Circuit Cellar Ink 254
September 2011

Table of Contents

4 CJ Abate	HTML Task Manager Inside Embedded Tech
8 CJ Abate	HTML New Product News LT5400 family of precision matched resistors from Linear Technology Corp. AMLB-Z line of step up DC/DC LED drivers from Aimtec MSP430AFE2xx series of metrology analog front-end (AFE) ultra-low-power 16-bit microcontrollers from Texas Instruments, Inc. ultra-low-power Wi-Fi Sensors for temperature, humidity, thermistor, RTD, pulse counter, and analog input from Point Six Wireless, LLC JSC series of low-profile RF micro coaxial connectors from Murata Electronics North America MR330 absolute fiber optic position sensor from Micronor, Inc. RF5506 and RF5516 5-GHz Wi-Fi front-end modules (FEMs) with integrate power amplifiers (PAs) from RF Micro Devices, Inc. DT9826 multifunction data acquisition (DAQ) module for USB from Data Translation, Inc. Submersible pump shaft seal and stator temperature monitor and relay from Marsh Bellofram Corp. iVu Plus family of touchscreen vision sensors with Ethernet connectivity from Banner Engineering Corp. Rotary inductive analog angle sensors from TURCK, Inc. Comprehensive, easy-to-use DFM software from Numerical Innovations SG-BGA-6346 high-performance BGA socket for 1-mm pitch, 616-ball BGA ICs from Ironwood Electronics NCV866x and NCV876x LDO regulators for automotive applications from ON Semiconductor
16 David Tweed	HTML Test Your EQ
The Consummate Engineer 16 George Novacek	Smart Project Management Professional-level system specifications are imperative to any design project. Having project specifications in place before development saves time, cost, and effort. Here you learn why leaving things "to be determined" can lead to disaster.
22 Lawrence Foltzer	Sweep-Frequency Generator Design DDS-Based Test Equipment from Sweat Equity A proper design lab needs an accurate, programmable frequency source. And if you take a lot of repetitive frequency-domain measurements on filters, an accurate sweeper is a must-have tool. Here you learn how to use your high-speed circuit design expertise to build a digital sweep-frequency generator (SFG) and a digital reference-frequency generator (RFG). Download: Foltzer-254.zip
34 Richard Pierce	Battery Analysis Build an MCU-Based Analyzer Unit Battery ratings aren't always accurate. In fact, many batteries don't meet their rated capacities. This microcontroller-based battery analyzer enables you to sort the good from the bad. It's designed for use with single-cell li-ion batteries with a nominal 3.7-V rating, and you can use it with various cell types. Download: Pierce-254.zip
42 Robin Brophy	eDASH A Virtual Dashboard Using OBD-II eDASH is a virtual car dashboard that utilizes the OBD-II port and enables you to scan many different engine functions. The dashboard can be easily constructed for OBD-II-compatible vehicles using readily available modules. Download: Brophy-254.zip
Lessons from the Trenches 50 George Martin	Design Development Part 3: Software Design The first and second parts of this series described a process for using C code and schematic-capture software to design a new product. Now it's time to delve deeper into software design -- more specifically, the unified modeling language (UML).
Embedded Unveiled 56 Richard Wotiz	Linear Positioners This column presents the inner workings of linear positioners -- specifically media drives. Here you learn how exploring the linear electromagnetic actuator of a removable media drive breathed new life into an aging CD player.
From the Bench 62 Jeff Bachiochi	Lined Up with Nowhere to Go Using a Linear Sensor Array Want to know how a linear sensor array accumulates and transfers data? Here's an example of how the sensor can be used to read a barcode. Download: Bachiochi-254.zip
74	Crossword Puzzle
78	Crossword Puzzle - Answers for Issue 253
79	Advertiser's Index / October Preview
80 Steve Ciarcia	HTML Priority Interrupt Power Factor Correction

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