Posts by Ben (Page 10)

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Happy Pi Day

Posted by Ben on 13 March 2015
Tags: raspberry pi

Tomorrow is Pi Day (3/14/15 in the standard US date format of month/day/year), and we are celebrating by having a special overly-pi-themed one-day sale:

  • Use coupon code PIDAY975 to get 31.4% off a 3pi robot (limit 3 per customer).
  • Use coupon code PIDAY2753 to get a DRV8835 Dual Motor Driver Kit for Raspberry Pi B+ for $3.14 (limit 3 per customer).
  • Use coupon code PIDAY to get 3.14% off your entire order (this discount is only valid for order subtotals between $3.14 and $314.16 and cannot be combined with other coupon discounts).

The sale is live now and runs through the end of tomorrow (midnight Pacific Time).

200,000 orders and new Zumo robot preview

Posted by Ben on 3 March 2015


We received order 1J200000 this morning from Ralf in Germany! However, it turns out that because of a one-time database screwup, this was not actually our 200,000th order (thanks, Paul). We received that one a few minutes later when Alex from Iowa placed order 1J200008. To celebrate, we included a special gift with both of these orders: a prototype of the new Zumo robot we expect to release this month. Congratulations to Ralf and Alex! For everyone else, keep an eye on this blog for more information on our new Zumos, and thank you to all our customers for helping us get to 200k orders.

New product: Aluminum mounting bracket for NEMA 14 stepper motors

Posted by Ben on 19 December 2014
Tags: new products

This new stepper motor bracket is designed to work with typical NEMA 14-size stepper motors, including all of the NEMA 14 stepper motors we carry. It is made from 2mm-thick black anodized aluminum, and like the larger NEMA 17 bracket we released earlier this year, it features slot cutouts to allow for a variety of mounting options.

For more information, see the product page.

New product: 56:1 Metal Gearmotor 20Dx42L mm

Posted by Ben on 18 December 2014
Tags: new products

We have added a new gear ratio to our 20D mm line of metal gearmotors. This gearmotor has a 56:1 gearbox, resulting in a no-load speed of 250 RPM and a stall torque of 45 oz-in at 6 V.

New product: Sharp GP2Y0A51SK0F Analog Distance Sensor 2-15cm

Posted by Ben on 5 December 2014
Tags: new products

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.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale: check out all the deals!

Posted by Ben on 25 November 2014


You can now find all of our sale details, including a full list of the sale items, on our Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale page. The first doorbuster deals go live in less than 12 hours!

Coming soon: Pololu Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale

Posted by Ben on 21 November 2014


Our annual Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale is less than a week away! We have put up some of the special offers on the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale page. Stay tuned for more details!

New product: Parallax BASIC Stamp Discovery Kit (USB)

Posted by Ben on 19 November 2014
Tags: new products

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

Free magazines: Circuit Cellar, Elektor, and now Robot!

Posted by Ben on 31 October 2014
Tags: new products

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.

New Products

15V, 2.5A Step-Up/Step-Down Voltage Regulator S13V25F15
3.3V, 2.5A Step-Up/Step-Down Voltage Regulator S13V25F3
Free Circuit Cellar magazine March 2023
DRV8434 Stepper Motor Driver Carrier
VL53L7CX Time-of-Flight 8×8-Zone Wide FOV Distance Sensor Carrier with Voltage Regulator, 350cm Max
Zumo 2040 Robot (Assembled with 50:1 HP Motors)
Free Circuit Cellar magazine April 2023
Motoron M3S550 Triple Motor Controller Shield for Arduino (Connectors Soldered)
Motoron M2T550 Dual I²C Motor Controller (Header Pins Soldered)
Motoron M1T550 Single I²C Motor Controller
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