In this episode we take our first step towards ensuring that we have a backup plan if all the magic smoke comes out on first power up – we rip the data off the ROMs! It’s not as easy as it sounds though as these ROMs are pretty old and weird chips that aren’t supported by a lot of ROM programmers out there, so in the end, we end up building our own ROM reader from scratch using an Arduino and some 74LS161s!
External News
Meet RAMBO, the U.S. Army’s 3D-Printed Grenade Launcher
The U.S. Army has built and fired an almost entirely 3D-printed 40mm grenade launcher. Scientists and engineers hope the prototype will set the stage for projects in the laboratory and on the battlefield.
The Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey modeled the proof-of-concept Rapid Additively Manufactured Ballistics Ordnance (RAMBO) on the Army-standard M203 grenade launcher and marked it “M203XX.” The production process for 90 percent of the components was at least partially automated, though engineers had to assemble the final weapons by hand. Certain springs and fasteners were too small and complex for a 3D printer. The project also produced training rounds based on the M781, but engineers had to manually add the explosive propellant right before the test shots.
YouTuber Proves Watercooling a CPU Air Cooler Works (Really Well)
When it comes to cooling your desktop PC’s processor there’s two main options: air cooling and water cooling. Air coolers are the simpler and more popular option, but can be noisy, where as watercooling can be near silent with a good pump while allowing you to push your chip harder.
But what about combining both? YouTuber Major Hardware decided to find out if such a thing would work.
DIY Si47xx All Band DSP Radio with 2.8 Inch Touch Display
This time I will show you how to make a relatively simple All band Radio Receiver which is based on the Si47xx series chip of Silicon Labs. This wonderful radio is is primarily a result of the hard work of Ricardo Caratti who creates the detailed library for the Si47xx chip, Gert Baak for the initial TFT code, and Thiago Lima which creates the Kit with a TFT touch display.
This Unique Seven-Segment Display Uses a Single Motor to Change Its Digits
By integrating a pair of special wheels internally, the segments can be raised and lowered at will to produce certain digits.
The idea
For many years now, hobbyists have been trying to come up with increasingly unique and novel ways to display information. These have ranged from giant LED matrices to fun machines that rotate plastic panels in order to create various shapes. In this project created by Instructables user gzumwalt, he was able to build a large seven-segment panel that utilizes seven plastic panels which raise up or down to show a digit. However, unlike many other designs, this one only requires a single stepper motor instead of seven, making it much more easily scaled and cheaper overall.
People Shocked As Viral Photos Of Cow VR Headsets Resurface
Photos have resurfaced on social media showing cows being fitted with virtual reality headsets to make them feel better.
A Russian farm near Moscow announced back in 2019 that it was trialling a method to calm the cows and relax their anxiety by pretending they were somewhere else.
Meet your new table tennis coach, a tinyML-powered paddle!
Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began, Samuel Alexander and his housemates purchased a ping pong set and began to play — a lot. Becoming quite good at the game, Alexander realized that his style was not consistent with how more professional table tennis players hit the ball, as he simply taught himself without a coach. Because of this, he was inspired to create a smart paddle that uses an integrated IMU to intelligently classify which moves he makes and correct his form to improve it over time.
DIY Fume Extractor Clears the Air as You Solder
Open Green Energy’s device consists of a 120mm PC cooling fan and a 3D-printed enclosure.
If you’ve done any amount of soldering, you’ve likely been annoyed by fumes from solder and flux that seem to be automatically attracted to your face. Smelly and potentially toxic, it’s best to route these fumes elsewhere, preferably through a filter of some sort to keep them from simply annoying someone else.
You can, of course, purchase a fume extractor; however, good units can cost upwards of $70, so why not build one yourself? In the video below, Open Green Energy demonstrates how to do just that, using 3D-printed components made with blue and yellow filament to match up with his Hakko soldering station.
Drop-In Zega Mame Gear II Board Upgrades Your Classic Sega Game Gear with a Raspberry Pi CM4
Pseudonymous maker “zarcadeuk” is preparing to launch a carrier board for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4) with a difference: It drops directly into the shell of a Sega Game Gear handheld console.
“My idea was to use the Game Gear shell,” zarcadeuk explains of the project, dubbed the Zega Mame Gear II. “There are plenty [of other] devices to choose from, but always loved the aesthetics of the Game Gear. No shell modifications needed. I’ve made it as simple as possible.”
This Eye-Catching 3D-Printed Cyberdeck Puts a Raspberry Pi-Powered Retro Gaming Rig in Your Fist
Printed for maximum visual impact, this cyberdeck offers on-the-go gaming with a portrait format screen — great for bullet hell shooters.
A Reddit user going by the name of “willy_mcBoner” has shared a look at an unusual handheld cyberdeck, boasting a portrait display and a 3D-printed housing with carry handle — and it’s designed with portable gaming in mind.