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Issue #213 April 2008 — Embedded Programming
Task Manager
Smart Design & Intelligent Programming, by C. J. Abate
Priority Interrupt
What Makes an Engineer?, by Steve Ciarcia
New Product News, edited by John Gorsky
FEATURE ARTICLES
Embedded Linux Development (Part 1)
A Virtual Linux Environment on a Windows System
by David Lynch
Imagine this: a flexible embedded Linux development environment running under Windows. Now it’s a reality. David created a virtual Linux environment on a Windows system using coLinux. This is your platform for embedded cross development. p. 14
Keywords: Linux, Windows, development, coLinux, virtual, Cygwin, WinPcap, bzip2, Debian, file system, network, putty
(A link to the article will be emailed to
you.)
Programmable Power
Build a Simple USB DAC— Read
it now!
by Yoshiyasu Takefuji
Yoshiyasu describes the step-by-step construction of a simple USB DAC around an ATtiny45 and a MAX517. You can use the system as a programmable power supply. p. 35
Keywords: USB, DAC, ATtiny45, MAX517, Cygwin, WinAVR,
AVR-USB, GNU C, protocol stack, NRZI, device driver
Do-It-Yourself Motion-Controlled Gaming (Part 2)
Manipulate 3-D Graphics
by Chris Coulston
Chris concludes describing how to build your own motion-sensing controller that can interact with a variety of graphics programs on a PC. He shows you how to build complex graphics with OpenGL. Now you can design your own video games. p. 40
Keywords: Gaming, motion control, 3-D, graphics, PC, Open-GL, ADXL330, PIC18F4520, Wii, C++, Visual Studio, NURB, lighting, ball, bounce
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Video Stamp
A Handy Display for Debugging Programs
by Jose Sanchez
Jose uses his “Video Stamp” system to debug his programs and display video from various applications. A PIC18F2520 microcontroller and three resistors form a rudimentary DAC to generate the NTSC-compatible video signal. Read on for the hardware and software specifics. p. 52
Keywords: Video, PIC18F2520, debugging, NTSC, DAC, timing, USART, PICBASIC
PRO, buffer, interrupts, FIFO
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Simple Hardware Development
by Taylor Hutt
After nearly three decades of programming, Taylor recently decided to focus his attention on learning how hardware is developed. He tackled his first project with a Xilinx Spartan-3E starter kit and the VHDL programming language. p. 60
Keywords: FPGA, VHDL, Spartan-3E, programming, Linux, virtual machine, LCD, synthesis
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
COLUMNS
THE DARKER SIDE — INTELLIGENT ENERGY SOLUTIONS
Low-Power Techniques
Build Better Energy-Saving Electronic Systems
by Robert Lacoste
If you’re anything like Robert, you recognize that it is time to stop building power-hungry applications. In this article, he provides several useful tips for building energy-saving electronic systems. p. 22
Keywords: Intelligent Energy Solutions, power, energy, timer, cooking, battery, budget, modes, current draw, average consumption, discharge, PIC16F914, MAX1725, hardware accelerator, standby current, MCP1700
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE
Triac Behavior
Triac Control Meets an Inductive Load
by Ed Nisley
Looking for more precise power control, Ed used a triac and a few supporting components to control high-power equipment. In this article, he describes everything you need to know about the circuits. The results might surprise you. p. 46
Keywords: Triac, inductive load, motor, trigger, circuit modeling, Spice, SwitcherCAD, switching, power, phase angle
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
FROM THE BENCH
Digital Touch
A Potentiometer with No Moving Parts — Read
it now!
by Jeff Bachiochi
Tired of replacing your mechanical parts? Jeff has the solution: eliminate them. His design provides user input and a digital potentiometer for resistance or voltage output. p. 73
Keywords: Qslide, touch slider, AT411-ISSG, sensor, resolution, PIC16F882, LED display, MCP41010, SPI
Sponsored by: Quantum Research Group
SILICON UPDATE
More Than a Core
by Tom Cantrell
While examining 32-bit microcontrollers last month, Tom decided that the STMicroelectronics STM32 was worth a second look. With the new ARM Cortex M3 core, good peripherals, integration, and energy efficiency, this could be just the MCU for your next project. p. 80
Keywords: STM32, Cortex M#, 32-bit, I/O, USART, SPI, USB, CAN, counter, timer, ADC, power consumption, ARM
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
PREVIEW
Issue #214 May 2008 — Measurement and Sensors
◊ Depth Measurement: Build an Ultrasonic Snow Depth Sensor
◊ Where Analog and Digital Collide: An Easy-to-Use LCR Meter
◊ Electronic Data Logging And Analysis:
A How-To Guide For Building A Seizure-Monitoring System
◊ Embedded Linux Development (Part 2): Create an Embedded Development Environment
◊ Advanced Technology Attachment I/O:
Use ATA Interfaces For General-Purpose I/O Applications
◊ LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES Making Changes: A Look Into the C Compiler
◊ FROM THE BENCH Control Circuitry
◊ SILICON UPDATE Designer’s Best Friend
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