Arduino looking for problems to solve

[John B]

I've felt similarly about projects. I can't get motivated simply by making some pointless circuit, I always need a concrete goal.

As mentioned above, something that will keep you occupied for years - home automation.

There's a ton of plug and play stuff out there, but there's also tons of standardised protocols and interconnects that allow you to make your own devices that tie into a larger system.

At a quick glance, you'll need to utlise:

• Analog electronics
• Digital electronics, I2C, SPI, RS485 etc
• Programming microcontrollers to run your modules, tieing together the digital electronics with software protocols like MODBUS, MQTT etc
• Setting up a mini computer / SBC and running the software, ie, containerised stacks, python coding etc

Every step is like a side quest.

One more thing: these days I would not recommend the older Atmel 328 or 168 based microcontrollers, unless you're doing a really simple sketch. I've found weird bugs with them once you start to get into more involved sketches.

The more modern versions like the 4809 based Nano Every is certainly more expensive, but more capable and I haven't found any bugs so far.

[Brumby]

Here's a scale I added an Arduino (clone) to for data logging...


This followed on from another project - again with an Arduino add-on - where a barcode scanner would trigger a read of the weight, with the scanned barcode and weight were shipped off for capture.  The idea being that barcoded items could be placed on the scale and the barcode scanner used to trigger the capture.  This allowed for high speed and high accuracy recording of product weights for use in an eCommerce application.


Do these give you any ideas?

[CountChocula]

A 3D mouse controller is one of the projects that sits on my list.

Another one is a small wireless network of simple devices (sensors, displays) with sub-GHz radio.

That's very much on my list as well… they look really cool. I've been trying really hard not to get sucked into it while I try to finish my other projects

[RoGeorge]

If in search of very impressive results and have no epilepsy predisposition, try this project:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/visual-hallucinations-induced-with-two-blinking-leds/

That type of LED blinking will make you see colors and patterns with your eyes closed! 

Not kidding, I've tested it long ago on a much smaller AVR microcontroller, and it worked just as advertised.  Sound was not adding anything extra to the experience, I think the sound part can be skipped.  The frequency/pattern of the blinking LED is what matters the most, it interferes with the brain waves in a curious way.

[MathWizard]

OP do you have anything that could be upgraded, or modernized with the addition of digital control ? Even like the volume knob on some old stereo, could be upgraded with one of those "digital potentiometers" (can't remember their name), or even adding a motorized one with some MCU controlling that. And then add a remote control.

Maybe you have all new stuff like that, but what about any test equipment, like old power supplies or a curve tracer? Maybe adding some digital control, or adding ADC/DAC's.

I started making an old 1960's curve tracer last year, and wasn't happy with how the op-amp's were jumping so much between voltage/current steps. And it was hard to change the number of steps per sweep.

So sometime soon I'll get back at that and use some AVR or ARM type MCU, and maybe some added ADC/DAC.

[themadhippy]

Even like the volume knob on some old stereo, could be upgraded with one of those "digital potentiometers" (can't remember their name), or even adding a motorized one with some MCU controlling that. And then add a remote control.

or a stepped attenuator ,http://twistedpearaudio.com/control/jt.aspx use another 3 outputs for input selection and youve got the start of a nice little pre amp for the stereo