Texas Instruments Silently Changes NE5532 and Other Classic Op-Amps Into Incompatible Versions

Texas Instruments has quietly updated several classic jellybean op-amps in ways that make them incompatible with predecessors — without changing part numbers. The NE5532, introduced by Signetics in 1979, is the main casualty: TI’s revision K datasheet shows a new process node with supply voltage reduced from 22V to 18V, ESD protection halved from 2kV to 1kV, and a slower slew rate. The OPA134 loses its offset trim pins, now marked Do Not Connect. Changes to the LMH6518 could render common oscilloscopes incompatible with current production parts. EEVblog’s Dave Jones covered the controversy in detail; TI issued product change notifications but offered no engineering rationale for the specification degradation.

Sources: Hackaday

DIY Ceramic Circuit Boards: A Maker Fires Functional PCBs From Native Clay and Copper Powder

Maker Emily Velasco has fabricated a functional circuit board from native clay using a two-stage kiln firing process, replacing traditional FR4 fiberglass with a sustainable substrate. A 3D-printed stamp pressed circuit traces into unfired clay; the grooves were filled with copper powder and fired in a reducing atmosphere to sinter the copper without oxidising it. The finished board runs a working astable oscillator with two blinking LEDs, confirming real electrical continuity through sintered copper traces. The technique updates earlier silver-powder work by substituting far cheaper copper, making sustainable PCB fabrication meaningfully accessible. Hackaday notes the approach is especially timely given ongoing supply concerns about petrochemical PCB resins.

Sources: Hackaday

Diffraction Grating Clock Hides Its Digits Until You Look Through the Lens

Maker Twisted and Tinned has built a clock that appears as a random array of LEDs until a diffraction grating is held in front — at which point floating digit figures materialize. The trick relies on addressable RGB LEDs where each time digit is encoded in a different colour on the same physical array; the grating spatially separates colours to reveal the numbers. A Raspberry Pi Pico drives the display, and 3D-printed surrounds incorporate diffraction grating material pressed directly into the print for a decorative shimmer effect. Hackaday calls it a genuine first in years of clock coverage. Full documentation and build video are posted on Instructables.

Sources: Hackaday

Game Dodecahedron: Raspberry Pi 3 Bare-Metal Console Runs AArch64 Assembly With No OS

Maker Inkbox has built a bare-metal game console from a Raspberry Pi 3B inside a 3D-printed dodecahedron, running AArch64 ARM assembly directly on hardware with no operating system. Games load via SD card cartridges on large PCBs, and two faces of the twelve-sided body each carry six buttons wired to GPIO through Schmitt trigger debouncing circuits. The project includes a working Pac-Man clone written entirely in assembly, and all STL files plus source code are posted on GitHub. The dodecahedron form factor proved comfortable to hold despite its unconventional geometry, and a RetroPie cartridge loaded with emulators ships alongside the bare-metal titles.

Sources: Hackaday

Fixing a Game Boy Clone That Runs Too Fast: Wrong Oscillator Was the Culprit

The GB Boy by Gangfeng is one of the more capable Game Boy Pocket clones — it accepts genuine cartridges — but a persistent flaw causes games to run noticeably too fast. YouTuber Sharopolis diagnosed the problem by opening the unit and finding its main oscillator rated at 5 MHz rather than the correct 4.1943 MHz. A drop-in replacement oscillator at the right frequency corrected the speed, though display flicker then emerged; community members suggest substandard capacitors are the likely cause. The episode illustrates a recurring pattern in clone hardware: a capable core IC marked KF2001 undermined by incorrect or cheap supporting components chosen to minimise bill-of-materials cost.

Sources: Hackaday

Raspberry Pi Gives Any Web Browser Full Remote Control of an Albrecht AE-5900 CB Radio

Maker ThatCrazyDcGuy has created a web-based remote control interface for the Albrecht AE-5900 CB radio by exploiting the radio’s serial-controlled microphone port. An FT232 USB-to-serial converter intercepts the microphone serial line, while a USB sound card with isolation transformers handles the audio path. Everything connects to a Raspberry Pi running a Python web server that exposes the radio’s full control set through a browser, with no permanent modification to the radio itself. The approach is entirely reversible — unplug the interface and the radio returns to stock. Source code and wiring diagrams are posted on GitHub for other AE-5900 owners wanting remote operation.

Sources: Hackaday

Deltarune’s TV-Headed Tenna Brought to Life With Raspberry Pi, 3D Printing, and AR Glasses

Maker BigRig Creates has built a wearable interactive costume of Tenna from Deltarune, the television-headed game show host, using a Raspberry Pi instead of the iPad used in an earlier version. The TV head is 3D printed and houses all electronics, while Xreal AR glasses give the wearer outside visibility from inside the enclosure. Screen animations are triggered by a game controller integrated into a handheld prop microphone. The build includes a custom-tailored suit and 3D-printed shoe covers. Power management for all electronics inside the sealed printed shell was the primary engineering challenge, resolved through careful battery placement and load distribution across multiple circuits.

Sources: Hackaday

Workshop Maker Converts Failed Lawn Tractor Transaxle to Full Hydraulic Hydrostatic Drive

Maker Made In Garage has converted a Toro ride-on lawn tractor from a failed transaxle gearbox to a hydraulic hydrostatic drive, fabricating custom rear hubs and a rear subframe to mount a pair of hydraulic motors. The throttle pedal is a directional control valve with its lever swapped for a foot pedal, providing continuously variable forward and reverse speed. An old fire extinguisher serves as the hydraulic reservoir. The build video documents complete fabrication including hub milling and frame welding. Hydraulic drive delivers the practical advantage of continuously matching torque to load regardless of terrain, something a fixed-ratio gearbox cannot achieve on varied grass conditions.

Sources: Hackaday

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