element14 Presents

As the development of the Mini Pinball kit progresses, Ben and Felix split their focus onto different areas of the build. Ben is finalizing the design of the flippers and how they're controlled. Solenoids are being used to give the power required to blast the metal ball up the table, and we don't want them to burn out! Thanks to a technique called Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) from the Arduino software, we can make sure it's not powered all of the time. Felix isn't having a good time with the Teensy 3.6, after switching out the I2S audio circuit, we're now using a Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC) and the SDCard Arduino libraries are not being helpful in making the right noises. Do you have experience with SDCards and Arduino? What would you like to see in the mini pinball kit? Let us know on the element14 Community.

As the development of the Mini Pinball kit progresses, Ben and Felix split their focus onto different areas of the build. Ben is finalizing the design of the flippers and how they're controlled.

With Karen's laser cutting design skills and Felix's soldering, the team have created a prototype of the logic board game using Karen's magnetic clasp design. Now it's time to give the concept a test-run with help from JT Smith, proprietor of The Game Crafter with his professional experience on games design from making games such as "The Captain is Dead". JT informs the team that creating a game which is educational and also fun is one of the hardest concepts to pull off, and usually the design has to compromise somewhere, but where? While Karen contemplates JT's input, Ben and Felix hack at an LCD display with the Pic32 Microcontroller and a DE0-Nano FPGA, hopefully this will lead to a game design that doesn’t rely solely on LEDs! Where do you think the design should compromise? Or do you have experience driving an LCD screen with a microcontroller? Join in with the build design on the element14 Community.

We're making progress with the Super Glue Gun project, though we've hit a problem and we need your help! To push the glue sticks into the gun, we need motor control. For this we're prototyping with ATTiny24, Arduino, TRIACs, and testing different motors, such as stepper motors. It can be tricky, first the team have to identify how much power they use depending on how much effort it needs to turn, and control them using an Arduino. Unfortunately, there are unforeseen consequences! Let us know if you can help on the element14 Community. ---

We're making progress with the Super Glue Gun project, though we've hit a problem and we need your help! To push the glue sticks into the gun, we need motor control. For this we're prototyping with ATTiny24, Arduino, TRIACs, and testing different mot

It's another hardware teardown! This time it's the Nintendo Classic Edition that belongs to David of the Technophiles podcast, which was brought in to have the controller cable extended.

It's another hardware teardown! This time it's the Nintendo Classic Edition that belongs to David of the Technophiles podcast, which was brought in to have the controller cable extended. Using Keysight's DSOX1102G oscilloscope, Ben is able to find out how the NES controller talks with the base using of the NES Classic using i2c. The inner workings of the NES Classic controller is then compared against a Wii Pro controller, and we discover something rather shocking! Once the cable has been cut, ben solders everything back together for David to test out some games. What other hardware should Ben teardown? let us know on the element14 Community!

As the team work on bringing their projects into production, it's time to work on the Super Space Shuttle Mini Pinball game!

As the team work on bringing their projects into production, it's time to work on the Super Space Shuttle Mini Pinball game! This was definitely an element14 community favourite, and the first thing the team needs is some critical analysis on how well it was put together. Changing up the design is the first order of the day, as it is important to get the correct angles and layout, and use the right materials. Karen and Ben use Autodesk's Fusion 360 to design new flippers, while Felix puts together a new set of solenoids and mosfets with a powerful spring kit. Meanwhile the main consideration is which size bearing to use! How do you think the design should be laid out? Perhaps a different theme of pinball? Let us know on the element14 Community!

Join Karen and Ben as they discuss and plan the important aspects, first, for the Logic Gate Board Game. The team could use your help!

For any product it is always important to get the major decisions out of the way first! Who's the intended audience? What will it look like? How can we make it portable? and most importantly, how do we reduce the cost? Join Karen and Ben as they discuss and plan the important aspects, first, for the Logic Gate Board Game. The team could use your help! What size do you think the game should be, and can you recommend a suitable LCD screen and microcontroller to use with it? You can get a feel for the direction the game is going in with the prototypes Karen and Ben mock up in this episode using the PIC microcontroller and ChipKit! Let the team know your ideas on the element14 Community where you can be part of the build!

In this episode progress is made towards the Super Glue Gun as the team tears down existing hot working tools; measuring the power draw of each tool, and to see how and if it matches its rated specification.

You may not believe this, while your typical glue guns may look the same, they may not be made alike! There can be distinct design differences within that plastic, gun-like shell. In this episode progress is made towards the Super Glue Gun as the team tears down existing hot working tools; measuring the power draw of each tool, and to see how and if it matches its rated specification. Ben also demonstrates how a triac works, and begins planning with a diagram of the components needed and temperature control for the Super Glue Gun. Let the team know what you think of the long term builds and follow its progress on the element14 Community.

Ben, Karen and Felix tear down the new Nintendo Switch games console and Joy Con controllers.