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Issue #230 September 2009 — Data Acquisition
Task Manager
Develop Code, Acquire Data, by C. J. Abate
Priority Interrupt
The Critter Chronicles: The War Continues, by Steve Ciarcia
New Product News, edited by John Gorsky
FEATURE ARTICLES
Timer Development
From Timing Cycles to System Programming
by Chuck Baird
Need a stand-alone timer or a timepiece for a large application? Read on to learn how to develop the right timer design to suit your needs. It’s time to put your hardware and programming skills to good use. p. 16
Keywords: Timer, techniques, AVR Butterfly, ICCAVR, bootloader, ATmega169, events, PWM
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Very Low-Frequency Datalogger
by Carlo Tauraso
If you’re interested in radio emissions, you can build a very low-frequency (VLF) datalogger at your workbench. This PIC18LF4620-based design features a 16-bit datalogger, an SD card for data storage, a customizable hexagonal loop antenna, and circuit-controlled battery power.
p. 24
Keywords: VLF, datalogger, PIC18LF4620, Schumann resonance, SD card, ADC, loop antenna, AD7680
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Cable Tracer Design (Part 2)
Software and System Control
by Kevin Gorga
In the first part of this series, Kevin presented his innovative Cable Tracer project, which is used to detect underground cables. In this article he covers the software and explains how to operate the design. p. 36
Keywords: Cable tracer, underground, MCP2030, SPI, PWM, PIC24FJ64GA004, dsPIC30F2023
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Get Started With Embedded Development (Part 2)
Coding from Start to Finish
by Dale Wheat
Now that you’re familiar with ARM Cortex-M3 microcontrollers, it’s time to take a close look at the application development process. This article covers the coding process from start to finish. p. 44
Keywords: Embedded development, coding, STM32, Primer2, compiler, GNU GCC, linker, libraries, CircleOS
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
Smart Power Bar
Simple Circuitry Enables Energy Conservation
by Brian Millier
In-home energy conservation is just a project away. Power bars are used to turn off several electronic devices at the same time. Brian recently designed his own to meet his needs. The compact design consists of a conventional 60-Hz power supply, an MCU, a relay, and an IR module. p. 58
Keywords: Energy conservation, power strip, green, IR, phantom power, ATtiny45
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
COLUMNS
SILICON UPDATE
Neural Networker — Read
it now!
A SNAP-Shot from Synapse Wireless
by Tom Cantrell
When it comes to embedded wireless, the good news is that there are plenty of alternatives to choose from. The bad news is that too many complicated options can lead to paralysis by analysis. This month Tom looks at a solution that puts all the answers—including the radio, protocol, and tools—on a little bit of silicon. p. 50
Keywords: Embedded wireless, SNAP, Synapse Network Appliance Protocol, Python, SNAPpy, EK2500
LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES
Embedded Breakup
Divide a Design and Minimize Processing
by George Martin
Once you have your embedded processor up and running, what’s next? Your design’s success will have a lot to do with how you answer that question. George puts you on the right path with tips about partitioning your design work and minimizing processing requirements. p. 62
Keywords: C coding, interrupt, partitioning, timers, serial interface, state machine
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
FROM THE BENCH
Smart Circuitry for Battery Monitoring
by Jeff Bachiochi
Well-designed internal protection circuitry is needed in Li-Ion battery cells to prevent dangerously high temperatures and failure. In this article, Jeff explains how such smart circuitry works. He covers how to check a cell’s state of charge, find problems, and fix them. p. 66
Keywords: Battery, Li-Ion, chemistry, thermal runaway, structure, safety, circuitry, thermistor, state-of-charge, capacity/energy, SOC, C/E, LTC6802
(A link to the article will be emailed to you.)
BONUS FEATURE ARTICLE
Verification and Simulation of FPGA Designs— Read
it now!
by Sharad Sinha
Working with and testing FPGA designs requires you to develop, execute, and maintain a proper verification plan. Sharad covers simulation and verification from an engineer’s perspective. He explains bug/defect tracking, revision control, and test documentation.
(As appeared with Circuit Cellar Digital Plus September 2009 issue. Subscribers get immediate access to Bonus Materials. Click here for Digial Plus subscription options)
PREVIEW
Issue #231 October 2009 — Signal Processing
◊ INTELLIGENT ENERGY SOLUTIONS Frequency Sensing Made Simple: Power Grid Frequency Monitor Design
◊ IR Signal Control
◊ Digitally Controlled Amplifier
◊ THE DARKER SIDE Multirate Techniques and CIC Filters
◊ ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE Capacitor ESR Measurement
◊ FROM THE BENCH Air Flow Analysis
◊ SILICON UPDATE Thumbs Up: The ARM Saga Continues
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