https://www.metd.me/gnome-solar daily 0.75 2022-09-05 https://www.metd.me/gnome-solar/2022/9/5/holiday-lights monthly 0.5 2022-09-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/70e8f7b1-91a6-4e14-8566-6e37c42c61c9/IMG_9902.jpeg Gnome Solar - Holiday Lights - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.metd.me/gnome-solar/2018/1/9/gnome-house monthly 0.5 2022-09-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/2bca0b4a-9459-4cde-b649-d1a29679eca2/IMG_3978.JPG Gnome Solar - Gnome House - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/969b9bc6-a19a-4f26-b69c-0d29d65c2a83/BDA89DC2-EC00-4424-8783-278CDAC77A01.JPG Gnome Solar - Gnome House - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.metd.me/gnome-solar/2018/1/5/catch-up-162018 monthly 0.5 2018-01-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1515611752045-O40LCE0VHFLZHQIQD5D0/Picture1.png Gnome Solar - Basics Sun angles, early January https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1515508070806-M21C0DYP99BT0VYJBSH0/batt-temperature1.gif Gnome Solar - Basics % Battery capacity available vs Temperature https://www.metd.me/arduinopi daily 0.75 2019-01-10 https://www.metd.me/arduinopi/2019/1/10/reconfigure-the-sign-for-wireless-updates monthly 0.5 2019-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1547215615619-FC2LS4EFG3U432OGHCDE/Screen+Shot+2019-01-11+at+9.06.08+AM.png Arduino/Pi - Reconfigure The Sign for wireless updates https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1547163012475-ZYWYQ65S4QTA2UCKQ8B6/Screen+Shot+2019-01-10+at+6.30.00+PM.png Arduino/Pi - Reconfigure The Sign for wireless updates https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1547213892420-MWMGG1ASDAPTI33KFS4N/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-01-11%2Bat%2B8.11.12%2BAM.jpg Arduino/Pi - Reconfigure The Sign for wireless updates https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1547161675999-KONUB2S5YET2ZZZ4X9A7/Screen+Shot+2019-01-10+at+6.07.03+PM.png Arduino/Pi - Reconfigure The Sign for wireless updates Successful Compile https://www.metd.me/arduinopi/2019/1/8/raspberry-pi-setup-with-kali monthly 0.5 2019-01-08 https://www.metd.me/arduinopi/2018/1/30/eclipse-toolchain monthly 0.5 2018-01-30 https://www.metd.me/arduinopi/2018/1/13/build monthly 0.5 2018-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1515878669196-PFAM1P22DWSWE6FRV77V/pic+-+1+%283%29.jpg Arduino/Pi - Measurement Circuit Build After unwrapping and removing the extra board, I soldered all top-side pins. That black 4-pin header is my ground bus, I'll add a power bus too. I placed a single header pin in the mounting holes of each ADC board, and planned to bend them over and get just a little solder against the big plated hole. The first I tried to bend lifted the pad. For the rest I applied enough heat with the soldering iron to melt the tack below, then leaned the pin and tacked it as shown. I'm happy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1515878415366-0EBVQ4A2M0M2NRF5K37H/pic+-+1+%282%29.jpg Arduino/Pi - Measurement Circuit Build Bottom side, all components are tacked at the corners. Once I've wired up a few of the other pins, I'll remove this solder before adding any wires to these pre-tacked pins. Otherwise I wouldn't get a good mechanical connection between wire and pin. Good thing, some of those solder joints are pretty iffy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1515969356682-JK3JSCY6FWOWHJUHE02D/pic+-+1+%286%29.jpg Arduino/Pi - Measurement Circuit Build I've hooked up the first ADC, via the level shifters. Then jumpered in ground, +5V and +3.3V to A0, A1, A2. A3 is floating. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1515878100634-W80W3DABI8QGDOF41L1N/pic+-+1+%284%29.jpg Arduino/Pi - Measurement Circuit Build Wrapped sandwich. Components will be soldered to the top board, bottom board just keeps things aligned until soldering is done. Six points are tacked so far, those will hold the ADC (more on that later) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1515878879080-M8A7O0UQZKO6IA6PPZBF/pic+-+1+%281%29.jpg Arduino/Pi - Measurement Circuit Build Close-up of the tops. Unlike the bottom, these are final, so they'd better be good. After this picture, I touched up the middle SCL pin and the right A2 pin, they were light on solder. The middle SDA looks funny but that's just a reflection. If you see any other problems, let me know. Oh yeah, I'm not allowing comments yet. My loss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1515969452464-9N2U3TWXM771JQMV0G06/pic+-+1+%287%29.jpg Arduino/Pi - Measurement Circuit Build My test code doesn't handle the first measurement of A0 properly, but the rest seem to work pretty good. A0 is ground, A1 is +5V, and A2 is +3.3V. All look good. I've got work to do on the code, and I'll have to play with I2C addressing also. For now I'm waiting 10 seconds between trigger and reading the voltage, I'll have to add polling for ready to make it tighter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1515878213022-2O1JJKKU1IXF5PS6U68Q/pic+-+1+%285%29.jpg Arduino/Pi - Measurement Circuit Build Side view of wrapped sandwich. You can see the ADC boards being held against the header pins and the breadboard. Nothing is soldered yet on the ADC side of the breadboard yet, that's why I'm going to tack a couple of pins while everything is aligned. https://www.metd.me/arduinopi/2018/1/13/nodemcu-i2c monthly 0.5 2018-01-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1515868986491-FVVK38WQUTZ2L6ILSBO9/pic+-+1.jpg Arduino/Pi - NodeMCU i2c ESP8266 12E on a NodeMCU Base V1.0. It's a LiLon V3, a little funky but it fits for me. Yeah, yeah, I see the bent pin. https://www.metd.me/adventures-in-cheap-3d-printers daily 0.75 2019-03-06 https://www.metd.me/adventures-in-cheap-3d-printers/2019/3/6/z-probe-repeatability-test monthly 0.5 2019-03-07 https://www.metd.me/adventures-in-cheap-3d-printers/2019/3/5/ender-3-control-board-upgrade monthly 0.5 2019-03-05 https://www.metd.me/adventures-in-cheap-3d-printers/2019/3/2/general-calibration-for-ender-3 monthly 0.5 2019-03-06 https://www.metd.me/adventures-in-cheap-3d-printers/2019/3/2/bed-leveling-an-ender-3-with-marlin-firmware monthly 0.5 2019-03-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1551534228488-NCSS3Y0OLL898RLC3FZJ/unnamed.jpg Adventures in Cheap 3D Printers - Bed Leveling an Ender-3 with Marlin Firmware https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1551559893303-2FDN1IHV1OI65U8QJWBO/3d+-+1.JPG Adventures in Cheap 3D Printers - Bed Leveling an Ender-3 with Marlin Firmware https://www.metd.me/adventures-in-cheap-3d-printers/2019/2/24/creality-ender-3-pro monthly 0.5 2019-03-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1551286752094-WTQH3S5QZ1JZDTYSK886/Screen+Shot+2019-02-27+at+11.58.55+AM.png Adventures in Cheap 3D Printers - Flashing Marlin Firmware to the Creality Ender-3 Pro Pinout looking from the top https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1551284703771-H5DVZLA7WT074SS7GDBK/Picture1.png Adventures in Cheap 3D Printers - Flashing Marlin Firmware to the Creality Ender-3 Pro https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1551533172187-16CTGK7UKK3WM89S7055/unnamed.png Adventures in Cheap 3D Printers - Flashing Marlin Firmware to the Creality Ender-3 Pro https://www.metd.me/404-sign daily 0.75 2020-07-08 https://www.metd.me/404-sign/2020/7/7/top-level-description-of-404-sign monthly 0.5 2020-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1594173360822-NAY1Q0RTZUFTIE9IM9RF/FAD939CF-E43D-428E-9F19-BD15F2D2DDCE.JPG 404 Sign - Top Level Description of 404 Sign 404 prototype, after a year in the sun https://www.metd.me/home-nueva daily 1.0 2025-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1519738936578-5C12PRIK7HQ69W391PRY/IMG_8994.PNG Home El Rey base https://www.metd.me/pseudo-neon-sign daily 0.75 2018-06-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1528219682075-AXYEZ5L34UYRUNZ9SFWM/Screen+Shot+2018-06-05+at+1.24.24+PM.png Pseudo-Neon Sign https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1510577530751-546OWDSK2CPSDPG49BG6/Screen+Shot+2017-11-13+at+7.41.25+AM.png Pseudo-Neon Sign https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1510578391047-DQBJD8DN1BLR7JUQ4V64/Screen+Shot+2017-11-12+at+10.17.18+AM.png Pseudo-Neon Sign https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1510612305428-UI9J8JZO9N4KU72DPV5W/Screen+Shot+2017-11-13+at+5.30.40+PM.png Pseudo-Neon Sign https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1512999832043-GFT3416GBDGFCAGDP3SW/Screen+Shot+2017-12-11+at+8.39.25+AM.png Pseudo-Neon Sign https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1512999929818-E26XTPNWIVC0TI1UPPXI/Screen+Shot+2017-12-11+at+8.45.04+AM.png Pseudo-Neon Sign https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1510578417072-BGCXQILAD9KUHXN6IJDA/Screen+Shot+2017-11-13+at+7.29.35+AM.png Pseudo-Neon Sign https://www.metd.me/cam-bit-definitions daily 0.75 2017-11-14 https://www.metd.me/twinkle daily 0.75 2017-12-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1510578391047-DQBJD8DN1BLR7JUQ4V64/Screen+Shot+2017-11-12+at+10.17.18+AM.png Twinkle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1512999832043-GFT3416GBDGFCAGDP3SW/Screen+Shot+2017-12-11+at+8.39.25+AM.png Twinkle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1512999929818-E26XTPNWIVC0TI1UPPXI/Screen+Shot+2017-12-11+at+8.45.04+AM.png Twinkle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1513001975431-31Q19KTLO7CJFLZO0K1T/shadowbox+-+1+%281%29.jpg Twinkle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1513001956608-YKJL92DTBBZ0OGAWUY0I/shadowbox+-+3+%281%29.jpg Twinkle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1513001978653-752TM9C7QFAVK6M52HF2/shadowbox+-+2+%281%29.jpg Twinkle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1513001571177-AW9MKZ9F0UM6I3RNAWUI/shadowbox+-+1.jpg Twinkle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1513001572060-6S1USYMPP50VOV4YMJS6/shadowbox+-+2.jpg Twinkle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1513001577701-GL2QRVY32ZMGO5JNAAR1/shadowbox+-+3.jpg Twinkle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1510578417072-BGCXQILAD9KUHXN6IJDA/Screen+Shot+2017-11-13+at+7.29.35+AM.png Twinkle https://www.metd.me/projectlist daily 0.75 2022-09-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1514826607694-SATGUMEUPA7SQCIKUTMG/fullsizeoutput_3317.jpeg Projects Mr and Mrs Gnome are forced to sacrifice their home to meet the power demands of the local humans. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1528219621534-T89OFROLKQIR31U41ORV/Screen+Shot+2018-06-05+at+1.24.24+PM.png Projects Concept sketch for the sign. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1514825169031-YEOYM1P8WF4USUXDB0PC/964BFE0B-2CEA-4E97-A995-24877405D093.JPG Projects Tim Glover's El Rey, stainless steel and glass. The crown is supported only by the salvaged industrial glass pipe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/a26d5949-328f-424c-bd46-68a1aedcdf7e/05FA39B9-CA79-4A38-83B1-61527B0ABAB3.JPG Projects - Make it stand out The not-so-neon sign. https://www.metd.me/el-rey daily 0.75 2018-11-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/1541679423331-6IYJH0HP1K8LZ658FOUR/ElRey+-+1+%281%29.jpg El Rey El Rey prior to installation https://www.metd.me/not-so-neon daily 0.75 2022-09-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/8cdabfc0-73be-474e-b4dc-9b751028de0c/47520C35-3A6A-4725-B604-0B604F840DE8.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out The design was created by a graphic artist. The “OPEN” was problematic. Originally it was cut like all the other characters, except it could be turned on for business hours and off when closed. But the white plexiglass had so much contrast against the black face, even when unlit it was prominent. So I cut it blank on the face, and added an under-face to form the letters. It works. Note, some of the characters and the logo required tweaking, since this is effectively a stencil. See next frame. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/fc0645a5-03cc-4b64-aff3-d8378764ee8d/5B1B39D4-EB2C-4F1B-85A4-A230B7CD0A9F.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out I wrote some software for calibrating the LED positions. I could have saved a handful of LEDs but wiring the individual runs, but that would be time consuming. So some of the LEDs are hidden and unused. I did wire the long runs, which would be a waste of LEDs. The calibrator created a C language header file with the individual LED runs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/84c34b20-f86c-4b26-bb2d-f997553036a3/FA047BE9-58F9-4823-8C0B-BDF21B053920.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out LEDs, unwired. These are side-firing, so they can bend into arbitrary shapes as long as they’re in a flat plane. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/0e2f0f07-8cf7-49f5-b496-1121aae422d8/397D77A5-C8F5-4339-BF38-1CD1075FD8CA.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out Completed, the three pockets on top hold the electronics. The other two pockets allow for slack in the wiring. The 1/8” slots refilled with hot MDF dust, which then re-solidified in to a right mess. It took over an hour to clean them out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/a1b72037-d1c1-428c-a1b1-85edcf378353/05FA39B9-CA79-4A38-83B1-61527B0ABAB3.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/aae0f1ce-80f8-471d-8ce7-89b51a217fd0/CF76DAAD-8308-4744-9056-B5881F3F1EC6.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out The stackup (with OPEN on special backface). Top to bottom, the layers go: face (laser cut veneer), diffusion (white 1/8” plexiglass), backface (laser cut veneer), spacer (carved from MDF by a ShopBot), electronics and LED slots (ShopBot MDF), back cover (veneer, not shown). The interior surfaces were spray painted flat black to control internal reflections. A glossy black was used on the front and back surfaces. The completed stackup was placed in a black extruded aluminum frame. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/d85dd276-6218-4135-9aec-48233e4173b3/B187AB2D-9D3C-4DB9-A53B-3214C45C7CAC.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out Hung https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/ab04196e-eca5-4e2c-8f58-1ba9b1c2f33c/8B4F6272-6ED1-4E68-B426-11EDB3FA4051.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out The stackup, in reality. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/fd548090-3f55-483c-97a8-b03724c47e12/FC42F168-EFC2-4F4E-B1EB-F9EF7F184701.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out Painted, with electronics. That’s an ESP8266 D1 mini on the left; the modules are 48VDC-5VDC converters. The converters each produce 2 Amps at 5V. The three pockets were a little cramped, so I pealed enough MDF for it to fit. There’s no way I’d got through re-cutting the panel for that. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/a64fc971-6d50-468c-99b2-147a0834970c/5679EF6C-EDBB-4FA6-9C90-BAD1946EAE5A.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out Example of wiring. The hookup wire tucked nicely into the slots, but tended to pull up a bit. Fixed with hot melt glue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/a09999a4-1420-4d97-ab77-53b10213833d/6243F7BF-7D99-4B44-83DB-513576B1BCF5.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out Framed. This was before the contact cement, you can see quite a bit of curling, e.g. in the “y” and the arrow head. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/92180340-732e-449a-ab0b-60c9e8f51e96/B187AB2D-9D3C-4DB9-A53B-3214C45C7CAC.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out The completed sign, hung by a blacksmith-created bracket. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/9f1b30da-d4de-46b0-a15a-2b7424b4d6be/6272CC3B-2EBB-4EDA-98EC-634853BA86B2.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out Close-up of lettering. I glued the veneer to the plexiglass with spray contact cement, mostly to prevent it from curling. I wasn’t able to control the spray enough to prevent strings forming, which had to be painstakingly removed. I think that was a necessary step, I had a few test pieces of cut veneer and quite a few of them cupped and curled. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/9b4df066-2b2c-455a-b531-e0697dff401e/8C149AF1-623D-4F0E-876C-76947E5A69ED.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out Carving the Electronics/LED slot layer on the ShopBot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/a1b72037-d1c1-428c-a1b1-85edcf378353/05FA39B9-CA79-4A38-83B1-61527B0ABAB3.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out Lit https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59ce5b552994caf9eebe6a71/541fbff4-a0e2-4114-bd01-473abb5aaa05/29B91F63-8138-43D2-94AB-E8B7A4644D01.JPG Not So Neon - Make it stand out Closeup of calibration. Since the runs raster back and forth, I had to capture the direction of the run to animate properly. Green is begin; blue is visible; red is end. Unlit LEDs at the stage will be unused.