CURRENT ISSUE
Contests
Table of Contents
|
|
Issue #229 August 2009 — Embedded Development
Task Manager
Embedded Development and Beyond, by C. J. Abate
Priority Interrupt
Swallowing the Pill, by Steve Ciarcia
New Product News, edited by John Gorsky
FEATURE ARTICLES
Get Started With Embedded Development (Part 1)
“Bare Metal” Implementations and “CircleOS” Apps
by Dale Wheat
Dale shows you how to use your natural design skills and some freely obtainable software to get started on new embedded development projects. He provides specific, step-by-step instructions on how to develop applications for the STM32 family of ARM Cortex-M3 devices from STMicroelectonics, both as “bare metal” implementations and “CircleOS” applications. p. 14
Keywords: Development, CircleOS, Cortex-M3, STM32, Primer2, STM3210E-PRIMER, C, GNU GCC, Ride7, LCD
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Infrared Radiation Measurement
FFT Double-Beam Infrared Spectrophotometer
by Michael Hamilton
This innovative FFT double-beam IR spectrophotometer measures IR radiation to identify various chemical molecules. A dsPIC30F4012 controls the spectrometer with FFT algorithms. The dsPIC’s 10-bit ADC has the ability to use VDD and VSS as references so you don’t need a separate voltage reference. p. 22
Keywords: Infrared, spectrophotometer, radiation, sdPIC30F4012, FFT, ST60R, thermopile, AD623, MCP9700, absorption
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Cable Tracer Design (Part 1)
Underground Cable Detection Made Simple
by Kevin Gorga
The Cable Tracer is used to detect underground cables. The system works by injecting a 125-kHz signal into an underground cable. A pick-up coil receives a sample of the field. The field’s strength indicates the presence and direction of a cable. p. 38
Keywords: RFID, MCP2030, PIC24FJ64GA004, ADC, HV power supply, ACS712-05, PWM
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
COLUMNS
ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE
A Blast for the Past
High-Voltage DC Dosimeter Charger
by Ed Nisley
Applying the proper analysis enables you to use any small high-voltage transformer. Ed covers the topics of transformer measurement, a step-up DC-to-DC converter, and high-voltage power supplies. p. 31
Keywords: Dosimeter, charger, HV, V-742, V-750, Arduino Pro, transformer, snubbing, snubber
(A link to the article will be emailed to
you.)
THE DARKER SIDE
Power Analysis Primer
From Power Line Measurements to PFC
by Robert Lacoste
Are you familiar with the topic of power factor control (PFC)? Robert explains how to measure the power consumption of line-powered devices. After introducing the topic of power factor controllers, he presents some experiments to shine a light on this sometimes confusing topic. p. 50
Keywords: Power, measurement, power factor control, real power, RMS, load, regulations, PowerSpy
(A link to the article will be emailed to
you.)
FROM THE BENCH
Threat-Level Indication System
Implement a Simple USB-to-Parallel FIFO Interface
by Jeff Bachiochi
Need an effective way to move data in and out of an embedded app? Check out how Jeff uses a USB FIFO IC to move information in his “threat-level indication system.” It picks up information, sends it through the interface, and displays it via a parallel connection to color-coded stacking indicators. p. 60
Keywords: FIFO, USB, parallel, FT245R, homeland security, threat level, PIC12F508, LED, mechanical, PIC16F59, Liberty BASIC
(A link to the article will be emailed to
you.)
SILICON UPDATE
Thin Is In
High-Profile Energy in a Low-Profile Package
by Tom Cantrell
Tom returns to the topic of energy harvesting with a focus on new “micro-energy cells.” Get ready to learn how the convergence of advanced battery technology, alternative energy, and nanopower silicon will change the way you design forever. p. 68
Keywords: Energy harvesting, micro-energy cells, MEC, capacity, charging, development platform
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
BONUS FEATURE ARTICLE
USB I/O Expansion— Read
it now!
by Brian Millier
Brian shows you how to build a USB link into a device without having to focus on the numerous complexities of USB technology going on in the background. He showcases the link as he describes a high-resolution data acquisition board.
(As appeared with Circuit Cellar Digital Plus July 2009 issue. Subscribers get immediate access to Bonus Materials. Click here for Digial Plus subscription options)
PREVIEW
Issue #230 September 2009 — Data Acquisition
◊ Very Low-Frequency Datalogger
◊ Timer Development: From Timing Cycles to System Programming
◊ Get Started With Embedded Development (Part 2): Coding from Start to Finish
◊ Cable Tracer Design (Part 2): Software and System Control
◊ LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES Embedded Breakup: Divide a Design and Minimize Processing
◊ FROM THE BENCH Smart Circuitry for Battery Monitoring
◊ SILICON UPDATE Neural Networker: A SNAP-Shot from Synapse Wireless
|
