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XY-Plotter
The
XY-Plotter is an autonomous analog-like display with two main
x and y inputs. It continuously scans the two inputs and displays
them on a real-time x-y graph with configurable modes. Both
analog and digital auxiliary inputs allow the plotter to display
configurable information on the screen. An RS-232 port is provided
in order to dump hard copies of the screen to a host computer.
A PIC18F252 manages everything in real time, including the LCD
pixel generation.
Robert
Lacoste, France
robert.lacoste@club-internet.fr
Abstract
| Full
entry & software (631k)
Zero
Pin Loader (ZPL) for the PIC18F Family
The
ZPL—a bootloader for the PIC18Fxxx series—avoids the use of
I/O pins by exploiting the *MCLR pin as the only interface between
the host PC and the PIC microcontroller. The interface between
the PC serial port and the target uses only six components.
One of these is the standard *MCLR pull-up resistor. Two others
are optional. You could leave out two more resistors, leaving
just a single transistor. The interface circuit can be easily
put in a DB9 shell, with a DIP clip for the connection to the
target. The software runs on Windows and Linux (and other POSIX-compatible
systems), and can be easily ported to other operating systems.
Wouter
van Ooijen, Netherlands
wouter@voti.nl
Abstract
| Full
entry & software (984k)
AS7010-STMeter
The
AS7010-STMeter is a hand-held installation tool used to set
up and configure wireless DSL subscriber terminals operating
in a point-to-multipoint configuration. The subscriber terminal
(ST) contains both an outdoor antenna unit (radio interface)
and an indoor unit with the main processor, voice circuits,
Ethernet interface, and maintenance port. To set up a unit,
it must be configured with a unique identifier and various radio
parameters. Then the outdoor unit must be aligned so that it
points toward the central transmitter. Accomplishing this requires
expensive equipment, including a laptop computer. The STMeter
addresses the problem by providing an inexpensive, easy-to-use
installation tool that enables the majority of installations
to be carried out without a laptop. Also, you can operate the
unit using one hand, to accommodate working on a ladder to reach
roof-mounted antennas. The tool is based on a PIC16F877 microcontroller.
Nick
Forbes & Junior Powell, U.K.
Abstract
Mechanically
Scanned Laser Display
With
this simple and inexpensive device, you can display large text
messages on a solid or semiopaque surface using a laser beam.
The device uses one light source (a laser beam) and mirrors
to scan the display surface. The main components include: a
laser diode from a keychain pointer, a cassette player motor,
a PIC17F877 board with the associated circuitry, a power supply,
and an ingenious “head” with mirrors. The head is an octagonal
prism, with a small mirror on each lateral face. Each mirror
is mounted at a different angle, giving different reflection
angles for the laser beam. The mirrors reflect the laser beam,
creating a raster. The raster is modulated by turning on/off
the laser beam. The microcontroller board receives one pulse
per rotation from the rotational speed sensor and calculates
precisely the moment for turning on/off the beam.
Benone
Radu, Romania
benradu@lycos.co.uk
Abstract
| Full
entry & software (430k)
Seeker
II—An Autonomous Mini-Sumo Robot
Seeker
II is an autonomous mini-sumo robot designed to compete in mini-sumo
competitions, which are held in Japan and various cities in
North America. It is low, fast, aggressive, and has wide tires
that provide a lot of traction. Seeker II’s brain is a PIC16F876,
programmed in C. The two-channel PWM provides precise control
over the speed of the two motors without using up any processor
time. Four ADCs are used to interface to two rangefinders and
two edge-detector sensors. One 16-bit hardware timer is used
to increment a 32-bit integer millisecond counter, which is
used for various timing functions. The UART is used both to
program the PIC using the bootloader, and also to run a menu-driven
debug system to test and calibrate the motors and sensors. The
data EEPROM is used as a log to show the robot’s state transitions.
Jon
Hylands, Canada
jon@huv.com
Abstract
| Full
entry & software (1.2 MB)
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