ADAFRUIT WEEKLY ROUND-UP

We’ve got so much happening here at Adafruit that it’s not always easy to keep up! Don’t worry – we can help with that! Each week we’ll be posting a handy round-up of what we’ve been up to, ranging from learn guides to blog articles, videos, and more.

BLOG

Adafruit Circuit Playground Express giveaway!

ENTER HERE TO WIN! There are 30 days left, plenty’o time!

More BLOG:

We had another wacky yet wonderful week here at Adafruit. We covered A LOT, but see below for some of our blog highlights from over the last few days:

• We are making a CircuitPython based gaming platform … @adafruit
• Robot trapeze with CRICKIT
• Unchained Melody – How to make (ghost) slime with Crickit
• #comingsoon more CRICKITs

LEARN

Controlling a Classic Nintendo R.O.B. Robot Using Circuit Playground Express

R.O.B. relies on a series of precise flashes from a CRT analog television to receive commands via a sensor in the robot’s head. It had no connection to the NES itself.
Using an NES on a modern LCD TV does not allow R.O.B. to work as the images are not output in the same way analog signals were used. R.O.B. uses a detection chip in his head which relied on specific flash timing inherent in analog TV (in the US, NTSC signals).

Over the years, people have tried to recreate the R.O.B. controls without success. Some success has been achieved by Makers by hacking the motor control board in R.O.B.’s base (which will be shown later in this article).

Here at Adafruit, we took this as a challenge. With the aid of some NES emulation detective work on the AtariAge forums along with Ladyada’s NTSC-foo, we have recreated the light control sequence R.O.B. uses to move.

This tutorial will assist you in taking your dusty R.O.B. and making him a useful part of your life. Read more!

MORE LEARN:

• Trash Panda – Adorable Hugging Panda Friend
• Animatronic Hand – Build a cardboard animatronic hand with independent finger control using CRICKIT robotics controller board!
• Adafruit pIRkey – A Python Programmable InfraRed USB Adapter

For all that’s new in Learn, see here!