Mike Coats 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇪🇺🌍♻️

My latest blog post: Peter de Jong Attractors mikecoats.com/peter-de-jong/ Last week I published a new web toy, a Peter de Jong attractor. Written in JavaScript, rendering to a canvas, it has a small amount of interactivity to alter coefficients and see visualisations change. #code #openSource

Managed to finish off the cake in time for my wee one's birthday tomorrow. 🕰️😅

if you know whoever is running Boilerplate.com (some "David Thompson" presumably), tell them some asshole is using their name and spamming everyone on npm?

My latest blog post: My Experience Using JLCPCB for Sponsored Prototyping mikecoats.com/jlcpcb-exper... Earlier this year, Ashu and Ava from JLCPCB reached out to offer some free prototyping for my projects. I jumped at the opportunity. #ad #electronics #openHardware #openSource #sponsored

October comes fast! This year we are once again running Show & Tell, our 24hr Membership Drive Livestream! Mark your calendars because October 10th 8am to October 11th 8am we will be exploring open source hardware far and wide with a focus on delightfully sloppy, human-made prototypes 👁️ 🫟

New on Lectronz: Oops! All Servos! https://lectronz.com/products/oops-all-servos #Robotics #CablesAndAdapters #CNC

My latest blog post: Extending CircuitPython with Native Modules - Part 3 mikecoats.com/extending-ci... For CircuitPython Day 2026, I wanted to write a module in C that I could call from Python. Part 3: Bundling everything inside a class. #circuitPython #circuitPythonDay #circuitPythonDay2026

My latest blog post: Extending CircuitPython with Native Modules - Part 2 mikecoats.com/extending-ci... For CircuitPython Day 2026, I wanted to write a module in C that I could call from Python. Part 2: Adding a module-level method. #circuitPython #circuitPythonDay #circuitPythonDay2026

My latest blog post: Extending CircuitPython with Native Modules - Part 1 mikecoats.com/extending-ci... For CircuitPython Day 2026, I wanted to write a module in C that I could call from Python. Part 1: Build Process and Adding an Enum. #circuitPythonDay2026 #circuitPythonDay #esp32

My latest blog post: Let's Teardown a Forty Quid Managed Switch mikecoats.com/forty-quid-m... A managed switch with 2.5G and 10G networking for less than £40 showed up in my recommendations. Time for a cheap teardown, and who knows, maybe more. #electronics #networking #reverseEngineering

Considering making a 3V3 to 5V lever-shifter breakout tailored for servo motors and WS2812B LEDs when using a 3V3 microcontroller board like the @officialarduino.bsky.social Uno Q - think there would be any interest?

My latest blog post: Testing Oops! All Servos! mikecoats.com/testing-oops... Are the level-shifters really bi-directional? Can you measure the current? How far can you push the board, micro and servos? Development sponsored by JLCPCB. #ad #circuitPython #electronics #openHardware #usbC #sponsored

My latest blog post: Adding Dark Mode to my Blog mikecoats.com/dark-mode/ I've finally caved; against my better judgement, I've added a dark colour scheme to my blog. In 2026, with modern CSS, this is easier than you might imagine.

A quick one for the #circuitPython experts out there… Is there a SoftPWM or SoftServo library out there? Or is it time to bit the bullet and code up some janky timer based demo to get past the 8 PWM hardware limit on the ESP32-S3?

My latest blog post: Building Oops! All Servos! mikecoats.com/building-oop... Even though these were sponsored by JLCPCB, to save some money I opted to handle the THT components myself. I also ordered a few unpopulated PCBs to use as assembly jigs. #ad #electronics #openHardware #sponsored

And now for the real test.. Did I get the level-shift topology right? Did I get the MOSFETs' pinouts correct? Are we translating 3v3 to 5v? YES! That's a relief! #electronics #openHardware

First test fit of an @adafruit.com QT Py. My footprint matches up exactly! Wunderbar! The clearance between USB-C and the current measurement header is a little closer than I'd have liked, but still fine.

I deliberately ordered a few unpopulated PCBs to use them as assembly jigs. Flipping the PCB over and using sockets in place of pin headers and vice versa works a real treat. Everything lines up perfectly. #ad #openHardware #sponsored

My Oops! All Servos! PCBs, sponsored by JLCPCB, have arrived! #ad #openHardware #sponsored

My latest blog post: Coming soon... Oops! All Servos! mikecoats.com/oops-all-ser... I'm proud to announce Oops! All Servos!, an expansion for XIAO/QT Py boards, breaking out all 11 GPIO pins into servo motor headers; development sponsored by JLCPCB. #ad #electronics #openHardware #openSource

That tense moment when taking inventory on a new order… Did I get all the parts, so I can start building? Did I get any freebies to pop up on the shelf for later? Never fear! Mouser's picking team hit 100.00%. Relief!

A question for my fellow electronics makers... what's your experience with "hand" applied conformal coatings for waterproofing PCBs? What are the options? Spray-on, paint-on, dipped? Do they apply well? Cure easily? Do they do the job? #make #maker #electronics #diy

As promised, the SVG file for the zine is up on my Codeberg repo. codeberg.org/MikeCoats/va... #zine #openHardware

My latest VanSpoof development: Installation instructions as a fold-your-own 'zine. Really easy to put together using Inkscape's built in template; the SVG will be up on my Codeberg repo later today. Folded, the zine fits neatly in my regular shipping boxes, too. #openHardware #diy #zine

Sneaky-peak of what's come together so far.

One for the UK Open Data and Honours systems nerds... Is there a single dataset of everyone who's ever been awarded an Honour such as OBE? I've seen the individual CSVs available for each event, but not a single searchable dataset. www.gov.uk/government/p... #openData

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

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