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Issue #226 May 2009 — Measurement & Sensors
Task Manager
Old Tech, New App, by C. J. Abate
Priority Interrupt
It’s All About the Content, Stupid!, by Steve Ciarcia
New Product News, edited by John Gorsky
FEATURE ARTICLES
Smart Lead-Acid Battery Meter
An MCU-Based “Gauge” for SLA Batteries
by Dale Wheat
Think sealed lead-acid (SLA) batteries are a thing of the past? Think again. They are bound to be around for years to come. Dale designed a state-of-charge meter for his SLA batteries. His multicolored LED meter simplifies battery charge testing. p. 16
Keywords: Battery, meter, lead acid, SLA, fuel gauge, state of charge, depth of discharge, ATtiny13
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Construct a USB GPIO Pod (Part 2)
USB JTAG Module
by DJ Delorie
In the first part of this article series, DJ presented a general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pod that can plug into a USB port. Now he describes how to download a JTAG programming application and program a CPLD circuit. p. 24
Keywords: USB, GPIO, JTAG, programming, CPLD, Verilog
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
DOS in the 21st Century
A USB Flash Drive Reader for MCUs Works for DOS
by Andrew Mitz & Jon Daley
With a little effort, you can turn DOS into a handy real-time operating system. As Andrew and Jon explain, it can be the perfect fit for embedded applications that may require too many resources for a single-board microcontroller. Read on to learn how this USB flash drive reader for DOS can enhance your future embedded applications. p. 36
Keywords: DOS, Flash, USB, VDRIVE2, VNC1L, NIMH Cortex
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Transformerless Power Supply
by Tom Struzik
Instead of buying expensive transformers or converters to run your simple circuits, try using a transformerless power supply. Tom used one to construct a switch that controls lights in a pantry. When the door is opened, a processor senses a reed relay and powers up the outlet. Three minutes later, if the door is not closed, the outlet shuts off. p. 44
Keywords: Power supply, transformer, TRIAC, TinySwitch-II, Supertex SR086/87, ATtiny26L, WinAVR C
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
COLUMNS
FROM THE BENCH
A World Without NTSC — Read
it now!
Bridge the Gap Between NTSC and VGA
by Jeff Bachiochi
NTSC will soon be a thing of the past. So, what will you do in a world without the NTSC? Jeff answers that question and more. Read on to learn how he is using a chip to bridge the gap between the NTSC and VGA formats. p. 52
Keywords: NTSC, VGA, Propeller, DVI, HYDRA, cog, video,
tiling, graphics
LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES
FAT File System Review (Part 2)
C Code for the File System
by George Martin
Now that you’re familiar with the FAT file system, George approaches the subject from a different angle. By presenting you with a general-purpose FAT file system, he challenges you to remove the features you don’t need and customize your application. p. 60
Keywords: C, FAT, file system, NIOS, EFSL, MBR
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
SILICON UPDATE
Whistle While You Work
A Look at a Modern DSP
by Tom Cantrell
Remember your father’s DSP? Well, the Texas Instruments Piccolo isn’t it. Tom presents this “DSP in disguise” and describes how you can use it to handle signal-processing applications such as switcher power supplies and other handy applications. p. 64
Keywords: DSP, Piccolo, TMS320F280xx, GPIO, UART, SPI, I2C, ADC, PWM, quadrature encoder, Code Composer Studio, controlSTICK
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
BONUS FEATURE ARTICLE
Time-Triggered Systems (Part 2) — Read
it now!
A Tool for Automating Analysis
by Michael Smith
Now that you’re familiar with the topic of co-operative scheduling, it’s time to move on to the topic of adding a GUI to a co-operative scheduler. The end goal is the development of an interesting multitask audio device, a modern Theremin.
(As appeared with Circuit Cellar Digital Plus May 2009 issue. Subscribers get immediate access to Bonus Materials. Click here for Digial Plus subscription options)
PREVIEW
Issue #227 June 2009 — Communications
◊ Keystroke Communication: Design a Customizable Virtual Keyboard
◊ Autonomous Vehicle Design: Embedded Systems, Sensor Technology, & Motor Control
◊ SSI Controller for Linear-Position Sensors
◊ THE DARKER SIDE High-Speed Signal Transmission: Preemphasis, Equalization, & More
◊ FROM THE BENCH Location Notification: A Look at Anisotropic Magnetoresistance Sensors
◊ ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE Solar Data Logger (Part 2): Data Points
◊ SILICON UPDATE Easy (E)mbed: An Alternative Approach to Embedded Programming
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