nvillarPeppermill Power Board2010-02-05power supplypower harvestinghuman-generated power24 V100 mAhttp://research.microsoft.com/peppermillThe Peppermill Power Board (PPB) lets you turn a geared DC motor into a human-powered device. It also doubles as a sensor that provides information about the direction and rate of turn.
HOW TO USE
Attach the terminals of a geared DC motor to the grey connector. Use the white switch to select the maximum operating voltage for your target circuit (2.5, 3.3 or 5.0 Volts), and connect the PPB to your target circuit using the header pins. The pins labelled V+ and GND provide a regulated power supply, and pins Speed and Direction can be connected to analog inputs on a microcontroller.
The PPB has a built-in PIC microcontroller and an array of LEDs to provide instant feedback about the direction and rate of turn. To use this feature, set the black switch to CAL (Calibrate). Give the motor a quick turn, until you see the LEDs light up briefly. Set the switch to RUN, and when you turn the motor the LEDs should light up in a sequence that matches the direction and rate of turn. Onboard PIC general-purpose IOSupply GroundOnboard PIC programming pin (Programming Voltage)Onboard PIC programming pin (Clock)Onboard PIC programming pin (Data)+ connection for motor- connection for motorRegulated positive supply voltageDirection (Analog Output)Speed (Analog Output)