Various Circuits

This is a simple, cheap device that can be connected to any serial port to control most components that have infrared remote controls. I designed and built it (on a solderless breadboard) in 1991. In 1992 I wrote a lengthy description of it for an electronics class. In 1994 I finally designed a PC board for it, using a free, X-based PC board design program called pcb, and in 1995 I etched several of the boards and made the final product.

This application note describes the design, developmentand implementation of a smart, low cost, stand alone Controller Area Network (CAN) node. It combines the Microchip 8-pin PIC12C672 microcontroller and the Microchip 18-pin MCP2510 Stand-Alone CAN controller. This creates a fully autonomous CAN node, which supports both ?time based? and ?event driven? message transmission.

In the past, adding speech recording and playback capability to a product meant using a digital signal processor or a specialized audio chip. Now, using a simplified Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM) algorithm, these audio capabilities can be added to any PICmicro device. This application note will cover the ADPCM compression and decompression algorithms, performance comparison of all PICmicro devices, and an application using a PIC16C72 micro-controller.

This page describes how to build an adaptor for the Dreamcast serial port that will allow you to connect it to any computer using a standard 9-pin DSUB connector. The main component is a MAX voltage converter, since the Dreamcast serial port uses CMOS (3.3V) voltage levels, whereas normal RS232 uses +/-12V levels.

Designers who build equipment for the industrial market share a widespread problem. At one extreme, they must build equipment that supports ±10V bipolar voltages, often riding on a high common-mode level, a requirement enforced by 30 years of legacy industrial equipment. At the other extreme, the analog signal needs conditioning to match the full-scale range of a low-voltage, single-supply ADC.

The popular USB interface can charge a portable device while transferring data. But for high-capacity batteries, the 500-mA output current of USB hosts and powered hubs greatly extends the charging time. (Unpowered USB hubs supply no more than 100 mA.) Thus, a system that accepts charging power from an ac adapter as well as the USB port is more convenient. Such a system can charge from a notebook USB port when you're traveling, yet can charge faster via the adapter when you're at home or in the office.

When you debug an embedded DSP design, it's handy to have a bank of switches and LEDs to simulate inputs or to display intermediate results. You can attach 16 switches and 16 LEDs to the data bus using octal latches and decoded address strobes. However, this connection can be a wiring nightmare--or even impossible if the design does not generate the required control strobes. Most DSP chips have a synchronous serial port that provides high-speed (>10 Mbps) bidirectional communication over five wires.

The Analog Interface Unit (AIU) is a simple circuit that connects to a PC parallel port, and allows you to sample and output 8-bit analog signals under software control.

Whoever thinks about reproducing an interface for the Aladin, should first of all be aware of the fact that there are two different versions of the interface. The first version, easier to assemble, enables the user to transfer dive data from the Aladin to the personal computer. The other version, a more complex construction than the first one, enables the user both to transfer data from the Aladin to the PC and to configure some Aladin features via the PC. For both versions the original UWATEC software for the PC is required.

This is an image Schematic. No Description available.