Advanced System for Vehicle Back up a Look at the Rabbit 4000 Rangefinder and Video Display System Aids Drivers Monte Dalrymple Victor Lick
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WWW.GiURUMELE.Hi2.RO WWW.GiURUMELE.Hi2.RO WWW.GiURUMELE.Hi2.RO WWW.GiURUMELE.Hi2.RO WWW.GiURUMELE.Hi2.RO TASK MANAGER FOUNDER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Something for Everyone Steve Ciarcia Jeannette Ciarcia MANAGING EDITOR MEDIA CONSULTANT Jennifer Huber Dan Rodrigues ur lineup this month focuses on Internet & Connectivity matters. With TECHNICAL EDITOR CUSTOMER SERVICE O C.J. Abate Debbie Lavoie varied topics and approaches to web-enabling, there’s something for every- one in this issue. Additionally, we have a few engaging articles about proj- WEST COAST EDITOR CONTROLLER Tom Cantrell Jeff Yanco ects that were entered in three recent design contests. Jeremy Baugher and Stephen Fenwick give us the full story on Voyeur, CONTRIBUTING EDITORS ART DIRECTOR Jeff Bachiochi KC Prescott which won Honorable Mention in the Zilog 2004 Flash Nets Cash Design Ingo Cyliax Contest (p. 10). Voyeur is an eZ80Acclaim!-based system for displaying Fred Eady GRAPHIC DESIGNER Mary Turek Internet content. Using a 5″ × 7″ frame and a Noritake 2 × 20 vacuum flu- George Martin Ed Nisley STAFF ENGINEER orescent display, Jeremy and Stephen created an aesthetic platform for John Gorsky viewing text from web sites. You might hang the system by your kitchen NEW PRODUCTS EDITOR John Gorsky clock to get the latest traffic report on your way out the door, or in your home PROJECT EDITORS office to see stock market and weather reports. You’ll want to read about Steve Bedford how Jeremy and Stephen converted web data for the alphanumeric display. Ken Davidson Lindsay Meek put his creativity to good use designing the Portable Web David Tweed Server to enter in the Renesas M16C Design Contest 2005 (p. 51). Lindsay’s system for hosting web sites cuts down on the money and com- ADVERTISING plexity usually involved in hosting a web site. Starting with a Renesas 860.875.2199 • Fax: 860.871.0411 • www.circuitcellar.com/advertise M32C/84 microcontroller, Lindsay was able to build an effective, low-cost PUBLISHER system using a dynamic domain name system (DNS) service and a Sean Donnelly Direct: 860.872.3064, Cell: 860.930.4326, E-mail: [email protected] CompactFlash card to store the data to be presented on the web site. Ingo Cyliax is back this month with a truly interesting article titled ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Shannon Barraclough “Internet-Connected Sonic Anemometer” (p. 56). Ingo’s system is designed Direct: 860.872.3064, E-mail: [email protected] with a Rabbit RCM3000 development board and a Ubicom microcontroller. ADVERTISING COORDINATOR He walks you through the process of measuring wind speed. As Ingo Valerie Luster explains, a sonic anemometer also can be used to measure the actual E-mail: [email protected] speed of sound in air. This in-depth article covers all the details. I also wanted to highlight another fantastic project we’re featuring this Cover photography by Chris Rakoczy—Rakoczy Photography month. I’m continually amazed by the ingenuity of entrants to our design www.rakoczyphoto.com contests. As you’ll see when you read about the Voyeur and Portable Web PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES Server projects, the sky’s the limit when it comes to choosing an application. CONTACTS Richard Wotiz rounds out the contest showcase in this issue with an article SUBSCRIPTIONS Information: www.circuitcellar.com/subscribe, E-mail: [email protected] about his Electronic Scarecrow, which won First Honor in the 2005 Subscribe: 800.269.6301, www.circuitcellar.com/subscribe, Circuit Cellar Subscriptions, P.O. Box 5650, Hanover, NH 03755-5650 Freescale Wireless Design Challenge (p. 18). Whereas some entrants are Address Changes/Problems: E-mail: [email protected] inspired to develop something that’s universally helpful, others use the GENERAL INFORMATION 860.875.2199, Fax: 860.871.0411, E-mail: [email protected] opportunity to create something specific to their needs. Richard was among Editorial Office: Editor, Circuit Cellar, 4 Park St., Vernon, CT 06066, E-mail: [email protected] the latter. Driven by a desire to rid his yard of foraging deer, he devised a New Products: New Products, Circuit Cellar, 4 Park St., Vernon, CT 06066, E-mail: [email protected] AUTHORIZED REPRINTS INFORMATION technologically advanced way to deter them. His problem called for a unique 860.875.2199, E-mail: [email protected] AUTHORS solution because deer acclimate quickly. You can spend thousands of dol- Authors’ e-mail addresses (when available) are included at the end of each article. lars on a new fence, but the deer will eventually figure out they can jump over it. So, Richard designed a unique deterrent—one engineered so that CIRCUIT CELLAR®, THE MAGAZINE FOR COMPUTER APPLICATIONS (ISSN 1528-0608) is published monthly by Circuit Cellar the deer couldn’t WWW.GiURUMELE.Hi2.ROeasily get used to it. When the system detects animals in 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 $21.95, Canada/Mexico $31.95, all other countries $49.95.Two-year (24 issues) sub- the yard, it sets off a variety of sounds and turns on water sprinklers. The scription rate USA and possessions $39.95, Canada/Mexico $55, 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 Electronic Scarecrow is built around Freescale MC13192 SARD boards. and subscription-related questions to Circuit Cellar Subscriptions, P.O. Box 5650, Hanover, NH 03755-5650 or call I hope these projects give you some ideas for your own applications. 800.269.6301. Good luck! Postmaster: Send address changes to Circuit Cellar, Circulation Dept., P.O. Box 5650, Hanover, NH 03755-5650. 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 [email protected] from plans, descriptions, or information published by Circuit Cellar®. 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. Cover: HNC700PT Remote-Motion CCD Network Camera product photograph Entire contents copyright © 2004 by Circuit Cellar, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Circuit Cellar is a registered trademark of Circuit Cellar, Inc. courtesy of Hawking Technologies, Inc. (www.hawkingtech.com). Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part without written consent from Circuit Cellar Inc. is prohibited. 4 Issue 186 January 2006 CIRCUIT CELLAR® www.circuitcellar.com WWW.GiURUMELE.Hi2.RO January 2006: Internet & Connectivity FEATURES 10 Internet-Connected Display System 43 Watchdog Supervisory System Jeremy Baugher & Stephen Fenwick David Gamble & Andrew Smallridge Zilog 2004 Flash Nets Cash Design Contest Winner 51 Portable Web Server 18 Electronic Scarecrow Lindsay Meek Richard Wotiz Renesas M16C Design Contest 2005 Entry Freescale Wireless Design Challenge Winner 28 Low-Cost EKG Pulsometer 56 Internet-Connected Sonic Anemometer Serhiy Matviyenko Ingo Cyliax 35 Third-Generation Rabbit 62 Advanced System for Vehicle Back Up A Look at the Rabbit 4000 Rangefinder and Video Display System Aids Drivers Monte Dalrymple Victor Lick Display for Internet Content (p. 10) PSoC-Based EKG M32C/84-Based Web Three-Point Sonic Pulsometer (p. 28) Server (p. 51) Anemometer (p. 56) COLUMNS 70 SILICON UPDATE Hot Enough for You? Tom Cantrell 76 FROM THE BENCH Regulator Review Jeff Bachiochi 80 APPLIED PCs ARM Applications with MicroBolt Fred Eady Choose Your Regulator (p. 76) Introducing MicroBolt (p. 80) DEPARTMENTSWWW.GiURUMELE.Hi2.RO 4 TASK MANAGER 94 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Something for Everyone February Preview Jennifer Huber 96 PRIORITY INTERRUPT 8 NEW PRODUCT NEWS The Personal Touch edited by John Gorsky Steve Ciarcia 93 CROSSWORD 6 Issue 186 January 2006 CIRCUIT CELLAR® www.circuitcellar.com WWW.GiURUMELE.Hi2.RO NEW PRODUCT NEWS Edited by John Gorsky LONG-DISTANCE CONNECTOR FOR USB DEVICES The USB standard calls for a maximum range of 5 m, but you can stretch this useful pro- tocol to over 100 m with standard UTP cabling or as much as 500 m with fiber cable. This is made possible with the new Ulinx USB extender. Ulinx USB extenders are composed of two separate units, the local extender and the remote extender. You supply up to 100 m of Cat 5 cable or 500 m of fiber- optic cable to connect the modules. Copper media models for USB Type 1.1 with ranges of 50 and 100 m are available. A 50-m version for USB Type 2.0 is also available. If fiber optic is your media of choice, there are 10- and 500-m versions available. Pricing for the Ulinx models starts at $109.95. B&B Electronics www.bb-elec.com LINEAR ACTUATORS ENABLE NEW BREED OF DEVICES The Firgelli miniature linear actuators will drive a new genera- tion of compact robots, motion-enabled medical devices, and con- sumer products. Smaller than a cigarette, these cylindrical actua- tors provide efficient piston-like linear motion. They are designed to save product designers the difficulties of engineering a linear stage from large and awkward motors, servos, gears, and rods.