4 hours max. without the need of hunting the parts. Although a bigger version of the same would be much better, but that doesn't mean that this small one is useless. Even this one can be put at various places.
Video:
Here is a short video of the project:

Photo Gallery:





Monday 25 January 2016

The SMS Home Security System



For step by step instructions, visit: http://www.instructables.com/id/SMS-Home-Security-System/

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Introduction:

Are you worried of the valuables that you have at your home when you're out on a trip or at your office? If yes, then this project is just for you! A security system which on detecting the presence of a human at your house will text you wherever you are that there's a problem. That sounds good, isn't it? Well, this is what this project does.
The project uses the 'multi-talented' Linkit ONE as it's brain. When a PIR motion sensor connected to this board detects some kind of motion, through it's GSM feature, the board sends you a text message. The best thing about this project is that it can be completed within 1-2 hours and no soldering or drilling is required to make it. This makes this project a great way to get started with Mediatek LinkIt One.
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Parts and Tools required:
The following parts and tools are required to make this project. The total cost was around $70 or 4200 INR. The best part is that no soldering skills are required to make this project. All the parts can be found over online stores one of them being seeedstudio.
Parts:
  • 1x LinkIt ONE board
  • 1x Lithium battery to power your board (included in the Linkit one kit)
  • 1x GSM antenna (included as well)
  • 1x PIR motion sensor
  • 1x Sim card (shouldn't be pin locked)
  • 1x 5v adapter (optional)
  • Male to female jumper wires
  • A suitable enclosure for your project
Tools:
  • Hot glue gun w/glue sticks
  • Drill (not mandatory)
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How it Works?

The process is quite simple. When a human approaches in front of the sensor or the security box, the motion sensor gives a high output which is detected by Linkit one. Through it's GSM feature, it will text you that a human was detected at your house at that time so you can take a suitable action at that very moment. The best part is that you will get a message through this box no matter in which corner of the world you are! The only condition is that there should be a mobile network available at that place. Now don't expect that this would also work on mars :P
The sensor that is used to detect motion of a human being is called PIR motion sensor which stands for Passive infra-red. It works with the fact that every human (actually everything) in this world emits a certain amount of infra-red radiations which is detected by this sensor. It gives a high output which remains high for some time under such condition. The range of this sensor is around 6m which is pretty sensitive and can be varies though a preset present on it.
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Photo gallery:


For step by step instructions, visit: http://www.instructables.com/id/SMS-Home-Security-System/

Friday 22 January 2016

DIY 10 Minute Solar Charger



Make your own solar charger in less than 10 minutes! This video will show you how to:

The charging time is approx. 4-5 hours for a smartphone while 8-10 hours for a tablet or other big gadgets.

Please note that your solar panel should have a minimum rating of 6v, 1A. It should not exceed 15v as well.

If you like this video, please don't forget to hit the like button, subscribe and share it with your friends. Any questions are most welcome :)

You can follow me on my instructables page: www.instructables.com/member/Saiyam/

Or you can visit my blog (SirKit Studio) as well: sirkitstudio.blogspot.in

Music: [Progressive House] Vigilancer - Can See (Source: HeroBoard)
http://www.w7.youtubeinmp3.com/downlo...



Watch this video for step by step instructions:





Photo Gallery:





Thursday 21 January 2016

Make Your Photography Skills Better With These DIY LED Lights





Introduction:
One of the most important aspect of taking a perfect, crisp photograph is to have good lighting. One of the best ways to have it is to use natural lighting. But what if you want to take pictures of your project to publish on instructables while sitting on your workshop? Well, natural light cannot reach everywhere and everytime. You can't just wait for day and for sunlight to reach your workspace. The only good option left would be to use artificial lighting. There may be several other options for taking photos in dimly lit areas, but they are neither not too effective nor too easy. When taking photos with artificial lighting, you have to make sure that they are powerful enough to provide good light. Most of the lights on eBay and Amazon are too expensive and high power consuming which makes them a work for only professional photographers. The price of most of them can rise to about $20-60 like this one and this one. The fact remains that they are helpful and provide perfect lighting to pro's in their studio but what should we do to take good pictures with cheap lighting?
So here's presenting you a simple and cheap yet effective cardboard LED light panels that can be used to take perfect photos. The cost of each light panel is just around $5 so it easily fit in your budget. Each light panel contains 40 LEDs that provide enough light to take great photos. The panels also have the ability to control the brightness being free from the PWM system that interferes while making videos. The brightness of the panel is controlled by selecting the number of LEDs switched on. This is done using DIP switches that contains several switches in a single small package. Each of the light panels is powered using a separate 5v USB charger. They are much low power consuming than those huge studio lights which also makes them energy efficient. The materials like cardboard used to make it are simple and no power tools are required to make it. You just need some basic electronics and soldering skills which makes it a good weekend project and to get your kids started with electronics. This can not only be used for photography but also for reading and camping.
Here are some features of this lamp:
  1. Is cheap. The cost of each light panel is just $5 which is much lower than studio lights.
  2. Provides great light. An example is given above of the before photo (taken without the lights on) and after photo taken with the lights on after a bit of editing).
  3. Is energy efficient. Consumes very low current when compared to studio lights.
  4. Is made using simple materials like cardboard, tape and paints.
  5. Can be made battery operated by making some modifications.
  6. Can be used in camping and outdoors.
  7. Can be used as a reading lamp.
  8. And many more!!

For step by step instructions, visit: http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Photography-LED-Lights/

A working video of this project:



Parts And Tools:
The following parts, materials and tools are required to make one light panel. The total cost of the project was around $5 or 300 INR (for one light panel). All of them can be obtained from your local hobby store or over online stores.

PARTS:
  • 40x Ultrabright white straw hat LEDs (5mm) (Ebay Link)
  • 40x 68ohms resistors (Ebay Link)
  • 1x DIP switch (with 8 switches) (Ebay Link)
  • 1x Old USB cable (Ebay Link)
  • 1x 5v USB charger (Ebay Link)
  • Thin wire
  • Rainbow cable
  • Perfboard


MATERIALS:
  • Cardboard
  • White papers (for covering as well as taking pictures)
  • Paints
  • Paintbrush
  • Paper adhesive
  • Paper tape
  • Marker
  • Ruler
  • Pencil


TOOLS:
  • Soldering iron
  • Soldering wire
  • Hot glue gun w/glue sticks
  • Wire cutter/stripper
  • Pliers
  • Paper cutter

Photo Gallery:



For step by step instructions, visit: http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Photography-LED-Lights/

If you have any questions related to this project, feel free to email me or post it in the comment section below.

Don't forget to subscribe, like, share and comment for more cool projects!

Hope you liked it :)

Monday 18 January 2016

How To Make A Simple LED Dimmer Circuit

Do you ever wanted to add a brightness control feature to any of your LED projects? Here is a simple circuit involving just a 555 IC with no use of any micro-controllers. The circuit can be soldered to a perforated board or can even be built on a breadboard.

Note: This project is a part of the Ten Breadboard Projects For Beginners series published by me on instructables.



Description: This is a project used to change the brightness of an led by varying the resistance using a potentiometer which has a knob that can be turned to set it at a particular value. The circuit is somewhat similar to PWM (pulse width modulation) circuit which is used to control the speed of motors. The brightness is altered by switching the led between on and off at a fast rate which reduces the brightness. The rate is controlled by the potentiometer thus changing the brightness.

Difficulty: Medium



Parts List:
  • 1x 555 timer ic
  • 1x 1K resistor
  • 1x 220 ohm resistor
  • 1x 100n capacitor
  • 2x 1n4001 or 1n4148 diodes
  • 1x 50K or 47K potentiometer
  • 1x LED



Circuit Diagram (Made using Fritzing):



Breadboard Layout (easier to follow, Made using Fritzing):


Instructions: Connect everything according to the layout given above. Make sure you connect the diodes in the right way as they have polarity. Switch the circuit on and turn the pot slowly. You will observe that the brightness of the led changes.





Related Project: Check out my Desktop Lamp instructable that uses a similar circuit to change the brightness of 36 leds in a reading lamp.

Circuit Source: http://www.talkingelectronics.com

This is the end of this article. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below.
Do follow for more cool projects!

Saturday 16 January 2016

Do It-Yourself Travel Speakers





Make Your Own Travel Speakers with just one of the basic electronic parts!
Do you face a situation in your life that while travelling, camping or in outdoors you and your friends/relatives want to hear to some music which has to be loud? In such a situation you would plug in your earphones, raise the volume, just relax and listen to music. But what about others? Speakers can be a better and healthier option to listen together. But the problem comes when you have to carry those large, bulky speakers in your suitcase or backpack which should not be a good idea. They are expensive and need to be plugged to an external power supply which is not available everywhere. Portable speakers can be a better option but they are too expensive and some of them do not have that loud and clear sound. Why don't make your own portable- battery operated and solar powered speakers that has sound much louder and better quality than normal portable speakers? 
The project consists of two amplifier circuits each connected to an 8ohm, 1watt speakers. The amplifier circuit has LM386 IC which known for its less price and good sound. The speaker has an aux input which can be connected to any audio device (such as your iPod, mp3 player, tablet, phone or a DVD player). It also has a volume control feature for each speaker controlled using a potentiometer (or variable resistor) for each. The speakers are battery operated which can last for greater than one day for an 8v, 1.0ah battery pack. Since, the power consumed by the project is less, it can also be powered using a solar panel in bright sunlight (see step 18). The sound produced by the speaker is louder and clearer even than what you expect! It can also be used to watch movies with your friends using a phone or tablet attached to it and kept on a clamp as the speaker of your phone or tablet is not capable to produce a loud sound (see step 19). The materials used to make it are simple like cardboard, tape, paints etc. and no power tools are required to make it which makes it a good weekend project and to get started with electronics.
Here is a video of the project in action:


For complete step by step instructions visithttp://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Travel-Speakers/

Gallery:










Don't forget to subscribe for more cool projects :)

Friday 15 January 2016

Convert Your RC Car Into A Working Solar Robot!

Yes, it's possible!!




Are you or your kids bored of playing with rc cars? Why not convert it to a solar robot with a few additional parts instead of throwing them away. You won't believe that there are so many goodies inside that you can use to make many projects. This instructable will guide you the same thing. With a solar panel, battery, motors an rc car ofcoarse, you can make your own solar robot. But that does not mean that the robot can only move in sunlight. It can also move in your house or when the weather is cloudy.

The robot has a transmitter (or a remote), a receiver, battery, motors and a solar panel. When the solar panel does not have enough electricity to supply, the robot can be powered with a battery. The battery can also be charged with the solar panel to be used earlier. The working is somewhat similar to the rc car earlier but the solar powered feature add more fun to it. The remote transmits a certain type of signal on pressing a button. The receiver identifies the type of signal and moves the robot in a certain direction.
Here's a video of the converted solar robot in action:



The detailed step by step instructions can be found here: http://www.instructables.com/id/RC-Car-To-Solar-Robot-Makeover/
You are free to ask any questions of you want.
The end....

Thursday 14 January 2016

Quick Explanation To Some Basic Electronic Components

When you start learning a new concept in any subject (not just in electronics), it is always important to grasp the basics before moving on to deeper details. Since this page is all about technology, here is a brief explanation of some basic electronic components which is a to know before attempting any project.



(1) Resistor:
A resistor is a device that reduces current in a circuit by offering obstruction to the flow of electrical current. So if you connect an LED directly to a 3v battery and then connect it by adding a resistor in series. The brightness in the second case would be lower than the first one as the resistor in the second case would not allow much current to pass through thus reducing the brightness. Resistance is measured in ohms, kilo ohms and mega ohms.
(2) Capacitor:
A capacitor is a device that stores electricity inside it when it is supplied and gives it out in a circuit when there is a loss in electricity. It is like a rechargeable battery but there is a lot of difference between them. A capacitor can store a small amount of current and can charge instantly whereas a battery can store a large amount of current and takes a while to charge. There are many types of capacitors but the two common types are- electrolytic (polarized) and non electrolytic (non polarized). Capacitance is measured in pico farads, nano farads and micro farads.
(3) Transistor:
A transistor is a device that amplifies a small current applied on its base pin to produce a large current that flows between the collector and emitter pins. It does not create a large current but acts as a switch which when supplied a small current on the base pin, closes the switch (switches it on). There are two types of transistors- NPN and PNP.
(4) Integrated Circuit (IC):
An integrated circuit is a small package that is made for a particular task. It has a miniature inbuilt circuit that has many components inside it can perform a particular task. For example- a 555 ic is meant for timing circuits and LM386 is meant for amplifying audio signals. It is usually a small black chip with pins coming out. There are 3 pin ics as well as 32 pin ics and even more.
(5) Diode:
A diode is a device that allows current to flow only in one direction. This is the reason it has polarity and should be connected correctly for its proper functioning. It is used to prevent the reverse flow of current.
(6) Light Emitting Diode (LED):
A light emitting diode is a special type of diode that can emit light when electricity is passed through it. Like a diode, an led also allows current to flow only in one direction so to make it work it should be connected properly in a circuit. These days LEDs are preferred over lightbulbs as they consume much less electricity than bulbs and CFLs. They are available in different shapes, sizes and colors but being energy efficient, their cost is much high.
(7) Potentiometer:
A potentiometer or a variable resistor is a device that allows us to choose different resistances that may be required in a circuit. It has a knob that can be adjusted to produce a specific resistance.
(8) Light Dependent Resistor (LDR):
An LDR is a special type of resistor that changes its resistance according to the intensity of light falling on it. The resistance of an ldr increases when it is dark and decreases when the intensity of light falling on it is high.
(9) Infra-Red Receiver (IR receiver):
An IR receiver is a device that receives infrared light and gives an output depending on the signal received. It decodes and tells the type of signal received. It is present in all the devices that are controlled using IR remotes.
(10) Seven Segment Display:
A seven segment display is a device that is used to display digits and letters. It has usually a series of seven leds put in a certain odder to form an 8. All the digits can be displayed by lighting a certain number of leds. It also has an extra led for decimal point.
That's the end! Hope this was helpful..

Tuesday 12 January 2016

Lots Of Awesomeness Coming Up...

Hi to all of you,

This was just to inform you that a lot of cool projects will be soon published here and I've already started working on them. There were a lot of hopes while making this blog so please don't forget to follow and leave a feedback. Apart from projects, I will also be posting some more awesome stuff!

Ta-ta :)

-Saiyam

The First Post!

Hi There to all the viewers,

This is the first post ever made on this blog! First introducing me, I am Saiyam - one of those passionate makers and programmers out there in this world. My one of the best hobbies which has now turned into a talent is to make Electronics Projects and Robots! On finding a site like instructables.com to share my work, I began documenting my projects. I was surprised by the attention I got and the prizes that I won there which brought me up with this blog. The total articles posted by me at present are 22 out of which 6 of them have won prizes in some or the other contests.

This will basically be a place to share more of my works with step by step instructions so that enthusiastic people like you can follow and make it. The projects will be including microcontrollers like Arduino, Raspberry Pi or sometimes even simple projects with analog ICs. The main purpose to make this was to find a better platform to help you guys follow the awesomeness. Remember, the best way to learn is to teach :)

You are free to contact me at any time at agrawalsanyam946@gmail.com or saiyam.273@rediffmail.com .. All your queries are welcome.

You can follow me at instructables: http://www.instructables.com/member/Saiyam/
Or can even subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwFtwG-VB-GXKkN0N7vSfyw

That's it for this one. See you next time :)

-Saiyam