Circuit Cellar Ink 206
September 2007

Table of Contents

4


CJ Abate

HTML Task Manager

Blogs & Video

8


John Gorsky

New Product News

  • BS100U PC-based USB mixed-signal oscilloscope from BitScope Designs
  • LTC2246H 25-Msps, 14-bit ADC from Linear Technology Corp.

11

Reader I/O

Letters to the Editor

10


Alexander Popov
Jordan Popov

Smart Power

An Intelligent Power Supply for Embedded Systems

This "intelligent" power supply was designed specifically for testing embedded systems. In addition to its numerous useful features, the ATmega169-based power supply can provide any voltage from 0 to 5 V with 10-bit resolution.

Download: Popov-206.zip

18


Dale Wheat

PIC-an-LCD

A Character-Based Serial LCD Controller

Dale describes his useful PIC-an-LCD device, which is a character-based serial LCD controller. Based on a Microchip Technology PIC16C621, the LCD controller chip is programmed in C language and works with most alphanumeric LCD modules. It accepts normal or inverted serial data and connects to either TTL or RS-232-level signals with a single resistor.

Download: Wheat-206.zip

26


Daniel Ramirez

High-Performance Motor Controller

With a USB interface, Daniel can issue high-level commands to his motor controller from his laptop. This enables his laptop to process algorithms while an embedded controller handles the rest of the work. Motor control has never been easier.

Download: Ramirez-206.zip

42


Steve Hendrix

1-Wire in the Real World

Part 2: The Solutions

Steve continues explaining how he turned a laboratory prototype into an electrically powered ice protection system for aircraft. He describes how he built a 1-Wire master and then covers some of the application structures that take full advantage of the 1-Wire bus.

Download: Hendrix-206.zip

52


Aubrey Kagan

Resilience in Embedded Designs

Part 1: Power Supply, Inputs, and Ground

In this series of articles, Aubrey describes techniques for minimizing the chances of problems occurring during the embedded design process. He also outlines the major causes of system failure, such as power supply noise and electromagnetic interference.

Download: Kagan-206.zip

58


Stuart Ball

Pulse Generation

Encoder Interfacing to Microcontrollers

Try a continuous rotary knob in your next design instead of keypads or buttons. With an optical encoder and an ATmega8515 microcontroller, a digital output is produced in Stuart's system.

Download: Ball-206.zip

62


Thiadmer Riemersma

Embedded Scripting

With the Pawn scripting language, less is more. As Thiadmer explains, the language requires so little from its embedded host system that it can be added to an NXP LPC2106 microcontroller with few resources. Now you can extend your firmware without changing it.

Download: Riemersma-206.zip

Lessons from the Trenches

70


George Martin

String Theory

George explores how C language supports strings. He wrote a program using C that runs on a PC and converts an input file containing PCB assembly information into a file that can be used by a Philips pick-and-place machine.

Download: Martin-206.zip

From the Bench

74


Jeff Bachiochi

I-Zip Dashboard

Jeff applies what you learned last month to design a display for his electric bicycle. The system uses a LIN bus to present real-time information about your driving habits and fuel efficiency. The system displays information such as voltage, current, slope, distance, and speed data.

Download: Bachiochi-206.zip

Silicon Update

80


Tom Cantrell

Game On

When the coding gets tough, the tough get coding. And the rest of us should be glad they do. Recently, Tom turned to game expert Andre LaMothe to see how to teach new-school hardware some old-school programming tricks. Are you game?

93

Crossword Puzzle

94

Advertiser's Index / October Preview

96


Steve Ciarcia

HTML Priority Interrupt

Chronic Subscription Overdose

FTP Directory for INK 206
Follow this link to order a copy of INK 206

<<< Ink 205

Ink 207 >>>

Main Index

Author Index