Mechanical Switch Sci-Calc is Also a Macropad

A black OLED screen with a happy face displayed upon it is situated at the top of a squarish calculator with a 5x6 grid of white calculator keys. It floats above a graphing calculator, Nintendo Switch, aigo numpad, and an Arduino Mega on a white table. A handful of differently-colored kalih choc switches are in various places around the table.

Smartphones have replaced a desktop calculator for most folks these days, but sometimes that tactility is just what you need to get the mathematical juices flowing. Why not spruce up …read more Continue reading Mechanical Switch Sci-Calc is Also a Macropad

Plumbing Valves as Heavy Duty Analog Inputs

A diagram showing an LED on the left, a lever-style plumbing valve in the center, and an Arduino Uno on the right.

Input devices that can handle rough and tumble environments aren’t nearly as varied as their more fragile siblings. [Alastair Aitchison] has devised a brilliant way of detecting inputs from plumbing …read more Continue reading Plumbing Valves as Heavy Duty Analog Inputs