Circuit Cellar Ink 251
June 2011

Table of Contents

4 CJ Abate	HTML Task Manager Silicon Valley Review
8 John Gorsky	HTML New Product News RJ45-ECS IP67 Ethernet connector system from Laird Technologies, Inc. Stamp9G45 ARM9-based CPU module from taskit GmbH iWEM-1001 series of ultra-low-power Wi-Fi modules from Lemos International Co. Inc. PS12000 three-to-six-channel DC-to-2-GHz power splitter from Plessey Semiconductors Ltd. OC177 DOC DiskOnChip solid-state drive from Foremay, Inc. Wixel general-purpose programmable USB-to-RF module from Pololu Corp. 10 new SolarMagic ICs for PV applications from National Semiconductor Corp. uPD720201 and uPD720202b SuperSpeed USB 3.0 xHCI host controllers from Renesas Electronics Corp. Matrix-522 industrial Linux-ready ARM9 CAN bus computer from Artila Electronics 7I61 USB-interfaced version of MESA's FPGA-based Anything I/O from MESA Electronics AS5050 10-bit magnetic rotary encoder IC from Austriamicrosystems RUGGEDrive line of portable memory solutions from Datakey Electronics
17 David Tweed	HTML Test Your EQ - Answers for Issue 250
The Consummate Engineer 18 George Novacek	BITs and BITEs Tests to Ensure System Safety Built-in test equipment is an important component in safety-critical systems. Design engineers must always consider what's needed for safe operation and easy maintenance, and then take measures to adequately balance safety and over-testing.
20 Richard Wotiz	Construct a Multifunctional Network Controller The innovative Net Butler is a multifunctional design used to control, monitor, and automatically maintain a home network. Built around an iMCU7100EVB, the design has several functions, such as reporting on connected network devices and downloading Internet-based content. Download: Wotiz-251.zip
28 Jigar Shah Kevin Yang	Wireless Authentication RFID Checkout System Design You can design an RFID system to serve as a viable alternative to the decades-old UPC barcode. This article details the topics of RFID tag structure, antenna tuning, and more. Download: Shah_Yang-251.zip
36 Custodio Gomes Barcellos	Virtual Sensing Build a Virtual Alarm System With the right parts and a clear plan of action, you can build a platform for a variety of virtual sensing applications. This microcontroller-based design, which can detect both nearby and distant movements, outputs sensory data on a basic monitor. Download: Barcellos-251.zip
44 Doug Commons	The Chameleon Platform Low-cost Hardware Development with a USB AVR and CPLD A low-cost hardware development platform is a great starting point for many projects. Here you learn how to develop with a USB AVR and CPLD. This platform is directly supported by a large number of open-source projects that will enable you to work on a variety of interesting designs. Download: Commons-251.zip
Above the Ground Plane 52 Ed Nisley	Plastic Extruder Thermal Analysis Measuring and understanding the thermal performance of the Thing-O-Matic 3-D printer's extruder head provides some interesting results. This column explains what was measured, how it was done, and what was found. You may find the techniques beneficial -- even for projects with less strenuous thermal requirements. Download: Nisley-251.zip
From the Bench 60 Jeff Bachiochi	Vehicle Diagnostics Part 1: The CAN Protocol and OBD-II There's a lot more moving under the hood of a modern automobile than gears and liquids. Today's vehicles also move essential system instructions and on-board diagnostic data between electronics and dedicated computer applications. This article details the relationship between automotive control systems (e.g., engine and transmission) and OBD-II data. You also learn how to tap into a vehicle's LAN.
The Darker Side 68 Robert Lacoste	Stay Cool! A Heat Management Primer Thermal design problems can lead to unpleasant results. Testing your system and using thermal simulation software early in the process can help eliminate problems before it's too late. This article provides some basic rules about thermal management to help you determine whether or not your design is thermally correct.
74	Crossword Puzzle
78	Crossword Puzzle - Answers for Issue 250
79	Advertiser's Index / July Preview
80 Steve Ciarcia	HTML Priority Interrupt Live by the PC, Die by the PC

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