Circuit Cellar Ink 224
March 2009

Table of Contents

4 CJ Abate	HTML Task Manager Design Evolution
8 John Gorsky	HTML New Product News picoUSB development kit for Altera's MAX3000 and MAX7000 families of CPLDs from Colorado Electronic Product Design, Inc. AarLogic C10/3 pocket-sized Linux PC with GPS and GPRS from Round Solutions XGS AVR 8-bit XGS PIC 16-bit development kits from Nurve Networks CY3271-EXP1 wireless environmental sensing kit from Cypress Semiconductor Corp. BL4S100 and BL4S200 wireless SBCs from Rabbit Semiconductor, Inc. Nano LANReach embedded LAN module from Connect One Plant Floor Marquee(PFM) series of highly visible, multicolor LED displays from Red Lion Controls, Inc. WIZ610wi 802.11b/g WLAN access point module in a pin-head-type package from WIZnet, Inc.
13 David Tweed	HTML Test Your EQ
14 Guido Ottaviani	Robot Navigation and Control Construct a Navigation Control Subsystem Guido built a navigation control subsystem for an autonomous differential steering explorer robot. In the first part of this article series, he describes a robotic platform that drives motors and controls an H-bridge. Guido also presents a communication system that remotely manages the robot. Download: Ottaviani-224.zip
22 Hanno Sander	Vision-Guided Robotics A Next-Generation Balancing Robot Are you interested in building a sophisticated, vision-guided, balancing robot that can interact with its environment? Hanno shows you how to tackle this project with a Parallax Propeller, a handy design kit, and an inexpensive camera. Download: Sander-224.zip
31 Thomas Bereiter	Networked Timing Build a Timer With Advanced Planning Tools Precision irrigation control is now a reality. Thomas's irrigation timer with advanced planning (ITAP) is a truly novel irrigation control system. The easy-to-use system, which directs user interaction into a standard web browser, provides useful information such as watering schedules and zone activity. Download: Bereiter-224.zip
40 R. Scott Coppersmith	Wireless Mobile Robotics A Wi-Fi-Enabled System With a Mounted Webcam Scott used a microcontroller, an embedded Ethernet board, and a wireless router in an innovative control system fro a compact mobile robot. The robot features a mounted webcam that transmits real-time pictures to a remote laptop. Scott explains how he planned the project, assembled the pieces, and created the control software. Download: Coppersmith-224.zip
Lessons from the Trenches 51 George Martin	FAT File System Review Open Files and Perform Operations If you are designing a system with a removable memory device, try using a file storage system such as the FAT file system. George describes how to open files with the system, use a CompactFlash card, and perform other basic operations. Download: Martin-224.zip
From the Bench 56 Jeff Bachiochi	Programmable Robotics Part 1: Build on an Existing Robot Platform If you want to work on a robot but don't have to time build one from scratch, check out iRobot's Create. The robot incorporates several customizable features, including a command module for on-board programming, a serial cable to send individual commands, 10 built-in demos, over 30 built-in sensors, and a 25-pin expansion port.
Silicon Update 64 Tom Cantrell	A Really Simple Plan The "8-Bits" Saga Continues Thirty-two-bit microcontrollers are becoming more popular, but 8-bit chips still have their place in the market. Tom says major companies will be finding uses for the simple and inexpensive chips for years to come.
71	Crossword Puzzle
79	Advertiser's Index / April Preview
80 Steve Ciarcia	HTML Priority Interrupt Cloud Computing

FTP Directory for INK 224
Follow this link to order a copy of INK 224
<<< Ink 223	Ink 225 >>>
Main Index	Author Index