Oscilloscope Trigger Troubleshoot and Debug Even the Most Complex Digital Circuits with a Standard Scope and This Accessory

RESTORING AN OPE _-; EEL TAPE RECORDER

le FEBRUARY 1998

NOW® Build a Multichannel Oscilloscope Trigger Troubleshoot and debug even the most complex digital circuits with a standard scope and this accessory

A Precision Voltage/Current Reference Build one and perform lab -grade measurements on your own workbench

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1111"' 1' 1' "I MPEG is what makes today's I"' I II I' 1""11' 1"1"" I ' I' I"11"I"' high- capacity multimedia possible; 9401Z 1I9I0-5 ******3MbONX84 here's how it works

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Vol. 69 No. 2

CONTENTS1 8 F E B R U A R Y 9 9

ON THE COVER TECHNOLOGY

13 PROTOTYPE

33 BUILD A MULTICHANNEL OSCILLOSCOPE TRIGGER

While an oscilloscope is among the most useful pieces of test gear one could own, there are times it falls short medical sensors, 50 -inch of our needs, such as Tiny RESTORING AN OPEN-REEL TAPE RECORDER high- definition plasma TVs, when troubleshooting using space technology to treat a computer or another fronts tumors, and more. complex digital circuit. THE GREAT COMPRESSION Build a Multichannel 37 For example, have is what makes many of Oscilloscope Trigger MPEG you ever tried to 'eeareerarwlr>r- today's high- capacity confirm that data was multimedia technologies possible; here's how it works. being written to the A Precision Yasuda Hiroshi Voltage; Current - correct address or that Reference

own woretworn A the correct bit is being on row 46 RESTORING "REEL" Build RECORDER set during a memory Pocsi: tjn:aller

operation, using just a the Grew Compression standard, two- channel nqn ..cnr multimedia ow* hare s how 1 wens scope? Impossible, you say? Well, not anymore- thanks to this month's cover story. If you troubleshoot digital electronics, this is one accessory that you just can't do without. - Thomas Peterick Bring those marvelous open - reel recorders of yesteryear back to life. - Phil Van Praag

techniques and scientific and technological As a service to readers, ELECTRONICS NOW publishes available plans or information relating to newsworthy products, ELECTRONICS NOW disclaims any developments. Because of possible variances in the quality and condition of materials and workmanship used by readers, responsibility for the safe and proper functioning of reader -built projects based upon or from plans or information published in this magazine, NOW disclaims any liability for Since some of the equipment and circuitry in ELECTRONICS NOW may relate to or be covered by U.S. patents, ELECTRONICS interested in such projects consult a the infringement of such patents by the making, using, or selling of any such equipment or circuitry, and suggests that anyone patent attorney. County Boulevard, Farmingdale, NY 11735- ELECTRONICS NOW, (ISSN 1067 -9294) February 1998. Published monthly by Gernsback Publications, Inc., 500 Bi- No. 334103, authorized at Mississauga, Canada. 3931. Periodicals Postage paid at Farmingdale, NY and additional mailing offices. Canada Post IPM Agreement Tax, Registration No. R125166280), all One -year subscription rate U.S.A. and possessions $19.97, Canada $27.79 (includes G.S.T. Canadian Goods and Services drawn on a U.S.A. bank. Single copies other countries $28.97. All subscription orders payable in U.S.A. funds only, via international postal money order or check $4.50. ©1997 by Gernsback Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. -5115. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to ELECTRONICS NOW, Subscription Dept., Box 55115, Boulder, CO 80328 if their return is desired should they be rejected. We A stamped self- address envelope must accompany all submitted manuscripts and /or artwork or photographs possession or otherwise. disclaim any responsibility for the loss or damage of manuscripts and/or artwork or photographs while in our 1

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B U I L D T H I S

42 BUILD THIS POCSAG ENCODER Generate your own pager r Electronics signals with your computer NOW® and this simple interface. Hugo Gernsback (1884 -1967) founder - Robert B. Whitaker LARRY STECKLER, EHF, CET, Editor -in -chief and publisher 51 BUILD THIS PRECISION ADRIA COREN, Vice -President VOLTAGE /CURRENT KEN COREN, Vice- President REFERENCE EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Perform laboratory -grade CARL LARON, editor measurements on your own JOSEPH J. SUDA, technical editor workbench. JULIAN S. MARTIN, associate editor EVELYN ROSE, assistant editor - Skip Campisi TERI SCADUTO, assistant editor MICHAEL A. COVINGTON, N4TMI contributing editor DEPARTMENTS SAM GOLDWASSER, service editor JEFFREY K. HOLTZMAN, computer editor FRANKLIN J. MILLER, audio editor 11 EQUIPMENT REPORT DON LANCASTER, Nomai 750.c portable SCSi contributing editor DEBBIE CYBULA, editorial assistant hard drive. ART DEPARTMENT ANDRE DUZANT, art director RUSSELL C. TRUELSON, illustrator COMPUTER CONNECTIONS 12 PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Pilot port I /O. RUBY M. YEE, production director - Jeff Holtzman KATHRYN R. CAMPBELL, production assistant KEN COREN, desktop production director 22 TECH MUSINGS _ISA BAYNON, desktop production A tiny TV test generator, MELISSA GIORDANO, desktop production investigating Brown's Gas, CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT and more. THERESA LOMBARDO, circulation manager - Don Lancaster GINA GALLO, circulation assistant REPRINT DEPARTMENT 83 SERVICE CLINIC MARIE FALCON, reprint bookstore How printers and copiers work. C-BOX Typography by Mates Graphics - Sam Goldwasser *4 ® Electronics Now is indexed in Applied Science & Technology Index, and Readers AUDIO UPDATE Guide to Periodical Literature, Academic BB -: Abstracts, and Magazine Article Sum- Build a capacitance- substitution l ®.. maries. box. - Franklin J. Miller Microfilm & Microfiche editions are avail- CT,Jt'..,' able. Contact reprint bookstore for details. l_,; Advertising Sales Offices listed on page 106. Electronics Now Executive and A N D MOR E Administrative Offices 1- 516 -293 -3000. 4 EDITORIAL BO NEW LITERATURE Subscriber Customer Service: 1 -800- 999 -7139. 7:00 AM -6:00 PM Monday-Friday MST 5 Q&A ADVERTISING INDEX 108 V :SIT US ON THE INTERNET AT: www.gernsback.com B LETTERS 100 ADVERTISING SALES OFFICE 28 NEW PRODUCTS Audit Bureau of Circulations Member

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www.americanradiohistory.com Accredited B.S. Degree in Computers or Electronics AD by studying at Home Grantham College ofEngineering offers 3 distance education programs: EDITORIA B.S.E.T. emphasis in Electronics B.S.E.T. emphasis in Computers B.S. in Computer Science 1 C¡ . Electronics Workbench Professional 5.0 Unanswerable FAQs t `included in our B.S.E.T curriculums -Approved by more than 200 Companies, In the nearly 17 years I've been associated with Gernsback Publications, I've fielded VA and Dantes, (tuition assistance avail.) hundreds, if not thousands, of reader questions. Most can be answered quickly and For your free catalog of our programs dial efficiently. Others simply can't be answered. Of course, as you might expect, it's the unanswerable ones that seem to come up time after time. Here are some examples 1 -800- 955 -2527 of the frequently -asked questions (FAQs) we can't answer: http: / /www.grantham.edu I need a circuit to .... We get a few of these a week, sometimes with detailed specifications and notes on the intended applications. If we answered them all, this page GCE and all the ones that follow would be blank. The time demands of putting out Your first step Electronics Now just don't allow us to do the research and design work required. to lie /p yourself Even so, when we know of a circuit that will approach the reader's needs, we'll take the better your future! time to send it and often even add comments or hints to help things along. Further, the circuit requests we feel would benefit the greatest number of readers are printed Grantham College of Engineering and answered in our monthly "Q &A" department. One further suggestion here: Why 34641 Grantham College Road not ask your fellow hobbyists for help? Posting a circuit request on the Forums at our Slidell, LA 70460 -6815 www.gernsback.com Web site might just get you exactly what you are looking for.

How can I modify project XYZ? The projects that appear in these pages have undergone days, weeks, months, and sometimes years of development and testing by ANTIQUE RADIO CLASSIFIED the author. Without duplicating that work, we have no way of knowing what the Free Sample! .¢ impact of any proposed modifications might be; in some cases, they could easily ren- Antique Radio's - der a project dangerous to use. Therefore, any modifications are solely up to you. If Largest Circulation Monthly. .. 0. Articles, Ads & Classifieds. you like, you could contact the author for help, but any response or help is solely up 6 -Month Trial: $19.95. 1 -Yr: $38.95 (555.95.1st Class). to him or her. Which brings us to ... . A.R.C., P.O. Box 802 -119, Carlisle, MA 01741 Phnne:(508) 371-0512 VISA/MC Fax:(508) 371.7129 How can I contact the author? Actually, this is one we CAN answer. Almost always, our authors are independent contractors who do not work for the magazine. As such, our policy is to not give out mailing addresses or telephone numbers without their permission. In most cases, where authors are willing to be contacted directly, contact -.s- ,__ information is provided in the article. In all other cases, you must write the author in care of Electronics Now, and we will forward your letter. In a similar vein ... .

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would also turn off the equipment in the oppo- will smooth out the vibrations? 1 would use BNC: The Answer? site order? -T. M., Pleasant Grove, UT my vibrator to speak into the device which Readers wrote from as far away as would remove some of the buzz, making the Australia to tell us what "BNC" stands APower -on and power -off sequences speech sound closer to normal. - E. C., Las for. The trouble is, they didn't agree! are a classic problem in industrial elec- Vegas, NV "Bayonet Navy Connector" was one of tronics; old- fashioned solutions involve the most popular answers, sanctioned by thermal -delay relays and other awkward AThat's a very interesting idea. As a Hewlett- Packard catalog. Others circuits. you've found out the hard way, into- include "British Navy Connector" and Figure 1 shows a thoroughly modern nation (tone of voice) is the hardest part "Baby `N' Connector." solution using an LED bargraph chip. In of speech synthesis. The human voice The most authoritative source was an effect, the chip displays the gradual box varies in pitch and loudness, and article in Electronic Packaging and Pro- charging and discharging of a capacitor. even turns its vibrations on and off many duction, 1980, which cites a "legend" that But instead of turning on a set of LEDs, times during the articulation of a single BNC stands for "Bayonet Neill- Concel- it drives a set of solid -state relays (up to word. Your artificial larynx can't do any- man." Paul Neill and Carl Concelman ten) which can control AC loads. Adjust thing but buzz continuously at a fixed definitely did invent the earlier N con- Cl until the timing suits you; you may frequency. nector and C connector respectively. It's need to make it as large as 220 p.F. The It would probably require digital sig- certainly plausible that the B stands for power -down sequence will be slower nal processing, but it ought to be possi- bayonet, because a TNC connector is than the power -up sequence. ble to filter your speech to remove some the same thing, with threads instead of a of the buzz and amplify the harmonics bayonet attachment. added by your vocal tract. Even then, We thank everyone who wrote. your speech would be far from natural, Artificial Voice Box but it ought to be easier to understand.

Q1 am a lar)'ngec tomee; my larynx has been Thinking even more futuristically, removed surgically. In order to speak, 1 use why not pick up the nerve impulses that Pulley Correction a vibrating device that I hold against my would have gone to your larynx if it were }bur ansa'er- to the question on slowing throat. Unfortunately, it makes me sound like still there and use them to control the down a tape recorder ( "Q&A," September an alien from outer space. I hate it! artificial larynx? Then you might be able 1997, page 11) is incorrect. A larger pulley Is there a device 1 can build or buy that to achieve much more natural speech. on the motor shaft will cause the recorder to speed up. You need a smaller pulley on the +5 TO 12V (ALWAYS ON) to slow down. motor shaft it - Robert A Blum, Huntington Station, NY

S1 Oops! You are correct. We also thank POWER UP/ 18 POWER DOWN IC1 Vincent Sullivan, for pointing out that 2 LM3914 17 the torque, not the power; is what changes 16 when you change the pulley or gear R1 4 15 also 1-i 7EY ratio. He points out that gears are 1 MEG not used in good tape recorders, though 5 14 ti R2 3.3K 6 we've seen them in talking toys. 13 Cl Wt. K1 -K10 12 47 µF T -A.A.Ar- SOLID STATE RELAYS R3 1K 8 11 (RADIO SHACK 275-310) ONE FOR EACH OF 10 10 OUTPUTS Power -On Sequence 1 l C2 + 1 peer! to turn on the components of my 10 µF T 14 audio system in a particular sequence, about fve seconds apart, to prevent loud tran- sients in the speakers. Can you suggest a cir- FIG. 1 -A MODERN SOLUTION TO A CLASSIC PROBLEM-here an LED bargraph -dri- cuit that would automate the process, and ver IC is used as the heart of a circuit to turn equipment on and off in sequence. 5

www.americanradiohistory.com HOW TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT ELECTRONICS D1 1N4742

(12 V 1 W On the Internet: See our Web site at Periodical Literature, available at your public TO ZENER) -o-- http: / /www.gernsback.com for information library. Copies of articles in other magazines * o CONTROLLED CIRCUIT and files relating to our magazines (Elec- can be obtained through your public library's K1 tronics Now and Popular Electronics) and interlibrary loan service; expect to pay about REED RELAY links to other useful sites. 30 cents a page. 12-V, 1000-OHM COIL V (RADIO SHACK 275233) To discuss electronics with your fellow enthusiasts, visit the newsgroups sci.elec- Service manuals: Manuals for radios, TVs, CONTROL VOLTAGE (11 V OFF, 20 V ON) tronics.repair, sci.electronics.components, VCRs, audio equipment, and some comput- sci.electronics.design, and rec.radio.ama- ers are available from Howard W. Sams & FIG. 2- HERE'S A CIRCUIT that can be teur.homebrew. "For sale" messages are Co., Indianapolis, IN 46214 (1- 800 -428- used to detect an increase in voltage: The permitted only in rec.radio.swap and 7267). The free Sams catalog also lists relay pulls in when the voltage exceeds about 17 volts. misc.industry.electronics. marketplace. addresses of manufacturers and parts deal- Many electronic component manufac- ers. Even if an item isn't listed in the catalog, resistance (500 ohms or more) so the turers have Web pages; see the directory at it pays to call Sams; they may have a sche- diode doesn't overheat. http:/ /www.hitex.com /chipdir /, or try address- matic on file which they can copy for you. es such as http: / /www.ti.com and http: / /www. Manuals for older test equipment and motorola.com (substituting any company's ham radio gear are available from Hi name or abbreviation as appropriate). Many Manuals, PO Box 802, Council Bluffs, IA Back -Up IC data sheets can be viewed online. 51502, and Manuals Plus, PO Box 549 For Car Alarm My car, like most, has an alarm installed Tooele, UT 84074. on it. Could you Books: Several good introductory electron- ti suggest a circuitfor a 12- volt battery backup the would ics books are available at RadioShack, Replacement semiconductors: Replace- for alarm that also charge the back -up batteries as the is including one on building power supplies. ment transistors, ICs, and other semicon- car being driven? S., Phoenix, An excellent general electronics textbook ductors, marketed by Philips ECG, NTE, -W. AZ is The Art of Electronics, by Paul Horowitz and Thomson (SK), are available through A knowing and Winfield Hill, available from the publish- most parts dealers (including RadioShack Without the power requirements of your alarm, it's hard to be er (Cambridge University Press, 1- 800 -872- on special order). The ECG, NTE, and SK specific, but Fig. 3 shows a simple way 7423) or on special order through any book- lines contain a few hundred parts that sub- to charge a 12 -volt lead -acid gel cell from store. Its 1125 pages are full of information stitute for many thousands of others; a your car's power supply. Then the alarm on how to build working circuits, with a mini- directory (supplied as a large book and on will still work even if mum of mathematics. diskette) tells you which one to use. NTE the main battery runs down. Also indispensable is The ARRL Hand- numbers usually match ECG; SK numbers book for Radio Amateurs, comprising 1000 are different. pages of theory, radio circuits, and ready -to- Remember that the "2S" in a Japanese 11 D1 12 -VOLT, 1N4001 build projects, available from the American type number is usually omitted; a transistor 1 -AMP (1 -AMP Radio Relay League, Newington, CT 06111, marked D945 is actually a 2SD945. BULB RECTIFIER) and from ham -radio equipment dealers. ® Hamfests (swap meets) and local orga- H Copies EXISTING POWER of past articles: Copies of past nizations: These can be located by writing 12 -VOLT CAR - TO articles in Electronics Now and Popular to the GEL CELL American Radio Relay League BATTERY = ALARM Electronics (post 1993 only) are available (Newington, CT 06111; http: / /www.arrl.org). from our Claggk, Inc., Reprint Department, A hamfest is an excellent place to pick up Ì I P.O Box 4099, Farmingdale, NY 11735; Tel: used test equipment, older parts, and other FIG. 3 -THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL SYS- 516 -293 -3751. items at bargain prices, as well as to meet TEM charges the 12 -volt gel -cell back -up Electronics Now and many other maga- your fellow electronics enthusiasts -both battery, but, thanks to diode D1, only the zines are indexed in the Reader's Guide to amateur and professional. car's alarm is able to take power from it.

Maybe this will be the next research pro- voltage increase and operate an alarm whose The diode acts as a one -way valve so ject at a major lab somewhere. power supply is independent of the garage that only the alarm can take power from door opener: - E. U., Northfield, OH the alarm battery. The light bulb limits charging current to 1 amp; under nor- A A circuit that should do the job is mal conditions it will never light up. Detecting Voltage Increase shown in Fig. 2. It uses a Zener diode l have an overhead garage door with a to subtract 12 volts from the voltage safety beam across the opening. I would going to the coil of a miniature relay. like to sound an alarm in the house when Thus, at 11 volts, no current flows, but XT Memory In PC AT? someone breaks the beam. When the door is at 20 volts, the relay gets 8 volts, which QI have an old 286 AT clone to which I up or down, the control voltage is I 1-volts is more than sufficient to pull it in, even would like to add more memory. Can 1 use DC, and when the beam is broken the voltage though it's nominally a 12 -volt relay. an old memory card for an XT? -y. W. B., 6 rises to 20 volts. I need a circuit to detect that Be sure to use a relay with a high coil Warren, MI

www.americanradiohistory.com A Yes, possibly, but only up to a total of At the heart of any multimeter is a big at 2275 Hz, which is within the audio 640K (the memory limit of the XT). multi- contact switch; that's the part that range. Newer ones operate on 475 kHz, Addresses from 640K to 1Meg are would be hardest to make for yourself. If just below the AM- broadcast band. reserved, and on the XT bus, higher you're building meters for yourself, it's Low frequencies are,used so the signals addresses don't exist-the bus doesn't easier to put fewer functions in each won't reflect off objects or the atmos- have address lines for them. There may instrument, so you don't need complicat- phere. Range is limited to a few hun- also be timing problems. In any case, it ed switching. See the ARRL Handbook for dred yards, but the higher frequency won't hurt to try; you will not damage Radio Amateurs for some circuits and gives somewhat better range than the your computer. advice. lower one. We'd like to hear from readers with more information to share. Because it's a critical safety device, you probably Build A Multimeter? Avalanche! wouldn't want to build your own QI rim new at electronics and find it diffi- inI'm having a difficult time finding out avalanche transmitter, but homebuilt cult to spend a lot of money on equipment Q about skier avalanche communication. 1 direction- finding receivers might make 1 could probably build myself I've been look- wrote to you in July of 1996 requesting this for some interesting experimentation ing for plans for a good multimeter to no information, have scanned every issue, but so Also, some good multi-band radios cover avail. Could you provide me with a design far have found nothing. - R. G., Gig 475 kHz, so all you'd need is a direction- for a multimeter that measures ohms, capac- Harbor, WA al antenna. itance, and AC/DC volts and amps? - G. G., Bradenton, FL AUnfortunately, space does not permit us to answer all the questions we A Believe it or not, it's generally cheaper receive, and this one has been particular- Electronic Ignition to buy a multimeter than to build one. ly hard to research. Here's what we've n.Wy brother has a 1953 6- cylinder If you want a real bargain, find a partly found out so far. Chevy. He lives in a country where gaso- defective multimeter that you can repair; Avalanche transmitters are carried line is expensive and of bad quality. Since I many of the parts are replaceable. The by skiers so they can be located by radio am an electrical engineer he has asked me main digital IC in a DMM, and the meter direction finding even if they are buried for electronic help. Would a capacitive -dis- movement in an analog meter, are not in snow. Originally, they were very- charge ignition help? Can you suggest a easy to replace. low- frequency transmitters, operating (Continued on page 18) NM II Create and 4.8 - C: \PLRB \RMP_BIP.WPr Analyze Circuits P/ZOfOLB n Y H Off INSTANTL Easy -to -use circuitr 111111 .221-K _YJAJE2 for only $49.951 Votlm..i. package Clos simulation from n n 0 0. the leader in electronic r Insert

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CIRCLE 122 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD

www.americanradiohistory.com LETTERS SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO THE EDITORS OF ELECTRONICS NOW MAGAZINE

nections (with a buzzer indicator). The the program library. A PC -board design Telephone Number Updated "Key On- Engine Running" tests indicate package might be handy, but most of my Thanks for reviewing the TriField current problems, which may not be designs are too complex for a single - Natural EM Meter in "New Products" stored in memory, and change various set- sided board -long traces are NOT the (Electronics Now, November 1997). tings to see if the car responds properly. best solution. However, our telephone number has On cars with separate fuel injectors for Surfing the Net looks like fun, but since changed. Our current number is each cylinder (as opposed to "throttle - after reading Michael A. Covington's (808) 874 -9126 (Phone/Fax). We can also body" injectors), it will test for "weak," nicely -done article "Ethics and the be reached via e-mail at emfineter@webty. "very weak," or "dead" cylinders. This Internet" (Electronics Now, September net or at our Web site: http: //www.maui. testing is done by turning off the injector 1997), I definitely would never send any net/ -emf. for that cylinder and measuring the personal information over the Net. DAVID FAGGIOLI change in engine rpm. Codes are read out For years, I've used a RadioShack ALPHALAB, Iitc. by a flashing LED, since many Ford prod- pocket -scientific computer (16K of ucts do not have a "Check Engine" light. RAM), running my own BASIC pro- BILL STILES grams to handle all of the heavy math in Code Readers Revisited Hillsboro, MO my designs. Scoff if you like, but doing The article by Thomas Fox, "Reading the most difficult problems still left me Automobile Computer -Service Codes" memory to spare! (Electronics Now, December 1997), is a "Does Not Compute!" SKIP CAMPISI good one. I, too, have found Sure You Can I am a free -lance journalist, who has S. Bound Brook, NJ Work on Electronic Ignition, Wells Mfg. written for Electronics Now and other Corp., to be quite useful. Mr. Fox did not technical magazines. I'm also a dino- mention that this book can be purchased, saur-I balance my checkbook in my Screen Sayers or Pretty at a low price, at many auto parts stores head, use a wall switch to turn on the and in the auto department of some dis- lights, and use a four -legged security sys- Pictures? count stores. tem to guard my house. From your article "All About Mon- te As he did say, a service manual for the I still don't own a personal computer. itors" (Electronics Now, July 1997), I car is also needed, such as Chilton, Haynes, From the look of things, I never will. My learned that their technology differs little or Motor's manuals -available at the same friends have given me all of the argu- from the TV sets that I repaired in the stores. Another option is a manual from ments. However, I still do all of my work mid -1970s on board the USS Forrestal. A the car's manufacturer, which is the best on a word processor that costs only about common fault on the scores of picture source of service codes. However, a few 10% of the PC system I would need to tubes I replaced was that their cathodes manuals don't have codes. In that case, replace it. Although I'd love to own a PC, were no longer capable of emitting the general codes in the Wells' book can I've never been able to justify the cost. enough electrons to yield a good picture. be used. I draw my schematics by hand, know- Usually, the green cathode wore out However, I have found that not all ing that a CAD software package can do first, resulting in a purple image. All "code readers" are as useless as Mr. Fox's it easier and faster. However, it would those sets had high voltage between 25 description. Since neither my 1993 edi- probably take me even longer to enter and 30 kV. Even though many of them tion of the Wells' book nor the manual of the unusual circuit elements I use into displayed color bars for hours, I never the Ford I was repairing had complete saw one with an image burned into its information about entering the diagnos- phosphors. But as long as electrons flow Write To: tic mode in a I a Ford product, purchased Letters, through the cathodes, those cathodes Sunpro CP9015 Ford Code Scanner for Electronics Now Magazine, are wearing out. Screen savers do noth- about $30. I found it to be much more 500 Bi- County Blvd., ing to inhibit that flow. than a simple code reader. Farmingdale, NY 11735 Anyone who really wants to watch Besides reading the codes stored in tropical fish swimming back and forth memory, it also activates diagnostic rou- Due to the volume of mail we could install a fish bowl near his com- tines in the car's computer. The "Key On- receive, not all letters can be puter. And, when he goes to lunch, he Engine Off" tests evaluate most of the answered personally. All letters could switch the monitor off. sensors, relays, and solenoids; and there's are subject to editing for clarity RONALD D. LINDOW and length. also a "wiggle" test for finding loose con- Pittsburgh, PA 8

www.americanradiohistory.com EQUIPMENT REPORT NOMAI 7SO.0 PORTABLE SCSI HARD DRIVE

drive.) After that, one simply plugs the Nomai's power supply into an AC outlet a formatted cartridge This portable SCSI hard drive and pops in PC- - when the system boots, the removable can move more than a CD- drive becomes part of the operating ROM's worth of data between system. Having 750 megabytes of free disk computess. space to play with is a good thing, especially if your original hard drive is get-

ting clogged. And . the speed of the CIRCLE 15 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD Nomai 750.c is equal to most conventional hard drives, so there's no penalty in performance whether you are archiv- If you regularly deal with large com- PCs these days, and a PC that doesn't ing data or running applications off it. In puter files, some type of removable have SCSI is just a few dollars away from benchmark tests, the Nomai drive had a media is a must. After all, floppy disks are having it. SCSI is inexpensive and fast, cached speed of 716 MB /s and an useful for transferring a few kilobytes or so it makes sense to use it for a 750 - uncached speed of 0.77 MB /s. We tested even a few megabytes, and Zip and simi- megabyte portable drive. An entire CD- the real -world speed of the drive by lar drives become necessary for moving R's worth of data can be gathered from copying a 427 MB file; the job took 100 megabytes or so. But even that's not different PCs and brought to the CD -R exactly 4 minutes -a transfer rate of much, not with people dabbling in CD- system for recording. Or 750 megabytes 1.78 MB /s when writing data to disk, R, making movies, and so on with their of storage space can be added to a PC which is always slower than reading data PC. And hard drives inevitably fill up no with each new $69 cartridge. from disk into RAM. matter how large they are; so being able The Nomai 750.c is small and The Nomai 750.c package includes to add storage is a plus. extremely rugged. It measures 7- inches Adaptec EZ SCSI 4.0 software on CD- deep by 4'/4- inches wide by 1'/e- inches ROM and SCSISelect on diskette. A Solution high and weighs less than two pounds. Those utilities let you prepare car- One practical solution is the Nomai It's small enough to be easy to carry tridges, format for PC or Mac, change 750.c portable SCSI hard drive. That around with you. The drive has a thick a configuration, update firmware, unit packs 750 megabytes of data on to steel enclosure that could easily support change the SCSI ID via software, man- removable cartridges that cost about $69 a person, so it's not likely to get damaged age read /write cache options, test and each-that's only 9 cents per megabyte. simply by being bumped around. The re- format disks, verify the disk surface The Nomai 750.c is available in internal enclosure has a modern looking matte - and reallocate bad blocks, low -level and external PC and Mac versions, and black finish. An AC power adapter sup- format disks, control the cartridge lock there are parallel -port and docking -bay plies the +5 and +12 volts DC required on the drive, and eject cartridges by options for the external models. The by the drive. An eject button and software. external PC version we tested costs about power/activity indicator are located on $359, which includes one 750- megabyte the front panel. Some Final Thoughts data cartridge pre -formatted for a PC, an The Nomai 750.c is very handy and AC power supply, a SCSI card, and all Installing the Nomai 750.c very fast compared to MO and PD drives. necessary cables. Installing and using the Nomai 750.c It's also very affordable. If you've been The Nomai 750.c removable hard - is very easy. The external model we waiting for the right removable media disk drive is fully compatible with tested comes with a SCSI card, and drive to come along before buying one, SyQuest cartridges. It can read and write installing it is the most difficult step, then the wait is over. Now is the time to Nomai 750- and 540- megabyte car- though even that is a piece of cake. get a Nomai 750.c. For more information tridges, or any SyQuest- compatible disks. That's because it's a plug- and -play PCI contact the manufacturer directly The drive uses Winchester technology card -Windows 95 instantly recognizes (Nomai; 592 Weddell Street, Suite 5/6; and achieves an average seek time of 10.5 it and installs the drivers for it automat- Sunnyvale, CA 94089; Tel: 408 -542- milliseconds and sustains a data transfer ically. (What's more, if your PC already 5900; Sales Hotline: 888- 99NOMAI; rate of 3.46 megabytes per second. has a SCSI card in it, you don't even Web: http://www.nomai.com), or circle SCSI is a popular option on many have to install the one included with the 15 on the Free Information Card. In 11

www.americanradiohistory.com COMPUTER CONNECTIONS BY JEFF HOLTZMAN

Pilot Port I/O

ONCE UPON A TIME THE VALLEY BEGAT A LITTLE COMPA- Setup and Use Using HiLo is easy. First download NY CALLED PALM COMPUTING, AND THAT WAS GOOD. the program to your Pilot using the Pilot Install Tool. Then close the HotSync SO GOOD, IN FACT, THAT MEDIUM -SIZE U.S. ROBOTICS SWAL- manager, so it will relinquish the (PC's) serial port. Run a telecommunications LOWED IT WHOLE, AND THAT WAS FINE. SO FINE, IN FACT, THAT program, such as HyperTerminal on the PC, with a setting of 9600 bps, 8 data bits,

no parity, and 1 stop bit. Next, with the big ole 3Com Corp. gobbled it, and that can load, execute, and even debug Pilot Pilot in the cradle, run HiLo, and click was COOL. SO COOL, in fact, that programs using CoPilot. To run Co- the Go button; any characters typed on when a USR/Palm manager presented Pilot, you need a copy of a Pilot ROM. your PC's keyboard will end up in HiLo's 3Com president Eric Benhamou with a The CoPilot package comes with a util- queue. Remember that you're sending Pilot, he said, "Thanks, but I already ity that allows you to upload your Pilot's ASCII characters so for a Ctrl -A, you'll have one. We all do." In fact, 3Com is ROM to your PC. The ROM is needed see a value of 1; for 'A' (uppercase) you'll said to be the largest installed corporate because there is actually a 68000 CPU see 65; and for 'a' (lowercase), you'll see site for Pilots. emulator running beneath the hood. 97. Anyway, it's a cool and useful thing. The bad news is that you can't use The complete program is over 300 Not only can it help you get and stay CoPilot to develop and debug serial I/O lines of C code, not to mention the organized, but you can also have fun with programs. Programs run, but serial I/O resource and header files, so we can't it. You can buy and download games for just doesn't occur. print the whole thing here. What I will the Pilot, of course, but I'm talking about do is discuss overall program flow, and a different kind of fun. Like making it do present details of key routines. You can things that are both interesting and pick up the complete source, along with unusual. Like making it talk to the out- the executable, at the new Ingineering side world. Lo: web site, www.ingininc.com. Look for RxCount: This month we'll examine a little Rug: HiLo.Zip, and unzip with the -d option Last: data -logging application I wrote that if you want to recreate the build directo- allows the Pilot to track the minimum, ry structure. I created the program in maximum, and running average of a MetroWerks CodeWarrior DR3 run- series of byte -size inputs. The program is ning on NT4, but it should be easy to called HiLo. HiLo is illustrated in Fig. 1. port to GCC. When you click the Go button, the program opens the serial port at 9600n81 PilotMain and The Event Loop and waits for input. Each time something Analogous to the 'main' routine in a arrives, the program recalculates and dis- normal C program, the entry point for a plays the values shown at the top of the Pilot program is called PilotMain, shown screen. That process continues until you in Listing 1. When the user launches an click the Exit button, at which time the application, the operating system calls program closes the serial port and exits. the corresponding PilotMain, passing it a command code and a set of launch flags. CoPilot The command code and flags provide a The illustration was created using a clever way to implement system -wide FIG.1-COPILOT IS A FAIRLY COM - freeware program called CoPilot. Co- PLETE EMULATOR for the Win95 /NT envi behavior. For example, the Pilot's built Pilot runs on Win95/NT, and I believe ronment. An independent DLL implements in Find procedure doesn't search the ports are in progress to other platforms. a complete, virtual 68000 CPU, which can Address Book, the Memo Pads, and CoPilot provides a fairly accurate and run the actual code uploaded from a Pilot everything else. Instead, it calls each

complete emulation of the Pilot. You ROM. CoPilot doesn't do serial I /O. (Continued on page 17) 12

www.americanradiohistory.com type

The Doctor Will Sense You Now BY DOUGLAS PAGE

sing a tiny, wireless electronic U device that can be attached like a band -aid or imbedded in a fingertip or earlobe, tomorrow's doctors and paramedics will be able to remotely monitor the vital signs of high -risk patients or permit neo -natal babies to be liberated from sensor wires so they can be held and stroked. These medical telesensors-miniature integrated circuits that can measure blood pressure, blood oxygen, pulse, and temperature, and then transmit data to remote receivers -are being developed for the military by government researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), which is located at Oak Ridge, TN.

Civilian and Military Applications While the work at ORNL is for the military, there are also countless civilian THIS MEDICAL TELESENSOR CHIP can measure and transmit data on body tempera- applications for these tiny marvels. For ture. It is the first of several remote sensors under development at the Oak Ridge National example, doctors can use them to moni- Laboratory. (Photo by Tom Cerniglio, ORNL) tor vital signs from miles away, paramedics can be more prepared for ment." Of course, the same would also pulse- sensor and blood -pressure tech- emergencies that await their arrival, and apply in civilian emergency or disaster nology, in addition to an instrument that fire -battalion chiefs can track the respi- situations. Also, if the soldier (or fire- measures electrical conductivity in the ratory and safety status of firefighters fighter) were a fatality, that information skin, which is often used as an indicator and "hazmat" crews working in smoke would be transmitted, preventing the of stress. or toxic clouds. In that last application, unnecessary endangerment of rescue The pulse- oximetry sensor will mea- built -in alarms will notify firefighters, personnel. sure the pulse on the wrist or neck using for instance, when blood oxygen levels While there are many situations a pressure sensor. Blood oxygen changes indicate danger. The sensor chips can where these sensors could prove invalu- are measured by detecting changes in also automatically telephone emergency able, civilian firefighters will especially hemoglobin, the iron- containing pig- services when triggered by a patient's benefit in several ways. "Our pulse - ment in red blood cells. Hemoglobin's deteriorating vital signs. oximeter telesensor finger -ring or ear- color changes when there is an alter- The military's interest in the sensors lobe device will monitor the oxygen in ation in oxygen level. "The sensor chip is for remote battlefield triage. "Military the blood," said Ferrell. "If there's too will have an infrared light source and leaders need a way to find out quickly much smoke or fume inhalation, an detector that can measure changes in the which soldiers have been wounded and alarm will sound and an alert will be light absorption of the hemoglobin what their conditions are," said ORNL's transmitted via a belt -worn radio when it is exited by light of specific fre- Thomas L. Ferrell, lead researcher on device." Blood oxygen level is a reliable quencies," said Ferrell. the project. "Then, medics will be able indicator of a wide variety of respiration "Measurements of pulse rate are to decide whom to treat first and whom problems. It is expected that later ver- important to the military," he continued to remove from the battlefields for treat- sions of the system will incorporate "because this information helps medics 13

www.americanradiohistory.com determine quickly which wounded sol- fighters, soldiers, etc. at all times. The radio -signal pattern ... in which the fre- diers are alive and which are not. Also, value of commanders or rescuers having quency spectrum changes every few blood pressure can he determined by access to that information can not be microseconds. Such spread- spectrum measuring and comparing times of pulse overstated. transmission allows the monitor to know arrival at various points on the body. which individual soldier, firefighter, etc Measurement of a drop in blood pres- Progress To Date needs immediate medical care." sure is important because that may indi- So far the research group has pro- The pulse -oximeter chip is expected cate a soldier is bleeding." In a civilian duced a temperature sensor 2.3 millime- to be near production status as soon as setting, measurement of erratic pulse ters square -about one -eighth the size of early this year (1998), Ferrell said. "At rate can warn that a patient has cardiac standard postage stamp. The chip can be present, only the body temperature tele- arrhythmia. attached to a fingertip or earlobe where it sensor chip has been constructed, and it Eventually the system will be capa- can measure body temperature and trans- will require two further iterations at a ble of providing diagnostic information mit a reading when queried by a remote chip foundry before its final form. Each on such conditions as shock and injury. receiver. Ferrell said the chip contains a cycle of fabrication takes several months. The ultimate research goal is to develop temperature sensor that measures The master -control unit is only partially an array of chips to monitor body func- absolute temperature to within one -tenth designed, and a full range of telesensor tions collectively. They will be attached degree Celsius using bipolar transistors chips will not be ready for several to the body, using methods similar to a whose electronic properties are sensitive years-unless a large increase in the waterproof bandage, sending physiolog- to temperature. The chips also contain funding of this project is obtained. We ical data via wireless transmission to a some analog signal- processing circuitry have, however, put in place all of the remote monitor. In rescue situations, and a short-range (about 1.5 meters) dig- basics needed to show that this technol- whether military combat or civilian ital transmitter designed to transmit to a ogy is within our grasp without further search- and -rescue, the data will be nearby helmet- or belt -worn transceiv- requirement of extraordinary scientific transmitted directly to paramedics, indi- er/microprocessor unit. That unit ana- breakthroughs." cating the condition of an injured soldier lyzes the trauma situation, compresses Clinical trials will be done in associa- or firefighter. Homing capability, in the data, and if indicated, sends an alert to tion with cardiac surgeons as they cool which the monitor could also receive the appropriate medical professional via a patients during surgery and need to mon- global -satellite -positioning (GPS) data, longer -range transmitter itor brain temperature, Ferrell said. Also, will one day be incorporated in the sys- "Each chip," said Ferrell, "will have patients undergoing chemotherapy, and tem, allowing precise location of all fire- a unique identifier -a characteristic those who lose their ability to regulate their body temperature, must sometimes be packed in ice if a fever sets in. With early intervention, in which the onset of Interoperable Cable Set -Top Boxes a fever may be reported by one of the Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. and its members have estab- telesensors, simple aspirin often is suffi- lished OpenCable, a project aimed at developing a new generation of cient. set -top boxes that are interoperable. These devices will enable a "We will soon begin work on the range of interactive services to be provided to cable customers. The skin- conductivity telesensor chip for OpenCable effort will include an intellectual property (IP) pool and a measuring pulse, respiration, and ion - certification process for testing vendor compliance. level on the skin (a measure of stress)," The first task of OpenCable is to evaluate responses to a request Ferrell said. "Blood pressure we hope for information (RFI) that was sent to leading computer and consumer - can be done accurately by passive moni- electronics companies. The RFI seeks their input into the creation of toring of pulse velocity." a draft specification for advanced set -top boxes. CableLabs execu- The Oak Ridge National Labora- tives and board members have held meetings with CEOs of companies tory research, funded by the Defense in these industries. This research was overseen by MediaOne Sciences Office of the Defense President and COO William T. Schleyer, who is a member of the Advanced Research Projects Agency CableLabs Board of Directors. (DARPA), is expected to become so "Our meetings with other industries have shown us that micro- important in civilian settings ORNL is processor and semiconductor technology are advanced to the point seeking additional funding from the pri- where a set -top box can become a digital set -top computer very soon," vate sector to speed up the research. according to President and CEO of CableLabs, Dr. Richard R. Green. "Wireless monitors attached to the CableLabs is a research and development consortium of cable tele- skin," said Ferrell, "could provide valu- vision system operators representing more than 85% of the cable sub- able information on the physiological scribers in the US, 75% of subscribers in Canada, and 12% of conditions of intensive -care patients in subscribers in Mexico. For more information, check their Web sites at hospitals, high -risk outpatients (aiding http: / /www.cablelabs.com, http: / /www.cablemodem.com, and http: // paramedics responding to the scene), or www.cablenet.org. 03 infants at risk of suffering sudden infant - death syndrome (SIDS)." an 14

www.americanradiohistory.com type

Space Research Spotlights Tumors

Special lighting technology- devel- oped for NASA Space -Shuttle plant -growth experiments-may soon help treat cancer and save lives on Earth. A treatment technique called Photodynamic Theory uses tiny pin- head -size LEDs to activate light- sensi- tive, tumor- treating drugs. Experiments indicate that when special tumor- fighting drugs are illuminated with LEDs, the tumors are more effectively destroyed than with conventional surgery. The light source, consisting of 144 tiny diodes, is compact (about 1/2 -inch in diameter), and mechanically more reliable than lasers and other light sources used to treat cancer. The entire light source and cooling system is only the size of a medium suitcase. THIS SIMULATION shows how LED probe would be used, in conjunction with special Through the Small Business drugs, to destroy brain -cancer tumors. Innovation Research Program, NASA funded contracts to demonstrate the fea- LED probe on a trial basis in the Automation and Robotics (Madison, sibility of using LEDs in cancer treat- removal of children's brain tumors. After WI), a NASA Commercial Space ment. The program is managed by the the clinical trials are concluded, Dr. Center.. Technology Transfer Office at Marshall Whelan anticipates full approval of what "The LED technology developed by Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL. In could be the operating technique of the NASA offers new hope to children with this application, the LED forms the tip future. Further research combining cancer,' stated Dr. Whelan. "Every one of a new nine -inch neural probe. The LEDs and promising new drugs is yield- of our eases will be a critical case with no LED probe can be used for hours at a ing the possibility of deeper tumor pen- hopeful alternatives. We think this new time, remains cool to the touch, and is a etration with the probe, faster reaction probe will help give children with tumors fraction of the price of a laser. times, and shortened patient sensitivities a chance to live healthy, happy lives." "This new probe illuminates to sunlight. through all nearby tissue," said Dr. "We're very happy to be a part of Harry 'Whelan, pediatric neurologist at this innovative procedure," said Rose the Medical College of Milwaukee, WI. Allen, manager of the Space Product Low-Altitude "We've used lasers too," he added, "but Development Office at the Marshall they are often unreliable and limited in Center. "It is exciting to see how NASA's Vertical Flights in color spectrum. Lasers are also very commercial space research results in expensive and lose power in their benefits on Earth. Who would have Urban Areas fiberoptic cables." thought that experiments searching for The technique used by Dr. Whelan ways to improve agricultural products Aresearch and development project involves injecting the patient's blood- would lead to a medical procedure that conducted in Atlanta during last stream with a drug called Photofrin II. saves children's lives ?" year's Olympic games could have a long- The drug attaches itself to the unwanted The LEDs, developed for Marshall term impact on improving transporta- tissues and permeates them, leaving the Center by Quantum Devices, Inc., tion in crowded cities. Supported by the surrounding tissues unaffected. The (Barneveld, WI), were first intended for FAA, Operation Heli -STAR (Helicopter doctor then places the solid -state LED use in food -growth experiments in outer Short -Haul Transportation and Aviation probe near the affected tissue to illumi- space. They were used as low -energy Research) showed that communications, nate the tumor and activate the light sources on NASA's second US navigation, and surveillance (CNS) Photofrin II drug. Once activated by the Microgravity Laboratory Spacelab mis- equipment based on the Global light, the drug destroys the tumor's cells, sion in October 1995, as part of the Positioning System (GPS) could reliably leaving the tender brain stems virtually Astroculture Plant Growth Facility. The track helicopters operating in large met- untouched. experiment was led by Dr. Raymond J. ropolitan areas. The FDA has approved using the Bula of the Wisconsin Center for Space Air -traffic- control radar now pro- 15

www.americanradiohistory.com type

vides the primary means of monitoring On the busiest day, the project aircraft in flight. However, ground clut- processed 83,000 aircraft position Speaking of the ter caused by obstructions such as tall reports between 6 AM and 10 PM, track- buildings prevents tracking low-altitude ing more than 60 aircraft engaged in a Olympics ... . flights in urban areas. This problem wide range of cargo delivery and public restricts helicopter transportation in safety missions -including critical secu- The NEC Corporation announced cities where clogged highways would rity requirements. Heli-STAR used 12 that it will sell, beginning in Japan, otherwise make vertical flight an attrac- heliports strategically located around the world's first high- definition 50 -inch tive alternative to ground transportation. Atlanta. Routes were established to min- plasma television, the Hi- Vision Plasma X. Sales will begin in February to coin- cide with the start of the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. The 50 -inch Hi- Vision Plasma X (PX -50V2) offers 1.4 times the screen size of its 42- inch predecessor. The use of a panel production process specifically for manufacturing large -sized high -resolution screens permits pixel pitch to be reduced to 0.81mm from 1.08mm. This process produces a 1365x.768 pixel screen (or PDP- plasma display panel) capable of displaying over one million pixels. Integrated circuits that endure high pressure allowed NEC to achieve a very slim television at 97mm. New versions of NEC's 42 -inch PlasmaX television and the 33 -inch plasma display unit (PX -33M2) share in the A SPECIALLY-EQUIPPED Operation Heli -STAR helicopter is shown here landing at GIT's design concepts of the 50 -inch model. research facility. These new models, which have been on sale since December, are slimmer than "Operation Heli -STAR showed that imize noise and avoid the restricted air- the previous ones: 89mm instead of the technology is here now to do low - space set up around Olympic venues. 99mm. The PX -33M2 is compatible with altitude traffic control in urban areas," Development of Heli -STAR began NTSC, PAL, and SECAM broadcast sig- according to Charles M. Stancil, manag- in 1994. The Heli -STAR program was nal standards. Worldwide sale of these er of the Georgia Tech Research the result of cooperation among numer- TVs is expected to start in Spring 1998. Institute (GTRI). "Everything that we ous government and industry groups Both the 50- and 42 -inch plasma planned and designed for the system who shared the $10 million cost. Among TVs use NEC's capsulated color -filter worked. We could track the aircraft, the government agencies involved were (CCF) technology. This technology communicate with them, send weather the FAA, NASA, Department of applies a black stripe to non -discharging information, and even change the mis- Defense, and GEMA (Georgia plasma cells for more vivid contrast in sion just by using digitized messages." Emergency Management Agency). bright -light conditions at a ratio of 40:1. Some 88 aircraft equipped with this Businesses and organizations, among CCF offers colors purer than those of technology participated in Heli -STAR others, were ARNAV Systems, the any Braun tube TV Both models feature during the Games in Atlanta. The air- Harris Corporation, Helicopter display, tuner /selector, and speaker units craft used on -board GPS systems to Association International (HAI), and the in a component -style set, and use only determine their own positions, then Atlanta Vertical Flight Association one cable to connect the display and the reported that information every few sec- (AVFA). The Project Operations Center tuner. onds to a central ground station through was established at Georgia Institute of NEC sees the new PDPs as meeting a very high -frequency (VHF) data link. Technology's (GIT's) Cobb County the demands for thinner, larger, and Heli -STAR also sent data about all pro- Research Facility, near Dobbins Air clearer TVs. They anticipate that the ject aircraft operating in the area to Force Base. combined demand from consumer and multi- function displays that were The project was intended both to business users will result in the shipment installed aboard many of the helicopters. demonstrate the feasibility of the GPS- of 30,000 NEC sets in 1998. That figure On the ground, sophisticated equipment based equipment and to gather informa- is expected to rise to 300,000 per year by used bar -coding and an extensive com- tion for development of future the year 2000. The price in US dollars is puter network to track cargo as it moved large -scale helicopter and low -altitude about $22,500 for the 50 -inch display to its final destination. operations. and $12,083 for the 42 -inch set. 16

www.americanradiohistory.com COMPUTER CONNECTIONS LISTING 1- SERIAL I/O ROUTINE continued from page 12 static void SerlOReceive(void) ULong RcvCount = 0; application with a special launch code. Err error; The app in turn knows that it should Byte Bufln[17]; search its database and return results to the calling app. We don't need that func- if (!SerIORef II !SerlOConnected) tionality, so the only launch code HiLo return; responds to is the one for normal program launch. error = SerReceiveCheck(SerlORef, &RcvCount): When it receives that code, it calls a if (error) startup routine, which draws the main SerClearErr(SerlORef); form and obtains a reference to the seri- FrmCustomAlert (AlertGenericAlert, strErrRcvChk. StrBlank. StrBlank); al port. It then goes into an event loop, return; in which various processes in turn get a } chance to handle events. The Palm OS is not multitasking, so the term process- if ((RcvCount <= 0)) es must be taken loosely, in the sense of return; a block of code that belongs to a separate logical entity. if (RcvCount > 1) Events include things like detecting RcvCount = 1; pen motion on the screen, hardware button presses, serial I/O, alarms, and so // Palm OS1, 0S2 compatible forth. Applications can add their own error = SerReceive10(SerlORef, Buf In, 1, 10); events to the event queue. For example, in HiLo, when the user clicks the Exit // Palrm 0S2 compatible only button, the program enqueues an //error = 0; "appStopEvent." When the event loop / /RcvCount = SerReceive(SerlORef, Buf In, 1, 0, &error); terminates, control returns to Pilot - Main, where the StopApplication rou- if (error) { tine performs any required clean -up. In SerClearErr(SerlORef); our case, that primarily means closing FrmCustomAlert (AlertGenericAlert, strErrRcvErr, StrBlank, StrBlank); the serial port. return; Within the event loop, the system gets } first crack at handling events. That allows it to do things like, for example, translat- SerlOCnt++; ing raw pen strokes into ASCII charac- SerlOCur = Bufln[0]; ters, which in turn get enqueued as SerlOSum += SerlOCur; keyDown events. Typically, if a process if (SerlOCnt > 0) handles an event, it returns a value of SerlOAvg = SerlOSum / SerlOCnt; True, so that subsequent (higher-level) if (SerlOCur e SerlOMin) processes skip over it. SerlOMin = SerlOCur; After the system, the menu handler if (SerlOCur > SerlOMax) gets next crack at events. For simplicity, SerlOMax = SerlOCur; HiLo has no menu, so I commented out the corresponding code. I didn't simply // display results remove it, because I want to show the ShowNumResultFld (HiLoMainFldAvgField, SerlOAvg); default event -processing hierarchy. Next, ShowNumResultFld (HiLoMainFldRxCountField, SerlOCnt); the application's main form gets a try, and ShowNumResultFld (HiLoMainFldLoField, SerlOMin); finally, the active form. Again, for sim- ShowNumResultFld (HiLoMainFldHiField, SerlOMax); plicity, this application has only one form, ShowNumResultFld (HiLoMainFldLastField, SerlOCur); so the latter call is redundant. And again, I didn't remove it, for the same reason. } So after the user starts an application, the Palm OS settles into the event loop. The event loop itself is nothing but a so on. Then, where it makes sense, nest- needed to respond to an event, and a sub - large, possible nested switch statement, ed switch statements perform code (or sub handler for each event type it needed with cases for different types of events, launch subroutines) that depend on the to respond to. An application does not and subcases for instances of each type. subtype. For example, the event dispatch- have to respond to every possible event Typically there are cases for system er for control events would have a case for every control. events, form events, control events, and for each control for which an application The Palm OS is not object- oriented, 17

www.americanradiohistory.com PILOT DEVELOPER RESOURCES O&A tontinned from page 7 www.wademan.com/Pilot/Program/FAQ.htm wvvw.massena.com/darrin/pilot/index.html www.s1s.lcs.mit.edu/raylau/pilot/ source or publish a circuit? - R. F, www.usr.com/palm/pilotlinks.html Rochelle Park, NJ www.roadcoders.com/pilot/index.html AThere are two things you can do: www.shoppersmart.corn/jlehett/gccwin32.html route the primary current through a www.usr.com/palm/dresources.html transistor rather than directly through www.metrowerks.com (general info) the points, and generate a primary www.metrowerks.com/db/updates.qry?function=list&sw=CWPP3 (patches) voltage higher than 12 volts (perhaps more like 250). Almost all modern cars Newsgroups: have transistor ignition, which does alt.comp.sys.palmtops.pilot the first of the two. The second one is comp.sys.palmtops.pilot what you're asking about, and it news.massena.com/pilot.programmer ensures a really high spark voltage at news.massena.com/pilot.programmer.codewarrior all times. news.massena.com/pilot.programmer.gcc Because you need high reliability news.massena.com/pilot.programmer.jump and special parts, and because it's not news.massena.com/pilot.programmer.pila going into your own car, it's probably best to use a commercial unit. Write to J. C. Whitney and Company, P.O. Box nor is the development language. Thus, from the UART is called SerReceivel0. 8410, Chicago, IL 60680, and ask for a the API presents parallel clusters of func- The routine was originally called catalog. They have add -on electronic tions with similar names that perform SerReceive. The latter is now the OS rev. ignitions for American cars made since similar duties on similar types of controls. 2 version, and the former the original. By 1947. For example, there are separate functions using SerReceivel0, you can write code to set controls (buttons) and fields (entry that will run on both versions. The new fields) usable (visible and "clickable "). routine provides more and better status Conversely, some functions do not have information, which we don't need for our Darts and Transistors parallels across controls and fields. In the application. I'M looking to build an electronic dart absence of overridable methods with 11 board out of an old computer. Are there identical names and behaviors across dif- For Next Time any plans available for this project? ferent classes of objects, I wish the API There are several ways we can pro- Also, I have an old receiver for which I were more consistent. On the other hand, ceed. Right now all we can do is read need two transistors, a 2SÁ765 and a the overall API is small enough that such data; it might be nice to be able to write 2SC1445. What can I use as replacements? inconsistencies are not intolerable. it as well. Another limitation is the user -J. Z., Waukesha, WI interface, which is pretty boring. It Something Happened might be nice to see a histogram or a A We don't recall an electronic dart The Palm OS user -interface philoso- chart- recorder type of display. Peripheral board project, but we'd like to hear phy gives high priority to UI (user inter- to the Pilot itself, but nonetheless impor- from any reader who has designed and face) events, so those are handled first. tant, is the data input. Connecting the built one. Constructing the board itself, (In a performance -critical application, Pilot to an (emulated) ASCII terminal is with digital sensors embedded, is the that probably wouldn't be the case.) OK, but there are an awful lot of inter- hard part. HiLo's event loop lets all other events esting analog quantities out there. The transistors are easier. Any parts get processed first, and then only for nil Stay in touch; you can reach me via e- jobber should have ECG, NTE, and SK events does it attempt to read serial I/O. mail at [email protected]. reference hooks in which you can look up (A nil event is just the OS's way of keep- transistor substitutes. Those you ask ing the system active when there is a lack about are silicon audio power output of other stimuli. After so much time con- transistors, equivalent to ECG197 and sisting only of nil events, the system ECG196 respective powers itself down.) Whenever a nil event occurs, HiLo calls the routine SerlOReceive, shown in Listing 1. SerIOReceive simply returns if Writing to Q&A the port hasn't been opened, if no char- 1s always, we welcome your ques- acters have been received, or if an error tions; please write to Q &A, Electronics has occurred. Otherwise, it reads a single We're on the web FREE Now Magazine, 500 Bi- County, Blvd., character, updates the internal statistics Farmingdale, NY 11735. The most inter- (count, min, max, avg), and displays the esting ones are answered in print. Due to results. http://www.poptronix.com the volume of mail we receive, we regret 18 The routine that actually reads bytes that we cannot give personal replies. 111

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www.americanradiohistory.com TECH MUSINGS

BY DON LANCASTER

Investigating Brown's Gas, A

Tiny TV Generator, and More

THIS MONTH, WE AGAIN HAVE A FASCINATING MIXTURE OF Back to our horizontal scan line: The line is separated into a live scan time of PSEUDOSCIENCE AND REAL SCIENCE TOPICS. INTEREST- around 55 microseconds and a blanking time, called the horizontal -blanking INGLY, HOWEVER, THIS TIME "THEY" ALMOST (BUT NOT QUITE) interval, of slightly over 8 microseconds. Blanking gives a classic CRT "picture - GOT THE PSEUDOSCIENCE RIGHT. BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, LET'S tube" electron beam enough time to reset from the right side of the screen see if we can kick things off with a little a precise 3.579545 MHz, though it is back to the left. dose of reality. usually quoted as 3.58 MHz. When that Baseband video is normally set so signal's phase is zero, it corresponds to a that one volt is white, a tad over a quar- The PIC Calibar color very slightly on the purple side of ter volt is black, and zero volts are the Tim Jenison of NewTek just sent me blue. As you shift the phase of the signal, "blacker than black" sync tips. The hor- one of his new Calibar television test the color produced varies as shown in the izontal- blanking interval includes a five - generators. That $349 pen -sized instru- "color wheel" or "vectorscope display" of microsecond wide horizontal -sync pulse ment, shown in Fig. 1, can replace an Fig. 2. Thus, the phase of the 3.58 -MHz and an eight -cycle long chroma refer- entire studio full of professional NTSC signal sets the color, while its amplitude ence burst on its "back porch ". Those TV test gear. The device generates the sets the saturation. Actually, a color -dif- are used to synchronize or lock the 24 precision test patterns shown, and it ference amplitude scheme is used so that transmitter to the receiver. can also double as a station master sync very little subcarrier is needed with The vertical -blanking interval is more generator. It can be used in the field, whites or pastels. Chroma shift adjust - complex. Vertical blanking is needed to drawing power from a two -hour internal ments are also made to favor facial and give the electron beam time to get back battery, or on the bench, using a standard skin tones. to the top of the screen. Various "hid- wall -transformer AC supply. The chroma reference is divided by den" services are also provided in that The ergonomics here provide new 227.5 to produce a horizontal -scan fre- interval, including closed captioning, test meaning to my search for elegant sim- quency of 15,735 Hz, providing 63.55 signals, and timing standards. The verti- plicity. The user interface consists of a microseconds for each horizontal scan cal blanking also provides a vertical sync pushbutton! You briefly hit the button line. They are further divided by 262.5 pulse as the third locking signal. Some twice to turn it on. If you don't like the to produce a vertical field frequency of fancy equalizing "teeth" are also placed current pattern, keep hitting the button 59.94 Hz. Two fields are combined into in the vertical -sync pulse to preserve until the one you want comes around. a single, interlaced scan, giving you a horizontal-sync extraction and to take Hold the button down to turn power frame rate of a tad under thirty frames care of the half line offset between even off. A single red LED lights if the per second. and odd fields. Calibar is active. Internal 10 -bit digital accuracy is used Inner Details for highest waveform precision. Base - NEED HELP? Figure 3 shows a rough block dia- band video is output from a male BNC Phone or write all your US Tech gram of the Calibar. The PIC 16C57 connector. Phono plug, phono jack, and Musings questions to: microprocessor used is not quite fast female BNC adaptors are also included. Don Lancaster enough to directly generate the highest There's also a "magic" set of blue glasses Synergetics speed video timing, but it does all of the you wear for chroma balance. Box 809 -EN slower tasks such as a partial pattern tim- Thatcher AZ, 85552 Before we get too much further, let's ing, horizontal scan -line generation, pat- Tel: 520 -428 -4073 review some NTSC TV basics. The cru- tern picking, pushbutton housekeeping, cial frequency is called a chroma refer- US e -mail: don @tinaja.com sync, and the frame -rate timing. The Web page: http: / /www.tinaja.com ence or color subcarrier, and it is always usual 4x chroma frequency of 14.318 22

www.americanradiohistory.com new from MHz is used as a master system clock. up to 32 possible line patterns. Many of DON LFÎNCASTER The heart of the circuit is a high- those will be needed for the exotic syn- speed, low- power, 10 -bit Harris D/A chronization; some others can be reused ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK converter, followed by a fast video op- in several modes. The sixteenth (!) printing of Don's bible on analog op -amp lowpass, bandpass, and highpass active amp driver with a carefully controlled The nice thing about this scheme is filters. De- mystified instant designs. $28.50 bandwidth. The D/A is driven from a its content independence. You don't I I large EPROM pattern generator. Low have to try and logically define all of the RESEARCH INFOPACKS all you do is stash their values Don's instant cash -and -carry flat rate consulting address bits of that pattern generator are patterns; service. Ask any reasonable technical question continuously and sequentially accessed in a lookup table. Not all that many live for a detailed analysis and complete report. See www.tinaja.com /infonl for specifics. $75.00 when you scan across each horizontal patterns should be required, because any I I line. Upper address bits pick the pattern selected screen -display mode does not CMOS AND TTL COOKBOOKS for the particular lines being output. change much in the vertical direction. Millions of copies in print worldwide. THE two And certain screen modes are simply books for digital integrated circuit fundamentals. A resettable 4 -bit CMOS binary About as hands -on as you can get. $28.50 each. counter does the fastest of the pattern combinations of earlier ones. All pat- addressing. The PIC does everything terns are exact, and as precise as 10 -bit INCREDIBLE SECRET else! Their PIC apparently executes one samples allow. MONEY MACHINE II instruction cycle every chroma cycle of I was sort of joking to Tim that he Updated 2nd edition of Don's classic on setting up your own technical or craft venture. $18.50 3.58 MHz. My best guess as to how the should also offer the classic "indian head" "half cycle" at the end of each horizon- pattern. Done as lookup, that would LANCASTER CLASSICS LIBRARY tal line is handled is by using horizontal - require a somewhat oversize EPROM; Don's best early stuff at a bargain price. Includes around eight megs the CMOS Cookbook, The TTL Cookbook, Active line -pattern pairs. Again guessing, I sus- with some folding, Filter Cookbook, PostScript video, Case Against pect that the need for any half or odd might do it. Patents, Incredible Secret Money Machine II, and Hardware Hacker II reprints. $119.50 horizontal lines is eliminated by gener- Note that the Calibar is NTSC only. ating a full two frames of four fields. It is not intended for VGA or other LOTS OF OTHER GOODIES Special line -pair sync patterns would be computer-monitor uses, due to differ- Tech Musings V or VI $24.50 how colors are Ask the Guru I or II or Ill $24.50 needed for each case of even or odd field ences in scan rates and Hardware Hacker II, III or IV $24.50 and even or odd frame. generated and distributed. However, I'd Micro Cookbook I $19.50 PostScript Beginner Stuff $29.50 Clearly, there is some innovative pro- guess that similar computer monitor PostScript Show and Tell $29.50 PostScript Video & secrets $29.50 gramming going on here. There's 910 testers are in the works. PostScript Reference II $34.50 PostScript Tutorial /Cookbook $22.50 samples of 4x chroma per line, so 10 As an aside, NewTek is not in Kansas PostScript by Example $32.50 Understanding PS Programming $29.50 address bits (210 = 1024) should handle anymore (took the dog, but left Aunt PostScript: A Visual Approach $22.50 PostScript Program Design $24.50 the sequential addressing for one hori- Em). Note their new Texas address in Thinking in PostScript $22.50 zontal line, or 11 address bits for hori- the Names and Numbers box elsewhere LaserWriter Reference $19.50 Type 1 Font Format $16.50 zontal -line pairs. in this article. Their Website remains Acrobat Reference $24.50 Whole works (all PostScript) $380.00 With a 64K word EEPROM, that www.newtek.com. Technical Insider Secrets FREE leaves you with five address lines to access I will try to work up some PIC video BOOK -ON- DEMAND PUB KIT Ongoing details on Book -on- demand publishing. BNC video pen status program battery a new method of producing books only when and output clip led button access as ordered. Reprints, sources, samples. $39.50

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www.americanradiohistory.com demos in a future column. Meanwhile, but does not normally provide stamina pseudoscience topic. I found a fascinating much more on PIC apps appears on the or energy benefits for fitness jocks. mixture of legit science, highly unexpect- PIC Library Shelf and the pair of PIC More on this can be found on my site in ed though apparently valid "gee whiz" Web Link pages on www.tinaja.com; also DONTSICK.PDF. Free Medline links results, along with outrageously unsup- look there for ELESIMP.PDF, which are at www.tinaja.com/beewb01.html. A ported claims. The bottom line is that I contains more on elegant simplicity. custom meta -study service is at www. spotted nothing here to get personally

Good sources for video in general are the tinaja.com/info0 . html. excited about, although a PostScript and older Television Engineering Handbook PIC-controlled flutterwumping precision from McGraw -Hill, and the newer Video It's a Gas torch just might make for a rather inter- Demystified from Harris Semiconductor. I decided to apply a meta study to esting project. More TV and video information appears Brown's Gas, one currently popular web First off, note that any decent torch as this month's resource sidebar. chroma phase Meta Studies angle in How, can you honestly evaluate a degrees controversial technical concept? One older scientific tool that's seeing new life is called the meta study, in which you simply "study the studies." You objec- tively and without bias gather together everything you can find on the subject. Both pro and con. Only after everything is gathered do you try to judge both sides for relevance, scientific rigor, time- liness, hidden agendas, vested interests, and overall credibility. From there, you go on to decide whether you want to spend the time and effort to further involve yourself. The argument "But you haven't done the experiment" cuts no ice here. The chances are "the experiment" (or its interpretation) will be dead wrong anyhow. A meta study usually will clearly tell you whether there is any point in getting further involved. It all comes down to a simple matter of probabilities. A meta FIG. 2 -THE NTSC CHROMA SUBCARRIER PHASE determines the hue, while its rela- study is similar to a civil jury trial, where tive amplitude sets the color saturation. "preponderance of evidence" is carefully sought, along with the suitable "motive, means, and opportunity." After you have EPROM controlled 10 D/A run a few meta studies, obvious "looks pattern -bit bandwidth converter like a duck -quacks like a duck" patterns generator video driver emerge. The big picture patterns that easily let you separate science from low mid NTSC addresses addresses video pseudoscience, or the scams, "not even out wrong" bad labwork, and "thuzzy fink- ing" from the real opportunities and 4 -bit data binary valid genuine breakthroughs. counter latch The web sure makes doing meta - study searches simple and easy. I've got lots of brand -new search tools at www.tinaja.com/webwb01.html. But my _.1_ PIC16C57 -O 0-Hi. favorite search tool remains good old timing Hotbot. 7 generator Meta studies work in nearly any field. 14.318 As one practice non -electronic example, MHz punch L- Carnitine into Medline and you'll probably reach the same conclusions that I did: This nutritional supple- FIG. 3-A SIMPLIFIED BLOCK DIAGRAM of the Caliber. Table lookup of 43 chroma sam- ment does seem highly useful and effec- ples is provided to 10 -bit accuracy. The PIC controls most table access and does all the 24 tive for certain cardiovascular problems, synchronization and low- frequency timing.

www.americanradiohistory.com SOME TELEVISION BROADCASTING RESOURCES Claims that you can briefly place your hand near a stokegas flame do appear Bacon's TV Directory Multichannel News true. But do not try it! The reason is that 332 S Michigan Ave. 825 7th Ave. despite the extreme temperature, there is Chicago, IL 60604 New York, NY 10019 not enough heat energy present to briefly (312) 922-2400 (212) 887 -8400 do you any significant harm. A claim that stokegas "adjusts" its Broadcast Engineering National Association of Broadcasters temperature to suit the task at hand is 9800 Metcalf Ave. 1771 N Street NW apparently rotten labwork. Infrared Overland Park, KS 66212 Washington, DC 20036 thermometers are based on emissivity, (913) 967 -1737 (202) 429-3931 and there is darn little to emiss. The correct method to make an accurate reading Broadcasting & Cable Response TV is to place an object in the flame and 245 W 17th St. 201 Sandpointe Ave. heat it. Then measure the object's emit- New York, NY 10011 Santa Ana, CA 92707 ted radiation. Even then, interpretation (212) 337 -6942 (714) 513-8400 can get rather tricky. Is a hydrogen flame invisible? Hazmat folks think so- especially during that hot Cable Vision Satellite Orbit summer afternoon tanker rollover in the 825 7th Ave. 8330 Boone Blvd. Phoenix desert when they had to "joust" New York, NY 10019 Vienna, VA 22182 with a rag on a pike pole to find the flame (212) 887 -8400 (703) 827 -0511 front. However, in the lab you can in fact see the flame, albeit it a rather weak one. College Broadcaster SMPTE Journal Reasons for the near invisibility include 71 George St. 595 W Hartsdale Rd. an emission primarily in the ultraviolet, Providence, RI 02912 White Plains, NY 10607 the lack of carbon particles, and the low (401) 863-2225 (914) 761 -1100 total energy involved. Valid hydrogen proponents are tak- Electronic Media Television Broadcast ing steps to make their flames more vis- 740 N Rush St. 460 Park Ave. S 9th Flr. ible. Their efforts are similar to placing Chicago, IL 60611 New York, NY 10016 methyl mercapan odorant in natural (312) 649-5293 (212) 378 -0400 gas, which otherwise has no smell what- soever. Interestingly, it seems that when HDTV Report Television Quarterly they first tried natural gas odorants, 1201 Seven Locks #300 111 W 57th St. they used a chemical that smelled good, Rockville, MD 20854 New York, NY 10019 rather than bad, which made people (800) 777-5006 (212) 586-8424 purposely leave their gas jets open to act as room air fresheners! Does stokegas implode rather than IEEE Communications Journal TV Technology explode? Not really. However, if the con- 445 Hoes Lane 5827 Columbia Pike #310 tainer walls are cool enough, the gener- Piscataway, NJ 08855 Falls Church, VA 22041 ated steam will condense and will pro- 981-0060 (703) 998-7600 (908) vide you with an amazingly reduced final pressure, perhaps down around 1 PSI or person can pull off all sorts of magic bustible substances known to man. For so, giving you an explosion rapidly fol- tricks. At Thatcher Fire Department., we that reason, stokegas gets normally gen- lowed by condensation. have a Broco oxy -iron torch we use as the erated and used only as it is needed. There are two rather distinct, but "master key" to vaporize anything be- Storage is a big time no -no. Specialized overlapping processes here. After demon- tween where we are and where we want torches seem to be a good on- demand strating that effect several times in a row, to go. I've personally used a Broco to cut match here. the container walls and the accumulated through cement blocks and to burn the Stokegas burns with an extremely hot, water usually seem to heat up enough bottom out of a bucket full of water - but remarkably low- energy flame; the that positive pressures result. The claims from the inside. degrees are there but the BTUs are not. that an "implosion" can lead to any "sub - Let's start with the re -mixed gas a For instance, gasoline offers 9000 watt vacuum" pressures or pressures below the chemist would get from the classic elec- hours of energy per liter. Stokegas at nor- vapor pressure of liquid water have no trolysis of water. That will be a stoichio- mal temperature and pressure delivers apparent basis in fact. "T'ain't likely metric mixture of very nearly two parts only 2.4 watt hours per liter. Stokegas McGee." of hydrogen and one part of oxygen by theoretically burns at 5120 degrees F, or Could a reduced -pressure engine be volume. For semantics, let's call this one 3100 degrees C. Hydrogen in air theoret- developed? Possibly. Would it be useful stokegas on the off chance that Brown's ically burns at 3860 degrees F, or 2400 or efficient? Almost certainly not. Why? Gas might really he something else. degrees C. By contrast, acetylene in air Because of inherent and fundamental Stokegas is one of the most highly com- burns at a hotter 4770 F, or 2670 C. thermodynamic -cycle limitations. More 25

www.americanradiohistory.com NAMES AND NUMBERS happens only at low production rates and Adobe Systems McGraw -Hill, Inc. is usually swamped by other cell losses. There is also classic EE student lab PO Box 7900 11 West 19th St. fail Mountain View, CA 94039 New York, NY 10011 blunder #01 -A, where you'll to accu- (800) 833 -6687 (212) 512-2000 rately measure rms power when dealing with any unusual waveforms. More on Amazon.com Books NewTek this in MUSE112.PDE Claims any electrolysis cell "stays Box 80387 8200 IH 10 W, Suite 900 that Seattle. WA 98108 San Antonio, TX 78230 cool" are easily explained by staying in (800) 201-7575 (800) TOASTER the endothermic generation region between 1.23 and 1.47 volts. More details in BioCard International Science /AAAS Peavey's ineptly misnamed Fuel From Water, 7500 Old Oak Blvd. 1333 -I St. NW stocked by Lindsay Publications. Cleveland, OH 44130 Washington, DC 20005 In short, I've found nothing whatso- (440) 243 -1800 (202) 326-6400 ever to convince me that Brown's gas is in any way, shape, or form any different Broco SenSym from stokegas. But the simple mass spec- has never 2824 N Locust Ave. 18404 McCarthy Blvd. trographic proof apparently Web Rialto, CA 92377 Milpitas, CA 95035 been done. Other proponents claim (909) 350 -0580 (408) 954 -1100 to be able to somehow "resonate" a water molecule, aiding its dissociation in some Dallas Semiconductor Synergetics vaguely over -unity manner. The problem is that the frequencies they are using 4401 Beltwood Pkwy. S Box 809 Dallas, TX 75244 Thatcher, AZ 85552 seem ten million times too low. And even I (972) 371-4448 (520) 428-4073 if resonance worked, personally see absolutely no way that any energy gain Harris Semiconductor Weighing Technology could possibly result in the process. a hydrogen -powered car Box 883 301 Gibraltar Dr. Claims that "a few watts Melbourne, FL 32902 Morris Plains, NJ 07950 can be run with of electrici- (407) 724-7000 (201) 292 -5100 ty" are usually demonstrated by running the few watts for a long time, dangerous- Lindsay Publications John Wiley and Sons, Inc. ly accumulating the gas, and then idling car for a PO Box 538 605 Third Ave. the brief instant-otherwise a effect. Bradley, IL 60915 New York, NY 10158 known as using piggy bank (815) 935 -5353 (212) 850 -6088 Unless such extraordinary claims can be solidly backed up by lots of independent tests and extraordinary evidence, those on -board "miracle" hydrogen- electroly- on thermodynamic cycles can be found peratures and pressures. sis generators will remain totally useless in HACK64.PDF. Certain Brown's gas proponents also for cars. Why? Because you'd be ridicu- Certain Brown's gas proponents claim claim over -unity generation and the abil- lously better off sending the electricity they are generating something that's dif- ity to neutralize radioactivity. The directly to wheel motors in the first place. ferent than stokegas. Yet the schematics I strongest evidence for these last three Lots more about Brown's Gas is on looked at seemed to be sending more -or- extraordinary claims so far is a GIF image the Net. Be sure to remember that Net less plain old current through more -or- of a large orange box, which clearly is clearly stands for Not Entirely True. less plain old water. radiating at 590 nanometers. Uh, nice try. There is no Brown's Gas torch or infor- Brown's gas proponents claim to melt As to doing over -unity hydrogen gen- mation supplier that I can honestly rec- tungsten. That is believed to be impossi- eration, it does turn out that up to one ommend. First, because of highly ques- ble with stokegas. However, reversible sixth of electrolysis energy can sometimes tionable claims and endemic bad lab - tungsten side reactions that can involve in fact come from waste heat rather than work. And second, because I strongly feel oxidation, ablation, or a sublimination input electricity. But this modest "gain" the Broco is a vastly better choice for any appear to be credible mainstream expla- nations for the observed effects. Gasoline 9000 Wh/I 13,500 Wh/Kg Proponents also claim significant generation and long -term storage of Lithium 350 Wh/1 150 Wh/Kg monoatomic oxygen and hydrogen, which Flywheel 210 Wh/1 120 Wh/Kg I find highly unlikely, and a chemist finds Lead Acid 40 Wh/1 25 Wh/Kg so hilarious he won't even talk about it. As Hydrogen 3.5 Wh/1 39,000 Wh/Kg far as anyone knows, monoatomic hydrogen and oxygen very rapidly recombine into their diatomic forms, or quickly enter FIG. 4- COMPARE THE ENERGY DENSITIES shown here and draw your own conclu- a means. 26 into other reactions at most realistic tern- sions as to the worth of each as fuel or a

www.americanradiohistory.com hazmat, rescue, underwater, or mainte- From SenSym comes an update on about "formalizing" high -end publishing nance.More on hydrogen can be found their fine Solid State Pressure Sensors and networking options, rather than in MUSE115.PDF. Handbook. Dallas Semiconductor has about adding new low level features, their latest Short Form Catalog on clock, although there is a unique curve tracing An Energy- Density Summary temperature, digital pot, and other feature (spline interpolation of sampled It never ceases to amaze me how fig- unique chips. data), that I will be looking at closely. ures that people do not want you to see Our two featured trade journals this Sadly, the transparency options you'll sometimes are extremely hard to pin month are Biocard International on hand need for video apps still seem to be either down. One example is a simple and direct print and related security, and Weighing lacking or well hidden. comparison of energy density. Another is Technology on scales. Brand new opportunities in PIC the fact that the currently highly touted The Secrets of Building a Plastic Injection PostScript robotics can be found in electric car has a theoretical maximum Molding Machine forms the latest title POSTFLUT.PDF My ongoing Blatant energy-storage equivalent of less than six from Lindsay Publications. It shows you Opportunist columns are now in a -tine pints of gasoline (less than your lawn how to recycle ordinary plastics into cus- format at www/tinaja.com/blatO 1.html mower). tom items. Vince and Dave Gingery are The latest two include BANNYEAR. As a review, a fuel is something (such the authors. It lists for $15.95. Lindsay's PDF on profiting from Internet advertis- as gasoline) that is capable of delivering Website is www. keynet.net/- lindsay. ing banners; and TRIMODE.PDF about net BTU's worth of "on the books" ener- One Internet marketing book I am tri -mode paper, electrons, and plastic gy. The fact that the sun and some rather impressed with is Increasing Hits publishing options. For details on start- swamp labored eons to pre -concentrate and Selling More from your Web Site. It is ing up your own tech venture, take a gan- the energy does not seem to count. What authored by Greg Helmstetter and pub- der at my Incredible Secret Money Machine does count by today's economics is just lished by Wiley. Amazon Books sells it at II as per my nearby Synergetics ad or at how much energy you get back for the $19.96. While largely non -technical, it www.tinaja.com/ismmOl .html. energy and "energy equivalents" you put seems to nicely complement some of the As usual, most of the mentioned items in, using today's dollars. ideas and concepts you'll find in the should appear in the Names & Numbers By contrast, any energy transport Webmaster Library Shelf files of my or the Television Resources sidebars. means (such as hydrogen or lead acid) www.tinaja.com. Always check there before you phone does not deliver any net "on the books" Free and detailed specs on new our U.S. technical help line shown in the BTUs or watt hours. Those are simply PostScript Level III are now available Need Help? box you'll find nearby. Let's ways of moving already existing energy from www.adobe.com. Level III is more hear from you. am to a more convenient time or place, but always at an efficiency and energy loss. At any rate, two very important measures of "how good" either a fuel or an energy transport means are: How heavy is it? How much room does it take up? A ne Touch Auto Set -Up useful measure of "how heavy" is in watt hours per kilogram (Wh/Kg). The "how much room" can be measured in watt hours per liter (Wh/l). Figure 4 gives and you the direct comparisons for conven- OMHi tional and alternate energy densities. Form your own conclusions. OOMHi Analog

New Tech Ut What just might be the long- sought scilloscopes inside secret to photosynthesis may have appeared in the September 26, 1997 issue 2% Accuracy of Science. Check out "A Metalloradical Mechanism for the Generation of Oxygen Save & Recall from Water in Photosynthesis" by Up To 32 Hoganson and Babcock, on pages 1953- Panel Settings 1956. Their key process may involve a manganese compound that goes through Model SS -7821, 200 MHz Bandwidth - $2,995. five reaction states. The first state accepts Model SS -7811, 100 MHz Bandwidth - $1,795. water and solar energy and kicks off both Featuring... 3 -CH, 8 Traces 2m V /div Sensitivity Full TV Trigger with Field and Line Select Digit Frequency Counter Cursor Measurements with CRT Readouts Fine Adjustment Modes an electron and a hydrogen ion. The sec- 5 Auto Probe Readout, CH -2 Output Z -Axis Input Bright, Sharp, 6" Meshless CRT Built -in Diagnostics. ond, third, and fourth stage also kick off Also available: 400 MHz & 470 MHz models. Send for Complete Catalog an electron and a hydrogen ion. The fifth state burps out a new diatomic oxygen IWAT TEST & MEASU REMENT EQUIPMENT DIVISION molecule as a "waste product," and reverts 430 Commerce Blvd., Carlstadt, NJ 07072 Tel: (201) 935 -8486 Fax: (201) 935 -8533 itself back to state one. WebSite: htte: / /www.iwatsu.com e -mail: iwatsu @access.diaex.net 27 CIRCLE 134 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD

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www.americanradiohistory.com Build A MULTiCIIANNEL OsciLLoscopE TRiqqER Trigger an oscilloscope sweep on a combination of input signals! TRIGGER OFFIOR SCOPE OUT QUALIFIERS Trigger & COUNTER THOMAS PETERICK

an enable control that must be at a low logic level (or grounded) for ICI to operate. úo Flew° Technical Products. Inc. When the inputs match the

OFF = LOGIC 1 U. DON'T CARE switch settings, a negative-going ON ' LOGIC O pulse appears on pin 19 of IC1 and COUNT SITS 01 is to IO2, GAL16V8 0 0 TRIGGER EVERY MATCH passed on a I 0 TRIGGER EVERY 20J MATCH 0 I TRIGGER EVERY are MATCH Programmable Logic Array (PLA). I 0 TRIGGER EVERY :In MATCH The programming for IC2 is set so that it acts as both a 2 -bit corn - parator and a counter. Inside IC2, the inputs from pins 3 and 4 of J1 are compared to S1 -c and S1 -d. If the inputs match the switches and there is a negative pulse from IC1, the logic inside IC2 decodes a data match and outputs that condition on pin 17. In other words, S1 -c and S1 -d act like a ninth and tenth comparator bit, extending the range of IC1. The count process is also controlled by IC2. If both S1 -a and S1 -b are on, every match is passed out of IC2 on pin 19. If S1 -b is turned off If you have ever experimented is a ten -bit comparator with a built - and S1 -a is turned on, every other with your PC's hardware, you in counter feature. It generates an match is passed out of pin 19 of have probably figured out output pulse when the inputs match IC2. The full set of combinations for that a two- channel oscilloscope the value set into the selector S1 -a and S1 -b is shown in Table 1. isn't exactly the best tool for de- switches or on some multiple of The counter feature gives the bugging or troubleshooting com- matches. The counter feature allows Multichannel Oscilloscope Trigger puters. Generally, when digging the scope trigger to provide an out- greater flexibility for whatever type around in any computer -based cir- put pulse on every second, third or of triggering is needed. cuit, you want to look at the result- fourth count. The output pulse can Resistor packs R1, R2, and diode ing output of several input signals. A be fed into the trigger of a standard D1 provide some isolation from the two- channel scope doesn't pro- oscilloscope causing the scope to circuit under test as well as protec- vide that capability. With the trigger only when the digital signals tion for the scope trigger, in case the Multichannel Oscilloscope Trigger present at the monitored inputs Multichannel Oscilloscope Trigger is presented here, you can examine match the switch settings on the not hooked up properly to a circuit. one or two signals with a triggering trigger unit. Resistor pack R3 acts as a set of pull - circuit based upon as many as ten up resistors for S1 as well as for the other inputs. Such a capability can Circuit Description. The schematic inputs on J1. That is done in order to be very handy when you want to for the scope trigger is shown in Fig. have a valid signal on the inputs in be sure that data is written to the 1. It consists of two integrated cir- case not all of the inputs are need- correct I/O address or the correct cuits, three resistor packs, and some ed. Capacitors Cl and C2 are for bit is set when a memory operation support circuitry. The monitoring power decoupling. takes place. portion of the circuit is built around The final output to the oscillo- The Multichannel Oscilloscope IC1, a 74AC520 eight -bit compara- scope trigger is selected by S3. If the Trigger can assist in providing faithful tor. It compares the inputs that are output from IC1 is to be used direct- and reliable information when prob- connected to pins 5 -12 of J1 to the ly by the oscilloscope, the final trig- ing digital circuits. The scope trigger switch settings on S2. Pin 13 of J1 is ger can have up to eight trigger 33

www.americanradiohistory.com F13 767-161-R472 S1 16 1-a - S1- +V +V -AM 2 15 4 A o o 3 14 3 o..nr0 6 Cl 4 1M Mh 13 2 o o .1 5 12 AM. 1M 1 o C2 PC 6 11 .1 'M AAS 7 -M, w1 10 A D1 9 MBR05301T1

S3 J1 R1 o 14 767-16341331

13 1 ,, 16 +V 0 ' f 12 2 15 2 20

11 3 14 4 o AoM 10 4 w 13 6 9 5 12 8 17 8 6 III 11 11 19 2 19 7 7 10 13 5

6 8 9 15 6 20 +V IC1 IC2 5 1 16 17 7 w1 74AC520 GAL16V8 4 2 15 8 10 3 14 9 8 3 3 11011 11 2 11010411 13 10 7 5 4

11 6 7 10 R2 1 767-163-R331 12 5 9

13 4 12

14 3 14

15 2 16

16 1 18

S2 S2-a - S2-h

Fig. I . The Multichannel Oscilloscope Trigger is a simple device that lets you use your oscilloscope to examine complex circuits. You can trigger your oscilloscope on a combination of either eight or ten logic inputs. You can also set the output to trigger on every trigger occurrence up to every fourth trigger occurrence.

inputs at a speed up to 100 MHz. By ---D1 using the output from IC2, the trigger J1 output can be more sophisticated S2 in operation. However, the speed of IC1 the trigger will drop to about 50 MHz.

Building the Multichannel Oscillo- C2 J2 scope Trigger. The Multichannel Oscilloscope Trigger uses several S1 surface -mount (SMT) components. IC2 R2 solder- Anyone with knowledge of Cl ing should be able to build the unit AMONIOL without difficulty. If you do not have any experience with surface - mount technology, this project is a 2. The -mount This project good first exposure to the methods Fig. Multichannel Oscilloscope Trigger is based on surface components. is a good introduction if you've never worked with SMT components before. used in working with SMTs. The sidebar on soldering SMT components should be reviewed before starting IC2, must be programmed before it gramming data can be down - construction. is installed in the board. If you wish loaded from the Gernsback FTP 34 The programmable logic array, to program your own part, the pro- site (ftp: / /ffp.gernsback.com). The

www.americanradiohistory.com AN SMT PRIMER o Soldering surface -mount components is o 0 no different from any other soldering task. o The limited contact area that SMT compo- ---o nents have just makes the same job more o critical. Dirt or contamination that could be 1 - 0 7 T -o ignored on through -hole components can- ~-0b.fo o o o not be tolerated on SMT components. Therefore, the first rule of SMT soldering is DJ .... cleanliness. The least bit of contamination o'-ÿS 4 o 0 o on the PC board or component can drasti- 0 cally change the amount of solderable sur- - o face area in a connection. O o 0 T - Use fresh components and PC boards Copyright (C) 1997 ETP, Inc. o to reduce the chances of contamination. The soldering iron should be tinned and 3 13/16 INCHES shiny. If there is any flux crust or dark spots on the iron tip, wipe it off with a damp Here's the foil pattern for the component side of the Multichannel Oscilloscope Trigger. sponge and re -tin the tip. Always use fresh solder. The second rule is that the equipment should match the job. You don't crack wal- nuts with a sledgehammer, nor should you solder SMT components with an oversized soldering iron. To do the job right, the soldering -iron tip should match the physical size of the SMT connections. A suggested tip size should be no bigger than 76 inch. It is also a good idea to purchase solder that is appropriate for soldering SMT components. A solder diameter between 0.015 and 0.031 inch is suitable for most SMT tasks. The third rule is to watch the temperature of the soldering iron. All common electrical solders begin to melt at about 361' F. Applying an iron with a tip temperature over

3 13/16 INCHES I 800° F to the joint could damage the component or the board. If the tip is properly sized to the job, there is no need to heat a The solder side of the Multichannel Oscilloscope Trigger completes all of the connections needed to component lead and PC board contact to the other side of the board. if you're making your own hoard, don't forget to make the connections more than 600" F to solder components. between the two sides of the board or the Multichannel Oscilloscope trigger won't work. Now that we have the right tools for the job, let's examine how to hand -solder an SMT component to the board. For multi - name of the file that contains the enable IC1. A disadvantage to that leaded components. pick a corner lead on is is it will data otrigger.dat. modification that not be the PC board for the component to be sol- If you are using the PC board possible to cascade several Multi- dered. Melt some solder onto that pad. from the kit given in the Parts List or channel Oscilloscope Trigger units Position the component on the board. Heat you have etched your own board together. However, it is not neces- the component and wetted pad with the using the foil patterns included sary to remember to ground the soldering iron. The solder will reflow and here, follow the parts -placement enable line when using a single unit. the component leg will sink into the solder. diagram in Fig. 2 for component The enable input can also be used Inspect the component's alignment with its location. Start by soldering the sur- as an active -low qualifier input for footprint. If the alignment is good, solder the diagonally opposite corner from the first face -mount components to the PC the Trigger -the choice is entirely connection so that the component cannot board. That approach will make it up to you. move, If the alignment is not correct, reheat Si easy to position the soldering iron Install sockets for and S2. That the joint and move the component until the and solder the components to the will lift the switches off the PC board alignment is good. With two diagonal cor- PC board without some of the larg- and project them through the top ners soldered in place, the other pins can er components getting in the way. of the case. The trigger output jack, be soldered. Those connections are done After Cl, C2, Dl, Rl -23, IC1, and IC2 J2, has a large thermal mass, mak- the same way you would solder any other are in place, install the through -hole ing it more difficult to solder to the connection -heat the component and pad components. If you wish, you could PC board with a small iron. When with the soldering iron and apply solder to leg. The corner -tack add a jumper wire between pin 13 soldering J2 onto the board, heat the component method holds the component in good and pin 1 of J1. That will disable the the two large pins more than the mechanical alignment. pin 13 input on J1 and permanently pads on the PC board. The joint will 35

www.americanradiohistory.com PARTS LIST FOR THE MULTICHANNEL HOLE FOR OSCILLOSCOPE TRIGGER S1 /S2

SEMICONDUCTORS IC 1- 74AC520SC 8 -bit comparator, integrated circuit, surface -mount 1C2- GAL16V8 programmable logic array, integrated circuit, surface -mount DI- MBRO530LTI Schottky diode, surface -mount

RESISTORS RI, R2-767 -163 -R330G resistor network, surface -mount R3-767 -161 -R472G resistor network, surface -mount

ADDITIONAL PARTS AND MATERIALS C 1, C2-0.1-AF capacitor, ceramic surface -mount JI -14 -pin right -angle header (Digi- key A5308 or similar) J2-BNC connector, right -angle PC- board -mount (AMP 414373 -1 or similar) SI-4-position DIP switch S2-8- position DIP switch S3 -Single -pole double -throw switch, right-angle PC- board -mount (Digi -key EG1905 or similar) IC sockets, case (Digi -key SRM6 -B or similar), wire, test probe clips, hardware, etc.

Note: The following items are available from Electro Technical Products, Inc., PO Box 16658, West Palm Beach, FL 33416 -6658, E -mail: [email protected]. org: Complete kit of parts including pre- programmed 1C2, case, PC board, and case labels, $64.95; Assembled and tested unit, $84.95; 13 -piece test clip set for use with JI, $29.95. Please add $3.00 for shipping and handling charges. FL residents add appropriate Fig. 3. The Multichannel Oscilloscope Trigger fits nicely into a small hand-held case. Several holes sales tax. will need to he cut at specific locations in order for the controls to he accessible.

eventually get hot enough for the der joint. They should be shiny and S2. Round holes are needed for J2 solder to flow. When installing J1, even, without either too much sol- and S3. Measure the locations of you could cut off pin 2. That pin is der or too little solder. Joints that those components on the PC not used, and can be utilized as an have peaks or points have too board to find the locations that orientation key. Filling the hole on much solder. If there is too little sol- need to be cut on the case. the corresponding plug will reduce der, it will be difficult to tell if the Additional holes will be needed in the risk of installing the input cable connection is soldered. Solder the back of the case for mounting backwards. bridges and excessive solder can the PC board. Screws, nuts, and Once all of the components be cleaned up by using solder wick spacers can be used. As an alter- have been soldered to the board, to draw the excess solder away native, plastic tubes can be glued inspect each solder connection from the components. to the inside of the case and the thoroughly. Use a magnifying glass Drill and cut appropriate holes in PC board held in place with self - or jewelers loupe, if possible. Look a suitable enclosure. Square holes tapping screws. The general 36 for all the indications of a good sol- will have to be cut for J1, Si, and (Continued on page 56)

www.americanradiohistory.com Most readers of this maga- BY YASUDA HIROSHI* zine have likely heard the term "MPEG," and are THE aware that it is the key technology that has made digital direct -to- home satellite TV, DVD video, DTV (digital TV), and other advances In this GREAT possible. article, we will explore what MPEG is, what it does, and some of the history behind it.

Why MPEG? MPEG, which stands COMPRESSION for Moving Picture Coding Experts Group, is a technology for compressing the amount of data contained in moving images such as in film and video. It is also the name of the organization that has worked to MPEG is the key behind many of create international standards for today's high -capacity multimedia technologies. this technology. But why is compression needed Here's an overview of what it is and how it works. at all? Take a look at Fig. 1, which is a comparison of the volume of vision, while European countries use images, there is no need to send the data required for a person to only 25 shots per second. Conse- next photograph as long as the pre- spend an hour enjoying various quently, video tapes recorded in vious image has been stored and media forms. As you can see from Europe cannot be viewed in Japan can be re -shown in the place of the that figure, an hour of music or the U.S. without special equip- next photo. In this way, the number requires 1,000 times as much data ment. No such regional differences of photographs sent (the volume of space as an hour's worth of text, exist in relation to movies.) data) can be reduced. and an hour of video takes up 1 When many photographs are Figure 2 shows two images of a million times as much data as an continually transmitted like this, moving airplane. The entire image hour of text. While high -capacity often there are only minute differ- other than the moving plane does CDs (compact discs), MO (magnet ences between one still image and not change from one image to the optical) discs, or DVD (digital video the next. If there is absolutely no next. Thus, that part of the image discs) can hold more than previ- movement on the screen during the that has not changed need not be ously available technologies, there 'both or ' /24th of a second between retransmitted. Assuming the moving is still a limit on how much data can be placed on a single disc. AFTER (BYTES) MPEG In the broadcasting realm, digi- COMPRESSION tal technology coupled with com- 1T pression would allow a high- defini- 100G tion TV (HDTV) signal to be broad- 100G cast using no more spectrum than a standard, analog signal. It would 10G also allow the transmission of multi- 1G 1G ple channels of standard -definition 270M digital TV in the same spectrum 100M space as a single channel of ana- 30M log Television. 10M

How Compression Works. Tech- 1M nology for the perfect reproduction 380K of moving images has yet to be 100K developed. Television broadcasts and film footage use a series of still 10K photographs to reproduce motion. For television, 30- frames -per-second o LITERATURE TELEPHONE MUSIC TV OR MOVIE are used, while 24-frames -per-sec- (200 PAGES) for (Japan ond are used film. and NOTE: FIGURES ARE FOR ONE HOUR the United States use the same number of shots per second for tele- Fig. I . While moving images (either video or film) require much more storage space than other type *Courtesy LOOK JAPAN, August 1997 of media, MPEG compression can greatly reduce those requirements. 37

www.americanradiohistory.com duce the next image. Furthermore, if the shape of the airplane is PREVIOUS known, the only additional informa- IMAGE tion needed is how far and in what direction (known as the vector of movement) the plane moved during the 'both of a second between the two still images. In this way, the volume of data CURRENT can be cut even more by simply moving the known image of the plane along the known vector of movement. (Of course, since it is not known what image will appear in the area occupied by the plane in the first image, the data for that area must be sent as well.) This method of TIME reducing data volume combined with mathematical processing technology is called "motion-compensated interframe coding." The initial research in that tech - Fig. 2. For an object in motion, such as an airplane, and assuming that all other elements in the nology was initiated to find a way of image are identical, the only additional information needed to produce the next frame is the object's motion vector and data for the area occupied by the object in the first frame. making video telephone technolo gy less expensive. MPEG took the motion- compensated- interframe- coding principle and corrected its faults, made it applicable to a wide range of fields, and standardized 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 r. r,, r_ r, r_ N, r, r, the technology so it could be used ,Th r. r, .

I I , , ' \T " i worldwide.

P i I I 1, II 1, I IÌ ¡ I I , I

¡ Establishing ; ¡ The Compression l L i L I L I L I I I I t l L j I L Standard. The history of MPEG stan- = ORIGINAL IMAGE dardization began in 1987 with the P. PREDICTED IMAGE JPEG (Joint Photographic coding Experts Group). The difference between JPEG and MPEG is that Fig. 3. In motion-compensated interframe coding, all images after the original (I) frame are predicted by combining the initial image and any motion information. JPEG encodes and compresses still images rather than moving images. By the fall of 1987, specifications for the JPEG international standards had already been settled and all that was left to do was to put them 1\ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 in writing and put them to a final I -11 international vote. Once those tasks B B P B B P;B;;B P were achieved, the organization formed to create the international t . L. L standards would have _J completed their function. To dissolve the organization after going to all the trouble = ORIGINAL IMAGE to create it, however, seemed a pity. P= PREDICTED IMAGE In fact, there were calls for setting up B. BI- DIRECTIONAL FRAME a new task for the organization to take on. Then, at a meeting in the United States of JPEG members in Fig. 4. In MPEG encoding, the frame stream is broken up into GOPs (group of pictures) and motion November 1987, a discussion devel- compensation from past and future images is used. For example, in this GOP the fifth frame is created using information from the fourth and seventh frames. oped over the desire to place movies on CD and the possibility of creating compression- coding stan- plane accounts for 'both of the total only 'both of the total volume of dards for film and television. Based 38 area of the image, for example, data need be transmitted to repro- (Continued on page 56)

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www.americanradiohistory.com BUILD THIS POCSAG SIGNAL GENERATOR

Generate pager signals with this simple interface and computer program.

ROBERT B. WHITAKER, KI5PG

Nof too many years ago, SAG is based on digital signals. De- data being sent. For example, a sig- personal pagers were pending upon the type of pager nal sent on 158,100 MHz will shift mainly used only by used, different digital signals can back and forth between 158.0955 people in the business world. Now be sent. Some tone -only pagers MHz and 158.1045 MHz, pagers have become a popular activate when they receive a spe- One of the easiest ways to cre- means for almost everyone to keep cial tone. With tone -only pagers, ate an FSK signal is to directly con- in touch with one another, These you generally have to call the trol the modulation stage of an FM days, even school children have pager service in order to find out transmitter. A varactor (a voltage - pagers on their belts or in their what the message is. Numeric variable capacitor) is usually used backpacks so that they can keep in pagers can receive numeric infor- to couple the digital data into the touch with their parents and friends. mation such as a telephone num- transmitter. The changing voltage

The strange- sounding digital sig- ber to call to talk directly to the fed to the varactor changes i -s nals that activate pagers and person trying to contact them. capacitance. That will change the encode their messages are not dif- Alphanumeric pagers have the tuning of the transmitter's modula- ficult to generate. We'll show you capability of viewing actual text tion stage, causing the transmitter how to build a simple POCSAG messages; long messages will usu- to shift its output frequency in direct pager-signal generator and encod- ally scroll across a viewing screen. response to the digital data. ing system using a small interface Some people even have the capa- Ham operators who have 9600 - circuit to connect an IBM- compatibility of directing their Internet e- baud packet -capable radios can ble personal computer and an FSK mail to their alphanumeric pager use those radios to generate POC- (frequency-shift keyed) FM -radio so that they can read their e-mail SAG signals, Many other crystal - transmitter or signal generator. directly from it. controlled FM radios can also be The software for the pager en- The most common baud rates used for FSK work when properly coder is readily available over the used by pagers are 512 baud, 1200 modified, Some older radio equip- Internet, and it is free. The interface baud, and 2400 baud. With just a lit- ment that uses phase -locked loop itself can be built for about $10.00 tle experience, a person can distin- circuits might have problems trying on a small piece of perfboard. guish different pager baud rates to generate FSK signals. A list of just by listening to the digital signal known FSK -capable radios is shown What is POCSAG? POCSAG is an over a scanner or radio receiver. in Table 1. abbreviation for Post Office Code Standard Advisory Group. It refers What is FSK? POCSAG signals are The Software. An excellent pro- to the standard protocol used to sent using a method called gram that can be used to gener- send messages to common pocket Frequency-Shift Keying, or FSK for ate POCSAG signals and control a pagers that many people carry short. With that method, the carrier radio transmitter has been written around on their belts or in their purs- wave is shifted by 4.5 KHz up or by two British ham -radio enthusi- es. As opposed to the radio signals down from the center frequency. asts, Clive Cooper (G8UKN) and 42 used for voice transmission, POC- Those shifts represent the actual Pete Baston (GWOPJA). The pro-

www.americanradiohistory.com gram, PE,EXE, can be found at sev- es by simply pressing the various to alphabetic, numeric, signal and eral Internet locations, including control keys. Each press of a certain tone only function 1, or tone only http: / /www.seelect,demon.co,uk/ control key will cycle that individual function 2. The message to be sent pocsag.html and ffp: / /ffp.demon, setting to the next choice. Pages must be enclosed in quotation co.uk /pub /ham /scanners/ can be sent in normal or inverted marks. One important limitation of pe- 204.zip. mode by keyboard control as well. the unregistered version of the soft- At only 68 kilobytes, PE,EXE is a Different transmitters might invert the ware is that the message is limited to fairly small DOS -based program digital signal, so try the inverted sig- a maximum of eight characters and that needs only an 80386 -based nal format if the normal mode does spaces. The registered version of the personal computer or better. Text to not work. software allows longer text strings. If be sent is typed into the program, One particularly useful way to the signal must be inverted as which then assembles the data use the program is by entering all of described above, type an "I" next. into the POCSAG format and sends the information directly through the Typing an "N" will not invert the sig- that information to an RS -232 port DOS command line. That method, nal. Finally, the serial port and baud for controlling the radio transmitter. which can be used in a "batch" rate are specified. The radio is keyed by shifting the command, is set up as follows: A typical command line might voltage state on the serial port RTS look something like: (Request to Send) pin. The POCSAG PE (CAPCODE) (TYPE) ("MES- data is then sent to the transmitter's SAGE") (Nil) (COMPORT#) (BAUD) PE 1281491 N "800 555 1212" 14 modulation stage by shifting the 512 voltage state on the DTR (Data The first entry, of course, is the pro- Terminal Ready) pin. gram itself. The pagers seven -digit In that example, the numeric - When first started, the program capcode is entered next. The "type" only message "800 555 1212" will be asks for the "capcode" of the choices are A, N, 1, or 2, which refers sent to pager number 1281491. The pager. A capcode is a unique inverted signal will be sent to serial seven -digit identification number TALE 1- RADIOS THAT ARE port 4 at a rate of 512 baud. that is assigned to each pager. KNOWN TO BE FSK CAPABLE After the capcode is entered, the The Interface. Any number of dif- program asks for the data that will Alinco DR -1200 Data Radio ferent interface designs between GE Mastr Executive H, VHF and UHF be sent. Once the data is typed in, the computer serial port and radio GE Custom MVP, VHF and UHF the program will ask if transmitter used. A sug- the data !corn IC series: 25, 38, 228, 271, 290, 471 could be should be sent in the alphanumeric Kenwood TM series: 211, 212, 221, 231, gested circuit is shown in Fig. 1. That or numeric format. If the data is all 431, TS series 700 and 770 circuit uses a small relay powered numbers, the program will default Motorola Mitrek directly by the voltage from the ser- to numeric format. MFJ Model 8621 VHF Data Radio ial port's RTS line. The relay provides The baud rate and serial port can Standard C58, C140 a reliable switch to turn on and off be shifted though the various choic- Yaesu FT series: 212, 221, 230 the radio transmitter. The voltage 43

www.americanradiohistory.com PAGER SOURCES connector, use pin 20 for DTR, pin 4 RS -232 tester such as RadioShack The following businesses have agreed to for RTS, and pin 7 for ground. catalog No. 276-1401. That device supply refurbished numeric and alphanu- has red and green LEDs that light up meric pagers without signing a commer- Using a Signal Generator. A signal to show serial port activity. No LED cial pager contract. For a reasonable generator can also be used with activity at all probably indicates that charge, the pagers can be re- crystaled for the program and interface to gen- the wrong serial port has been a specific frequency. erate POCSAG signals for testing picked. The tester's LED for the RTS pagers. In that case, the only cir- pin should shift color when the radio McManus Communications cuitry needed is a potentiometer is keyed up to send a page. At the 400 North Fifth Street wired between the serial port's DTR same time the RTS line is shifted, the Blytheville, AR 72315 line ground. The LED on the DTR line should flicker to 501 -763 -6250 (voice) and potentiometer is 501 - 763 -6533 (fax) sets the voltage level of the signal show that the POCSAG data being from the serial port. Set the signal sent to the transmitter. If an RS -232 PageCo International, Inc. generator to external modulation tester is not available, the voltage on 2400 E. Commercial Blvd., Suite 630 and attach interface's the ground the RTS and DTR pins can be Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308 -4033 and potentiometer wiper to the checked with a standard multime- 954 -491 -9501 (voice) generator's external -modulation ter. The voltage on the serial port's -491 -8834 (fax) 954 input. RTS and DTR pins should shift e -mail: info @pageco.com between -10 to -12 volts DC and Web: http: / /www.pageco.com In Case of Problems. Although the +10 to +12 volts DC. software and hardware interface If the program and the serial port level of the POCSAG data, which is are relatively simple in operation, appear to be working properly, the delivered through the serial port diagnosing problems could be a lit- hardware interface and transmitter DTR pin, can be adjusted with R2. A tle difficult. The first step in problem should be checked. Make sure that 2,2 -11,f non -polarized capacitor (C1) solving would be to make sure that the transmitter is being keyed when provides DC isolation between the the program is operating properly. pages are being sent. The program transmitter and the serial port while The best diagnostic tool for that is an will indicate "Transmitting" on the passing the modulation voltage. A status line at the bottom of the bipolar LED (LED1) is included for a screen, and the RTS pin on the serial visual indicator of the outgoing line will shift from +12 volts to -12 modulation data. An additional LED volts. (LED2) shows when the radio is Most transmitters are turned on keyed on. That LED also prevents and off by a control line that is the RTS voltage from closing the switched on and off to ground. The relay when the program is idle. output of the hardware interface Diode Dl is included to sink any should change the resistance from possible voltage spikes caused by a high resistance state to near the collapsing magnetic field when ground potential state that should the relay is switched off. activate the transmitter's push -to- 1 /2- INCHES The circuit can easily be built on a If--1 talk (PTT) switch. In case the keying - is small piece of perfboard. For a of the radio reversed, change the If neater appearance, an etched sin- The POCSAG interface is simple enough to he polarity of the LED2. the relay does gle -sided PC board can also be laid out on a single -sided PC hoard. not work at all, try reversing the used. A foil pattern has been included here for those who wish to use for that method building the inter- DTR face. A source where you can TO MODULATION PC is in obtain etched boards given STAGE the Parts List. If an etched board is used, the TO RADIO in 2 parts -placement diagram Fig. GROUND should be followed. Note the polari- GND ties of the diodes when assembling TO RADIO PTT SWITCH the board. The three connections to the computer serial port should be wired to the proper terminals of a suitable connector. The particular

pins to be used depend upon the RTS type of connector that will be used. If a 9 -pin connector will be used, connect DTR to pin 4, RTS to pin 7, Fig. I. The interface circuit for the POCSAG encoder is very simple. Light -emitting diodes give a 44 and the ground to pin 5. For a 25 -pin visual indication of activity during transmission.

www.americanradiohistory.com TO PARTS LIST FOR THE SERIAL PORT r -i POCSAG ENCODER fRND fDTA LEDI-Light -emitting diode, bi -polar You can Build Gadgets; \\LED2 tIl -RI _ LEDI LED2- Light -emitting diode, green Here are 3 reasons why! R2 D1- 1N4001, silicon diode R1- 2200 -ohm'' / -watt, 5% resistor GETTING D2 BP345- ---H -- R2- 10,000-ohm potentiometer STARTED IN CI- 2.2 -RF, 50 WVDC, electrolytic PRACTICAL avl Cl capacitor, non -polarized ELECTRONICS$5.95 RY1 -12 -volt DC relay, single -pole, sin- If you are looking into launching an exciting gle -throw (RadioShack 275 -233 or hobby activity, this text similar) provides minimum es- IPTT 1GND.IMODIPTT Wire. PC board, 9- or 25 -pin connector, sentials for the builder hardware, etc. and 30 easy-to -build fun TO RADIO projects every experi- The POCSAG encoding program can be menter should toy with. Printed -circuit board Fig. 2. Use this parts -placement diagram if you designs are included to give your project a pro - found at http:/ /www.seelect.demon.co. build the interface circuit on an etched PC fessional appearance. uk/pocsag.html and ftp: /ftp.demon.co. board. / uk /pub /ham /scanners /pe- 204.zip. polarity of Dl. United States purchasers can obtain LI BP349- registered copies of PE, the POCSAG PRACTICAL OPTO- If the radio keys up properly, ELECTRONIC encoding program, from Robert B. monitor the transmitted signal with PROJECTS $5.95 Whitaker, Trustee, P.O. Box 1266, a scanner or another radio. POC- If you shun opto -elec- Victoria, TX 77902 -1266. The regis- tronic projects for lack of SAG signals are very distinctive. The tered, full- function software costs knowledge, this is the easiest way to check your transmit- $39.95, postage paid. Unregistered book for you. A bit of inter volume level (deviation) without software, for those without Internet troductory theory comes first and then a number expensive test equipment is simply access, can also be purchased for of practical projects by listening to a commercial pager $12.50, postage paid. which utilize a range of opto devices, from a fil- transmission and setting your signal ament bulb to modem infrared sensors and emit- level to about the same level. lif a A high -quality printed circuit board with ters -all are easy to build. silkscreen artwork for parts placement commercial signal is not available is available from FAR Circuits, for comparison, just set your output BiP363- 18N640 Field Ct., Dundee, IL, 60118- level to a sound level comparable PRACTICAL 9269 for $3.75. A fully assembled and ELECTRONIC with normal voice transmissions. tested interface kit is available for MUSIC PROJECTS Signals that are cut short or sound $29.95, plus $5.05 for shipping and $5.95 especially distorted or garbled are handling, from Robert B. Whitaker, The text contains a good- ly number of practical probably at too high a level. P.O. Box 1266, Victoria, TX, 77902- music projects most often Reduce the level of voltage output 1266. requested by musicians. though R2. Also, some transmitters All the projects are rela- might work better if you remove transmission tively low -in -cost to build and reception system and all use standard, readily- available compo- capacitor Cl. to be demonstrated. nents that you can buy. The project categories If you still have problems, your Commercial paging companies are guitar, general music and MIDI. radio might not be FSK capable or and technicians will enjoy using the you might not be injecting the signal POCSAG encoder program to test to the proper modulation stage on and diagnose pagers without the Mail to: your radio. Remember, you are send- need to use expensive page -gen- Electronic Technology Today, Inc. ing data by direct frequency shifting. erating equipment. Amateur oper- P.O. Box 240 Massapequa Park, NY 11762 -0240 Using the regular transmitter micro- ators could use the program to set phone input for this application sim- up their own personal- or club -pag- Shipping Charges in USA & Canada ply will not work. ing system on the ham bands. Using $0.01 to $5.00 $2.00 $30.01 to $40.00 $6.00 $5.01 to $10.00 $3.00 $40.01 to $50.00 $7.00 the paging capabilities from the $10.01 to $20.00 $4.00 $50.01 and above $8.50 What You Can Do With a POCSAG DOS command prompt, pages $20.01 to $30.00 $5.00 Encoder. This project lends itself to could even be sent remotely using Sorry, no orders accepted outside of USA and Canada. All payments must be in U.S. funds only. quite a number of useful applica- remote -computer-control pro- Number of books ordered. tions. First, it is quite educational. You grams such as pcAnywhere from Total price of books $ can learn about POCSAG signals Symantec Corporation. Shipping (see chart) $ and how pagers function. The pro- POCSAG encoding is really fairly Subtotal $ ject can be used to demonstrate simple. The software and hardware Sales Tax (NYS only) 5 Total enclosed $ POCSAG operation to others. Using interface described here can be Name a second PC with a POCSAG used to generate POCSAG digital Address decoder, such as the unit described signals for a wide variety of diag- City State ZIP in the May 1997 issue of Electronics nostic, demonstration, and actual Please allow 6 -8 weeks for delivery Now, allows a complete POCSAG applications. S2 45

www.americanradiohistory.com This month, we begin worthwhile as It can be most a series of articles rewarding personally to about repairing and RESTORING breathe life back into these restoring audio tape re- wonderful old "talk back" corders. Specifically, it focus- machines. Plus, when you're es on vintage open -reel done, you will have both a machines of the 1940s A "REEL" useful tool and a valued through the early 1970s -a keepsake. time that saw explosive We will explain the differ- growth in the field in terms ences between repairs and RECORDER restorations, let you know of both features and performance. Just as with the what test equipment you'll 'muscle cars" of the 1950s need, and then get into the and '60s, the "big- iron" tape restoration process itself. As recorders -such as the you can see, we've a lot to ones shown in the begin- do, so let's get started. ning of this article and in

Fig. 1 -still draw head -turn- Repair vs. Restoration. All ing attention, not only from vintage tape recorders -irre- the "Baby- Boomer" crowd, spective of complexity or but from "post- Boomers" as quality when designed and well! In addition, when manufactured -require peri- properly restored and odic maintenance. Rubber tuned, these machines can parts wear, harden, and oth- still provide countless hours erwise decompose; vacuum of enjoyment with all the tubes wear out with use; clarity and response they capacitors deteriorate over provided when new. time; heads and other tape - Note: The material pre- path components become sented here and in subse- contaminated and gradual- quent articles is taken from ly acquire permanent mag- the author's book Evolution netism; grease sloughs off of the Audio Recorder; and becomes mixed with details on that book, includ- dirt; oil dissipates ... sounds ing ordering information, really bleak, doesn't it! Well, can be found in the "For that is all part of the normal More Information" box that is locat- Here's what you need to aging process, some of which ed elsewhere in this article. occurs whether or not the recorder know and do to bring is used. Add to that the conse- The Dilemma. Pity the poor tape - quences of abuse, poor storage recorder repair person of the 1960s your open -reel audio tape conditions, and neglect for long or '70s, having to cope with a recorder back to life. periods of time (certain parts, such seemingly endless array of models as belts and idlers, should be rotat- and maladies, both electronic and ed from time to time), and the result mechanical. For the non- manufac- is likely to be a candidate for com- turer -specific repair shop, it was PHIL VAN PRAAG plete restoration. especially tough, given the lack of One major issue here is that, even key service manuals and repair bul- if you have been lucky enough to letins. Even some of the so- called working again. Not only do you obtain the original manufacturer's "simple" single -motor machines, have to repair the original problem service manual, the manual will not such as the 1950s Webcor (an inter- (the one that most likely sidelined it address the steps that must be nal view of that machine is shown in the first place), but now you're taken to overcome the various in Fig. 2), were a real challenge to faced with an extreme parts scarci- aging effects. A number of those repair. As if that weren't bad ty, deteriorated rubber compo- steps should be taken even before enough, let's "fast forward" to the nents, dried up or seized bearings, powering up a machine for the first present, where added to this situa- frequently faulty capacitors, and, in time after a long period of storage. tion is the age of most of these clas- most cases, a total lack of servicing There's actually a very important sic analog machines: from 20 to information! distinction between "repair" and over 40 years old! Well, never fear, as the purpose "restoration" -and it's one that's That unnerving fact adds a of this article, and the ones that fol- often not fully understood. That lack whole new level of difficulty if your low, is to prepare you for this chal- of understanding can wind up 46 goal is to get that old machine lenging task. And it is a task that is being both frustrating and expen-

www.americanradiohistory.com want to overlook something that will fail soon, or may wear out pre- maturely due to lack of lubrication;

also, I want it to look nice." Well, here's the tough part. A failing component doesn't always hang out a shingle saying: "Hey, replace me now because I'm going to fail soon." Further, if you don't reconcile just how far you want to go with this work, you will probably be disap- pointed with the results. It might cost too much, take too long, or not look as good or work as well as you would like. If you take the machine to someone else with a non -specific, non - detailed repair order, that will doom the poor technician no matter what Fig. 1. The Ampex Model 602 -2 tape deck is a vintage vacuum -tube machine with professional, time- he does. If he scrupulously just less styling -and performance to match. repairs the immediate problem - only those components and adjust- sive. Once you do understand the appropriate manufacturer's peri- ments directly accounting for the difference and decide what path odic mantenance steps are fol- current malady -then there's a you want or are willing to take, you lowed. I- might optionally also good likelihood the machine will can better determine what to look include complete cosmetic reno- come back soon with some other- for before you buy; what questions vation -not simply cleaning, but or even the same -symptom. lf, on to ask; and how to evaluate what restoring original finishes and the other hand, he or she just as you already own. Now you can get repairing cabinet cracks or separa- scrupulously- repairs, replaces, or mentally prepared for the service tions. While that might seem to be adjusts all weaknesses associated in or restoration process before you all -inclusive, there are still decisions any way with the problem .. . well, dig into the machine. to be made, such as whether to that can be a much more expen- Repairs, by definition, tightly replace all capacitors, or even just sive proposition. focus on specifically targeted trou- all electrolytic capacitors. The relevance of all this is that ble spots. Typically, those service whether or not you decide to have operations should be clearly identi- Which Way to Go? Now, you may others help you get your machine fied at the outset-and if you are be thinking: "I don't want a com- fixed, you first need to reconcile using the services of a repair shop, plete restoration, but I also don't exactly what it is you want accom- thoroughly agreed upon by both yourself and the technician. Note that there may be additional faulty components or alignments needed beyond the identified symp- toms; you and the technician need to discuss what to do if such problems are encountered. That will ensure that both parties understand how much work will be done. To do otherwise could easily result in repairs costing more than two times the amount needed to just fix the immediate problem. Once again, repair means: "fix the following problem(s); eliminate the following symptom(s); and do nothing else, unless specifically agreed upon beforehand by both parties." Restoration, on the other hand, means do everything necessary to bring this machine back to orig nal specs, additionally ensuring that all Fig. 2. The internal mechanics of a typical 1950's single -motor recorder transport. 47

www.americanradiohistory.com plished. What is it that you really ready, willing, and able, read on to TABLE 1 -AUDIO OSCILLATOR want this machine to be; what role RECOMMENDATIONS find out how you can do most or all do you want it to play in your life? Is of the work yourself. In this way you Frequency range: 20 Hz- 20.000 Hz it to be simply a display item? Is it to could save 80% or more of the total Accuracy: within ± 5% provide a means for occasional, cost that usually constitutes the Frequency response: ± 1 dB (although recreational recording, where it's greater amplitude change with fre- labor portion. "no big deal" if things don't work out quency is okay as long as you remem- during a particular session? Or is it to ber to reset level each time you Test Equipment Needs. Let's talk a play a serious role in critical applica- change frequency) bit about test equipment. Now, I'm

tions, where breakdowns or substan- Output level: 1 volt into 600 ohms is not trying to scare those of you dard performance are intolerable? usually sufficient thinking about possibly doing your Once you've thought the above Distortion (THD): Better than 0.5 % is own repairs or restorations at home, adequate: also, you can get by if your through, it is important to communi- but we do need to be realistic unit meet that cate your intentions to your techni- can spec at just a single about just what it takes to do the job frequency, either 400 Hz or 1 kHz cian. Be realistic about what we've right. Further, even if you can't do been saying concerning the deteri- the entire job yourself, there may be oration that comes with time, use, discuss what you will need in terms aspects of it that you can do, and abuse, and storage. Consider the of test gear and other resources. thus reduce the cost for professional complexities of the mechanics and One of those resources is time. help to finish the repair or restoration electronics, and all of the tests and On average, it can easily take a full task. Finally, once you understand alignments that must be performed day or more to completely restore exactly what's needed and where to truly recreate the machine that a relatively simple vintage recorder to get it, you may find it surprisingly you may want (but may not be pre- that is cosmetically still in good inexpensive.

pared to pay for). shape and still at least partially The two most . basic pieces of operational. A complex machine gear you need are an audio oscil- Doing it Yourself. Assuming you that's a basket case can easily lator and voltmeter that is "audio - have the financial resources, and take two or three days. If major re- capable" (more on that in a can find a technician or repair building of mechanical compo- moment). If you have both on shop willing to accept the chal- nents is needed, or major re- wiring hand, great. If not, the purchase of lenge of restoring or repairing your or component replacement is those two items could easily set you machine (note that while some will, required, or extensive cabinet and back about $250. One way to cut most won't), that is a perfectly legit- cosmetic work is specified, this can that cost is to look at a local "flea imate way to handle this task. But add another day or two. Note that market" or amateur-radio swap there is another, potentially more those time estimates are for experi- meet ( "hamfest "). Of course, if you rewarding way to go: doing the enced technicians, with many simi- do that you will face the problem work yourself. However, no matter lar restorations already completed. of ensuring that they both work how skilled you are around a test Of course, that can translate into properly, and at least come close bench, there is plenty of potential huge costs if you have others per- to meeting their original specs. One frustration attached to this task as form this work. compromise would be to purchase well. Before you dive in, we need to On the other hand, if you're older, but guaranteed, instruments from a used -equipment dealer; you can often find ads for those in the back pages of Electronics Now. That way you will pay more than at a flea market, but you will at least be sure that the items work. Two of my own "flea market finds" are shown in Fig. 3: a Hewlett Packard (HP) Model 200 audio oscillator and an HP Model 410 VTVM (vacuum -tube voltmeter). The HP 200 is one of a long -lived series of similar oscillators that were an outstanding success for Hewlett Packard. These were truly "work- horse" machines, rarely requiring service. Many thousands of these were "excessed" by industry when transistorized gear became the standard, but those vacuum -tube Fig. ;. Two e.mmples of vintage vacuum-tube test equipment front Hewlett Packard: a Model 410 units perform about as well as as VTVM (left) and a Model 200 audio oscillator. many new designs.

www.americanradiohistory.com a hefty price tag -generally exce- eding $1,000. However, a trip to your local flea market (once again, hamfests are particularly good for this), plus a little patience, will likely yield something useful in the $50 to $150 range. Because of the relatively modest requirements associated with working in the audio- frequen- cy range (and even considering bias /erase oscillators that operate at, say, 180 kHz), even the lowest -frequency- response scopes are suit-

able for tape recorder use. I do recommend that you purchase one with a "triggered- sweep" option. However, other than getting a decent probe, that's about it. And don't necessarily ignore the older vacuum -tube scopes. Fig. 4. Two wow/flutter meters: the 3M Model 8160 (top) and the Woelke Model ME-106 (bottom). Although they are not in fashion anymore (translation: they can be That unit meets or exceeds what is the standard distortion test and had cheap), if you find one that's is needed to service any audio calibration used by tape- recorder not rusty and that appears in good recorder manufactured through at manufacturers. Distortion analyzers cosmetic and functional condition, least the 1970s. If you go with can be expensive new, but can it may provide you with many years another unit, the basic specs you also be found from used /surplus/ of flawless operation when used should look for are given in Table 1. hamfest sources. For example, the judiciously. Just allow adequate Note that the HP410 shown is not modest but adequate Heath warm -up time (around 20 minutes an "audio VTVM ". It's important to Model IM -58 can still be found at or so), and remember to switch it off understand the difference. With hamfests for about $30 to $45. While when you're done! most VTVMs, like the 410, the small- it doesn't have specs as impressive A good wow /flutter (W /F) meter est AC-voltage range is 1 -volt full as the HP analyzers, such as the is indispensable for mechanical scale. Due to reading interpreta- Model 331A (which still sells for adjustments and alignment. Very tion, that generally translates to an about $150 or more), it can be used briefly, W/F is a measure of short- ability to read voltages as low as quite effectively for all but the most term speed accuracy; that is, about 20 millivolts. That is okay for demanding measurements. It also speed variations of less than one most troubleshooting and align- has a built -in audio voltmeter. second, up to about two seconds ments, except S /N. For that, you will An oscilloscope is not absolutely (corresponding to a frequency need an audio voltmeter with at required for most tape- recorder range of about 200 Hz down to least a 3- millivolt scale (thereby servicing. After all, armed with your about 0.5 Hz). We'll get into this capable of reading 100 micro- oscillator, distortion analyzer, and much more in a later installment. volts). One unit that you might find audio voltmeter, you can perform There are many different possible on the surplus /hamfest market is the necessary checks and align- causes for poor W/F I have seen the HP403B. It has a 1 millivolt ments on a machine whose elec- good technicians virtually pulling scale -more than what's needed tronic components are functioning their hair out in vain attempts to cor- for tape- recorder work. As an alter- well. However, if you don't have an rect W/F problems. There is literally native, if you choose to purchase a oscilloscope, "Murphy's Law" will no way of doing this effectively with- surplus distortion analyzer (our next surely kick in. This will occur in the out the assistance of wow /flutter topic), you may find that an audio form of a noisy pre -amp stage, or measurements. voltmeter is also built in to that the inexplicable loss of signal deep The principal issue for those on a instrument. within a record or play amp, or any limited budget is that used com- As a final note on voltmeters, number of other maladies for which mercial W/F meters are rather many ordinary VTVMs and VOMs the oscilloscope is a worthwhile, if expensive and seldom found. This is (volt-ohm -meter) do have sufficient not required, diagnostic tool. probably due to their restricted frequency response to cover the The subject of oscilloscopes usu- application, and therefore relative- audio spectrum. An old favorite, the ally conjures up notions of the family few being manufactured. When Simpson Model 260 Series 4, for ly savings quickly evaporating. True, you can find one, prices of $70 to example, has an AC frequency a new, triggered- sweep, 50 -MHz $150 are not unusual. Two popular response up to 500 kHz. analog scope can set you back at commercial models were the 3M Next, let's take a look at distor- least $600 or so. The new digital 8160 and the (German) Woelke tion analyzers. Harmonic distortion scopes, despite their small size, carry ME -106, as pictured in Fig.4. Either of 49

www.americanradiohistory.com restorations, or whether this is pretty much a one -time event. Of course

I'm biased in this matter, but I believe this is an excellent hobby - it's a great way to increase your overall understanding of mechanics and electronics in general, and to gain a heightened apprecia- tion and enjoyment of your tape recorder specifically. However, if you don't have the time or desire to make a commitment to this, then you're probably better off leaving the work to others. It's possible to do great damage to a tape recorder if improper repairs are performed. In fact, technicians will often charge more to work on a machine if faulty repair efforts have Fig. S. Here are carious nueasuremrvu tools used to check !elisions, speed, and wear. been made. Efficient repairs by professional technicians depend on these will do the job nicely. While a The only other items needed are certain assumptions that are based sensitivity of 0.3% full scale is tapes for test recordings, plus a on previous experience coupled acceptable, both of these particu- music source and playback gear with subtle observations during the lar units exceed that capability. to check out your accomplish- troubleshooting process. This process If budget or availability becomes ments. If you will be testing or can be seriously impeded if things a problem, and time is not a pres- adjusting head alignment, equal- have been "stirred up" by someone sure, here is another alternative: ization, or playback response, then else. Adjustments might have been Franklin Miller, as part of the audio a standard alignment tape is very disturbed, and components that test -gear series currently running in desirable. More about this tape will were still okay before the aborted his "Audio Update" column in this be covered in a future installment. If repair attempt might now be defec- magazine, is scheduled to do a sim- you would like information on tive (bent, broken, shorted out, elec- ple W/F meter in a future installment. obtaining an open -reel alignment trically or mechanically stressed In fact, if you are comfortable doing tape, write to the author c/o EC beyond their design limits, etc.). This construction work, many of the Designs at the address given in the offen complicates subsequent re- pieces of equipment outlined "For More Information" box. pair attempts. So, read through the above will be appearing in future repair and restoration descriptions in issues, and an audio oscillator has the upcoming installments carefully, FOR MORE INFORMATION already appeared (see "Audio and then decide whether this is This article is based on the new book, Update," Electronics Now, July, something you want to tackle. Evolution of the Audio Recorder by the September, and 1997). In October author, Phil Van Praag. It contains over the next installment, we'll begin Other equipment you will need 500 pages of history, evolution, restora- the actual restoration process! See includes tube /transistor testers and tion, photos, and a price guide. It's avail- you then. i2 power supplies (if you will be per- able at $39.95, postpaid, from EC forming electronic repairs), a vari- Designs. P.O. Box 33. Genesee Depot, WI able voltage AC transformer 53127. ( "Variac" is a common trade Yours for only name), a tape -head demagnetizer, $350 a soldering iron with a fine tip, and Cost and Commitment. From a Prices includes various hand tools. In addition, to cost standpoint, the equipment perform mechanical adjustments described above would total about shipping! and to check manufacturer specs in $500 or less, if a conservative "used - this area, you will need tension or build -only" strategy is followed. HAVE A THOUSAND YUCKS FOR ONLY gauges such as those pictured in Perhaps a more difficult decision to THREE AND A HALF BUCKS! That comes to one -third of a cent per laugh. Electronics Fig. 5. Also shown in photo is is whether to invest the that a be made Comics is a compilation of over 125 riotous, play -speed strobe wheel, and an time to acquire the knowledge outrageous and phenomenal cartoons that illuminated magnifier (less than $10 needed to perform the various appeared in Popular Electronics and Elec- tronics Now. Only $3.50 -price includes at Radio Shack), Finally, if you will be mechanical and electronic tasks shipping. Claggk, Inc., Reprint Bookstore, restoring cabinetry, etc., you will associated with repairs and restora- P.O. Box 4099, Farmingdale, NY 11735- need wood- and metal- working tions. Much of this, of course, will 0793. All payments in U.S. funds. Sorry, no orders outside U.S.A. and Canada. Check or tools, plus strippers, cleaners, polish - have to do with whether you intend money order only -send no cash. NY state 50 ers, and refinishing coatings. to continue doing repairs and residents add applicable tax. MAO4

www.americanradiohistory.com BUILD THIS PRECISION VOLTAGE/ CURRENT REFERENCE Add this easy -to -build and inexpensive accessory to your test bench for lab -quality measurements and calibration.

SKIP CAMPISI

If you enjoy experimenting with racy of about 0.2% of the dial set- section. Both diodes are tempera- both linear and non -linear ana- ting for the 10,100, and 1000 range - ture- stable ICL8069 band -gap ref- log-electronic circuits, you've switch settings. Typically, the accu- erence diodes. The 1 -volt reference probably gotten aggravated hav- racy is better than 0.1% overall. The from D1 appears on the wiper of R3 ing to breadboard a precise refer- lowest range has an accuracy of when R3 is set to its maximum rota- ence circuit every time one is 1 %, and it typically can be as good tion. At the minimum setting of R3, required. A standard linear power as 0.5 %. A built -in 31/2 -digit LCD 100 millivolts appears. That voltage supply with variable voltage and panel meter can display the load is buffered by IC2, an LF356 JFET op- current limiting can sometimes be voltage present at either output. It amp. The buffered reference volt- used if the application is not too crit- has its own range selector switch. age is applied to Q1. Since Q1 is a ical. Fixed current limiting is provided part of the feedback loop of IC2, However, those methods leave a for the voltage- output section of the the reference voltage is placed lot to be desired when precise, circuit. That provides a maximum of across the range resistor (R6-R9) as drift -free performance is required. about 30 milliamps at the 10 -volt- selected by Sl -a. Wouldn't it be great if you had output level, increasing to about 80 Due to the high gain of Q1, the such a piece of test equipment milliamps at the 1- millivolt- output output current at its collector is the available on your test bench to level. This method has the added same as the reference voltage handle such tasks? benefit of short- circuit protection. divided by the selected range resis- The Precision Reference present- The current output has a vari- tor.That output current is connected ed here has a typical stability of bet- able "compliance" control in order to J1. The maximum output voltage ter than ±100 -parts -per-million -per- to protect any voltage- sensitive at J1 is set with R13 and Q2, which is degree Celsius when assembled devices being tested. The voltage configured as an emitter follower. with the suggested components. at the current output is adjustable The bias on D3 lets the output of IC2 Even better, the cost of the ertire between about 1.5 volts at the min- stay in its active -voltage range. project is less than the cost of a stan- imum setting and about 11 volts at The 1 -volt reference from D2 dard power supply! The outputs the maximum position. feeds the voltage divider corn - include a voltage output that can posed of R17 -R21. The range from range between 1 millivolt and 10 Circuit Description. -The Precision that divider is selected by SI -b and volts, and a current output that can Voltage /Current Reference design is buffered by IC1, a TLC271 CMOS be set anywhere from 1 microamp can be divided into four basic sec- op -amp. It is configured as a non - to 10 milliamps. A range -select tions: the voltage- reference inputs, inverting amplifier with a variable switch can set the output range to the voltage- current -reference out- gain set by R24. High- current 0,1,10,100, or 1000 millivolts or micro- puts, the power supply, and the capacity for the voltage output is amps. Two independent 10 -turn pre- panel -meter display. provided by Q3, a 2N2219 NPN tran- cision potentiometers with turn The schematic diagram in Fig. 1 sistor. It is a part of ICI's feedback counters let each range be multi- shows the simplicity of the circuit. A loop. Current limiting and short-cir- plied by 1 through 10 according to 1 -volt reference is supplied by Dl cuit protection for Q3 is provided by the dial setting. to the current-reference circuit, R26, a 100 -ohm, 2-watt resistor. _

Using the 1% metal -film resistors with D2 supplying a 1 -volt refer- The power -supply portion of the specified, you can expect an accu- ence to the voltage- reference circuit is shown in Fig. 2. The power

www.americanradiohistory.com O 13.5V normal 200 -millivolt range. One half R8 R7 of S3 selects the range from the D1 1K 10K R1 R2 network, while the other half ICL8069 R3 .1% .1% divider 1000 9530 10K selects the proper decimal -point 1% Cl + R6 R4 R9 location for the display. 1/35 1000 10 100K 1K 0100 0 .1% 1% 01 Construction lips. The actual lay- S1 -a R5 1000 O O-A-O 0 out and construction of the Precision R27 1K 10K Current /Voltage Reference is not 1% 1/35 critical to circuit performance. How- ever, following the guidelines men- R28 . 1M 01 25K MPSA63 tioned here will assure success and R29 D3 499K 1N4148 accuracy with the project. 1% Wv N Choose a suitably-sized cabinet 5 R11 that will be big enough to hold all of ici 1.8K the circuitry and all of the controls. TLC271 The author's prototype was assem- 4 IF- R12 bled in a sloping plastic cabinet 8 C3 JN10/Ir- 1K R10 .01 about 71/2- inches wide and 43/4 -inch- 25K es deep. The cabinet's aluminum top panel on which most of the J1 R26 C4 = controls were installed is an excel- C9 1000 M .1 .1 Qo Cs 2W lent ground plane. R25 .01 on 1K 02 Point -to -point wiring was used C7 C12 MPSA63 standard 0.1- inch -grid perfboard .01 1 R13 - with copper -foil pads. The power- 10K N supply section was mounted on a R24 D4 separate board, supported by 10K 1N4148 o; C5 DISPI's mounting lugs. The power 1` .o1 J2 AM cord enters the cabinet near the R14 J3 supply with S2 mounted next to it. Be 1000 R16 R15 sure to drill several ventilation holes 9530 1000 in the cabinet near the transformer. The references and meter driver 10000 ó r,00 were constructed on another 51-b board; the voltage- current -output C6 00-0 1/35 O- sections are contained on a third 5KR23 o 10 board. Both of those boards were R22 R21 R20 R19 R18 P17 D2 mounted away from the power -sup- 10K 1 MEG 100K 10K 5620 5490 ICL8069 1% .1% .1% .1% .1% .1% ply board in order to avoid picking 'M up any 60 -cycle "hum ". All of the connections between the compo- Fig. I. Although it might look complicated. the Precision Voltage /Current Reference is actually a nents on the boards were made srraightfbrward circuit that is built around several high -precision op -amps. The circuit is easy to with 22 -gauge bus wire. Insulated calibrate using only an accurate digital voltmeter. stranded wire was used for any connections between boards or any- supply has some unusual design a common core. where there was a possibility that features that are needed for the The input to the display circuit is the wires could come in contact circuit to work properly. There are switched by S4. That lets the input with another conductor. For the long two isolated outputs: 13.5 volts for measure the load voltage at J1 (the runs between the boards and the the main circuit and 9 volts for the current reference) or J2 (the voltage panel components, the insulated digital -panel meter, DISP1. Because reference). The voltage is applied to wires were twisted together in pairs. DISP1 uses an on -board reference, I04, a TLC271 CMOS op -amp wired Mount 0.1% metal -film resistors its supply must be completely iso- as a unity -gain buffer. The output of R17 -R21 directly onto the appropri- lated from the rest of the circuit! IC4 drives another voltage divider ate lugs of S1 -b. One lead of R17 The isolated outputs are achieved consisting of R34 through R37. The should be connected to a panel by choosing a "split- bobbin" trans- output of IC4 is loaded by R38 so ground lug. Mount R6 -R9 from S1 -a former for T1. That type of transformer that it can approach ground poten- to the lug on R13 that will be con- has two separate 120-volt primaries tial if needed. nected to the positive power and two separate 12 -volt secon- The range of DISP1 is set by S3. source. The positive lead of R26 daries. In effect, the transformer is The resistor -divider network lets should be connected directly to 52 two separate transformers that share DISP1 display voltages beyond its that lug, also. Note that the 13.5-

www.americanradiohistory.com volt power leads from all of the before. You have the option of using without moving the shaft. Check boards, including the power supply, a 41/2-digit digital -panel meter the resistance on R3 once again to should be run to that same lug. That (DPM) at about twice the cost. If you be sure that the shaft hasn't moved arrangement is called a "star" require further information on DPMs, and lock the set screws securely. because all of the connections refer to the excellent article by Bill Rotate the counter dial counter- radiate out from one central point. Stiles in the October 1996 issue of clockwise until it stops. You will note In that way, there is no accumulat- Popular Electronics magazine. that it now reads a couple of ed resistance from the individual Install and wire DISP1 according "clicks" below 1.00. That shows that wires if they were to be run sequen- to its instruction sheet. Although a the installation is correct. Rotating tially from point to point in a "daisy - typical hookup is shown on Fig. 2, you the counter nine turns clockwise chain" style. should follow any recommendations will give an indication of 0.00, which Make a "star" connection for the for the actual unit that you will be is to be taken as 10.00. Ten -turn ground in the same way. Conrect using. Install R34 -R37 on the appro- counter dials do not have the num- each board's ground lead to the priate lugs of S3 -a. One lead from ber "10" on their dial. Turning the panel ground lug connected to R37 is connected to a panel ground dial an additional clockwise turn R17. The common -output ground lug, as with R17 and SI -b. Wire S3 -b to will indicate 1.00 again, which is terminal, J3, should also be con- select the decimal point. now equal to 11.00. nected to that lug with a short Before connecting 10 -turn preci- You can, of course, use a 15 -turn piece of bus wire. For best decoup- sion potentiometers R3 and R24, counter dial for true indications. ling, install bypass capacitors C9 the "dead space" at the ends of However, the Precision Reference and C12 right on the body of R26 their rotations must be eliminated. might not work correctly beyond with very short leads. Start by securely mounting R3 and the "10.00" setting because of the DISP1, a 31/2 -digit LCD -panel volt- R24 in their holes on the top panel. design of the circuit. Using the meter, is available from many surplus With a DMM, make a note of the same techniques, install the other and overstock sources for less than exact resistance between lugs 1 counter dial on R24, and complete $10. Brand new units can be bought and 3 on R3. the wiring of the controls. from several major mail -order Connect the DMM between lugs Double check all of your wiring sources, but those sources might 1 and 2. Rotate R3's shaft until you and interconnections before cali- charge $50 and up. The unit that read exactly 10% of the previous brating the unit. Turn on the power you choose should have a maxi- resistance. Take one of the 10 -turn and check the 13.5 -volt supply to mum input range of 200 millivolts, dial counters, set it for 2.00 (two make sure it is within ±0.5 volt. If it is and can be powered by an isolated turns clockwise from 0.00), and lock over 14 volts, add an infra -red LED supply of 9 volts, as mentioned the setting. Install the counter on R3 in parallel with LED1. If it is under 13

120-VOLTS T1 IC3 +13.5V AC LP24-100827 78L12 O IN OUT 5 + fC16 GND 220/25 S2 LEDI 6 0

+13 5V R32 R30 1K 25K J1 VW-0 R31 R34 0.2 0 499K 100K (+) S4 1% .1% 2.0 S3-a DP3 0 WIN DP -O R35 IN DP1 S3-b DISP1 C15 10K 2 DP -O .1% (SEE TEXT) .1 DP2 DP R36 -L- COM DPCOM J2 5620 .1% L J R37 R38 5490 10K .1%

Fig. 2. The Precision Reference's power supply uses a split -secondary transformer in order to have two isolated power sources in a compact size. The digital -panel meter allows for easy monitoring of the outputs. 53

www.americanradiohistory.com PARTS LIST FOR THE PRECISION a reading of exactly 10.000 volts. VOLTAGE/CURRENT REFERENCE Switch Si to 1 millivolt and "tweak" R28 for a reading of exactly 10.00 SEMICONDUCTORS turn potentiometer millivolts. Note that that adjustment ICI, IC4- TLC271 orTL091 CMOS R 14 -100 -ohm is very sensitive. Return R24 to the op -amp. integrated circuit R17, R37-549 -ohm, 1/4-watt, 0.1% IC2-LF356 JFET -input op -amp, inte metal -film "1.00" setting and re -check your cal- grated circuit R18, R36-562 -ohm, 1/4-watt, 0.1% ibration results. IC3 -78L12 voltage regulator, integrated metal -film To calibrate the current- refer- circuit (TO -92 package) R21 -1 megohm, 0.1%, 1/4-watt, metal - ence section, set S1 to 1 microamp. Q1, Q2- MPSA63 or MPSA64, PNP film Connect the DVM across pins 2 and Darlington transistor R22, R27- 10,000 -ohm, 'A-watt, 1% 3 of IC2 and adjust R10 for a reading -film Q3- 2N2219, NPN transistor metal of exactly 0.00 millivolts. If you can't 50 -volt bridge rectifier R23 -ohm multi -turn trimpot BR I-1 amp. -5000 get that setting, replace IC2. Set R3 LED I -1 light -emitting diode, red R26 -100 -ohm, 2 -watt, 5 %, wire -wound -T to "10.00" and connect the DVM LED2 -T -1 % light- emitting diode (any R29, R31-499,000-ohm, 1/4-watt, 1% 13.5 -volt "star" con- color) metal -film between the DI. D2- ICL8069 band -gap reference R38- 10,000 -ohm nection and the wiper of R3. Adjust diode R5 for a reading of exactly 1.0000 D3, D4- 1N4148 silicon diode CAPACITORS volts. Reset R3 down to "1.00" and D5 -1 N5239B Zener diode, 9.1 -volts Cl, C6, C11, C13 -1 -RF, 35 -WVDC, adjust Rl for a reading of exactly D6- 1N4001 silicon diode solid tantalum 100.00 millivolts. As those last two 0,01 -p.F, ceramic - C2, C3, C5, C7, C8- adjustments interact slightly, reset R3 RESISTORS disc back to "10.00" and note the read- C4, C9, C10, C12, C15, C17-0.1-11F, (All resistors are 'A-watt, 5% units unless ing. "Tweak" R5 again if necessary, otherwise noted.) ceramic -disc and recheck the reading with R3 set RI, R15 -100 -ohm, single -turn trimmer C14 47 p.F, 25 -WVDC, aluminum elec "1.00 ". Keep repeating the pro- potentiometer trolytic at satisfied. R2, R 16- 953- ohm, 1/4-watt, 1% metal - C16- 220 -1.LF, 25 -WVDC, aluminum cess until you are film electrolytic With S1 set to 1 microamp, con- R3. R24- 10,000 -ohm. 10-turn, panel- nect the DVM across R6 and set R3 mount, precision potentiometer ADDITIONAL PARTS to "1.00 ". The reading should be 100 R4-1000-ohm, 1/4-watt, 1% metal -film AND MATERIALS millivolts. Advance R3 to "10.00" and R5- 1000-ohm multi -turn trimmer poten TI -Dual 12 -volt, 100 -mA secondary, the reading should advance linear- split- bobbin transformer tiometer ly with the counter dial up to a 1.00 - 100,000 -ohm, 'A-watt, DISPI -31/2- or 41/2-digit liquid- crystal R6, R20, R34- volt reading. If not, replace IC2 with metal -film display panel -mount voltmeter (see text) 0.1% a unit made by a different manu- R7, R19, R35- 10,000- ohm, 1/4-watt, S 1, S3 -2 -pole, 6- position rotary switch, facturer. Some chips are known to 0.1% metal -film panel- mount, non-shorting R8-1000-ohm, 1/4-watt, 0.1% metal -film S2- double -pole, double -throw toggle have problems working near thei- R9 -100-ohm, 1/4-watt, 0.1% metal -film switch positive supply rails. A good chip R10, R28, R30- 25,000 -ohm multi -turn S4- single -pole, double -throw toggle should not have a problem working trimpot switch with its inputs as high as 100 millivolts Rll, R33- 1800 -ohm J 1 -J3- binding posts above the positive rail. Rl2, R25, R32 -1000 -ohm 10 -turn counting dials for R3 and R24, Finally, connect the DVM in its cur- R13 -ohm, panel -mount, single- case, line cord, wire, hardware, etc. -10,000 rent- measuring mode to J 1 and J3 Set Si to 1, 10, 100, and 1000 micro - volts, add a 1N4148 silicon diode in display circuit. Range switch S3 amps and note the actual current R3 series with LED] . That will assure the should be set to the highest setting readings with set at "1.00" best operation of the Precision (20 volts). Rotate R13 to its "off" posi- Repeat the process at "10.00" and Reference. tion (the wiper connected to the re- calibrate, if necessary. supply voltage) and set S1 to the 1- To calibrate the digital- panel- Calibration Procedure. The Precision millivolt range. Both R3 and R24 meter section, set R24 to "1.00 ", S1 to Reference needs to be calibrated should be set to "1.00 ". 1000 millivolts, S4 to connect to J2, properly in order to get the most To calibrate the voltage- refer- and S3 to 2.0 volts. Connect the DVM benefit from the circuit. Although the ence section, connect the DVM across pins 2 and 3 of IC4 and adjust calibration procedure given here is across pins 2 and 3 on IC 1. Adjust R30 for a reading of exactly 0.00 mil- fairly straightforward, it should be fol- R28 for a reading of exactly 0.00 millivolts. Adjust the reference-calibra- lowed exactly. The only tool you will livolts. Connect the DVM to J2 and tion trimmer located on DISP1 as per need is a good -quality 41/2-digit digi- J3 and adjust R23 for a reading of its data sheet for a reading of exact- tal voltmeter. An accurate 31/2-digit exactly 1.00 millivolt. Set S1 to 10,100, ly 1.000 volts on its LCD display. DVM will also work, but there will be and 1000 millivolts, noting the read- Check the readings on all other some loss of accuracy. ing each time. If needed, "tweak" ranges and "tweak" the trimmer as Turn on the power and allow the R23 for accuracy over the entire needed for overall accuracy. unit to warm up for a minute or so. range. With S1 set at 1000 millivolts, If the display refuses to go down 54 Set S4 to connect J2 to the panel- set R24 to "10.00" and adjust R15 for low enough to indicate the lower

www.americanradiohistory.com output ranges, try swapping I04 "alternate" or "chop" so that both tested by the Precision Reference. with IC1, or replace IC4 altogether. traces will be displayed superim- It is quite easy to identify the pack- Maximum output swings for the posed on each other age leads in laser diodes, as the PIN TLC271 can vary from unit to unit, The input signal from the first photo -diode will have a forward although they will normally go channel will be shown on the drop of about 0.7 volts, while the down to within a few hundred scope's display with a straight hori- laser diode will exhibit a forward microvolts above ground. zontal line through it. That line rep- drop of about 2.0 volts. resents the "zero" -volt cursor from You can also identify the leads on Operating Hints. The Precision the Precision Reference. By using bipolar transistors the same way. As Voltage /Current Reference is the second channel's vertical -posi- most emitter -base reverse- break- extremely accurate and simple to tion control, the zero cursor can be down voltages on silicon transistors operate. Aside from the obvious moved to any position vertically on are below 11 volts, the Reference uses such as the calibration of ana- the trace from which you wish to should be used at a setting of about log circuitry, metering equipment, begin your measurement. 10 to 100 microamps to locate that and the like, the unit has many Note the approximate signal volt- junction. The collector-base reverse - other applications. Only a few age being displayed on the first breakdown voltages are usually well examples will be discussed here - channel and set up the second above 20 volts. Of course, the foryou will surely find many others uses. channel to display a similar voltage ward voltages of both junctions are If you need to put high current available from the Precision Ref- about 0.7 volts. into a low- impedance load, you erence. Set S1 on the Precision Ref- As you can see, the Precision might want to use "remote sensing" erence to the appropriate range Reference has unlimited applica- to maintain an accurate load volt- required and advance R24 until the tions. The display is only for showing age. That is easily done by bringing cursor reaches the measurement the load voltages at the current the lead from lug 1 on R24 out to a endpoint. Since you already know source output -the voltage- source separate binding post rather than the approximate voltage from the output -control settings have much connecting it to Q3 and J2. Likewise, CRT display, it is a simple matter to more resolution than the 31/2 -digit connect the ground connections of read the precise, actual voltage display. If you're more interested in R15 and R17, along with D2, C6, and from the Reference controls. ultimate display accuracy, it's a R22 to another binding post rather The current reference can be good idea to invest in a 41/2 -digit than J3. easily used as a precision ohmmeter digital -panel meter which will have Run separate leads from J2 and simply by connecting the resistance higher resolution. S2 the binding post from R24 to one to J1 and J3. Leave R3 set at "1.00 , side of the load, and separate leads set S4 to read current from J1, set S3 from J3 and the other new binding to 2.0 volts, and raise compliance post to the other side of the load. control R13 so that there is no "com-

For normal operation with a "light" pliance". Advance Si from 1 to 1000 load, simply short J2 to its compan- microamps and find the highest volt- ion binding post and J3 to the other age reading that can be displayed binding post with short lengths of on DISP1. Dividing the voltage by the solid bus wire. That will restore the current setting gives the resistance. If original connections and only two you need to read higher or lower leads will be needed for the load. resistance readings than normal, set If long leads are used for "remote S3 to 200 millivolts or 20 volts and set sensing ", output instability might be R3 to "10.00", if required. a problem. If that is the case, shield- The current source output can a bullet. ed cables should be used. Also, also be used to precisely forward or This card can stop semiconductor junc- increasing the value of C8 by one or reverse bias a It's only a piece of paper, but two decades might be quite helpful. tion, with the display measuring the Of course, the Precision Ref- resulting voltage drop. Reverse volt- that little card up there carries erence makes an excellent oscillo- ages of up to about 11 volts can be a lot of weight. Keeping millions scope calibrator. If you have a measured with R13 in the "off" posi- dual -trace oscilloscope, you can tion. Zener diodes, signal diodes, of kids off drugs, out of gangs even use the Precision Reference LEDs, and laser diodes are easily test- as a voltage- cursor display! Input a ed. Be sure not to exceed the maxi- and in school. To learn how you signal into one channel of the oscil- mum reverse voltage on the com- can help the Boys & Girls Clubs, loscope and adjust the scope to ponent or it will be destroyed. Light - show a normal display. Set the emitting diodes and laser diodes are call: 1- 800 -854 -Club. scope's attenuators to their "cali- especially sensitive to reverse volt- brated" position. Connect J2 and ages. Keeping the reverse voltage e Positive Place For Kairo J3 from the Precision Reference to below 3 volts will protect most LEDs. the scope's second channel. Set Si Laser diodes will not "lase" at to 0.0 millivolts and set the scope to very low currents levels when being 55

www.americanradiohistory.com MULTICHANNEL TRIGGER works the same as the eight -bit TABLE 1 (continued from page 36) mode, except that it will only Count 1 (S1 -b) Count 2 (S1 -a) Trigger Function decode at rates up to 50 MHz. To use OFF OFF Every occurrence the 10-bit mode, the qualifier and arrangement for fitting PC the OFF ON Every second counter switch in S1 must be on. board into the enclosure given in occurrence To use the Multichannel Oscillo- the Parts List is shown in Fig. 3. Using scope Trigger in the counter mode, a different case will probably need ON OFF Every third occurence simply set the count switches as a different arrangement. The only shown in Table 1, The counter mode requirement is that the switches ON ON Every fourth occurence lets the trigger output toggle on and jacks be readily accessible. every second, third, or fourth occurrence of a match on the input pins. Using the Multichannel Oscillo- mode. Operation at speeds over If you want to use the trigger to scope Trigger. To use the Multi- 100 MHz is possible. To use that qualify fewer than 8 or 10 inputs, channel Oscilloscope Trigger; locate mode, set the qualifier and counter simply set the S1 switches for the a 5 -volt source and ground connec- switch in S1 to the off position and unused inputs to logic ones. The tion on the circuit you will be testing. set the S2 switches to the desired internal pull -up resistors on IC1 will Attach the 5 -volt source to pin 14 of pattern of on and off states. The automatically set the unused pins J1, and connect pin 1 to ground. If eight settings on S2 will be corn - to the same state, making them you didn't permanently ground the pared to the inputs on J1. A nega- valid. That will let the Multichannel enable input (pin 13), that pin tive -going pulse will appear at J2 Oscilloscope Trigger pulse its output should also be either grounded or when a match is detected. based upon the other inputs. connected to a signal that is low Probably the most common To troubleshoot complex circuits, during the time that you want to mode of operation will be the 10-bit you might want to have several units trigger your oscilloscope. mode. With that mode, you can typ- available on your bench. Con- As mentioned before, there are ically decode a full byte of data on necting the output of one device three ways to use the Multichannel a computer's data bus during a into the enable pin of another will Oscilloscope Trigger. The mode with read or write operation along with let you see the state of some very is the fastest speed the eight -bit an enable signal. The 10-bit mode complex signal combinations. S2

generated.) In GREAT COMPRESSION addition, rewind ence to the fourth and seventh P playback, playing a video or film frames. This technique serves (continued from page 38) to backwards, is also impossible. This both improve the accuracy of the shortcoming in the compression predictions and cut back on on this discussion, the MPEG organi- coding of television broadcasts has amount of data required. zation was formed in April 1988. no place in the current video cul- At the time, international corn - ture. Thus, MPEG's work began with Faultless liming. Despite its tech- pression- coding standards for video the search for compression- coding nological breakthroughs, MPEG telephones were already being dis- standards under which channel - would not have succeeded without cussed. Initially, MPEG members be- surfing, fast -forward playback, and the benefits of good luck and good lieved that adopting those stand- rewind playback would be possible. timing. With the participation of ards for film and television compres- The eventual solution to this prob- many top scientists and researchers sion would be a simple matter, but lem is shown in Fig. 4. As seen there, and under good, positive leader- their research turned up problems. the series of still images are broken ship, the standards were hammered Figure 3 shows a moving image down into units of 12 to 15 pho- out in a short period. Due to the swift reproduced using the motion -com- tographs called a GOP (Group of movement, standardization coincid- pensated interframe- coding meth- Pictures). The initial image is always ed with the rise in popularity of the od already described. The P (pre- the original I image. As long as there Internet and the standards were dicted) images are generated one is an I image, all the problems are widely adopted. after another by incorporated data resolved. However, an original MPEG is now firmly entrenched about the portion of image I (the image at the head of each GOP as the compression method of original image) that has experi- cuts into the degree of compression choice for a wide variety of audio/ enced motion. Although this is a possible. To solve this problem, the video technologies in the U.S., very good method for compressing degree of movement from one still Japan, and throughout the world. In data, it has one fatal flaw. That flaw image to the next is predicted using recognition of its technological is that compression coding cannot not only the previous image but achievements and its wide accep- start from a P image, but only from future images as well. That is, the B tance, particularly in the area of the original I image. (This can be (bi- directional) frame is an image broadcast video, MPEG (including compared to switching television created with motion compensation its predecessor, JPEG) were award- channels in the middle of a broad- from past and future P frames or the ed an Emmy by the U.S. National cast: Without the original I image, I frame. The fifth B frame, for Academy of Television Arts and 56 P the subsequent images cannot be instance, was created with refer- Science in October 1996. SZ

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Introduction, Fundamental Theory, Mouser has an established line of The ARRL Handbook for Radio Practical Design and Projects, Con- quality electronic components from such Amateurs 1998 Edition struction Techniques, and Operating industry leaders as 3M, AMP, Amphenol, edited by Paul Danzer, N1I1 Practices. In addition to the ones already Dale, Mallory, NEC, SGS- Thomson, American Radio Relay League mentioned, projects include power sup- Spectrol, Sprague, Thomson -Passive, 225 Main Street plies, RF power amps, modulators and and many more. Newington, CT 06111 -1494 demodulators, receivers and transmit- Tel: 860 -594 -0200 or 888- 277 -5289 ters, and antennas. Fax: 860 - 594 -0259 Since bundling a disk with the book Now Hear This! Electronic E -mail: [email protected] increased its cost, the software for the Web: www.arrl.org book is now available separately. It can Eavesdropping Equipment Design $32 be downloaded from either the ARRL by Winston Arrington 1998 Web site above or from the League's Sheffield Electronics Co. THE ARRL The ARRL HANDBOOK, Handbook, the 75th Hiram BBS, or it can be ordered for a P.O. Box 377940 edition published by nominal cost. Chicago, IL 60637 -7940 the American Radio Tel: 773 -324 -2196 Relay League, cov- $65 plus S &H ($6 U.S.; ers the state of Ama- Mouser Electronics Catalog $8 Canada) teur Radio as the Mouser Electronics This 126 -page re- 21st century ap- 958 North Main Street NOW HEAR THIS! vised edition con-

proaches. Over the Mansfield, TX 76063 ELECTRONIC tains explanatory EAVESDROPPING CIRCLE 338 ON FREE course of 75 years, Tel: 800-992 -9943 or 817- 483 -4422 EQUIPMENT text and 117 schem- INFORMATIONS CARD DESIGN this handbook has Fax: 817- 483 -0931 atic diagrams of meant many things to several genera- E -mail: catalog@mousercom electronic tions of hams, engineers, and techni- Web: www.mousercom eavesdropping cians. It's been an unimpeachable source Free equipment. Know-

of reference data, project ideas, and elec- Updated and ex- CIRCLE 340 ON FREE ledge of electronics, tronics theory. The book has served as panded to 356 pages, INFORMATIONS CARD including how to an overview of what hams do and how the Mouser Elec- build projects from a they do it. To the technician and engi- tronics Catalog is an schematic, is essential for building this neer, the guide has been an invaluable excellent guide for equipment. supplement to their reference books and anyone who needs In the introduction, the author dis- data sheets. For newcomers to the electronic compo- cusses surveillance techniques and pre- hobby, it's provided a primer on the nents. It offers over sents an extract from Title III, the law on modes and equipment hams use, as well 69,000 products wiretapping and electronic surveillance. as an introduction to basic theory. CIRCLE 339 ON FREE from more than 135 There are plans for 29 crystal- controlled Among the new material in this edi- INFORMATIONS CARD of today's leading transmitters of all types, 35 room -sur- tion are three items that are shown on the electronic manufac- veillance transmitters -both battery- front cover. They are N1TEV's super - turers. Free copies of the catalog or CD powered and plug -in-and 32 telephone regenerative receiver, which readers will can be obtained by using either the tele- devices. Schematics for phantom zero - enjoy building and using; K9EK's inte- phone or fax numbers, or the e-mail or subcarrier transmitters, infrared units, grated L -band satellite antenna and web addresses listed above. and high- impedance recorder activators amplifier; and a high -power antenna In addition to the paper catalog, a are also included. Each chapter starts tuner by N6BV. In response to reader CD -ROM version is also available. This with a discussion of the theory behind comments on the last edition, this book user -friendly disk includes the entire those devices, and their advantages and has been redesigned to be more user- catalog cover-to- cover, a new -products disadvantages. friendly, with the addition of a mini -table section, product and vendor listings, ser- Counter-surveillance techniques and of contents and index tabs at the start of vice options that offer order forms and countermeasure -detection equipment are each chapter. credit applications, a direct link to the covered in detail. The chapter on coun- The handbook is divided into 30 Web site, and over 1850 of their avail- ter- surveillance techniques is written by chapters grouped under five headings: able spec sheets. Kevin Murray, an expert in the field. 60

www.americanradiohistory.com anticipate, prevent, and solve problems. and digital circuits; a digital temperature TechAmerica Catalog Five key steps to successful trou- meter; and a function generator kit that LèchAmerica bleshooting are presented: collect infor- includes a training course on working 300 W. Third Street, Suite 300 mation, localize the problem, isolate the with surface -mount components (surface Ft. Worth, TX 76102 -2905 problem, correct the problem, and veri- mount components are used in the gen- Tel: 800-303 -4550 x2151 fy problem resolution. Each of these erator itself). Photographs and specifica- Fax: 800 -813 -0087 steps is explained in detail, and methods tions are provided for each product. Web: www.techam.com of putting them into practice are also Free illustrated. The recently pub- Directions on how to use this book HiQ Brochure lished full -color 500 - suggest that readers designing a new net- National Instruments page catalog from work begin at the beginning with Chapter 6504 Bridge Point Parkway TechAmerica is de- 1. However, if there is a panic situation, Austin, TX 78730-5039 signed to serve the the place to start is Chapter 2. Chapter 3 Tel: 512- 794 -0100 needs of small busi- goes on to give an overview on how to Web: http: //www.natinst.com /hig ness and individual form a network -maintenance strategy. Free purchasers. Readers Useful appendices discuss important This eight -page can easily order in- aspects of networks. It is recommended brochure describes CIRCLE 341 ON FREE dividual electronic new field INFORMATIONS CARD that people to the start by National Instru- components, test looking at Appendix B: Operation. The ments' HiQ inter- equipment, and specialized tools from guidebook concludes with a glossary of active problem - the extensive and comprehensive collec- LAN terms. solving software tion included here. The Troubleshooting Guide serves for technical pro- Seven new categories have been both as a reference for networking professionals. The added: home automation, home and auto fessionals and an educational text for brochure high- security, satellite products, computer novices interested in learning more lights some of cables and switch boxes, video, weather about network operation. CIRCLE 344 ON FREE HiQ's hundreds of INFORMATION CARD equipment, and metal detectors. Also fea- built -in functions, tured is a collection of technical books, including data fitting, geometry, integral do- it-yourself kits, and soldering equip- Catalog 97/'98 equations, numerical integration, and ment. Containing color photographs, in- Elenco Electronics, Inc. more. Advanced features include powerful depth descriptions, and useful reference 150 W. Carpenter Avenue built -in analysis, data visualization, and materials, the catalog is a handy resource Wheeling, IL 60090 interactive report generation. Scientists of parts and components from resistors to Tel: 847 -541 -3800 and engineers can use HiQ to generate cables for hobbyists and electronics pro- Fax: 847- 520 -0085 two- and three -dimensional graphs from fessionals. E-mail: elenco @elenco.com both data and functions and immediately Web: www.elenco.com view the results. Users also can import Free data from other applications, for example, The 25th anniver- from LabVIEW. is Network Maintenance and Excel and HiQ avail- ELENCO sary issue of able for Windows NT and 95 and Troubleshooting Guide: First Edition azzlies ==>r Elenco Elec- Macintosh. A free evaluation copy can be by Neal Allen .- tronics' 48 -page downloaded from the National In- Fluke Corporation color catalog is struments Web site, listed above. P.O. Box 9090 now available. It Everett, WA 98206 features trainers, Tel: 800- 44FLUKE or 206 -356-6600 hand tools, oscillo- The Futuretech Sourcebook Fax: 800- FLUKE -FAX or 206 -356 -5116 scopes, power by Larry Ball E -mail: [email protected] CIRCLE 343 ON FREE supplies, coun- Futuretech Web: www.fluke.com /nettools INFORMATION CARD ters, generators, P.O. Box 6291 $29.95 multimeters, and breadboard accessories. Gulf Breeze, FL 32561 Fluke Corporation Educational kits of all types are also Tel: 850- 932-9682 has published a 176 - included, such as robot kits, an electronic $11.95 plus $3 S &H (Florida page reference guide keyboard kit, and a remote -control car residents, add 7% sales tax) for troubleshooting kit. Two radio kits complete with training Locating parts and equipment is a prob- and maintaining courses make excellent projects for the lem for electronics professionals and local -area networks classroom. Elenco specializes in building hobbyists. This directory of electronics (LANs). Written for kits for many of the largest schools in the and technical vendors makes that prob- CIRCLE 342 ON FREE INFORMATIONS CARD the network admün- country. lem easier to handle. The 63 -page book- istrator, MIS direc- Among the new products highlighted let contains 394 categories, organized in tor, and others responsible for maintain- in the catalog are the XK -700 deluxe dig - both table and index formats. ing networks, the guide covers how to ital/analog tester, a complete mini -lab for Most of the product lines of the mail - operate a healthy network; and how to building, testing, and prototyping analog order vendors, including transistors, 61

www.americanradiohistory.com resistors, capacitors, This convenient booklet helps you the robot builder, and oscilloscopes, locate various items from air muscles to such as oscillo- are listed. There is custom -made crystals. You can even scopes, Fueteca raL LI( a] Robotics meters, information on the find Van De Graff generators, voice and logic probes. types of products changers, and fog machines in these That is followed 5,111'cebook carried; minimum pages. by a chapter re- order requirements, viewing basic elec- if any; if there are tronics. The rest toll -free numbers of the book offers and 'Web sites; and Practical Robotics detailed descrip- CIRCLE 345 ON FREE CIRCLE 346 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD if credit cards are by Bill Davies INFORMATION CARD tions of the com- accepted. The orga- WERD Technology Inc. ponents used in nization of the tables makes it easy to Unit 35, Suite 155 robotics -what they are and how to use compare the product lines of various 10520 Yonge Street them. Power sources, sensors, force companies, and it can eliminate the Richmond Hill, Ontario transducers, motors, magnetic forces, need to order from multiple vendors to Canada L4C 3C7 resistors, and capacitors are thoroughly assemble all the parts needed for one $69 explained and illustrated. project. In the alphabetical index, there It is difficult to find information about This 337 -page compendium is pro- are 147 vendors -most of which were robotics. When you do find it, it is often fusely illustrated with over 250 draw- previously cited, as well as over 30 bits and pieces in many different places. ings and photographs. Useful appen- additional specialized suppliers who This book, the first in a projected series dices present a bibliography of robotics are only listed there. This index on robotics, takes care of that problem publications and a list of manufacturers includes address, phone, and web with a wealth of material on robotics, and suppliers. Aimed at students pri- information; a short description of the both theoretical and practical. marily, it will also be a handy reference product lines; and anything of note It starts with an introduction to for hobbyists, teachers, and profession- about the vendor. the electronic equipment needed by als- anyone interested in robotics. as

FM Transceiver. It is the only desktop variety of options than previously found NEW PRODUCTS FM transceiver dedicated specifically in one transceiver. This transceiver toi t¡oued from page 31 to two meter operation. Two radios in caters to the preferences of the operator one, the TR270 permits both full two - and can be customized to meet the indi- meter capability (142 -150 MHz) and vidual user's needs. Selecting filters, set- for use with Fluke LAN testers. independent dual-band reception (136- ting memory scan, or customizing chan- Accessories in each of the kits 174 MHz and 420 -470- MHz). This nel lists for both receiver and transmit- include two 50 -ohm BNC cables; two broad range lets listeners hear public ter can easily be done with setup menus BNC -male -to- Grabber breakouts with service, marine, weather, and amateur and front-panel inputs. The TR270 Minigrabber and Mini -gator test clips; bands. boasts 400 total channel memories, and BNC termination plugs for 50 -, 75 -, it can remember favorite frequencies in and 100 -ohm impedances; Type-N ter- voice, satellite, or data modes. mination plugs for 50- and 75 -ohm The unit comes with a built-in 140 - impedances; and eight BNC and Type - watt, 115/230 VAC switching power N adapters. supply, and has three jacks: external All connection interfaces feature gold - audio -in, external speaker, and tele- plated center contact pins and PTFE phone. Other features of this unit dielectrics for high connection integrity include an external DC input for mobile and reliability. Insulated in Teflon with a CIRCLE 25 ON FREE or emergency -power operation and a tarnish- resistant brass shell, Pomona 50- INFORMATION CARD transmit time -out timer. DTMF and ohm coax connectors are typically rated Internal card slots are used for inte- CTCSS tone -encoding and decoding at 500 volts rms. grating 1200/9600 bps packet- radio, ability for both two -meter and wideband The Model 6201 and Model 6202 test satellite, weather-fax, and data recep- receivers is also provided. Among the accessory kits are priced at $200 each. tion. The optional TNC270 Terminal accessories included with this Drake iTT POMONA ELECTRONICS Node Controller and DEMOD270 transceiver is a high -quality dynamic 1500 East Ninth Street Demodulator plug -in cards fit neatly microphone. Pomona, CA 91766-3835 inside the TR270. Those cards elimi- The TR270 FM transceiver retails Tel: 909 -469 -2900 nate the need to jury-rig multiple for $999. Fax: 909 -629-3317 components together, as well as elimi- R. L. Drake Company nate the tangled web of cabling that 230 Industrial Drive often accompanies multiple pieces of Franklin, OH 45005-4496 Desktop FM Transceiver equipment. Tel: 513- 746 -4556 R.L. Drake has returned to the Its five modes of operation provide Fax: 513- 746-4510 62 amateur-radio market with the TR270 the amateur -radio user with a wider Web: http:/ /www.rldrake.com

www.americanradiohistory.com BY SAM GOLDWASSER

Printer and Copier Basics

THIS MONTH, WE ARE GOING TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S A deflected out of the stream onto the paper. The stream is modulated to break LITTLE DIFFERENT: RATHER THAN DEALING WITH SPECIFIC it into a consistent drop size. The deflection works like the beam on an oscillo- SERVICING PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS, WE ARE GOING TO PRE- scope. If you charge one drop and pass it between two high -voltage plates, it is SENT A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF COMPUTER PRINTERS AND HOW THEY deflected. This system also requires cun- ning mechanics, but the support electronics is much more complex, and prob- work. Note that some of the following very great detail, but it is still a good read ably one of the reasons for its perfor- information was sent to my Web site by if you are into print technology in gener- mance limitations; the calculations of the others; in those cases, I have given cred- al. There are many companies that sell aerodynamics of drops being deflected is it to the original contributor. variable print processes. One I have heard no small task, even if look -up tables are Let's start off by taking a look at dot - of is RALFLATAC. They publish a used. For the most part, CIJ, as a single matrix printers. In that printer, a set of brochure that presents an excellent brief jet, is used in high -speed industrial appli- steel pins -as few as 9 and as many as of most technologies available for print- cations, such as product marking (sell -by 24-strike the paper through a fabric or dates, serial numbers, etc.). carbon -film ribbon. The pins are activat- In contrast, DOD most often uses an ed by solenoids that are controlled by the array of small jets and is the system used printer's control logic. Multiple passes in most desk -top printers. In principle, are sometimes used to increase the effec- DOD works like a dot-matrix pin printer, tive number of pins and improve print but instead of firing a pin at a ribbon, a quality (letter versus draft mode). drop of ink is fired at the paper. The drop For text, an internal character genera- is fired by either a piezoelectric crystal tor (ROM) converts ASCII codes to pin - squeezing the ink out of a small tube, or firing patterns. For arbitrary graphics, the by boiling the ink and having the vapor actual bitmap is read out and used to con- force the ink out of the chamber. The key trol the pin drive. The paper, carriage, to both of those processes is in the and sometimes ribbon movement are all mechanical design of very small compo- controlled by stepper motors. Those DOT-MATRIX PRINTERS are the only type nents. The control electronics is a bit cun- motors, their drivers, or the interconnect of impact printers widely sold today. ning, too, but I figure that is the easy bit. cables, are the most common problem areas. Note that dot -matrix printers are ing. They have locations in the UK (and How Many Colors? about the only type of impact printers around Europe) and the US. By tele- I use a Hewlett- Packard DeskJet 680C still in wide use, and fewer and fewer are phone, you can reach them in the UK at in the office. It has two cartridges: one for being sold each year. 01732 -583661, and in the US at 704- black and one for color. If the printer fires 684 -3931. I have no idea if you can get one drop of each ink at a given point, we Ink -Jet Printer Basics copies of either publication from them, so can have only six different colors (ignor- Much of what follows on ink -jet print- here is a very brief description: ing white and black). If it can fire two or ers comes from Tony Hardman There are two main types of ink -jet more drops at a given point, maybe we ([email protected]): There is a printing -continuous ink jet (CU) and can have more colors, but I suspect that US publication called The Hard Copy drop -on- demand (DOD) impulse print- the printer uses this to control the quality OBSERVER from Lyra Research Inc., ing. Each of those can use either a single of the presentation, not the number of Tel: 617 -322 -0708. It discusses the latest jet or an array of jets. CU is a continuous colors (does anybody knows for sure ?). technologies and who does what. It may jet of ink cycling round a system and With dithering it can make more colors, not cover the print -head technology in occasionally (when required) a drop is with reduced resolution. 63

www.americanradiohistory.com As in most print processes, you only machines also use similar techniques in have a limited selection of inks to use. Full their printing mechanism. color can be derived from three colors, The only other significant difference just like a monitor. For monitors, those between copiers and laser printers is that colors are red, green, and blue because copiers use a positive process (dark areas monitors emit light, resulting in an addi- in the original result in marks on the tive color process. Inks, on the other paper) and laser printers commonly use hand, absorb light, so printing is a sub- a negative process (a spot of light results tractive process. The resulting inks should THE HEWLETT -PACKARD DESKJET 680C in a dark mark on the paper). then be cyan (blue plus green or blue has two ink cartridges: One for black ink and The photosensitive drum is the heart minus red), magenta (red plus blue or red one for the three color inks. of the laser printer or copier. In larger minus green), and yellow (red plus green machines, it may be a separately replace- or red minus blue). Therefore, the colors able unit. In many laser printers and used in common ink -jet printers are not smaller copiers, it is part of the toner really capable of producing true full-spec- cartridge and is a throw -away (or could trum, photo -realistic quality since they be recycled). The drum is coated with a are red (not magenta), blue (not cyan), photosensitive material that has an and yellow. Those inks are optimized for extremely high resistance when in dark- nice saturated primary colors when used ness. Its resistance drops to a low value independently. One of the newest color when illuminated. inkjet printers is the Epson Stylus Photo. All of the following takes place as a It uses a five -color ink cartridge, in addi- continuous process as the drum rotates. tion to black, to create high -quality realis- Note that the actual photosensitive tic color images. THIS COLOR INKJET PRINTER from Epson drum in most copiers and laser printers From Tony Hardman comes the fol- uses a five-color ink cartridge (plus black) to has a circumference that is much small- lowing: If you can vary the drop size, you provide more realistic colors. er than the length of the printed page. can change the drop spread on the paper. Therefore, only a portion fits at any That can be done by firing bigger slugs of seem. I have noticed that the water -based given time; and the charging, exposure, ink, or multiples of the drop at the same inks are improving, and there are some transfer to the paper, cleaning, and eras- position. As you can understand, the ink that do not run if they get wet (after drying is a continuous process. will either spread and make a bigger ing on the paper). The drum's surface is charged to a drop, or stay the same size and become high positive voltage (typically 5 to 6 denser. Depending on the resolution you Laser Printers kilovolts DC) by a set of charging coro- want, either technique could improve Some of the information in this sec- na wires in close proximity to the drum. color density, depending on two key tion was sent to me by Copenhagen The exposure process differs for copiers components: the ink, and the paper. Cowboy ([email protected]): Copiers and laser printers. The problems with laying down mul- and laser printers have a lot in common. For copiers, a swath of the original is tiple drops on paper is that if you do a The major difference between them is in focused onto the drum. As the drum large block, the paper will curl and the how the image is formed on a photosen- turns, a quartz lamp and strip mirror overall image becomes worse. That is sitive drum. .A copier uses a bright light moves along the original, with a second why you can pay as much as $1 for a sheet and lens to focus an image of the original strip mirror moving at half the speed of of really high- quality, really white paper. (actually, a strip at a time is scanned in the first. The result is that the entire orig- Another problem with this is speed. most modern low- to medium- perfor- inal image is kind of "peeled" onto the Firing two drops in the exact same place mance copiers) onto the drum. Adjusting rotating drum. (Look through the glass is difficult unless the head is stationary, the lens -to- original and the lens -to- platform that supports the original as the but that is not good either. You may drum distance is used to vary the reduc- machine is copying, and you will see what notice that most DOD printers operat- tion or magnification. I mean.) For laser printers, the negative ing in their high -resolution mode do a A laser printer uses a low -power, image of the page stored in the printer's number of passes over the same place. sharply focused laser beam to scan one buffer memory (the laser is turned on That allows dithering and other tech- line at a time on the drum. Modern laser where the print is to be black) is read out niques that improve resolution/color printers use infrared, solid -state laser and scanned onto the drum one line (e.g., enhancement. These printers usually diodes similar to those used in CD play- ' /300th or ' /600th of an inch) at a time. only print while going in one direction ers and optical disk drives. The digital Where the light hits the drum's surface, for improved mechanical control. image is generated from a bit map stored its resistance drops dramatically and the Inks are a problem too. They can dry in the printer's memory and modulates charge in those areas is dissipated. at different rates because of the different the laser beam. Scanning is mechanical - Regardless of the machine type, at dyes used, or they may not mix the way a high -speed motor spins a multifaceted that point, a swath of the image of your you expect if you place two colors on top deflection mirror to get the X -axis, and ultimate copied or printed page resides of each other. It's only ink, but to get the the paper moves to get the Y axis. LED as areas of electrostatic charge on the best balance of surface tension, drying "page printers" use a large array of LEDs drum. That is a "latent" image and must time, viscosity, color, stability and more as the image source, but are otherwise be "developed." 64 is not as straightforward as it might similar to laser printers. Plain -paper fax As the drum continues to turn, the

www.americanradiohistory.com latent image rotates past the developer Paper is then transported to the fuser, are part of that cartridge and are replaced unit, which contains a mixture of devel- which fixes the toner to the paper via heat each time the cartridge is changed. oper and toner. For the most part, devel- (to soften the toner particles) and pres- oper is not really used up during the sure (to embed them in the paper fiber). Wrap Up printing process, but some is lost and There are parts in the fuser that also keep Well, I told you that it was going to may need to be replenished from time to the paper from sticking to the hot rollers. be different this time. While we did not time (depends on the machine's design). A thermostatically -controlled quartz - get to any hard -core servicing informa- Developer is a material that includes tube lamp provides the heat inside the tion, I felt that, since so little information powdered iron or another powder that is anti-stick (Teflon -coated) fuser roller. on printers is readily available, the infor- attracted by a magnet. Toner is the actu- mation I did have was worth presenting. al ink and consists of very finely pow- Anyway, that's all for this month. dered, thermoplastic particles. Those are Between now and my next column, why "fixed" in the fuser by literally melting not visit my sci.electronics.repair FAQ the image onto the paper. Depending on site on the internet at www.repairfaq.org. design, the developer material may be If you wish, you can reach me directly via separate or actually combined with the e -mail at sam @stdavids.picker.com. See toner. A magnet in the developer unit, you next time. which is as long as the page is wide, causes the developer along with trapped Timid about getting on the.. . toner to stand out, following the lines of isseissolsoromo°0r1.. force off of its long N -S pole pieces. World Wide Web? That forms a kind of brush of toner and LASER PRINTERS, like this one from You've heard about the Information developer material that is in contact with Hewlett- Packard, work very much like laser Superhighway and all the hype that goes the drum as it rotates with its latent copiers, though there are some significant with it! Sort of makes you feel timid about image. Normally, the developer -material differences. getting on the Web. Put your fears aside! A brush is C- shaped, and toner particles new book, The Internet and World Wide are carried in the C-shape (the back of Finally, your copy or printed page is Web Explained, eliminates all the mystery the "C" is against the drum). ready. However, we are not completely and presents clear, concise information to Here is where the developing process- done as there is still some toner on the build your confidence. The jargon used is es of copiers and laser printers differ. For drum -it is not possible to get it all off explained in simple English. Once the tech - copiers, the relative charges of the drum electrically-so there is usually a rubber talk is understood, and with an hour or two and toner are set up so that toner is drawn or plastic blade that rubs in direct contact of Web time under your belt, your friends to the unexposed (dark parts of the origi- with the drum. That drum blade scrapes will believe you are an Internet guru! nal) portions of the drum resulting in a the toner off the drum, and the recovery To order Book #403 send $6.95 plus $3.00 for shipping in the U.S. and Canada only to Electronics positive image on the paper. For laser blade catches it to keep it from falling Technology Today Inc., P.O. Box 240, Massapequa printers, the relative charges of the drum back into the machine. A used -toner Park, NY 11762 -0240. Payment in U.S. funds by and toner are set up so that toner is drawn auger transports the used toner, which is 11.S. bank check or International Money Order. Please allow 6 -8 weeks for delivery. to the exposed (where the laser beam was now changed both physically and electri- turned on) portions of the drum resulting cally, and is also contaminated with paper in a negative image on the paper. dust. Don't reuse your used toner, The drum c'ontinues to rotate around because it will eventually damage the BUY BONDS and comes in contact with the paper. developer unit, cleaning blades, fuser sec- Below the paper is another corona, the tions, and other parts of the mechanism. "transfer corona." Another high voltage Now that all the toner has been WINDOWS 95 is applied to the back of the paper scraped off the drum, there is still some -One Step at a Time (around 7 or 8 kilovolts DC) to draw the residual charge on the drum from the toner from the drum to the paper. previous exposure process. You obvious- Don't know what to do Remember, all that is going on in a con- ly can't scrape the static charge off the when confronted with tinual cycle and it is all in motion. drum, so the cleaned drum is now fully Microsoft's Windows 95 Depending on the manufacturer of exposed to a bright light to discharge screen? Then you need the machine, there may or may not be a the drum surface and prepare it for the a copy of Windows 95- third corona, the "separation corona ". next charge. One Step at a Time. That is needed to separate the paper from That is the basic process. Many varia- Develop your expertise the drum, but not disturb the toner on tions are possible and, depending upon with the straight -forward the paper. The separation corona is usu- the machine and manufacturer, some of presentation of the fre- -used features make Windows ally at around 4 or 5 kilovolts AC (if it was this may be a little different in your print- quently that DC, you would separate the paper from er or copier. Where a toner cartridge is 95 so valuable to the PC user. the drum, but will have very smeared used, many of the components men- To order Book BP399 send $6.95 plus $3.00 for shipping in the U.S. and Canada only to all over the page, making it unread- typically the drum, the toner and toner tioned- Electronics Technology Today Inc., P.O. Box able). The separation corona usually has developer (usually combined into a single 240, Massapequa Park, NY 11762 -0240. Payment guides over it to keep the paper from dip- powder), developer magnet, cleaning in U.S. funds by U.S. bank check or International ping down too far into the corona shell. blades, and some of the corona wires- Money Order. Please allow 6 -8 weeks for delivery. 65

www.americanradiohistory.com Au I UPDATE BY FRANKLIN J. MILLER

Building a Capacitance

Substitution Box

IF YOU WERE INTERESTED IN THE RESISTANCE SUBSTITU- tical. First, you would push the 4 key and the 1 key in the row above 100 nF-that TION BOX WE DESCRIBED IN THE DECEMBER 1997 ISSUE, IT IS gives you 500 nF at the terminals. Then you would depress the 4 key in the 10- LIKELY THAT YOU HAVE BY NOW BUILT IT AND PUT IT TO WORK. nF row and the 2 key in the same row. That adds 60 nF to the 500 nF. The THIS MONTH, WE WILL SHOW YOU ANOTHER USEFUL ACCESSORY switches stay down, and the selected value is available across the CX termi- for audio testing. It is a capacitance-sub - punching in the capacitance value you nals. For the final 2 nF, push the 2 but- stitution box, or C box; it is very similar need using the pushbutton pad. The ton in the 1 -nF row. It is just that easy. to the R-box, and it too will help make selected value then appears across the ter- your audio -testing chores easier. minals labeled CX at the top of the unit. Putting It Together The complete schematic for the sub- A Capacitor- Substitution Box stitution box is shown in Fig. 2. For easi- Our C Box provides capacitance out- est construction, a PC board is recom- puts from 10 pF to 11.1110 µF just by mended and is provided elsewhere in this pushing the appropriate combination of column. The parts-placement diagram buttons on the front panel. If you decide for that board is shown in Fig. 3. As indi- to build the box, be sure to use only pre- cated there by the dotted lines, the capac- cision components. Particularly, close itors are all mounted on the foil side of capacitor tolerances are a must. Ideally, the board; that's done to make the entire you need 1% components to make a very assembly as compact as possible. The accurate box. Unfortunately, such toler- switches mount on the component side of ances are nearly impossible to find, and the board in the usual manner. what is available is very expensive. To get Note that both the PC pattern and 10, 10 110 around this problem, I purchased a large the schematic show DPDT switches, number of readily available 20% toler- although only one section of each is ance ceramic -disc capacitors. Then I used. Those switches are used because measured them carefully with a capaci- they are easier to find than latching tance bridge, and I selected sets of capac- FIG. 1- HERE'S HOW THE C -BOX will SPDT pushbuttons; they are probably itors that came closest to the needed val- look when finished. As you can see, the less expensive, too. ues. I also made sure that they all fell to look its very similar to December's R -Box. Construction is straightforward. All the same side of the optimum value. I 24 switches mount right on the PC know that this is a time- consuming Note that the unit is labeled in nano- board. Make sure that you insert them so process, but it is the only practical way to farads (nF) rather than the more familiar that they fit flat and tight against the get the precise values of capacitance you microfarads (µF). (Actually, outside of board. This is important! If you do not need if you decide to build the box with- this country, capacitors are often marked get it right, the knobs will not fit proper- out the benefit of the available kit (see the in nanofarads rather than microfarads). ly through the top plate. Note: If you Parts List). The parts in my kit are select- To make the conversion, just move the elect not to use the available kit, make ed in the fashion described, and all of the decimal point three places to the left. sure you select an enclosure that is deep capacitors swing in the same direction so For example, 562 nF is 0.562 µF. enough to accommodate the switches their actual values track. Now, let's see how we would get the that you do use. The critical dimension A photograph of the finished unit is C Box to output that 562 nF. If you built here is the depth of the box; it should be shown in Fig. 1. Just like the R-box, you or remember our R Box you have a head deep enough so that when you mount the select the value you want to use by simply start, as the process is pretty much iden- PC board inside, the switch buttons pro-

www.americanradiohistory.com S1 S5 S9 3,3 S17 He-- . p- 0 . O O K 1 O K

i C21 C1 C5 i C9 i C13 i C17

tOpF ¡ 100pF ¡ 10nF 100nF 1µF inF 1 ¡ OUTPIJ >- 0- -U 6 Cf O- o- O- RED S6 S10 S14 S18 S22 2 C, o o o o--IF---- K K K K o--IE- J , C BLACK i C2 C6 I C10 C14 C18 20pF 200pF 2nF 20nF 200nF ¡ 1 21IF GREEN r d O- d o- CJ O- -O O- -Cf O- 4r S7 S11 S15 S19 623 K o K 3 ---- o K . o K o K

C3 I C7 ¡ C11 C15 C19 1 C23 30pF 300pF 3nF 30nF 300nF 3µF o- d o- -ó o- o o- -o' 0- -d o-

S4 S8 S12 S16 S20 S24 4 -IF-- o K o K . . o K . o K . -.. ; C4 C8 i C12 ; C16 C20 C24 j

40pF 400pF 4nF 40nF i 400nF 4µF 1y- Ip- 1 o- 'o- o- -ó o- q0- -d -ó 10pF 100pF 1nF 10nF 100nF 1µF

FIG. 2 -AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS SCHEMATIC, the C -Box circuit is simply a combination of capacitors and switches. trude far enough through the top plate for you to attach the switch knobs. Once the switches are in place, mount the capacitors on the foil side of the board. Do not install J1 J3 at this time. Once you have mounted all of the J1 J7 1J3 components (except J1 J3), carefully inspect the PC -board assembly for the usual construction errors. When you are satisfied all is well, put it aside for the time being. The next step is to apply the front - panel overlay. If you choose to buy the (D C C N_ N kit, an overlay and pre -punched enclo- U U U Ú sure are provided. If you elect not to use S4 S8 S12 S16 S20 S24 C4i the kit, you should create your own overlay. The appropriate markings can be seen in the photograph back in Fig. 1. rn N If you want a drilling guide for the front U U U U U panel, use the one for the R -Box, which

I i S3 S7 S11 S15 S19 S23 was shown in Fig. 4 in the December

C311 1997 issue. It is identical to the one for this unit. In fact, when we get around to CsI N building an inductance box (L Box) in a U U U U U future issue, it too uses the same drilling S2 S6 SID S14 S18 S22 pattern. C2 The overlay supplied with the kit has an adhesive backing. To ensure that it

Lr) a will adhere properly, you must make sure U U U U Ú that the front panel is very clean. A small S1 S9 S13 S17 S21 of which can be pur- Cl S5 amount acetone, chased at any paint store, will do the job nicely. It will remove any grease or dirt that might interfere with attaching the overlay. Since its vapors can be haz- ardous, make sure you are in a well -ven- tilated area when you work with acetone. Now you need a small bottle of water FIG. 3 -WHEN BUILDING THE BOARD, remember that the switches go on the component with a spray attachment. It will allow you side of the board, and the capacitors go on the foil side. to move the overlay around for precise 67

www.americanradiohistory.com PARTS LIST 0 CAPACITORS (All capacitors are 20%. 50 -volt, ceramic disc, selected as described in the text to get the 1% values needed.) C1 -10 -pF t_o C2 -20 -pF C3 -30 -pF C4 10 -pF C5- 100-pF a b b -b a C6- 200 -pF o D O C7- 300 -pF l4° o- C8- 400-pF ietle 1 13-6 Da CI C9 -nF (0.001 -µF) i op-6 -1 C10 -2 -nF (0.002 -µF) (LI 0- C11 -3 -nF (0.003 -RF) C12 -4 -nF (0.004 -RF) p-, C13 -10 -nF (0.01 -p.F) 0 0 0 0 C14 -20 -nF (0.02 -µF) 121:1_ D- C 15 -30 -nF (0.03 -11F) nF (0.04 -RF) a 0 C16-40 O D 0 o C17-100-nF (0.1 -p F) ö4 d 04 C18- 200 -nF (0.2 -µF) 4 d4 ?- c BOx C19- 300 -nF (0.3 -p F) C20 400 -nF (0.4 -RF) C21 -1 -µF o o C22 -2 -µF C23 -3 -µF 2 7/8- INCHES C24 --4 -µF

ADDITIONAL PARTS USE THIS FOIL PATTERN when building the C -Box. AND MATERIALS Position the PC board in front of you, buttons work without any problems. S1 S24- Pushbutton switch, DPDT, see with the for J1, J2 and J3 Once that is confirmed, tighten the four text three pads J1 -Banana jack, red toward the top. There are four rows and screws and nuts to the final fit. Now you J2 -Banana jack, black six columns. Use black buttons for the can solder the banana jacks to the PC J3- Banana jack, green first column, on the far left. As you go to board. The last step is to assemble the Switch knobs (four each black, red, yel- your right, use the red, yellow, green, rest of the case. low, green, blue, and white), enclosure and blue buttons in order for each row. You have just built a very important (see text); PC board, top -panel over- Use the white buttons for the row on the test fixture. The C -box is extremely use- lay, hardware, wire, solder, etc. extreme right, and you are done. Note ful when you need to find out about pas- Note: The following items are available that the buttons will just snap on. As you sive and active filters. Also, capacitors from Franklin J. Miller, 2100 Ward install each one, be sure that you hear a determine the low- and high -frequency Drive, Henderson, NV 89015. A com- snap, indicating that each knob is response amplifiers. Next time, we plete kit, including pre -drilled alumi- button of num case, front -panel label, pushbut- properly seated. will put our new C -box to work. ton knobs, PC board and all other Now install the banana jacks through the front panel. Go from left to right and components, for $95.00 postpaid. THE COLLECTED WORKS OF insert red, black, and green, in order, MOHAMMED tightening the nuts that hold them in ULLYSES FIPS placement. Place both the front panel place as you go. There are four 2.5 -mm #166 -By Hugo Gernsback. Here is a collection of 21 April and the overlay in front of you, with the x 10 -mm long screws, four 'Is -inch long Fools Articles, reprinted from three holes at the top. Remove the over- spacers, four nuts, three lock washers, the pages of the magazines lay backing and align the upper -left cor- and one ground -lug washer that are they appeared in, as a 74- page, 8,4 x 11 -inch book. ner of both pieces. Once the label is inserted in each one of the four corners The stories were written be- aligned, gradually smooth the balance of of the front panel. Insert the four screws tween 1933 and 1964. Some k of the devices actually exist the overlay down using the side of your and turn the assembly over (put a small today. Others are just around the corner. All hand. After this is done, use an orange piece of cardboard over the top to hold are fun and almost possible. Stories include the stick (available in the beauty section of the screws in place while you do this). Cordless Radio Iron, The Visi- Talkie, Electron- ic Razor, 30 -Day LP Record, Teleyeglasses and a screws. any supermarket) as rolling device to Slip the spacers over the Now the even Electronic Brain Servicing. Get your copy get out all the bubbles. Let the front PC board should fit onto the spacers, fol- today,. Ask for book #166 and include $16.00 panel dry overnight to be sure all of the lowed by the lock washers in three cor- (Includes shipping and handling) in the US and Canada, and order from CLAGGK Inc., water has evaporated. Do not use heat! It ners and the ground -lug washer in one. P.O. Box 4099, Farmingdale, NY 11735-0793. will ruin the overlay material. Finally, place the nuts on the screws and Payment in US funds by US bank check or In- ternational Money The next step is to put the knobs tighten them only finger tight. Turn the Order. Allow 6 -8 weeks for delivery. MA05 68 (supplied with the kit) on the switches. unit over to be sure that all of the push

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L 240x64 clot LCD with built -in controller. Nce -E closes:d TTL ornes with pnout. I 2 at 1.4 Amp input Horizontal frequency 15Khz. Ability to do 40 and 80 column. AND 4021 ST -EC). Unit is EL back -lit. $59.1N1or 2 for $109." or 5 inch Amber $25.00 7 OPTREX. DMF5005 (non back -lit) $49." or 2 for $89." inch Amber $25.00 20 character x 8 line 9 inch Amber or Green $25.00 The built -in controller allows you to do text and graphic 7)(Lx24H 5" COLOR MONITOR $39."" Alphanumeric-parallel interface Flat Faceplate 320 x 200 Dot Resolution CGA & Hercules Compatible 16x1 $7.00 20x2 $10.00 32x2 $8.00 12 VDC Operation 15.75 KHz Hartz. Freq. 60 Hz Vert. Sync. Freq. 16x1 (lg. char.)....$10.00 20x4 $15.00 40x1 $8.00 Open Frame Construction it Standard Interface Connector Degoussing Coil included Mfr SamSoir 16x2 $7.00 20x4 (lg. char.)....$10.00 40x2 ...... 2 for $20.00 16x2 (Ig. char.)....$10.00 24x2 $10.00 40x4 $20.00 9" COLOR SVGA MONITOR $249.1" 16x4 $15.00 32x4 $10.00 4x2 $5.00 Fully Enclosed - Tilt and swivel type. 55/ power required Built -in C -MOS LCD driver & controller Easy "microprocessor" interface 98 ASCII character generator Certain models are backlit, call for more info. HACKER CORNER Graphics and alphanumeric -serial interface Encased Spread Spectrum RF Modem $ 1 99" MIL price size Mfr price The PruxLink Radio is a 640x480 (backlit) Epson $25.00 480x128 Hitachi $10.00 Module small communication device which replaces cables between RS- 232 devices with wireless RF (Radio Frequency) technology. 640x400 (backlit) Panasonic $20.00 256x128 Epson $20.00 Attaching a pair of ProxLrnks to any two devices with three wire asynchronous RS -232 ports allows wireless data transmittal rates 640x200 Toshiba $15.00 240x128 (backlit) Optrex $20.00 at up w 19.2 Kbaud (full duplex) over a range of 51X1 - 8(N) feet. Module, use 900 MZ spread spectrum 480x128 (backlit) ALPS $10.00 240x64 Epson $15.00 radio for communication which dons not require an FCC site license. A variety of configuration 160x128 Optrex $15.00 infurmaiion (radio channel, baud rate, serial non configuration, etc.) can be programmed into module's non -volatile memory by host PC to provide compatibility and avoid overlapping systems. 6" VGA LCD 640X480, Sanyo LMDK55 -22 $2529 Configuration changes arc supported by menu driven, on -hoard software. Commonly used Terminal LASER PRODUCTS Emulation software and transfer protocols can he used for configuring modules and transferring I data between computers. ProxLinks require only 6 -9 VDC (3511 mA), RS -232 (9 pin sub - D) interface, and small (- 4") whip antenna for operation. Unit site is 4.(1" x 6.5" x 11.75 ". Installation HeNe Laser Head ( toms. ., . output immix). 15.5" lung MFG: NEC $89?w chematics and application details available. Laser Power Supply (for HeNe tube) $79 i LASER SCJANNI :K Assn :M111 -Y $19." US made Micronics 486 VLB ALL in ONE $3929 or 2 for $6922 motherboard, supports 3.4 or 5v CPU, at either 25 or 33 mhz basic clock. Con use AMC) or Assembly intended for 6ser printer. Includes t3ade, motor (6 mist terra polygon sided) and optics and lenses Intel from 486SX25 thou 4860X4 -100 to HOT new AMD 5X86 -133 cpu. On board SVGA LASER DIODE (5mW) with collimator $20 -4° video. On board 1 meg video ram expandable to 2 meg with All Moch 2 chip set. On board 2 high speed serial ports, 1 printer port, Floppy and IDE hard drive controller. On board 256K VISIBLE LASER DIODE: 5mw at 67Onm $1 5 44 cache. Uses 72 pin nimm memory. Landmark speed rating of 479 with AMD chip. Index guided. Threshold current 40 nia typical. Bound will not fit standard All in One case because of non standard location of riser hoard. VLB riser hoard is included with motherboard. 3 and 4mW, 1,300nm LASER DIODES, 5.6mm package, QO Mitsubishi Electric part number ML701BIR -E214, General specs re: COLOR CCD $14.99-2 I. Vop =1.25, Beam Divergence 25.6° x 28.6 °; 2. Tc =24 °C, lop =19 to 20mA, CAMERA 12 VDC 1 /3_inch. CCD area image sensor 514 (horizontal) x 491 (vertical) 2:1 interlaced 15.734 ITH= 10.7mA; 3. Wavelength range between 1.280nm and 1,330 nm kHz (horizontal), 59.94 Hz (venicel) 330 horizontal and 350 vertical lines 101x I V. NTSC signal format POLYGON MOTOR UNIT 8a DRIVER $696 Lens: I/3 -inch. fixed focus (F:2.8 f:5.61 Dimensions: (WI 67 (2.63) x (H) 34 (I 45) x (D) 112.6 (4.43) Tco.adal lust m dxe nurn" mounted on an armature Iha .Tin, a 125 rcvdueige per second yielding a nam.sweep rated 511 swap, e, t ,irJ Tte dnvir fix die polype on regain, 24 vdu and plu and mina, 12 volt, to operate. Tore u ale a f-Ihela kw le Ini 11 ilk piyge SONY Miniature Color LCD Display (LCX005BKB) $29óo scanning ienilanlvn with: duo Ind Jonson Grix for igecal exp;nneCL,. di. Very high quality uni6. 1517 JAPAN IaAx.Tn)iA31 14 CM (0.55 inch) Diagonal Full Color Display Built In Horizontal and Vertical Drivers Della Dot Patten for High Picture Quality - 537 dots (H) x 222 dots (V) Compatible with NTSC & PAL L Pos S EIAR CODE Format and Sync Inputs 12 VDC Operation with -I to +17 V RGB Signal and Driver Input Voltage MAGNETIC CARD READER Excellent Display for Virtual Reality Projects, Viewfinders, and Miniature Test Equipment $25." Displays Pin One and Specification Included Unit Requires Clock. Synchronization and Video Includes: 20 character dot matrix display with full alpha -numeric capability keypanel with full alphanumeric entry separate 7.5 VDC /0.5 Amp power supply standard I la, 2 fur telephone interface extension cord lithium battery and Hat -cone speaker. CELL SI TRANSCEIVER $494"1 x89,"i These transceivers were designed for operation in an AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Service) cell site. The HP bar code wand (HBCS 2300) $25.00 20 MHz bandwidth of the transceiver allows it to operate on all 666 channels allocated. The transmit channels are 870.030 -889.980 MHz with the receive channels 45 HMz below Rose frequencies. A digital POWER SUPPLYS synthesizer u utilized to generate the selected frequency. Each und contains two independent receivers lo demodulate voice and data with a Receive Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) circuit to select the one with the SWITCHING POWER SUPPLYS $12.00 or 2 for $20.00 115/230 Volts best signal strength. The transmitter provides a 1.5 watt modulated signal to driva an external power amplifier. channel selection is accomplished with a 10 bit binary input via a connector on the back panel. 73 WATT (2) 4 pin power connectors attached Dim: 8.5" x 4.5" W x 2" H l Other interface requirements for operation are 26 VDC (unregulated) and an 18.990 MHz reference Output: +5V 0 2 -9.75, A, +12v 0 0-1.5 A, -5V 0 0 -0.4 A, -12V 0 0 -0.5 A frequency for the digital synthesizer. The units contain independent boards for receivers. exciter. synthesizer. tunable Iront end, and interface assembly (which includes power supplies and voltage- controlled oscillator). 60 WATT Dim: 8% x 4% x 3 .Output:5V @ 6A + 12V O IA- 5V O IA - 12V ®1 A Service manual. schematics and cireur descriptions included. CHARGE COUPLED DEVICES Encased Black & White Composite CCD Camera with Adapter IR viewing to1000nm75Lx25Wx1 %H "The Spy In The Sky" $29.°lá MATRIX TYPE Comes complete with CCD camera, mounting nut on bottom of casing, I 2VDC power supply. Excellent low light capability, standard RCA NTSC video out $89.00v.7 Thomson 576X550 pixel CCD Great for: entryway security/remote monitoring, video conferencing/desktop video conferencing 400- 1,100nm resolution and responsivity. 2 for $159.00 S500ffi Original cost device This miniature camera is perfect for multimedia computer applications as well as security and surveillance. NTSC output allows use with all popular video digitizing hoards for Apple Sony CCD Imager - designed for black white and composite video Macintosh and Microsoft videos for Windows. Connects directly to any composite monitor or VCR cameras. Picture elements: 384 (H) x 491 (V) $29" with "video,' input. Its razor -sharp wide -angle lens focuses from two inches to infinity and its Chip size 10.7 (H) x 9.3 (V) mm' Unit cell size 23.0 (H) x 13.4 (V) um'. state -of- the -an CCD technology accurately capares 16 level graysculc images for Quick Time Ceramic 24 pin DIP package Mir: Sony, Part# 016AL movies and still pictures. Records at 311 frames per second and 2611 lines resolution with excellent low light capability. Uses I2VDC (adapter supplied) and standard RCA cable. 4096 element CCD $15.00 LINEAR TYPE 1024 element CCD $10.00 POINT OF SALE BANK TERMINAL $39ffi or 2 for $69e LCD Display 20 Char. x 4 Line Prints 16 Column Dot Matrix - Epso ey Domed Membrane 2048 element CCD $10.00 1728 element CCD $10.00 Keypad Intel 80032 Processor 2 PCMCIA Sockets ( of D as 1287 Realtime Clock 2 Solid" St" Buzzers (PiRzo Electri Roc ell C dry Interface (4 .. MISCELLANEOUS Non : J" - ace ¡} 'in., lector -C: s Ba ry Ptak Inside Note: We have 1 Ic to an ccx ,de i (twarc. us, while time of day and ,"her ADAPTEC 4070A (RLL) OR 4000A (MFM), SCSI Controller, your choice $25" introductory things ed i L Iginul capabilities of this unit cannot he guaranteed. Also, we do not have a sou c s arts t ai were m gin in the PCM CIA sockets. Requires 12 volt adapter for power.

IBM 370 option XT and AT emulation boards $25° (Not included) Dimension., 9. I /2L x 6. I /4W x 2 -1/2 D Original cost aver 5450.51

2539 W. 237th Street, Bldg. F, Torrance, CA 90505 Minimum Order: $20.00. Minimum shipping and handling charge $5.00. We accept cashiers Order desk only: USA: (800) 872 -8878 CA: (800) 223 -9977 checks, MC or VISA. No personal checks or COD's. CA residents odd 8.25% sales tax. We are not responsible for typographical All L.A. & Technical Info: (310) 784-5488 Fax: (310) 784 -7590 errors. merchandise subject to prior sale. Phone orders welcome. Foreign orders require special handling. Prices subject to change without notice. 20% OEM INQUIRIES WELCOME restocking fee for returned orders.

CIRCLE 275 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD

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www.americanradiohistory.com fiS-232 Networkable Devices NEW: RS -232 programmable c o L tn 256x128 Graphic Display Mod- ir 3 g Add Graphics ule w/software controlled Back- ó c A.'' to Any Micro light. Upload up to 128 BMP 33 with an Image Files, animate at 960 _a co.,z fear., , C RS-232 frames/second, 16 level gray - ,t. 44.4"1.M Interface!!! scale capability. Supports 32x16 111 a 8/16 Hobby ServoController. 8 -Relay (Quad Relay R Text overlayed with graphics. Driver o Documentation, Windows95 Futaba -J Compatible, Infrared Driver Available) includes 8 o '" Setup Utility, and OBasic Example Receiver Included with SV16 LED Status Lights. 12V Op- Software included. Counts as 2 Devices on the NCD RS -232 upgrade. Perfect in all anima - eration. Infrared Receiver. tronic applications. ta Network. Combine up to 8 LCDAs on a Single Serial Line or mix With Omron Mech Relays. with our relay drivers and other devices. Model described SV8 Kit $39 Asm $54 R85 (5A) Kit $89 Asm $139 o 'ust $299. Two other models available for $199 and $249. SV16 Upgd Kit $19 Asm $29 R810 (10A) Kit $109 Asm $159 iblr i Z Includes Drivers 2Combine 16 Devices in ANY Combination to Your RS-232 Porti o in QBasic. Mac & 0 Leds 4+ CD Amiga Software 3 4,3 +.b 1 o Also Su orted. Show i...k k A, 6 ;C"' tn Step :1 ` Pat - tern. 41 _. v National Control Devices m Audio Selector with 4 ste- Contact Ryan Sheldon High -Power Stepper Motor Audio /Video Switcher: 8 In- (ñ Controller for reo inputs, 2 stereo outputs. Phone: (404) 244 -2432 unipolar mo- puts, 2 Outputs, Infrared tors up to 12 volts 2 amps. Controllable, Routes Any In- Volume, Trebble, Bass, Fader tn FAX: (417) 646 -8302 Takes a step for every byte put to Any Output. 12 Controlled by infrared or RS- IÚ -18 volt tv Include $5 Shipping. received. Control up to 16 DC operation. For Low -Power 232 w/Windows95 software. IU NCD U) Visa /MC Accepted. steppers from 1 serial port. (Line -Level) Signal Switching. Fully Networkable. NCO, Box 384, Osceola, MO 64776 STP Kit $24 Asm $39 AVSB Kit $89 Asm $139 NCD- ASP8X4 Asm $79 v Infrared Transceiver for Remote RS -232 Communication with 16 IR Controllable Devices. IRTR Kit '.24 Asm $39 o RSB Serial Booster Gives our RS -232 Port the Power It Needs to Drive 16 NCD Devices. RSB Kit ' 12 Asm '.24 On-Line Catalo: htt://members.aol.com/ncdcat/ E-mail: ncdr [email protected] CIRCLE 330 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD WHITE -STAR ELECTRONICS TEL: 405 -631 -5153 FAX: 405- 631 -4788 RF Data Modules CONVERTERS: 20 50 100+ Regal CR -83 45 39 35 * New, Panasonic TZPC 145 75 69 65 0.25mW 500 DQN -5 (2 or 3) (unmodified) 45 39 35 ERP into DRZ -3 PJ (unmodified) 70 Channel Plain 35 32 29 3V(F), 5V(F) or 6- 12V(A) DRX -3 PJ (unmodified) 60 Channel Plain 32 30 27 418 or 433.9Mhz FM simply add antenna, data, power

I I I I Range up to 200m Call FREE catalog. TXM -4XX-A $24.50 Analog or digital data i/p for TXM -4XX-F $25.80 SAW controlled - stability 405- 631 -5153 eiy *Only 21x47x5mm r, _ ; t ' t 1 3mÁ; 130uÁ on power save (100:1) REMOTE CONTROL '>2'. *Carrier detect o/p s HAND UNITS: 20 50 100+ or 433.9MHz FM Jerrold Replaces: 400/450/550 4.95 4.50 4.25 418 Superhet Scientific Atlanta: 075/175/475 4.95 4.50 4.25 SAW controlled - stability 8600: On screen display 7.50 7.00 6.50 *Analog or digital o/p Pioneer: BR 81, 82 4.95 4.50 4.25 SILRX -4XX -A $39.38 Wide supply range 4,5 -9V (A/F ver.) Panasonic: Call for model # 7.50 7.00 6.50 Zenith: All 4.95 4.50 4.25 SILRX -4XX -F $41.92 Fast enable time <3ms Tocom: 5503 -VIP, 5503 -A 7.00 6.50 6.25 Universal: 4 in 1 R/M 7.50 7.00 6.50 Only23x33xllmm Call for Oak, Hamlin, Regal -83, Regency, iI' Up to 40,000bps of balanced code Texscan, and all others. *Up to 170m range. Tamper-Bit tools: (10 -lot) S 5v operation Jerrold compatible bits: 418or433MHzFM 1/4" Stacom Bit $8.00 Direct interface to 5V CMOS logic Oval Round D $20.00 Torx Bit: BIM -4XX -F $87.36 Fast 1ms enable from power saving -8 dot Tocom T $8.00 Zenith T- l0,T-l5 $8.00 ry^;'. c$ 3 wire RS232 interface Pioneer T-20 $8.00 e` Up to 38400 bps Scientific Atlanta T-20 $8.00 , ' 59 x 40 a 14mm *418 or 433MHz FM. 7.5 -15Vdc Pio 63XX Oval $20.00 ,Si4 Bit Driver Handle $4.00 TX/RX LED indication CYPHERNET -RS232 $139.30 Up to 150m range We carry most remote hand units. If you don't find the one you're looking for, we can locate for you. Volume Discounts Tel: 416-242-3120 Specializing in large quantities. Free Catalog Available Fax: 416-242-2697 HOURS: Monday thru Friday 9 am to 5 pm Central Time. ABANCOM COIN TECHNOLOGIES FaxBack: 416- 242 -3082 72 Call for FREE catalog. MasterCard / Visa Email: wse405@ aol.com 67 Hamptonbrook Dr Weston ON M9P 1A2 Canada CIRCLE 314 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD

www.americanradiohistory.com www. getOa+ystearllti rogerssystems .com Communications .com k - Audio - Video Battery Backup Surge Protection w/ built in surge and Universal 15 AMP fused circuit breaker w/ reset noise suppression feature, built -in light indicator, AC to DC TM -225 Metal case, 5' heavy duty cord, TRIPP LITE $13944 each Converter 6 outlet with surge protection - Eliminates Batteries Features: h - Great for small radios, #TM -199 RFI /EMI line noise filtering protects against brownouts CD players, and toys $6.00 each alarm up -front diagnostic LEDs and #TM -310 $5.00 each Microprocessor control of on -board Power/Modem Protection functions 1.5v -12v DC/ 1000 ma 3 stage -EMI /RFI/Surge protection, FAX/ Protects against: #TM -307 $3.00 each Active Data Loss modem protection, #TM 200 1.5v -12v DC /300 ma Hard Drive Data Loss 5' cord, 6 outlet $12.00 each Computer and Monitor Damage Microphone Stick -on monitor or clip on or stick onshirt 6 ft. cord; condenser mic. P, #TM -MIC -2 Major Brand! P.C. MultiMedia 4" StereoL Mini Phono Plug Digital Headphones to 2 RCA Jacks $2Q4 each Stereo Speakers Black, foam pads 3.5 mm stereo mini phono plug Famous Maker Mini -Size amplified SVGA Shielded 3.5 mm stereo plug to 2 RCA phono jacks Cables great for walkman & multi -media use V #AD-561 #TM -170 #TM -172 $.50 each $344 each $854 each set 6 h. HD 15 male to female 20/$2.80 #CC -VGA -4 10/$7.85 each $300 each iee 4/$5.00 CD Jewel Case Parallel Port Vocal Mic Replacement for original case Uni- Directional Dynamic 6 ft. HD 15 male to female DB25 Female to 26 pin socket IDC Well suited for professional quality recording & PA Dual coaxial shield #TM -CD1 Durable 8 ft cord -helps with ghosting, line Dynamic freq. response: 80- 13,000 Hz loss, and high resolution $.40 each monitors #CN -702 $.50 each #TM -MIC $300 each 1 00.'$.40 #CC- VGA -4C Call for quantity $9e° each I-EEE 1284 discounts! 6 h. HD 15 male to male Printer Cable switch box cable 10' Bi- Directional \ DB25 Male to Mini Centronic 36 (34r6 MOti/Se #CC -VGA -3 A.K.A. type "A" - "C" #TM -KB -1 Miniature Mouse $344 each #CC -PR6 -BIMIN $1600 each 2- Button, black Great for small hands 6 ft. HD 15 male to male $.89 each or laptop! switch box cable 14" SCSI Ill Cables #TM-290-MINI Dual coaxial shield 34 Twisted Pairs with drain wire $444 each -helps with ghosting, line Half Pitch Db 68 Male -to -Male loss, and high resolution BTC Extended Keyboard Call for prices on: monitors Plug PS /2 mouse #CC- 693 -18 104 keys with 5 pin DIN #CC- VGA -3C 3 LED mode indicator Touch Pads $544 each extra Windows 95 keys Serial mouse $9`" each Local 805- 295 -5577 Remember, We Have Great Connections...ForYou! FAX 805- 295-8777 $10.00 minimum order required Add $4.50 shipping for pre -paid orders California residents add 8.25% tax eMail Sales @RogersSystems.com Call for quantity discounts No out of state checks accepted Most orders shipped same day 24895 Avenue Rockefeller, Valencia, CA 91355

73 CIRCLE 320 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD

www.americanradiohistory.com DIGITAL STORAGE CIIEC1c CAPACITORS IM- CIRCUIT WITU 100% ACCURACY M 3 SECONDS--- COARAA/TEED`

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TEMPERATURE PRESSURE Vu MEASLIGHT LEVEES HUMIDITY Allison now provides PICO TECHNOLOGY Ltd. portable test equipment, including high -speed scopes, and multi channel data loggers. Pico and O -Scope SWITCH POSITIONS THERMOSTATS LIQUID LEVELS modules accept standard probes and work with 286 or faster PC's. MODEL 30 $79 MODEL 45 $189

á PLUOE INTO PC SUS RS-212 RITEREALE FEATURES: 24 LINES DtOITAi I/O L DIGITAL I/O OPTIONS: S CHANNEL- L ANALOG INPU'i PORTABLE UNITS TO 25 PROBE SETS S art *JD/ IN 2 ANALOG OIITPL'TE MHz 12 SIT COUNTER 2 COUNTERS -24 SIT AUTOMOTIVE PROBES UP TO 14I1 SMP/8EC USES PRINTER PORT BATTERY PACKS USES STD. PROBES SOFT & HARD CASES MODEL 100...... : $279

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0-Scope I (DC-5OKHz, single trace) $189. 0-Scope II (DC-500KHz, dual trace) $349. PICO (ADC 200/20) (DC- 10MHz, dual trace) CALL PICO (ADC 200/50) (DC- 25MHz, dual trace) CALL RS-222 INTERFACE PICO pc based data loggers from $99. RS-232 INFIRM T 2S LINES DIGITAL I/O I96í A/O Shipping within U.S. UPS Ground $7.50(Second day $11.50) S ANALOG INPUTS 1.5 DIGIT PWM OUTPUT UP TO IA IMP, /SEC SEND CREDIT CARD INFO., M.O., or CHECK,OR CALL OPTIONAL IT SIT A/O 1- 800 -980 -9806 Allison Technology Corporation NEEClo A CtBSTOM roe Et?' TRY WI- 8343 CARVEL, HOUSTON, TX. 77036 U.S.A. PRAIRIE DIGITAL, INC. PHONE: 713-777 -0401 FAX: 713- 777 -4746 BBS: 713- 777 -4753 PHONE 608 -643 -8599 FAX 608- 643 -6754 http: //www. atcweb. corn 846 SEVENTEENTH STREET PRAIRIE DU SAC, WISCONSIN 5357S 74 i CIRCLE 325 ON FREE INFORMATION' CARD

www.americanradiohistory.com Pgsitive Photo Resist Pre -Sensitized Check Out Printed Circuit Boards :These What bodsg ideal smallp rodëut /t,on runs. They provide high resolution We and excellent line width control. High sensitive positive resist coated on loz. opper foil allows you to go direct from SINCE Have our computer plot or art work layout. No need to reverse art. 1971 To Offer: Single -Sided, loz. Copper Foil on Paper Phenolic Substrate PRICE EACH CAT NO DESCRIPTION 1 10 50 Fantastic DMM Offer!!! PP101 100mm x 150mm /3,91" x 5.91" $2.55 $1.90 $1.70 Don't let the price fool you. This meter is a digital PP114 114mm x 165mm/4.6" x 6.6' 2.98 2.45 1.98 multimeter designed for engineers and hobby- PP152 150mm x 250mm/5.91' x 9.84" 5.40 3.98 3.60 ists. Equipped with 5 functions and 19 ranges. PP153 150mm x 300mm/5.91" x 11.81" 6.15 4.48 4,10 Each test position is quickly and easily selected Our PP1212 305mm x 305mm/ 12" x 12" 12.78 10.65 8.52 with simple to of the FUNCTION/RANGE seector rotary switch. Best Single- Sided, loz. Copper Foil on Fiberglass Substrate PRICE EACH General Offer Rubber Boot Included CAT NO DESCRIPTION 1 10 50 Display: 3 -1/2 Digit LCD, 21mm Figure Height Ever with Automatic Polarity on a GS 101 l 00mm x 150mm /3.91 " x 5.91' S 3.90 $2.98 $2.60 Overraf dBc 3 Least Signifi- GS114 114mm x 165mm/4.6" x 6.6' 4.80 3.49 3.20 ae In tiion: Temperature for Guaranteed Accuracy: GS 152 150mm x 250mm /5.91 " x 9.84" 8.69 5.98 5.78 GS153 150mm x 300mm/5.91° x 11.81" 10.20 7.20 6.80 23 °C ±5 °C RH<75% High Temperature Ranges:: G61212 305mm x 305mm/ 12' x 12" 18.88 15.73 12.59 Operating: 0°Cto40°C(32°Fto Quality Double -Sided, loz. Copper Foil on Fiberglass Substrate PRICE EACH Storage: -1 to (14°F to 122° F //OFu 1 Sited Power: 9V Alkaline or Carbon -Zin DMM CAT NO DESCRIPTION 1 10 50 Battery(NEDA 1604) O GD 101 l 00mm x 150mm /3.91 " x 5.91" $ 5.07 $3.68 $3.38 any qty Low Battery Indication: BAT on Left of GD114 114mm x 165mm/4.6" x 6.6" 5.95 4.29 3.99 LCD Display Resistance (52) GD152 150mm x 250mm/5.91" x 9.84" 10.47 7.39 6.98 Dlmenslons:188mm long x 87mm wide x Ronge: Resolution: Accuracy: GD153 150mm x 300mm/5.91" x 11.81" 11.95 8.69 8.30 33mm thick 2000 100m0 Net Weight: 400g 20000 10 GD1212 305mm x 305mm/ 12" x 12" 22.09 18.35 14.68 DC Voltage (DCV) 20Ko 1052 t(1.2%rdg+2dgh) Range: Resolution: Accuracy: 200KO 1000 Etching Tank This handy etching system 200mV 100pV 2000Ko 1Ko will handle PC boards up to 8' x 9', two at a time. 2000mV lmV ±(1%rdg +2dgts) 20M52 10Ko ±(2%rdg +lOdgts) Ideal for etching your PCB's! System Includes an 20V 10mV Maximum Open Circuit Voltage: 2.8V air pump for etchant agitation, a thermostatically 200V 100mV Diode Test 1000V controlled heater for keeping etchant at optimum 1V Measures forward voltage drop of a Maximum Allowable Input: 1000V DC temperature and a tank that holds 1.35 gallons of semiconductor Junction In mV test cur- or Peak AC. etchant. A tight fitting Ild is also supplied to prevent rent of 1.5mA Max. DC Current (DCA) evaporation when system Is not being used. Typical etching time is ohFE Test Ronge: Resolution: Accuracy: reduced to 4 minutes on loz. copper board! 200pA IOOnA Measures transistor hFE. Frequency Range. 45Hz-450Hz 2000pA liA ±(1.2%rdg+2dgts) REDUCES CAT NO DESCRIPTION PRICE Maximum Allowable Input: 750V rms 20mA 10íA 12 -700 Response: Responding. - ETCHING TIME! Etch Tank System $37.95 200mA 1000, ±(1.2%rdg +2dgts) Average Call brated in rms of a Sine Wave. IOA lOmA 1/3" CCD Board Cameras Overload Protection:mA Input. 2A /250V AC Voltage (ACV) Range: Resolution: Accuracy: Available with PINHOLE LENS with AUDIO; STANDARD LENS with AUDIO; tuse. 200V 100mV ±(12%dg+10dgls) and STANDARD LENS with INFRA -RED. These are the world's smallest 750V 1V commercially available CCD board cameras! CAT NO DESCRIPTION PRICE World's Smallest B&W Board Cameras 9300G Rugged High Quality DMM with Rubber Boot $19.00 Specifications The next generction of Digital Image Pick -Up Device 1/3" CCD area Sensor Special Offer! Picture Elements EIA= 512(H) x 492(V) ulttmeters with 3 -3/4 digits, 4000 count, auto-ranging Pixel Pitch EIA =9.6UM (H) x 7.5ÚM and analog bargraph, 10MHz frequency counter, True M Scanning System 2 : 1 Interlace RMS mode and RS -232C interface. LIMITED TIME OFFER! Scanning Frequency EIA =525 lines. 60 field /sec (IO 15.750 WDP -2000 You MUST enter your order by December 31st, 1997 to KHz x 60 HK Resolution 430 Unes receive this special price! Regular C.S.I. rice S169.00. MIR Plus we'll even include the optional temperature Minimum Illumination 0.03 LUX and K -type thermocouple probe! We even S/N Ratio 45DB adaptor Lens Mounting 4.3mm standard, 5mm pinhole *" include the holster! Video Output 1.0 VP- P /7500HM composite signal CAT NO DESCRIPTION PRICE Power Requirement 8-12 VDC (9VDC standard) Power Consumption WDS-2005 PROTEK506 Digital Multimeter $139.00 100mA Operating Temperature -20C -+ 70 C RH 95% Max Storage Temperature -40C -= 85 C RH 95% Max This is used as the developer 1 Developer product Audio Pick -Up Sensitivity -60 DB (0DB = B /UBAR. 1 KNZ) on our positive photo -resist printed circuit boards. Audio Frequency Range 20 Hz to 20KHz Includes instructions. 50 gram package, mixes with Audio S/N Ratio More than 35DB

Audio Output Level 1 VP-P /600 water, makes 1 quart. PRICE EACH OHM Dimensions CAT DESCRIPTION 1 10 NO 25 WDP -2000 30mm (H) x 30mm (W) WDI -4000 POSDEV Positive Developer S .95 $ .80 5 .50 WDS -2005 30mm (H) x 30mm (W) WDI -4000 44mm (H) x 30mm (W) PRICE EACH Etching /Ferric Chloride Chemicals CAT NO DESCRIPTION 1 5 A dry concentrate that mixes with water to make 1 pint of etchant, enough to etch 400 sq. WDP -2000 1/3' B&W Pinhole Lens with Audio $89.00 $77.00 WDS -2005 1/3' B &W Standard Lens with Audio 89.00 77.00 inches of 1 o board. PRICE EACH WDI -4000 1/3' B&W Infra -RED (no audio) 89.00 77.00 CAT NO DESCRIPTION 1 5 WDPH -55BW Plastic Housing Option for B &W Board 13.00 12.00 ER -3 Makes 1 pint $3.50 $2.75 Cameras CIRCUIT SPECIALISTS, INC. RECEIVE OUR LATEST 132 PAGE CATALOG! It's chock full of all types of electronic equipment and supplies. gel 800- 811 -5203 We've got I.C.'s. capacitors, resistors, pots, inductors, test 1 602- 464-2485 equipment, breadboarding supplies, PC supplies, indus- 5ti trial computers, data acquisition products, personal 602- 464-5824 FAX computers and computer parts, plus much, much more. FAX us your name and address or call 800 -811- WE ACCEPT: 5203, ext. 5, to leave a message on our catalog request line. 75

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XK -700 Digital / Analog Trainer Volt AlertTM By FLUKE DIGITAL LCR METER Elenco's newest advanced designed Digital / Analog Twiner is specially designed for Volt Alert is the new pock- school projects. It is built on a single PC board tor maximum reliability. It includes 5 built- et -sized AC line voltage Model LCR -1810 in power supplies, a function generator with continuously sine, triangular and square wave- detector from Fluke. Easy to forms and a 1560 tie point bredboard area. Tools and meter shown optional. (Mounted in a profes- use - tip to an sional tool case made of reinforced metal). just touch the outlet or cord. When it glows XK -700 red, you know there's volt- Assembled and Tested age in the line. $99.95 Electrician's, maintenance, service, and safety personel $189.95 Capacitance .1 pF to 20µF can quickly test for ener- Inductance 1pH to 20H XK -700 - SEMI KIT gized circuits and defective Resistance .010 to w/ Fully Assembled PC Board grounds on the factory floor, 2000MÁ in the shop, or at home. Temperature -20C tc 750°C Fits in shirt pocket for con- $174.95 DC Volts 0 - 20V venience. Frequency up to 15MHz Diode /Audible XK -700K - Kit All outer surfaces are Continuity Test unconductive for safety. Signal Output Function $159.95 Detects voltage metallic contact. 3 1/2 Digit Display Made In the USA #1AC $19.50

20MHz Sweep / Function Model M -6100 Model XP -581 Generator with Freq Counter The M -6100 is Elenco's most sophisti- 4 Fully Regulated DC Power Supplies In One Unit cated meter with almost every possible 4 DC voltages: 3 fixed - +5V @ 3A, +12V @ 1A, -12V 01A B &K 4040 feature available. The M -6100 even 1 Variable - 2.5 - 20V @ 2A 0.2Hz to 20MHz has a computer interface for viewing AM & FM modulation and storing data on a personal comput- Burst Operation er. It comes complete with software, External Frequency $89. RS -232 cable, test leads and manual. counter to 30MHz Linear and Log sweep 10MHz BAK 4017 $309 5MHz BAK 4011 $239 $399 $125 SATELLITE FINDER Digital Multimeter Technician Tool Kit Model SF -100A Model M -1700 TK-1500 Aligns Satelite Dishes 28 tools plus a DMM Range 950- 2050MHz contained In a large Audio Tone flexible tool case with Compact Size handles ideal for $39.95 everyone on the go. Self Power Check

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www.americanradiohistory.com NewTest and Equiprimer1t Pre -Owrie cl Goldstar Pre -Owned Oscilloscope Specials B +K Precision 1476 10 MHz $229.00 Great Starter Scope! Tektronix 465 100 MHz $599.00 Tektronix 465B 100 MHz $699.00 Tektronix 475 200 MHz $799.00 Tektronix 475A 250 MHz $899.00 The Industry Standard of Oscilloscopes Model OS -9100P $899.00 Dual Channell, Calibrated Delayed Sweep Professionally Refurbished Full 100 MHz Bandwidth!- Aligned & Calibrated to Original Specifications Dual -Channel, High Sensitivity 6 Month - FREE SHIPPING! Warranty The Longest Available! TV Synchronization Trigger ON GOLDSTAR EQUIPMENT Calibrated Delayed Sweep ANYWHERE IN THE U.S. Excluding AK & HI Includes Two Probes, 2 Year Warranty LOWEST PRICES EVER! ? PRECISION NEW FLUKE MLLTIMETERS & TEKTRONIX OSCILLOSCOPES YXTIBC wg6lNfm-wa cop . Model 4040 $499.00 The Industry Standard in Multimeters TEKTRONIX TDS SERIES 20 MHz Sweep /Function Generator Fluke Model 87 .3285.00 ON SALE! 0.2 Hz to 20 MHz, 5 digit LED Display AM & FM Internal or External Modulation Sine, Square, Triangle, TTL, CMOS Outputs EW! See us on the Web! Test Equipment Depot Burst Operation www.fotronic.com A FOTRONIC CORPORATION COMPANY External 30 MHz Frequency Counter 1-800- 996 -3837 P.O. BOX 708 Medford, MA 02155 (617) 665 -1400 FAX (617) 665-078D (AMEXI C.O.D. TOLL FREE 1- 800 -99 -METER email: afoti @fotronic.com CIRCLE 331 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD ATTENTION CABLE VIEWERS + CABLE VIEWERS. ..get back to your BASIC Cable Needs Call 800- 577 -8775 For information regarding all of your BASIC cable needs.

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Our cameras use top Wavecom quality Japanese Class 'A' CCD arrays, not Wireless Video the off-spec arrays that are found on many other cameras. You see, the Japanese suppli- and Audio ers grade the CCDs at manufacture and some manufacturers end up Transmission with the off-grade chips due to either cost constraints or lack of buying System 'clout'. These cameras have nice clean fields and excellent light sensitivi- Transmit extremely clean ty, you'll really see the difference, and if you want to see in the dark, and sharp video and these are super IR (Infra -Red) sensitive! Available with Wide -angle (80 °) audio up to 300 feet. Wavecom transmits in the 2.4 GHz band or super slim Pin-hole style lens. Both run on 9 VDC and produce stan- using FM and circular polarization for state -of-the -art transmission. dard 1 volt p -p video. Add one of our transmitter units for wireless trans- There is no fading, ghosting, humming, buzzing or picture rolling mission to any TV set, or add our Interface board (below) for Audio when using the Wavecom. System consists of two parts, a trans- sound pick -up and direct wire connection to any Video monitor or TV mitter unit and a receiver unit. Switch selectable 4 channel opera- video /audio input jacks. Fully assembled. tion allows use of multiple Wavecoms in the same geographic area. CCDWA -2 CCD Camera, wide -angle lens $99.95 Connections are video and audio in and out using standard RCA CCDPH -2 CCD Camera, slim fit pin -hole lens $99.95 phono jacks. Includes AC wall plug adapters, patch cords, coax cable jumper, TV antenna NB switch and complete hook -up CCD Camera Interface Board instructions. Fully assembled with one year warranty. has all the features above plus adds the Here's a nifty little kit that eases hook -up of your The Wavecom Sr. of remote control signals CCD camera module to any video monitor, VCR capability of transmitting your TV/DSSNCR unit. This is great for or video input TV set. The board provides a volt- from the receiver unit back to the transmitter VCR from any room in the age regulated and filtered source to power the controlling your DSS satellite receiver or transmitter module assem- camera (CCD Cameras require a stable source house. We also offer the small intemal video transmit- of power for best operation), sensitive electret condensor mike for great bly for those who wish to make their own concealed a couple of matchboxes and sound pick -up and RCA Phono jacks for both audio and video outputs. ter system. Module is about the size of antenna. Runs on 11 - 20 VDC. includes microwave patch $189.95 IB -1 Interface Board Kit $14.95 WC -1 Wavecom Jr. Wireless System WC -5 Wavecom Sr. with Remote Capability $239.95 Budget TV Transmitter WC -TX Transmitter Module Assembly $105.00 Transmit audio and video to any TV set with this fully assembled transmitter. Although not tiny, it still offers \$/ RAMSEY ELECTRONICS, INC. neat features. Takes standard 1 volt p -p video some 793 Canning Parkway Victor, NY 14564 and audio and transmits on any UHF TV channel of RAMSEY your choice from 17 - 42. Has rugged metal case, Call for our free catalogue or visit us on the web: www.ramseyelectronics.com includes AC adapter, whip antenna and even RCA phono plug patch 1- cords! Can also run on 12 VDC. Toll-free Order Service: 800 -446 -2295 at this numbe' VS -2 Video and Audio Sender, Fully Assembled $29.95 Sorry no technical into or order status IR Illuminator for CCD Cameras For Tech Info or Order Status, Call the Factory Direct See in total darkness with one of our CCD video Phone (716) 924 -4560 cameras and this IR illuminator! IR light can't be Fax (716) 924 -4555 seen, illuminate the scene with IR and a CCD camera ORDERING INFO: Satisfaction Guaranteed. Examine for 10 days, if DIICOVER VISA 'sees' just fine. The array of 24 extra high intensity not pleased, return in original form for refund. Add $5.95 for shipping, LEDs are invisible to anybody - except for aliens and Casper! Runs on 12 handling and insurance. Orders under $20, add $3.00. NY residents Foreign orders, add 20% for sur- VDC. Illuminates similar to that of a bright flashlight. add 7% sales tax. Sorry, no CODs. face mail or use credit card and specify shipping method. G, IR -1 IR Illuminator Kit $24.95 89

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www.americanradiohistory.com EZ -EP DEVICE PROGRAMMER - $169.95 Check Web!1 -- www.m2l.com Available Adapters STRANGE BOOKS! EP -PIC (16C5x,61,62x,71,84) $49.95 Fast - Programs 27C010 in 23 seconds EP -PIC64 (62-5,72 -4) or Mad Scientists! $39.95 EP -PIC12 (12C50x) $39.95 Unusual, detailed how -to books, manuals, Portable - Connects to PC Parallel Port EP -PIC17 ((17C4x $49.95 EZ-EP references, old & new, for experimenters arid Versatile - Programs 2716 -080 plus EE EP- 51(8751,C511 $3995 EP- 11E(88HC11 E/A) 559.95 Mi. ELECTRONICS and Flash (28F,29C) to 32 pins EP -119 (68HC711D3) 539.95 Los Angebs. CBMonva Inexpensive- Best for less than $200 EP -16 (16bit - EPROMS) $49.95 EP-28(286E02 4,8,7,8) $39 95 Correct implementation of manufacturer EP -SEE2 (93x,24x,25x,85x) $39 95 EP -750 (87C750,1 2) algorithms for fast, reliable programming. $59.95 mad scientists on hi EP- PEEL(ICT22v10,18v8) $59.95 I 9 hi Easy to use menu based software has binary EP- 1051(89C1051,2051) $39.95 voltage, crystal sets, early EP -PLCC (PLCC EPROM.) editor, read, verify, copy, etc. Free updates via 549.95 EP -SOIC (SOIC EPROMs) $49.95 radio and television, bbs or web page. Many Other Adapters Available vacuum tube gear, Full over current detection on all device power Tesla, plastics, supplies protects against bad chips and M2L Electronics reverse insertion. 310/037 -7110 Fax1BBS: 3101041ó060 chemistry, hydro- 3520 Jasmine 84; Los MOOS, CA 90034 gen fuel, lasers, Broad support for additional devices using CA orders add 9.25% soles lax. adapters listed below. htpiAaww.m2lca, whiskey, solar cells, embalming, telegraphy, more! Highest quality! Guaranteed! Write (or send Igor) for big illustrated catalog! http: // 3 Axis Motion Control System www.keynet.net/- lindsay fax:815/935 -5477 ELECTRONIC EAVESDROPPING Complete, ready to run EQUIPMENT DESIGN Lindsay's Technical Books $ 255.50 + 12.00 Snt Build or adapt CNC mills, CNC routers, Robots, Etc. By Winston Arrington PO Box 538 -EBD, Bradley IL 60915 Includes. 3 Stepping motors (70 ovin 200 steps/rev). This revised edition contains 117 schematics External board (connects to parallel port of a PC). Power and text of our production equipment. 29 supply. Cables, Manual and the MAXNC drive software, Crystal 35 Room, Telephone, with linear, circular and helical interpolation, acceleration transmitters, 32 deceleration, full contouring, 'G' code programming. 15 Subcarrier. Countermeasures equipment, screen plot, code generation from CAD (CAM), and more. and much more. Request a free detailed explanation sheet of contents. For more information, PRICE: $65.00 + S &H. $6.00. phone or write to: MAXNC SHEFFIELD ELECTRONICS CO. 6509 W. Frye Rd. Suite3 Chandler AZ 85224 P.O. BOX 377940 -C, CHICAGO, IL 60637 -7940 Ph (602) 940-9414 TEL. (773) 324 -2196 Fax (602) 940-2384 Code: 377940 -C One tree can make 3,000,000 matches. ELECTRONIC $150.00 COMPONENTS ion Build your own functional Hexapod Robot The kit comes complete with all hardware, structural components, 3 Hitec servos, Counterfeit Basic Stamp kit, software and an illustrated assembly manual. This robot can walk forward, reverse and turn on a dime using the alternating tripod walking gait. It is an excellent foundation for many artificial intelligence and behavioural based experiments. One match can burn It is a lot of fun to build and even more fun to operate. Check out 3,LXXI,LXXI trees. our web site for more information and other robot kits. 12 Servo Hexapod $375.00 Infrared Proximity Dot $30.00 Mobile Robots Book $48.00

Quantity discounts available $7.50 Shipping Si Handling for USA, call for international and quantity shipping charges. IL residents add 6.25% sales tax to total. Many more robot kits, ask for our free catalog! Tel: 309 -382 -1816 Technical Service & Solutions Fax: 309 -382 -1254 104 Partridge Road M . www.lynxmotion.com Pekin, IL 61554 -1403 USA . jfrye @lynxmotion.com

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www.americanradiohistory.com * Do-lt- Yourself SCHOOL PROJECT CORNER Electronic Kits * po orders welcomed from schools Mark V Electronics, Inc. in Catalog & Information Melody Generator Kit $ 13.85 8019 E. Shipping9 Slauson Ave., Order 213/ 888 -8988 6W Mini- Ampifier A 9.50 Montebello, CA 90640 Fax 213/ 888 -6868 0- 15V5ARegulated DCPS 17.50 httpalvwaw.mark5co.com 36W Class A Power Amp. 32.50 Email:Inark5co @aol.com ORDER 1- 800 -521 -MARK / 1- 800 -423 -FIVE Dynamic Noise Reduction 26.00 Kit skill levels Multi-Function Control Switch 10.50 beginner V intermediate or W advanced! 20 Bar/Dot Level Display AA 41.45 TY-35 arance Sale Microphone Mixer Mono Amp. 20.79 11 This s a low power teal Ih r : Sale It employs high stability 1; ' FM transmitter. Transmit power IC & has a build Superior Electronic Roulette 21.50 frequency within 88 -108 + .,, ,,, in temperature compen- Digital Clock with Melody Alarm 25.00 MHz. Transmit range ` sating system. It has Stereo Pre -Amp with Mic Amp. 10.78 KA I; 0 6.99 about 200 ft. It has high Kit S, 5 4.85 large power output & Mini Stereo Multi-Input Amp. A 30.50 sensitivity sound pickup by a capacitance output & good distortion characteristic. Accept 130-in -one Electronic Lab 29.99 microphone. May be used strictly for series various magnetic & capacitor micro-phone purposes such as remote wireless montering. input & other line input. 6 -16V DC. SEE OUR CATALOG FOR MORE KITS I Stereo Loudspeaker Protector Regulated DC Power Supply Fluorescent Light Driver TY -25 A Super fast acting relay protects TR -503 V It is short circuit proof and TY -2 (1 lb.) This unit drives 6-40 speakers against destructive DC has overload protection. watts fluorescent light voltages. Can conned directly Output voltage is variable for portable and à; to a power amplifier or can use over a range of 0 -50 vols. emergency use. Works a separate power supply. Has a Current limit r.rip is adjustable from a 7.2 - 16 VDC Kill 14.75 3 second turn -on delay to avoid up to max of 3A May use battery. Includes a "Hi- Kit: $ 16.75 turn-on thumps. Kit: $ 18.75 Mark V #002 transformer. Efficiency Switching Mode IC Driving Circuit" suitable for use with different lihts. 120 -250W Mosfet Power Mono Am lifier AF -2 6 lbs. AA 30 -in -one Electronic Lab Kit KA -901 Power Output: 250W into 4 ohms RMS(42VX2 6A transformer is $'9 No soldering is used). 120W into 4 ohms RMS(33VX2 4A transformer is used). 11.99 required! This Frequency Response: 3Hz- 22,000Hz. THD: <0.03 %. Signal to simple electronics Noise Ratio: 91dB. Sensitivity: 1V RMS at 47k. Load Impedance: 4 :.:' kit safely teaches -.'.< or 8 ohms. Power Requirement: ±46VDC 4A or t6OVDC 6A. May IN the fundamentals use Mark V model 012 Transformer. Suggested Capacitor 8,200uf ma of electronics. 100V Model 020. Suggested Metal Build a radio, Kit: $ : '.0 82.80 Asm,.$ 114.80 gg Cabinet LG -1925. alarm, timer and 300W High Power Mono Amplifier TA -3600 (5 lbs.) AAA more. Earphone for private listening. Uses safe battery Power Output: 300W into 8 ohms RMS. 540W music power into 8 power. Requires 4 "AA" batteries! ' ohms. Frequency Response: 10Hz- 20KHz. THD: < 0.05 %. ` Sensitivity: 1V RMS at 47K Power Requirement: 60 to 75 VDC at 150MHz 8 Digit Frequency Counter 82.00 ' 8A May use Mark V Model 007 or 009 Transformer. Suggested SM-100 (216s. ) Kit 0 ~' a Capacitor: 8,200uf 100V Model 020 Capacitor. Suggested Metal It is used for Asmb.$ 115.00 . ' Cabinet LG -1925. adjustment, test & repair of any kind of high 120W + 120W Pre & Main Stereo Amplifier TA- 800MK2 (4 lbs.) AA frequency circuit products.l can give up Power Output: 120W into 4 ohms RMS. 72W into 8 ohms RMS. to 8 digit of resolution Frequency Response: 10 - 20 KHZ. THD: < 0.01 %. Tone Control: \ for a wide frequency ; ''' Bass t12dB, Mid ±8dB, Treble ±8dB. Sensitivity: Phono Input, Kit:S JAiO 68..00 range 10Hz - 150 MHz. f/,',' 3mV into 47K Line, 0.3V into 47K Signal to Noise Ratio: 86dB. Asmb.S 99.00 The last input frequency Power Requirement: 40V DC © 6A. May use Mark V Model 001 can HOLD on the display for future S or 008 Transformer. Kit 67.92 Asmh.$ 86.95 Suggested Metal Cabinet Model LG -1924. reference & comparison. The circuit structure is compact & reliable for the most + AA 80W 80W Pure DC Stereo Main Power AmplifierP TA -802 ((4 lbs.) updated ND LSI circuitry. The input imedance is 1M ohm. Power Output 80W per channel into hms. THD: < 0.05 %. 60+60W Stereo Power Amp. AA Frequency Response: DC to 200 KHZ, -0 dB, -3dB @ 1 W. Power P (11 Requirement: 30V AC X 2 @ 6A. May use Mark V Model 001 or SM-302 lbs.) It provides 3 input jack Kit: $49.94 008 Transformer. Suggested Capacitor 00uí 50V Model 017. pairs. One pair accept Asmb.$ 69.94 Suggested Metal Cabinet LG -1924 a high impedance Ili: micro -phone. The two 30W + 30W Pre & Main Stereo Amplifier TA -323A (1 lb.) remaining pairs are for Power Output 30W into 8 ohms RMS per channeL THD: < 0.1% high & low level input i4 from 100 HZ to 10 KHZ. Sensitivity: Phono 3mV 47K Tuner, sources. Power Output: 60W per channel j Tape 130m\ @47K Signal to Noise ratio: 81)áB. Power into 4 ohms RMS. 20Hz-20KHz. Requirement: 22 to 36V AC, 3A. May use Mark V Model 002 THD: <0.1 %. Input Sensitivity :Mic /Guitar Transformer. Suggested Cabinet LG -1684. 1 OmV, Hi 380mV, Kit: $ 32.50 Asmb.$ 50.50 Lo 640mV.Ready to plug in when assembled. Transformers ( 5 -12 lbs.) Metal Cabinets ,,, S Toroidal Transformers 31/2 Multi- Function LED DPM Aluminum Front Panel V 1 # 001 28V/30V x2 6A $ 30.00 SM -43 ( 1 1h.' To use this instrument as a LG -1273 3x12x7" (4 lbs.)$ 26.50 # 002 36V x2 3A 25.00 voltmeter, ammeter, ohm- SAGA meter, temperatureperature meter.. LG -1684 4x16x8" ( 71bs.lbs.) 32.50 # 003 40V x2 6A 32.00 AC/DC Voltage range:1 LG -1924 4x19x11'/2'(10 lbs.) 38.25 # 008*" 28V/30V x2 6A 42.00 mV- LG 1925 /r 000V.Thermometer range 5x19x11'/i' 10 lbs. 42.00 ( ) # 009** 48/53V x2 8A 68.00 :0- 100C.DC LG -1983 2%x19x8" (7 lbs.) 35.25 1_ current range: it 012** 33/40/42V x2 6A 52.00 Kir $ 18.00 1 microamp - 2 amp. Minimum order $ 20.03. We accept Visa. MasterCard.i' Money Capacitance range: 1d -2 Orders. and Checks(allow AsmbS 2 weeks for microfarads." Frequency Counter: 10HZ- clearance) We ship by UPS ground inside US (min $600) and ship by US Max , 2iption 11999. Power mail outside US Please call our operator 'or orders over 2 lbs or foreign orders Supply: 5 -0V DC, 200 ma. 91

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factory Name Phone I..I.IIII Direct) Address City State Zip Get the Clearest Coverage of Sports, Movies, News, Enclosed is $49 for each Student version (single user) of The Parts Main Events and Adult+ Gallery and Electronic Circuits & Components on a single CD -ROM, shipping included inside the U.S. -Unbeatable Wholesale Pricing - -Converters/Descramblers- must include I am ordering ( ) copies at $49 each. NY State residents -Filters and Accessories- sales tax. -Premium Channel Coverage - -Full Satisfaction Guaranteed - I have enclosed my check for $ Please charge my credit card for $ QB VIDEO Visa MasterCard Discover Expiration Date: / Open M -F 9a to 5p (CT) Card Number Signature 1- 800 -249 -3025 (Name on order and signature must be same as on Credit Card.) Visa, MC 8 C.O.D.'s Welcome 92 L J

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www.americanradiohistory.com ADVERTISING ADVERTISING INDEX SALES OFFICES Electronics Now does not assume any responsibility for errors that may appear in the index below. Gernsback Publications, Inc. 500 Bi- County Blvd. Free Information Number Page Free Information Number Page Farmingdale, NY 11735 -3931 Abacom Technology 72 Link Instruments 98 1 -(516) 293 -3000 Fax 1 -(516) 293 -3115 ABC Electronics 94 Lynxmotion 90 Larry Steckler AES 98 M2L Electronics 90 publisher (ext. 201) e -mail advertising @gernsback.com 214 All Electronics 87 333 Mark V Electronics 91 Adria Coren Allison Technology 74 332 MCM Electronics 77 vice -president (ext. 208) Amaze Electronics 76 Meredith Instruments 99 Ken Coren vice -president (ext. 267) 315 American Eagle Publications 82 323 Merrimack Valley Systems 98 Christina Estrada Andromeda Research 101 133 MicroCode Engineering CV2 assistant to the publisher (ext. 209) 282 Basic Electrical Supply 80 microEngineering Labs 94 Arline Fishman advertising director (ext. 206) 283 Bel -Merit 102 Modern Electronics 105 Marie Falcon Brand Electronics 85 283 Mouser Electronics 90 advertising assistant (ext. 211) 326 Butterworth -Heinemann 95 330 NCD Electronics 72 Adria Coren credit manager (ext. 208) 322 C &S Sales, Inc. 78 NRI Schools 9 For Advertising ONLY 327 Capital Electronics 82 Orion 102 EAST /SOUTHEAST 328 Circuit Specialists 75 318 OWI 96 Stanley Levitan Eastern Advertising CLAGGK, Inc 92 262 Parts Express Inc 83 1 Overlook Ave. Cleveland Inst. of Electronics 21 Pioneer Hill Software 100 Great Neck, NY 11021 -3750 1- 516- 487 -9357 Command Productions 76 Plug Power 105 Fax 1 -516- 487 -8402 313 C1sG 86 Polaris Industries 69 slevitan26 @aol.com 312 Dynamic Technology 88 325 Prairie Digital 74 MIDWEST /Texas /Arkansas /Okla. Ralph Bergen EDE - Spy Outlet 92 264 Print (Pace) 103 Midwest Advertising Electronic Design Specialists 74 QB Video 92 One Northfield Plaza, Suite 300 Northfield, IL 60093 -1214 Electronic Tech.Today 45, 101 266 Ramsey Electronics 89 1- 847 -559 -0555 335 Electronix Express 86 RC Distributing Co. 102 Fax 1- 847 -559 -0562 bergenrj @aol.com Emac Inc 82 RF Parts 76 PACIFIC COAST 121 Fluke Corp CV3 320 Roger's Systems Specialist 73 Janice Woods Pacific Advertising 336 Foley -Belsaw Co. 97 Sil Walker 96 Hutch Looney & Associates, Inc. 331 Fotronic 80 270 Skyvision Inc. 71 6310 San Vicente Blvd., Suite 360 Los Angeles, CA 90048 -5426 General Device Instruments 100 Square 1 Electronics 94 1- 213- 931 -3444 (ext. 228) 122 Global Specialties 7 Starlet Sysems 92 Fax 1- 213- 931 -7309 [email protected] Grantham Col. of Engineering 4 Tab Books 29,59 Electronic Shopper Home Automation 101 Tekview 102 Joe Shore National Representative 321 Howard Electronics 81 324 Telulex 85 P.O. Box 169 Howard Electronics 104 Test Equipment Sales 96 Idyllwild, CA 92549 -0169 1- 909 -659 -9743 Information Unlimited 93 275 Timeline 70 Fax 1- 909 -659 -2469 126 Interactive Image Technologies CV4 U.S. Cyberlab 100 [email protected] Megan Mitchell 319 IVEX Design 99 Visual Communications 4 National Representative 134 IWATSU America 27 314 White Star Electronics 72 9072 Lawton Pine Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89129 Jameco 3 Wisch Communications 94 Phone /Fax 702 - 240 -0184 James Electronics 105 World College 41 Lorri88 @aol.com 334 Jensen Tools 69 WPT Publications 85 Customer Service Lindsay Publications 90 1- 800 -999 -7139 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM M -F MST 106

www.americanradiohistory.com FLUKE

Introducing the Rugged NEW Fluke 70 Series III Digital Multimeters.

Rough handling and high voltage are tough on a meter. But the new Fluke 70 Series III takes it all in stride. It's built tough inside and out. With overvoltage protection to guard against spikes up to 6 kV, and safety ratings to prove it. It even protects against measuring voltage if the knob is accidentally set on ohms. Plus its rugged, overmolded body armor case offers constant protection no matter how much you throw it around. As tough as it is, the 70 Series III is very easy on you. Its tapered design fits more easily in your hand, pocket and tool box. The display is 40% larger, with extra large characters that are easy to read from a distance. Plus, there's easier access to Fluke's patented Touch Hold® mode which automatically captures the measurement, beeps, and locks it on the digital display for later viewing. No matter how tough your job is, the new Fluke 70 Series III is even tougher. There are five models to choose from. And of course, they're backed by a lifetime warranty. Fluke Multimeters Keeping your world up and running.

Take a demo. Find out just how tough the new 70 Series III DMMs really are. Visit Fluke at www.fluke.com or call 1- 800 -44 -FLUKE for the distributor nearest you.

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