Comments for ChemHacker http://www.chemhacker.com Chemical projects, culture, news, and supplies. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:30:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Your support did this! by Timmothy Furmom http://www.chemhacker.com/2011/10/your-support-did-this/comment-page-1/#comment-204 Timmothy Furmom Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:30:36 +0000 http://www.chemhacker.com/?p=496#comment-204 I am happy to hear you quit your j.o.b. (Joy Oppressing Behavior). They truly are the antithesis of humanity. I can't decide which aspect of them I loathe more: how jobs reward people for operating below their potential, or how they create "work associations" with tools and activities that workers might otherwise find enjoyable. I am happy to hear you quit your j.o.b. (Joy Oppressing Behavior). They truly are the antithesis of humanity. I can’t decide which aspect of them I loathe more: how jobs reward people for operating below their potential, or how they create “work associations” with tools and activities that workers might otherwise find enjoyable.

]]> Comment on Open Notebook 1 by Nick http://www.chemhacker.com/2011/11/open-notebook-1/comment-page-1/#comment-202 Nick Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:53:00 +0000 http://www.chemhacker.com/?p=510#comment-202 Interesting call on the Leaf Maple. I'm not an Arduino guy, but have done some work with Cortex M3 micros and been very impressed. Lots of power and features, although I am not averse to writing code in C. You might also look at the newer Cortex M4 parts, like the STMicro STM32F4. They have much higher clock rates, 168MHz, onboard 12 bit ADCs and DACs, lots of SPIs and UARTs, hardware floating point and DSP features, as well as built-in Ethernet which I imagine could be really useful for moving data to and from the scope if and when you get to the point of doing a custom PCB. That part could be really interesting as with a network link you could run a web server on the scope and have a browser-based UI/viewer, something like that. ST sells a Cortex M4 Discovery Board that you can get for around $15. The tools are not going to be so nice though, there is an Eclipse-based IDE but the free version limits the size of executables you can build. Otherwise it's big $$$ for tools or GCC and Make, which makes things more complicated. One tip I would offer, if you haven't already used up your goodwill with the IC manufacturers, is that you can request free samples from the likes of TI, STMicro, etc. It's really easy to do, most of them have a sample shopping cart you can fill up while browsing their websites. I've had great luck doing this as an anonymous hobbyist, and since your project is actually really cool and has a public face, they might be happy to help with samples for the publicity. If you just want to get one or two of something to try out, this is the way to go over racking up $20 or $50 at a time on little batches of stuff from Newark or Digikey or whoever. Interesting call on the Leaf Maple. I’m not an Arduino guy, but have done some work with Cortex M3 micros and been very impressed. Lots of power and features, although I am not averse to writing code in C. You might also look at the newer Cortex M4 parts, like the STMicro STM32F4. They have much higher clock rates, 168MHz, onboard 12 bit ADCs and DACs, lots of SPIs and UARTs, hardware floating point and DSP features, as well as built-in Ethernet which I imagine could be really useful for moving data to and from the scope if and when you get to the point of doing a custom PCB. That part could be really interesting as with a network link you could run a web server on the scope and have a browser-based UI/viewer, something like that. ST sells a Cortex M4 Discovery Board that you can get for around $15. The tools are not going to be so nice though, there is an Eclipse-based IDE but the free version limits the size of executables you can build. Otherwise it’s big $$$ for tools or GCC and Make, which makes things more complicated.

One tip I would offer, if you haven’t already used up your goodwill with the IC manufacturers, is that you can request free samples from the likes of TI, STMicro, etc. It’s really easy to do, most of them have a sample shopping cart you can fill up while browsing their websites. I’ve had great luck doing this as an anonymous hobbyist, and since your project is actually really cool and has a public face, they might be happy to help with samples for the publicity. If you just want to get one or two of something to try out, this is the way to go over racking up $20 or $50 at a time on little batches of stuff from Newark or Digikey or whoever.

]]> Comment on Chicago Awesome Foundation is Awesome (and hello Make Magazine-ers) by The open source Scanning Tunnelling Microscope http://www.chemhacker.com/2011/10/chicago-awesome-foundation-is-awesome-and-hello-make-magazine-ers/comment-page-1/#comment-187 The open source Scanning Tunnelling Microscope Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:59:48 +0000 http://www.chemhacker.com/?p=501#comment-187 [...] of the digital and analog electronics, now at version 0.3,” De’Angeli writes on the ChemHacker site. “The new electronics incorporates nearly complete digital control of the STM. I’m working [...] [...] of the digital and analog electronics, now at version 0.3,” De’Angeli writes on the ChemHacker site. “The new electronics incorporates nearly complete digital control of the STM. I’m working [...]

]]> Comment on STM Physical Design Basics by Sacha http://www.chemhacker.com/2011/10/stm-physical-design-basics/comment-page-1/#comment-184 Sacha Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:03:47 +0000 http://www.chemhacker.com/?p=489#comment-184 Hi Travis, I really like where you're going with that idea (and it <em>would</em> let this project piggyback onto an already wildly popular project). However, the max X, Y, or Z movement I can get from the scanning head is ~50um, so any stage needs to be controllable to something less than 50um. A MakerBot's minimum movement in X, Y, and Z is far larger than 50um. You could design a head that incorporates the rough approach too, to take advantage of the XYZ gantry of a makerbot, but you'd still need to figure out a way to isolate the whole rig from vibration. Hi Travis, I really like where you’re going with that idea (and it would let this project piggyback onto an already wildly popular project).
However, the max X, Y, or Z movement I can get from the scanning head is ~50um, so any stage needs to be controllable to something less than 50um. A MakerBot’s minimum movement in X, Y, and Z is far larger than 50um.
You could design a head that incorporates the rough approach too, to take advantage of the XYZ gantry of a makerbot, but you’d still need to figure out a way to isolate the whole rig from vibration.

]]> Comment on STM Physical Design Basics by Travis Deyle http://www.chemhacker.com/2011/10/stm-physical-design-basics/comment-page-1/#comment-183 Travis Deyle Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:40:15 +0000 http://www.chemhacker.com/?p=489#comment-183 Have you thought about using the MakerBot as the basis (CNC, 3-axis steppers) for your STM? It would be cool to have a swap-out head that let's you 3D print, then another for STM. Have you thought about using the MakerBot as the basis (CNC, 3-axis steppers) for your STM? It would be cool to have a swap-out head that let’s you 3D print, then another for STM.

]]> Comment on Your support did this! by Andres http://www.chemhacker.com/2011/10/your-support-did-this/comment-page-1/#comment-182 Andres Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:05:45 +0000 http://www.chemhacker.com/?p=496#comment-182 Awesome and Congratulations! Can't wait to see more progress! Awesome and Congratulations!

Can’t wait to see more progress!

]]> Comment on Please Vote! Open Hardware Scholarship Applicant! by Joseph http://www.chemhacker.com/2011/09/please-vote-im-an-open-hardware-scholarship-applicant/comment-page-1/#comment-169 Joseph Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:39:42 +0000 http://www.chemhacker.com/?p=466#comment-169 Do a crowd source fund raiser! I would definitely chip in! ;-) Do a crowd source fund raiser! I would definitely chip in! ;-)

]]> Comment on Please Vote! Open Hardware Scholarship Applicant! by Sacha http://www.chemhacker.com/2011/09/please-vote-im-an-open-hardware-scholarship-applicant/comment-page-1/#comment-168 Sacha Sat, 17 Sep 2011 15:28:37 +0000 http://www.chemhacker.com/?p=466#comment-168 Hi Nikos, thanks for the generous offer. I'll look into a donations button that can take credit cards - probably the easiest and safest method for everyone. Hi Nikos, thanks for the generous offer. I’ll look into a donations button that can take credit cards – probably the easiest and safest method for everyone.

]]> Comment on Please Vote! Open Hardware Scholarship Applicant! by Sacha http://www.chemhacker.com/2011/09/please-vote-im-an-open-hardware-scholarship-applicant/comment-page-1/#comment-167 Sacha Sat, 17 Sep 2011 15:26:53 +0000 http://www.chemhacker.com/?p=466#comment-167 Thanks Amit! Best of luck with your project! Thanks Amit! Best of luck with your project!

]]> Comment on Please Vote! Open Hardware Scholarship Applicant! by Nikos Giannakis http://www.chemhacker.com/2011/09/please-vote-im-an-open-hardware-scholarship-applicant/comment-page-1/#comment-166 Nikos Giannakis Sat, 17 Sep 2011 09:28:21 +0000 http://www.chemhacker.com/?p=466#comment-166 I would like to propose to you, for asking for donation from your supporters. I would like to support your stm project with 10€. Please could you tell me the details of a bank account that I can send you the money?. Cheers, Nikos. I would like to propose to you, for asking for donation from your supporters. I would like to support your stm project with 10€. Please could you tell me the details of a bank account that I can send you the money?.
Cheers,
Nikos.

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