|
Table of Contents
Task
Manager
Reliable Information—by Jennifer Huber
Priority
Interrupt
Like Avoiding a Bus— by Steve Ciarcia
New Product News—edited
by John Gorsky
|
—Feature
Article of the Month—
Driving
the NKK Smartswitch
Part:1
Configuration and Software
|
|
Read
it Now!
by Aubrey Kagan
Sure, the
NKK Smartswitch looks like a cool device,
but how can you actually use it? Aubrey found
the answer with a little help from a Cypress
Microsystems PSoC microcomputer. In this article,
Aubrey describes the interface to drive the
Smartswitch. p.12
Keywords:
NKK
Smartswitch, LCD, switch, PSoC, timing, serial
Sponsored
by: Cypress Microsystems
|
Short Solutions—Build a Graphics LCD
Bias Supply/AVR MCU-Based AC Phase Controller by
Brian Millier
When Brian proposed
these two straightforward, simple fixes, we thought
it was a great idea to combine them as a section
of quick solutions. Read on for inexpensive ways
to control a high-current resistive load and how
to build a graphics LCD bias supply with Atmel products.
p.20
Keywords:
LCD,
graphics, ATtiny12, supply, AT90S2313, phase, controller,
triac, serial
Robotics
Corner
Extreme OSMC Part 2: The Modular OSMC Brain
by Sonny Lloyd
Last
month, Sonny taught you how the OSMC board functions.
Now he’s going to show you an inexpensive way to
assemble and use a Modular OSMC Brain, which is
a controller that uses the signals from a radio
control receiver to drive OSMC boards. p.30
Keywords:
Open-source motor controller,
OSMC, MOB, brain, ATmega163, LCD, PPM, joystick,
PWM
Taming the Transients by George Novacek
Transients, such as electrostatic discharge and
lightning, can create major problems for many of
your electronic designs. However, there are several
ways to limit the component damage and functional
upset that results from transient exposure. p.34
Keywords:
Transients, ESD, lightning, EMI, damage tolerance,
grounding, bonding, pin injection, clamping, spark
gap, gas discharge tube, pi filter, surge
LCD Controller for
a PIC by Peter Chia
Peter uses PIC parts in many of his projects, but
there are times when he would prefer to be able
to display PIC info on an LCD panel rather than
on segment displays or LEDs. In this project, he
shows us a simple way to build an LCD controller
for a PIC using few parts. p.42
Keywords:
PIC, LCD, controller, S1D13708, Indirect Mode
68, PIC18C452, C
Applied
PCs
Building a Modular Programming Platform Part
1: The Program Module by Fred Eady
Fred is dreaming of producing an inexpensive PIC18Fxxx
programmer that will ultimately allow him to use
the new PIC parts in future PIC Internet/Ethernet
projects. With the datasheet and programming specs
in hand, he takes us through the first part of his
project. p46
Keywords:
Programmer, PIC18Fxxx, power module,
program module, PIC16F877, 8255, 71055, DS1245,
C
RoCK Specifications
Part 4: Tying Up Loose Ends by Joseph Jones
& Ben Wirz
In Parts 1, 2, and 3, Joseph and Ben discussed the
RoCK’s specifications, circuitry, and programming.
In this final part, they’ll describe its discrete
motor driver, explain the RoCK/ host interface,
and show you how to create a new user-programmed
task. p.52
Keywords:
RoCK, robotics, motor, torque, back EMF, PWM,
H-bridge, inductive loads, host interface
Dealing With Motor
Control Dead-Time Distortion by Ross Bannatyne
& Dave Wilson
It’s easy to see why Joseph and Ben’s Robot Conversion
Kit was successful in the 2001 Design Contest. So
far, they’ve covered the specifications and circuitry,
and now it’s time to describe the fundamentals of
the module’s behavior-based programming scheme.
p.60
Keywords:
Motor, dead-time distortion, totem pole, MC68HC908,
phase, bridge, PWM, waveform, zero crossing
Starting Down the
Pipeline Part 2: The Long and Short of It
by Jim Turley
Long pipelines are needed to reach higher clock
frequencies. However, longer pipelines aren’t necessarily
better in the complicated world of microprocessors.
For insight into the issue, read Jim’s explanation
of the pros and cons of processors with long pipelines.
p.66
Keywords:
Microprocessor, pipeline,
stages, execution order, CISC, RISC, superscaler,
parallel
From The Bench
SmartMedia File Storage Part 2: Directory
Entries by Jeff Bachiochi
Last month, Jeff explained how to exchange embedded
data with your PC applications. In Part 2, he’ll
cover the SmartMedia module and teach you how to
navigate within its DOS FAT file structure. p.70
Keywords:
SmartMedia,
storage, file system, DOS, FAT, PIC18F452, LTC1470,
ID, communication, CIS/DI, boot sector, LBA, PBA,
directory table
SILICON UPDATE
Eight Isn't Enough by Tom Cantrell
Noting the fact that 67% of respondents in a Circuit
Cellar reader’s poll had a proclivity for 8-bit
chips, Tom’s asking you to forget about bits for
a moment and examine alternatives from TI, Cyan,
and Adelante. p.78
Keywords:
Processor,
bus size, 16-bit, MSP430, eCOG1, I/O, memory, EHI,
IntAct, Saturn DSP core, AXU, ASCP
Test
Your EQ
Advertisers
Index
PREVIEW
August #145
Analog
Techniques
Are You Grounded
Driving the NKK Smartswitch Part 2: Graphics
and Text
Embedded Smarts Fix Analog Flaws
An Open Source HCS Project
Robotics Corner: The CarolBot
RISCy Business: RISC Projects by Cornell Students
Above the Ground Plane: PC Audio Bits
From the Bench: SmartMedia
Part 3: Reading a File
Silicon Update: FPGA News Flash
Applied PCs: Building a Modular
Programming Platform Part 2: Building the PCB
Cover
Photography by Meadows Marketing
|
