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Rectangle Packaging Problem / Efficient 2D Packing
Thursday, October 19, 2023 in Blog
Summary Automatically fit 2D rectangular parts onto standard-sized CNC panels to reduce waste and manual layout work. This post outlines a Python-based approach using the rectpack library and OpenSCAD for visualization and tool path. Using rectpack …
Object Oriented OpenSCAD
Friday, October 13, 2023 in Blog
Summary This is a discussion on using vectors in OpenSCAD as objects that can be used polymorphically. I’ve found this to be a powerful approach which encourages more generic algorithms. It’s a bit ugly but it works. Nothing here is …
Preparing Laser Cutting Files from SVGs
Thursday, October 05, 2023 in Blog
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Here’s a trick I’ve been using to prepare files for laser cutting that have been exported to SVG. SVG is just an XML file that contains a bunch of vectors and metadata. Here’s an example of one exported from OpenSCAD. Remember this, …
pyetest: Electronics Testing Tool & Method
Saturday, September 30, 2023 in Blog
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Name: pyetest Github: https://github.com/snhobbs/pyetest pypi: TBD pyetest is a Python library designed to simplify pass/fail test scripting for electronics by leveraging spreadsheets as test descriptions. The goal is to reduce custom code and make …
MCU Driver Development that Doesn't Suck
Thursday, May 18, 2023 in Blog
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All I’m going to say here is to make your bed before you get in and close the barn before the horse puts in his two weeks notice. Writing MCU device drivers can suck. It can suck for many reasons. As someone who spent best part of a week …
Setting Up Multiple FTDI Devices
Thursday, April 20, 2023 in Blog
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Background I’m building a test jig for a device that needs both RS-232 and RS-485 transceivers. Since this is a test jig, I prefer to build it using off-the-shelf components—ideally ones that can be delivered overnight. Inside the jig, I have …
Scripting FreeCAD from an AppImage
Wednesday, March 22, 2023 in Blog
(Updated: )Introduction AppImages are another packaging methods for distributing code with all dependencies included. It’s one of the simpler approaches, there’s no package manager for it, you download the image and go. The FreeCAD AppImages (here) …
KiCad Board Outlines
Tuesday, March 21, 2023 in Blog
(Updated: )I recently posted a video walk through of how I use board outlines and form factors as footprints in KiCad. It’s a useful approach I encourage you to try – especially when you are supporting many different designs. Simplifying and …
KiCad 7 Build Environment
Sunday, February 26, 2023 in Blog
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KiCad 7 has some notable improvements, not lease among these is the addition of kicad-cli. Check out the Hackaday article for more. Why a Build Environment? I am a bit obsessed with pragmatic approaches to building and designing electronics. I want …