Sidetracked...

makexyz has had me sidetracked a bit.  I recently got a message from someone that wanted 150 pieces made.  It was a pretty cool part and had a letter surrounded by multiple rings.  When removed from the platform, the support material would break free from the axle and the rings would spin independently.  I didn't have the right color and started to look around for local sources of Makerbot PLA.  It turns out that the Microsoft Store sells it online, plus shipping is free!  It's a way better deal than through Makerbot!  While I waited for confirmation from the potential customer, I did some test prints to verify that I could produce these parts in time.  The good news is that the Replicator 2 didn't disappoint, but the bad news was that the customer backed out.

On the bright side of things, this meant that I'd have time to focus on OnSLaughT and other projects.  I made a few tweaks to the magazine and grip assembly, as well as the release mechanism.  It's definitely getting closer to something that I think will work.  I need to change the dimensions a bit so that the spring will fit inside of the release mechanism.

One other project I have left over from the summer is internet-enabling our Honeywell security system.  While looking for DIY projects that accomplished this task, I came across a $119 product called EnvisaLink 3 that does pretty much everything I want!  You hook it into your existing Honeywell Vista security system, connect it to your network, and then it will be capable of sending you emails / SMS whenever a specified event occurs.  For example, I can be notified whenever the alarm is triggered, or I can simply be notified any time a window or door is opened.  So this isn't really a maker project, as I just have to hook up some wires, but that in itself almost turned into yet another project.  Check out this wiring:

What a mess, right?  Just looking at it made me nervous -- one day I might sneeze and some wires would come off, and I'd have no idea how to fix it.  To make matters worse, the EnvisaLink 3 needed to tap into the four most-occupied terminals in the box!  My first thought was to take my newly-acquired Kicad skills and use them to produce a custom PCB that would make it easier to manage the multiple connections.  Certainly this is something that a simple piece of DIN rail and Phoenix Contact terminal blocks could handle, but not as fun.

Well, while reading up on the wiring, I learned that the alarm system has an auxiliary "zone doubling" accessory that allows us to support more than 8 sensors.  It turned out that the 4 terminal positions I had to tap into were also available in the zone-doubling accessory and used a standard 0.1" header!  Today I hit HSC and picked up the parts I needed to complete the wiring.  In case you live in the Bay Area and don't know about HSC, it's electronics surplus heaven there.  They have so much stuff and it's pretty cheap.  Power resistors, DC converters, scopes, connectors, wires, SMT stuff, you name it.  Here are a couple of pics I snapped today:

Anyhow, I got it all wired up and stuck the EnvisaLink 3 into a 3D-printed case I whipped up this evening.  Perfect fit on the first try and gave a satisfying snap as I popped it onto the chamfered pegs!

Now I just have to figure out how to complete the configuration and get my alarm system online!  On the internet, that is.