Ian Dunn

Electronics designer from New Mexico. I build art from circuit boards and electronic components, and clocks. Creator of the Reference Circuits book series.
#PCB_Art #Hardware_Hacking #Electronics

Location: Tijeras, New Mexico
Day Job: Power Operations Trainer
Night Job: Electronics Designer
Website: www.boltind.com
Soldering since: Age 5
Currently reading: Datasheets

Public Key

npub1t2arghqtm5dt7xtg28c8qgn0qh5j0gjrenpnt6nug24r6swt0wwspdf3fv

NIP-05 Address

ian_dunn_at_defcon.social@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs94w35ts9a6x4lr959rursyfhst6f85fpuese4af7y923ag89hh8gpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds05z8sd

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1t2arghqtm5dt7xtg28c8qgn0qh5j0gjrenpnt6nug24r6swt0wwspdf3fv

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Last Notes

2026-08-16 21:46:26 UTC

Here's my first #meshtastic rooftop node. I find it really odd how seemingly every #rooftop_node out there is in direct sunlight on a blazing hot rooftop like mine and yet they all still use lithium ion batteries. I get that lipo batteries are in fashion but they really aren't great for a harsh environment.
So I've gone on a mission to develop this little lead acid solar charger PCB. Just plug the heltek in and it supplies power. It's got 2 buck converters, the first stage is there to make sure the battery gets a nice even voltage from the solar. The second is to step 12 volts down to 3.3 volts for the Heltek. It has a low voltage drop out chip to keep the battery from being discharged too low. It has 3 status LEDs to indicate the status of the 3.3v rail, the 12v rail and the solar input. The LEDs can be turned off with a single switch to save power. So far it's working great! I've had it running since spring and it hasn't crashed yet.
One of these days I'm going to put it in my freezer to see how long until it crashes, and how long it takes to come back. I'll open source the design when I finish a few more enhancements.
#electronics
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/117/107/371/078/054/332/original/66e88dd3079a1417.jpg
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/117/107/372/041/025/132/original/463ff1cb0dfcb8e7.jpg
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/117/107/373/048/444/588/original/db040a76945d42d4.jpg

2026-08-14 16:01:50 UTC

I'm working on converting my books, "Reference Circuits" from Easy EDA to KiCAD. These are books made from circuit boards, with real circuits on each page. I want to have each volume of my books under one roof, so that replenishing my stock is easier in the future. I absolutely regret not going with KiCAD from the start. Importing from EasyEDA into KiCAD works pretty well, but the font, formatting, text size, and a whole bunch of other details get lost along the way. This stuff usually doesn't matter in a circuit board, but in a circuit board book it matters a lot. If you're just getting started in circuit board design, I highly recommend #Kicad over #EasyEDA
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/117/094/661/550/701/028/original/b8b8aa669780ffa5.png
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/117/094/693/692/771/013/original/80e9a634f94b2517.jpeg

2026-08-13 22:49:47 UTC

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I agree, some pictures would be neat. I'm just curious, how many can you knock out on a day? You'll probably get faster as you get through them so the first day may not be the best day to ask.

2026-08-13 16:29:32 UTC

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Hurray!

2026-08-13 00:42:17 UTC

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I've tried importing a handful of designs from easy eda. In my opinion it's not worth doing. Re drawing the whole board from scratch is easier than fighting all the little bugs.

2026-08-11 23:57:56 UTC

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I switched from easyeda to kicad. When I figured this out it maybe became my favorite feature.

2026-08-05 15:54:43 UTC

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I just listened to it from start to finish. Good stuff!

2026-08-05 03:20:41 UTC

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Thanks for sharing that!

2026-08-05 03:14:51 UTC

Here's another #circuit_board_cityscape This is another old circuit board that I rescued from the trash. I took this with my Olympus D E M5 MARK III and a M.Zuiko ED 30mm F3.5 macro lens. This is a raw image, I don't use any post processing. I recently hit a treasure trove of vintage circuit boards, so more like this will be coming soon! #electronics #photography #macro_photography #PCB_art
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/117/040/708/005/986/811/original/9d6b6b049a7dd7f5.jpeg

2026-08-04 16:00:52 UTC

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This is good news! I think I'm glad I only descovered and backed your project a month ago, the anticipation would be agonizing if I had to wait more than a few months. I can't wait to get my Next. It's exactly the laptop I'd been aspiring to build myselff or years, but better.

2026-08-04 12:07:00 UTC

Do you have 4 old TIL-311 numerical displays laying around? Turn them into a clock! I put together this video to show how I designed a clock around this display. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-3nfaTTBcw
Electronics
#Binary_Clock
#DIY_Clock
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/117/037/145/663/979/809/original/1e7980a1130b606c.jpeg
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/117/037/151/536/846/364/original/6be0f7b192600c60.jpeg

2026-08-03 16:55:05 UTC

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I couldn't agree more. I am sick of my Samsung phone that's loaded with bloat. I have a pixel comming and I'm going to make the switch to Graphine.

2026-08-03 16:52:12 UTC

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That's good news. I can't wait! Do you have a sense of when you may ship them?

2026-08-01 14:52:37 UTC

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I'd give Claude AI a try. It should be able to do whatever you ask for. Just be very descriptive and specific in your prompt. You probably want a csv spreadsheet in the end, so just ask it to make a csv. It's really pretty close to magic!

2026-07-30 00:51:05 UTC

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That's a good find. A gold plated usbc, now I've seen it all.

2026-07-28 03:14:54 UTC

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Yea I think that's the same thing. Neat!

2026-07-24 12:12:16 UTC

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Yes it works just fine. I find that unless you're board is something that is not electrical then there's no need for a schematic but not skipping the schematic will probably save you having to revise and re order your pcb if it's got any electrical functionality.

2026-07-23 23:53:54 UTC

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I've had success swapping two adjacent pins by bending one pin up in the air and the other pin way over to the adjacent pad. Then use a resistor lead or something simmilar to connect the pin this up in the air to its pad.

2026-07-23 23:46:40 UTC

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been there, done that!

2026-07-22 12:40:32 UTC

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Are you cowdfunding something?

2026-07-19 21:47:24 UTC

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That's a good idea. I'll bet the power supply works. I think I'll dig into this sometime on a holiday when I need a project.

2026-07-19 21:15:57 UTC

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Thanks, that's good to know. That's shouldn't be very difficult to fix. I did notice a faint intermittent sound coming from the power supply, like it was overloaded and shutting itself off, then trying again about 2 seconds later. That adds up with the shorted tantalum caps. Thanks for the picture!

2026-07-19 21:07:30 UTC

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Yea that's what I was thinking. I'm guessing I'll have to replace every aluminum electrolytic and tantalum capacitor.

2026-07-19 20:57:22 UTC

I just rescued this Compaq Portable II computer from the E-scrap pile at my local transfer station. I managed to snag 2 of 4 of them before I got chased away by the staff. No scavenging allowed. It's eating me alive thinking about the other cool stuff including 1 more of these computers that are still sitting there. At least I was able to snag 2 of them. It didn't power on, I suspect the capacitors will have to be replaced. Has anybody ever had any luck reviving one of these?
#vintagecomputing

2026-07-18 19:41:02 UTC

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When it comes to board games and most competitions, I'm always the first to loose. But this is my kind of competition! I'm sorry I'm not there.

2026-07-18 02:53:49 UTC

I made this cool little binary clock on a whim. It was so easy it felt like cheating. It's got an Atmel 328PB for a brain, a DS1307 real time clock, and a string of 19 WS2812 addressable LEDs to display the time. I also added a switch to toggle between 12 and 24 hour modes. Sandwitched between the two PCBs is a coin cell that powers the RTC when its un-plugged, so you dont have to set the time every time you plug it in. It took about 5 minutes to write the firmware with AI and it worked on the first try. I made a YouTube video showing each step of the process, and I have my open source design is free for the taking on my website. I'll sell complete clocks as soon as I get more 328PB micro controllers.
Youtube video: https://youtu.be/NYM3-Beix3Q
Open Source Design:
https://www.boltind.com/binary-clock-with-ws2812-addressable-leds-and-microcontroller/
#Electronics #Binary_Clock #DIY_Clock
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/938/698/010/824/190/original/6052de4b4b0cc1e0.jpeg
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/938/698/010/691/892/original/a8bce4b1bedd87d9.jpeg
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2026-07-17 16:46:37 UTC

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Thanks for sharing. I love these naked pictures!

2026-07-17 16:34:18 UTC

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absolutely beautiful!

2026-07-17 03:56:09 UTC

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Thanks Carrie! I'm seeing all sorts of posts about Teardown and Defcon and I'm totally feeling sorry for myself because I can't be there. I hope your talk goes well and you have a great time!

2026-07-16 15:00:30 UTC

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I wish I could be there! I'll defenantly watch your talk from here if it's recorded.

2026-07-16 14:58:55 UTC

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Thanks!

2026-07-16 01:53:31 UTC

@npub13e2…n8tx Here's another one for you.
This is a PCB that I ripped out a thirty something year old ATM I pulled out of the trash. Way too beautiful for the landfill! The second photo is the same PCB taken with my cell phone. The right camera, lens and lighting make quite a difference! I took this with my Olympus D E M5 MARK III and a M.Zuiko ED 30mm F3.5 macro lens. This is a raw image, I don't use any post processing.
#electronics #photography #macro_photography #PCB_art
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/927/109/329/282/462/original/41a30635c95d8c26.jpeg

2026-07-15 21:21:13 UTC

I spitted the #mnt_reform Next laptop on crowdsupply about a week ago and I am really tempted to sign up for one. I love the modular design, the hackability and the georgeous CNC aluminum case. My only real hesitation is that I could get a much faster Framework laptop for the same money. Framework is repairable, but nowhere near as cool as the MNT. Does anybody out there have any experience with the MNT's SOM module, the #RK3588 as a daily driver? I'm a lifelong Ubuntu user. It sounds like Debian is better fit for this SOM, and I don't think I'd mind switching. I do occaisional video editing. Has anybody out there experemented with Kdenlive on Debian (or ubuntu) with the RK3588? Or have an opinion about the MNT laptop?

2026-07-15 04:15:52 UTC

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Haha I love it! Honestly that may just be my favorite song. I listen to that soundtrack while I'm taking pictures and making artwork!

2026-07-14 12:20:15 UTC

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This is super cool! I'd like to see some more about your process and the boards you've made!

2026-07-13 16:28:09 UTC

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I've played with those, they are really nifty.

2026-07-13 11:55:27 UTC

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I hope you have a great vacation.

2026-07-12 22:39:19 UTC

Another one finished! I could use some help with a name for it. It's an eyeball. The outside is dark American Walnut, and it's supposed to represent the natural world. The inside is a circuit board, representing technology. I don't think it is too far fetched that people will have cybernetic eyeballs in the coming decades. The idea of a cybernetic eyeball is what inspired this piece. Most of the components on the pcb are for looks, but there's a string of ws2812 leds that I designed to look like Ethernet link lights.
#PCBArt #TechArt #ElectronicArt #LEDArt #SciFiArt #Singularity# PostSingularity #Cybernetic #CreativeCoding #Transhumanism #electronics
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/909/393/694/446/580/original/d842bb836b63ec95.jpeg
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/909/394/445/042/385/original/0c5cf98b4f9e68cc.jpeg
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/909/403/446/992/610/original/83d23301c4fbc530.jpeg

2026-07-12 13:58:27 UTC

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That's what everybody says, but unfortunately I have to take out the guts to make room for the clock.

2026-07-12 13:57:20 UTC

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Haha! I can't argue with that. Good point! Lol.

2026-07-11 18:40:37 UTC

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I got started with Easy EDA and switched to kicad. I'd say that kicad has a slightly steeper learning curve but it's totally worth the effort. For board outlines my approach is to draw a square and change it to the edge.cuts layer. For anything more complicated than that I usually draw the outline in Inkscape and import it to kicad. Kicad does a great job of importing vector graphics.

2026-07-11 13:56:49 UTC

Here's a #NixieTubeClock that I made. I just love these old Weston meters. They mostly sin in basements where nobody gets to appreciate or enjoy them. I think they are absolutely gorgeous. What better way to make them useful again by turning them into a Nixie clock? This one had a resistor in the top that apparently needed all those little holes to dissipate heat, so I stuck a Bluetooth speaker in there too. #electronics #clocks #steampunk
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/901/677/336/435/914/original/46bc01f9a60edfe7.jpeg
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/901/680/897/351/533/original/efdfd7875bb16780.jpeg
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2026-07-11 04:43:02 UTC

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Thanks Dade!

2026-07-10 18:07:56 UTC

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Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoyoyng them. Yea, they are real images scratches and all. I do these in a pitch black room, camera on a tripod and all of the light is from the LED lights that I can precisely control. They are focus stacked with as many as 15 different images. The aperture still needs to be really small to get a sharp focus, so the shutter speed needs to be fairly long, so I need really precise control of the light. I usually have 1 or 2 colors, plus a white light. It's been a very long time in the making, but I finally started a youtube channel. I defenantly plan on making a video explaining how I make these images.

2026-07-10 15:49:53 UTC

Here's today's circuit board picture. I use a few LED lights and focus stacking to get these images. I took this with my Olympus D E M5 MARK III and a M.Zuiko ED 30mm F3.5 macro lens. This is a raw image, with no post processing. I've got a years long backlog of these images I've never shared before. More coming soon. #electronics #photography #macro_photography #PCB_art
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/896/443/842/827/705/original/1a5ffdcd29644b23.jpeg

2026-07-09 22:06:08 UTC

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with the empty traces? I turned that on by mistake once. I didn't care for it.

2026-07-09 18:28:51 UTC

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Yes. This is a fairly old board that has those very unusual square vias. they are absolutely gorgeous lit up from the bottom!

2026-07-09 17:54:30 UTC

Circuit boards have a certain beauty that rarely gets appreciated. With the right lighting and the right lense they look like a busy city street. I took this with my Olympus D E M5 MARK III and a M.Zuiko ED 30mm F3.5 macro lens. This is a raw image, i didnt use any post processing. Follow me if you want to see more! #electronics #photography #macro_photography #PCB_art
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/891/290/065/262/654/original/cddb42c77785eab1.jpeg

2026-07-08 23:17:01 UTC

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Thanks!!! I'm trying to get better about this social media stuff. I just recently signed up for Mastodon and I really like it. I've got a years long backlog of stuff I've never shared with the internet so I'm trying to post here regularly. If you want to see more I have some of my art on my website: www.iandunnart.com and my (not art) electronics stuff on my other website, www.boltind.com.

2026-07-08 23:11:28 UTC

I think maybe once a year I order a #PCB and it's perfect on the first try. That just happened to me with this project. I don't have anything to change on my board layout and my AI coded firmware worked perfectly on the very first shot. This christmas tree is one of several circuit board christmas ornaments I'm working on. I'll have them for sale in about October. The brain is an atmel 328pb microcontroller and the leds are ws2812-2020. Most of the other components are decorative.
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/886/870/135/079/466/original/0f6b0d1679fa0d50.mp4

2026-07-08 22:56:01 UTC

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Thanks!!!

2026-07-06 11:47:32 UTC

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Hey Dade, Sorry for the confusion. I put them in my Etsy store. https://www.etsy.com/shop/BoltIndustriesPCB

2026-07-06 03:09:57 UTC

I’m really excited to share a piece of art that’s been two years in the making. I call it Algorithmic Precipitation.
The piece is built from a custom printed circuit board. In the top copper layer is a city intersection, with a woman crossing the street. An everyday moment from a future that hasn’t quite arrived yet.
Across the scene, a downpour of small green raindrops falls from the sky, rendered using a grid of WS2812-2020 LEDs controlled by an ATmega328PB microcontroller. Two white LEDs occaisionally flash like lightning. A single amber LED mimics a failing streetlight.
The work is an exploration of what a post-singularity world might look like, where the boundary between the natural world and technology has blurred, and both are part of the same evolving system.
Also, I am trying to get better at this social media stuff, so today I uploaded my first YouTube video! If you want to see more of this piece, I made a long form video detailing every step of how I made it. Likes, boosts, and subscribers are appreciated! Check it out here: https://youtu.be/k712ZmR4pAk?si=-9bLeB-qkFdm6Kyn
I also have more pictures on my website: www.iandunnart.com.
#PCBArt #TechArt #ElectronicArt #LEDArt #SciFiArt #Singularity #PostSingularity #Cybernetic #CreativeCoding #Transhumanism #electronics
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/870/805/404/730/318/original/58772315c5024525.jpeg
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/870/807/126/979/042/original/308c4728535ec695.jpeg

2026-06-24 04:18:29 UTC

I found this Peerless Switch Dial Testing set on eBay a while back. I think it's some sort of telephone industry tool. I gave no idea how it works. My intention was to gut it and turn it into a nixie clock, but I just don't think I have the heart to do it. It's just too cool as it is. Does anybody know what it's for? It feels heavy enough that it must have a transformer inside.
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/803/143/798/560/348/original/65c4b074c678cd04.jpg
https://files.defcon.social/dcsocial-s3/media_attachments/files/116/803/146/120/354/698/original/2d69cd7997ff3565.jpg