Blog Archives -

The Complete Guide to the HLK-LD2410 24GHz Human Presence Radar Module

If you’re building smart home systems, motion detection, lighting automation, or occupancy sensors, a radar module like the HLK-LD2410 offers a lot more than a standard PIR sensor. It can detect both moving and micro-movements (breathing, sitting still, slight motion), output distance estimates, provide configurable sensitivity, etc. In this guide we’ll go through what it is, how […]

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HALLOWEEN – JACK O’ LANTERN V2

Blog, Projects / Achim Pieters

Introduction After the success of my previous project – the Halloween – Jack O’ Lantern – many of you asked for something even more dynamic, with smoother flame transitions and more LED action. So here it is: Ultimate Fire Effect, a fully reworked version with improved hardware and software, driven by the tiny but mighty ATtiny85. This project

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ESP32 Lifecycle Manager: Manage Your Firmware, Provisioning and Recovery in One Package

Blog, HomeKit, Projects, Software / Achim Pieters

ESP32-Lifecycle-Manager (LCM) is a smart “control tower” for your ESP32 device. At startup, LCM takes charge first: it handles network setup, update management, recovery procedures, and more — so your application can focus on its actual tasks. In this post, we’ll dive into how LCM works, how to integrate it, and why it’s a great

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Nest Protect (2nd Gen) – 3D Printed Ceiling Mounting Ring

Blog, Projects / Achim Pieters

Sometimes the biggest challenges come from the smallest details. The Nest Protect (2nd Generation) is a beautiful piece of hardware – a combined smoke and CO alarm – that comes in two versions: battery powered and 220V wired. I wanted the wired version, because I didn’t want to constantly replace batteries. But my house, built

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The Complete Guide to the RC522 RFID Module

Accessories, Blog / Achim Pieters

RFID technology is everywhere: access cards, metro tickets, contactless payments, and smart locks. For makers, one of the easiest ways to experiment with RFID is the RC522 module. It’s a low-cost 13.56 MHz RFID reader/writer that works with tags, key fobs, and cards. In this guide we’ll explore what the RC522 is, its specifications, wiring,

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Apple TV – Wall Mount

Blog, Projects / Achim Pieters

Some projects are born out of necessity. The Apple TV is a sleek and compact streaming device, but once again, Apple didn’t think about how you actually place it in your setup. Most people just let it sit next to the TV, cables dangling around, or worse, stuck with tape or Velcro behind the screen.

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Arduino Nano HV Rescue Shield – For attinyxx

Blog, Projects / Achim Pieters

If you’ve ever configured the fuse bits of an ATtiny incorrectly — for example disabling the RESET pin or choosing the wrong clock source — regular ISP programming will fail. Your microcontroller will appear to be bricked. Luckily, there’s a reliable fix: the Arduino Nano HV Rescue Shield. By applying a 12 V “backdoor” you can reprogram

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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE ATTINY 0-, 1- AND 2-SERIES

Blog / Achim Pieters

The classic ATtiny85 is still a favorite among makers, but Microchip has since released a much more modern successor: the ATtiny 0-, 1-, and 2-Series. These new generation ATtiny chips combine higher performance, more peripherals, and a far more flexible architecture — all in the same compact form factor. In this guide, you’ll learn what the ATtiny 0/1/2-Series are, how

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ESP32 WiFi Bootstrap: Simple Wi-Fi Provisioning with HomeKit Integration

Blog, HomeKit / Achim Pieters

Configuring Wi-Fi on an ESP32 can be challenging—especially if you want the device to work across different networks without re-flashing the firmware each time. Fortunately, the ESP32 WiFi Bootstrap project offers an elegant solution. In this blog post, we’ll explore how this project works, how to integrate it into your own ESP32 projects, and how the HomeKit

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Simplify Your PCB Panelization Workflow with Mouse Bite Footprints in KiCad

Blog / Achim Pieters

When designing printed circuit boards (PCB’s), panelization is a common technique to manufacture multiple boards simultaneously. A widely used method for separating these boards after production is the use of breakaway tabs, often referred to as mouse bites. The mouse-bite.pretty library offers a convenient collection of KiCad footprints that simplify this process. What Are Mouse Bites? Mouse bites are

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