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Submission + - LLMs Now Write and Hardware-Test Their Own Firmware (adafruit.com)

Submitted by ptorrone
ptorrone writes: Adafruit's Ladyada has been running OpenClaw on a Raspberry Pi 5 with Claude Opus 4.5 managing Codex subagents to autonomously write firmware libraries, then physically verify them against real hardware. The setup parses datasheets, generates a development and test plan, writes the driver, and validates it — using a Neopixel ring to confirm a color sensor actually reads RGB correctly, no humans in the loop. She calls it "agentic test-driven firmware development." The catch: you still need a human reviewing for reward hacking, where models optimize for passing tests rather than correct functionality. Built on top of Adafruit's open-source repos. Blog post and video demo.

Submission + - Washington State Wants DRM for 3D Printers (adafruit.com)

Submitted by ptorrone
ptorrone writes: Washington State lawmakers are proposing bills (HB 2320 and HB 2321) that would require 3D printers and CNC machines to block certain designs using software-based “firearms blueprint detection algorithms.” In practice, this means scanning every print file, comparing it against a government-maintained database, and preventing “skilled users” from bypassing the system.

Supporters frame this as a response to untraceable “ghost guns,” but even federal prosecutors admit the tools involved are ordinary manufacturing equipment. Critics warn the language is overbroad, technically unworkable, hostile to open source, and likely to push printing toward cloud-locked, subscription-based systems—while doing little to stop criminals.

Full analysis:
Washington’s 3D Printing Bills Are Bad for STEM, Business, and Open Source

Submission + - NYC Inauguration Bans Raspberry Pi, Flipper Zero Devices (adafruit.com)

Submitted by ptorrone
ptorrone writes: The January 1, 2026 NYC mayoral inauguration prohibits attendees from bringing specific brand-name devices, explicitly banning Raspberry Pi single-board computers and the Flipper Zero, listed alongside weapons, explosives, and drones. Rather than restricting behaviors or capabilities like signal interference or unauthorized transmitters, the policy names two widely used educational and testing tools while allowing smartphones and laptops that are far more capable. Critics argue this device-specific ban creates confusion, encourages selective enforcement, and reflects security theater rather than a clear, capability-based public safety framework. New York has handled large-scale events more pragmatically before.

Comment Re:Arduino "commitment to open-source is unwaverin (Score 4, Informative) 45

paul,

“one man speaking with adafruit’s social media accounts”

lazy. limor was quoted directly in the article and you still couldn’t credit her.

your claims aren’t accurate. we were asked to step in and build arduinos during the period when the guy falsely claiming an mit phd took over. we helped stabilize the platform and stayed a reseller until demand and circumstances shifted. every board, up until the last years, was shown to arduino before release to see if they wanted to make it, support it, etc. for example we presented feather, they were not interested.

“maybe some of the points have some merit?”

the concern isn’t imagined. the open source community is vocal because the issues are real there are a lot of people in the arduino world, discords, and dev channels raising the same flags. you not being in those spaces doesn’t mean it does not exist. you’re not tuned into these conversations. but at least don’t erase limor’s words and claim it's just me or downplay the people who are doing the work.

Submission + - High tariffs become 'real' with our first $36K bill (adafruit.com)

Submitted by ptorrone
ptorrone writes: We're no stranger to tariff bills, although they have definitely ramped up over the last two months. However, this is our first 'big bill', where a large portion was subjected to a 125%+20%+25% import markup. Unlike other taxes like sales tax where we collect on behalf of the state and then submit it back at the end of the month, or income taxes, where we only pay if we are profitable, tariff taxes are paid before we sell any of the products and are due within a week of receipt which has a big impact on cash flow.

In this particular case, we're buying from a vendor, not a factory, so we can't second-source the items (and these particular products we couldn't manufacture ourselves even if we wanted to, since the vendor has well-deserved IP protections). And the products were booked & manufactured many months ago, before the tariffs were in place. Since they are electronics products/components, there's a chance we may be able to request reclassification on some items to avoid the 125% 'reciprocal' tariff, but there's no assurance that it will succeed, and even if it does, it is many, many months until we could see a refund.

We'll have to increase the prices on some of these products, but we're not sure if people will be willing to pay the higher cost, so we may well be 'stuck' with unsellable inventory that we have already paid a large fee on.

Submission + - Fully automating Arduino development - Giving Claude Code access to hardware (youtube.com)

Submitted by ptorrone
ptorrone writes: On the most recent Desk of Ladyada, we shared our experiments with Claude Code, a new large language model (LLM) tool, to streamline hardware development — WAIT WHAT? That's right!. streamline hardware development! We are using it to automate parts of the coding and debugging process for an Arduino-compatible Metro Mini board with an OPT 4048 color sensor. Using Claude Code’s shell access, we can compile, upload, and test code in a semi-automated workflow, allowing the LLM to suggest fixes for errors along the way. The process involves using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to bridge hardware interaction gaps, as Claude Code doesn't run natively on Windows yet. While the AI isn’t perfect for high-level driver development, it's proving VERY useful for tedious debugging and super-fast iterative improvements, bringing hardware automation closer to ...reality.

Submission + - 27-Year-Old EXE becomes Python in minutes AI-Assisted reverse engineering (adafruit.com)

Submitted by ptorrone
ptorrone writes: Reddit post detailing how someone took a 27-year-old visual basic EXE file, fed it to Claude 3.7, and watched as it reverse-engineered the program and rewrote it in Python. It was an old Visual Basic 4 program they had written in 1997. Running a VB4 exe in 2024 can be a real yak-shaving compatibility nightmare, chasing down outdated DLLs and messy workarounds. So! OP decided to upload the exe to Claude 3.7.

Submission + - The "Nubbin bug" lives – A Star Trek prop resurrection with 3D Printing (adafruit.com) 1

Submitted by ptorrone
ptorrone writes: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 1, Episode 25 (May 1988), “Conspiracy”, was one of my favorites. It featured a mind-controlling alien parasite referred to as the “Nubbin bug”, or at least by The Greatest Generation Star Trek podcast. Back in 1998, there was not a lot of computer CGI, so it was a stop-motion prop. Years later, the co-hosts of The Greatest Generation, a fun Star Trek podcast, stumbled upon the original silicone molds used to create the Nubbin bug while a listener found in a warehouse clearance sale in Van Nuys, California. The podcasters acquired the mold. Shortly after, a listener from Atlanta who works at a prop studio offered to help preserve the prop since the original rubber material would decay over time. This led to the creation of archival-quality plaster casts to preserve the iconic alien for generations to come. And they did some more, using 3D scanners – the Nubbin bug was recreated as a 3D model, allowing for exact replicas to be printed. Over 100 of these replicas were made, each one hand-painted and assembled to match the original as closely as possible. Their handmade / 3D-printed versions look almost identical to the bugs that appeared in the episode. They also designed a Playschool-style retail packaging box to package the bugs. Fans of the podcast can purchase the limited-edition replicas. I don’t know if they will post the 3D files, but I’ll email and ask. This is a really cool project from one of the weirdest/best episodes, and I am thrilled that someone was able to preserve this piece of Sci-Fi history in such a cool way.

Submission + - Is it time to update the Open Hardware Definition for AI or make a parallel one?

Submitted by ptorrone
ptorrone writes: In a recent blog post, Adafruit explores whether it's time to update the Open Hardware Definition (OHD) to include considerations for AI, or if a parallel definition should be created specifically for AI hardware. The current OHD was established to promote open, accessible hardware designs and ensure that hardware creators can share their work freely. However, as AI becomes increasingly embedded in hardware projects, the definition may need to evolve to address the complexities AI introduces, such as data ethics, software dependencies, and hardware performance transparency.

The article raises key questions about how AI-integrated hardware could impact the open hardware community. Should the OHD be expanded to cover AI-specific concerns, or would a separate definition be more appropriate to address the nuances of AI hardware? The discussion invites input from the community on how best to maintain the spirit of open hardware while accommodating the rapidly advancing field of AI.

Read the full post on Adafruit’s blog: Is it time to update the Open Hardware Definition for AI, or make a parallel one for AI?

Submission + - SPAM: Is Stratasys a 3D printing patent troll? Stratasys v. Bambu Lab

Submitted by ptorrone
ptorrone writes: What’s a solution? And not just for this, but really any 3D patent trolling a structured prior art database is probably the easier first step, because then anyone who is targeted by one of these could use it to go after the patent. There have been other efforts to do similar things, and the relatively focused scope of 3D printers could make it effective. An organization like the Open Source Hardware association could help lead this effort, coordinating the community for a fund that could be used to preemptively invalidate 3D printing patents and build a giant structured corpus of prior art to use in shared defenses.

Could also be a “donate” button on a Prusa order on check out “donate to the invalidate 3D printing patents fund” which would be the prior art database.
Link to Original Source

Submission + - Open-Source electronics maker Adafruit switches to producing face shields & (tomshardware.com)

Submitted by ptorrone
ptorrone writes: Tom's Hardware talked to Adafruit about what it’s like to switch from selling tech to selling protective gear, and when hobbyists can expect things to return to normal. In March of 2020, Adafruit was deemed an essential service and business for critical manufacturing in NYC by executive order 202.6, making face shields and making/shipping critical components and electronics for COVID-19 related efforts and testing.

Comment renewed interest (Score 1) 98

Almost a year ago, Jim Jagielski, a member of the Apache OpenOffice Project Management Committee, insisted things were going well and claimed there was renewed interest in the project.

Sorry guys, that was just me looking to see whether it was still possible to convert 15 year old files from .SDW format to .ODT when I transferred old data to a new PC.

Submission + - One of the Milky Way's fastest stars is an invader from another galaxy (sciencemag.org)

Submitted by sciencehabit
sciencehabit writes: On 25 April, the European Space Agency released a data set gathered by the Gaia satellite containing the motions, and much more, of 1.3 billion stars. Astronomers have immediately sifted the data for fast-moving stars. They are prized as forensic tools: When rewound, their trajectories point back to the violent events that launched them. Last week, one team reported the discovery of three white dwarfs—the dying embers of sunlike stars—hurtling through the galaxy at thousands of kilometers per second, perhaps flung out from supernovae explosions. Another group reported more than two dozen fast-moving stars, some apparently kicked out by our galaxy’s central black hole. And a third has confirmed that a star blazing through the outskirts of the Milky Way actually hails from another galaxy altogether, the Large Magellanic Cloud. The flood of discoveries has sent astronomers racing to their telescopes to check and classify the swift objects, says Harvard University astronomer James Guillochon.

Submission + - Rumblefish claims it owns "America the Beautiful" by United States Navy Band (adafruit.com)

Submitted by ptorrone
ptorrone writes: Adafruit is now shipping the USA made open-source Arduinos, in celebration Ladyada the engineer posted a Arduino rotating in front of an American flag with the public domain “America the Beautiful” by United States Navy Band as the music. Adafruit immediately received notice from from YouTube stating that the song is owned by Rumblefish. Rumblefish previously claimed to own copyright to ambient birdsongs too.

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