FEATURES
Smart Rockets Data Acquisition in Model Rocketry
— Tom Consi & Jim Bales
Model rockets have always served as ideal vehicles for teaching physics and engineering basics. With this new data-acquisition device, Tom and Jim show how to trace the rocket’s acceleration and store the entire flight and its data. pg. 12  (code)

PIC'Spectrum

Audio Spectrum Analyzer — Robert Lacoste
Sure, a DSP can make the calculations and generate the pixel bitmap for an audio spectrum analyzer, but at what cost? Robert gets the same result from a single PIC processor with a design so good he walked away with a Design98 first prize. pg. 24 (code#1) (code#2)

Automotive Travel Computer
Adding a Performance/Trip Monitor to your Car — Robert Priestley
Start your engines! It’s time for a high-tech car rally. This computer figures out your gas usage, distance, speed, RPMs, fuel, and more. It even has an alarm that lets you know when your heavy foot is tempting local police. pg. 62 (code)

COLUMNISTS
MicroSeries—Stuart Ball
Build a Serial Port PROM Programmer Part 2: Two Adapter Modules
After Stuart checks out the hardware setup for the low-cost serial port programmer he put together last month, he gives us an up-close look at how the software and programming algorithms make everything tick. pg. 68

From the Bench—Jeff Bachiochi
The Next Step in EL Driver Technology
An alien? No, it’s just Jeff wearing his new electroluminescent nametag. After debriefing us on the fundamentals of EL panels, he tells us how we too can get that strange green glow. pg. 74

Silicon Update—Tom Cantrell
Sensory Overload
Sensors Expo always offers the latest in sensor technology, and Tom’s here to report. Whether it’s position sensing, voice recognition, or strain gauge devices, get a sense of what’s best for your application. pg. 78

EMBEDDED PC

Networking with DeviceNet Part 1: How DeviceNet Stacks Up — Jim Brady
With all the debate on networks these days, it’s easy to get confused about the differences between networks, buses, and field buses, particularly when a new technology comes along. Join Jim for the lowdown on DeviceNet. pg.38 (code)

Real-Time PC
TCP/IP Networking —Ingo Cyliax
With Ethernet chips becoming a dime a dozen, it’s a lot easier to justify having your network Ethernet driven. Ingo walks you through all the nitty-gritty steps of how to get your Ethernet-based device working with real-time capabilities. pg.46

Applied PCs
Radio Frequency and Micros —Fred Eady
Ever take on a contract, then realize it’s a speck over your head? Fred, too. However, DVP’s RF devices are out-of-the-box solutions. They let you operate many transmitter/receiver pairs just like an Ethernet network. No need to be an RF guru. pg.55

The Best Way to Find What You Need!
Categorized listings of companies and a brief overview of what they offer with a link to their site.