MARCH 1979 Tape Slide Synchronizer Synthesizer Sequencer It's so easy for YOU to I'm going to use the adjacent card to order obtain subscriptions, books, 40 binders and back issues acopy! from ETI! Only $3.00 There's got to be something in this book for all ETI readers. Canadian Projects Book Number One gives you twenty-five projects from issues of ETI sold in Canada.All the projects have been reworked since they were first published to update them with any information we might have received about availability of components, impr- ovements, etc. To order Canadian Projects Book Number One send $3.00 per copy + 4E4 for postage and handling to: Canadian Projects Book, ET! Magazine, Unit Six, 25 Overlea Blvd., Toronto, Ontario, M4H 1B1. Please do not send cash. Send a Cheque, Money Order, Master Charge, Chargex (Visa), please include Card No., Expiry Date, and Signature. Vol. 3. No. 3. MARCH 1979 Editor STEVE BRAIDWOOD BSc Assistant Editor electronics today GRAHAM WIDEMAN BASc international Advertising INCORPORATING ELECTRONIC WORKSHOP Advertising Manager MARK CZERWINSKI BASc Advertising Services SHARON WILSON Advertising Representatives JIM O'BRIEN PROJECTS Eastern Canada JEAN SEGUIN & ASSOCIATES INC.. 601 Cote Vertu. TAPE -SLIDE SYNCHRONISER 31 St. Laurent. Quebec H4L 1 X8. Keep the slides in step with the commentary, on one channel. Telephone (514) 748-6561 DUAL ELECTRONIC DICE 37 Subscriptions Department An LED game to keep you relatively honest. BEBE LALL SYNTHESIZER SEQUENCER 41 Accounts Department Automatic tunes, or control operation. SENGA HARRISON Layout and Assembly GAIL ARMBRUST Contributing Editors FEATURES WALLACE J. PARSONS (Audio) THE SPACE SHUTTLE 14 BILL JOHNSON (Amateur Radio) The story of the spacecraft that truly flies. JOHN GARNER (Short Wave Listening) DICK CARTWRIGHT (Servicing) APL: GOOD FOR THE BRAIN 22 A well tested concept is coming of age. EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING VIDEO ACCESSORIES 46 OFFICES Add-ons to keep your machinery happy. Unit 6. 25 Overlea Boulevard, HOME CLIMATE CONTROL 49 Toronto. Ontario. M4H 1B1 Play with your environment for greater comfort. Telephone (416) 423-3262 CALCULATOR HANGMAN 64 Second Class Mail registration number 3955. ETI Softspot: A word game with digits. Return postage guaranteed. Post Officereturns toUnit6, 25 Overlea Boulevard,Toronto. Ontario. M4H 161. Published by Electronics Today International (Canada) Ltd. Printed by Livingstone Printing Ltd. NEWS &COLUMNS News Stand Distribution Gordon & NEWS DIGEST Gotch. Toronto. 4 AUDIO TODAY 9 Copyright: All material is subject to world-wide Noise about noise. Copyright protection. All reasonable careis taken to ensure the accuracy of the information. SERVICE NEWS 57 QRM .59 ALL ETI PCB PATTERNS ARE COPYRIGHT. Repeaters repeaters repeaters. NO COMPANY MAY SELL BOARDS TO OUR DESIGNS WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION. QSLS FOR SW LS 61 Shortwave World. INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS INTERS! L CMOS 5551 68 Electronics Today International Facelift for trusty timer chip. 25-27 Oxford St.. London W1R 1 RF, UK. Editor Halvor Moorshead. THE FUN OF ELECTRONICS 70 Electronics Today International, Ryrie House. 15 Boundary St., Rushcutters Bay. Sydney. Australia. Editor Coltyn Rivers. INFO & MISCELLANEOUS Electronica Top Internationaal, Postbus 260. Emmen, Holland. Canadian Projects No. 11 2 ETI Circuits 48 Editor Anton Kriegsman Contents 3 Classified Ads 71 ETI Binders Elrad, 8 ETI Project File 72 Kommanditgesellschaft, Bissendorfer Subscriptions Card&30 ETI Panel Transfers 73 Strasse 8, 3000 Hannover 61, Germany. Next Month's ETI 36 Reader Service Info 74 Editor Udo Wittig. Electronics Paperbacks .40,58,69 Advertisers' Index 74 ETI CANADA-MARCH 1979 3 NEWS DIGEST Opto-Coupler Motorola has introduced the industry's first optically -isolated ac linear opto coupler, the M005010. The new linearcouplerusesagallium arsenideinfraredemitting diode, optically -coupledto a bipolar monolithic amplifier.Itconverts an input current variation to an output voltage variation while providing a high degree of electrical isolation between input and output. Its use replaces a normal coupler, plus an operational amplifier and a discrete transistor from circuitry where isolated linear output is desired. The device can be biased to maintain a linear output of up to 4 volts peak -to - peak with a 12 volt supply voltage. The M005010 offers250 kHz(typ) bandwidth, 200 mV per mA gain, and low -impedance, emitter -follower output of less than 200 ohms. Applications include telephone couplers, peripheral equipment isolation,medicalelectronicsand audio uses. Available in the 6 -pin, DIP plastic package, the M005010 linear opto coupler is priced in the states at Cheap DVOM Maintainability is also excellent due to $3.25 each in 100 -upquantities. theuseofsocketsfor the major Deliveryis from factory stock and A new 31/2 digit pocket -sized digital components including the display and authorized Motorola distributors. multimeter has been introduced by The theextensiveuseofstandard Hickok Electrical Instrument components. The unit is covered by a 1 Company. The instrument, designated year warranty. Atari Computer LX 303, features auto -polarity, auto - The LX 303 measures DC volts from zeroandautomaticover -range 0.1 mV to 1000V with accuracy of+/ -0.5 The Atari 800 is a personal computer indication. The rugged, compact unit of reading +/-0.5 f.s.; resistance from with built-in modulator for TV display, fits easily in the palm of the hand, and 0.1 ohm to 20 megohms with accuracy standardkeyboard,cassetteordisk uses a half -inch LCD readout. The of +/-0.5% of reading +/-0.5 f.s. and DC memory, and 'memory cartridges' offer- reading rate is 3 reading per second. current from 0.01nA to 200mA with ing BASIC and other languages. A prin- Battery life is 200 hours minimum (300 accuracy of +/-1% of reading +/-0.5% ter (40 column) and other peripherals hours typical) from 9V alkaline battery. f.s.Operating temperature is 0to are under development.Start hinting Handy battery check capability is also 50 C. Size is 5-7/8" x 3-3/8" x 1-3/4" now in time for next Christmas - the provided. (147mm x 85mm x43mm) and weight is product is likely to appear in the shops Ruggedness is achieved in the LX 303 12 oz. (330 gm). in August or September. Price in the US by combination of light weight (12 oz. A full complement of accessories is will be around $1000. includingbattery), a high -impact also available including an AC adapter Atariwillalsolaunchtheir '400' thermo-plastic case, a glass -epoxy pc (115VAC and 220VAC versions)a computer around the same time - this board, and a snap -on cover which padded vinyl carrying case, a 10 A DC model will sell for about half the price protects the front panel (during storage current shunt, an X10 DCV probe of the 800 and is designed as a trans- or transit). The snap -on cover can also adaptor that protects the input to 10kV; itionalmachineto wean consumers be used to store the test lead set. All and a X100, 40kV DC probe. fromvideo games topersonal com- input jacks are recessed for operator $99.95 from H. Rogers, Box 310, 595 puters. safety. Mackenzie Ave., Units 1 & 2, Ajax, Ont., Reliability is assured bythe use of LSI L1 S 3C5. circuitry and laser trimmed thin film NS Tape Recorder IC resistor networks for low parts count. the excellent overload characteristics TI Bubble The LM1818 is a single -chiptape provide 1000 volt protection on all DC recorder (electronics only!) with built-in voltage ranges except the 200mV range TI's 92Kbit TIB0203 magnetic bubble record/playback switching. Just add the which is protected to 500V. All AC memory isavailable now on 4 to 6 mechanics, playback amplifier (there's ranges are protected by 600V. All ohms weeks delivery at a US price of $100 in a preamp on the IC) and simple switch- rangesareprotectedto120V. 100 quantities. es, sockets & battery. 4 ETI CANADA-MARCH 1979 Projection TVs Bell Tries Fibre Optics Sony of Canada's Industrial Division On December 12th last year field trial of has two new projection TVs. These 50" an integratedfibreopticsystem (KP-5000) and 72" (KP-7200) models designed by Bell Northern Research incorporatethree8"'High -bright' and furnished by Northern Telecom picture tubes forthe red, green and blue demonstratedthecapabdityof color beams. Two largeaperture simultaneous transmissionof 170mm lenses project the picture onto a telephony, data and video. .NIPlab. concave screen. The trialistakingplaceinthe Where the fibre meets the electronics Among the many standard features Yorkville area of Toronto and will at the Bell test centre. incorporated in this system are built-in continuefortwoyears. The In theoperationoftelephone VHF/UHF TV tuners with electronic experimental fibre optic customer -loop services over the fibre optic system, the channelselectors, built-instereo system consists of 1.2 kilometers of analog carrier converts the voice signal speakers and a remote control unit for graded -index fibre optic feeder, and up to a 76 k Hz amplitude modulated carrier power, channel selection and audio to 200 meters of graded -index fibre for transmission over fibre optics to the volume. optic buried -entrance service cable to subscriber's terminal. Ringing appears Sony Of Canada, Ltd., 88 Horner each of 35 subscriber participants and as a 20 Hz modulation of the 76 kHz Ave., Toronto, Ont. M8Z 4X8. to a Bell Canada test site. carrier. The carrier received from the The trial is unique in that it uses fibre distant end (subscriber)is 32 kHz Cesco Book optics in the loop -plant with actual amplitude modulated. Subscriber Catalogue subscribers' telephones, and in the use offhook condition is identified by the ofbi-directional opticalfibre C.O. by the presence of 32 kHz carrier. The Cesco Book Catalogue has just transmission. This condition causes the analog been published. Cesco believe that this Bell are optimistic about the future of carrier to seize the C.O. line circuit and is the first catalogue of its kind put out fibre optics.