Super Bright LED’s, mood light an entire wall!!!

31 12 2008

These are the new Super Bright, Super Big 10mm LED’s, available in Red, Green and Blue. With a foward current of 80mA, each unit produces at least 10,000 MCD, enough to make a small room full of light. Add an Arduino, a microphone or audio signal from your iPod and make your own beat controlled mood lamp. Now you have a good reason to buy an acrylic lamp!!! Don’t forget to send us some pictures.



IDG300: dual-axis gyroscope from Sparkfun

12 12 2008

Wait – Did you say dual axis gyro? That’s correct! This is the first dual-axis MEMs gyro available on the open market. The IDG300 is a 3.3V leadless IC with a smaller profile than other single axis gyros. Factory set full scale range of ±500°/sec with integrated X-axis and Y-axis combined with an analogue output, this sensor can be used with the Arduino or Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8. Best used with an ADC of 12 bits or higher, this impressive sensor features integrated low-pass filters, reset switches for high-pass filters and a superior vibration rejection over a wide frequency range. Originally developed for image stabilization, can be used in a wide range of application as:

  • Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs)
  • Handheld GPS Navigation Devices
  • Radio controlled helicopters
  • Toys and game devices
  • Robotic and power tools
  • Antenna positioning
  • Remote control


New accelerometer breakout boards from Sparkfun

11 12 2008

We just added 6 new wonderful Sparkfun accelerometers to our online catalog. Above you can find the triple axis ADXL330, capable of measuring both static and dynamic acceleration forces up to +/-3g. If you need an excellent dual axis accelerometer take a look at the ADXL320, ADXL321 and ADXL322 sensors (manufactured by Analog Devices). These are excellent sensors that can measure +/-5g, +/-18g and +/-2g respectively, outputting an analog signal compatible with the Arduino or Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8, and can perform basic pan/tilt detection.

We also feature the LIS3LV02DQ with an SPI and I2C connection. This is an impressive sensor that can measure accelerations from +/-2g up to +/-6g with a 1mg resolution. Independent channels can be shut off, the sensor can be powered down, even an interrupt threshold can be set and used to awaken the sensor from power down!!!

But if you require a even higher degree of precission consider the SCA3000. This highly precise and temperature compensated accelerometer is a good option for IMU and dead-reckoning applications. The low noise and temperature compensation significantly reduces drift over time. The breakout board includes a low noise, low drop out, 3.3V regulator that accepts voltages from 3.35V to 10V. A must have!!!