Roland Pelayo | Microcontroller Tutorials

Roland Pelayo

I started TMM back in 2015. I’m a firmware and embedded systems engineer with over ten years of experience designing and developing electronic and microcontroller-based products. Over the years, I’ve worked on a wide range of projects, including medical devices, access control and security systems, automation, robotics, wireless communication modules, IoT systems, imaging and sensor instruments, and educational training tools. I’ve built systems using platforms such as PIC, AVR, ESP32, STM32, nRF52, and Raspberry Pi, and I regularly work with protocols like RS485/OSDP, CAN, TCP/IP, Wiegand, and a variety of sensor and communication interfaces. I also develop full-stack solutions for embedded projects, combining firmware, hardware, and web-based dashboards when needed. If there’s a topic you’d like me to write about, or if you need consultation or hands-on development for electronics, embedded, or firmware projects, I’m always open to working on new ideas and collaborations. You can reach me anytime through the contact page.

Adding WiFi to PocketBeagle

March 28, 2018 BeagleBone Tutorial

For the next part of my series on PocketBeagle, I will show how to add WiFi connectivity to the board. This board doesn’t come with built-in WiFi like the Raspberry Pi Zero W. With a simple hack, I managed to add WiFi connectivity to it.

How to Use a Flex Sensor

March 27, 2018 Arduino Tutorial

A flex sensor can be used with a microcontroller to detect or measure bending. In this tutorial, I will show how to interface this sensor with an Arduino UNO and discuss some possible flex sensor applications and projects.

LPG Sensor with MQ-6 and Arduino

March 26, 2018 Arduino Tutorial

The MQ-6 is a semiconductor gas sensor device for detecting the levels of propane and butane in the air. Since liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is composed of these two gases, then the MQ-6 can be used as a LPG sensor.

Getting Started with PocketBeagle Mini SBC

March 23, 2018 BeagleBone Tutorial

I am a fan of the BeagleBone Black. Thus when I heard that a small-body version of the BBB is now available, I purchased it immediately even if it costs twice as much as the other small-body SBC, the Raspberry Pi Zero. The PocketBeagle, as it’s called, also doesn’t have …

Raspberry Pi Zero vs. PocketBeagle

March 22, 2018 BeagleBone Tutorial, Raspberry Pi Tutorial

Last year, both Raspberry Pi and Beaglebone Black released mini versions of their popular microcomputers: the Raspberry Pi Zero and PocketBeagle. I happened to own both and had a chance to compare. Which small-size single board computer (SBC) is better? It’s Raspberry Pi Zero vs. PocketBeagle after the jump.

PIR Motion Sensor

March 21, 2018 Arduino Tutorial, PIC Tutorial

You can in fact build your own motion sensor without spending too much. Motion sensors can be set up using ultrasonic transceivers, video cameras, or microwave signals. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to use the PIR motion sensor with a microcontroller. PIR is short for passive infrared which …

How to Use the MAX30100 as Arduino Heart Rate Sensor

March 20, 2018 Arduino Tutorial

The moment I got my hands on the MAX30100 breakout board, I was ready to create my own Arduino heart rate sensor. But building one wasn’t as easy as I thought.

Using the MicroSD Breakout Board with Arduino

March 19, 2018 Arduino Tutorial

Microcontrollers usually don’t have enough memory to store data like images, databases, or even large text files. EEPROMs are tasked with this, but the portability of a memory card gives it a big advantage. This tutorial shows how easy to use a microSD card with the Arduino microcontroller.

HC-SR04 and Arduino Interfacing Tutorial

March 17, 2018 Arduino Tutorial

An ultrasonic sensor like the HC-SR04 finds a lot of applications because of its low cost and ease of use.

Using the SIM900A GSM Module with the Arduino

March 16, 2018 Arduino Tutorial

The SIM900A is another module from SIMCOM popularly used as a GSM shield for sending and receiving SMS. I’ve already covered the SIM800L, now let’s look at the SIM900A breakout board.