Posts

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Sat. Dec. 10, 2020 – T’is the Season

T’is the season for bright lights and Raspberry Pi fun.

T’is the Season!

In this talk we’ll look at a ModMyPi Programmable Christmas Tree (MMP-1021), which sits atop the 40 pin header and presents a set of individually controlled LEDs. The trick to practical and easy use of the tree is via GPIOZERO, a fantastic python module. We’ll integrate some sensors as well, since GPIOZERO makes them very easy.

9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation
10a Presentation

Small Boardroom @ Quality Foods, 27 Helmcken Rd #110 · View Royal

Hybrid https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers

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Sat. Oct 22, 2020 – Old Man Savers

George will share his old man savers. Consumer kitchen appliances are designed for one size fits all, not for my personal needs. My needs change as I age, and I need alerts for faults.

  • I like to turn off my drip coffee maker as soon as coffee is brewed. If I forget, it wastes electricity (500watts) and spoils the coffee. If I forget to insert the carafe, I’ve got a mess. A timed relay with a contact sensor for the carafe solves the problem.
  • So as not to overcook the meat, I turn off my induction hot plate based on a thermistor inserted into the meat to trip a relay to power off the hot plate.
  • A centralized monitor and alarm system, with text message notifications, can be tailored to one’s specific needs. My monitoring system needs to include at least 9 sensors:
  • Exterior door that gets left ajar.
  • Bathroom light gets left on
  • Bathroom water flooding
  • Fridge power lost
  • Fridge temperature too high
  • Freezer power lost
  • Freezer temperature too high
  • Exterior hall temperature
  • Smoke detector

George’s presentation is here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/107pIcvgMJfG5TxZLBdD5MD1n3QWQPcR2-Dehy2xVzjI/edit?usp=sharing

His code .pdf file is here:

9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation
10a Presentation

QCollege has welcomed us back to meet in-person. We thank them for their support.

We will be holding a Hybrid meeting (in-person & Jitsi).

https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers

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Sat. Sep, 24, 2022 – Firefox Extension tracking

9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation (virtual)
10a Presentation

Mark will share his work in stripping tracking info on Firefox on a Pi, and how to load it onto your Firefox.

QCollege has welcomed us back to meet in-person. We thank them for their support.

Suite 303 – 771 Vernon Ave · Victoria, BC

We will be holding a Hybrid meeting (in-person & Jitsi).

https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers

Mark’s presentation .pdf is here.

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2022 Summer Break

VicPiMakers is taking a well-deserved summer break. We will be back to our regular bi-weekly programming in September. In the meantime… join us at our Linux SIG or NetSig. See the blocks on the right for the details and links.

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June 25, 2022 – Recent Projects

Come share your recent projects with the group, online or in person.

9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation (virtual)
10a Presentation


QCollege has welcomed us back to meet in-person. We thank them for their support.

George shared some pico links

https://learn.adafruit.com/welcome-to-circuitpython

https://learn.adafruit.com/getting-started-with-raspberry-pi-pico-circuitpython/blinky-and-a-button

https://learn.adafruit.com/getting-started-with-raspberry-pi-pico-circuitpython/neopixel-leds

Virtual…

https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers

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Sat., June 11, 2022 – Marine GPS on a Pi

Dave will share his work in running Marine Navigation on a Pi including:

  • hardware requirements
  • how the zero could be used, but there are drawbacks
  • I was unable to get a pi 4
  • at George’s suggestion, I decided to go with the pi 400
  • hardware modifications to integrate the GPS unit within the pi 400 case
  • introduction to and a brief overview of the OpenCPN Chart Plotter Navigation software
  • some ideas I have to make a more “system-critical” GPS solution (will implement if I have time)

9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation (virtual)
10a Presentation


QCollege has welcomed us back to meet in-person. We thank them for their support.

Virtual…

https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers

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Sat., May 28, 2022 – Apache and Flask

Gordo will share an update on his work with Flask and the Apache server. Flask is a micro web framework written in Python.

Gordo

Presentation notes: https://github.com/va7sdf/vicpimakers-flaskapachedemo/wiki/Apache-&-Flask-on-Raspberry-Pi

PREVIOUS presentation notes: https://github.com/va7sdf/vicpimakers-flaskdemos/wiki

QCollege has welcomed us back to meet in-person. We thank them for their support. Suite 303 771 Vernon Ave · Victoria, BC)

9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation
10a Presentation

We will be holding a Hybrid meeting (in-person & Jitsi).

https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers

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Sat. May 14, 2022 – SSH Tricks and Tips

In this presentation, we’ll take a look at how the secure shell
(SSH) protocol can be used to to tunnel many different types of network traffic. We’ll cover X Window forwarding, local port forwarding (think VNC), and how to use its support for the SOCKS
protocol.

Marks’s presention notes are here.

https://www.palaceofretention.ca/vp/sshtunnels.pdf

This meeting will be virtual only. Please do not go to Q College as no one will be there. Click the link below and join us online. Thank you.

(QCollege has welcomed us back to meet in-person. We thank them for their support. Suite 303 771 Vernon Ave · Victoria, BC)

9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation (virtual)
10a Presentation

https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers

We will be holding a Hybrid meeting (Jitsi).

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Sat. April 23, 2022 – The Challenge & Pi OS 64 bit

Jim will cover his pencil challenge.

Gordo will give an overview of 64bit Pi OS, and the cool features of the flash utility.

Gordo’s notes: https://gist.github.com/va7sdf/39a6c01d38eb1131532398fe69833862

QCollege has welcomed us back to meet in-person.We thank them for their support
Suite 303 771 Vernon Ave · Victoria, BC

9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation (virtual)
10a Presentation

https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers

We will be holding a Hybrid meeting (in-person & Jitsi).

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Sat. Apr. 9, 2022 – Power Control

Show and Tell of how you are controlling the world (or at least your part of it) with an AC Power Control project. All are invited to share in this meeting.

QCollege, Suite 303 771 Vernon Ave · Victoria, BC, has welcomed us back to meet in-person. We thank them for their support.

We will be holding a Hybrid meeting (in-person & Jitsi). https://meet.vinneythegeek.ca/vicpimakers

Deid’s link: http://deid.ca/pi/power

George’s presentation .pdf

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Sat. Feb. 26, 2022 Making a music player – bits of Python causing grief

I decided to build my own Raspberry Pi music player using Python, as the available players didn’t really do what I wanted. This is Python at the beginner level, and the saga of making the player. Mostly it is about the little things in Python that caused me to stumble for a while. The music player is functional, the interface isn’t elegant, and I learned a few things about Python programming. – Don

9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation (virtual)
10a Presentation

Here are Don’s presentation .pdf and(change to .py) .txt file.

https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers

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Sat., Feb 12, 2022 – KiCad

KiCAD is free software suite for electronic design automation (EDA). It facilitates the design and simulation of electronic hardware. It features an integrated environment for schematic capture, PCB layout, manufacturing file viewing, SPICE simulation, and engineering calculation. Tools exist within the package to create bill of materials, artwork, Gerber files, and 3D models of the PCB and its components.

Sound’s presentation material can be viewed here.

feb12_22_KiCADVicPiMakers_SoundDownload

9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation (virtual)
10a Presentation

https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers

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Sat. Nov. 13, 2021 – Infrared Data Communications

Jim Briante presenting

9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation (virtual)
10a Presentation

Jim’s Presentation Notes are here.

IrDA Infrared communication
Infrared Emitting Diode
• Angle of half intensity: ϕ,
• Relative radian power vs wave length
Infrared Receiver
• Series for remote control
• Automatic gain control (AGC)
• Data format compatibility
Data Encoding Methods
• Pulse distance encoding, Pulse width encoding, Manchester bi-phase encoding
Basic IR System –IR emitter/receiver
• External components/software
• Generating Pulses
• With PSoC PWM interrupts
• Raspberry Pi Pico State Machine
• Receiving Pulse
• Raspberry Pi Pico using interrupts
Single Pulse Application Example
IR Receiver for Continuous Data Communication
• What works for RS-232 data transmission and why?
Project Utilising IR emitters/Receivers using RS-232 Communication
Reference