Software Driving Hardware
We were talking about [Christopher Barnatt]’s very insightful analysis of what the future holds for the Raspberry Pi single board computers on the Podcast. On the one hand, they’re becoming such competent computers that they are beginning to compete with lightweight desktop machines, instead of just being a hacker curiosity.
On the other hand, especially given the shortage and the increase in price that has come with the Pi’s expanding memory endowments, a lot of people who would “just throw in a Raspberry Pi” are starting to think more carefully about their options. Five years ago, this would have meant looking into what you could whip together on an Arduino-based platform, either on actual Arduino hardware or on an ESP8266 or similar, but that’s a very different beast from a programmer’s perspective. Working with microcontrollers used to be very different from working with even the smallest Linux machines.
These days, there is no shortage of microcontrollers that have enough memory – both flash and RAM – to support a higher-level environment like MicroPython. And if you think about it, MicroPython brings to the microcontrollers a lot of what people were using a Raspberry Pi for in projects anyway: a friendly interactive programming environment that was free of the compile-here, flash-there debug cycle. If you’re happy coding Python on a single-board Linux computer, you’ll be more or less happy coding in MicroPython or Circuit Python on a microcontroller.
PC Hardware Monitor Uses Tricorder-Derived Tech
The visually striking hardware monitor that [Mangy_Dog] recently put together for his new custom PC build might look like something out of the Alien franchise, but the hardware he’s built it around actually comes from a very different science-fiction property: Star Trek. Or at least, from a very impressive line of Star Trek props, anyway.
Given the incredible amount of time and effort that [Mangy_Dog] has put into developing his Star Trek: Voyager tricorder, it’s no surprise that he would decide to reuse its graphics chip and microcontroller. But while the familiar hardware might have helped jump-start this build, this was no weekend project.
He’s steadily been working on it for several months now, and even entered it into the 2022 Sci-Fi Contest back in April. Obviously he wasn’t able to complete it before the Contest deadline, but looking at the final results, we’re happy to see he kept chugging away at it.
Of course, with a project like this, the hardware is only half the battle. In the video below, [Mangy_Dog] explains the challenges involved in creating not only the firmware that runs on the monitor, but the accompanying PC-side application. This included modifying existing libraries to add support for the device’s unique flash storage arrangement, and pulling the relevant system status information out of the operating system and into a series of customizable widgets.
As impressive as the project is, [Mangy_Dog] says he’s not done yet. A second revision of the hardware and software will address several issues and add new capabilities, and considering the high degree of polish we’ve come to expect from his creations, we’re not surprised
Shopping for a New PC? Check Out OPSYS!
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Sponsored by OPSYS
There are a fair few big-name system integrators here in the UK, and of course, plenty more on a global scale. However, it’s a tough market, and maintaining a strong customer relationship over the years can be a demanding task. As such, many system integrators come and go, are reputation is often king in the eye of the consumer. Especially so when talking about gaming PCs, as the enthusiast market is better educated now than ever, thanks in no small part to sites like ourselves here at eTeknix who help you dive into the details of what makes up the expansive universe of PC hardware.
When looking for a new PC, building yourself has some appeal, but buying all the parts you need, getting them delivered on time (and in one piece), ensuring they’re all compatible and assembling everything can be time-consuming and often more expensive than ordering one that’s pre-assembled… You wouldn’t think so, but it’s true more often than not. Plus, dealing with mixed warranties is a hassle, especially for first-time system builders or hopelessly unlucky PC gamers who have hardware failures more than most. System integrators give you a whole system warranty, and that piece of mind goes a heck of a long way.
OPSYSAnd that’s where OPSYS comes into play. Firstly, I like their name, OP+SYS = Overpowered Systems I guess, and who doesn’t like an overly powerful system!? They’ve asked me to check out what they have to offer, and honestly, I’m coming away pretty darn impressed. Firstly and foremost because they have one of the best configurator systems I’ve used to date