The Great Search - How To Source Tariffed & Non-Tariffed Items On DigiKey Live From The Desk Of Ladyada podcast

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Prototypes, Testers & USB Isolation Upgrades - 20:28

3 days ago20:28

20:28

Last week, we conducted a Great Search for a clear shaft linear potentiometer. This week, the prototypes arrived—and they work great! We're also beginning work on the FruitJam Tester. We'll be showing the finalized silkscreen, the cover plate we designed, and the expected form factor of the tester itself. Additionally, we wrapped up a library for a QMC5883 breakout. This chip serves as a drop-in replacement for the now-discontinued HMC5883. It's frequently found in quadcopter builds, so we thought it would be a great candidate for a simple magnetometer breakout.…

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Desk of Ladyada — E-Ink Monsters & a New Synth 26:09

14 days ago26:09

26:09

This week at the desk, we tackled a huge stack of E-Ink displays. A couple of weeks ago, we focused on restocking the tricolor and grayscale 2.13" and 1.54" models. This time, we worked on the 2.9" version for the MagTag and explored some larger, very cool display options: https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_EPD/pull/86. We got most of them working! A few were tricky—some had hot-bar connectors (so we designed an adapter), and one had a flipped connector with some lingering code issues. It'll get sorted out, just wasn't as plug-and-play as the rest. We also started a new project to showcase the SynthIO library in CircuitPython—more on that soon!…

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Desk of Ladyada - Solar Charging, IR Sensors & a Special Project Ahead! 31:40

22 days ago31:40

31:40

Ladyada's diving into solar charging tech with the bq25798 MPPT charger ☀️, exploring IR sensors, drone-friendly compasses, and prepping for another big release ... but take it easy, take it slow ...baby steps 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5925163669389312…

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Desk of Ladyada – E-Ink Experimentation Plus a Simple Moisture Sensor 31:43

28 days ago31:43

31:43

(Re-broadcast, LIVE was not working for all social media on Sunday night, so here ya go! This week at our desk, we spent a lot of our focused engineering time working on e-paper display drivers. These displays are a lot more annoying than TFTs, which have settled on standardized MIPI command sets. Also, they have custom "waveforms" used to configure the refresh technique. By default, we use the built-in waveforms from OTP memory, but it's possible to load new waveforms, letting us do funky stuff like coax 4-grayscale out of a "monochrome" display. We also designed a simple moisture sensor PCB for an ultra-low-cost kit to be used by students—sometimes it's okay to under-design for cost reasons!…

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Desk of Ladyada - Return from "Dethflu"! 29:50

5 weeks ago29:50

29:50

We’re finally recovering from being sick all week, so not a ton of new things this time — but hey, we still accomplished a few important updates: Fruit Jam Rev C The Fruit Jam PCBs (https://www.adafruit.com/product/6200) arrived and have been assembled! This is the final hardware revision: our hardware test covers all behaviors and everything works flawlessly now. That means we’re ready to book PCBs for the shop! Sparkle Motion Mic Upgrade We also did a revision on the Sparkle Motion mic board (https://www.adafruit.com/product/6100). After multiple attempts to improve microphone yield, we discovered that flux was clogging the mic hole and interfering with the diaphragm. The solution: flip the mic to the other side. Assembly is now a bit more complex and slightly more costly, but it’s still much better than reworking all the boards! New Stepper Motor Driver Prototypes The TMC2210 and TMC2240 stepper motor driver prototype boards (search: https://www.adafruit.com/search?q=stepper+motor+driver+breakout) arrived — we’re excited to test them soon! PiTFT Board Revisions We haven’t given up on boards delayed by parts shortage: the PiTFT 2.4″ (https://www.adafruit.com/product/2455) has been revised with the TSC2007 touch controller (https://www.adafruit.com/product/5423). Next up: redesigning the PiTFT 2.8″ and 3.2″ (search: https://www.adafruit.com/search?q=pitft) — they share essentially the same layout. The Great Search: PoE Modules for Future W5500 Ethernet Breakout We received several requests to update our Wiznet W5500 Ethernet breakout (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/wiznet/W5500/4425702, and our board here: https://www.adafruit.com/product/6348) with a PoE adapter — for a plug-and-play, all-in-one powered Ethernet solution. While you can DIY a PoE converter, you can also grab a ready-to-use module from DigiKey! We’re on the lookout for a suitable option — ideally one that outputs 3 V or 5 V, since those are supported by 99% of electronics. Here’s one candidate so far: https://www.digikey.com/short/hm7032c7…

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Desk of Ladyada – More Fruit Jam Work & Lots of Little Breakouts 🍓🛠️ 38:33

6 weeks ago38:33

38:33

This week at the desk, we worked on getting more small hardware boards done. We revised our 1.5" transparent OLED breakout (oops, pins were swapped), designed breakouts for sensors like the AS5600 (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/ams-osram-usa-inc/AS5600-ASOM/8250257) and STHS34PF80 (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/stmicroelectronics/STHS34PF80/13187390), and updated the NAU7802 (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/nuvoton-technology-corporation-of-america/NAU7802SGI/4929384) to have both ADC ports available. We’re also working on another stepper motor driver, since the TMC2209 breakout (https://www.adafruit.com/product/6121) was a big hit. We wrapped and sent out the Triple-output Active Shifting RGB Matrix Bonnet (https://blog.adafruit.com/2025/02/28/triple-matrix-bonnet-makes-big-bright-displays/). Then we finally had a little time to get back into bigger projects, like Fruit Jam, which we re-picked-up! This week we focused on implementing the ESP32-C6 Wi-Fi co-processor, which needed a bit of rework, but now we've got rev C prototype PCBs on the way. ----------------------------------------- Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com LIVE CHAT IS HERE! http://adafru.it/discord Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ -----------------------------------------…

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Desk of Ladyada – More Fruit Jam Work & Lots of Little Breakouts 🍓🛠️ 38:33

6 weeks ago38:33

38:33

This week at the desk, we worked on getting more small hardware boards done. We revised our 1.5" transparent OLED breakout (oops, pins were swapped), designed breakouts for sensors like the AS5600 (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/ams-osram-usa-inc/AS5600-ASOM/8250257) and STHS34PF80 (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/stmicroelectronics/STHS34PF80/13187390), and updated the NAU7802 (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/nuvoton-technology-corporation-of-america/NAU7802SGI/4929384) to have both ADC ports available. We’re also working on another stepper motor driver, since the TMC2209 breakout (https://www.adafruit.com/product/6121) was a big hit. We wrapped and sent out the Triple-output Active Shifting RGB Matrix Bonnet (https://blog.adafruit.com/2025/02/28/triple-matrix-bonnet-makes-big-bright-displays/). Then we finally had a little time to get back into bigger projects, like Fruit Jam, which we re-picked-up! This week we focused on implementing the ESP32-C6 Wi-Fi co-processor, which needed a bit of rework, but now we've got rev C prototype PCBs on the way. ----------------------------------------- Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com LIVE CHAT IS HERE! http://adafru.it/discord Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ -----------------------------------------…

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Desk of Ladyada – nOOds and Boosters A-Plenty 29:38

8 weeks ago29:38

29:38

This week at the desk, we're working on getting more designs wrapped and out the door so we can keep a steady supply of new products into the shop. First up is a TPS61169 constant current booster, designed to make driving nOOds easier—especially 12V or 24V ones, but also series-connected 3V filaments. 🔗 https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/texas-instruments/TPS61169DCKR/5048578 🔗 https://www.adafruit.com/search?q=nOOds Next, we got our BQ25798 MPPT battery charger prototypes in—they look good and didn’t explode when powered! 🔗 https://blog.adafruit.com/2025/05/15/eye-on-npi-ti-bq25798-i2c-controlled-1-to-4-cell-5-a-buck-boost-battery-charger-mppt-for-solar-panels-eyeonnpi-digikey-digikey-adafruit/ The same cannot be said for the LM73100—we think a Rev B with slew rate limiting and a proper voltage divider will help. 🔗 https://blog.adafruit.com/2025/05/08/the-lm73100-is-a-cute-ideal-diode/ Finally, we got a tip that the popular TPS61023 we use in many boards as a 5V 1A booster has a more powerful big sister, the TPS61033! We designed two boards using this chip for generating 5V at up to 2A. 🔗 https://www.adafruit.com/product/4654 🔗 https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/texas-instruments/TPS610333DRLR/22106777 ... The Great Search – UV LEDs for Costuming We recently got a request to make LED sequins with bright UV LEDs for costuming projects using UV-reactive paints and textiles. Also known as 'blacklight' paint or fabric, these dyes glow fluorescent when exposed to UV light. 🔗 https://www.digikey.com/short/bndtdnbr 🔗 https://www.adafruit.com/search?q=led+sequin 🔗 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet However, not all UV LEDs will work! UV ranges from 100nm to 450nm, and some frequencies are used for curing or disinfection. For light effects, 365nm is the 'peak' frequency to look for. Let’s find a ~365nm SMT UV LED we can pick and place onto a small PCB for easy sewing. ✨🧵…

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Desk of Ladyada: Stepper Spinner, LED Booster & Radio Receiver 30:43

9 weeks ago30:43

30:43

This week at our desk, we've been working through a substantial pile of prototypes to prepare them for the shop. Several designs from a few weeks ago are now ready. We tested the Ethernet breakout using the W5500 chip (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/wiznet/W5500/4425702), which required no firmware. Additionally, we developed a driver for the STSPIN220 stepper motor driver (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/stmicroelectronics/STSPIN220/6137574) with Claude 4. Our new designs this week include: TPS61169 LED Booster: A high-efficiency LED driver (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/texas-instruments/TPS61169DCKR/5048578). SI4732 Radio Breakout: An AM-FM-SW-LW-SSB radio receiver module (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/skyworks-solutions-inc/SI4732-A10-GS/4576679).…

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Desk of Ladyada – Claude WebApps, Solar MPPT 28:33

10 weeks ago28:33

28:33

This week at the Desk of Ladyada, we're getting back into the swing of releasing one or two new products a week after dealing with some tariff-related chaos. Last week we launched the Sparkle Motion Stick and the SEN6x Adapter. Next week, look out for the OPT4048. For the OPT4048, we wanted to easily plot the CIE x & y to a color graph—which used to mean writing a lot of JavaScript (something I haven’t done in 15 years). Thankfully, Claude helped generate code, and now it's up and running! Check it out. This week, we also designed breakouts for: ACS37800 30A Monitor, VEML6046, and a Stemma QT adapter for Raspberry Pi bq25798 Solar MPPT Charger. And for this week's The Great Search – 30 Amp Barrier Terminal Blocks…

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Desk of Ladyada – Designing More Protos & Trying Out Codex 30:53

11 weeks ago30:53

30:53

We're back to designing more prototypes to get the product pump primed! Having lots of boards to work with means we can reliably get one or two shipping each week. To that end, here are some upcoming chips we've made breakouts for: SLB9670VQ20FW785 (TPM chip): https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/infineon-technologies/SLB9670VQ20FW785XTMA1/11697680 INA237 (Power monitoring): https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/texas-instruments/INA237AIDGSR/14004323 INA238 (High-speed current/voltage sensor): https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/texas-instruments/INA238AQDGSRQ1/14641449 STSPIN220 (Stepper motor driver): https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/stmicroelectronics/STSPIN220/6137574 LM73100 (Hot-swap controller): https://www.digikey.com/short/hfnzpwjq SC16IS74x (UART to I²C/SPI bridge): https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/nxp-usa-inc/SC16IS740IPW-128/1301043 We also tested out Codex as an alternative to Claude for code generation. One benefit is the option to select specific models. We tried o3 (which struggled) and o4-mini (which did okay), but Claude still leads for now. Protos are pumping! We're designing breakouts for new chips + testing Codex vs Claude. Also: help us find a WM8960 replacement and maybe... should bring back the DIGG button kit?…

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Desk of Ladyada – Break Time’s Over! 32:43

12 weeks ago32:43

32:43

After digging ourselves out of a tariff-induced hole, we're back to working on some hardware (yay). Last week we finished off the Sparkle Motion Stick by moving the microphone around. We're thinking of using this case for the "ESP Trinkeys" we designed last year—we like the simplicity and snap-fit. We also got to testing the SEN-66 QT adapter. It works great, so we booked PCBs. We're now getting around to testing our RP2350 Adalogger "bones board." With sunny days coming, we're looking forward to doing more solar-based projects. While you could just wire a 6V panel with a diode to the VIN pin, we think it would be nice to design a FeatherWing to make connecting and monitoring easy. And on The Great Search: Power Monitor with 2 Inputs…

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The Great Search - How to Source Tariffed & Non-Tariffed Items on DigiKey 12:18

15 weeks ago12:18

12:18

Since this is the topic of the day, we'll be looking at how to purchase an item from DigiKey with tariffs in mind. DigiKey is a free trade zone, which means that if you're not in the USA, you will not have to pay additional tariffs on goods that are re-exported. However, for USA destinations, the new tariffs can add a significant cost if the component has its last manufacturing step in China. Let's use the example of a simple I2C-controlled temperature sensor to see how our sourcing decisions may be impacted by tariffs. See thee part on DigiKey https://www.digikey.com/short/2nb7nzb3…

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Desk of Ladyada – RP2350 Bones Day 31:38

16 weeks ago31:38

31:38

With the RP2350 chip now in wide distribution (https://blog.adafruit.com/2025/03/27/eye-on-npi-raspberry-pi-rp2350a-and-rp2350b-microcontrollers-eyeonnpi-raspberrypi-digikey-raspberry_pi/), we're able to come up with a lot of variants of our popular RP2040 "Bones" (https://blog.adafruit.com/2023/01/22/rp2040-feather-bones-for-a-few-different-varieties/), which ended up becoming a dozen different boards. Let's check out some of the possible Bones designs we might create, including the first one we've made: Adalogger RP2350. Also, we solved the mystery of why we were getting popping power supplies on the Sparkle Motion, and we designed a Sparkle Motion Stick version.…

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Desk of Ladyada - Slow Sunday Pokes 28:58

17 weeks ago28:58

28:58

This week was slow for hardware development—we were getting over being under the weather. But we did poke a little at a PCM5122 breakout board (https://www.digikey.com/short/fnf9t0b1). This chip can do software or hardware control of I2S signals and is preferred by folks who want something a little nicer than the PCM5102 (https://www.adafruit.com/product/6250). We also wrapped up our design for the 8x solenoid driver board—the biggest update is adding indicator LEDs. Lastly, we got our prototypes for the "USB CC Fixer" adapter, which we mostly made so we could charge a really annoying baby monitor, but probably other folks will want to buy it, too. ----------------------------------------- Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com LIVE CHAT IS HERE! http://adafru.it/discord Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ -----------------------------------------…

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - Sample Sunday and Solar Soft-Start 24:18

36 weeks ago24:18

24:18

Prototypes are in! Tested our USB/Solar/DC to 5V booster—note: loads 200mA need a workaround, but it’s a win for the price. Also tested cables & a spinning motor for holiday vibes! SOIC debugging clips—perfect for 0.3" SOICs on Metro RP2350 boards! And on The Great Search: SOIC SMT Clips

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - Solar Boosters, Split Supplies, and a Floppsy rev 30:58

37 weeks ago30:58

30:58

Floppsy Rev B debugging (floppy pins, power, boot button) & prepping Disk tests. Crafted a split-supply board (-12V throwback to 6.101!) and boosted 5V solar power magic with bq25185 + TPS61023. Also hunting for a modern 5V stepper driver!

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - Standing Desk Complete! 25:38

38 weeks ago25:38

25:38

Ladyada’s Desk goes standing! This week’s upgrades include LINAK swag, a desk-mount USB PD hub for powering gadgets, and under-desk cable management. Plus, on EYE ON NPI, we spotlighted Lepton IR cameras and explored ideas for a DMX FeatherWing. Check out the latest updates!

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - Pixel Shifter Proto & Floppsy Re-visit 29:43

40 weeks ago29:43

29:43

We've got working Pixel Shifter prototype PCBs, leveling WS2811s and inverting TM1814s—final boards are booked! Also revising the Floppsy board for 3.25" drives, adding buttons, Apple Disk support, & more. Plus, we’re on the hunt for a short rotary encoder!

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - Breakout Board Backlog 25:03

41 weeks ago25:03

25:03

We're tackling our breakout board backlog! Dusting off designs from 2021-2023 with help from ChatGPT for repetitive firmware tasks. Featured: VCNL4200 & LPS28 drivers. Plus, The Great Search is all about tubing for ported pressure sensors!

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Desk of Ladyada - Sample Sunday: cafe lights and TM1814s 28:28

42 weeks ago28:28

28:28

This week on Desk of Ladyada, we’re checking out some new cafe light samples! The RGB WS2811s are easy-peasy with NeoPixel, but the TM1814 RGBWs needed a custom CircuitPython solution. We even designed a level shifter/inverter to make it smoother. Details in The Great Search!

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Desk of Ladyada - BQ25185 pt 2, DVI HSTX, LPS28, and CP2105 22:35

43 weeks ago22:35

22:35

Two BQ25185 boards were designed: a LiPo charger and a 3.3V buck output variant. The corrected HSTX to DVI converter boards were tested and ordered. Revisited the LPS28 breakout project and found a dual-UART USB chip (CP2105). Locating an ultra-thin RG-174 coax cable.

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - New Factory and a Lipo Buck Board 31:53

44 weeks ago31:53

31:53

This week, we had our official 'Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony' - complete with big scissors from https://bigscissors.com/. We had ada-friends come from around the area to visit and speeches from Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce (https://www.brooklynchamber.com/) and Industry City (https://industrycity.com/). So we didn't get a ton of new hardware worked on this week - hopefully, next week will be a little more chill. Instead, this week, we've been doing some component research. The Lipo Buck board we designed right before the move has a USB-charging lipo chip (https://www.adafruit.com/product/4410) and then a 3.3V buck based on the TLV62569 (https://www.adafruit.com/product/4711). However, we've since discovered the BQ25185 (https://www.digikey.com/short/3z3wqbcm), which is a little more expensive than the MCP73831 (https://www.digikey.com/short/3rbdvbn1) but allows us to ditch 3 components and also has 'solar' input and up to 1A charge rate. And on The Great Search: looking at newer surface mount non-contact "Infrared" temperature sensors. https://www.digikey.com/short/r38rnvbv…

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - The Desk Gets a Lift! 29:48

45 weeks ago29:48

29:48

This week at our desk, we're working on my desk! We purchased a motorized 'sit-stand' kit so that we can spend a few minutes not on our butt. We can look at some design decisions for how the motors and controls work together. We also got back a few prototypes we worked on from previous weeks: the sunken USB C breakout & ICS-43434 I2S mic work out of the box. Next, we might try wiring up the PCM1820 since it's no firmware. This week, we also managed to wrap up the Feather RP2350 HSTX - the tester needed a few tweaks, but the boards are finally live and in stock - more PCBs are on the way, so if you didn't get one, sign up and we'll have more in about a week. That means that 1) we can wrap up redoing the Metro RP2350 design, and 2) we can start 'bones'-ing the Feather by swapping out components on the end. On The Great Search, Ladyada looks for an I2S DAC with volume control and headphone amp. See the chosen part on DigiKey. https://www.digikey.com/short/m9vpf8q2…

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - an audio extravaganza 25:33

46 weeks ago25:33

25:33

This week, we worked on getting a bunch of small designs into the pipeline to have a nice crop of new products in a few weeks. Last week, we looked at TDK microphones and were inspired by the T5838 (https://www.digikey.com/short/bzvzbnm9) PDM microphone with configurable low-power wake pin. We also looked at our pile of old 202x protos and re-found the PCM1840 (https://blog.adafruit.com/2021/01/17/leek-pcm1840-quad-input-microphone-i2s-adc-with-hardware-pin-configuration/) so we made a small spin to also create a PCM1820 (https://www.digikey.com/short/5w9v7qtf) a chip with a really funky footprint. We've also been looking for a replacement for the discontinued UDA1334A (https://www.adafruit.com/product/3678) I2S to line-level output, and it seems like the PCM5102A (https://www.digikey.com/short/n22vn3qn) is a popular option.…

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Finishing up the Metro M4 tester 18:17

7 years ago18:17

18:17

Multistreaming with https://restream.io/ Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com Join the Adafruit Discord http://adafru.it/discord ----------------------------------------- Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe Join our weekly Show & Tell on G+ Hangouts On Air: http://adafru.it/showtell Watch our latest project videos: http://adafru.it/latest New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ Music by bartlebeats: http://soundcloud.com/bartlebeats -----------------------------------------…

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#deskofladyada LIVE! @adafruit Motor Samples! 16:56

7 years ago16:56

16:56

Multistreaming with https://restream.io/ Motor Samples!

L

Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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#deskofladyada Robot FEATHER wing proto’ing 37:59

7 years ago37:59

37:59

Multistreaming with https://restream.io/ Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com Join the Adafruit Discord http://adafru.it/discord ----------------------------------------- Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe Join our weekly Show & Tell on G+ Hangouts On Air: http://adafru.it/showtell Watch our latest project videos: http://adafru.it/latest New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ Music by bartlebeats: http://soundcloud.com/bartlebeats -----------------------------------------…

L

Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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#deskofladyada Inexpensive robot remote control experiment & more (ii) 19:09

7 years ago19:09

19:09

Multistreaming with https://restream.io/ Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com Join the Adafruit Discord http://adafru.it/discord ----------------------------------------- Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe Join our weekly Show & Tell on G+ Hangouts On Air: http://adafru.it/showtell Watch our latest project videos: http://adafru.it/latest New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ Music by bartlebeats: http://soundcloud.com/bartlebeats -----------------------------------------…

L

Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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#deskofladyada Inexpensive robot remote control experiment & more 14:04

7 years ago14:04

14:04

Multistreaming with https://restream.io/ Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com Join the Adafruit Discord http://adafru.it/discord ----------------------------------------- Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe Join our weekly Show & Tell on G+ Hangouts On Air: http://adafru.it/showtell Watch our latest project videos: http://adafru.it/latest New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ Music by bartlebeats: http://soundcloud.com/bartlebeats -----------------------------------------…

L

Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada – Marchintosh on Fruit Jam 26:20

18 weeks ago26:20

26:20

This week, we worked on a few projects: We've got the (hopefully final) TLV320DAC3100 boards (https://www.digikey.com/short/td7742wh). Having spent many weeks on this, we'd like to verify that we have the noise and grounding issues resolved and book PCBs. We'll need this chip working well for Fruit Jam completion! Speaking of, we made a revision of the design with various fixes and tweaks, so let's check that out. Part of testing out Fruit Jam (https://www.adafruit.com/product/6200) is actually using it as a computer, so we're testing out Jepler's pico-mac port (https://github.com/jepler/pico-mac/), which has DVI and PIO-USB support. We also designed a board to 'fix' missing CC resistors on USB-C connectors— we are surprised such a thing doesn't exist.…

L

Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - Triple Matrix Bonnet & u-blox UBX Vibes 35:08

21 weeks ago35:08

35:08

This week, we were all over the place with a bunch of different designs and experiments. After last week's analysis of the TLV320DAC3100, we made some updates to the design and re-booked prototype PCBs. We also designed a triple-matrix bonnet: with our latest work on getting HUB75 RGB matrices working on the Raspberry Pi 5, we can now do matrix control on the latest Pi 5 chip. But we're limited by the RP1 chip, so to get big displays going, we'll need multiple strands—these don't use significantly more bandwidth because half of the pins are shared. Finally, we ended the week by getting another older prototype working: the SAM-M8Q is an entry-level all-in-one GPS from u-blox. It comes with both UART and I2C interfaces, plus a built-in antenna, so it's ready to go out of the box. The NMEA interface is trivial, but we also wanted to try out the UBX interface, and thankfully, Claude 3.7 was able to vibe-code it for us in a jiffy.…

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - More TLV320 DAC'ing with a Bit of a Run-around 27:36

22 weeks ago27:36

27:36

This week - We tackle the TLV320DAC3100, fixing headphone & mic issues for a breakout board. Plan to use it in AudioFX remake. Jepler advanced HSTX DVI text mode for Fruit Jam. Also, a search for a new pocket multimeter begins as the fave Amprobe PM51A is discontinued.

L

Live from the Desk of Ladyada

1
Desk of Ladyada - I2S DACs, Claude API, and Compute Module Backpack 27:10

23 weeks ago27:10

27:10

Ladyada explores I2S DACs, testing PCM51xx as a UDA1334A alternative. Work continues on the TLV320DAC3100, we test an AI API interface for setters/getters for Claude with pay per token. A new Pi Compute Module backpack is in progress - And we search for tall connectors for CM4/CM5. Read more https://blog.adafruit.com/2025/02/17/desk-of-ladyada-i2s-dacs-claude-api-and-compute-module-backpack-adafruit-adafruit/…

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - Fruit Jam jam party 31:41

24 weeks ago31:41

31:41

Fruit Jam! Our new credit card-sized computer inspired by IchigoJam! Built on the Metro RP2350 with DVI & USB host, it's a retro-inspired mini PC with modern features. Plus, we're hunting for the perfect I2S DAC for high-quality audio output!

L

Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - Kiddo Kart Repair 19:31

25 weeks ago19:31

19:31

BabyAda's bumper car toy stopped working after overnight charging - turns out 24V charger + 12V battery = problems. Quick fix: replaced battery with correct one from DigiKey. Pro tip -Always check voltage compatibility!

L

Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - ST7796S Screen & So Many Sunday Samples 24:58

26 weeks ago24:58

24:58

Testing ESP programmer board, working on 3.5" Captouch TFT with new ST7796S display & FT6236 touch chips. Board needs redesign for new FPC. Got exciting screen samples round/bar/rect. Also found great ultra-fine tweezers on DigiKey, for both engineers & entomologists!

L

Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - Sparkle Motion Tester Troubles & Samples Sunday 28:44

27 weeks ago28:44

28:44

This week at the Desk, we worked on our Sparkle Motion Mini (https://www.adafruit.com/product/6160) and not-so-Mini testers. The Mini (https://www.adafruit.com/product/6160) tester came together super fast, and we got the boards into the shop. The classic version got much more complicated with a few mistakes that cascaded into frustration during testing, but we worked through it and hopefully will get those boards into the shop this week! This was also the first time we used Claude (https://claude.ai/) a bunch to help us with tester firmware development, and we're still enjoying it quite a bit! We also got some fun samples, including filament letter shapes and some plastic enclosures, including one we think will be a great fit for our Sparkle Motion Stick.…

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - LDACs, Sparkle Motion Mini & Claude 34:08

28 weeks ago34:08

34:08

Sparkle Motion Mini PCBs are here, featuring a compact 5V-only design. We are also refining small breakout boards like the DAC7578 and working on a TMC2209 driver by refactoring BusIO for versatile interfaces. Lastly, Claude & exploring compact, sensorless BLDC motor drivers via DigiKey.

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - Festival of Lights PCB push 29:11

29 weeks ago29:11

29:11

Wrapping up last year with display and LED PCB projects, including GC9A01A round display protos and Sparkle Motion boards. Solenoid driver testing underway, fixing WLED/mic interference. Great Search: Picking SOD-323 flyback diodes for solenoids, balancing specs and cost. ----------------------------------------- Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com LIVE CHAT IS HERE! http://adafru.it/discord Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/…

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - festival of light-related PCB designs 22:48

30 weeks ago22:48

22:48

Ladyada's Desk celebrates light-filled PCB designs, including round TFT, transparent OLED, tiny displays, and new 'sparkle motion' WLED prototypes and live xLights demos. On The Great Search, SMT nuts enable flush mounting for a 1.8" round TFT with capacitive touch, we explore options at DigiKey!

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - It's a sparkly LED Christmas! 27:23

31 weeks ago27:23

27:23

This week, Ladyada tests the Sparkle Motion WLED board with xLights for large-scale LED animations and began decorating. A smaller version of Sparkle Motion and a NeoPixel-inspired USB PCB, and In The Great Search, storage solutions for components and dev boards!

L

Live from the Desk of Ladyada

1
Desk of Ladyada - Simple Storage, Scope Stack, + Super Silent Steppers 22:13

32 weeks ago22:13

22:13

This week at our desk...we're back from a family visit! We had Tannewt visit over the last few days, and chatted about CircuitPython goals for the coming year - we'll post the video soon. We're also doing some workspace organization because we've moved to a new room for the office. We're trying to organize with some IKEA ALEX drawers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRxr8liq9FU) - approximately 1 billion people suggested gridfinity which looks totally awesome and amazing - but after doing the math on time or cost, not practical for the large number of boxes and trays needed. We also picked up a scope cart! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR8q142d_9M) and we're working on the Trinamic TMC2209 'silent stepper' breakout (https://blog.adafruit.com/2024/11/21/trinamical-stepper-breakout-with-tmc2209) - it really is super silent - and the Metro RP2350 (https://blog.adafruit.com/2024/11/11/metro-rp2350-now-with-bigger-better-rp2350b/). And on The Great Search: finding a compact 3.3V Step-Down with 24V+ Input and 0.5A output…

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Live from the Desk of Ladyada

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Desk of Ladyada - Post-Turkey WLED Design, Apple retrocomputing, and more 34:43

34 weeks ago34:43

34:43

Post-Turkey updates from Ladyada! We tested new boards (minor FPC tweak, no respin needed) and started designing a sleek WLED board with help from firepixie & the community. Plus, check out The Great Search for high-power diodes and Day 1 of #Retrocomputing Advent: Apple II nostalgia!

L

Live from the Desk of Ladyada

1
Desk of Ladyada - Lots of Motor Drivers this week + RP2350B Metro 33:03

35 weeks ago33:03

33:03

This week on Desk of Ladyada: A look inside North Korean missiles. Motor drivers galore, prototypes for A4988, TMC2209, and TMC2130 are here, plus a detour with ‘Newxie,’ a retro-style 1.14" TFT. Metro RP2350B boards arrived—CircuitPython support coming soon! Also, NEMA-23 stepper fun on The Great Search!…

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The Great Search - How to Source Tariffed & Non-Tariffed Items on DigiKey