Unrelated to imaging, this domain jogged the memory. Author is the guy who created the "NOPPP" - no parts pic programmer: http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/noppp/

More than a decade ago I was starting out with microcontrollers, and that was the first programmer I built from scavenged parts. He also wrote a book (PDF available on site) for absolute beginners to microcontrollers that was very helpful. The man is a famous polymath, and it was good to run across his site again.