Circuit Cellar CD 2012
Issue #258
January 2012
Theme: Embedded Applications
TASK MANAGER—Embedded Endeavors in 2012, by C. J. Abate, p. 4
NEW PRODUCT NEWS, p. 8
TEST YOUR EQ, p. 13
CROSSWORD, p. 74
A Different Timeshare: Build a Timeserver System, by Dave Penrose, p. 14
mbos: A Real-Time Operating System for mbed, by Andrew Levido, p. 24
The SMD Air Bath: A DIY PCB Preheating Setup, by Steve Johnson, p. 36
LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES—ADCs and Signal Filtering, by George Martin, p. 50
THE CONSUMMATE ENGINEER—Build a Robust Power Supply (Part 1): Power Dissipation, by George Novacek, p. 56
EMBEDDED UNVEILED—Digital X-Ray Sensors, by Richard Wotiz, p. 60
FROM THE BENCH—Quantifying Precipitation: Construct a Device to Measure Rainfall, by Jeff Bachiochi, p. 68
PRIORITY INTERRUPT—Too Many Layers, by Steve Ciarcia, p. 80
Issue #259
February 2012
Theme: Wireless Communications
TASK MANAGER—Innovation in Wireless Technology, by C. J. Abate, p. 4
NEW PRODUCT NEWS, p. 8
TEST YOUR EQ SOLUTIONS—p. 13
CROSSWORD—p. 74
QRSS-Rx: A Network for Radio Communication, by Clayton Gumbrell, p. 14
The NakedCPU (Part 1): Hardware Experiments and a Roadmap for Navigating Hardware Documentation, by Alexander Pozhitkov, p. 24
KartTracker: A GPS-Based Vehicle Timing & Monitoring System, by Steve Lubbers, p. 30
ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE—RFI Bypassing (Part 1): Capacitor Self-Resonance, by Ed Nisley, p. 38
THE CONSUMMATE ENGINEER— Build a Robust Power Supply (Part 2): Abnormal Surge Voltage, by George Novacek, p. 44
THE DARKER SIDE—Playing with High-Speed ADCs, by Robert Lacoste, p. 52
EMBEDDED IN THIN SLICES—Getting Started with Embedded Linux (Part 3): Linux Licensing Issues, by Bob Japenga, p. 60
FROM THE BENCH—Multi-Serial Protocol Tool, by Jeff Bachiochi, p. 64
PRIORITY INTERRUPT—Business in the Cloud?, by Steve Ciarcia, p. 80
Issue #260
March 2012
Theme: Robotics
TASK MANAGER— Creativity in Design, by C. J. Abate, p. 4
NEW PRODUCT NEWS, p. 8
TEST YOUR EQ, p. 15
CROSSWORD, p. 74
Robot Navigation: Position Determination from Acoustic Delay Triangulation, by Larry Foltzer, p. 20
All-in-One Joystick: Build a Propeller-Based TV Gaming Platform, by Chris Cantrell, p. 28
The Rainbow Color Reader (Part 1): A Talking Color Identifier for the Visually Impaired, by Charles Edmondson, p. 36
The NakedCPU (Part 2): Experimentation and Communication, by Alexander Pozhitkov, p. 42
THE CONSUMMATE ENGINEER— Microelectronic Component Obsolescence: How to Prepare for an Inevitable Scarcity of Parts, by George Novacek, p. 50
EMBEDDED UNVEILED— Infrared Thermal Detectors, by Richard Wotiz, p. 54
LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES— Printer Port Connections, by George Martin, p. 60
FROM THE BENCH— Wheel-Free Mobile Robots, by Jeff Bachiochi, p. 64
PRIORITY INTERRUPT— A Rose by Any Other Name..., by Steve Ciarcia, p. 80
Issue #261
April 2012
Theme: Embedded Programming
TASK MANAGER—Print and Online Progress, by C. J. Abate, p. 2
NEW PRODUCT NEWS, p. 10
TEST YOUR EQ SOLUTIONS—p. 13
CROSSWORD—p. 76
Capacitive-Touch Gain-Controlled Personal Amplifier, by Coleton Denninger & Jeremy Lichtenfeld, p. 14
The Rainbow Color Reader (Part 2): Color Distinction and Classification, by Charles Edmondson, p. 28
The RL78 Microcontroller: An MCU Family for Low-Power Applications, by Clemens Valens, p. 34
THE DARKER SIDE—Sigma-Delta Modulators 101, by Robert Lacoste, p. 42
ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE—RFI Bypassing (Part 2): Parallel Capacitors, by Ed Nisley, p. 52
THE CONSUMMATE ENGINEER—Is Software Development an Art or a Science?, by George Novacek, p. 60
EMBEDDED IN THIN SLICES—Getting Started with Embedded Linux (Part 4): Linux Software Development Tools, by Bob Japenga, p. 64
FROM THE BENCH—SNAP to It (Part 1): Mesh Networking Simplified, by Jeff Bachiochi, p. 68
PRIORITY INTERRUPT—18-Bit Control Is Dead—No Way!, by Steve Ciarcia, p. 80
Issue #262
May 2012
Theme: Measurement & Sensors
TASK MANAGER—Advances in Measurement and Sensor Tech, by C. J. Abate, p. 2
NEW PRODUCT NEWS, p. 10
TEST YOUR EQ, p. 13
CROSSWORD, p. 76
Multilevel Audible Logical Probe: Testing, Troubleshooting, and Debugging, by Petre Tzvetanov Petrov, p. 14
Audio-Enhanced Touch Sensors, by Matt Oppenheim, p. 20
The menU Universal Menu System, by Kyle Gilpin, p. 34
EMBEDDED UNVEILED—Camera Image Stabilization, by Richard Wotiz, p. 46
EMBEDDED SECURITY—One-Time Passwords from Your Watch, by Patrick Schaumont, p. 52
THE CONSUMMATE ENGINEER—Accelerated Testing, by George Novacek, p. 60
LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES— Low-Power and Energy-Harvesting Applications, by George Martin, p. 64
FROM THE BENCH— SNAP to It (Part 2): SNAP Engine Versatility, by Jeff Bachiochi, p. 68
PRIORITY INTERRUPT—Power to the People, by Steve Ciarcia, p. 80
Issue #263
June 2012
Theme: Communications
TASK MANAGER—H2M & M2M Communication, by C. J. Abate, p. 2
NEW PRODUCT NEWS, p. 10
TEST YOUR EQ SOLUTIONS—p. 13
CROSSWORD—p. 76
AC Tester: Testing, Troubleshooting, and Debugging, by Kevin Gorga, p. 14
Smart Switch Management: Construct an MCU-Based, ’Net-Enabled Controller, by Fergus Dixon, p. 28
Image Processing System Development, by Miguel Sánchez, p. 36
EMBEDDED IN THIN SLICES—Concurrency in Embedded Systems (Part 1): An Introduction to Concurrency and Common Pitfalls, by Bob Japenga, p. 44
THE CONSUMMATE ENGINEER—Diode ORing, by George Novacek, p. 48
ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE—MOSFET Channel Resistance, by Ed Nisley, p. 52
THE DARKER SIDE—Radio Frequency Mixers, by Robert Lacoste, p. 58
FROM THE BENCH—Build an MCU-Based Automatic Blood Pressure Cuff, by Jeff Bachiochi, p. 68
PRIORITY INTERRUPT—Google Lunar X PRIZE, by Steve Ciarcia, p. 80
Issue #264
July 2012
Theme: Internet & Connectivity
TASK MANAGER—Plan, Construct, and Secure, by C. J. Abate, p. 2
NEW PRODUCT NEWS, p. 10
TEST YOUR EQ, p. 17
CROSSWORD, p. 76
Internet-Enabled Home Control: Build a Cloud-Based Attic Monitor, by John Breitenbach, p. 18
USB on a Shoestring, by Tom Struzik, p. 28
Build an MCU-Based Digital Thermometer, by Tommy Tyler, p. 36
EMBEDDED SECURITY—Electronic Signatures for Firmware Updates, by Patrick Schaumont, p. 44
EMBEDDED UNVEILED—EtherCAT Orchestra, by Richard Wotiz, p. 52
THE CONSUMMATE ENGINEER—Project Development (Part 1): Plans, Schedules, and Task Management, by George Novacek, p. 58
LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES—Switch Debouncing: Interfacing to a Simple Serial Device, by George Martin, p. 62
FROM THE BENCH—Wireless Data Delivery, by Jeff Bachiochi, p. 68
PRIORITY INTERRUPT—Fix It or Toss It?, by Steve Ciarcia, p. 80
Issue #265
August 2012
Theme: Embedded Development
TASK MANAGER—Embedded Systems Abound, by C. J. Abate, p. 2
NEW PRODUCT NEWS, p. 10
MEMBER PROFILE, p. 14
TEST YOUR EQ SOLUTIONS—p. 15
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS—The Man Behind the dsNavCon Design: An Interview with Guido Ottaviani, by Nan Price, p. 24
CROSSWORD—p. 76
eCompass: Build and Calibrate a Tilt-Compensating Electronic Compass, by Mark Pedley, p. 16
MCU-Based Light Control: Longer Serial Communication on Differential Wires, by Scott Weber, p. 32
Examining an I/O Port: The Internal Structure of an I/O Pin with a Pull-Up Resistor, by Shlomo Engelberg, p. 40
EMBEDDED IN THIN SLICES—Concurrency in Embedded Systems (Part 2): Atomicity and TOCTTOU, by Bob Japenga, p. 44
THE CONSUMMATE ENGINEER—Project Development (Part 2): Development Process, Milestones, and Design Reviews, by George Novacek, p. 48
ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE—MOSFET Channel Resistance: Tester Hardware, by Ed Nisley, p. 52
THE DARKER SIDE—System-Level RF Design, by Robert Lacoste, p. 58
FROM THE BENCH—Charging with PV Cells, by Jeff Bachiochi, p. 68
PRIORITY INTERRUPT— What Were They Thinking?, by Steve Ciarcia, p. 80
Issue #266
September 2012
Theme: Data Acquisition
TASK MANAGER—The Ubiquitous Importance of Data, p. 2
NEW PRODUCT NEWS, p. 10
TEST YOUR EQ, p. 15
MEMBER PROFILE, p. 16
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS—Embedded Systems Education: An Interview with Miguel Sánchez, by Nan Price, p. 28
CROSSWORD, p. 74
MCU-Based Environmental Data Logger, by Brian Beard, p. 18
DesignSpark chipKIT Challenge Winners, p. 32
Miniature Accelerometers: DIY Acceleration Data Acquisition, by Mark Csele, p. 38
EMBEDDED SECURITY—Hardware-Accelerated Encryption, by Patrick Schaumont, p. 48
THE CONSUMMATE ENGINEER—Project Configuration Control: Family Tree Drawing & Document Archiving, by George Novacek, p. 58
LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES—Software & Design File Organization, by George Martin, p. 62
FROM THE BENCH—Flowcharting Made Simple: Use the Flowcode Flowcharting IDE to Write Code, by Jeff Bachiochi, p. 66
PRIORITY INTERRUPT—Managing Expectations, by Steve Ciarcia, p. 80
Issue #267
October 2012
Theme: Signal Processing
TASK MANAGER—Continuity of Content, by C. J. Abate, p. 2
NEW PRODUCT NEWS, p. 10
MEMBER PROFILE, p. 14
TEST YOUR EQ SOLUTIONS—p. 15
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS—Embedded Inquiries: An Interview with Hai (Helen) Li, by Nan Price, p. 54
CROSSWORD—p. 76
Math Routines Using dsPIC Features, by Stuart Oliver, p. 16
Digital Camera Controller (Part 1): Hardware & Construction, by Richard Lord, p. 20
FAT Cache: Using File Allocation Table (FAT) Cache for Fast and Efficient SD Card Access, by Kerry Imming, p. 30
THE CONSUMMATE ENGINEER— Managing Project Risk, by George Novacek, p. 34
EMBEDDED IN THIN SLICES—Concurrency in Embedded Systems (Part 3): Avoiding Concurrency Problems, by Bob Japenga, p. 38
ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE—MOSFET Tester: Peltier Temperature Control and Results, by Ed Nisley, p. 2
THE DARKER SIDE—Introduction to IIR Digital Filters, by Robert Lacoste, p. 58
FROM THE BENCH— Mechanical Gyroscope Replacement (Part 1): A Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Solution, by Jeff Bachiochi, p. 68
PRIORITY INTERRUPT—Go Team!, by Steve Ciarcia, p. 80
Issue #268
November 2012
Theme: Analog Techniques
TASK MANAGER—A History of Improvement, by C. J. Abate, p. 2
NEW PRODUCT NEWS, p. 10
MEMBER PROFILE, p. 14
TEST YOUR EQ, p. 15
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS—Hands-On Innovation: An Interview with David Penrose, by Nan Price, p. 44
CROSSWORD, p. 76
Time Broadcasting: A GPS-Based Time Server for the RS-485 Network, by Scott Weber, p. 16
DIY Automated Component Dispenser, by Thiadmer Riemersma p. 26
Debugging USB Firmware: Tips and Tricks for Developing USB Devices, by Jan Axelson, p. 30
Digital Camera Controller (Part 2): Code, User Interface, and Timing, by Richard Lord, p. 36
EMBEDDED SECURITY—True Random Number Generation, by Patrick Schaumont, p. 52
THE CONSUMMATE ENGINEER—Product Reliability (Part 1): Reliability Prediction, by George Novacek, p. 60
LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES—Tachometer Design, by George Martin, p. 64
FROM THE BENCH—Mechanical Gyroscope Replacement (Part 2): Gravity and Acceleration, by Jeff Bachiochi, p. 70
PRIORITY INTERRUPT— An Internet Education, by Steve Ciarcia, p. 80
Issue #269
December 2012
Theme: Programmable Logic
TASK MANAGER—Break Through Designer’s Block, by C. J. Abate, p. 2
NEW PRODUCT NEWS, p. 10
MEMBER PROFILE, p. 14
TEST YOUR EQ SOLUTIONS—p. 15
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS— Engineering Innovation, Experimentation, & Explanation: An Interview with Stuart Ball, by Nan Price, p. 42
CROSSWORD—p. 76
Build an MCU-Based Bicycle Computer, by Dan Karmann, p. 16
Electrically Actuated Sound Effects: A Circuit and Firmware to Ring a Phone Bell, by Joe Pfeiffer, p. 26
RL78 Green Energy Challenge Winners, p. 30
Controlling Access with a Proximity Card: Open the Door to Manchester Encoding, by Scott Weber, p. 34
ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE—Arduino Survival Guide, by Ed Nisley, p. 44
THE DARKER SIDE—Locked In: Synchronous Detection Explained, by Robert Lacoste, p. 50
EMBEDDED IN THIN SLICES—Concurrency in Embedded Systems (Part 4): Introducing Linux and Concurrency, by Bob Japenga, p. 58
THE CONSUMMATE ENGINEER—Product Reliability (Part 2): The Meaning of Failure Rate, by George Novacek, p. 64
FROM THE BENCH—Energy Extraction: Powering Up with Heat Transfer, by Jeff Bachiochi, p. 68
PRIORITY INTERRUPT—Onward and Upward, by Steve Ciarcia, p. 80