VoltJots Issue 40

Issue 40

Author

VoltJots
May 08, 2025

Welcome to the latest edition of the VoltJots newsletter, linking you to the very best electronics and IoT news, products, and projects.

Hope you enjoy! Until next week,

VoltJots

NEWS & ARTICLES

Zephyr RTOS is gaining traction with a fivefold increase in contributors, strong vendor neutrality, and features like observability that help developers monitor system behavior effectively.

The ESP32-C5-DevKitC-1 is a dev board with dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, and IEEE 802.15.4 radios, all for a price of just $15.

Check out the latest microelectronic breakthroughs that are revolutionising AI, storage, and quantum computing with unmatched size, speed, and performance.

Heathkit transformed from supplying military aircraft parts during WWII to becoming the top choice for DIY electronics kits in the post-war boom.

Adafruit shares their top 10 blog posts and projects from April 2025 that includes a range of cool topics like robotics, Python programming, and, of course, electronics.

Older transistors like the 2N3904 (which is over 60 years old!) are still popular today because they're reliable, affordable, and help reduce risk in electronic designs.

Researchers at Penn State are developing tiny, flexible robots that can navigate tight spaces and potentially save lives by integrating soft electronics with magnetically controlled motion, allowing them to adapt and respond to their environment.

PROJECTS & TUTORIALS

Build a compact altimeter with the MS5611 sensor and Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-C3, displaying temperature, pressure, and altitude on an OLED screen, plus a rotary encoder for easy calibration and unit switching between meters and feet.

In this guide, you’ll set up a Firebase project with a real-time database (RTDB) and learn how to store and retrieve data using your ESP32 board.

Take a look at five inventive Raspberry Pi projects that have turned a home into a smart, automated space—offering full control without depending on cloud services or paying monthly fees.

The Olimex RVPC is a super cheap single-board computer that includes a built-in BASIC interpreter.

Retro-Logger is a secure, ESP32-based IoT data logger built specifically for legacy industrial machines.

Creating an accessible FM radio, focusing on easy controls, a powerful battery, and Bluetooth audio, while sharing all design files openly to help others in similar situations.

PRODUCTS

For driving various addressable LEDs, the Adafruit Sparkle Motion is an ESP32-based LED controller with four outputs, 100W USB-C power, dual input options, and support for WLED/xLights.

This compact USB audio DAC board simplifies connecting radios to digital mode software, providing clean audio without ground loops and is portable enough for on-the-go use with your mobile rig.

Mini power meter displays real-time readings of voltage, amps, and power on a compact OLED display, plus extras like ambient temperature and cumulative power calculations.

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