Last week we highlighted the revamped robotics kits from Makeblock. From now until the beginning of September, you can purchase any of the new kits or expansion packs at 20% off. Don’t miss out. This offer won’t be available for long.
This week we’ve got three great products lined up. First up, we have the Grove – I2C ADC, an analog to digital converter. In a nutshell, it converts analog signal into a numerical value. This is perfect for projects when you need a certain degree of precision in your measurements. It works well with light, sound, and other similar sensors. Up to nine I2C ADCs can be used simultaneously, so keep in mind that the Grove – Base Shield v1.3 only has four I2C ports. You may want to pick up additional Grove – I2C Hubs if you’re planning on using five or more I2C ADC modules. Another feature is low power consumption. This board incorporates auto-sleep mode to save on power.
From Gregory Nauff, we have the GPRSBee to handle your 2G and 3G cellular activity. It provides GPRS functionality in a tiny Bee form factor body, so you can utilize it with any board that has a Bee socket. Since the power requirements of the core chip, the SIM900 module, exceed the 3.3V supported by the Bee socket, you can pair it with a LiPo battery which supports 3.7V. The battery can power your Bee and the main board at the same time using JST connectors, making it the perfect solution for mobile applications. Or you can mount it on a Bee Shield or use a voltage shifter, like the 5V/3.3V breadboard power supply to handle the voltage differential. On the flip side it has a slot for the micro SIM card from your cellular provider. If you only have a standard SIM card, you could, in theory, trim it down to fit the micro SIM slot.
As the saying goes, “Good things come in small packages,” and now our LEDs do too. You can buy 3mm blue LEDs in packs of 25. They are perfect for when you need to replace a couple of LEDs or you just have a small scale project. If you’re in need of other colors, we’ll be offering 25 piece sets of the red and green LEDs soon.
Until next time, keep on making.
(From Erin Linke)
