Tech Explorations

KiCad 10 review: new features, high-speed tuning, variants, and more

Peter — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 04:13:06 +0000

KiCad 10 was released on March 20, 2026, the first day of autumn in the southern hemisphere. I find that timing fitting. Autumn is when things that have been growing all year reach maturity. I have been teaching KiCad since version 4, and I wrote a comprehensive review of KiCad 6 back in early 2021 […]

The post KiCad 10 review: new features, high-speed tuning, variants, and more appeared first on Tech Explorations.

Wrappa IoT demo: BMP280 environmental monitor with Node-RED and I²C

Peter — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The first video covered what the Wrappa system is and how setup works. This one answers the more important question: can you build something useful with it? I connected a BMP280 temperature and pressure sensor over I²C and built a live monitoring dashboard in Node-RED using the visual flow editor, with one small JavaScript modification. […]

The post Wrappa IoT demo: BMP280 environmental monitor with Node-RED and I²C appeared first on Tech Explorations.

Wrappa IoT system review: Visual programming, Local control, no soldering required

Peter — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 23:41:13 +0000

The Wrappa system from Wrapit Solutions is a direct attempt to fix common issues that Makers face when dealing with IoT projects. It replaces the code-and-compile workflow with a drag-and-drop visual interface built on Node-RED, running locally on a Raspberry Pi hub. I spent time with the starter kit to see whether it delivers on […]

The post Wrappa IoT system review: Visual programming, Local control, no soldering required appeared first on Tech Explorations.

Coming soon: Smart USB Thumb Drive, a deep-dive PCB design course on KiCad 10

Peter — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 23:18:12 +0000

I’ve been working on a new PCB, and I feel its far enough in development to let you know about it. It’s a Smart USB Thumb Drive, implemented on two-layer PCB that I’m building into a comprehensive KiCad course, recorded from scratch on the upcoming KiCad 10 release (I will post separately about KiCad 10). […]

The post Coming soon: Smart USB Thumb Drive, a deep-dive PCB design course on KiCad 10 appeared first on Tech Explorations.

PCBHub: A new way to collaborate on KiCad projects

Peter — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 00:45:40 +0000

If you’ve ever needed feedback on a KiCad design before sending it to fabrication, you know the frustration. You email the project files to a consultant or colleague, then wait for replies filled with screenshots and vague descriptions like “that capacitor on the left side.” The back-and-forth is tedious and error-prone. You could use GitHub, […]

The post PCBHub: A new way to collaborate on KiCad projects appeared first on Tech Explorations.

CrowPanel Advanced 7 Inch ESP32 P4 Display Deep Dive

Peter — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 23:44:07 +0000

There is a matching video for this article where I walk through the hardware and the code step by step. If you haven’t read the first post of this series, check it out first as it covers the basics. The CrowPanel Advanced 7 inch display is one of those boards that immediately raises eyebrows when […]

The post CrowPanel Advanced 7 Inch ESP32 P4 Display Deep Dive appeared first on Tech Explorations.

CrowPanel Advanced 7 Inch ESP32-P4 display – An overview

Peter — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 22:38:58 +0000

From simple screens to embedded AI systems Until recently, embedded displays have forced an uncomfortable choice. On one side, single board computers like the Raspberry Pi offer flexibility and strong software support, but they are bulky, power hungry, and excessive for a permanently mounted panel. On the other side, microcontroller based displays are compact and […]

The post CrowPanel Advanced 7 Inch ESP32-P4 display – An overview appeared first on Tech Explorations.

Arduino Uno Q Person Detector: Bridge, Bricks, and Real-Time AI

Peter — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 04:05:22 +0000

In my previous video, I introduced the Arduino Uno Q and tested its pre-loaded AI models. Now it’s time to build something practical. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through creating a working AI-powered person detector that uses a USB webcam to detect people in real-time and displays the results on the Uno Q’s built-in […]

The post Arduino Uno Q Person Detector: Bridge, Bricks, and Real-Time AI appeared first on Tech Explorations.

Arduino Uno Q: Hands-On with Arduino’s Dual-Brain AI Board

Peter — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 03:45:37 +0000

The Arduino Uno Q represents a significant moment in the maker ecosystem. Born from Qualcomm’s acquisition of Arduino, this dual-brain board brings artificial intelligence capabilities to the familiar Arduino platform while maintaining the development experience that millions of makers know and love. But here’s the question I set out to answer: at around $44 to […]

The post Arduino Uno Q: Hands-On with Arduino’s Dual-Brain AI Board appeared first on Tech Explorations.

Course update: Repairing and bringing up the custom LattePanda Mu carrier board

Peter — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 23:33:26 +0000

This update documents the complete repair and bring-up of both the custom and reference LattePanda Mu carrier boards, including real-world PCB rework, power subsystem fixes, and the first successful boots after repair.

The post Course update: Repairing and bringing up the custom LattePanda Mu carrier board appeared first on Tech Explorations.