CURRENT ISSUE
Contests
task manager
|
|
Issue #209 December 2007
We Hear You
by C. J. Abate
At Circuit Cellar, our readers rule. You speak; we listen.
During the past year, we’ve seen an increased demand for articles about projects that address the topics of solar power sources, reduced energy consumption, and EMI monitoring. Because we take reader feedback seriously, we are featuring a new section this month to address your interest in articles about such projects. We call the new section Intelligent Energy Solutions. And who better to get the ball rolling than our founder and editorial director, Steve Ciarcia?
On page 20, Steve presents the first article in a three-part series about the photovoltaic (PV) system that he recently installed at his house. As you’ll see, solar-powering Steve’s Circuit Cellar was not a simple undertaking. It took him months of planning to prepare for this complicated install. In this article, he describes how he started the project. He provides several useful photos and diagrams that show how he got the job done. The tips that Steve shares in this series will serve you well even if you’re planning a less ambitious installation.
You’ve also expressed an interest in seeing more articles about programmable logic (as I first explained in our October issue). Based on the information that we gathered from our 2007 reader survey, you want us to devote one issue per year to articles about projects featuring FPGAs, PLDs, and other programmable logic chips. As a result, in 2008, it’s in with the Programmable Logic issue and out with the Graphics & Video issue. That’s right; we’re dropping the Graphics & Video issue from our editorial calendar. That means you are reading Circuit Cellar’s last Graphics & Video issue. Be sure to keep this one in pristine condition! (Don’t worry. We’ll continue to run quality articles about graphics and video projects. You’ll see them in several issues throughout the year.)
Because this is the last Graphics & Video issue, we’re going out with a bang. In addition to Steve’s intriguing article, we have some interesting features about projects that will keep you designing well into 2008.
Are you a gamer? On page 12, Chris Cantrell explains how he used tile graphics and a Parallax Propeller demo board to bring the classic game of “Battleship” into the 21st century.
Once you’ve had your fill of gaming, check out Dale Wheat’s article about his LCD digital voltage meter (p. 34). This ATmega48-based design will make a great addition to your workbench.
Turn to page 40 to see the project that won Sylvain Davaine Honorable Mention in the Luminary Micro DesignStellaris2007 Contest. His SD card display controller will enable you to input and display data on the portable device of your choice.
Do you need a stable low-noise voltage source? If so, Paul Ward has the project for you. Check out “Programmable Voltage Source” on page 46 for more information.
As usual, our expert columnists round off the issue. Ed Nisley covers LED power (p. 56), Robert Lacoste presents a primer article on phase-locked loops (p. 60), Jeff Bachiochi covers new advances in solar cell technology (p. 70), and Tom Cantrell shines a light on the topic of energy harvesting (p. 78).
Finally, keep in mind that the January 31, 2008 deadline for the WIZnet iEthernet 2007 Design Contest is fast approaching. Register today!
|
