{"id":10,"date":"2026-03-16T11:32:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T11:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/athousandprojects.com\/staging\/?page_id=10"},"modified":"2026-04-29T14:21:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T14:21:52","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/athousandprojects.com\/staging\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BUILD<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

EVERYTHING.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

STM32, ESP32, Z80 homebrew computers, 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC machining. One person, a thousand projects.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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See Projects<\/a><\/div>\n\n
Read Articles<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Project Status Board   (recent):<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

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\u25cf<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Naz80-A<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Idea stage<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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\u25cf<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Dodeca Timer<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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In progress<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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\u25cf<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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MZ80K Retro Cassette Project<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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On hold<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Articles<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

(LATEST)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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View All \u2192<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Power on Reset \u2013 Capacitor calculations<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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April 30, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

WHY POWER-ON RESET IS REQUIRED Note Written up for the Z80 processor, though same principal applies to others Power-on instability is less of an issue with modern processors, but older or retro MPUs usually require a reset during startup. Many newer chips have this built in. The reason is simple: the processor and the surrounding […]<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Schmitt Trigger Oscillator<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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April 30, 2019<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

One Schmitt trigger, one resistor, one capacitor \u2014 and a working oscillator. A hands-on walkthrough of how hysteresis turns a humble RC circuit into a clean square wave, with the maths, the scope traces, and an honest take on its quirks.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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First computer experience<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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January 21, 2019<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

A flashing cursor in a glass cabinet, an electronics kit on the kitchen table, and a paper-round-funded ZX81. The story of how a kid in 1970s South Africa fell hopelessly in love with computers \u2014 and the childhood dream still waiting on the workbench.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Power on Reset \u2013 Capacitor calculations<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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April 30, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

WHY POWER-ON RESET IS REQUIRED Note Written up for the Z80 processor, though same principal applies to others Power-on instability is less of an issue with modern processors, but older or retro MPUs usually require a reset during startup. Many newer chips have this built in. The reason is simple: the processor and the surrounding […]<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Schmitt Trigger Oscillator<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n

Capacitor, Electronics, Falling edge, Hysteresis, Inverter, Oscillator, RC Circuit, Retro Computing, sawtooth, Schmitt Trigger, Tutorial<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

April 30, 2019<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

One Schmitt trigger, one resistor, one capacitor \u2014 and a working oscillator. A hands-on walkthrough of how hysteresis turns a humble RC circuit into a clean square wave, with the maths, the scope traces, and an honest take on its quirks.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Projects<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

(LATEST)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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View All \u2192<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Naz80-A<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n

Electronics<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

October 8, 2024<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Not Another Z80 (yes, that’s what the N stands for) \u2014 a homebrew retro computer starting at a hex keypad and an LCD, with plans to climb to CP\/M and a floppy drive. No microcontrollers allowed to do the heavy lifting, just a childhood ZX81 dream finally being built one revision at a time.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Dodeca Timer<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n

Electronics<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

April 8, 2024<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

A dodecahedron that tracks your day \u2014 flip the face for the task you’re on and an STM32 logs the time, lights the side, and saves it to flash. The capstone build from Elecia White’s Making Embedded Systems course, with DMA-driven NeoPixels, an accelerometer for orientation, and a CLI over xBee RF.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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MZ80K Retro Cassette Project<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n

Electronics<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

April 8, 2024<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Decoding Sharp MZ80K tapes the hard way \u2014 a Commodore 64 cassette deck, an STM32, and a hand-built PCB, with no SD cards or fast loaders allowed. An ongoing reverse-engineering log of the real MZ80K tape format, including all the bits the documentation got wrong.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Naz80-A<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n

computer, Homebrew, kit, Z80<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

October 8, 2024<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Not Another Z80 (yes, that’s what the N stands for) \u2014 a homebrew retro computer starting at a hex keypad and an LCD, with plans to climb to CP\/M and a floppy drive. No microcontrollers allowed to do the heavy lifting, just a childhood ZX81 dream finally being built one revision at a time.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Dodeca Timer<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n

laser cut, led<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

April 8, 2024<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

A dodecahedron that tracks your day \u2014 flip the face for the task you’re on and an STM32 logs the time, lights the side, and saves it to flash. The capstone build from Elecia White’s Making Embedded Systems course, with DMA-driven NeoPixels, an accelerometer for orientation, and a CLI over xBee RF.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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