Articles

A template for Vue.js applications

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Over the years, I have built multiple Vue.js applications. Although their business logic differs, those applications often share similar components such as a navigation panel, a header with my logo and an authentication mechanism. Writing those from scratch for each application would be time consuming so I designed an application template that can be installed using NPM to bootstrap my projects.
WebVue.jsSecurityProjectsNPM

Group and User Pickers

Group and User Pickers thumbnail
With the user management and group management microservices, users and their groups can be easily queried through HTTP requests. However, the GUI that the user interacts with must also be properly designed so as to provide an optimal UX. To facilitate the query of users via the GUI, I designed a group and user picker component for Vue.js that can be easily installed using NPM.
NPMWIPWebProjects

3D printed solder spool holder

3D printed solder spool holder thumbnail
One day I got fed up with my solder spool rolling around all the time so I designed this simple spool holder in Fusion360 and 3D printed it.
ProjectsCAD3D printing

User management microservice based on Neo4J

User management microservice based on Neo4J thumbnail
Web applications commonly require a user database and the management logic for it. Having to build such software infrastructure for each individual app would be time consuming so I designed a general-purpose user management microservice that can be easily integrated in a project.
SecurityProjectsWebNode.jsNeo4J

SONOFF S20 firmware

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The SONOFF S20 is a cheap Wifi smart socket that enables the remote control of appliances for less than USD 10. Although the hardware is more than decent, its usage requires a proprietary app which most likely involves a third party server between the user and the device. Since the socket uses an ESP8266 at its core, I decided to write my own firmware for it.
ElectronicsIoTWIPMQTT

Raspberry Pi based display board

Raspberry Pi based display board thumbnail
I recently started using Grafana to visualize my apartment data. Although I can easily open a browser tab to view the dashboard I created, I wanted to have a standalone display dedicated to the task that I could put on a shelf of my living room.
ElectronicsProjectsRaspberry PiGrafana

WiFi light bulb controller

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Wifi controlled smart light bulbs can now be purchased from less than USD 10. However, those can often only be used by a specific application provided by the vendor and can involve exchanging data with a third party server. I wanted a solution to use my own software while benefiting from the cheap hardware so I replaced the wifi module of a a cheap Wifi light bulb my own electronics.
SMDProjectsIoTWIPPCB design +1

Group management microservice

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As a graph database Neo4J is a great choice to manage highly relational data. On the other side, a great number of applications feature at least some form of user management system. With Neo4J, those users can be store as nodes and connected to other items via relationships. A typical example would be a blog, where both articles and users are individual nodes while authorships are represented by a relationship.
WebNeo4JProjectsNode.jsWIP

User management and authentication service using MongoDB

User management and authentication service using MongoDB thumbnail
More often than not, web applications require restrictions regarding who can access the content that they serve. This involves an user management and authentication system, which, if designed inappropriately, can lead to security concerns. However, the development of such system can be time consuming, especially if done repeatedly for multiple applications.
FeaturedNode.jsMongooseMongoDBDocker +2

IoT infrared controller

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Although probably in the decline, infrared is a common way to remotely control household appliances such as air conditioners or TVs. Being able to turn on an AC unit without leaving the sofa is definitely comfortable, but sometimes it would be even better to be able to do it before even getting home. In order to control those various appliances, I designed a simple WiFi controlled IR emitter.
FeaturedElectronicsInfrared3D printingIoT +3