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Issue #218 September 2008 — Data Acquisition
Task Manager
Circuits & Acquisition, by C. J. Abate
Priority Interrupt
Something Old, Something New, by Steve Ciarcia
New Product News, edited by John Gorsky
FEATURE ARTICLES
Content Collection and Display
Build an Internet-Connected News Ticker
Second Place WIZnet iEthernet Design Contest 2007 — Read
it now!
by James Blackwell
James no longer has to turn on a TV or computer to get news updates. His innovative design retrieves news headlines from RSS feeds and constantly scrolls them across a dot-matrix LED display. The system checks for updates every 15 minutes. p. 15
Keywords: RSS, Internet, scrolling LED, dot matrix,
WIZnet, XML, HTTP, DNS, DHCP, PIC18F2525, PIC18F2221, WIZ810MJ
Dynamic Animatronic Remote (Part 1)
Build a Custom Controller with a Color LCD
by Peter Montgomery
Peter built a custom controller that enables him to remotely control his animatronic systems. Each piece of hardware is controlled by a separate computer program. The remote polls his laptop and builds menus that show and control the state of each program. p. 32
Keywords: Animatronics, remote control, Halloween, RS-485, menuing, display, Z8F421, Delphi
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Fast Digital Filtering
by Bruce Land
Digital filtering is never fast enough. As Bruce explains, optimizing filtering on 8-bit microcontrollers, with no floating-point hardware, using 16-bit fixed-point arithmetic with 8 bits of integer and 8 bits of fraction (8:8 notation) is a good start. p. 40
Keywords: Digital filtering, 8-bit, fixed point, integer, 8:8, ATmega32, CodeVision C, testing, Nyquist, Butterworth
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
MCU-Based Flight Data Acquisition
Real-Time Vibration Measurement for Aircraft
by Juan Tapia Farias
Excessive rotor vibration can endanger a helicopter and its crew. That’s why Juan developed a system that measures a helicopter’s tail rotor vibration in real time. The inexpensive design determines the maximum vibration amplitude in a Bell 206 JetRanger helicopter’s tail rotor. An accelerometer and an optic sensor in the tail rotor collect data, which is later processed by a Cypress Semiconductor CY8C27443 microcontroller and displayed on a Hitachi LCD. p. 48
Keywords: Vibration, helicopter, PSoC, CY8C27443, LCD,
HD44780, 991D accelerometer, optic sensor, ISO 2041, SM312LVMHS, light
beam
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Real-Time Operating System Design
Customize an OS for a Powerful Embedded MCU
by Naubert Aparicio
Naubert’s ArmExe is an RTOS for the Luminary Micro Stellaris ARM Cortex-M3 family of microcontrollers and Keil’s µVision environment. The multitasking preemptable executive uses task priorities, separate task and kernel stacks, and execution privileges. It handles all interrupts with priorities, supports nested interrupts, and implements binary semaphores and events as the resource-sharing mechanisms. p. 56
Keywords: RTOS, Cortex-M3, uVision, multitasking, preemptive,
interrupt, nesting, ArmExe
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Prototyping with QFP Parts
by Stuart Ball
Fed up with trying to socket QFP parts, Stuart came up with a solution. He built a PCB with the QFP part he wanted and used it as a prototyping module. The system turns a QFP part into a socketable device that you can use for prototyping. The concept can be used for FPGAs, microprocessors, and other parts in QFP packages. p. 62
Keywords: : Prototyping, QFP, SMT, PCB, connectors, ATmega,
module
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
COLUMNS
INTELLIGENT ENERGY SOLUTIONS — LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES
Living and Working Off the Grid
Part 2: Installation and Performance — Read
it now!
by George Martin
George continues describing how he installed an off-grid photovoltaic (PV) power-generating system in New Mexico. He details how he mounted the panels, connected the batteries, and monitored the system’s performance. p. 22
Keywords: Solar, PV, NEC, mounting, pole mount,
inverter, distribution, MPPT, backup generator, battery, panels, wiring,
charge controller
FROM THE BENCH
Fingerprint Data Acquisition
Print Sensing with Embedded Technology
by Jeff Bachiochi
Identifying and matching fingerprints is a tedious process that involves huge databases. Today, a few companies are using embedded microcontrollers to create stand-alone print-sensing systems. Jeff examines the latest fingerprint security technology from Atmel. p. 68
Keywords: Fingerprint, sensor, AT77C104B, image file, data points
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
SILICON UPDATE
Embedder Than Ever
ESC Delivers the Goods
by Tom Cantrell
It’s been a great year for embedded systems designers. You have plenty of new technologies and design options to consider. This month, Tom showcases the best and brightest on display at the 2008 Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose. p. 76
Keywords: : ESC 2008, LCD, ezLCD, software, IDM, PPC405, MCF5227x, 32-bit MCU, Propeller, XS1-G, CM-1K, neural network, NS9215, multicore, XMEGA, networking, GS1010, nRF24AP1, Owl, 5300
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
PREVIEW
Issue #219 October 2008 — Signal Processing
◊ DIY Signal Generation: Create a Signal Source for a Variety of RF Applications
◊ Get Started with PIC USB Connectivity
◊ Dynamic Animatronic Remote (Part 2): Software and Menuing Code
◊ Automated Data Mining: Build Your Own Embedded Server Application
◊ Universal Machine Control: How Hardware Emulation Leads to Prototype Development
◊ THE DARKER SIDE Cable Shielding Experiments
◊ ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE HT Audio, GPS for APRS, and What Works
◊ FROM THE BENCH Serial Terminal Solution
◊ SILICON UPDATE Hot Enough For You?: Seeing Red (Infrared, That Is)
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