Software – File2Part: Software That Makes 3D Printing Easy

September 13, 2012September 13, 2012 hobbybotics Software 3D Printers, 3D Software, File2Part, Kickstarter, RepRap, Software, technology

I am now a supporter of the crowd-funded open-source project known as File2part. File2Part provides slicing and file fixing software compatible with a range of 3D printers including MakerBot and Bits from Bytes. The software provides an easy OneClick solution for 3D printing and supports importing of STL, PLY, VRML, 3DS, DXF, OBJ, LWO and SketchUp Collada files. Each file is automatically checked for printability and repaired if necessary. Parts are automatically positioned in the build box and all the user needs to do is press a build button.

Pledge $99 and you will receive lifetime upgrades. Versions will be available for Windows and Mac with Linux to follow in future upgrades. More information can be found on their website here.

Software – codebender: A Web Platform for Hackers, Makers and Artists

July 4, 2012 hobbybotics Software Arduino, Arduino IDE, codebender, Hobbybotics, Internet of Things, Software

I am now a supporter of the crowd-funded open-source project known as codebender. Codebender is a cloud-based Arduino IDE that provides the capability to edit, compile and upload your code to an Arduino from a web browser.

The cloud based IDE implements clang which is a compiler that provides descriptive warnings, fast compile times, low memory usage and compatibility with GCC. In addition, codebender contains built-in highlighting, Arduino documentation, support for libraries and a serial monitor.

Pledge $150 and you will receive exclusive access while the project is still in development, a monthly newsletter and an Arduino Ethernet preloaded with codebender’s (upcoming) TFTP bootloader. The bootloader will allow any Internet connected Arduino to be programmed through a web browser locally or away from home.

All of the sources for codebender can be found on the associated Github page.

Software – Hobbybotics Motor Controller Tester V1.0

October 6, 2011October 6, 2011 hobbybotics Software motor controller, motor controller tester software, Software

I wrote this application to test the Hobbybotics Motor Controller. This application controls the motor controller over the serial port by way of a micro-controller. Take a look at the project page for more details. You can find it here.

Software – Voltage Divider Network Calculator

October 2, 2011October 2, 2011 hobbybotics Software divider network, resistor voltage divider, Software, voltage divider calculator

I’m working on several projects that I want to include a voltmeter to monitor battery levels. One of the easier methods is to use a resistor voltage divider network and a zener diode to scale the input voltage to a value safe for the Analog-to-Digital (ADC) pin. I developed a voltage divider calculator in C# to help me determine the correct resistor values for the selected voltage range I would like to measure. You can find it here.

Software – Arduino TFT Touchscreen RGB Color Mixer

October 2, 2011October 2, 2011 hobbybotics Software Arduino, custom menus, rgb color codes, Software, touchscreen

Adafruit sells a really nice touchscreen and shield for the Arduino (other microcontrollers welcome). They also provide a library for the Arduino that makes the touchscreen easy to use. I want to use the touchscreen to develop some custom menus but, found it difficult to figure out RGB color codes. So, I wrote a little C# program to take care of that for me. You can find it here.