Business Card Patrioted by ATtiny Plays Old School Video Game Intros
In the realm of creative business card designs, a standout project has emerged that goes beyond just sharing contact information. This unique PCB business card, designed and developed by [VCC], incorporates USB power, over a dozen small LEDs that light up stars, and a small buzzer capable of playing over ten minutes of cracktro music—a nod to the classic audio-visual demos popular in the computer demo scene.
The heart of this innovative card is the ATtiny1616 microcontroller, a cost-effective choice that still has plenty of outputs to drive the buzzer and LEDs. The microcontroller, which costs under 50 cents, makes the overall cost of the card low, enabling mass distribution without financial concern.
To improve the efficiency of preparing the cards, [VCC] created a jig and wrote a small script for assembly-line programming. The jig was designed to build up the thickness of the USB connector to securely fit in a USB port, while the script sped up the programming process, reducing it to around ten seconds per card.
The final per-unit cost of the card prior to shipping is 1.5 euros, making it an affordable yet impressive tool for networking occasions. The card is designed to be handed out without financial concern, adding to its appeal.
While such business cards are somewhat niche and mostly seen in maker or hacker communities, they are a testament to the ingenuity and creativity of those who push the boundaries of traditional business card designs. For inspiration and detailed designs, communities such as Hackaday’s PCB business card collection provide multiple examples and design resources.
References: 1. Hackaday's PCB Business Card Collection 2. Infineon CAPSENSE Microcontrollers 3. Infineon CAPSENSE MBR3 Family 4. Infineon CY8CMBR2110
- The small script written by VCC for assembly-line programming in the PCB business card project streamlines the process, significantly reducing the programming time per card to approximately ten seconds.
- This innovative PCB business card, a creation by VCC, not only showcases their programming skills in the microcontroller but also demonstrates their technology expertise in integrating a USB connector, LEDs, and a buzzer, making it a unique and appealing networking tool within the maker or hacker communities.
