Articles

I'd like to invite you to a presentation and testing of the cheapest UPS bought with the idea of keeping a computer running for a few minutes after a power loss. Here I'll test it under various loads (including with a power supply with active PFC), I'll look at the output waveform,... [Read more]

February 24-26, 2026, the second edition of Smart Home Expo took place at Ptak Warsaw Expo in Nadarzyn. This is one of the most important industry events dedicated to the presentation of technologies in the field of building and home automation, smart devices and energy management.... [Read more]

Will the Qwen3.5 models allow a simple image search engine to be built by verbal description of the content? Could local AI work in the role of OCR? In the previous topic the AI described more than 1000 images from the Elektroda forum , here I enriched this collection with descriptions... [Read more]

The LC-13-A is a flush-mounted, single electrical socket with earthing and two additional USB ports for powering/charging mobile devices. Its dimensions (width 8.4x8.4 cm, depth 4 cm) allow it to be easily installed in most fi 60 mm boxes. In this topic, I will test how it is built... [Read more]

Lately I've been wondering whether a simple USB C hub can provide a wired connection for a phone or tablet to the internet, and whether it can handle multiple storage media or USB to UART converters at the same time. These types of capabilities will allow you to revive a tablet with... [Read more]

The distinctive orange and black box immediately caught my eye, but I was only convinced by the manufacturer information - Smart from Tomic (according to the packaging). The price isn't so bad either, just PLN25, so it's probably worth a try. It would be a pity if it turned out again... [Read more]

Here I will introduce the Lilygo T-Connect industrial board distinguished by its simultaneous support of up to three RS485 buses and one CAN line. I ordered it from China for around PLN200. We open the distinctive box and pull out the plate. What strikes you immediately is the ESP32-S3-WROOM-1... [Read more]

Hello, until recently, the prices of devices on Zigbee were higher compared to equivalents on WiFi. Nowadays they have evened out and even dropped. Unfortunately, the build quality has also dropped. Initially, a ready-made module containing a chip supporting a particular type of network... [Read more]

Here I will show how to make and connect a custom remote control module for iRobot Roomba 500-800 series hoovers. The control will be via Wi-Fi and will offer ready integration with Home Assistant via MQTT. The hoover modified in this way will be able to work according to a schedule,... [Read more]

That is - a paradigm shift in printer accuracy following the installation of a piezo sensor (Piezo Probe). I would like to share with my colleagues my observations and lessons learned from the transition from the electro-mechanical BL-Touch sampler to the piezo sampler, which samples... [Read more]

Bringing a high-performance AI product to market usually takes years of grueling hardware development. Today, Grinn is working together with Renesas to change that narrative. Grinn announced a collaboration centered on the launch of the Grinn ReneSOM-V2H , a production-ready System-on-Module... [Read more]

How do you recognise the architecture of an unknown microcontroller from a Flash memory dump? What microprocessor is an old HP printer based on? Will it be possible to revive the memory dump so that it displays something on the UART with proper emulation of its registers on a Windows... [Read more]

How to monitor energy consumption in building automation? One solution for individual consumers can be some kind of extension cable or adapter that takes the measurement, but it is undoubtedly more convenient to have the measurement in the socket itself. The ZK-SR-EU shown here makes... [Read more]

Have you connected the flash memory correctly to the CH341 programmer, but the PC program does not recognise it at all? NeoProgrammer shows IC not responding, is the chip faulty? The Read ID operation (reading the flash ID) returns 0xFF alone? Don't give up - here I'll show an unusual... [Read more]

Hi everyone! I would like to present the construction of a WAREHOUSE POWER SUPPLY quite powerful, as it is almost 1200W . The power supply came about as an idea to get a cheaper equivalent to the Riden RD6018 kit. Parameters of the power supply, are: - voltage regulated 0 - 60V with... [Read more]

Hello Colleagues, I wanted to share an old project that I once made and was even commercially available for a while. The project is more than 15 years old so I am happy to share the materials. Maybe it will inspire someone or they will want to make such a device themselves. The code... [Read more]

As a rule of thumb, it has been accepted that the MQTT broker must be a high-performance server, a cloud service, or at least a Raspberry Pi-style microcomputer. The question, however, is - are you sure? Wouldn't it be possible to realise a simple MQTT server on a chip like the ESP32... [Read more]

Hello guys. Today we hack a LSC Smart Connect LED Smart Lightbulb A60 E27 RGB. First open the bulb with a spudger: Next remove the joint with a cutter: And remove the Led board: Now we have to desolder the CBLC5 Chip (I didn't want to remove the board, but you do as you wish.) Now... [Read more]

Is it possible to connect an ordinary USB keyboard to an ESP32-based device and link it to a touchscreen display? Yes - it's not that difficult at all. In this step-by-step topic I will show you how to start USB Host mode, integrate the keyboard with LVGL and handle input events correctly.... [Read more]

This was for an Arlec Grid Connect (from Bunnings) - PC191HA Series 3 Step 1 - prise open the case: a) Use a screwdriver to crack the welded seam - pushing firmly in one location, then working along the side until no longer welded. Repeat for all sides and two corners. b) Use the... [Read more]

Is it sensible to buy a tiny, battery-powered soldering iron? Can such a soldering iron cope with soldering wires or goldpins? I invite you to a video test - with a breakdown of lead and lead-free solder. I bought the soldering iron for PLN30 - importantly, you can also buy soldering... [Read more]

Hello to all 3D printing enthusiasts. Recently, 3D printers have become more widespread, which is very positive given their advantages. However, nothing comes without pain. Have you had problems with insufficient adhesion of the first print layer, resulting in its deformation? Have... [Read more]

Hello, in this topic I will present a software change via OTA in a Zigbee thermometer. Why am I changing this software over at all? Well, while it is very cool in appearance, has a display and is powered by two AAA batteries, unfortunately the factory software is an example of how... [Read more]

Why change the firmware of IoT devices? One good reason to change the firmware may be to expand the functionality of your existing device. Factory applications usually do not allow for large modifications, whereas open source projects provide almost infinite possibilities. Here, I... [Read more]

I would like to invite you to a presentation and launch of a fully open source ESP32 development board from Olimex. Everything is available for this project - you can even download the PCB design in KiCad and customise it to your needs. The ESP32-EVB features the ESP32-WROOM-32E Wi-Fi/BT... [Read more]

Today, another curiosity from the electro-junk - a main computer/controller which, according to my information, was used on trains. I'll try to get it up and running here, get into the BIOS, etc. This time the presentation will be even more rich than usual, as I got this equipment... [Read more]

Here I will present a multiplatform IoT flashing solution – an early prototype of EasyGUIFlashTool . The goal of this project is to provide a simple, consistent, and user-friendly flashing experience across multiple platforms, without the need for vendor-specific tools or complex... [Read more]

Good morning. I made this kinetic splitter in the spring, but have only now decided to show it off on this forum. Toothed strip module 5, which is 50x50 mm. Most of the components, such as the carriage and bearing mounts, are made of 10 mm sheet metal. The splitter is engaged by the... [Read more]

F&F Filipowski sp. j. will be one of the exhibitors at the Smart Home & IoT Expo , which will be held on 24-26 February 2026 in Warsaw. The central venue for the company's presentation at the event will be stand D3.48 . Visitors will be able to see a complete smart home system... [Read more]

Which temperature and humidity sensor for the Home Assistant? The sensor shown here features tiny dimensions of 40x13x26 mm and is powered by a single CR2032 battery. It normally works with the Tuya/Smart Life gateway, but Zigbee2MQTT also supports it. Here I will briefly test it,... [Read more]