TOOLBOX
MAKEDO
$25–$50
makershed.com
MakeDo is a unique set
of reusable connectors for
creating things from the
stuff around you. Reuse
items like cardboard,
plastic, and fabric to create structures, costumes,
furniture, and decorations.
When you’re done, just
pull your creation apart
and reuse the connectors.
Everyone will find a new
use for them. This incredibly versatile and addictive
building system is only
limited by your imagination!
Available in 65- or 170-
piece sets.
—Michael Castor
VPN1513 GPS
Receiver Module
$60 parallax.com
In the world of hobby robotics,
GPS and microcontrollers go
together like peanut butter and
jelly. But if you want to add GPS
to your project, you need to
locate a compatible device,
then work out the interface
with your MCU. Now Parallax
introduces the combination
VPN1513 GPS receiver and
Propeller mini dev board, joining
these two resources in one convenient unit.
The GPS chipset is capable of
tracking up to 20 satellites, with
observed lock-up time of 48 seconds from cold boot and 1
second from hot boot, as specified. Ample free documentation can be downloaded from Parallax, including the module
schematic, default Spin source code, and libraries to assist
in writing your own programs. It’s ideal for developers of all
experience levels.
Eureka! By Roy Doty
Danger!
Smart Card
Reader/Writer
Module
$10 parallax.com
What’s (on that smart
card) in your wallet?
Readers for magnetic
stripe and RFID cards
abound, but you don’t
see many smart card readers for the hobbyist market.
Parallax has a smart card reader/writer module designed
for use with their Basic Stamp and Propeller microcontrollers. The software is open and well documented,
allowing porting of the code for use with Arduino or other
platforms. In addition to basic read ops, data can also be
written to unlocked compatible cards. With this module
and Basic Stamp 2 interfaced with a PC, I was able to read
data from a photocopy control card. Its low cost and simple
interface make it easy to incorporate smart cards in your
microcontroller projects.
—L. Abraham Smith
164 Make: makezine.com/29
