IMG 4176
IMG 5992
2015-02-04 001
IMG 4169
142 4256
IMG 5984
IMG 4148
IMG 0234
2015-01-27 005
IMG 5960
3C2A3309
3C2A3318
IMG 4126
2015-01-25 013
3C2A3294
IMG 5953
115 1503
2015-01-25 004
2015-01-25 001
IMG 0236
IMG 5956
IMG 5952
DSC00449
Who, me?
IMG 4150
IMG 5957
IMG 5988
IMG 4120
2015-01-25 005
IMG 5986
3C2A3239
IMG 5978
IMG 0231
3C2A3306
IMG 5997
IMG 0240
IMG 4141
IMG 5941
IMG 5951
2015-01-25 007
IMG 4142
2015-02-01 007
IMG 5979
IMG 5960
151 5107
IMG 5993
IMG 5994
IMG 0242
IMG 4147
IMG 0235
IMG 4132
IMG 5980
IMG 5948
IMG 4146
2015-01-27 001
115 1502
IMG 4117
IMG 5996
IMG 4143
IMG 4140
IMG 4174
IMG 0241
DSC00308
You're still doing it
IMG 5964
IMG 4119
2015-01-25 009
IMG 5954
IMG 5985
IMG 5950
142 4228
IMG 5963
IMG 6859
Tokina 19-35mm An exceptionally rainy day. Picture taken from inside the car!
IMG 4121
2015-02-01 009
IMG 0238
2015-02-02 002
IMG 4118
DSC00336
The Moon Meade 10" Newtonian, Sony DSC-P1, Meade Plossl 26mm
IMG 5890
2015-01-25 010
IMG 5981
2015-01-27 003
IMG 4136
IMG 0239
2015-01-27 002
119 1933
IMG 5888
IMG 6860
Tokina 19-35mm An exceptionally rainy day. Picture taken from inside the car!
IMG 5912
IMG 5940
IMG 5973
IMG 4110
IMG 4109
2015-01-25 012
IMG 6863
Tokina 19-35mm An exceptionally rainy day. Picture taken from inside the car!
2015-01-25 011
IMG 5917
IMG 5884
IMG 5908
2015-02-02 001
2015-02-01 010
IMG 5865
IMG 5881
119 1937
IMG 5969
IMG 5974
IMG 5962
IMG 5970
IMG 5947
IMG 4144
IMG 4122
IMG 4107
IMG 4108
IMG 4116
IMG 5945
2015-01-27 004
IMG 5943
IMG 5892
IMG 5874
IMG 4139
IMG 0229
IMG 0237
IMG 5923
DSC00306
You're looking at me
DSC00620
Jupiter Meade 10" Newtonian, Sony DSC-P1, TeleVue zoom @8mm.
Conditions were not good enough for my ordinary digital camera to see the satellites, though they were plainly visible with the human eye.
IMG 5939
IMG 5934
DSC00310
Merlin
IMG 5946
IMG 5882
IMG 5883
IMG 5910
114 1496
IMG 5976
IMG 5919
IMG 5891
142 4227
IMG 5944
IMG 6862
Tokina 19-35mm An exceptionally rainy day. Picture taken from inside the car!
IMG 5938
114 1489
IMG 5977
142 4226
IMG 5880
IMG 5914
IMG 4115
IMG 5935
IMG 5869
IMG 4113
IMG 5924
IMG 5909
DSC00307
Stop looking at me
IMG 5921
IMG 4111
IMG 4112
grbl
The grbl controller; underneath this stepper driver is an Arduino Uno and a breakout board.
IMG 5871
IMG 5860
DSC00309
Sigh, it's tough, being a Cat
IMG 5875
IMG 5925
IMG 5966
119 1939
IMG 5854
IMG 5862
IMG 5876
114 1490
IMG 5936
DSC00305
What do you want?
IMG 5922
IMG 5915
IMG 5873
114 1495
IMG 5853
114 1488
DSC00335
The Moon Meade 10" Newtonian, Sony DSC-P1, Meade Plossl 26mm
IMG 4114
DSC00337
The Moon Meade 10" Newtonian, Sony DSC-P1, Meade Plossl 26mm
IMG 5907
IMG 5967
IMG 6861
Tokina 19-35mm An exceptionally rainy day. Picture taken from inside the car!
114 1500
114 1499
114 1487
IMG 5928
IMG 5879
114 1494
IMG 5904
DSC00199
Merlin and the Squirrels again #2 2002-04-28
IMG 5933
IMG 5859
114 1491
IMG 5931
IMG 5937
IMG 5926
114 1493
IMG 5927
114 1492
114 1486
IMG 5932
Merlin
IMG 4161
Spot the OSH Park board!
DSC00198
Merlin and the Squirrels again 2002-04-28
IMG 4168
The cables have to go somewhere
Printhead front
Printhead rear
Z-axis motor mounts
First print in progress
Taking shape
Testing the slide of the bed
Print head cables
Y-axle idler pulley
Z-axis motor mounts
X and Z axis
Cables everywhere
Hotend fan
Treefrog
Baby Groot
Stockton STEM Badge microcontroller
The chip is an inexpensive "PIC" microcontroller; this runs a program that controls the LEDs.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
LEDs have a flat edge on one side of their case.
DSC00327
The Moon Meade 10" Newtonian, Sony DSC-P1, Meade Plossl 26mm
Stockton STEM Badge resistor legs
The resistor legs need to be bent in order to insert them into the board.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
Stockton STEM Badge button
As with the IC socket, soldering one leg first and verifying component alignment will help prevent easy mistakes.
Stockton STEM Badge boards
The badge printed circuit board (PCB) comes in several colors.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
All the LEDs have been soldered. Notice that they all have the same orientation; the flat edge is to the left.
Stockton STEM Badge IC
Make sure the IC is correctly aligned before pushing it in.
Stockton STEM Badge resistor legs
Soldered legs; only a small amount of solder is needed and it heat should be applied only briefly.
Stockton STEM Badge IC socket
Note the orientation of the indent at the upper edge of the IC socket.
Stockton STEM Badge resistor legs
The legs are passed through the board holes; they may need pulling firmly, but not too firmly, with pliers to pull the resistor body flush with the board.
Stockton STEM Badge resistor legs
The legs are trimmed, the excess removed with side-cutters.
Stockton STEM Badge battery
It is possible for the holder to become hot during soldering; be careful when handling immediately after soldering.
Stockton STEM Badge IC socket
The IC socket should lay flat against the board.
Stockton STEM Badge battery
The battery holder is a simple metal cage that solders to the underside of the board.
Stockton STEM Badge electrolytic capacitor
Orientation of this capacitor is important. There is a "+" symbol in the footprint of the component printed on the board; the "-" of the capacitor should be on the opposite side.
Stockton STEM Badge IC
When inserting the IC, firm but controlled pressure is needed to avoid bending the pins.
Stockton STEM Badge IC and socket
The legs of the chip need to be straight otherwise they will not properly insert into their positions in the socket. It is easy to bend or break the legs if care is not taken.
Stockton STEM Badge battery
Note the orientation of the battery. The "+" side contacts the battery holder.
Stockton STEM Badge IC
The IC pins need to be straight and line up with their receptacles in the socket.
Stockton STEM Badge battery
Note the orientation of the holder; reversing it will make it difficult to insert the battery later.
Stockton STEM Badge decoupling capacitor
This ceramic capacitor is not orientation sensitive. Decoupling means it absorbs electrical noise and is used to filter the power feeding the microcontroller.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
Stockton STEM Badge button
The push-button switch will fit two ways. Orientation does not matter.
Stockton STEM Badge decoupling capacitor
The capacitor should sit flush with the board.
Stockton STEM Badge IC socket
Soldering one leg first and checking that the socket is flat against the board avoids a simple mistake. If it is not flat, or otherwise misaligned simply re-heating the leg will help correct the issue. Once orientation and alignment is verified, solder the remaining legs. Sometimes a small shim, such as the black foam here, can help keep the board level and simplifies the task.
Stockton STEM Badge resistor legs
The legs are then carefully bent to about 45 degrees to hold the resistor in place for soldering.
Stockton STEM Badge decoupling capacitor
As with the resistors, the legs should be splayed a little to help hold it in place for soldering.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs and button
Orange and yellow LEDS. The pushbutton switch allows a person to control the badge.
Stockton STEM Badge battery
The battery should sit snugly under the holder.
Stockton STEM Badge IC socket
Soldered legs.
Stockton STEM Badge electrolytic capacitor
Electrolytic capacitors are polarity sensitive; note the "-" symbol on one side of the capacitor package. These capacitors typically have a larger capacity than their ceramic counterparts and are used for bulk storage; this one is used to assist the battery when the LEDs turn on. This is necessary because button cell batteries are not designed to provide as much power as the LEDs can demand.
Stockton STEM Badge IC and socket
The chip, an integrated circuit, or IC, must also be used the correct way round. Both the chip and its socket have a notch at one end to identify its orientation.
Stockton STEM Badge battery
The battery is a typical CR2032 button cell. Notice which side the "+" is on.
Stockton STEM Badge IC
Once pushed all the way in, the IC may sit above the socket, but it will be parallel to it.
Stockton STEM Badge components
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
The footprint for the LEDs also shows a flat edge; orientation of the LEDs needs to match that of the board.
Stockton STEM Badge resistors
These are 47 ohm resistors; they limit the current supplied to the orange, yellow and green LEDs. The blue LED does not require one.
Stockton STEM Badge completed
Press the button to start the lights!
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
Green and blue LEDs
Stockton STEM Badge components
The badge consists of a handful of electronic components. Components R1, R5 and J1 are not normally populated.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
While all components can be destroyed with an excess of heat during soldering, LEDs are especially susceptible to this.
Stockton STEM Badge capacitors
The capacitors smooth the power on the badge. The top capacitor, is not polarity sensitive; that is, it can be used either way round. The other capacitor must be used only the correct way round; the case has a "-" symbol printed on it.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
The case of an LED can crack if the legs are bent too close to it; even after placing the LED on the board, only bend the legs slightly to hold it in place.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
Notice how the LEDs typically have one leg longer than the other; this is called the "anode". The colored case also has one flat side, opposite the longer leg; the leg on this side is called the "cathode". Also, note the distinctive shape of what is inside the colored case; this can also be used to help determine its orientation. The gap at the top of the metal surface is always on the anode side. LEDs can only be used the right way round so determining orientation is important.