WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS a Platform for Wireless Sensor Networks
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Cover.qxp 1/4/2008 2:43 PM Page 1 TRANSFORMER BASICS P. 70 • MCU-BASED POLL SERVER RESULTS P. 74 • HOT CHIPS REVIEW P. 78 w w w . c i r c u i t c e l l a r . c o m CIRCUITTHE MAGAZINE FOR COMPUTER CELLAR APPLICATIONS #211 February 2008 WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS A Platform for Wireless Sensor Networks Build an RFID Payment System Ciarcia’s PV System (Part 3) Antenna Technology 101 TCP/IP Socket Communication Firmware Protection & Publishing 02> 7925274 75349 $4.95 U.S. ($5.95 Canada) C2.qxp 10/1/2007 10:27 AM Page 1 1.qxp 10/1/2007 3:50 PM Page 1 It’s showtime. Get Your Ticket to the Ultimate Embedded Design Starter Kit. Fixed-function microcontrollers had their share of the spotlight. It’s time for a revolutionary—and simplified—approach to embedded application development. Get a Cypress PSoC® FirstTouch™ Starter Kit now and discover how much PSoC mixed-signal arrays—powerful, programmable analog and digital blocks, embedded memory and a fast MCU—shorten your time-to-market. This kit includes the easy-to-use PSoC Express™ visual embedded system design tool, and gives you 5 25507595 embedded designs you can evaluate right out of the box. Get yours and step into the spotlight today. M Includes four ready-to-use mixed-signal CAPSENSE CAPSENSE TOUCH TEMPERATURE PROXIMITY applications on a single platform. SENSING SENSING LIGHT SENSING SENSING Buy your PSoC FirstTouch Ultimate Starter Kit now at: www.cypress.com/go/FirstTouch C 5 25 50 75 95 Y 5 25 50 75 95 K 5 25 50 75 95 MY CY CM Buy Now $29.95* Cypress, the Cypress logo and PSoC are registered trademarks, and Programmable System-on-Chip, PSoC Express, and FirstTouch are trademarks of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners. ©2007 Cypress Semiconductor Corporation. All rights reserved. *Does not include any applicable sales tax, shipping and handling costs. CPFAP001E 5 5 56-57.qxp 7/2/2007 10:52 AM Page 1 56-57.qxp 7/2/2007 10:52 AM Page 2 211_Task_Masthead.qxp 1/7/2008 4:50 PM Page 4 TASK MANAGER Real-World Apps FOUNDER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Steve Ciarcia Jeannette Ciarcia MANAGING EDITOR MEDIA CONSULTANT Last year, we challenged the embedded design community to get C. J. Abate Dan Rodrigues creative and make a concerted effort to design real-world applications WEST COAST EDITOR CUSTOMER SERVICE that would make waves in 2008. This issue proves that the community Tom Cantrell Debbie Lavoie has stepped up to the challenge and has begun to address the major CONTRIBUTING EDITORS CONTROLLER technological topics of the twenty-first century: user-friendly wireless Jeff Bachiochi Jeff Yanco Ingo Cyliax applications, cost-effective embedded applications, code efficiency, Robert Lacoste ART DIRECTOR KC Prescott and renewable energy solutions. George Martin This month, we start with wireless network design. On page 12, Ed Nisley GRAPHIC DESIGNER Carey Penney Diego Mendez Chaves and his team from Los Andes University intro- NEW PRODUCTS EDITOR John Gorsky duce you to a flexible platform for wireless sensor networks. This article STAFF ENGINEER John Gorsky will help you get a wireless network up and running. PROJECT EDITORS Gary Bodley In keeping with the wireless communications theme, we include Ken Davidson two articles that will help you develop wireless designs that feature David Tweed simple master-to-slave interaction. Carlos Cossio describes his RFID ASSOCIATE EDITOR payment terminal design on page 34. The well-designed, handheld Jesse Smolin terminal can be used for contactless payments in a variety of settings, ranging from a convenience store to a subway station. On page 60, ADVERTISING Robert Lacoste covers antenna technology and familiarizes you with 860.875.2199 • Fax: 860.871.0411 • www.circuitcellar.com/advertise impedance matching and antenna simulation. After reading this col- PUBLISHER umn, you shouldn’t be wary of incorporating antenna technologies in Sean Donnelly your projects. Direct: 860.872.3064, Cell: 860.930.4326, E-mail: [email protected] On the topic of intelligent energy solutions, Steve Ciarcia wraps up ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Shannon Barraclough his series about the installation of his home photovoltaic (PV) system Direct: 860.872.3064, E-mail: [email protected] (p. 22). The system is now installed and racking up kilowatt-hour cred- ADVERTISING COORDINATOR its on the meter. This month, he describes the wiring and electronics Valerie Luster behind this complex renewable energy project. E-mail: [email protected] In the second part of his series on cashing in on code, Richard Hoptroff explains how to publish firmware and create an opportunity to Cover photography by Chris Rakoczy—Rakoczy Photography make some big bucks (p. 44). To do so, he draws on his firmware www.rakoczyphoto.com development experience. He covers the topics of firmware copyright PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES protection, pricing, and publishing. CONTACTS On page 52, Cass Tyler explains how to implement a TCP/IP sock- SUBSCRIPTIONS Information: www.circuitcellar.com/subscribe, E-mail: [email protected] et server on a Rabbit RCM2200. As you’ll see, TCP/IP communication Subscribe: 800.269.6301, www.circuitcellar.com/subscribe, Circuit Cellar Subscriptions, P.O. Box 5650, with embedded processors is quick and easy when using text com- Hanover, NH 03755-5650 Address Changes/Problems: E-mail: [email protected] mands. GENERAL INFORMATION 860.875.2199, Fax: 860.871.0411, E-mail: [email protected] Ever wonder how transformers really work? Ed Nisley’s column on Editorial Office: Editor, Circuit Cellar, 4 Park St., Vernon, CT 06066, E-mail: [email protected] transformer basics is a great primer for young and old engineers alike New Products: New Products, Circuit Cellar, 4 Park St., Vernon, CT 06066, E-mail: [email protected] AUTHORIZED REPRINTS INFORMATION (p. 70). He covers several essential transformer equations and more. 860.875.2199, E-mail: [email protected] On page 74, Jeff Bachiochi delivers the second part of his series AUTHORS Authors’ e-mail addresses (when available) are included at the end of each article. on his portable poll server. The MCU-based design maximizes the power of SitePlayer to ask questions, gather responses, and compile CIRCUIT CELLAR®, THE MAGAZINE FOR COMPUTER APPLICATIONS (ISSN 1528-0608) is published monthly by Circuit Cellar results. Incorporated, 4 Park Street, Vernon, CT 06066. Periodical rates paid at Vernon, CT and additional offices. One-year (12 issues) subscription rate USA and possessions $23.95, Canada/Mexico $34.95, all other countries $49.95.Two-year (24 issues) sub- In the last column of the issue, Tom Cantrell brings you up to speed scription rate USA and possessions $43.95, Canada/Mexico $59.95, all other countries $85. All subscription orders payable in U.S. funds only via Visa, MasterCard, international postal money order, or check drawn on U.S. bank. Direct subscription orders on all of the exciting new chip technologies that he discovered at the and subscription-related questions to Circuit Cellar Subscriptions, P.O. Box 5650, Hanover, NH 03755-5650 or call most recent Hot Chips and Embedded Systems conferences (p. 78). 800.269.6301. With chips like these, you’re sure to be able to take your 2008 designs Postmaster: Send address changes to Circuit Cellar, Circulation Dept., P.O. Box 5650, Hanover, NH 03755-5650. to the next level. Circuit Cellar® makes no warranties and assumes no responsibility or liability of any kind for errors in these programs or schematics or for the consequences of any such errors. Furthermore, because of possible variation in the quality and condition of materials and workmanship of read- er-assembled projects, Circuit Cellar® disclaims any responsibility for the safe and proper function of reader-assembled projects based upon or Good luck! I look forward to learning about all of your 2008 design from plans, descriptions, or information published by Circuit Cellar®. projects. The information provided by Circuit Cellar® is for educational purposes. Circuit Cellar® makes no claims or warrants that readers have a right to build things based upon these ideas under patent or other relevant intellectual property law in their jurisdiction, or that readers have a right to construct or operate any of the devices described herein under the relevant patent or other intellectual property law of the reader’s jurisdiction. The reader assumes any risk of infringement liability for constructing or operating such devices. Entire contents copyright © 2008 by Circuit Cellar, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Circuit Cellar is a registered trademark of Circuit Cellar, Inc. [email protected] Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part without written consent from Circuit Cellar Inc. is prohibited. 4 Issue 211 February 2008 CIRCUIT CELLAR® www.circuitcellar.com 79.qxp 12/4/2007 10:41 AM Page 1 211_toc.qxp 1/7/2008 4:49 PM Page 6 February 2008: Wireless Communications FEATURES 12 Wireless Sensor Network Design 34 RFID Payment Terminal A Flexible Platform for WSNs Carlos Cossio Diego Méndez Chaves, Mauricio Guerrero Hurtado, 44 Cash for Code & Néstor Peña Traslaviña Part 2: Publish Your Firmware 22 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SOLUTIONS Richard Hoptroff Solar-Powering the Circuit Cellar 52 System Control Part 3: Wiring & Electronics TCP/IP Communication with Embedded Processors Steve Ciarcia Cass Tyler PV Power: Wired & Working (p. 22) Payment Terminal Design (p. 34) COLUMNS 60 THE DARKER SIDE 74 FROM THE BENCH Antenna Basics Portable Poll Server Robert Lacoste Part 2: Data Acquisition & Results Jeff Bachiochi 70 ABOVE THE GROUND PLANE Transformers 78 SILICON UPDATE Ed Nisley Got Chips? Tom Cantrell Understanding Antennas 101 (p. 60) Transformers (p. 70) DEPARTMENTS 4 TASK MANAGER 94 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Real-World Apps March Preview C.