Circuit Cellar Ink 74
September 1996

Table of Contents

2


Ken Davidson

Task Manager

The Windows 95 Convert

6

Reader I/O

Letters to the Editor

8


Harv Weiner

New Product News

14


J. Conrad Hubert

Getting Started with Xilinx EPLDs

The move from PLDs to EPLDs isn't a question of if, but when. In this article, Conrad shows you how to painlessly desgin with EPLDs. But, beware. If you're convinced, you might leave microcontrollers behind forever.

20


Craig Pataky

Getting Beyond the Box with Windows 95

Interfacing gadgets to the PC was easy until Windows 95.... Although user applications can't touch hardware directly, Craig shows us how to create helper programs that access any memory location or port.

Download: BEYOBOX.ZIP

26


David Prutchi

Designing Medical Electronic-Device Prototypes

Part 1: Design for Electrical Safety

Safety enters a new dimension when you're desgning electrical devices for medical purposes. David looks at electrical safety compliance standards, using sample circuits to illustrate how to "get safe".

42


Bob Perrin

High-Resolution ADCs

High-precision ADCs save corporations a lot of cost, but are far from a plug-and-play solution for design engineers. Bob goes over many of the gnats that determine which part is best for your situation.

50


Graham Moss
Ross McMillan
Ken Mardle

In-Circuit Emulators

Part 3: Low-Cost ICE

Wrapping up this series of articles, the authors look in on a specific low-cost ICE -- Philips' PDS51 emulator. Hardware, software, and specific debugging techniques offer ways to get around tricky debug tracing.

56


Ed Nisley

Firmware Furnace

Tuning Up: Part 2: Zerobeat Firmware

With integration it gets harder to figure out what a circuit is doing. This month, Ed takes a look inside Zerobeat's micro. He wants to know how the firmware is measuring audio frequency and converting it into a moving-dot LED display.

Home Automation & Building Control

64


Harv Weiner

Innovations in Home Automation & Building Control

Home Automation & Building Control

66


Chris Arndt

Do-it-Yourself Brain (Room) Surgery

If you've wondered how to wire that new house, here's how. Audio, video, automation, telephone, cable, amateur radio -- every kind of wire imaginable combines in the central Brain Room.

Home Automation & Building Control

72


Jeff Fisher

Maximizing X-10

Where others insist X-10 is unacceptable, Jeff relishes in finding solutions. No feedback from X-10. Well, not exactly true if you take the right steps. Too slow -- again, not if you're careful how you program. Curious how he does it? Check it out. He has some very practical solutions to X-10's lack of reliability.

78


Jeff Bachiochi

From the Bench

Nonintrusive Current Monitoring: Part 2: Real-time Energy Profile

Last month, Jeff built toroids to check the current consumed in his home. This month, he puts them to work. Using a spreadsheet, he shares that information with us. Listen up if you also want to know where those kilowatts go.

84


Tom Cantrell

Silicon Update

Oh Say Can USB?

Even if you have long hair, the worst snarls are frequently not on your head, but on your desk -- at least according to Tom. He applauds industry moves to sort and simplify his desktop wires. He's all for USB.

81

Advertiser's Index

91


Ken Davidson

ConnecTime -- Excerpts from the Circuit Cellar BBS

96


Steve Ciarcia

Priority Interrupt

Software -- the Real Generation Gap

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