Hacker News: nabilt

New comment by nabilt in "Ask HN: What are you working on? (February 2026)"

nabilt — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 02:27:46 +0000

I built (and currently testing) a 4 port automated PCB test & programming tool. I needed a way to produce a bunch of PCBs efficiently and couldn't find a solution that was flexible and didn't cost many thousands of dollars. I made a simple tool to solve this.

Features

    - 4-channel DUT interface with individual power control via TPS22992
    - JTAG multiplexer for programming (not exclusive to JTAG)
    - Power monitoring using PAC1954 for per-channel current/voltage measurement
    - Raspberry Pi Pico for control logic and automation
    - USB interface through Pi Pico USB-CDC for host communication (1 port for each DUT)
    - 1.8V - 5V IO support
    - MicroPython support for test script automation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKTlRVKJuS8&t

https://github.com/Netlist-Studio/dut_hub_hw

New comment by nabilt in "Show HN: Look Ma, No Linux: Shell, App Installer, Vi, Cc on ESP32-S3 / BreezyBox"

nabilt — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 04:56:08 +0000

Very cool project. Congrats. I will be trying this out.

Two other project I saw that are somewhat related for those interested:

1. reddit community (r/xteinkereader) building an OS like ebook reader app for a small chinese ereader based on esp32-s3

2. Linux port for the esp32-s3. Interestingly, the S3 has an MMU but I don't think it was used in this project.

https://github.com/ESP32DE/Boot-Linux-ESP32S3-Playground?tab...

New comment by nabilt in "Ultrathin business card runs a fluid simulation"

nabilt — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 16:59:21 +0000

For those that want more details on how the software works, this guy goes into a bit more detail for his version

Fluid simulation pendant https://mitxela.com/projects/fluid-pendant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jis1MC5Tm8k

New comment by nabilt in "Lvgl: Embedded graphics library to create beautiful UIs"

nabilt — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 22:16:05 +0000

If you just want a simple UI editor and don't want to pay for the official tool, give GUI Glider from NXP a try.

https://www.nxp.com/design/design-center/software/developmen...

New comment by nabilt in "Show HN: Imposter Attack – Among Us-themed infrared game made with ESP32"

nabilt — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 20:08:02 +0000

Super impressive project, especially for what seems to be your first embedded project. I haven't played with microPython/uOTA so this was an interesting read.

Since you mentioned the water meter Flume, I wanted to shamelessly plug my open source water meter that I'm currently developing. It also uses the ESP32 so I thought you might be interested.

Main page. https://y-drip.com/

Docs: https://y-drip.com/docs/site/v0.4/

New comment by nabilt in "Ask HN: What are you working on (August 2024)?"

nabilt — Sun, 25 Aug 2024 02:40:56 +0000

I started working on my opensource water meter again (https://y-drip.com/). Hardware is basically done so I'm working on the backend website for those that don't want to setup their own server. More technical details here: https://hackaday.io/project/191398-ydrip

New comment by nabilt in "Ask HN: Who wants to be hired? (August 2024)"

nabilt — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 00:13:41 +0000

  Location: Toronto
  Remote: Yes
  Willing to relocate: Yes
  Technologies: C, Python, JavaScript, HTML, Qualcomm Snapdragon, STM32, AVR, ESP32, Silicon Labs Gecko, Nordic nRF
  Résumé/CV: https://nabil.me/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/nabil_tewolde_resume.pdf
  Email: work@[domain above]

---

I'm a seasoned software engineer with extensive experience in embedded systems, real-time communication, and full-stack development. My background includes designing innovative hardware and software solutions for various applications.

Key Projects:

    - Real-time Audio Communication Device: Developed a device supporting 16 participants over 700 meters with 18-hour battery life using STM32 and Silicon Labs EFR32.
    - Android ROM Customization: Customized Android ROM for a video kiosk, added native USB camera support, and developed an over-the-air A/B update method.
    - Innovative Water Meter Solution (Y-Drip): Designed a product for real-time water usage data and leak detection with ultra-low power consumption.
    - Full Stack Development (Scalp Radar): Created a SAAS website for futures traders using Python, Django, and C#, with an automated license management system.

I'm currently seeking opportunities to leverage my skills in innovative projects, whether in embedded systems, software development, or full-stack applications. Open to remote work or on-site positions.

New comment by nabilt in "Adding dynamic content to your Shopify store using App Proxies and Django"

nabilt — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 16:25:05 +0000

Hey HN,

I recently launch a side project selling software on Shopify and needed a way to for users to manage their software license. Shopify's sample Django app was out dated and didn't implement all of the security features so I've improved it and wrote a guide on how to set it up.

I've found Shopify to be a good platform for selling software minus a few things like subscriptions. It's nice to have most of the e-commerce features like discount codes, analytics, order management taken care of. The only limitation is their free subscription management app is very limited so you might need to pay or build an app to take care of that.

Hopefully, this should give you a head start on adding custom functionality to your next Shopify side project.

Adding dynamic content to your Shopify store using App Proxies and Django

nabilt — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 16:25:05 +0000

Article URL: https://scalpradar.com/blogs/dev/creating-a-shopify-proxy-app-with-django-a-step-by-step-guide

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40928587

Points: 1

# Comments: 1

New comment by nabilt in "High-speed 10Gbps full-mesh network based on USB4 for just $47.98"

nabilt — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 00:54:01 +0000

Thanks, good to know. I may need to request a 3A 1U in that case.

I didn't know iDRAC could measure real time power usage. Pretty amazing.

New comment by nabilt in "High-speed 10Gbps full-mesh network based on USB4 for just $47.98"

nabilt — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 22:07:16 +0000

This is a pretty cool solution. I didn't know the capabilities of USB4 before this.

The comparison with the Dell r630 power numbers got me interested since I just purchased a Dell r430 to host my site so I decided to benchmark mine.

Specs:

  * 2x Xeon E5-2680 v3 (same CPU)
  * 64GB RAM
  * 2x power supply (can't remember if it's 500W or 750W each and too lazy to look)
  * 1 SSD & 1 7300 RPM HDD
  * Ubuntu server 22.04.3 LTS

Using a Kill-A-Watt meter I measure ~100 watts after boot. Running sysbench (sysbench --test=cpu --threads=12 --cpu-max-prime=100000 --time=300 run) I get up to ~220 watts.

If my calculations are correct that's 72 kW per day or $11.05 per month at idle:

  0.1 kW * 24 hours * 30 days = 72 kWh
  72 kWh * 15.34 cents/kWh = $11.05

and 158.4 kW or $24.3 per month during load:

  0.22 kW * 24 hours * 30 days = 158.4 kWh
  158.4 kWh * 15.34 cents/kWh = $24.3

I'm not sure of OP's use case, but these numbers are probably more realistic than using the max wattage of the power supply for most people. I will still be hosting in a co-location for the reliable internet and so I can sleep without the sound of a jet engine taking off. Those fans are loud!

New comment by nabilt in "Show HN: YDrip – An open source water meter that detects leaks"

nabilt — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 02:39:42 +0000

Thanks. Detecting slow leaks while also conserving battery life is tricky so I opted to do it in hardware with digital logic. I keep a count of all of the low speed revolutions of the magnet inside of the brass housing. It needs more testing, but it seems to work for now.

Show HN: YDrip – An open source water meter that detects leaks

nabilt — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 22:20:12 +0000

Hi HN,

I'm developing an open-source water meter for Home Assistant and thought the HN community might be interested. I've been using some version of it after a few costly toilet leaks that my city meter missed. Recently, I decided to polish it up so others could use it. It might also function as a gas meter reader (https://youtu.be/9Dso4EBAoiE), but this is still experimental.

The device runs on 3 AA batteries and utilizes an ESP32-S3. It works by measuring the spinning magnet inside the brass housing. It stays in deep sleep until it needs to transmit usage or leak information. It's not an ideal CPU for battery-powered devices, but I chose it because it has a lot of support in the home automation community. To compensate for the power-hungry CPU, I am handling rotation counting and leak detection in programmable hardware. Currently, it consumes 50-75uA while the ESP32 is sleeping. The programmable hardware makes it an interesting platform for other use cases like electricity meter monitoring.

I'm planning on selling the hardware and potentially offering a hosted solution for those who don't want to set up Home Assistant if there is demand.

There is still a lot to do, like designing a waterproof case and completing the software. If you're interested in the details, I have a project log on Hackaday. Feedback, feature requests, and contributors are always welcome.

Website: https://y-drip.com

Github: https://github.com/YDrip

Short demo: https://youtu.be/7eXRLN7OWA0

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37682189

Points: 20

# Comments: 2

New comment by nabilt in "Shelf – open-source asset management software"

nabilt — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 03:35:47 +0000

Someone mentioned https://inventree.org which looks cool, but there is no distributor API connections AFAIK. I really wanted to ability to scan my Digikey bags and have it auto fill all of the parameters so I made a super basic app to do that. I'm planning on open sourcing it once I clean it up.

New comment by nabilt in "Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?"

nabilt — Sat, 08 Jul 2023 17:22:06 +0000

Strange. That's one of the reasons my leak threshold is customizable. My city water meter has an LED that turns on when it detects a leak, but I've never seen it work.

New comment by nabilt in "Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?"

nabilt — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 04:57:30 +0000

Interesting. Do you mean the leak is intermittent and Flume isn't able to detect it? I would love to know more.

New comment by nabilt in "Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?"

nabilt — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 20:22:33 +0000

I'm building an open source water meter to detect costly water leaks and track your water usage. The hardware design is flexible enough to easily repurpose it for measuring residential gas and electricity meters, as well as any signal that requires continuous reading while maintaining a long battery life.

https://y-drip.com

Follow the development process here:

https://hackaday.io/project/191398-ydrip

New comment by nabilt in "Show HN: Raspberry Pi 400 with a $2 IPS 240x240 micro display"

nabilt — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 05:35:17 +0000

I used a similar screen to display the user interface for my DIY reflow oven. The raspberry Pi and Linux is overkill for this project, but it's so much easier building a GUI than on a microcontroller.

https://nabil.me/2020/12/01/diy-reflow-oven-w-exhaust-build-...

New comment by nabilt in "Wim Hof’s teachings about breath work and the health benefits of cold plunges"

nabilt — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 04:28:20 +0000

Something interesting I learned during one of his seminars was that breathing exercises can go a long way in providing most of the benefits. A lot of the media coverage focuses on cold exposure, but deep breathing is really the the core of the message. This is great because it means the barrier to entry is much lower since we all don't need to fill up our tubs with ice every week.

New comment by nabilt in "Ask HN: What is your favorite gym motivation video?"

nabilt — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 18:46:25 +0000

If you are into lifting, anything from All Things Gym or Hook Grip. They focus on weightlifting, but it's fun to watch top athletes do their thing. You can also learn from their warm-up routine and assistance exercise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv_EWWDV2O0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgyVhFnT-zY