News from Cool Components

New Stuff

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:23:43 GMT

Lots of exciting new products now online. First up, one of the most gorgeously presented development tools we've seen for a long time.

Embedded Artist's LPXPresso Baseboard comes in a lovely metal tin, and looks a bit like there should be cake inside. Instead of cake - a highly featured base board designed to accept either the NXP processor based MBED (we're stocking this soon fingers crossed) or one of the native LPC Embedded Artists target boards.

The baseboard has tons of features including an onboard RGB-LED, a 5-key joystick switch, a rotary switch with quadrature encoding, a speaker and a 96x64 pixel white OLED. Full specs are here.

From Sparkfun the new sensor 9 degrees of freedom motion sensor board features. If you're interested in autonomous vehicles, this board has the ability for AHRS. This makes the board a powerful platform for UAV control, autonomous vehicles, and image stabilization. The board uses three axis of gyro, accelerometer, and magneto along with a direction cosine matrix (in software) to obtain a stable heading reference in almost all environments. Wowser!

Also from Sparkfun a more humble, but no less useful offering. The TMP102 is a simple digital temperature sensor with 0.0625�C resolution, I2C interface, and all accurate to 0.5�C. A doddle to use along with an Arduino or any other I2C enabled MCU.

Finally - a new breed of Ultrasonic range sensors from our chums at Maxbotix. The XL-MaxSonar-EZ0 sensor features 1cm resolution and continuous recalibration to counter the effects of changing temperature, humidity and voltage. With a measurable range from 20cm to 765cm this sensor will no doubt find a large amount of applications.

We've Moved!

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:09:46 GMT

We have a new office. It's brand spanking new, and very shiny. You can now find us at 250 York Road, London, SW11 3SJ. For folk who live in London, unlike the old office, we're happy to allow customer collections of orders placed online. Please remember that you need to arrange this with us first, and you can't just turn up without letting us know. We're thrilled to be expanding enough to need a new office, and that's all thanks to you guys and your loyal support over the years. We're confident that our new HQ will mean faster, more reliable order dispatch, and happier customers all round. Huzzah!

Introduction to XBee

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 11:37:34 GMT

Xbee modules are a family of really nice little radio devices that use the ZigBee or 802.15.4 protocol. They send and receive data via the 2.4GHz or 900Mhz band at a relatively low power and can be used to set up simple point-to-point links or complex self-healing networks spread over quite large areas. The higher power devices can be used as telemetry solutions over long ranges, but really the applications are extremely varied.

Interfacing with an Xbee module is easy. They all have the same pin outs, and you talk to them with simple serial comms, using AT based commands, or an API command set. They can be configured to be very low power, and to wake up very quickly. Crucially, for many applications, Xbee modules do not need to be driven by an external micro-processor. Many have on-board ADCs and digital inputs outside of the normal serial comms in/out meaning that you can interface them directly to sensors, switches and so on.

For the beginner though, things can quickly get confusing. There are several different sub-types of Xbee modules, which have different features. Within each sub-type, you can program modules to have different functions. Quite often, the different sub-types are not compatible with other sub-types, or only partially compatible. Nearly all of the Xbee modules physically look very similar.

So the point of this guide is to look at the different Xbee types, what they can be used for, and suggest which types fit with certain applications. Let's start by looking at a table of the different sub-types, along with a few key features.

Type	Network Capability	Power	Frequency	Range (open air)	Hardware Type
Series 1	Point-to-Point, Point-to-Multipoint	0dBm/1mW	2.4Ghz	100m	I
Series 2.5 (ZNET)	Point-to-Point, Point-to-Multipoint, Mesh Network	3dBm/2mW	2.4Ghz	120m	II
Series ZB	Point-to-Point, Point-to-Multipoint, Mesh Network	3dBm/2mW	2.4Ghz	120m	II
Pro Series 2.5	Point-to-Point, Point-to-Multipoint, Mesh Network	17dBm/60mW	2.4Ghz	1000m	III
Pro Series ZB	Point-to-Point, Point-to-Multipoint, Mesh Network	17dBm/60mW	2.4Ghz	1000m	III

Please note - the column 'Hardware Type' just shows a notional type. This is to indicate the possiblity of reflashing a module's firmware to convert it to a different type. We discuss this later.

Network Capability

Point-to-Point : Data is sent/received between one device and one other device. This is the simplest type, but also not hugely flexible.
Point-to-Multipoint : Data is sent/received between one device and many other devices.
Mesh Network : A combination of the P2P and P2M types. The crucial different is that data will often pass through intermediate devices in a manner similar to the way the internet works. Mesh networks are self establishing and self healing. They are the most flexible and powerful solution, but potentially the most complex to set up.

Antenna Types

Whatever sub-type, there is a choice of aerials.

Chip : Mounted on the Xbee module, this is a good solution for most people. The chip antenna is a low profile device, and doesn't really take up any space.
Whip : A solid, but flexible wire antenna, this sticks up about 20mm above the surface of the Xbee PCB. It can be moved around to maximise signal strength, or to stick out of an enclosure. Correspondingly, because it can be moved, it can also be broken off is care is not taken, of the solder connection becomes stressed.
u.FL : This is not an aerial, but a connector for an external aerial. The u.FL format is tiny, and can be plugged / unplugged only a few times before it starts to fail. We do not recommend it for experimentation / prototyping
RPSMA : Again - this is a connector for an external aerial. The whole RPSMA / SMA thing can be confusing, but this is a gold screw-threat connector with a solid, pointy pin in the middle. Aerials similar to the type that is used on PC wifi cards can be screwed in (check their type first!), and it's possible to use properly matched aerials on longish coaxial leads. This means that the aerial can be changed or positioned easily.

Module Functions

In the sub-types that use mesh networking, modules can have three main 'functions'. These are related to their network functions.

Coordinator : This is the module that establishes the network. Every network must have one (and only one) of these types in it. Think of this device as similar to your wireless internet router. Because this device is constantly administering the network, it consumes more power than other types. It is recommended that this module is not powered by battery
Endpoint : This is your common or garden network module. It can be battery powered, and doesn't consume much energy unless it needs to transmit or receive. In some Xbee types (ZB for example) the endpoint can be further configured with a 'profile'. We'll talk more about this later.
Router : This device is similar to the Endpoint, but also specialises in passing data around the network. Data sent from one endpoint to another may pass through several routers on it's way to the destination.

Configuring the Xbee

Okay, so there are lots of different types of Xbee module - but how can we set them up in the first place? The answer is a free piece of software called X-CTU, provided by manufacturer Digi. X-CTU allows you to reflash the firmware of different modules, making it easy to configure one module as a coordinator, and one as an endpoint. In addition, X-CTU offers a simple terminal program so that you can test that two different modules are able to send and receive data.

Which Module?

So after all of this, which module type is the most suitable for your application? The answer is, that which module you chose really depends on your application. If you JUST want to send data from A to B with as little configuration as possible, series 1 may be a good choice.

Unfortunately, series 1 only offers one type of communication (P2P) and nothing else. You can't reflash a series 1 as a series ZB because the hardware is different, so once you've bought and used the series 1, you're stuck with it.

For full flexibility, we recommend series ZB. This is the newest range available, and you can, if you want, reflash a ZB module to become a series 2.5 module, because the hardware is the same.

We don't recommend that you buy a high power Pro module if you don't need it. In some countries, above 50mW is not legal for unlicensed use.

Series ZB can be configured (we'll tell you how in later tutorials) to be a point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, or mesh network. In addition, series ZB is compatible with other non-Digi (the manufacturer of Xbee) Zigbee devices. This means your project may be able to talk to someone else's project, even if they haven't used an Xbee devices. Xbee Series 2.5 modules do not have this ability.

Augmented Life

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:58:19 GMT

First, from everyone at Cool Components, we wish all of our customers and suppliers a very happy new year. Thank you for your business and support in '09. 2010's shaping up to be a brilliant year, with lots of exciting stuff happening. More to be revealed soon. In the mean time, a big shout out to the guys at Parrot ARDrone. They've launched a very cool augmented reality helicopter game system. Not quite sure what we mean? Have a look at this :

The ARDrone is really just a collection of the technologies we sell here at Cool Components, and is really an inspiration that amazing things can be done with just a few microprocessors, accelerometers and a wifi link or two. The project is open source with an SDK available, so the applications (entertainment based and otherwise) for this are limited only by your imagination and computer graphics prowess, oh... and whether you can fly a helicopter with your iPhone!

New Products Galore

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:28:55 GMT

As things gear up for Christmas, we're stocking a range of exciting new products. First up is a fantastic Arduino shield.

The GPRS 'Playground' slots over your Duemilanove, and gives it the power to send voice or data via the world's cellular phone networks. Email, web, twitter, ftp, SMS - what ever you want to send or receive really. Onboard features include a microphone, reset switch, and SIM card holder.

This powerline modem allows data to be sent or received over your home/office mains cable. With speeds of up to 5Mbs, this is a great solution for when LAN cables and WiFi can't cover the distance (or get through the walls!)

The powerline range includes handy 'daughter' modules that fit onto the modem's expansion port. Ethernet, usb and Xbee are all supported. Happy days!

Serial LCD displays are all the rage, but this one is a little different. Small, light and easy to use, the TextStar even has four on-board buttons. If you need to show a bargraph display, this display makes it very easy. For RC fans, there's a ready made servo diagnostic mode.

This cable has to win the prize for the most useful thing ever. It's a USB-serial converter, with all the gubbins built in to the USB plug housing. Signals are both 5 and 3.3 V tolerant, and the breakout connector at the TTL end also provides a handy 5V supply. Don't leave home without one!

The LPC-1766-Stk is a powerful development board for the excellent LPC1766 ARM processor from NXP. It has an onboard 128x128 x12bit colour TFT display, a 3-axis digital accelerometer with 11 bit accuracy, a temperature sensor, USB device and host connectors, a joystick and much more.

Finally, if you need your project to know exactly what time it is, you'll need a real time clock module. We've programmed these with the precise GMT (Zulu) time, and they can be easily interrogated via I2C from an Arduino or other suitable platform. A battery means the time is never lost (until the battery runs out)

Roving Networks

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:45:12 GMT

We're thrilled to announce that we're now an official reseller for Roving Networks. They're a cracker of a company from the US who make several fantastically exciting wireless products. The first we're featuring opens the world of WiFi up to anyone who's able to send a serial command, and allows your projects to talk to the world via the internet.

The WiFly GSX module is a complete ultra low power embedded TCP/IP solution - a stand alone, embedded wireless 802.11b/g networking module. The combination of ultra low power and the ability to wake up, connect to a wireless network, send data and return to sleep mode in less than 100 milliseconds, allows the WiFly GSX to run for years (yes years!!!) on two standard AAA batteries. Another principal product from RN is the RN-41 bluetooth module.

Designed to replace serial cables this module totally encapsulates the troublesome Bluetooth stack�. The end user just sees serial characters being transmitted back and forth. Press the 'A' character from a terminal program on your computer and an 'A' will be pushed out the TX pin of the Bluetooth� module. With over air data rates of 721kbps to 2.0Mbps and support for most of the popular profiles this module really opens up the world of bluetooth.

Also now in stock - have you ever tried to use a cheap bluetooth dongle with your PC, but been plagued by badly written drivers, or pairing problems? These two roving network dongles add Bluetooth functionality to legacy laptops of PCs, but without the myriad of bugs and problems that seem to affect lesser, poorer quality products. We especially like the DIP swtches on each device that allow the pairing ID to be set via hardware!

From Design to Board in 30 Minutes

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:26:16 GMT

Breadboards are brilliant - but there comes a time when you need to make connections more permanent, more professional, and better looking! We're now stocking a PCB fabrication system that is fast, easy and cheap to use. The system works using laser printer or photo-copier toner transfer, and with a little care it's possible to do double sided designs. The key advantage is the speed. From the moment you print out the design, to your finished board can take as little as 30 minutes.

Yes, we know it may not be as 'professional' as the boards made by fab houses, but compare the speed and cost, and you'll see that it's a pretty good deal, particularly if you're making constant tweaks to your design. Use the 'sponge method' when you etch and things move very fast! The system even allows for white silk screen layers too!

Talking about 'professional' - we know several very very professional R+D engineers from very grown up firms who use this system regularly. The PulsarProFX "FabInABox" system is heat and pressure activated. An iron will work, but we'd recommend a domestic roll laminator like this one. We stock the refill parts for the kit, and also offer a spin off product that can be used.

DecalProFx uses roughly the same technology to produce transfers for enclosures, or anything else you can stick them to.

Rubik's Solved (Again)

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:59:43 GMT

They were the 'must have' toy of the 80's. Now this nifty project from a chap called Andrius Sutas in Lithuania makes light work of even the most scambled cube.

As far as we can work out from the opening sequence of the movie, the project doesn't go as far as recognising colours itself, which is a shame, given there's already a camera feed into the controlling PC. Andrius says that it's an ATMega16 controlling four servos in total, two for the rotating arms, and two for the cube 'jaws'. Software for the AVR was written entirely in C.

Getting onto the Telly

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:51:21 GMT

Liquid crystal displays are great for displaying text and graphics, but they're often not very big, and can sometimes be a little expensive. What better then, to just plug your latest project into a normal TV or monitor, and display information that way?

We're now stocking 3 different types of device that make this option extremely easy to implement. All of are controlled by simple serial commands, the meat and drink of any micro-processor. All of them have their own pluses and minuses, so here's a quick run-through...

The uVGA-PICASO controller (on the left) and baseboard (on the right) from 4D Systems plugs straight into a normal analogue (or digital with an adaptor) computer monitor port. As soon as you power it up, it runs a demo sequence that shows you clearly that everything is working. The control set includes a powerful set of commands including page swapping, and bitmap based graphics. The module even has its own uSD card slot so that you can easily load icons and the like. Resolution is a healthy 640x480 with 256 colours. Yeehaa!

The Micro uVGA Text Module is a different type of beast. It has a 16 colour resolution of 80 x 25 text characters. This can be used to produce blocky graphics, or very large text. The effect is a bit like the old 'Teletext' service that used to run on UK TV. The neat thing about this module is that, in addition to the VGA output, it also offers a direct-to-TV PAL/NTSC signal. To cap it all, the unit has a keyboard input, and uses convenient ANSI terminal commands.

Finally, for the Arduino hordes, the TellyMate fits neatly over your Duemilanova. It outputs video as black and white PAL/NTSC only, but may be all some people are looking for. Once again, blocky graphics are all that are really possible here, but hey - blocky is kinda nice from time to time.

Okay - so three devices - lots of differences, lots of features. Here's a nice table to compare everything at once! Happy telly-boxing!

Device	Resolution	Colours	Output	Inputs	Arduino Form Factor
uVGA-PICASO	640 x 480	256	VGA	uSD Card	No
Micro VGA	80 x 25	16	VGA+PAL/NTSC	Keyboard	No
TellyMate	38 x 25	2	PAL/NTSC	None	Yes

We Like This Robot a Lot

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:59:40 GMT

From French company Aldebaran Robotics, meet 'Nao'. He's humanoid, autonomous and runs Linux as his OS. He's powered by LiPo batteries, and has cute flashing LEDs for eyes. His arms and legs use loads of servos to produce 25 degrees of freedom movement. Unfortunately, he's not available to buy because he's a 'concept'. Probably a good thing, because if Nao was available, we have a hunch that he'd be very expensive. Obviously Nao has nothing to do with Cool Components, but we'd love to think that some of the development tools and components we supply could one day help someone reading this post to create the next generation of Naos. If you haven't already - check out the video. Cute, touching, but a little bit spooky. Rubber duck theft is a crime dontcha know!

Exciting New Things

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:52:56 GMT

It's been a while since our last post. During the last few weeks we've added a lot to our catalog. First off the block - Xbee modules.

The 50mW Xbee Pro has a range of about a mile line-of-sight and are extremely easy to configure for seamless point to point data communications. We like them so much, we're offering this Flight Telemetry Pack featuring two Xbee modules.

The telemetry pack also contains two breakout boards that allow easy connection to a PC and GPS unit, or other datastream. One of the options in the kit is the ArduPilot from DIYDrones.com.

The ArduPilot allows advanced autonomous flight control of unmanned aerial vehicles. You can hook it up to a GPS and other in-flight sensors.

It's tiny, very light, but could form the basis of your first light sabre. This miniscule, value for money, laser projects its photons at the speed of light. Amazing!

Finally - they're sharp, blue, and excellent for picking up tiny things. Tweezers from Weitus - Nice!

LilyPad Wearable Computing

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:34:09 GMT

Imagine creating an item of clothing with embedded MCUs, thermometers, accelerometers, buttons, all linked by conductive threads. That's the concept behind the LilyPad range of modules. The threads can be literally sewn into garments, allowing sensors to be placed at the end of sleeves, or just where-ever!

The LilyPad technology was created by Leah Buechley along with our friends at SparkFun Electronics. Notice the large connecting pads on this, and all of the LilyPad modules -designed to keep maximum contact with conductive threads that are simply sewn through the pin holes rather than soldered.

Apparently these modules are even washable. To be honest - no-one at Cool Components has ever dared try this, but the manufacturers swear it's true! Finally - here's a shot of one of the most important components to this range - the conductive thread itself.

Each spool has about 170 metres of thread - It's not as conductive as copper at around 46ohms per metre, but it's still fine for 'arm to arm' distances!

New Displays

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:38:52 GMT

The guys over at Liquidware have come up with this : The Touch Shield Slide for the Arduino. It's rather nice.

Rather bigger than it's little brother, the plain old 'Touch Shield', the Slide has a slick 320�240 OLED screen, resistive touch sensing, and its own bolt-on graphics API. The display only uses a couple of data pins, and sits squarely on top of a Duemilanove. Just to be clear - this photo shows a lithium pack underneath the Duemilanove.

Introducing the Mega

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:42:59 GMT

More power, more IOs, more memory, more everything. The long awaited Arduino Mega has now been released worldwide, and Cool Components is amongst the first to offer these meaty units to customers.

Ouch! The Blinking Bright MaxM

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:12:05 GMT

It's blinding bright and really rather painful to look at! BlinkMs new MaxM module uses 3 superbright LEDS to pump out huge amounts of light. It's all MCU controlled of course, and some beautiful lighting effects are easily achievable.

Making things move

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:11:41 GMT

Solid state electronics are great, but what about when you actually want things to move? We've created a new category for robotics related kits and components, including a mega-cool tank style robot chasis, built especially for the Arduino Duemilanove. Also now available in this category is a popular servo motor from HiTech. Now there is no excuse not to have Wall-E type devices zooming around your office or home.

Now Stocking Pololu Motor Controllers

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:11:05 GMT

They're one of the best suppliers of motor controllers, digital servo controllers, geared motors and other associated control and robotic modules. We're now stocking a carefully selected range of top-notch Pololu products for your latest UAV, robotics or RC project.

5 Hz GPS Module

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:10:42 GMT

We're now stocking this rather nice GPS module. 5Hz output, up to 5Hz update rate, on-board patch antenna, 3.3V @ 41mA and all at a smidge over 13 grams. Treat your UAV to an upgrade with this delight of a unit.

Feeding Demand

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:09:46 GMT

We've launched a series of RSS feeds to let you all know about new products, fresh stock and news. To subscribe, please copy the link next to the RSS icon at the top left of the page into your reader. Then, every time we update our product range or stock levels, you'll be amongst the first to know. A very simple, easy to use reader is�this one�provided by Google.

Sponsoring SuperToys

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:09:01 GMT

We're proud to be sponsoring an art exhibition at Bristol's Arnolfini gallery. The exhibition is called�'SuperToys'�and uses�Arduino USB boards�to allow visitors to add interactivity to old toys.

Amazing, yet sinister

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:08:24 GMT

Bizarre, and yet stunning pictures from Switzerland have been released showing the cognitive and physical power of so called 'swarm-bots'. From the land of cuckoo clocks and chocolate, we present.... robot aided child pulling! Go Jade!

Give your Arduino a Display

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:07:53 GMT

Why not give your Arduino the ability to interact with the world in a really special way? This LCD display from Liquidware is also touch sensitive and has been designed to fit directly onto your Arduino like a normal shield extension. Used with some clever code, it's capable of doing some pretty amazing stuff.

Introducing the PIC MAXI Web!

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:07:16 GMT

Take a look at the new PIC Maxi Web board, now in stock. It's the biggest of the Olimex web server development boards and includes an amazing range of features including power relays, an LCD display, temperature sensors and much much more. With a little bit of software, this board will allow the devlopment of complex over-the-internet control and monitoring systems. The possibilities with this dev board are endless, and it's great value for money.

Glossy, colourful displays

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:06:51 GMT

Now in stock - several fantastic models of colour LCD displays. Most of the devices allow access to their functions via a simple serial interface, meaning that even the smallest MCU can generate some pretty impressive on screen displays. We've seen these units being used for all sorts of things, from medical displays, to purpose built hand held games. With 256k colours and good resolutions, these devices are fast enough to display video. Some even have their own on-board storage and sound!

Self controlling, programmable blinky ThingMs

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:06:02 GMT

Now in stock, the BlinkM Smart LED from ThingM. A fully networkable and programmable RGB light source for designers, experimenters - or anyone who needs a controllable colour light source. Because the unit is controlled by an on-board micro, once it's programmed, you just need to power it up and it'll run continually. The BlinkM is programmed via an I2C bus via free sequencer software.Multiple BlinkMs can be stranded together on an I2C bus allowing for some amazing light displays.

Tiny Webserver!

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:05:11 GMT

Tiny, low cost and flexible - Measuring just 50mm x 30 mm the PIC-MICRO-WEB is one of the smallest web servers available in the world. Mounted in a DB25 connector shell, it's the perfect way to add internet access to an existing project quickly and without fuss. The server comes programmed with the easy to use Microchip TCP/IP stack but is easily reprogrammable. Try one and never look back!

Hello Spark Fun!

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:04:51 GMT

They're one of the first, and one of the best - Now Cool Components is proud to announce that we're stocking a selected range of great products from Sparkfun. Their breakout boards allow easy access to the most fiddly of components and help reduce development time by cutting short all of the messy soldering. In addition the guys in Colorado produce a number of ready made units that are easy to integrate into your current project. Their products are great - the only problem is - they're in the US and postage sure ain't cheap. Thankfully now we're stocking select items that's not a problem.

ARMed to the Hilt!

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:04:01 GMT

Cool Components is proud to announce that we're now stocking a range of carefully selected development boards and programmers for the popular ARM processor. ARM microcontrollers are High-Performance, 16/32-Bit RISC Core devices and their market is one of the most fastest growing in the sector. ARM processors are available from number of vendors including Analog Devices, Atmel, Cirrus Logic, OKI, Philips Semiconductors, ST Microelectronics and Texas Instruments. Experts predict that in the next 5 years ARM MCUs will replace the industry standard 8051 architecture in most applications. If you're looking for an easy to use hardware development environment, try the LPC-P2106 prototyping board together with the flexible ARM-JTAG programmer.

Pigeon Tracking With GPS

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:03:22 GMT

Since the dawn of time, their unique sense of direction has been a mystery, now scientists are unravelling the natural navigational talents of pigeons by the use of GPS modules. Researchers at Oxford's Merton College are using�EM406 GPS modules�fixed to the back of common pigeons to follow and log their flight paths. The tiny modules, weighing virtually nothing, mean that the pigeons fly in a natural manner from the release point to their destination.

GPS MADNESS!

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:02:27 GMT

Take a look at our range of Sirf Star III GPS Modules. These lovely units have the sensitivity to get satellite lock in areas where other, lesser units do not. In some situations these units will even get lock indoors. We're selling them at seriously silly prices, so please take a look before they're all gone! Please note : the 50p piece is not included!

LAN-tastic!

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:01:50 GMT

Fancy internet enabling your fridge, your kettle or your front door!? Let's face it, pretty much everything is becoming internet enabled these days and there's no reason why your devices shouldn't have the same feature. Microchip's ENC28J60 is a fully featured and easy to use stand alone ethernet controller. This wonderful device has an SPI interface, on-board MAC and PHY. Simple to use, cheap and well documented.

Welcome Olimex

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 16:45:37 GMT

Cool Components is proud to announce that we're now a distributor for Olimex products. We can now offer some of their fantastic and affordable PIC, ARM, MSP-430 programmer and development boards.

We Are Cool Components

info@coolcomponents.co.uk (Cool Components) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:05:52 GMT

Cool Components is a dynamic electronic components supply company based in South London. We were set up in 2004 and have grown dramatically over the past few years. Our mission is to supply everyone from academics to hobbiests with the latest prototyping and development components at cutting edge prices. We use cheap, fast shipping and only operate via the internet, keeping costs down.�� So far we have supplied some of the biggest universities in the UK, NHS trusts, and thousands of inventors, engineers, hobbiests and modellers. Our aim is to take on some of the 'big boys' at their own game, whilst offering value for money, and not charging extortionate shipping fees. We hope you like what you see on Cool Components, and would love to hear from you if you have any suggestions about what we should be stocking, or how we should be improving our service.