My latest blog post: Keeping it old school, Unix style, with inetd services! mikecoats.com/simple-inetd... How to build quick and dirty network services, the Unixy, way with the venerable inetd approach. #networking #linux #openSource #rust #rustLang #software

My latest blog post: Keeping it old school, Unix style, with inetd services! mikecoats.com/simple-inetd... How to build quick and dirty network services, the Unixy, way with the venerable inetd approach. #networking #linux #openSource #rust #rustLang #software

Do you want to put your software development skills to good use, delivering services that help protect and restore Scotland's nature? We've two vacancies in our Development team for Senior Software Developers and they're now open! ejki.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid... #GetHired

My latest blog post: Using a Spy! Break! Inject! to Sniff I2C Traffic mikecoats.com/spy-break-in... I've been emailing about debugging I2C with my Spy! Break! Inject! and I thought that writing this up as a blog post might be useful to others. #electronics #openHardware #reverseEngineering

My biggest print to date! 🤞 I've never "filled" the build plate before. These will be two 4x2 gridfinity bins with vertical dividers to hold my @lectronz.com and @tindie.com stock. I'm finally getting around to bringing at least a modicum of organisation to my office. #3dPrinting

Spot the difference! (Other than one's been soldered up already.) #electronics #openHardware #qualityControl

Some "absolute units" of snowflakes falling in Inverness at the moment. #snow #uksnow #iv2

Finally got the snow that was forecast! #snow #uksnow #iv2

My latest blog post: Presents from PCBWay mikecoats.com/pcbway-prese... In early December, Emily from @pcbwayofficial.bsky.social sent me a short message saying they were preparing some small gifts in time for Christmas and asking if I was interested in receiving them? #sponsored

My latest blog post: Trusted Certificates for Private Servers - Part 3 mikecoats.com/trusted-cert... In the final post in this series, I show how to retrieve trusted certificates for your internal infrastructure, performing DNS-01 challenges from within OpenWrt. #code #openWrt #linux #networking

My proofs of concept are complete! I've managed to print "Hello, world!" on my 4610-TG3 from some Rust code running on an ESP32-C6. I've also dumped the opening screens from Zork to get a feel for where the project's going. bsky.app/profile/mike... #electronics #esp32 #rustLang #riscV #vintage

Bambu was closed sourced from the jump, still has numerous clones, and is still the market leader despite that. Open source isn't Prusa's problem, but he's really trying to become a problem for Open Source.

I love the modern embedded firmware development ecosystem that's built up over the last few years. A couple of decades ago you used to have to pay for your compiler, pay for an assembler, and pay for the programmer.

This is not an open source licence. oshwa.org/resources/op...

I really wish Prusa had tried to work with OSI, CC, and/or OSHWA instead of greenfielding a new license. Even if the principle behind this license wasn't misguided, I don't think it's precise enough to legally accomplish any of the goals Prusa stated. Please don't use this.

Time to get ready for some holiday reverse engineering. 10 points to the first person to guess what this board is from. #vintage #electronics #ibm

My latest blog post: momtag mikecoats.com/momtag/ Introducing momtag, or Mike's Opinionated Music Tagger. Keep a small collection of music reasonably and consistently organised. #code #linux #python #openSource

My latest blog post: Trusted Certificates for Private Servers - Part 2 mikecoats.com/trusted-cert... In part two of this series, I'll show you how to retrieve trusted certificates for your private Caddy server, via Mythic Beasts. #code #debian #linux #networking

My latest blog post: Trusted Certificates for Private Servers - Part 1 mikecoats.com/trusted-cert... In part one of this series, I'll show you how to generate self-signed, untrusted certificates for your private Caddy server. #code #debian #linux #networking

i did a 15 minute impromptu talk about glasgow/amaranth/yowasp/grebedoc and why i think these tools are interesting and special for @oshwassociation.bsky.social, you can watch a recording: youtu.be/Y_TtMzmuXoY?...

My latest blog post: My Experience Using PCBWay for Sponsored Prototyping mikecoats.com/pcbway-exper... Emily from @pcbwayofficial.bsky.social reached out to offer some free prototyping for my projects. I was delighted and jumped at the opportunity. #electronics #hardware #openHardware #sponsored

Dirty disgusting terribly good

My latest blog post: Cheap and Dirty 5-volt Supply mikecoats.com/cheap-dirty-... The old adage goes, 'if it's stupid, but it works, then it's not stupid.' This is possibly the cheapest and dirtiest 5-volt power supply money can buy. #electronics #hardware #hack #power

My latest blog post: Touchy Subject is Available mikecoats.com/touchy-subje... Touchy Subject breakouts for the AT42QT2120 12-key touch sensor (development sponsored by @pcbwayofficial.bsky.social) are now available for purchase at @lectronz.com. #electronics #hardware #openHardware #sponsored

My latest blog post: Open Hardware Month 2025 mikecoats.com/open-hardwar... October is Open Hardware Month, and @oshwassociation.bsky.social is celebrating with a 12-hour live stream on the 6th. See amazing makers share their projects and why Open Hardware is important. #openHardware #openSource

Open Hardware Month (OHM): October 2 certified board highlights @oshwassociation.bsky.social blog.adafruit.com/2025/10/02/o...

My latest blog post: Contributing to the CircuitPython Community Bundle mikecoats.com/contributing... I've been working with the AT42QT2120 touch sensor, and wanted to write a @circuitpython.org driver and publish it for others to use. #circuitPython #embedded #openSource #python

If you want this poster to remind you to slow down you can get it by following me and @cyborggarbage.bsky.social October 6 on the Goshwassociation 12 hour Livestream! Any new members or donations of any size will get you a cool slow sloth riso poster! Woohoo! 💾⚙️🦥

Open Hardware Month (OHM): October 1 certified board highlights @oshwassociation.bsky.social blog.adafruit.com/2025/10/01/o...

It's official! We are in Open Hardware Month! 🎉 It's time to celebrate all the wonderful ways open source hardware can exist and get those projects certified ;) Also maybe snag a fun variation on our fundraiser merch? www.customink.com/fundraising/...

My latest blog post: Introducing Touchy Subject mikecoats.com/touchy-subject/ I'm proud to announce Touchy Subject, a Qwiic/STEMMA QT compatible breakout for the AT42QT2120 capacitive touch sensor; development sponsored by PCBWay. #electro#electronicsr#openHardwareu#openSource

My latest blog post: Designing 3D Printed Sewable Badges mikecoats.com/designing-3d... My daughter's going as a pirate for Halloween. Here are the steps I followed to design and print a sewable cap badge for her Tricorne. #3dPrinting #openScad #inkscape

My latest blog post: Designing 3D Printed Sewable Badges mikecoats.com/designing-3d... My daughter's going as a pirate for Halloween. Here are the steps I followed to design and print a sewable cap badge for her Tricorne. #3dPrinting #openScad #inkscape

My latest blog post: Installing CircuitPython on a Freenove ESP32-S3-WROOM CAM mikecoats.com/circuitpytho... For CircuitPython Day 2025, here's how I installed CircuitPython on an unsupported board, the Freenove ESP32-S3-WROOM CAM. #circuitPythonDay2025 #circuitPython #esp32 #freenove #python

My latest blog post: Hacking an IKEA HÖVOLM into a Helmet Rack mikecoats.com/hovolm-helme... I received my first ever 3D printer recently, so I decided to put it to some practical use. I designed some new hooks to hold bike helmets securely on an IKEA HÖVOLM. #3dPrinting #openSource #openHardware

Check out this rad overview of bleeptrack’s OHS2025 experience! So rad to have such cool folks join us this year :)

Just when I'm hopping to the next awesome event, here are some impressions from @oshwassociation.bsky.social Open Hardware Summit:

My latest blog post: Admitting Defeat mikecoats.com/admitting-de... Sometimes you have to bail out before the sunk costs sink you. Having a good idea isn’t the same as having a good product. #battery #cell #electronics #hardware #power #prototyping #usbC

My latest blog post: Back 2 Basics - NMOS Switch mikecoats.com/back-2-basic... The latest in my 'back to basics' series. Toggle high-ish voltages and currents from a microcontroller using an N-channel enhancement mode Field-Effect Transistor. #dataSheet #electronics #hardware

2025 One Hertz Challenge: Metronalmost is Gunning for Last Place

Here we go! An ESP32-S3 running MicroPython using each of the Monstera leafs as a capacitive touch pad. Each pad works individually and multitouch works across all four too! #electronics #microPython

I've soldered on a set of pins to one board and headers to another to test the Monstera pads. The only LEDs I have stock of in four colours are these excellent not-LEGO blocks from the now defunct Lunchbox Electronics. I believe they came from an old @oshwassociation.bsky.social OHS swag bag.

My latest boards from @oshpark.bsky.social have arrived! Hand-drawn Monstera leaf capacitive touch pads with curved PCB traces. I wonder how well they will work. They're a bit of a proof-of-concept at the moment. #electronics

My latest blog post: Reverse Engineering a Broken Night Light - Part 1 mikecoats.com/night-light-... We bought our first Night Light when our daughter was born; within 3 years two had broken. Let's reverse-engineer what's left and build a smart light. #electronics #hardware #reverseEngineering

One is reminded of Vetinari's clock...

From the archives: What is Gregg Wallace doing? Inspired by a viral pile-on of Gregg Wallace on social media, I took the joke way past its sensible conclusion. A web app to tell you exactly what Gregg Wallace is doing at any time. mikecoats.com/what-is-gregg-wa…#boto#coded#linuxu#opensourcece

My latest blog post: Metronalmost mikecoats.com/metronalmost/ This metronome, by design, will never, ever, tick exactly once per second. This infuriating object is designed to thwart the goals of @hackadayofficial.bsky.social's One Hertz Challenge contest. #hackaday #microPython #openHardware

Ever stitched a circuit? 🧵✨ The Open Hardware Summit 2025 badge by Rodney Trusty is a fully sewable e-textile project using our XIAO ESP32, WS2812B LEDs, and conductive thread—no soldering needed! Full guide on @hacksterio.bsky.social 👉 tinyurl.com/4pfsbyve

My latest blog post: Metronalmost mikecoats.com/metronalmost/ This metronome, by design, will never, ever, tick exactly once per second. This infuriating object is designed to thwart the goals of @hackadayofficial.bsky.social's One Hertz Challenge contest. #hackaday #microPython #openHardware

My latest blog post: Trying out the ice4pi from Lightside Instruments mikecoats.com/ice4pi/ At the recent @oshwassociation.bsky.social Summit, I was lucky enough to run into Vladimir from @lightside-instruments.com. He was kind enough to gift me one of their ice4pi shields. #fpga #openHardware