How to switch high-power devices from USB

By mvuilleu, in Electronics, march 08,2013.

Numerous automation applications require to switch on and off high power appliances. For instance, in the home automation domain, you may want to automatically switch on a 3KW electric heater or boiler. The problem is that it's nearly impossible to find USB-driven relays commuting such a high power. We present today our new solution to this issue: the Yocto-MaxiCoupler.

The quest for the ideal Mini-PC

By martinm, in Reviews and Tiny PC, march 01,2013.

Here at Yoctopuce, we are constantly looking for the best mini-PC to drive our devices. From time to time, we hear about one which seems to be a good candidate, so we buy one and test it, usually in one of our Friday projects. We mentioned most of them in this blog, but here is a short summary.

Variations on the Makey Makey theme

By mvuilleu, in DIY and Tiny PC, february 22,2013.

Someone asked us this week if it was possible to use a Yocto-Knob to detect a contact made by bare fingers, as done by the famous Makey Makey. The answer is yes, of course, but we will not leave it at that... (don't miss the video at the end of the post !)

Relay and inductive loads

By martinm, in Electronics, february 15,2013.

You probably noticed that many manufacturers, such as Yoctopuce, advise against the use of electro-mechanical relays with inductive loads. Such use would lead to a quick aging of the relays. This week we will explain why and how to work around this issue.

Comparison of temperature sensors

By mvuilleu, in Measures, february 08,2013.

We often receive questions on the characteristics of our temperature sensors: their sampling rate, their accuracy, their adequacy for a particular scenario. We are going to give you a few hints to identify the sensor best suited for your needs.