Circuit Cellar Ink 253
August 2011

Table of Contents

4 CJ Abate	HTML Task Manager New Frontiers for Embedded Tech
8 John Gorsky	HTML New Product News DLP-HS-FPGA2 low-cost, compact Xilinx-based FPGA module from DLP Design, Inc. EFM32TG-STK3300 starter kit for Energy Micro's ARM Cortex-M3 based EFM32 Tiny Gecko microcontrollers from Energy Micro AS iPOS family of 75W intelligent servo drives from Technosoft, Inc. SeaPAC R9-8.4 ARM9-based touchscreen computer from Sealevel Systems, Inc. SolarMagic arc fault detection chipset from National Semiconductor Corp. LSM320DL 5-DOF multi-sensor modules from STMicroelectronics DAQ-PACK Series of multifunction data acquisition and control systems from ACCES I/O Products, Inc. InfiniiVision X-Series low-cost/high-performance oscilloscopes from Agilent Technologies Inc. ADIsimRF design tool software for RF-to-digital functional blocks from Analog Devices, Inc. TMP006 contactless temperature measurement chip from Texas Instruments Inc.
15 David Tweed	HTML Test Your EQ - Answers for Issue 252
Questions & Answers 16 Nan Price	Microcontroller-Based Innovation An Interview with Alberto Ricci Bitti Alberto Ricci Bitti is an Embedded Systems Designer who develops industrial controllers and instrumentation interfaces for Eurek Elettronica. In June 2011, I interviewed Alberto about his projects -- both old and new -- and his passion for hardware and solving "complex problems."
The Consummate Engineer 20 George Novacek	Electro-Hydraulic Servo Valves You know that electric actuators are great for positioning mechanical devices, but electro-hydraulic servo valve (EHSV) systems can often do it faster and with a lot more power. This article explains how.
24 Bruce Land	Stochastic Chemical Kinetics on an FPGA You can use an FPGA to accelerate chemical reaction modeling. Here you learn how Verilog code enables you to compute chemical kinetics solutions in parallel on an FPGA. The parallel hardware runs simulations faster than similar simulations on a PC.
30 Jesse Marroquin	Find a New Direction A Low-Power Digital Compass You can use a low-power microcontroller to build a digital compass. This article details the planning, design, and programming processes.
36 Sivakumar Govindarajan	Standby Current Management in Embedded Systems The standby current of any system is consumed when the system is inactive. A successful embedded system engineer must intelligently manage the quiescent current to prevent unnecessary power dissipation.
42 Aleksander Borysiuk	Access Control System Design Build an MCU-Based PIN Reader This access control PIN reader system is designed to increase PIN code security. The system displays random keypad patterns. The microcontroller detects touch, computes touch position coordinates, and converts them to key codes that are then transmitted to an access controller. Download: Borysiuk-253.zip
Above the Ground Plane 50 Ed Nisley	Stepper Motor Drive Part 1: The Basics Stepper motors drive many every-day mechanical systems. Thus, if you're actively designing mechanical systems at the office, your workbench, or both, you're bound to work with stepper motors in the near future. Before you start your next motor control application, take some time to learn about -- or reacquaint yourself with -- basic stepper motor configurations and a classic motor drive system. Download: Nisley-253.zip
From the Bench 56 Jeff Bachiochi	Vehicle Diagnostics Part 3: ISO 15765-4 (the CAN Protocol) The first and second parts of this series introduced you to OBD-II and the pre-CAN protocol. This final installment focuses on ISO 15765-4 (the CAN protocol) and wraps up with some speculation about the future of OBD-III. Download: Bachiochi-253.zip
The Darker Side 64 Robert Lacoste	RF and High-Speed PCBs How to Avoid Basic Mistakes The principles of RF and high-speed PCB design are fairly simple, but there are some common mistakes that can ruin a project. This article details proper PCB routing practices and topics, including ground structure, impendence matching, and component placement.
74	Crossword Puzzle
78	Crossword Puzzle - Answers for Issue 252
79	Advertiser's Index / September Preview
80 Steve Ciarcia	HTML Priority Interrupt Uninterruptable Powered Schizophrenia

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