Circuit Cellar Ink 248
March 2011

Table of Contents

4 CJ Abate	HTML Task Manager Control Electronics
8 John Gorsky	HTML New Product News AS5013 Hall sensor IC for low-power applications (HMI) from austriamicrosystems Optical Finger Navigation (OFN) Module from Parallax, Inc. M-502 ARM9, Linux-based system on module from Artila Electronics Co., Ltd. MAX9635 digital ambient-light sensor from Maxim Integrated Products ADuM6000 smallest 0.5-W isolated DC-to-DC converter from Analog Devices, Inc. MS20 GPS receiver with excellent tracking and acquisition capabilities from NavSync Ltd. R12575 micro-proximity switch from Standex Electronics, Inc. NanosG20 ARM9-based, Linux single-board computer from Ledato GmbH TMS320F2806x Piccolo low-cost floating-point MCUs from Texas Instruments, Inc. USMC-01 master/slave stepper motor controller IC from Images Scientific Instruments, Inc. Ampro CoreModule 745 PC/104-Plus SBC that supports a range of Intel Atom processors from ADLINK Technology, Inc. DK-57TVS-LPC1788 touch screen LCD kit based on the NXP LPC1788 from Future Designs, Inc. Green Machine label printer and MaxiLabel Pro Ver. 3.0 Labeling Software for Windows from K-Sun Corp. The AA Outdoor Cooler Series ruggedized Air-Air Thermoelectric Assembly from Laird Technologies, Inc.
15 David Tweed	HTML Test Your EQ
The Consummate Engineer 16 George Novacek	The Super-Regenerative Receiver You won't find a super-regenerative circuit in many modern radio receivers. It has frequency stability issues, a limited data rate, and audio quality shortcomings. But when it comes to remote control applications -- especially those being developed on a tight budget -- a super-regenerative circuit can be a viable option.
20 Richard Lord	Panning Control A Digital Indexing Panoramic Tripod Head An electronic panning controller enables a photographer to rotate a camera to provide uniformly overlapping images that can be merged successfully without distortion. Here you learn how to build a digital indexing panoramic tripod head from start to finish. Download: Lord-248.zip
28 Brian Senese	Remotely Operated Vehicle Design You can control a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) or mobile robot wirelessly with a basic RC transceiver and a little know-how. This design uses FM signals to transmit data. A receiver on the ROV then demodulates the FM signal and enables motor control. Download: Senese-248.zip
38 Marco Signorini	Embedded DSP for Lighting It's possible to embed one DSP device and a series of constant-current generators to drive a set of high-power LEDs in an elaborate lighting system. This project uses digital signal processing (DSP) technology to create a modern version of a 1970s-era light system. Download: Signorini-248.zip
46 Brian Millier	CNC Router Design A Look at Computer-Controlled Machinery Self-sufficiency is a goal toward which many electronics engineers aspire. Reaching that goal involves more than fine-tuning your design and programming skills. It also requires you to have a readily accessible set of reliable tools for bringing projects to completion. Here you learn how to build one such instrument -- a CNC router. Download: Millier-248.zip
Lessons from the Trenches 56 George Martin	The Project-Ready Designer A Refresher on Project-Essential Concepts Project management should involve more than creating a bill of materials and then soldering and testing until the project deadline. You should also frequently review design essential topics, reconsider all tool options (from hardware to languages), and even attend conferences to stay informed on new technology and design techniques.
From the Bench 60 Jeff Bachiochi	Direct Line Connection When You Don't Require Line Isolation If you're using a low-current microcontroller and your circuit's total power consumption is minimal, it doesn't make sense to implement a power supply that might consume more current than the circuit requires. Here you learn how to use a linear shunt regulator for low-current applications. Download: Bachiochi-248.zip
Silicon Update 66 Tom Cantrell	Time Traveler Embedded Timekeeping and More Imagine if electronic gadgets couldn't keep track of time. Wow, that would put a crimp in our style. Fortunately, with a little help from a quartz crystal (or, these days, perhaps a silicon MEMS equivalent), there are chips that can keep on ticking while they take a licking.
74	Crossword Puzzle
78	Crossword Puzzle - Answers for Issue 247
79	Advertiser's Index / April Preview
80 Steve Ciarcia	HTML Priority Interrupt Forks in the Road

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