Circuit Cellar Ink 224
March 2009

Table of Contents

4


CJ Abate

HTML Task Manager

Design Evolution

8


John Gorsky

HTML New Product News

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
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