CpE Products
Currently available for online purchase


All CpE products are available as a kit of parts with printed circuitboard and schematic for a reduced cost - we always like to leave the option open for those of you a little closer to the hardware than others!
You will have to solder and handle small components, so it is recommended that you already be handy with a soldering iron.


Click on a product line photo or link for more information and to purchase online:
Circuit Cellar Two-Part Article: July - Aug 2008 (#216 - #217)
"PSoC Eight-Channel Audio Mixer With Knob Adjustments, Reverb, Pitch-shifting, Sampled Audio Playback, and FLASH Setting Memory"

Available as either a kit of parts or an assembled / tested unit here.
Updates since the article was written may also be found here.
The latest firmware & project file packages may also be downloaded here.
 

The mixer experimentation kits are ready for sale.  A full set of experimentation firmware with all sorts of user options in the code are available, for both the basic 8-channel mixer with knobs and the full-featured 8-channel mixer with DSP.  Test and debug firmware are both available for both CY8C27443 and CY8C29466 28-pin PSoCs.  All of these test project files & firmware is included on CD with every kit order, or can be downloaded on the page linked above.

The mixer kits make use of slightly different components than the article experiments used; mainly, 10k potentiometers are used for adjustment and their charge circuits have appropriate resistor & capacitor values to compensate.

 
Customizable double bass pedal switches & fast interface for Rock Band 1 and Rock Band 2 drum controllers

This is my favorite modification so far, and is already available for purchase.

You can hit either pedal switch while the other is held down, and keep both switches held down at rest if you'd like; some ultra-fast bass kick speeds are now possible. Chances are, you won't be able to double-kick fast enough to outrun this setup.

Two of these units can be combined with a mini Y-jack for custom quad bass pedal setups with heel-toe action.
Each unit comes with two standard switches and mounting hardware to attach them anywhere you'd like on the base of your drum controller as in the photo (or on some other custom structure).

The switches can easily be replaced with any standard micro-switch assembly (create any style bass pedal you'd like, or you could just splice in two original RB bass pedals behind the combination circuits).

OmniSoC: A Beginner’s Guide to the PSoC Microcontroller 
Book and / or experimentation kit, full source code 
This book and kit will introduce you to the world of embedded systems with Cypress's PSoC (Programmable System on-a-Chip) microcontroller.
One chip with four different modes - a touch-switch Cymon memory game, an audible clock, a metal detector, and a theremin (musical instrument you control with the proximity of your hand to a sensor).  Each is explained in detail in the book.
http://psoc.chrispaiano.com
Subaru Fuel Cut Defender: Originally designed for the 1991-1994 Subaru Legacy Turbo, but easily applicable to other turbocharged vehicles. 
This plug-and-play FCD kit attaches to easily-accessible wires under your hood and will let you run higher boost levels than the stock computer would otherwise allow.
http://fcd.chrispaiano.com
CpE Personal DSP - Pitch shifting / echo / reverb
 Digital Signal Processing, or DSP, can be a very fun thing to experiment with.  There is virtually no limit to the variety of effects one can apply to an audio stream once it has been converted to digital data inside a processor.  The CpE Personal DSP allows you to experiment with three specific and adjustable effects – an echo, a reverb, and a pitch shift.  The echo and reverb are very similar, except that the reverb “echos” multiple times.  The amount of delay between the input sound and the output sound is adjustable via the two buttons.  In pitch shift mode, the input sound will be shifted either higher or lower in pitch before being output.  The amount of shift is adjustable via the two buttons.
 The echo and reverb modes have 7 distinct levels of delay available, whereas the pitch shifter has thousands of distinct levels of pitch adjustment to play with.  You can lower your voice to sound like Barry White, or raise it to sound younger, or even to sound like a chipmunk.  Holding either button will scan through the available pitches; tapping either button will adjust one pitch at a time.
 To cycle through the three DSP modes, press both buttons simultaneously.
E-mail for quote or more information: chris.paiano@gmail.com
Detail page and photo coming soon!
 
Personal Audio FIFO Buffer – A FIFO (First In First Out) buffer can always be filled with the last minute or two of sound without using any storage space, for capture and record on demand.  Instantly capture important information even if it has already been said before you decide you want it!  At the touch of a button, the last minute or two is recorded immediately – and real-time recording begins right at the end of the buffer until the button is hit again.  Perfect for those business meetings (capture any verbal promises with ease!), brainstorming sessions (store those good ideas as they’re identified!), or even capturing select nuggets of important information from class lectures (incredibly efficient note-taking!).  This unit will allow connection to a telephone line so you can capture any important calls through your FIFO as well.  The myriad of uses is virtually endless!
E-mail for quote or more information: chris.paiano@gmail.com
Detail page and photo coming soon!

CpE Arc Servo - automatically pulls and maintaines the largest possible arcs for welding, underwater welding, and a myriad of other servo-based applications.

Video of the arc servo in action: http://tinypic.com/usermedia.php?uo=RmVHqCSHBmVW5wuZ46E7PQ%3D%3D

Can be used with any DC linear actuator.  Designed for DC power supplies (car batteries work great) but compatible with some AC supplies.

E-mail for quote or more information: chris.paiano@gmail.com
Detail page and photo coming soon!
 Photo coming soon!
CpE TV Volume Level Normalizer -  Anyone who's ever watched TV without a DVR to skip commercials with has probably noticed the obvious volume differences between the programming and the advertisements.  The commercials are always louder than the actual TV show you are trying to watch; some stations are much worse than others.  You end up having to turn the volume up to hear your show, and then turn it down during the commercials to avoid going deaf.

The CpE TV Volume Normalizer is a device that solves this problem.  The user sets a target sound level, and the Normalizer adjusts the TV volume to match.  Sudden, loud changes will be immediately mitigated with volume reductions.  The volume will fade back in as quieter programming begins again. 

This product may be purcheased here