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Issue #221 December 2008 — Programmable Logic
Task Manager
2008 I/O, by C. J. Abate
Priority Interrupt
My Life and Paper—Take 2, by Steve Ciarcia
New Product News, edited by John Gorsky
FEATURE ARTICLES
A Dynamic Tile Display
Board Layout, Real-Time Animation, and More
by John Peterson
John designed an expandable platform for light and animation. You can use it to create modular animated signs, animated puzzles, and more. The system features a tray and tiles, which are based on 8 × 8 LED displays. Once the tiles are synchronized, you can pick them up and rearrange them. p. 14
Keywords: Display, tile, LED, animation, puzzle, PIC24F64, PIC24FJ64, PICtail+, MAX756,TCP/IP
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Cost-Effective Mobile Data Storage
Interface an SD Memory Card with an MCU
by Mandar Bagul
When it comes to designing an embedded application, memory matters. In this article, Mandar explains how to expand a microcontroller’s nonvolatile data storage capacity with an SD card. It’s an intelligent way to handle the excessive memory requirements of typical embedded applications. p. 32
Keywords: SD card, memory, MCU, AT29LV512, AT45DB642D, ATmega16L-8PU, ATmega32, AVR Studio, command format, SPI, initialization
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Honorable Mention WIZnet iEthernet 2007 Design Contest
Electronic ID System — Read
it now!
A Display for Text, Photos, and Slide Shows
by Jan Szymanski
Jan’s electronic ID system is an MCU-based electronic badge that displays color slide shows. Many electronic badges display scrolling text using a matrix of discrete LEDs. This low-power system features a graphical OLED display and can be easily upgraded to handle animation, video, or RF communication. p. 44
Keywords: ID system, display, OLED, badge, PIC24FJ64,
FT232RQ, serial, flash, storage, Bluetooth, WT12
Beamforming 101
by Martin Courtney
Beamforming enables you to find problems in your system before they occur. As Martin explains, you can perform your own investigation with a computer, a dual-channel A/D card, a pair of microphones, and some software. p. 69
Keywords: Beamforming, ADC, microphone, adaptive, fixed, time domain, phase shift, wavefront, cross correlation
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
An Introduction to Verilog
by Kareem Matariyeh
If you are new to programming FPGAs and CPLDs or looking for a new design language, Kareem has the solution for you. In this article, he introduces you to Verilog. Although the hardware description language has been used in the ASIC industry for years, it has all the tools to help you implement complex designs, such as a creating a VGA interface or writing to an Ethernet controller. p. 78
Keywords: Verilog, introduction, FPGA, CPLD, variable type, operators, module, task, function
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
COLUMNS
SILICON UPDATE
Tool Time
by Tom Cantrell
Tom has often bemoaned that the tools electronic designers rely on haven’t kept up with the silicon. The answer to his complaint may be Altium’s Designer, which allows you to complete an entire design, including hardware and software, from start to finish. When you’re done, debug with Altium’s NanoBoard. p. 24
Keywords: Altium Designer, NanoBoard, tools, FPGA, soft core
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE
Real-World NiMH Charging
by Ed Nisley
During bike trips, Ed uses Icom handie-talkies for communication. To keep the radios’ batteries working, he uses a three-pack charger that he designed at his workbench. The charger has three 250-mA channels and one 100-mA channel so he can charge different packs. p. 38
Keywords: Battery charging, NiMH, communications, handi-talkie, charger, rate, capacity, current, temperature, performance
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.
THE DARKER SIDE
PID Control Without Math
by Robert Lacoste
If you need to design an optimized control loop for a hardware control problem, consider trying a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller. In this article, Robert explains that PID regulations are simple to code, wire, and tune to find the results you’re looking for. p. 54
Keywords: PID, math, temperature, soldering iron, proportional, derivative, integral
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
FROM THE BENCH
Component Control — Read
it now!
A Tool for Finding and Handling Small Parts
by Jeff Bachiochi
It’s time to take control of your components. You can identify tiny surface-mount parts with a handheld LCR meter. The lightweight tool automatically determines the type of component, inductor, capacitor, or resistor (LCR), and selects the proper range and signal frequency for the most accurate measurement. The component type, measurement results, and test conditions used to determine the results are displayed on a dot-matrix display. p. 62
Keywords: LCR meter, SMD, Smart Tweezers, MSP430F135, PGA, LCD
Article posting sponsored by: Advance Devices, Inc.
PREVIEW
Issue #222 January 2009 — Embedded Applications
◊ Digital Radio Reception: Build a Longwave AM Radio Receiver
◊ Virtual Audio Control: Build a Virtual Instrument Interface
◊ Microcontroller Clock-Locking: Frequency Reference Synchronization
◊ Design with FPGAs: A Step-By-Step Guide for Embedded Development
◊ Power Switching in the Real World (Part 1): Basic Applications and Safety Precautions
◊ LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES More on Pointers?
◊ FROM THE BENCH Access SD Memory Cards (Part 1): Solid-State Storage Media
in Embedded Apps
◊ SILICON UPDATE Hot Chips 20
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