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Issue #209 December 2007 — Graphics & Video
Task Manager
We Hear You, by C. J. Abate
Priority Interrupt
My Kingdom for a Battery, by Steve Ciarcia
New Product News, edited by John Gorsky
FEATURE ARTICLES
Tile Graphics
by Chris Cantrell
If you’re a serious gamer, you’ve probably played a few rounds of “Battleship”—but never like this. With tile graphics and a little “Propeller play,” Chris found he could breathe new life into the classic game. For simple applications, this display technique makes more sense than the full raster approach. p. 12
Keywords: Tile graphics, game, battleship, GameCube controller, Propeller, cog coordinator language, CCL
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Solar-Powering the Circuit Cellar
Part 1: Preparing the Site — Read
it now!
by Steve Ciarcia
Have you considered installing a photovoltaic (PV) system at your home or office building? Steve recently took the plunge. In this series of articles, he describes the entire process, from site preparation to completion. Are you up to the challenge? p. 20
Keywords: Solar power, photovoltaic, PV, panel,
inverter, installation, pole mount, A-300, SPR-205, SPR-210
LCD Digital Voltage Meter
Talking to the Glass
by Dale Wheat
Dale built a small, lightweight digital voltmeter around an Atmel ATmega48 microcontroller. The system measures the supply voltage of a rechargeable battery and displays the data on an inexpensive LCD. p. 34
Keywords: Digital voltmeter, ATmega48, LCD, DVM, LCD-S301C31, ADC, resistor, voltage divider
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
SD Card Display Controller— Read
it now!
Honorable Mention Luminary Micro DesignStellaris2006 Contest
by Sylvain Davaine
Sylvain’s LM3S811-based SD card display controller enables you to input data to portable devices. The system regularly reads temperature and relative humidity data from an onboard sensor. The data is then displayed on a tablet PC as part of a picture slideshow. p. 40
Keywords: SD card, display LM3S811, temperature, humidity,
SDMC, SHT11, FAT, graphics
Programmable Voltage Source
by Paul Ward
Need a stable low-noise voltage source? Paul has the project for you. He designed a dual power supply with 4.5-digit displays with two ranges. When the output relay is open, the source is disabled and he can use the channel as a 4.5-digit voltmeter. p. 46
Keywords: Voltage source, noise, programmable, display, voltmeter, ADC, DAC, MAX551, MAX5722, MAX1402, temperature regulation, heater, MAXQ2000, OP177, OPA132
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
COLUMNS
ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE
LED Power
by Ed Nisley
Ed mounted white LED headlights on the back of his bike so motorists can see him as he rides. But after experiencing some problems on a recent trip, he had to tweak the firmware to keep the system’s microcontroller from draining its power source. Read on to learn about the firmware fix as well as the boost-converter white LED power supply. p. 56
Keywords: LED, headlight, boost converter, power supply, PIC12F683, BN-BL2
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
THE DARKER SIDE — Read
it now!
Are You Locked?
A PLL Primer
by Robert Lacoste
Do you cringe when someone mentions “phase-locked loops”? Robert demystifies the subject with this PLL primer. Get ready to use a PLL in your next design. p. 60
Keywords: PLL, primer, phase-locked loop, VCO, oscillator, charge pump,
PFD, filter, ADIsimPLL, CyberClocks, Proteus ProSpice
FROM THE BENCH
Collecting Solar Energy
by Jeff Bachiochi
Jeff has a dream: energy efficiency. This month, he introduces you to the topic and describes recent advances in solar cell technology. Get ready to dream green. p. 70
Keywords: Solar cell, ISS, space station, power generation, storage, NiH2, battery, power management and distribution, efficiency
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
SILICON UPDATE
Harvest Time
by Tom Cantrell
Tom began working on this column during fall harvest time. These days, the bounty includes more than just pumpkins and corn. Read on to see how one company, EnOcean, is adding energy to the harvest bounty. Instead of buying energy, why not just grow your own? p. 78
Keywords: Energy harvesting, EnOcean, coil, magnet, wireless, radio, EVA 110, PTM 200, RCM 110, RCM 120, STM 110, communications, transmitter, receiver
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
PREVIEW
Issue #210 January 2008 — Embedded Applications
◊ Designing for Hostile Environments
◊ Precision Oscillator Calibrator
◊ Get Cooking with Embedded Linux
◊ Cash for Code (Part 1): A Focus on Firmware
◊ Solar-Powering the Circuit Cellar (Part 2): From the Ground Up
◊ LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES The C Half-Time Report
◊ SPECIAL FEATURE: 20th Anniversary Retrospective
◊ FROM THE BENCH Portable Poll Server (Part 1): System Setup
◊ SILICON UPDATE The Quad Squad
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