Sharp GP2Y0A51SK0F Analog Distance Sensor 2-15cm with wires soldered directly to the sensor PCB.

We are now carrying the short-range Sharp GP2Y0A51SK0F Analog Distance Sensor. Like the GP2Y0D815Z0F we released a few months ago, this sensor has a maximum intended sensing range of 15 cm, but unlike that other sensor, this module tells you where the detected object is in its 2 cm to 15 cm range. Its close minimum sensing distance of 2 cm and high 60 Hz update rate make this a great choice for close-proximity range-finding, or the analog voltage output can be passed through a comparator to make an adjustable-threshold alternative to our digital Sharp distance sensors.

This sensor uses a 1.5 mm pitch JST ZH connector, which is different from the connectors on all the other Sharp sensors we carry. Unfortunately, this means it will not work with the JST PH cables we recommend for use with some of those other sensors. We are working on getting compatible cables, but in the interim, it is not too difficult (but not exactly easy) to solder wires directly to the output pins like in the picture on the right.

This sensor is also quite a bit smaller than most of the other analog Sharp sensors, so it will not work with our new brackets.

A variety of Sharp distance sensors. From left to right: GP2Y0A02, GP2Y0A21 or GP2Y0A41, GP2Y0A51, and GP2Y0D8xx.

For more information, see the GP2Y0A51SK0F product page.

Related products

	Sharp/Socle GP2Y0A51SK0F Analog Distance Sensor 2-15cm
	3-Pin Female JST ZH-Style Cable (30cm) for Sharp/Socle GP2Y0A51 Distance Sensors

We’ve just released a new family of D24V10Fx step-down voltage regulators. These buck regulators are very similar to the D24V5Fx regulator family we introduced in March, but they use the Intersil ISL85410 regulator IC – a higher-current relative of the ISL85415 on the D24V5x – that allows them to output twice as much current (up to 1 A). The D24V10Fx family is available in five different versions with fixed output voltages of 3.3V, 5V, 6V, 9V, and 12V.

Like their 500 mA counterparts, the D24V10Fx regulators operate with input voltages as high as 36 V at typical efficiencies of 80% to 95%. They feature the same power-save mode to improve efficiency at light loads, along with low dropout voltages and integrated protection against over-temperature and over-current conditions. All this makes them a good choice for powering applications where input voltage and operating current might vary over a wide range.

The slightly larger size of these new regulator boards (0.5″ × 0.7″ × 0.14″; 18 mm × 13 mm × 3.5 mm) makes room for a fifth pin that provides a “power good” indication (PG), but they are still not much bigger than standard through-hole linear regulators. The picture below shows a D24V10Fx, a D24V5Fx, and a 7805 voltage regulator in a TO-220 package:

For other regulator options, you can take a look at our full selection of step-up voltage regulators, step-down voltage regulators, and step-up/step-down voltage regulators.

Related products

	Pololu 3.3V, 1A Step-Down Voltage Regulator D24V10F3
	Pololu 5V, 1A Step-Down Voltage Regulator D24V10F5
	Pololu 6V, 1A Step-Down Voltage Regulator D24V10F6
	Pololu 9V, 1A Step-Down Voltage Regulator D24V10F9
	Pololu 12V, 1A Step-Down Voltage Regulator D24V10F12

We have a new batch of T-shirts available, just in time for winter! These shirts are very similar to the ones we released in 2012, featuring a printed circuit board (PCB) design in the shape of the Pololu logo on the front and the Pololu slogan “Engage Your Brain” on the back.

The shirts are available in a variety of youth and adult sizes, and this time we have two new colors available in addition to our standard royal blue: cardinal red and charcoal gray.

You can find our full selection in our T-shirts category.

Related products

	Pololu Circuit Logo T-Shirt: Royal Blue, Adult L 2014
	Pololu Circuit Logo T-Shirt: Cardinal Red, Adult L 2014
	Pololu Circuit Logo T-Shirt: Charcoal Gray, Adult L 2014

Stackable 0.100″ Female Header: 2×20-pin, Straight.

We now have special extended, stackable female headers for the Raspberry Pi:

• Stackable 0.100″ Female Header with Extra 0.3″ Spacer: 2×20-pin, Straight
• Stackable 0.100″ Female Header: 2×20-pin, Straight
• Stackable 0.100″ Female Header with Extra 0.2″ Spacer: 2×13-pin, Straight
• Stackable 0.100″ Female Header: 2×13-pin, Straight

The 2×20 versions work with the Raspberry Pi Model B+ (and the just-released A+), while the 2×13 versions match the I/O header on the older Raspberry Pi Models A and B.

See our Raspberry Pi category for our full selection of Raspberry Pi accessories.

Related products

	Stackable 0.100″ Female Header with Extra 0.3″ Spacer: 2x20-Pin, Straight
	Stackable 0.100″ Female Header: 2x20-Pin, Straight
	Stackable 0.100″ Female Header with Extra 0.2″ Spacer: 2x13-Pin, Straight
	Stackable 0.100″ Female Header: 2x13-Pin, Straight
	Raspberry Pi Model B+

We are now carrying the USB version of the BASIC Stamp Discovery Kit. Please see the product page for more information.

Related products

Parallax BASIC Stamp Discovery Kit - USB #27807

Our mini plastic gearmotors make great low-cost actuators for small robots, but they have one major shortcoming: they are not easy to mount (the offset versions have just one mounting hole and the 90° versions don’t have any). Well, today I am pleased to announce that we now have two mounting solutions!

Mini Plastic Gearmotor Bracket Pair – Wide.

Mini Plastic Gearmotor Bracket Pair – Tall.

These new plastic brackets, available in a wide version and a tall version, are designed specifically for our mini plastic gearmotors, with internal ridges that fit into recessed features on the gearmotors to hold them securely in place. Both brackets are compatible with all of our mini plastic gearmotors, and the two versions allow for different mounting orientations, some of which can be seen in the pictures below:

In some orientations, features of the mini plastic gearmotor cases prevent them from being flush with a flat mounting surface. To address this, we include a spacer plate with each bracket that fits between the gearmotor and the mounting surface in these orientations, keeping the motor level. If you look closely at the pictures above, you can see the spacer plate being used in three of them.

These new brackets are sold in pairs along with mounting hardware (two M3 screws and nuts per bracket).

See the product pages for additional information:

• Pololu Mini Plastic Gearmotor Bracket Pair – Wide
• Pololu Mini Plastic Gearmotor Bracket Pair – Tall

Related products

	Pololu Mini Plastic Gearmotor Bracket Pair - Wide
	Pololu Mini Plastic Gearmotor Bracket Pair - Tall

Our new stamped aluminum L-brackets are specifically designed for Sharp’s popular analog GP2Y0A02, GP2Y0A21, and GP2Y0A41 distance sensors, making it easy to mount them to your project in a variety of ways. The brackets are made of 0.8mm-thick aluminum, so they are light and bendable by hand if your application calls for something other than their default 90° angle, yet they are rigid enough to hold their position while in use.

These new brackets are sold in pairs and are available in three different versions: compact perpendicular and parallel versions, and a slightly larger but more versatile multi-option version.

The appropriate bracket for your project depends on the specifics of how you would like to mount it. For example, if you want a low-profile installation on a horizontal surface, the parallel bracket (pictured above on the left) is a good choice. For a low-profile installation off of a vertical surface, the perpendicular bracket (pictured above on the right) might be most appropriate. The multi-option bracket (pictured above in the center) allows the sensor to be mounted to either face, so it supports both perpendicular and parallel orientations, and the long slots offer a lot of flexibility in sensor placement relative to the mounting surface.

See the product pages for additional information:

• Bracket Pair for Sharp GP2Y0A02, GP2Y0A21, and GP2Y0A41 Distance Sensors – Perpendicular
• Bracket Pair for Sharp GP2Y0A02, GP2Y0A21, and GP2Y0A41 Distance Sensors – Parallel
• Bracket Pair for Sharp GP2Y0A02, GP2Y0A21, and GP2Y0A41 Distance Sensors – Multi-Option

Related products

	Bracket Pair for Sharp/Socle GP2Y0A02, GP2Y0A21, and GP2Y0A41 Distance Sensors - Perpendicular
	Bracket Pair for Sharp/Socle GP2Y0A02, GP2Y0A21, and GP2Y0A41 Distance Sensors - Parallel
	Bracket Pair for Sharp/Socle GP2Y0A02, GP2Y0A21, and GP2Y0A41 Distance Sensors - Multi-Option
	Sharp/Socle GP2Y0A02YK0F Analog Distance Sensor 20-150cm
	Sharp/Socle GP2Y0A41SK0F Analog Distance Sensor 4-30cm
	Sharp/Socle GP2Y0A21YK0F Analog Distance Sensor 10-80cm

Get FREE copies of Circuit Cellar magazine’s November issue and Elektor magazine’s November issue with your order, while supplies last. To get your free issues, enter the coupon codes CIRCUIT1114 and ELEKTOR1114 into your shopping cart. Each magazine will add 6 ounces to the package weight when calculating your shipping options.

For back issues and more information, see our free Circuit Cellar magazine offers and free Elektor magazine offers.

Introducing Robot Magazine

We are now also offering free issues of Robot, a bimonthly magazine specifically for the robot enthusiast! We have the three most recent issues available, while supplies last:

To get your free issues, enter the coupon codes ROBOT0714, ROBOT0914, and ROBOT1114 for July/August, September/October, and November/December, respectively. Each magazine will add 6 ounces to the package weight when calculating your shipping options.

For more information, see our free Robot Magazine offers category.

Related products

	Free Elektor magazine November 2014
	Free Circuit Cellar magazine November 2014
	Free Robot magazine July/August 2014
	Free Robot magazine September/October 2014
	Free Robot magazine November / December 2014

Several gear ratios of our medium-power (MP) micro metal gearmotors are now available with extended motor shafts:

• 10:1 MP micro metal gearmotor with extended motor shaft – 2200 RPM (no-load) and 3 oz-in torque (stall) at 6 V
• 75:1 MP micro metal gearmotor with extended motor shaft – 290 RPM (no-load) and 17 oz-in torque (stall) at 6 V
• 100:1 MP micro metal gearmotor with extended motor shaft – 220 RPM (no-load) and 19 oz-in torque (stall) at 6 V

The extended motor shaft rotates at the same speed as the input to the gearbox and offers a way to add an encoder, such as our new magnetic encoder for micro metal gearmotors (pictured below), to provide motor speed or position feedback.

For more information, see the product pages or check out our entire category of micro metal gearmotors.

Related products

	10:1 Micro Metal Gearmotor MP 6V with Extended Motor Shaft
	75:1 Micro Metal Gearmotor MP 6V with Extended Motor Shaft
	100:1 Micro Metal Gearmotor MP 6V with Extended Motor Shaft

Our family of Mini Plastic Gearmotors is growing! We have added HP versions with more powerful motors for increased torque and speed, and we are now carrying versions with extended motor shafts intended for use with custom encoders for motor speed and position feedback. (These extended-shaft versions are not compatible with the magnetic encoders we just released for our Micro Metal Gearmotors; we will have a similar encoder solution for these plastic gearmotors at some point, but for now we are offering them for people who want to make their own encoders.) The following table shows the current state of our Mini Plastic Gearmotor family:

Motor Type	Stall Current @ 4.5 V	No-Load Speed @ 4.5 V	Stall Torque @ 4.5 V	90° output	90° output + motor shaft	offset output	offset output + motor shaft
high-power (HP)	1250 mA	150 RPM	25 oz-in	120:1 mini HP	120:1 mini HP	120:1 mini HP	120:1 mini HP
low-power	800 mA	120 RPM	20 oz-in	120:1 mini	120:1 mini	120:1 mini	120:1 mini
		80 RPM	30 oz-in	180:1 mini		180:1 mini

We are particularly excited about these gearmotors because they offer a great combination of performance and affordability; don’t be surprised if you find these motors in some of our future robots and robot kits! For more information about all of these gearmotors, see our Mini Plastic Gearmotors category.

Related products

	120:1 Mini Plastic Gearmotor, 90° 3mm D-Shaft Output, Extended Motor Shaft
	120:1 Mini Plastic Gearmotor HP, 90° 3mm D-Shaft Output
	120:1 Mini Plastic Gearmotor HP, 90° 3mm D-Shaft Output, Extended Motor Shaft
	120:1 Mini Plastic Gearmotor, Offset 3mm D-Shaft Output, Extended Motor Shaft
	120:1 Mini Plastic Gearmotor HP, Offset 3mm D-Shaft Output
	120:1 Mini Plastic Gearmotor HP, Offset 3mm D-Shaft Output, Extended Motor Shaft