[{"title":"DIY Smart Water Meter: Monitoring Water Consumption with LoRaWAN and an Inductive Sensor","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2026/06/21/diy-smart-water-meter-monitoring-water-consumption-with-lorawan-and-an-inductive-sensor/","date":"21 June 2026","summary":"A LoRaWAN-based water meter monitor using an inductive proximity sensor and a circular buffer algorithm to track water consumption with minute-level accuracy.","content":"I wanted to track my water consumption with more detail than a yearly bill provides. This project uses a TL-W5MC1 inductive proximity sensor, a LoRaWAN microcontroller, and a circular buffer algorithm to monitor water usage with minute-level accuracy.\nThe full source code is available on GitHub.\nWhy Build This? A standard water meter shows a cumulative total. But I wanted answers to questions like:\nWhen do I use the most water? How much does a shower actually consume? Is something leaking at night? The system needed to:\nDetect each liter passing through the meter Store consumption data with fine granularity Transmit wirelessly over long distances Handle power outages without losing the meter index Hardware Water Meter My water meter is a Maddalena MVM. It has a rotating dial with a steel element that completes one rotation per liter, which makes it compatible with an inductive proximity sensor.\nSensor compatibility: Before choosing a sensor, check your water meter carefully. The rotating disc can be made of steel, aluminium, or it can use a magnet. Each material requires a different detection technology. The TL-W5MC1 works on steel discs only. For aluminium discs, you need a different inductive sensor (such as the LJ18A3-8-Z/). For magnetic discs, a reed switch or Hall effect sensor is the right tool. The wrong sensor will simply never trigger.\nSensor: TL-W5MC1 Inductive Proximity Sensor The TL-W5MC1 is an NPN inductive proximity sensor that detects metal without contact. Positioning the sensor above the steel dial lets us count each rotation.\nWiring:\nBrown, V+ (10-30V) Black, digital output (to optocoupler input) Blue, GND The sensor outputs LOW when metal is detected and HIGH otherwise, creating one pulse per liter.\nMicrocontroller: Heltec CubeCell I went with a Heltec CubeCell for its built-in LoRaWAN support, low power consumption, and small size. The version I use has an external antenna connector, which improves range significantly compared to PCB antennas: …","categories":["Computer Sciences","Electronics"],"tags":["lorawan","iot","arduino","water","smart-home","English"]},{"title":"Reading Belgian Smart Meters via P1 Port and Transmitting Data over LoRaWAN","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2026/06/21/reading-belgian-smart-meters-via-p1-port-and-transmitting-data-over-lorawan/","date":"21 June 2026","summary":"An Arduino-based system that reads a Belgian smart meter\u0026rsquo;s P1 port and transmits aggregated electrical data over LoRaWAN every 15 minutes, with over-voltage detection aimed at catching solar inverter shutdowns.","content":"I have recently moved into a new house in Wallonia, Belgium, equipped with a solar installation (Huawei SUN2000-3K-LB0 inverter). Before moving in, I wanted to build a monitoring system that would help me understand my consumption patterns and be ready to diagnose potential inverter shutdown issues caused by grid over-voltage, a common problem in areas with high solar penetration.\nFor that purpose, I have built an Arduino-based system that reads the electrical meter\u0026amp;rsquo;s P1 port and transmits aggregated data over LoRaWAN every 15 minutes. In my old house, I used it to analyze my consumption patterns, but the code was already prepared to detect the over-voltage conditions that can trigger inverter protective shutdowns.\nThe full source code is available on GitHub.\nThe Challenge: Understanding Consumption and Preparing for Solar Belgian smart meters expose a wealth of data through their P1 port. I wanted to:\nMonitor consumption patterns: Understand when and how much electricity I use Prepare for solar production monitoring: Track production once I move in Be ready for over-voltage detection: In Belgium, grid-connected inverters must comply with Synergrid C10/11 and EN 50549-1 regulations, which require inverters to disconnect when: Stage 1: Sustained over-voltage: Grid voltage exceeds 253V (1.10 × 230V nominal) for more than 1.5 seconds Stage 2: Extreme over-voltage: Grid voltage instantaneously exceeds 264.5V (1.15 × 230V nominal) Once triggered, the inverter waits approximately 60 seconds of stable voltage before reconnecting. This leads to lost production and reduced rentability.\nSpoiler: my new house does not suffer from this issue, it was the case in my old house (but that house did not have solar panels).\nThe Solution: P1 Port + LoRaWAN + Environmental Monitoring Belgian smart meters (ORES in Wallonia, Fluvius in Flanders) expose a P1 port that outputs detailed electrical data every second. The challenge? LoRaWAN\u0026amp;rsquo;s duty cycle limitations don\u0026amp;rsquo;t …","categories":["Computer Sciences","Electronics"],"tags":["lorawan","iot","arduino","energy","English"]},{"title":"Raccourcir une vidéo trop longue grâce à un simple script Python","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2026/04/13/raccourcir-une-vid%C3%A9o-trop-longue-gr%C3%A2ce-%C3%A0-un-simple-script-python/","date":"13 April 2026","summary":"Un mariage, c\u0026rsquo;est souvent un moment magique… mais aussi une vidéo interminable. Entre la cérémonie, les discours, les danses et les plans de table, le film souvenir peut rapidement dépasser plusieurs heures. C\u0026rsquo;est là qu\u0026rsquo;un petit script Python peut devenir un allié précieux.","content":"Un mariage, c\u0026amp;rsquo;est souvent un moment magique… mais aussi une vidéo interminable. Entre la cérémonie, les discours, les danses et les plans de table, le film souvenir peut rapidement dépasser plusieurs heures. Résultat : impossible de le partager facilement ou de le copier sur une clé USB pour le regarder sur sa TV. C\u0026amp;rsquo;est là qu\u0026amp;rsquo;un petit script Python peut devenir un allié précieux.\nUn outil simple pour découper une longue vidéo Le script présent sur gist s\u0026amp;rsquo;appuie sur deux outils puissants et gratuits : ffmpeg et ffprobe.\nIl permet de découper automatiquement une vidéo en plusieurs parties égales, sans perte de qualité. L\u0026amp;rsquo;idée est simple : on indique le fichier vidéo (par exemple mariage2024.mkv), et le script crée autant de segments que souhaité.\nComment ça fonctionne ? Mesure de la durée totale\nGrâce à ffprobe, le script récupère la durée exacte de la vidéo. Cette étape garantit que chaque partie aura la même longueur.\nDécoupage avec ffmpeg\nLa fonction split_video() calcule ensuite le temps de début et de fin de chaque segment. ffmpeg est utilisé pour extraire ces parties sans réencoder la vidéo, ce qui rend l\u0026amp;rsquo;opération très rapide.\nGénération automatique des fichiers\nChaque segment est enregistré avec un nom explicite, par exemple :\nmariage2024_part1.mkv mariage2024_part2.mkv Par défaut, la vidéo est divisée en deux, mais on peut facilement augmenter le nombre de morceaux grâce à l\u0026amp;rsquo;argument -nb_parts.\nUn exemple concret Imaginons une vidéo de mariage de 2 heures intitulée mariage2024.mp4.\nEn exécutant la commande suivante :\n1 python3 split_video.py mariage2024.mp4 -nb_parts=4 on obtient quatre vidéos d\u0026amp;rsquo;environ 30 minutes chacune. Parfait pour créer une série de souvenirs plus faciles à regarder ou à partager sur les réseaux sociaux.\nPré-requis : installer ffmpeg :\nSur Mac : brew install ffmpeg Sur Windows : winget install --id=Gyan.FFmpeg -e (winstall.app) En résumé Ce script Python offre une solution élégante et …","categories":["Computer Sciences"],"tags":["python","ffmpeg","French"]},{"title":"Managing the Growth of the `cdk.out` Folder in AWS CDK Projects","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2026/01/09/managing-the-growth-of-the-cdk.out-folder-in-aws-cdk-projects/","date":"9 January 2026","summary":"The cdk.out folder can balloon to 15GB+ in large CDK monorepos. Instead of wiping it entirely, a small cleanup script removes only unused assets — keeping deploys fast while reclaiming disk space.","content":"When working with AWS CDK (Cloud Development Kit), the cdk.out folder plays a crucial role in the deployment process. It contains synthesized CloudFormation templates and assets required for deploying your stacks. However, as your project evolves and you perform multiple deploys, especially in monorepos (a best practice for managing large-scale projects), the cdk.out folder can grow significantly in size. This can lead to inefficiencies and wasted disk space. In my case, I have created a small Python script to remove unused resources in order to avoid annoying pop-up message \u0026amp;ldquo;Insufficient disk space\u0026amp;rdquo; on my corporate laptop.\nWhy Does the cdk.out Folder Grow? Each time you run cdk deploy or cdk synth, AWS CDK generates new CloudFormation templates and assets, such as Lambda function code, Docker images, or other resources. These assets are stored in the cdk.out folder. Over time, as you deploy new versions of your stacks or add new stacks to your project, the folder accumulates outdated assets that are no longer referenced by your current CloudFormation templates.\nThe Problem with Deleting the cdk.out Folder A straightforward solution might seem to be deleting the cdk.out folder periodically to free up space. While this is possible, it introduces a significant drawback: the next cdk synth or cdk deploy will take much longer. This is because AWS CDK needs to regenerate all the assets and templates from scratch, which can be time-consuming for large projects.\nA Smarter Solution: Cleaning Up Unused Assets A more efficient approach is to clean up only the unused assets in the cdk.out folder while preserving the ones still referenced by your CloudFormation templates. This can be achieved by running a script that reads the CloudFormation templates from the cdk.out folder and removes all assets that are no longer listed in the templates.\nBefore running the cleanup script, it is recommended to perform a cdk synth with all context enabled. This ensures that all AWS …","categories":["Computer Sciences"],"tags":["aws","aws-cdk","English"]},{"title":"Connecting ThinkNode G1 LoRaWAN Gateway to AWS IoT Core","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2025/11/11/connecting-thinknode-g1-lorawan-gateway-to-aws-iot-core/","date":"11 November 2025","summary":"Step-by-step guide to connecting the ThinkNode G1 LoRaWAN gateway (~100€ on AliExpress) to AWS IoT Core using LoRa Basic Station mode, including a workaround for uploading the client certificate via SSH.","content":"Introduction In this blog article, I will explain how to connect the ThinkNode G1 LoRaWAN gateway to AWS IoT Core using LoRa Basic Station mode. LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is a low-power wireless protocol designed for IoT devices that need to transmit small amounts of data over long distances. This gateway can be purchased for 100€ on Aliexpress, which makes it the least expensive LoRaWAN gateway I was able to find! The gateway includes an external antenna and WiFi and Ethernet connectivity. The device can be powered using an included power adapter or via USB-C.\nPrerequisites Before starting, ensure you have:\nAn AWS account with access to AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN Basic networking knowledge An SSH client installed on your computer The ThinkNode G1 gateway and its accessories Overview To connect the gateway to AWS IoT Core for LPWAN, we will need to:\nDeclare the gateway in AWS IoT Core Generate certificates from AWS Upload the certificates to the gateway Let\u0026amp;rsquo;s get started!\n1. Create the Gateway in AWS IoT Core To create the gateway, you only need the gateway EUI (Extended Unique Identifier). In my case, the gateway EUI did not correspond to the one printed on the ThinkNode device. To retrieve the correct EUI, I had to connect to the gateway through WiFi and navigate to the LoRaWAN settings page, then select \u0026amp;ldquo;Basic Station\u0026amp;rdquo;. There, the correct gateway EUI was visible.\nAccessing the Web Interface The web interface is available at http://192.168.1.1/ when the device is in configuration mode. To enable this mode:\nPower on the device Press the \u0026amp;ldquo;setup button\u0026amp;rdquo; for 5 seconds The device will blink blue when in configuration mode Please refer to the user manual to locate the setup button. I recommend reading this short manual first.\nCreating the Gateway in AWS Based on the EUI you retrieved, create a LoRaWAN gateway in AWS IoT using the console, CLI, or CDK. Please refer to the AWS documentation for detailed instructions: AWS LoRaWAN …","categories":["Computer Sciences"],"tags":["lorawan","AWS IoT Core","ThinkNode G1","Gateway Configuration","IoT","LoRa Basic Station","AWS CUPS","AWS LNS","LoRaWAN Gateway","LPWAN","English"]},{"title":"Des sous-verres personnalisés pour mon mariage.","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2025/09/27/des-sous-verres-personnalis%C3%A9s-pour-mon-mariage./","date":"27 September 2025","summary":"Pour notre mariage, j\u0026rsquo;ai créé des sous-verres gravés au prénom de chaque invité grâce à un script Python, Affinity Designer, Inkscape et une découpeuse laser. Voici tout le processus, de la génération des fichiers à la gravure finale.","content":"Lors de la préparation de notre mariage, nous voulions que chaque détail soit personnel et significatif — jusque dans les sous-verres que nos invités emporteraient comme souvenir. Avec un peu de script Python, de bidouilles sur les fichiers et de découpe laser, j\u0026amp;rsquo;ai créé des sous-verres gravés au nom de chaque invité. Un projet amusant, technique et étonnamment gratifiant ! Un grand merci au FabLab du Click à Mons de fournir un accès à ce type de machines!\nDans cet article, je vous explique tout le processus : de la génération des fichiers de conception avec Python jusqu\u0026amp;rsquo;à leur préparation pour la découpe laser. Si vous avez un projet similaire, j\u0026amp;rsquo;espère que ce guide vous inspirera.\nGénérer des fichiers EPS avec Python et Matplotlib J\u0026amp;rsquo;ai d\u0026amp;rsquo;abord listé tous les invités dans un fichier Excel, exporté ensuite en CSV. Chaque ligne contenait un seul nom, utilisé pour personnaliser chaque sous-verre.\nAvec Python, j\u0026amp;rsquo;ai écrit un script utilisant matplotlib pour créer les modèles :\nChaque planche comporte une grille de 5 × 5 (25 sous-verres). Le script produit trois fichiers EPS pour chaque planche :\nLes cercles représentant le contour des sous-verres: utilisé pour découper une plaque de contre plaqué qui servira ensuite à positionner les sous-verres. Les noms des invités centrés sur chaque sous-verre. Nos noms et la date du mariage pour l\u0026amp;rsquo;autre face. Le texte est positionné avec ax.text(). Les fichiers EPS contiennent les tracés vectoriels, mais ils ne sont pas directement compatibles avec le logiciel de la découpeuse laser.\nProblème de chevauchement Les caractères se superposent dans les fichiers EPS. Or, dans le logiciel de gravure, les zones qui se chevauchent s\u0026amp;rsquo;annulent et créent des manques dans la gravure. Il faut donc fusionner tous les caractères en un seul tracé sans chevauchement.\nPour cela, j\u0026amp;rsquo;ai utilisé Affinity Designer (alternative à Illustrator) et Inkscape. Peut-être que tout est faisable uniquement dans …","categories":["DIY"],"tags":["DIY mariage","Gravure laser","Découpe laser","Français"]},{"title":"Speed Up Your Lightroom Workflow with an Xbox Controller","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2025/06/05/speed-up-your-lightroom-workflow-with-an-xbox-controller/","date":"5 June 2025","summary":"Turn your Xbox controller into a Lightroom culling tool on macOS; no paid apps required. A small Python script maps the buttons to pick, reject, and navigate photos for a more ergonomic editing session.","content":"If you\u0026amp;rsquo;re a photographer who spends hours culling and sorting through hundreds—or even thousands—of images in Adobe Lightroom, you know how repetitive and time-consuming it can be. What if you could turn your Xbox controller into a productivity tool? By mapping a few keys on an Xbox gamepad, you can streamline your workflow and make culling a much more ergonomic experience. Thanks to a small Python script and some clever key mapping, you can now use the A and B buttons to flag or reject photos, and the left/right arrows to navigate between them. Best of all, this solution works on Mac without needing to invest in the Joystick Mapper app, which costs $10 and isn\u0026amp;rsquo;t available in Europe.\nWhy Use an Xbox Controller with Lightroom? Traditional keyboard shortcuts work, but they\u0026amp;rsquo;re not always the most comfortable—especially when you\u0026amp;rsquo;re hunched over your desk clicking through hundreds of photos. Gamepads offer several advantages:\nComfortable hand positioning that reduces strain during long culling sessions Tactile, responsive buttons for quick, confident decisions Better posture – you can lean back while culling instead of hovering over your keyboard With just a few simple mappings, the Xbox controller becomes a natural extension of your workflow.\nController Mapping Controller Button Lightroom Action Keyboard Equivalent A Flag as Pick P B Flag as Reject X Left Arrow Previous Photo ← Right Arrow Next Photo → This setup keeps your thumbs working and your brain focused—perfect for fast-paced selection sessions.\nHow to Set It Up This solution uses a Python script that monitors your Xbox controller and sends the correct keystrokes to Lightroom using the inputs and pynput libraries.\nPrerequisites Python 3 installed on your Mac An Xbox controller (wired or wireless with Bluetooth) Adobe Lightroom Classic Installation Steps Install the required Python libraries: 1 pip install inputs pynput Download the script: Get the full code from this GitHub Gist: Xbox …","categories":["Computer Sciences","DIY","Photography"],"tags":["English"]},{"title":"Make Silhouette Studio run faster on Mac OS","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2025/03/25/make-silhouette-studio-run-faster-on-mac-os/","date":"25 March 2025","summary":"Silhouette Studio freezing on your Mac? A simple tweak in the display settings ;disabling anti-aliasing; can make the software dramatically faster and more responsive.","content":"I recently started using a Silhouette Portrait 4 cutter at work.\nThis cutter allows me to cut vinyl, stickers, and magnets, but the software (Silhouette Studio) was unusable on my Mac (MacBook Pro M1 Max) because it was freezing and very slow.\nDisabling the anti-aliasing feature in Silhouette Studio have significantly improve the performance of the software.\nSteps to Disable Anti-Aliasing in Silhouette Studio: Open Silhouette Studio on your Mac. Click on the gear icon (⚙️) in the bottom-left corner to open Preferences. Navigate to the \u0026amp;ldquo;Display\u0026amp;rdquo; tab. Find the option for Anti-Aliasing and set it to \u0026amp;ldquo;Off\u0026amp;rdquo;. Restart Silhouette Studio for the changes to take effect. After disabling anti-aliasing, the software should feel faster, more responsive, and no longer freeze on your Mac.\nHope this helps!\n","categories":["Uncategorized"],"tags":["English"]},{"title":"Connect Browan Femto Lite to AWS IoT Core","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2024/05/22/connect-browan-femto-lite-to-aws-iot-core/","date":"22 May 2024","summary":"The Browan Femto Lite (now MerryIoT Hub) is an affordable LoRaWAN gateway that connects to AWS IoT Core via Basic Station mode. This guide covers the two main steps — registering the gateway with the right EUID and uploading the CUPS certificate — including the key gotchas that trip people up.","content":"Browan Femto Lite is a LoRaWAN gateway that supports Basic Station mode. The gateway has been recently renamed to Browan MerryIoT Hub, but both models are from the same model WLRRTES106. To connect the gateway to AWS IoT Core for LPWAN, we will need to first declare the gateway in AWS IoT Core, then upload the certificate generated from AWS to the gateway.\n1. Create the Gateway To create the gateway, you only need the gateway EUID. The gateway EUID changes if you are using \u0026amp;ldquo;Packet Forwarder\u0026amp;rdquo; mode or \u0026amp;ldquo;Basic Station.\u0026amp;rdquo; First, connect to the gateway through WiFi and, in the LoRa settings page, select \u0026amp;ldquo;Basic Station\u0026amp;rdquo;. There, the correct gateway EUID will be visible. Based on this EUID, create a LoRaWAN gateway in AWS IoT using the console, CLI, or CDK. Please refer to the AWS documentation for that part: AWS LoRaWAN Onboard Gateway Guide.\n2. Upload Certificates to the Gateway On the gateway console (through WiFi), go to the LoRa Satting page, select \u0026amp;ldquo;Basic Station\u0026amp;rdquo; again, and configure the gateway to use the Configuration and Update Server (CUPS) endpoint. During boot, the gateway will connect to the endpoint and will get information about the LoRa Network Server (LNS). Reminder:\nTake care with the gateway EUID. On the gateway, I have the EUID 00005813D31C826E printed on the gateway, but the EUID to use in Basic Station mode is 5813d3fffe1c826e. CUPS endpoint will send information about the LNS server to the gateway. Therefore, LNS is not needed here. AWS recommends using CUPS over LNS. If you want to connect a LoRaWAN gateway to AWS for the first time, take the time to do this AWS workshop. Here is a page where you can find all LoRaWAN gateway certified to be compatible with AWS. The Browan femto lite is not in the list, but the Browan MiniHub Pro is. This gateway is the common one used to do small LoRaWAN project with the Thing Network. ","categories":["Computer Sciences"],"tags":["aws","lorawan","browan","cups","lns","euid","English"]},{"title":"Rename USB port on Debian and Raspberry pi","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2020/08/05/rename-usb-port-on-debian-and-raspberry-pi/","date":"5 August 2020","summary":"Managing multiple USB devices on Debian or Raspberry Pi gets messy when port names shift on every reboot. Using udev rules with device serial numbers, you can assign permanent, predictable names like /dev/anchor1 that survive reboots and reconnections.","content":"This post has to objective to be able to rename a Zolertia device on a UNIX system this allows to manage multiple devices easily. After the configuration, each time we connect a specific device, it we appear with the same name and not change following the order of discovery. To rename USB devices we need to have some information about each of them. The command \u0026amp;ldquo;udevadm\u0026amp;rdquo; allows to get theses informations.\nudevadm info -a /dev/ttyUSB0 udevadm info -a /dev/ttyUSB0 | grep \u0026amp;#34;ATTRS{serial}==\\\u0026amp;#34;Z\u0026amp;#34; The second command filter the result to get only the line starting by \u0026amp;quot;ATTRS{serial}==\\\u0026amp;quot;Z\u0026amp;quot; (Our devices are from Z olertia).\nNext we will use the command udev to create rules that rename the USB device. These rules will be placed in the file /etc/udev/rules.d/10-local.rules on Debian or /etc/udev/rules.d/10-usb-serial.rules on Raspberry pi.\nThe following command could help to create/edit/remove the files.\nsudo rm /etc/udev/rules.d/10-usb-serial.rules sudo touch /etc/udev/rules.d/10-usb-serial.rules sudo vi /etc/udev/rules.d/10-usb-serial.rules Vim is not easy to use for the first time. Escape follow by :wwill save the file and Escape follow by:q will escape vim. If you have forgotten to lunch vim with the root access you can type :qa! to exit the program.\nFinally, the command to rename the USB port is like this\nSUBSYSTEM==\u0026amp;#34;tty\u0026amp;#34;, ATTRS{product}==\u0026amp;#34;Zolertia Firefly platform\u0026amp;#34;, ATTRS{serial}==\u0026amp;#34;ZOL-B001-A200002005\u0026amp;#34;, SYMLINK+=\u0026amp;#34;anchor1\u0026amp;#34;, GROUP=\u0026amp;#34;dialout\u0026amp;#34;, MODE=\u0026amp;#34;0666\u0026amp;#34; SUBSYSTEM==\u0026amp;quot;tty\u0026amp;quot;, ATTRS{product}==\u0026amp;quot;Zolertia Firefly platform\u0026amp;quot;, ATTRS{serial}==\u0026amp;quot;ZOL-B001-A200002005\u0026amp;quot; are used to identify a specific USB device. SYMLINK+=\u0026amp;quot;anchor1\u0026amp;quot; add a symbolic links which act as alternative names for the device node. GROUP=\u0026amp;quot;dialout\u0026amp;quot;, MODE=\u0026amp;quot;0666\u0026amp;quot; add the device the dialout group with 666 access. If your user is not in the dialout group you can add this user to it …","categories":["Computer Sciences"],"tags":["debian","zolertia","udev","raspberry pi","English"]},{"title":"Repair no power on Electrolux home appliance","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2020/03/14/repair-no-power-on-electrolux-home-appliance/","date":"14 March 2020","summary":"Electrolux appliances — dishwashers, tumble dryers, washing machines — share a common failure: a blown resistor next to the LinkSwitch AC-DC converter on the main board. Instead of paying €200 for a full board replacement, swap a €5 component yourself. This post shows exactly how.","content":"Electrolux home appliances (like dishwasher/tumble dryer/washing machines) have a common breakdown. I already have to repair 2 tumble dryers and a dishwasher. The breakdown is simple, you have power until the main board and then no power on the dashboard. When you call a repairman, they give you a quote of 200 euros to replace the main board. On the main board you will see a broken resistor. This resistor is connected to the LinkSwitch, a very low power AC-DC power converter. This resistor is used as a fuse for the LinkSwitch. If the LinkSwitch dies, the resistor is blown and the rest of the board stay safe.\nThe repair is simple. We just need to replace the link switch and the resistor. The link switch can be removed using a rework station (at 300/350°C) and some flux. For the resistor it\u0026amp;rsquo;s a simple through hole component that is simple to remove.\nWe need to buy a new LinkSwitch (LNK304GN) and a resistor 47 Ohm 400V between 2 and 5 W (typically 2 or 3 W but the data-sheet give an example of 5 W) . This resistor needs to be \u0026amp;ldquo;anti surge\u0026amp;rdquo; and flameproof has it is used as a fuse. In my case I have used a 3 W resistor that seems bigger than the replaced one (2 W). To check if the new LinkSwitch works, we need to check if there is no short cut between the pins 5 and 7 (the pin around the missing pin). A value between 0 and 100 Ohm is considered as a shortcut. Take the time to check the continuity to avoid replacing again the resistor if the new LinkSitwch is bad.\nSources:\ndatasheet-lnk304gn Lave-vaisselles Electrolux ESI66065XR ","categories":["DIY"],"tags":["DIY","English","repair","electronics"]},{"title":"Get rid of \"FRSRAM\" error on Zoul platform [Contiki]","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2020/03/10/get-rid-of-frsram-error-on-zoul-platform-contiki/","date":"10 March 2020","summary":"Running out of RAM on a Zolertia Zoul/CC2538 with Contiki OS? The .stack will not fit in FRSRAM error means you\u0026rsquo;ve hit the default 16 KB limit. A single macro disabling Low Power Mode unlocks the full 32 KB — here\u0026rsquo;s the fix and the battery trade-off you need to know before applying it.","content":"Contiki OS can allow a lot of possibility but with time the firmware take more and more space in memory. We use Zolertia Firefly and Zolertia Remote for our experiments. After enabling TSCH and the Ipv6 stack, the firmware become so large that the memory can become too small for the motes. In practice we get and error indicating that we use more memory than available (.stack\u0026#39; will not fit in region \u0026#39;FRSRAM\u0026#39; memory error).\nThe Zolertia Firefly and Remote rests on a Zoul platform that use a CC2538 CPU. This chip can have up to 32 KB of RAM and 512 KB ROM. The Zoul integrate 32 KB of RAM.\nIn practice this memory is divided in two part 16 KB are full retention in all power modes and the other 16 KB part are without retention. Then if the CPU goes to sleep mode the part without retention will become corrupt. By default, the linker only use the first 16 Ko of RAM to allow Contiki to use the less power by going in sleep mode when possible.\nIn our case, has we want to try big schedule we need more memory. To be able to do that we disable the Low Power Mode of the CPU.\nIt\u0026amp;rsquo;s simple. You just need to add a macro in the configuration (contiki-conf.h or project-conf.h).\n#undef LPM_CONF_ENABLE #define LPM_CONF_ENABLE 0 /!\\ if you disable the LPM power consumption will be a lot bigger because your mote will not go to sleep. Be aware of this and don\u0026amp;rsquo;t disable this feature if you want to use your mote with a battery or for a product in production .\nI would like to David Hauweele to his help to found how to use more memory on these devices!\n","categories":["Computer Sciences"],"tags":["English","contiki","embedded","Zolertia","IoT"]},{"title":"Laser cutting","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2019/12/27/laser-cutting/","date":"27 December 2019","summary":"First experiments with the laser cutter at the FabLab of Mons — from cutting 30 ceiling mounts for embedded systems to engraving a decorative plate for the lab\u0026rsquo;s kitchen wall. A quick look at what\u0026rsquo;s possible with a few hours of machine time and a bit of creativity.","content":"Last month, I have used the laser-cutting machine purchase by the University of Mons and Google at the FabLab of Mons. I have followed training to be able to use the laser-cutting machine and the 3D printing machine. I was able to cut 30 supports to hang embedded systems on the ceiling (for my PhD). I have also rent the laser machine to try to make engraving. This blog post is about the result I have got. I have placed the engraved plate on the wall under one of my favorite pictures. This picture is used to decorate the kitchen of my service in the university. ","categories":["DIY","Photography"],"tags":["DIY","English","laser cutting","FabLab"]},{"title":"Marion - Odile - Foire - 2019","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2019/11/24/marion-odile-foire-2019/","date":"24 November 2019","summary":"A portrait session with Marion and Odile at the Fair of Mons, capturing the warm glow of fairground lights and the energy of one of the region\u0026rsquo;s classic annual events. A mix of candid and posed shots from an evening that made for naturally cinematic backgrounds.\n","content":"Here are the pictures taken with Marion and Odile at the Fair of Mons. ","categories":["Photography"],"tags":["English","portrait","photoshoot"]},{"title":"Florie - Harry Potter - 2019","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2019/11/02/florie-harry-potter-2019/","date":"2 November 2019","summary":"A Harry Potter-themed portrait session with Florie in an autumn forest — wand, cape, and Time-Turner included — with Photoshop-composited Patronus wolves blended from real wolf photography. A creative challenge in both shooting and post-processing.\n","content":"For this shoot the idea was to create pictures with Patronus inspired by the universe of Harry Potter. As you can see, Florie is a big fan of Harry Potter has you can see, she has all the panoply of accessories Harry Potter from the wand to the cap passing by the Time-Tuner. I have chosen to shoot in a forest to get the autumn vibes but with hindsight it wasn\u0026amp;rsquo;t the best idea because the top of the picture gets a lot of light and it becomes difficult to add a Patronus in Photoshop. To create the Patronus I have used real pictures of wolfs and perform a lot of testing / errors to get an acceptable rendering. ","categories":["Photography"],"tags":["English","portrait","photoshoot"]},{"title":"Émilie - 2019","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2019/10/12/%C3%A9milie-2019/","date":"12 October 2019","summary":"The third portrait session with Émilie, this time with an urban theme — iconic buildings of Mons as backdrop, mixing architectural context with natural light. A blend of wide environmental shots and close portraits across the city streets.\n","content":"Here are some pictures of my last shooting with Charlotte at Mons (Belgium). This is the third shoot with Émilie. For this one, we have as objective to to pictures around the city theme with some famous building of the city in the background. ","categories":["Photography"],"tags":["English","portrait","photoshoot"]},{"title":"Specific slotframe in TSCH [Contiki OS]","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2019/09/25/specific-slotframe-in-tsch-contiki-os/","date":"25 September 2019","summary":"Need deterministic, congestion-free communication between specific nodes in a Contiki TSCH network? This post shows how to hard-code a custom slotframe by overriding tsch_schedule_create_minimal(), with working code for a 3-node topology on Zolertia Zoul hardware.","content":"If you have specific tests to do with Contiki OS and TSCH maybe this post will interest you. Lately, I wanted to have a specific slotframe with TSCH to have a better understanding of TSCH. For this purpose, I needed some timeslots to have congestion-free communications between specific nodes.\nFor example, with tree nodes 1, 2 and 3. I wanted two slots to have unidirectional communications between node 2 and 1 and node 1 and 2.\nThis post explains how to hard code the following slotframe. The slotframe have a length of 5, we have 6 channels and we have 3 timeslots. The first one is shared and is used for advertising and broadcast in TSCH. If we use the \u0026amp;ldquo;minimal schedule\u0026amp;rdquo; of Contiki TSCH we will have only this one, then other communications like unicast will also be performed in this timeslot.\nThe slotframe length is defined with the macro TSCH_SCHEDULE_CONF_DEFAULT_LENGTH in Contiki. The schedule is defined in the file core/net/mac/tsch/tsch-schedule.c. To change the schedule with another static version we will surcharge the function void tsch_schedule_create_minimal(void) This function create a 6TiSCH minimal schedule i.e. a slotframe with only a shared slot at timeslot number 0 and channel offset 0.\n/* Create a 6TiSCH minimal schedule */ void tsch_schedule_create_minimal(void) { struct tsch_slotframe *sf_min; /* First, empty current schedule */ tsch_schedule_remove_all_slotframes(); /* Build 6TiSCH minimal schedule. * We pick a slotframe length of TSCH_SCHEDULE_DEFAULT_LENGTH */ sf_min = tsch_schedule_add_slotframe(0, TSCH_SCHEDULE_DEFAULT_LENGTH); /* Add a single Tx|Rx|Shared slot using broadcast address (i.e. usable for unicast and broadcast). * We set the link type to advertising, which is not compliant with 6TiSCH minimal schedule * but is required according to 802.15.4e if also used for EB transmission. * Timeslot: 0, channel offset: 0. */ tsch_schedule_add_link(sf_min, LINK_OPTION_RX | LINK_OPTION_TX | LINK_OPTION_SHARED | LINK_OPTION_TIME_KEEPING, …","categories":["Computer Sciences"],"tags":["English","contiki","TSCH","IoT","embedded"]},{"title":"Parkside PBH 1500 Carbon Brushes replacement part","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2019/08/09/parkside-pbh-1500-carbon-brushes-replacement-part/","date":"9 August 2019","summary":"The Parkside PBH 1500 hammer drill doesn\u0026rsquo;t list carbon brush references in its manual — but a quick teardown reveals they\u0026rsquo;re an exact match for a standard Bosch part. This post gives you the exact dimensions and Bosch part number so you can source replacements on eBay for a fraction of a repair shop quote.","content":"I recently buy a hammer drill from Parkside (PBH 1500 F6) and I wanted to find carbon brushes replacement directly to be sure to keep the hammer drill for a long time. The user manual tell us to send the hammer drill to a professional service repair if we want to replace the carbon brushes and do not give the reference these carbon brushes. Then, I have removed the cover on the back of the motor and take the measurements of a carbon brush before using the hammer drill to be sure to have the correct measurement (without wear).\nThe dimensions (LxWxH) are 17 mm x 8 mm x 7 mm or 0.67\u0026amp;quot; x 0.31\u0026amp;quot; x 0.27\u0026amp;quot;. It corresponds to the carbon brushes used in multiple BOSH device like the GBH 36V-Li, the 36VF-Li and the SDS Drill 11536).\nThe bosh part comes without spring like the Parkside. Now you have the reference, you can find the part easily on Ebay by taping \u0026amp;ldquo;Bosch 1617014131\u0026amp;rdquo;.\n","categories":["DIY"],"tags":["DIY","English","repair"]},{"title":"Charlotte - 2019","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2019/07/15/charlotte-2019/","date":"15 July 2019","summary":"A creative portrait session with Charlotte in Mons (Belgium), where compact discs held in front of the lens create iridescent prismatic reflections across the frame. The experiment produced some striking results — a video at the end compiles the full session.\n","content":"Here are some pictures of my last shooting with Charlotte at Mons (Belgium). In this one, I have tried reflection using compact discs in front of the lens. I am very happy with the results that I have achieved. At the end of the post, you can find a video of the shooting. ","categories":["Photography"],"tags":["English","portrait","photoshoot"]},{"title":"Noémie 2019","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2019/07/13/no%C3%A9mie-2019/","date":"13 July 2019","summary":"A portrait photoshoot with Noémie at the Parc Mariemont in Belgium, experimenting with a technique inspired by German photographer Jonas Hafner — shooting through delicate lace to create soft, dreamlike textures. A video at the end of the post gathers all the shots from the session.\n","content":"Here are some picture of my last shoot at the Park Mariemont in Belgium with Noémie. For this shooting, I have tried for the first time to take pictures under a lace. It is inspired by the work of Jonas Hafner a German photographer that experiment a lot in photography. At the end of the post, you can see a video of all pictures of the shooting. ","categories":["Photography"],"tags":["English","portrait","photoshoot"]},{"title":"Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, France","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2019/06/14/saint-laurent-de-la-cabrerisse-france/","date":"14 June 2019","summary":"A research conference in the idyllic village of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse (southern France) became a photography retreat between sessions. This gallery covers panoramic hilltop hikes to Roca Dansaïra, dramatic storm clouds over the pool, and a historic riverside pump house from the early 20th century.","content":"Last week, I had the opportunity to go to a conference to present a paper. The conference was in an idyllic place and I have taken some pictures during the stay. I have also gone for some hiking around the accommodation. First, here are some picture of the swimming pool, as you can see the weather was variable during the stay\u0026amp;hellip; but thanks to that I have seen beautiful clouds. Here are some pictures of the hikes. We have gone to the \u0026amp;ldquo;Roca Dansaïra\u0026amp;rdquo; a rock above a hill with a large landscape view. Here are some picture of the little river very close to the accommodation. A little building was used in the early 20th century to pump water to a water tower at the top of the village. ","categories":["Photography"],"tags":["English","travel","landscape","France"]},{"title":"Milky Way from France","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2019/06/10/milky-way-from-france/","date":"10 June 2019","summary":"One clear night during a conference in the south of France was enough to set up a star tracker in a vineyard at 2 AM and photograph the Milky Way. The result is a composite blending a long ground exposure with a tracked sky shot — the brightest \u0026lsquo;star\u0026rsquo; in the frame turned out to be Jupiter.","content":"Last week, I have the opportunity to go to a conference in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse (South of France) close to a National Parc. The accommodation was placed in the south of the village and then no artificial light was visible towards the Mily Way at night. I have taken with me my camera and a star tracker to try taking pictures of the Milky Way with low ISO and a very long exposure. The weather was not mild, each night was clouded excepted for one night. So I had only two hours to try the star tracker and take some pictures. I went to a vineyard inside to \u0026amp;ldquo;Les Jardins de Saint Benoît\u0026amp;rdquo; accommodation at 2 am and take multiple photographs. The following picture are the results of the fusion of an exposure of the ground (with a blurry sky) and another of the sky (with a blurry ground). The brightest star is in fact not a star but the reflection of the sun on Jupiter. I add a view of the sky at the same time from Stelarium if you want to see no other star names. ","categories":["Photography"],"tags":["English","astrophotography","night sky"]},{"title":"Montreal","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2019/06/08/montreal/","date":"8 June 2019","summary":"A research conference in Montreal turned into a photography opportunity across one of Canada\u0026rsquo;s most photogenic cities. This gallery covers the Biosphere museum, panoramic views from Mont Royal, and the mix of modern and historic architecture that makes Montreal so visually rich.","content":"In April, I had the chance to present a paper in Montreal Canada. During the stay, I have take some pictures during my free time. I visited the Biosphere, a museum about the climate change and it\u0026amp;rsquo;s (future) impact on the life in Montreal and Canada (a very interesting experience). I have also walk multiple times to the Montreal Parc to enjoy the view over Montreal. ","categories":["Photography"],"tags":["English","travel","landscape"]},{"title":"Canal lift and bridge","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2019/05/30/canal-lift-and-bridge/","date":"30 May 2019","summary":"Strépy-Thieu boat lift is the second-highest in the world, and at golden hour it becomes something worth photographing. This short post captures the lift and the nearby Pont-canal du Sart at Houdeng-Goegnies at sunset — industrial heritage bathed in warm light.","content":"Hi, here is a very short blog post about a boat lifts close to my city. Strépy-Thieu boat lift is one of the highest boats lifts in the world (the second after the boat lift at the Three Gorges Dam in China). I found this big building beautiful at sunset. Then if I pass close to this lift in the evening and I have my camera and some times, I take some pictures of it. Here is some of them. Sunset over the Pont-canal du Sart at Houdeng. A little restored farm is close to it and have some charm. ","categories":["Photography"],"tags":["English","landscape","Belgium"]},{"title":"Malta","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2019/04/11/malta/","date":"11 April 2019","summary":"Malta is small but full of surprises — from the stunning sea caverns of the Blue Grotto to the wilder coastlines of Gozo and Comino. The return flight offered an unexpected bonus: a long sunset over Corsica, the Alps, and Mont Blanc, captured from the perfect window seat.","content":"Last month I had the opportunity to go to Malta. I have enjoyed the vacation and take some pictures of the island. This is a very little island with a lot of buildings and it do not have very large places with vegetation. I am not surprised to see that this island is the biggest CO² emitter per resident of Europe. However, the more little island of Gozo and Comino have fewer buildings and offer some very beautiful views. Malta contains some very nice places. In Malta we have visited the Blue Grotto, this is a set of sea caverns with a very beautiful entrance. We also visited the two other islands but I did not take a lot of pictures (I have enjoyed the trip).\nThe return was on the evening and the sun was low in the horizon resulting in a very long sunset (because the airplane was flying against the race of the sun). The pilot of the airplane has described over what we were flying, the island of Corsica, The Mont Blanc (France), the lac Léman (Switzerland). The view was incredible and I was on the correct side of the plane with the wing of the plane to hide the sun, therefore I was able to take some pictures.\n","categories":["Photography"],"tags":["English","travel","landscape"]},{"title":"Milky Way \u0026 Perseids","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2018/11/01/milky-way-perseids/","date":"1 November 2018","summary":"Seeing the Milky Way for the first time in Slovenia was a perspective-shifting moment — far from Belgium\u0026rsquo;s light-polluted skies, the universe suddenly felt real. This post shares night photography from that trip, including star trail composites and a time-lapse showing the Earth\u0026rsquo;s rotation.","content":"\u0026amp;ldquo;We are all made of stardust.\u0026amp;rdquo; This is what we can read on multiple posts about physics of the universe. It takes meaning when we see the Milky Way. I have seen this one for the first time last year in Slovenia. I have never seen a sky with as many starts before because in Belgium all city and roads are illuminated at night. This big waste of energy was used to disperse the overflow of electricity at night when at most all the Belgian electricity was produced by nuclear power plan (not the case at all today, but politician likes to waste citizen money). I have also seen a lot of falling stars has the Earth going into the Perseid cloud. In this post, I show some of the pictures I have take at night in Slovenia. You can see the Earth rotation in video and also in a picture (superposition of photos).\nI hope you have enjoy this little summary of pictures.\n","categories":["Photography"],"tags":["English","astrophotography","night sky"]},{"title":"Ireland","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2018/10/25/ireland/","date":"25 October 2018","summary":"Two trips to Ireland — one to Dublin\u0026rsquo;s vibrant streets and centuries-old Trinity College, another to the wild green landscapes of Galway in the west. This photo diary captures the contrast between lively city pubs and coastal nature reserves that make Ireland so endlessly worth returning to.","content":"This year I have taken for the first time an aircraft to Ireland. I have enjoyed the fly, the sea and the sky have a deeper blue than on the ground. One hour of flight, some wind turbines and beautiful cloud later, it\u0026amp;rsquo;s time for the landing. The landing was stressful but goes very well. The trip starts in emotion with my girlfriend waiting for me at the gate.\nIn the evening, we walked in the city of Dublin. This city is beautiful, day and night. On the day, you can visit the \u0026amp;ldquo;Trinity College\u0026amp;rdquo; is this a very old university with very beautiful building and flower beds. Dublin has wide avenues and a lot of pubs with different atmospheres (they sell a lot of beers and ciders!) also some pubs have local music groups in the evening.\nAfter tree days in Dublin I go home to Belgium, one month later, I come a second time to Ireland but I don\u0026amp;rsquo;t stay the entire weekend in Dublin. We plan a trip to Galway, a city in the west of Ireland, lots wilder and greener. A perfect time to take some beautiful landscapes as you can see above. I have really enjoyed these two trips to Ireland, this is a beautiful country with a lot of different landscapes. This country has a lot of nature reserves and I cannot wait to go back to visit more of theses.\n","categories":["Photography"],"tags":["English","travel","landscape"]},{"title":"Italy","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2018/09/28/italy/","date":"28 September 2018","summary":"From a mountain sunrise in the Vallée d\u0026rsquo;Aoste to the colorful seaside villages of Cinque Terre, this Italian road trip delivered breathtaking scenery at every turn. The gallery captures the Matterhorn views at 2620m, the iconic Riomaggiore breakwater, and the light that makes Italy so hard to leave.","content":"Last year, I have the luck to visit Italy for some days. The trip to Italy start very big, indeed the border of this country is made of the most extensive and highest mountain range of Europe. We stop in a young hostel for a night in a little village in the \u0026amp;ldquo;Vallée d\u0026amp;rsquo;Aoste\u0026amp;rdquo; close to the Swiss border. The view was fabulous, with a sunrise over the mountain ridge and, on the other side, the sun lighting the mountain face. Later, we go for a walk on a mountain with a view on the Matterhorn. After some hours of hiking, we reach the \u0026amp;ldquo;Bec del Pio Merlo\u0026amp;rdquo; with an altitude of 2620 m. Up to date I never walk to a higher peak. The view was spectacular, building feel so small from there\u0026amp;hellip; After this day of hiking and a good night, we decide to reach the Atlantic Ocean, more precisely \u0026amp;ldquo;La Spezia\u0026amp;rdquo; with the iconic \u0026amp;ldquo;Cinque Terre\u0026amp;rdquo;. The Cinque Terre is a set of 5 villages with colorful houses overlooking the ocean. We visit the Riomaggiore village, it is surrounded by an artificial breakwater. This breakwater allows to take pictures from the ocean and also to avoid most of the other tourists. Normally a road called \u0026amp;ldquo;Love Walk\u0026amp;rdquo; allows people to walk from one Terre to another, but it was closed for a while.\nTo conclude, Italy has some very beautiful landscape and mountain. This trip was very fun and I think I will return to see other landscapes and also visit the fours other Terre.\n","categories":["Photography"],"tags":["English","travel","landscape"]},{"title":"Slovenia","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2018/09/23/slovenia/","date":"23 September 2018","summary":"Slovenia lives up to its reputation as one of Europe\u0026rsquo;s greenest and most beautiful countries — crystal-clear rivers, forests, and the iconic Bled Lake shrouded in a dramatic storm. This photo diary captures the landscapes, a Milky Way sky, and the magic of a country that felt both wild and welcoming.","content":"I regularly see ads announcing Slovenia as the greenest country for tourism. These ads show Slovenia as the most suitable country based on these commitments against climate change and also these investments to keep the nature, the culture and the heritage safe. This country is very beautiful. All rivers have wonderful color. Lakes have crystal clear water and there are trees and forest everywhere. I have slept in a hostel with a very welcoming manager. The hostel was modern but at the same time very old school (in old wood and decoration)\u0026amp;hellip; a Slovenian stamp. Another advantage of Slovenia, they are cheap, you can eat very good local food. We choose to go in Slovenia for these landscapes, for example, the iconic Bled Lake. We also have the luck to have the hostel in the middle of nowhere and a clear night with the perfect weather to see the milky way. After saying it I understand why old people have faith\u0026amp;hellip; we are only star dust and the sky is so mystic. As you may understand, I have loved this trip to Slovenia. Here are some pictures I have taken over there. As the hostel was close to hiking paths we have made one of them. Another luck was to have a storm when we went to Bled, the view on the lake was insane and almost all tourists have left the photo spot (found in this video).\nI hope you have like this post!\n","categories":["Photography"],"tags":["English","travel","landscape"]},{"title":"My travel and daily camera: the Fuji X100F","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2018/09/16/my-travel-and-daily-camera-the-fuji-x100f/","date":"16 September 2018","summary":"Dreaming of a compact camera after lugging a Nikon D810 across Europe, the Fuji X100F was love at first sight — but there was a catch: severe near-sightedness. This post covers how to hack a Nikon DK-17C correction eyepiece onto the X100F viewfinder and make it work for -5 diopter vision.","content":"Last year, I have made a road trip with a friend from Belgium to Slovenia crossing Germany, Swiss, Italy and Austria. It was a very, very cool trip. I have seen mountains and milky way for the first time and that left me a very peaceful sensation. I have taken with me my Nikon D810 and 3 lenses : a 16-35 mm, a 14 mm and a 70-300 mm. My bag feel heavy and a dreamed of having a little camera that I could take with me everywhere without thinking of them. After this trip this idea stay in my head and I have started to search for a little camera with a good-quality image. After some research I was filling in love with a Fuji camera called X100F. They have a very beautiful retro look but also a very good image quality. Thanks to a very big sensor, compared to the size of the camera. They also have no mirror, no interchangeable lens\u0026amp;hellip; and an electronic view finder (EVF)! Like mirror-less camera (Sony hype here). I always wanted to try an EVF and after taking them in my hand I directly feel in love with the fact that I can see the histogram in the viewfinder. My only concern before buying this camera is the fact that I need a very big eyepiece diopter correction\u0026amp;hellip; something like minus 5 or 6. Like the majority of the cameras this day, it was limited to minus 2 and then I only see a very fuzzy image in the viewfinder. The first thing I needed to do before buying this camera was to found a way to add a correction eye piece. Fuji doesn\u0026amp;rsquo;t sell correction eyepiece like Nikon\u0026amp;hellip; Talking of Nikon, I directly consider the Nikon DK20-C correction eyepiece. They are built for entry level Nikon camera with a square eyepiece. I already use them on my old Canon camera and they look big enough for the X100F viewfinder.\nAdding a Correction Eyepiece At this time, I have ordered the camera and a Nikon Dk-17C -5. I will now explain how to install this correction eyepiece. You will need a hacksaw, super glue some Sugru and also latex gloves. First advice, always wear …","categories":["Photography","DIY"],"tags":["English"]},{"title":"Fuel injectors test","permalink":"https://maximilien-charlier.be/blog/2018/09/10/fuel-injectors-test/","date":"10 September 2018","summary":"Car trouble on the side of the road sparked an unexpected DIY project: building a homemade fuel injector tester with Arduino Nano and a MOSFET for under €10. This post walks through how fuel injectors work and how to diagnose them without removing them from the engine.","content":"A few weeks ago, my car starts to have a big problem: it stopped in the middle of the road and are not able to start anymore. Spoiler alert: my timing belt has shifted and my motor was broken at this time. I start by having my car towed to my home and start search for the source of the problem. In this path, I asked myself if the fuel was going to the cylinder. First thing, I buy a nanometer to check the pressure of the fuel pomp. It looks OK, and after that, I wanted to check if I have one or more injectors are dead or clutched. I start looking for injector testers and given the price I wanted to make my own.\nOperation of a Fuel Injector I will start by explaining how an injector works. An injector is a simple stuff, its role is to release a quantity of fuel defined by the on-board computer in a cylinder at an expected time. On one side you have a pressurized fuel line and on the other a cylinder. The computer will open the injector for a little duration, some milliseconds, to let pass some fuel. To do this, the injector has two connections: one for the ground and the other for a voltage common collector (VCC). When a current is applied to the VCC, the injector let the fuel pass through them. To check if the injector is clutched, I needed to apply power (12 V DC) on each injector (individually) and look at the fuel jet. But it is actually not easy to remove an injector because there are on the back of the motor, additionally I didn\u0026amp;rsquo;t want a fuel leak in the future. Another option, easier, is to apply the power for the same time on all injectors (one at the time) and to check the decrease of pressure in the fuel line with the nanometer. The decrease should be the same for each injector. I have opted for this option. To apply the power you can use a tester like the EM276 Fuel Injector Tester, it has 4 modes with different pulse duration. The tester is connected, on the one hand, to the car battery and, on the other hand, to the injector. In my case, I …","categories":["DIY"],"tags":["DIY","car","fuel injector","English"]}]