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An open door or See how to turn an Arduino Due and a leftover analog window, a tripped laser beam, a pressure change on a oscilloscope into a high resolution computer graphics pressure plate, a proximity sensor, etc., could all be display. converted into a text message warning. ■ By Ed Andrews WA9UQN ■ By Mirza Kolakovic 30 Light Bulbs, LEDs, and Circuit 19 Rebuilding a Tektronix THS7X0 Junctions Portable We’ll take a look at some specific electrical properties of both light bulbs and LEDs, and use them to discuss Oscilloscope junctions in DC circuits. Battery Pack ■ By Tom Bensky When batteries fail, they can 36 A Digital Analog — Part 4 be replaced or rebuilt, but it’s This installment in a usually at considerable recurring series expense. Here’s one examines the more application where a very complex circuits expensive battery pack can be from 555 Timer IC easily rebuilt at a fraction of Circuits by Forrest the replacement cost, Mims, which are returning the device to useful variations on audio portable service. oscillators. ■ By Kevin O’Connor ■ By Larry Cicchinelli Columns 06 Q&A 52 The Design Cycle Reader Questions Answered Here Advanced Techniques for Design Topics discussed this month: Engineers • Neuter the Spray Smartphone App Programming for • A Clearly Better Baby Monitor Remote Control 09 Open Communication This month, we’ll add Basic for iPhone (B4I) and Basic for Android (B4R) to your Design The Latest in Networking and Cycle, and put your iPhone to work as a Wireless Technologies remote control device. We’ll write the iPhone Connected Cars are Coming code using B4I and code up an I/O pin switch Cars are already loaded with communications server using an inexpensive WEMOS D1 mini technology. AM, FM, and satellite radios are and B4R. common, as is a GPS receiver for the navigation system. In the coming years, we’ll be seeing new wireless systems incorporated into every vehicle for improving Departments safety and for aiding in the implementation of self-driving cars. Here’s an update on this communications 05 DEVELOPING 46 NV WEBSTORE PERSPECTIVES 60 TECH FORUM technology. Electronics Padawans 64 CLASSIFIEDS 12 NEW PRODUCTS 64 ELECTRO-NET 48 Near Space 13 SHOWCASE 64 AD INDEX Approaching the Final Frontier Total Solar Eclipse Near Space Flight: Part 2 Subscription Information A lot of data was collected on my eclipse near space Nuts & Volts — PO Box 15277 flight; unfortunately, not as much as I hoped (some North Hollywood, CA 91615-9218 experiments failed to record data at the appropriate time). Call 877-525-2539 or go to www.nutsvolts.com Still, there was enough data for a second article and I’d Subscribe • Gift • Renewal • Change of Info like to share three of the results with you. For more details on subscribing, see our ad on Page 62. Nuts & Volts (ISSN 1528-9885/CDN Pub Agree #40702530) is published monthly for $26.95 per year by T & L Publications, Inc., 430 Princeland Court, Corona, CA 92879. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT CORONA, CA AND AT ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Nuts & Volts, P.O. Box 15277, North Hollywood, CA 91615 or Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor ON N9A 6J5; [email protected]. 4 February 2018 Bergeron - Developing Perspectives - Feb 18_Dev Perspectives - ReadFeed Feb15.qxd 1/2/2018 4:44 PM Page 5 by Bryan Bergeron, Published Monthly By Editor T & L Publications, Inc. 430 Princeland Ct. DEVELOPING Corona, CA 92879-1300 PERSPECTIVES (951) 371-8497 FAX (951) 371-3052 Webstore orders only 1-800-783-4624 Electronics Padawans www.nutsvolts.com t’s great to have enthusiastic self- as possible. Subscription Orders Imotivated students — of any age — In my experience, this doesn’t Toll Free 1-877-525-2539 that are into electronics. The mean shielding the student from Outside US 1-818-487-4545 challenge — at least based on my failure. Far from it! You want your P.O. Box 15277 experience teaching teenagers — is student to fail — gracefully — and North Hollywood, CA 91615 making the students appreciate the come back for more. On each repeat FOUNDER relatively long process of mastery. attempt, students should be Jack Lemieux As the Jedi Padawans sensitized as to what they need to PUBLISHER demonstrate in Star Wars, acquiring do, how to do it, and how much time Larry Lemieux the first 80% of knowledge and skills they’ll have to do it in. [email protected] may take a few weeks or months, but If you’re the parent of a ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ getting a handle on the remaining Padawan, then you can do your part ADVERTISING SALES 20% usually takes years of study and by recognizing when your son or Robin Lemieux practice under the leadership of a daughter needs help. They may resist [email protected] master. actual hand-holding, but probably EDITOR To the uninitiated student, this won’t say no to a modest budget for Bryan Bergeron often seems absurd. They may have parts, tools, and equipment. [email protected] learned how to rid the planet of alien I went through a good half CONTRIBUTING EDITORS invaders and conquer dozens of dozen or so microcontrollers when I Fred Eady Kristen McIntyre Lou Frenzel Paul Verhage planets in a matter of weeks using a was first learning the limits of the Ed Andrews Larry Cicchinelli PlayStation or Xbox. technology. I still manage to Tom Bensky Mirza Kolakovic How much longer could it take occasionally fry the analog input to a Kevin O’Connor to learn the nuances of, say, a processor when I’m working with CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT Raspberry Pi microprocessor? Or, mixed 3V and 5V devices. [email protected] how to design and work with surface- No Padawan’s path to mastery SHOW COORDINATOR mount components? can be complete without the sharing Audrey Lemieux Well, if you’re new to electronics, of skills and knowledge with others. then you’ll soon find that — as in just Today, it’s more likely to come about WEBSTORE MARKETING COVER GRAPHICS about every other endeavor — there’s through social media than face-to- Brian Kirkpatrick an art involved, and mastery of that face meetings. Still, there is value in [email protected] art takes time and focused study. sharing with others going through the WEBSTORE MANAGER/ This isn’t to say that you can’t same process. PRODUCTION start enjoying the hobby from day Mentors are invaluable, but the Sean Lemieux one; it’s just that you’ll have to match hive mind of dozens or hundreds of [email protected] your expectations with your eager learners who are also willing to ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF experience. share has value as well. Re Gandara For example, don’t expect to be Best of all worlds is a mentor- able to repair your flat screen moderated forum or actual meeting, Copyright © 2018 by T & L Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved computer monitor without a year or where students provide the creativity All advertising is subject to publisher’s approval. We two of experience, preferably under and the mentor provides a degree of are not responsible for mistakes, misprints, or the guidance of a master or mentor.