CURRENT ISSUE
Contests
Table of Contents
|
|
Issue #215 June 2008 — Communications
Task Manager
Communications Hub, by C. J. Abate
Priority Interrupt
It’s All In The Whiskers, by Steve Ciarcia
New Product News, edited by John Gorsky
FEATURE ARTICLES
Message Acquisition
Ring Signal Detection And Interpretation
by Peter Csaszar & Monica Flores
You’ll never miss another voicemail message with Peter and Monica’s voicemail monitoring system. Their device monitors the signal from an analog phone line, analyzes it, tracks the number of calls and messages, and displays the number on a VFD. p. 14
Keywords: Telephone, voicemail, ring detection, display, VFD, PIC18F4520, PBX
(A link to the article will be emailed to
you.)
Pump Control
Build A Variable-Speed Drive For Motors
First Place Microchip 2007 Design Contest — Read
it now!
by Richard Wotiz
Richard’s single-phase, variable-speed drive for AC induction motors is an excellent device for powerful, yet quiet, pump operation. Designed for use with a capacitor-start/capacitor-run motor, it includes active power factor correction (PFC) and inrush current limiting. p. 20
Keywords: Pump, motor, speed control, AC induction,
PFC, power factor, hot tub, dsPIC30F2020, TC4427A, MCP6022, MCP9700, temperature,
PIC16F687, MCP4011, LCD, keypad, FSBB30CH60
Ray Tracing Made Simple
A Ray Tracer Implemented On An FPGA
by Scott Bingham & Yunfan Donald Zhang
Scott and Yunfan implemented a ray tracer on an FPGA. The ray tracer can draw spheres and planes with reflections, shadows, Lambertian lighting, patterns on planes, and antialiasing. p. 36
Keywords: Ray tracing, FPGA, spheres, reflections, shadows, Lambertian lighting, antialiasing, DE2, Cyclone II, NIOS II
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
AIS Transmission Decoding
by Peter Baston
Peter created a system that receives and decodes data transmissions from ships and other vessels via the Universal Automatic Identification System. Built around a Luminary Micro LM3S811 evaluation board, the decoder displays a “virtual” radar screen, showing the position of vessels in the area. p. 46
Keywords: AIS, Automatic Identification System, ships, LM3S811, decoder, USB, CMX589A, GMSK, FT2232C, NMEA 0183, ShipPlotter
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
MCU-Based Game System
A Dot-Matrix Game That Targets C Coding Efficiency
by Andrew March
Andrew built a hand-held, dot-matrix video game that features scrolling scores and sound effects. You can implement an Atmel AT90S2313 and the C programming language to build a similar system. This project proves that you can use a modern CPU architecture and an efficient compiler to produce compact code without having to resort to assembly language to achieve your desired functionality. p. 54
Keywords: Coding efficiency, C, gameAT90S2313, pong-like, LED matrix, WinAVR, GNU, AVR Studio
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
COLUMNS
ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE
Resistance Soldering
by Ed Nisley
In his last two columns, Ed discussed transformer action and the simulated triac control of an inductive load. This month, he describes a real-world application: circuitry connected directly to an AC power line. p. 30
Keywords: Resistance Soldering, transformer, triac, phase timing, 89C2051, triggering, VFD, electrodes
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
FROM THE BENCH
Self-Destructive Behavior
Processor Action Requires Power Supply Removal
by Jeff Bachiochi
Fed up with corrosion? Eliminate the contacts. Jeff replaced his old doorbell switch with a capacitive touch pad using only the pair of wires available at the door. If you are not in the market for a new doorbell, this solution could work well in a different project. p. 62
Keywords: Capacitive touch, corrosion, doorbell switch, PIC16F610, RC oscillator, timing, triac
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
THE DARKER SIDE
Let’s Be Crystal Clear
by Robert Lacoste
Many electronic devices are enhanced by crystals, but do you know why? Robert explains why there are usually small capacitors around a crystal, the difference between “series” and “parallel” crystals, and more. p. 70
Keywords: Crystals, cut, series, parallel, piezoelectricity, capacitors, oscillator, resonance, startup, stability, overtone
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
SILICON UPDATE
Touch Me
by Tom Cantrell
If you haven’t used touch sensors in your designs, you will soon. Tom explores the new touch sensors from Cypress Semiconductor and Silicon Laboratories. Traditional keypads and touchscreens beware! p. 78
Keywords: Touch sensor, capacitive sensing, PSoC FirstTouch, Express, .9, C8051F9xx
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
PREVIEW
Issue #216 July 2008 — Internet & Connectivity
◊ 'Net-Enabled Alarm Clock
◊ Internet Information Retrieval: Target And Display Web Site Content
◊ PSoC Design Techniques (Part 1): Build An Eight-Channel Mixer
◊ Card Connection: Marsnetic Card Data Decoding And Transmission
◊ Create A Modbus Slave
◊ Launch Control: Build A Coil Gun Controller And Launcher
◊ Sound Effects Processing
◊ Intellligent Energy Solutions LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES Living & Working Off The Grid (Part 1): Planning & Design
◊ FROM THE BENCH Electric Motor Technology: Theory, Construction, And Requirements
◊ SILICON UPDATE MIPS For The Masses: A Look At The PIC32
|
