FUN BitPack and Snake Game Published!

As per title. Here you can find Source codes, schematics and more:

http://www.settorezero.com/orbit16/home/projects/fun-bitpack/

Working on FUN BitPack™ + Snake game with source code

We're working on a simple "FUN BitPack™", an expansion board for ORbit16™ with:

- analog Joystisck
- 3 pushbuttons (2 large + 1 from joystick)
- a buzzer
- a nokia 3310 LCD
- controlled LCD Backlight
- led + reset

First application for this BitPack™ will be an our version of famous "Snake" game :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDHtSV9DN1w

The Confetti Clock

My friend's sister just married, so, following an Italian habit, she gave me a box of "confetti" (a word that stays for sugar-coated almonds). The clear acrylic box was too nice to be leaved alone so I decided to use it for a my old project, but with some consistent modifications. 

The Confetti Clock is a battery operated clock/calendar with an indication of the Saint of the day. It's designed around a PIC24FJ64GB002 (16bit MCU) running with the internal oscillator (8MHz). The internal RTCC (Real Time Clock Calendar) module is used too. Calendar is showed on a old Nokia 3310 LCD (based upon PCD8544 controller).

3 Tactile switches are used as Set / Up / Down functions. When Set button is pressed, the item currently modified flashes, then you can adjust it using Up/Down buttons. By pressing Set again, you select the next item and so on until the end/exit from Set mode. If you stay too much time without pressing anything, the Set mode is auto-terminated.

The lcd library uses a bigger font (12x16 pixels) for showing the time and a standard font (5x8 pixels) for the other infos. Clock operates with 3 AA batteries. The box is larger enough to contain pcb and battery holder.

Other pictures on the Settorezero.com facebook page.

ORbit16™ / Settorezero.com supporters can download source code and schematics here: http://www.settorezero.com/orbit16/home/projects/the-confetti-clock/

If you want to buy an ORbit16™ and then become a supporter, read here:

Italian users: http://www.settorezero.com/wordpress/servizi/
Non-Italian users: http://www.settorezero.com/wordpress/servizi/eng-services/

GPS Viewer - Battery Operated

This is the low-power version of GPS Viewer. This version is to be used with 3 AA batteries and only with a Nokia3310 LCD.

Since in this version the PLL, external crystals and 5V are disabled, you need a Pickit2 or a Pickit3 in order to programming the new firmware. The GPS-Viewer battery operated uses a different configuration word, edits are:

• Primary Oscillator disabled
• Internal oscillator (8MHz) used
• Secondary Oscillator disabled

Other than this software modifications, you must do some modifications on the board too:

• Remove the 5V voltage regulator (IC1 : 7805CV)
• Short the input and output pins of IC1 (on the silkscreen this pads are marked with 'I' and 'O')
• Connect a 3xAA Battery Holder to X1 (screw terminal) connector

Now your GPS Viewer is a portable device, suitable for Geocaching!

Here is the source code, only for ORbit16 buyers: http://www.settorezero.com/orbit16/home/projects/gps-viewer-battery-operated/

OLED library for PIC32 and PIC24

I've uploaded a new library and a new demo for using the OLED display on ORbit16™. The kind of display used is UG-2864 from Univision Technologies. This display works at 3.3V and is based on SSD1306 controller and has a resolution of 128x64.

Library is the same for both MPLAB C30 and C32 compilers. Demo has 2 different projects for PIC24FJ64GB002 and PIC32MX250F128B, the main is the same for both compilers but the code selection is made by using #if defined (__C30__) and (__C32__) statements.

All ORbit16 libraries: http://www.settorezero.com/orbit16/home/libraries/

New OLED library: http://www.settorezero.com/orbit16/home/libraries/library-oled-display-ssd1306/

OLED demo: http://www.settorezero.com/orbit16/home/examples/oled-demo/

All ORbit16 demos: http://www.settorezero.com/orbit16/home/examples/

All ORbit16 projects: http://www.settorezero.com/orbit16/home/projects/

Do you want to buy an ORbit16 and access to all codes and support settorezero.com? 

Non italian-users: go here Italian users: go here

How to use PPS feature with PIC24FJ / PIC32MX on ORbit16

2 new documents added! How to use the PPS (Peripheral Pin Select) on PIC24FJ and PIC32MX used on ORbit16 board.

PPS is a feature that allows to map a function on any remappable pin. PIC24FJ and PIC32MX implements the PPS feature in a different way, so I've written 2 new documents: one for PIC24FJ and other one for PIC32MX.

Documents are complete of tables with remappable pin/functions for PICmicros used on ORbit16 board.

http://www.settorezero.com/orbit16/home/documents/

International shipping

International shipping now available. Non-Italian users can go here: http://www.settorezero.com/wordpress/servizi/eng-services/ and contact me for further informations