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Table of Contents
Task
Manager
Join
the Discussion—by
Jennifer Huber
Priority
Interrupt
Ranting
from Down Under—by
Steve Ciarcia
New
Product News—edited
by John Gorsky
Generate
Video Using Software Thread Integration
by Alex
Dean, Shobit Kanaujia, and Benjamin Welch
Video generation made
simple. Intrigued? Read on to learn how a research
group at North Carolina State University used an
ATmega128 micro to generate a monochrome NTSC video
signal with software thread integration. The end
result is a 240 × 256 frame buffer-based display
that renders lines, circles, sprites, and text.
p.10
Keywords:
Video, software, thread,
NTSC, STIGLitz, ATmega128, STI, Thrint, dispatcher,
ISR, STK500, STK501, USART
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here for password)
TV
Oscilloscope
by
Bruce Land
Is it possible to build a useful
oscilloscope with a microcontroller and a TV? That’s
the simple question that started Bruce on the path
to developing the TV Scope, which is a minimal oscilloscope
that has become a useful tool in Cornell University’s
neurobiology laboratories. p. 20
Keywords:
Oscilloscope, TV, television, range, sample rate,
NTSC, ATmega32, ADC, trigger, sync, serial
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here for password)
Computer
Graphics 101
by
Chris Cantrell
If you’ve ever used a hand-held PDA
or cell phone, then you understand how the quality
of a graphics system can make or break a product’s
usefulness. In this article, Chris provides you
with an in-depth look at graphics programming, which
is just the information you’ll need to take your
embedded designs to the next level. p. 26
Keywords:
Graphics, LCD, programming, HG25504NG-01, Javelin
Stamp, Java, registers, RAM, lines, sprites
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here for password)
SHORT
SOLUTION
Reinventing the NSM4005 LED Module
by
Brian Millier
Before the proliferation of LCDs, Brian relied on
the NSM4005 when he needed a multidigit display.
Recently, he designed a module based on the old
NSM4005 for an LED readout. p. 34
Keywords:
NSM4005, LED, serial, AT90S2313, BASCOM-AVR,
LDD-M514RI-RA
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here for password)
Low-Cost
Serial LCD
Convert a Discount LCD into a Serial ASCII Display
by
Tom Napier
Looking for an inexpensive serial display? Tom’s
small board drives an LCD from a serial data source.
Read on to learn how to get the most out of a $3
PIC16C54C and $5 LCD. p. 36
Keywords:
LCD, serial, formats, PIC16C54, memory, commands,
interface
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here for password)
—Feature
Article —
APPLIED
PCs
Easing
into eZ80Acclaim!
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Read
it now!
by Fred
Eady
Zilog’s
eZ80Acclaim! development kit is filled to
the brim with hardware and software. It would
take you some time to get familiar with the
various parts and documentation. Fortunately,
Fred has studied all of it, and this month
he shares his findings in an effort to ease
you toward your own eZ80Acclaim! applications.
p. 40
Keywords:
eZ80Acclaim!, evaluation
kit, ZPAKII, eZ80F91, UART, Ethernet, IrDA,
applications, LED matrix, ZTP
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ABOVE
THE GROUND PLANE
Multiplying, Dividing, and Filtering
by
Ed Nisley
In 1990, Ed built his own power frequency monitor.
These days he’s working with an HP3801A GPS-based
frequency reference, which produces a 10-MHz sine
wave output. Achieving 60 Hz requires some knowledge
about frequency division and multiplication as well
as band-pass filtering. Read on to learn the basics.
p. 48
Keywords:
Frequency
division, multiplication, band-pass filtering, conversion,
MAX998, double-tuned filters, toroids, VA1 RX Vector
Analyst
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here for password)
The
PICAVRP
A Unique Programming Solution
by
Stuart Ball
Recently, Stuart was experimenting with a new PIC
while working on a scheme that required the in-circuit
programming of Atmel AVR devices. He had to address
two problems: his PROM programmer did not support
new PICs, and he didn’t have an in-circuit AVR programmer.
His solution was to kill both birds with one stone—the
PICAVRP. p. 54
Keywords:
Programmer, PIC, AVR, serial, AT90S2313, ISP
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here for password)
Implementing
CANOpen
The Options
by
Olaf Pfeiffer
MicroMessaging is the perfect bridge between any
serial bus and CANopen, which is a network of microcontrollers
that interact with each other. Last October, Olaf
demonstrated how MicroMessaging can enhance your
embedded networking projects. In this article, he
takes a closer look at CANopen, presenting you with
various options for implementing the network. p.
62
Keywords:
CANopen, MicroMessaging, bridge, design considerations,
source code options, MicroCANopen, compliance, boot
loading
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here for password)
FROM
THE BENCH
Tabletop DMX Control
by
Jeff Bachiochi
You don’t need to visit the Bellagio Hotel in Las
Vegas to watch water “dance.” The Water Ballet is
a microcontroller-based water fountain system comprised
of water jets that you can choreograph to your favorite
songs. Jeff had one stashed in his attic, so he
decided to modify it. This month, he shows you how
to make the Water Ballet’s valves respond to corresponding
DMX channels received through the DMX-512 protocol.
p. 70
Keywords:
DMX,
water ballet, pump. solenoid, PIC16C05, DMX-512,
PIC16F873
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here for password)
SILICON
UPDATE
Spin Control
by Tom Cantrell
There are many uses for gyroscopes. Tom points out,
for instance, that an on-board gyroscope could enhance
automotive steering and suspension systems and therefore
reduce the likelihood of rollovers. If you’re interested
in learning more about the applicability of the
latest gyroscope technology, then check out Tom’s
take on Analog Devices’s ADXRS MEMS gyroscope. p.
76
Keywords:
Gyroscope,
ADXRS, optical, vibrating mass, MEMS, interfacing,
BASIC Stamp, AD0834
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here for password)
Test
Your EQ
Index of Advertisers
PREVIEW
January #162
Analog
Techniques
Smart
Tracker 2: An Innovative Wire Tracker
Build an Inexpensive Temperature-Testing Chamber
Single-Pin Analog-to-Digital Techniques
Fault-Tolerant Electronic Systems
Microcontroller-Based Digital Lock-In Milliohmmeter
Tracing Current and Voltage: Design a Unique PC
Sound Card Curve Tracer
GNU Development
FROM THE BENCH: Global XPortation: Harness
the Power of the 'Net with the XPort Server
SILICON UPDATE: Hot Chips 15
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