Announcing Adafruit Gemma – Miniature Wearable Electronic Platform

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Announcing Adafruit Gemma – Miniature Wearable Electronic Platform

Posted by Unknown on Wednesday January 23, 2013 @06:32AM from the honey-i-shrunk-the-microcontroller dept.

coop0030 writes "Open source hardware company Adafruit has announced a new tiny wearable electronics platform board called the Gemma. The Gemma is a tiny, 1-inch diameter and 4-mm thick package. It's powered by an Attiny85 and programmable with an Arduino IDE over USB. There are three available I/O pins, one of which is also an analog input and two of which can do PWM output. Gemma is currently wrapping up development, but should be available soon."

44 comments

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

It's all good and interesting... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-23 06:34 · Score: 0, Flamebait

but does it run Crysis?
1. Re:It's all good and interesting... by Cornwallis · 2013-01-23 06:42 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  and is it TSA-friendly?
2. Re:It's all good and interesting... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-23 06:44 · Score: 1
  
  Oh, man! Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these!
3. Re:It's all good and interesting... by stevegee58 · 2013-01-23 06:48 · Score: 0
  
  And does it blend?
4. Re:It's all good and interesting... by vlm · 2013-01-23 06:49 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  but does it run Crysis?
  Yes but with only two PWM outputs all you get is two pixels.
  In a way I'm glad this stuff isn't too popular... womens sweatpants flashing out morse code "juicy" isn't all that appealing.
  One unfortunate thing is its an inch around. A hair smaller (24 mm?) and it would fit in a "one inch" model rocket tube.
  
  --
  "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
5. Re:It's all good and interesting... by gstoddart · 2013-01-23 06:54 · Score: 1
  
  In a way I'm glad this stuff isn't too popular... womens sweatpants flashing out morse code "juicy" isn't all that appealing.
  Speak for yourself ... me, I'll be in my bunk.
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
6. Re:It's all good and interesting... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-23 07:06 · Score: 0
  
  Speak for yourself ... me, I'll be in my bunk.
  Tapping out "-- . .-- .- -. -" no doubt.
7. Re:It's all good and interesting... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-23 07:09 · Score: 0
  
  is it TSA-friendly
  As long as you don't put it up your ass.
8. Re:It's all good and interesting... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-23 07:16 · Score: 1
  
  Tapping out *something* no doubt
9. Re:It's all good and interesting... by dissy · 2013-01-23 07:22 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Yes but with only two PWM outputs all you get is two pixels.
  In a way I'm glad this stuff isn't too popular... womens sweatpants flashing out morse code "juicy" isn't all that appealing.
  With PWM support, I've bit-banged composite video with only a single IO pin.
  Also a lot of the new LCD/oLED controllers are a serial interface like i2c or SPI, which would be an option here too.
  Just combine this not-yet-available chip with one of those not-yet-available flexible/wearable oLED strips sewn into the ass of said sweatpants, and the juice is on.
10. Re:It's all good and interesting... by FranTaylor · 2013-01-23 07:41 · Score: 2
  
  Yes but with only two PWM outputs all you get is two pixels.
  With two pins you get I2C and thus I/O expansion and as many pixels as you want.
11. Re:It's all good and interesting... by Lumpy · 2013-01-23 07:56 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  If you enjoy being fondled and yelled at while a nightstick is at your throat? Yes it is 100% TSA friendly.
  
  --
  Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
12. Re:It's all good and interesting... by Lumpy · 2013-01-23 07:57 · Score: 1
  
  You must use really crappy led's. I can control 256 pixels at 8 bits color with this device.
  
  --
  Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
13. Re:It's all good and interesting... by mrheckman · 2013-01-23 07:58 · Score: 1
  
  Tapping out "-- . .-- .- -. -" no doubt.
  ME WANT (for those who don't read code).
14. Re:It's all good and interesting... by sinij · 2013-01-23 08:09 · Score: 2
  
  Finally, a reliable way to get your junk fondled without having to pay for it!
15. Re:It's all good and interesting... by gl4ss · 2013-01-23 08:39 · Score: 1
  
  You must use really crappy led's. I can control 256 pixels at 8 bits color with this device.
  sure, you can control a million leds with it if the leds are behind extra circuitry(including circuitry "built into the led").
  it doesn't have too much of free ram though, so make it a million pixels of noise.
  
  --
  world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
16. Re:It's all good and interesting... by Jeremiah+Cornelius · 2013-01-23 08:48 · Score: 1
  
  Does it support "do not track".
  And if they know NOT to track, aren't you already "meta-tracked"?
  
  --
  "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
  Never been known to fail..."
17. Re:It's all good and interesting... by FranTaylor · 2013-01-23 09:09 · Score: 1
  
  The code is stored in flash ROM and there is a fair amount of it, you can write very sophisticated programs that only need a few bytes of RAM if you are clever.
18. Re:It's all good and interesting... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-23 09:09 · Score: 0
  
  So you are building your LED's by hand then? Where do you mine your silicon?
19. Re:It's all good and interesting... by Forty+Two+Tenfold · 2013-01-23 09:43 · Score: 1
  
  nerd
  
  --
  Upward mobility is a slippery slope - the higher you climb the more you show your ass.
20. Re:It's all good and interesting... by FranTaylor · 2013-01-23 09:49 · Score: 2
  
  One unfortunate thing is its an inch around. A hair smaller (24 mm?) and it would fit in a "one inch" model rocket tube.
  The design is open source. Download the gerber files, edit them and send away for your own boards. There are low-volume low-cost options like batchpcb and iteadstudios and you can have the boards you want for just a few dollars.
21. Re:It's all good and interesting... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-23 10:28 · Score: 0
  
  One unfortunate thing is its an inch around. A hair smaller (24 mm?) and it would fit in a "one inch" model rocket tube.
  There are lots of little premade avr board designs that will fit in a rocket tube. You won't be doing any crazy guidance with them, but you can datalog or if you're feeling a little silly, try your hand at stabilization.
  Here's one (pretty funny) attempt: http://hackaday.com/2010/08/03/diy-guided-missile-err-model-rocket/
22. Re:It's all good and interesting... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-23 10:36 · Score: 0
  
  Nobody but Goatse is TSA friendly.
23. Re:It's all good and interesting... by mcneely.mike · 2013-01-23 10:48 · Score: 0
  
  My wife and my last date-night!!! :)
  
  --
  soylentnews.org Go there to enjoy the people!
24. Re:It's all good and interesting... by mcneely.mike · 2013-01-23 10:51 · Score: 0
  
  Speak for yourself ... me, I'll be in my bunk.
  Fapping out "-- . .-- .- -. -" no doubt.
  FTFY
  
  --
  soylentnews.org Go there to enjoy the people!
25. Re:It's all good and interesting... by davester666 · 2013-01-23 19:27 · Score: 1
  
  The correct term is "pre-tracked".
  
  --
  Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
question by Osgeld · 2013-01-23 06:44 · Score: 1, Flamebait

Can I wash it?
1. Re:question by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-23 07:12 · Score: 0
  
  Yes. Just remove the battery first.
2. Re:question by spire3661 · 2013-01-23 07:14 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  You can make them removable by soldering snap buttons onto the pads and sewing the backs into the fabric. You wire it up using stainless steel conductive thread. Here is an example: http://learn.adafruit.com/flora-snaps
  
  --
  Good-bye
3. Re:question by FranTaylor · 2013-01-23 07:45 · Score: 1
  
  There is nothing on that board that won't withstand a dunking in water. In fact I clean the flux from my soldering with copious hot water and a toothbrush. Just remove the battery and it can go right into the wash.
4. Re:question by Lumpy · 2013-01-23 07:58 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  it takes less than 12 seconds (and a 24 hour cure time) to make it withstand a dunk in water without problems... Have you never heard of epoxy?
  
  --
  Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
5. Re:question by Anne_Nonymous · 2013-01-23 08:21 · Score: 1
  
  This is Slashdot; your mom will wash it.
6. Re:question by FranTaylor · 2013-01-23 09:10 · Score: 1
  
  I've also heard of batteries that need replacing, epoxy kind of puts a damper on that.
7. Re:question by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-23 11:35 · Score: 0
  
  what, no solar panel and a supercap batteryto power the thing?
8. Re:question by Lumpy · 2013-01-23 13:19 · Score: 1
  
  There are a lot of water proof power connectors out there, or you can do something outrageous and use an enclosure, I know wild and crazy notion....
  If you put in a tiny bit of effort, you can easily waterproof (as in dunked or rain) anything.
  
  --
  Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
9. Re:question by drinkypoo · 2013-01-24 02:48 · Score: 1
  
  Wearable electronics lose their appeal if your tee shirt has to have a bulky module someplace. It's fine for a coat or maybe a jacket but lame for basically anything lighter than that.
  In a completed design I suspect it would be wiser to deadbug the attiny, sandwich it between some thin metal plates (Aluminum probably) and then pot it with epoxy than to use one of these at all. But this seems pretty slick for prototyping, which I have always seen as the major role of Arduino.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
10. Re:question by Lumpy · 2013-01-24 05:23 · Score: 1
  
  I consider anything bulky on a tshirt. None of this wearable stuff is for tshirts. Leather jacket, I can mount a 3"X2"X1/2" box easily that will not bother anyone.
  
  --
  Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
11. Re:question by drinkypoo · 2013-01-24 06:53 · Score: 1
  
  I consider anything bulky on a tshirt. None of this wearable stuff is for tshirts.
  But there are in fact various electronic tshirts now...
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
I've worked with the ATtiny85... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-23 06:46 · Score: 3, Insightful

And it's awesome. It has a pile of cool peripherals that can be switched onto each pin. I took apart my LED flashlight the other day and found one of it's little brothers (also an 8 pin SOIC) doing the modulating to control the power to the LED. Just an IC and four components.
This is one of the rare micros that you could actually make a market competitive product out of.
1. Re:I've worked with the ATtiny85... by nihaopaul · 2013-01-23 16:04 · Score: 1
  
  Just saw a demo from dfrobot last night at xinchejian hackerspace that has super potential. It was designed to make entry to arduino much more attainable. At a 20rmb retail price and 3pwm 3analog spi and a tiny connector for programming makes it a much better solution for wearable electronics. They said its coming out in Feb.
2. Re:I've worked with the ATtiny85... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-24 00:21 · Score: 0
  
  I'll pile on here and mention that I put together a circuit with an ATTiny85, in a delay loop watching a tilt sensor.
  It draws 6 *microamps* in (mainly) sleep mode. WOW!
Wow, amazing by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-23 11:18 · Score: 0

Only ten years ago I received a free Atmel Butterfly that was wearable with a pin. Good thing we have women engineers to market the hell out of trivial ideas. Go MIT!
http://jeelabs.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/b8b516fa-7f69-4405-94a7-11585fceb0ac.jpg
1. Re:Wow, amazing by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-23 12:58 · Score: 0
  
  Good, so go fuck yourself with it then.