This episode covers one more PCB-failure (see previous episode for more fail), a LED that would still emit light at a rediculously low current, shortcomings of DIY lasercut stencils from a previous episode, my entry for the upcoming IFComp, disassembly of an old bread-toaster, the RC2018/04 Retro Challenge which will start tomorrow, and some more upcoming events.

• IFComp - Interactive Fiction Competition
• Retro Challenge RC2018/04 in April...
• ...and my entry for the RC2018/04
• Outline demo-party (10-13 May)
• Hackalot: upcoming hackerspace in NL

For the upcoming IFComp, I want to make an interactive cassette-tape, where the tape-reel is replaced by software driving a magnetic element to emit sound/speech, where the user interacts with the game by pressing fast-forward/rewind/play/stop on the tape-player.

The project will thus consist of a reworked cassette-tape adapter (fitted with electronics) implementing an adventure-game. Let's create the actual game within the IFComp contest-period, and make the hardware-platform in advance - as in, now.

Reed-switches and magnet forming a simple encoder, and the magnetic element to emit audio towards the tape-player's head:

Testing the tape inside a pretty tape-player:

Signals from both reeds-switches. By observing delays, frequency and phase-shift, the software can process game-input:

Tetris'ing electrical components within the tape's enclosure:

Testing the toaster. Cold-spray, stopwatch and 2 thermocouples:

The actual "circuit". No idea what the pink wire was for. "M" is the heater specifically for the bimetallic strip, and "H" is the main bread-heater: