Articles

Which Wi-Fi meter is best for measuring high currents and power in hard-to-reach places? An interesting option could be the Sonoff POW CT, which stands out thanks to its external antenna that improves wireless range, a screen displaying measurements without the need to check the app,... [Read more]

Today we’re taking a look inside yet another piece of older industrial automation equipment. This time, we’re examining the Zelio Logic SR1 A201BD controller from Telemecanique, which was later acquired by Schneider Electric. It is a classic in the field of automation, powered by... [Read more]

The E25-230B is a programmable temperature controller designed for underfloor or radiator heating. It is surface-mounted and features a clear LCD display and buttons for adjusting the heating settings. It also features 868 MHz radio communication and ZigBee, and is compatible with... [Read more]

The TH01Z-Black shown here features a large, easy-to-read display which shows the current date and the temperature and humidity readings taken by the device. The unit measures 60 × 63 × 25 mm, is powered by 3 LR03 batteries and communicates with the gateway wirelessly via Zigbee.... [Read more]

Here, I will share my three years’ experience and conclusions regarding the use of the HAXON MEVA 2.34 kW portable air conditioner. It is designed for use in rooms with an area of up to 25m² and has a single exhaust pipe for expelling hot air. The window sealing sleeve itself must,... [Read more]

Button-Card is a useful Home Assistant add-on offering extensive options for creating your own control buttons on the user interface. It allows for full customisation of the buttons’ appearance and behaviour – from colours and icons to dynamic responses to device statuses. Thanks... [Read more]

Here, I’ll be showing you the interior, construction and firmware updates for hexagonal, modular LED panels, often referred to commercially as “gaming lighting”. This topic may be of interest, as the LEDs used in these panels are individually addressable, enabling them to display... [Read more]

Odra is the name of a series of Polish computers manufactured at the Wrocław electronics plant Elwro . Subsequent generations of computers moved from valve-and-transistor solutions to digital TTL circuits. These must have been fascinating challenges: designing and establishing standards... [Read more]

The PCIe card shown here allows remote control of two buttons on a desktop computer – power and reset. It is available in two versions, Wi-Fi and Zigbee; here we will be looking at the former. The original buttons are completely bypassed, and the module offers two inputs and outputs... [Read more]

Is it worth using an old router as a switch, or would it be better to buy a brand-new, factory-made product? I’ll try to find out here. First, I’ll show you the inside of the SG1008 eight-port Gigabit switch, take a look at its build, and then compare its power consumption to my makeshift... [Read more]

This topic describes how to recover broken tuya-based smart socket (BKN7231N, CB2S, BL0937) and then to flash it to OpenBeken. I purchased a smart socket a couple years ago and use it to automatically switch off my Electric Unicycle charger when power consumption is very small for... [Read more]

PoE (Power over Ethernet) is a standard that allows both data and power to be transmitted via a single Ethernet cable. The ESP32-PoE2 from Olimex is a board compliant with this standard, offering two types of connectivity: wireless (Wi-Fi) and wired (Ethernet, via the LAN8720 chip).... [Read more]

Today I’ll be showing you the build and modification of a Tuya RGBCW remote-controlled LED lamp, model TY-A60-18W-220V C3009, which I bought for just under 10 zlotys in a special offer with free delivery. The device shown normally works with the Tuya app and can be controlled via... [Read more]

A whole 300 zł for a power bank with a tiny capacity of 20 Ah? What’s behind such a price? On the forum, I’ve already shown examples with the same capacity that I bought for as little as for 80 zł , so this is quite a mystery – what are we paying almost four times as much for? Let’s... [Read more]

Today I’m testing an unassuming gadget imported from China for just under 80 zlotys. It’s advertised as a universal translator that pairs with your phone – you select the languages in the app, then hold down the button and speak into the microphone. When you release the button, the... [Read more]

Recently, there has been a noticeable trend towards a return to analogue audio equipment. Manufacturers are offering a wide range of vinyl records and turntables, i.e. the players used to play these records. Tape recorders, however, are much less common on the market. There are a... [Read more]

Several articles have already been devoted to transistor radios in matchboxes on ‘Elektroda’. These were circuits built using discrete components and integrated circuits. But would the same level of miniaturisation also be possible if vacuum tubes were used to build such a radio?... [Read more]

Hi! I’d like to show you my internet radio project based on the ESP32-S3 module. The main aim was to create a system that absolutely anyone can get up and running – without having to install an IDE, search for missing libraries or troubleshoot compilation issues. The entire firmware... [Read more]

Today I’m putting the STHOR 79371 hot-air soldering station, a cheap model I bought for just under 80 PLN from a friend from university, through its paces. I’ll be testing how it performs in practice, taking measurements of the actual temperature recorded by a thermocouple at settings... [Read more]

The product presented today stands out thanks to the clearly visible Polish flag on the packaging and is adorned with the caption "designed in Poland". I wonder what was actually designed here in our country – the logo? Nevertheless, there’s nothing to complain about; the price is... [Read more]

The SPS30 is an advanced particulate matter (PM) sensor from Sensirion that uses laser scattering technology to precisely measure PM1.0, PM2.5, PM4.0 and PM10. Unlike cheaper alternatives, such as the PMS5003 or SDS011, the SPS30 offers exceptional longevity (over 10 years of continuous... [Read more]

Hi everyone, today I’d like to show you the inside of the controller Tricks , which has become the flagship product of the green amphibian retail chain. It allows you to play games via the chain’s dedicated app. As we can see in the photo above, at the heart of the device is the SoC... [Read more]

I'd like to invite you to a presentation of the inside of another old network equipment. Today we're taking a look inside the DI-304, an ISDN router designed for home networks and small offices from the early 2000s. The device combines the function of a router, ISDN terminal and four-port... [Read more]

Today we are taking a look inside another automotive device, more specifically the Kapsch OBU-4041 (On-Board Unit). At first glance, it is an inconspicuous box with a single button, mounted on the windscreen of a truck. Its purpose is to interface with electronic toll collection systems.... [Read more]

I think it’s high time to present the design for the Pulsar sound card – a Sound Blaster clone enhanced with: - The replacement of the 8051 with the AT89S8253; in terms of instructions, it is still an 8051, but it features an added hardware SPI controller, which is crucial for communication... [Read more]

I would like to invite you to a short presentation, test and interior of the S10 GamePad portable console with over 500 retro games. The whole thing was bought for a few tens of zlotys, lightweight and equipped with a TFT display 320x240, microUSB input (for charging) and video output... [Read more]

Do you recognise this distinctive type of display, which used to be a common sight at railway stations? A while ago, I presented a series of ‘railway’ devices, including a GPS and an on-board computer, and today I’m continuing this theme by showing you a display I acquired from the... [Read more]

A water leak can cause surprisingly extensive damage in a short space of time. We can minimise the impact of a fault by installing a solenoid valve to shut off the water supply should a fault occur whilst we are away. To detect flooding, we can use a water leak sensor . Solenoid valves... [Read more]

The GD32VW553 is a GigaDevice Combo Wireless MCU family based on a 32-bit RISC-V core running at up to 160 MHz . GigaDevice announced the official launch on 6 November 2023 , with samples and evaluation boards available for request at that time and mass production/delivery scheduled... [Read more]

In my previous article on audio sound quality, I discussed germanium transistors in audio amplification circuits, which generated a great deal of interest and lively discussion. In the article below, we will discuss the phenomenon of tube sound, which has recently enjoyed great popularity.... [Read more]