2025 Component Abuse Challenge: A Piezo Disk Powers A Transmitter
Uncategorized
1
Posts
1
Posters
2
Views
-
2025 Component Abuse Challenge: A Piezo Disk Powers A Transmitter
A piezo disk transducer is a handy part for reproducing beeps and boops, and can also function as a rudimentary microphone. Being a piezoelectric element, it can also generate usable power. Enough to run a radio transmitter? [b.kainka] is here to find out, with what may be the simplest possible transmitter circuit.
The active element in the circuit, such as it is, comes from a crystal. This functions as an extremely stable and high Q tuned circuit. When excited by a pulse of electricity, the circuit will carry oscillations in a similar manner to a bell ringing until the pulse is exhausted. A small lever fashioned from a piece of wire supplies the voltage by flexing the piezo disk and a contact, a diode discharges the reverse voltage as the disk returns to shape, and a small capacitor provides an AC path to ground. It works, if a small pulse of very low-power RF near the crystal’s frequency can be described as working.
It may not be the most practical transmitter, but it’s certainly something we’ve not seen before. It’s part of our 2025 Component Abuse Challenge, for which you still have time to make an entry yourself if you have one.
Gli ultimi otto messaggi ricevuti dalla Federazione
-
@sennoma @NickGates @StevenSavage you don't want to drive a long commute there, but if there's a transit option (Caltrain is great), it's not intolerable to be a pretty good ways out from the job. Train time can be useful/pleasant time, unlike driving during rush hour which is all wasted time and stressful.
-
@sennoma you'll never own a house at that salary, but you can live OK, as long as you don't mind a bit of a commute (hopefully you can rent and work near a Caltrain stop).
-
3D Printering: Liquid-Filled Filament Was Not On Our Bingo Card
[Prusa] have a number of announcements, and one of the more unusual ones is that liquid printing is coming to the Prusa XL. Specifically, printing in real, heat-resistant silicone (not a silicone-like plastic) is made possible thanks to special filament and a special toolhead. It’s the result of a partnership with Filament2, and the same process could even be used to print with other liquids, including chocolate.
Look closely and you will see the detail in the nozzle, which mixes the two-part formula.
The process is as unusual as it is clever. The silicone is a two-part formula, but there is no reservoir or pump involved. Instead, there are two filaments, A and B. When mixed, they cure into solid silicone.What is unusual is that these filaments have a liquid core. Upon entering the extruder, the outer sheath is cut away, and the inner liquid feeds into a mini mixing nozzle. The nozzle deposits the mixed silicone onto the print, where it cures. It isn’t clear from the demo where the stripped outer casing goes, but we assume it must get discarded or is possibly stowed temporarily until it can be removed.
Liquid-core filament is something we certainly didn’t have on our bingo card, but we can see how it makes sense. A filament format means the material can be handled, fed, and deposited precisely, benefiting from all of the usual things a filament-based printer is good at doing.
What’s also interesting is that the liquid toolhead can co-exist with other toolheads on the XL; in fact, they make a point of being able to extrude silicone as well as the usual thermoplastics into the same print. That’s certainly a trick no one else has been able to pull off.
There are a few other announcements as well, including a larger version of their Core One printer and an open-source smart spool standard called OpenPrintTag, a reusable and reprogrammable NFC insert for filament spools that gives you all of the convenience of automating color and material reading without the subtle (or overt) vendor lock-in that comes with it.
Watch a demo of the new silicone extruder in the video, embedded just under the page break. The new toolhead will be 1,009 USD when it launches in early 2026.
-
Today being (day of the dead) diá de los Muertos, what’s the best way to mourn? 💀
ICYMI All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day:
All Saints’ Day is celebrated on November 1st to remember all saints and martyrs during Christian history. It is followed by All Souls’ Day on November 2nd to commemorate those who have passed within the faith.
Reference https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/resources-by-theme/all-saints-all-souls#:~:text=All%20Saints'%20Day%20is%20celebrated,have%20passed%20within%20the%20faith.
-
@wjmaggos good resources here!
-
@EdwinG I hope not. It's an institution. Google Maps shows it open but it was dark when we got there.
-
Fuori la grana o vi ammazziamo!
@anarchia
Fuori la grana o vi ammazziamo! Alèssi Dell’Umbria Edizioni Tabor, Valsusa, 2025, pag. 184, 10€ Un sodalizio di fuorilegge rivoluzionari, così si può definire il gruppo “Os Cangaceiros”. Una banda di giovani che si organizzarono per vivere senza lavorare ma...Vedi l'articolo
https://www.rivoluzioneanarchica.it/fuori-la-grana-o-vi-ammazziamo/
-
Fin de weekend pleine de gratitude. Merci de bâtir avec nous un espace simple, humain et souverain. 💜
#qlub #communaute #souverainetenumerique #quebec #valeurs #merci #weekend
