\,!! OO muter The print forum for the MicroComputer professional and semi-professional OURNAL January/February 1995 n an o r With A Network Use YourPC As A Multiple Metering Device Video Monitors A Guided Tour An Alternative To DOS And Windo 03 0076'4138 9 502 FOR SDC GREG SELF 9501N AG T 9782 BR ANCROF U.S. $4.95CANADA $5PO BOX 274 T ROAD BANCR OF T MI 48414-0274 1111,11111,11,111,11,1,,Wwill,111,11,11,11111,1 10 I 0 /485108559 68HC11 Controller &Languages Program it inC $99 orAssembly orFORTH orBasic Low Cost Development Package: Controller + Languages + Manualson disk included! Package Price Breakthrough! Caaaapoo oa0000000 0000000000000000 ocianarnoonaciaancoociooci000000000aa The NMIT-0020 Single Board Computer is perfect for dedicated 00000000000000000000000000000 0 0 0 controller with convenient interfaces for LCD displays and 000000000000000000000000000000000000 keypad. Intelligent LCD's up to 2 lines by 80 characters and 000000000000000000000000000000000000 matrix keypads up to 4x5 can be used. The processor is the 000000000000000000000000000000000000 popular F68HC11 with many features, including SCI and SPI L00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 serial channels, 8 -bit 8-ch. A/D, 20 available I/O lines, Watch 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Dog Timer, 1/2K EEPROM and Max -FORTH w/Floating Point 000000P00000000000000000000000000000 Package embedded in 12K internal ROM. SBC expands 000000000000000000000000000000000000 F68HC11 providing 3 28 -pin JEDEC sockets for 8-32K RAMs, 00000000000000 0 0 0 0 000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, etc. RS -232 conversion supplied. 000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000001.400000000000000000000000000000000000 Requires external regulated supply: 5V at -30 mA. Based on 0U0000000000000000000000000000000000 NMIX-0020 board, so, many features may be added as desired ID00000000000000000000000000000000000..... by the user (or by factory -fully configured NMIX-0020 ,.. 0000 0000 _qj0-drjj-#73:11:116"1:awss'o0101 . 165F"I Ad -special available @ $145, call for details). ., (.,c,, c c, 0 6 o 016 c5---5 o /I .., ----- , - ca9- 1 il 1 N1 -, -- Languages supplied on accessory disk: Small C, Basic, and . 0 1 i I, . 1, ,..1?. I 10 Assembler. FORTH resident on chip (may be disabled). I 1 1, ";:7-0, _1. 1 1 10, i ca I li Languages come with manuals on disk. (Printed manuals extra.) R R 1 r1 p s e .Gmt i I ii I . AXE -. I I Communications utility, MAXTALK included to allow PC I .DC S 'E! -. I 1001 .... I I I . GNC clone to act as terminal for download and development. WIPE 4i) '1 . I 1 I RS1 utility included allows internal ROM, EEPROM, WDT to be I B I I, 1E1 I I 11-. ,4 0 enabled/disabled, and EEPROM to be erased. Manuals on disk: 1_117805I if I 1 UM -MAX Max -FORTH Users Manual, HM -20 NMIX-0020 I r. II e moo Hardware Manual, Small C manuals with examples, I Lc Mill BASIC11E9 Manual. rr 1. -_tea-- II , I I arc IMO 5* IN SBC and utility disk - $99. (Keypad and LCD not included. - 2 . MS IP* ----\-- O *91I -N.-_ *=.... MI--M- ---\_. I** Available separately.) Great value. Call today! New Micros, Inc. c I ...., IV ----\-- -5 I O oqs ----\___ .- Ia-N._ ---s.,_ . Tel: 214-339-2204, Fax: 214-339-1585. -N.----\---\-- ..= MI '.----\.._-_____. 1 I rm ..::1 . II ,._ , Mit a III -----k.E. ':-. MI . I I, g It rte- *- re ----\_---\_. NEW MICROS, INC. i 1 iv 's- . - 14 ---,.._to. li I g _rs ---\__-\--- . - i4 ---.----\ 1601 Chalk Hill Road I. -N._ , 013 I g _pus ---- to._ re . ._ Dallas, Texas 75212 1/4-) I, I g -oi .= Ili 5 Tel: (214)-339-2204 I e - 0-10 J4 ?IR 0 4 S 0tilta,AOCISSWOr...,1Z..10.09 Pe,2aQai CIRCLE NO. 80 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD Customized 68HC11 Controllers: C, Assembly, FORTH, Basic,too. These controllers have been quite a hit. Thousands have been sold, just as seen in the picture on the facing page. Did you know, these boards can be customized? Whether it is adding a feature to the NMIT-0020 (target version) to make it closer to the NMIX-0020 (development version), or, a complete redesign to meet a specific form -factor and function, even a different CPU, you should take advantage of the customization New Micros offers. From the biggest automotive giants, to the smallest one -man -shops, companies use New Micros to design, layout, program, and/or manufacture just the right controller, with just the right features. You should, too. Some customers asked for A/D and D/A features on the basic NMIT-0020 design. A/D and D/A cards were already available for use with the NMIT-0020's Vertical Stacking Connector,b the customerswanteduta singleNMIT-0020 + 4 ch. 12 -bit A/D + 1 ch. 12 -bit D/A $199 boardsolution.No problem. We made the board to sell as a standard --3-z- - .t product, so, in this case, , ammis engineering charges were 1 1_s,,a 3 E3 ; i f waved. The customers got :;:is air'i what they wanted. Great! I 1 Z ,., g I i Ifilligli if I V. 1 i e Now, you can buy this . I e I- 1- I I It board too! All the features 7..jp'cl..N-, IV - : II, -I oNc/ of the NMIT-0020 with 4 -411111117a I , ch. of A/D, 1 ch. of D/A, 1 10.11&;10+ " I i 0 0 all 12 -bit, for just $199 ..... > Or, if this doesn't fit your i r7C-111 el 8 ad I ":111.-0 lei se Di ............--- C0° 0°1- I 1-61. needs, call New Micros. 1 !Se --\__ Ss j, 41 0- al Ow Ii More D/A? Just ask. More 1 se ----- Ili.-../,,./e lki a 1 se-----k.......--IS4 -f,s/e---. .........-- Ws 111 :U:gr 1 I b il=--.--:\--.- Mu.--_,;411 \'.._-.-\-D4 A/D? Just ask. SSR's? L:34.0.- ;-.--N-- \ 1 se--N----- ISS-"ail =''''..N- --lei __./ 0 0-,,,,S.,),0--..,_,,,. Opto's? Steppers? 422? 1 I se -.-- ai .sa ,,,__les 414:(5-\--<Y1"--34--,;.,-:., 485? PCMCIA interface? _ 1 1 se --\___ Ws Asa -Ns_ es -'---r-s)2..,0 As:: ..- I I oil ---- est :jell -77-",z lit . ,9::: "Yr-C..._....n17. Yes, and more. Just ask. Z.= 1 I se----._.,- - It fAese _..- _-* . 4-%,-....7.x.,_ /Ss I Se ---= Ist-:;:leil----,:x=.- WA " *Nssi-se:-.÷0..._,d,t, 17 1 I Se ---ss"-- 1,4-.:,<441 I I °O.\--,....___.-\° --n./;=L ,\_....7.- 1 II .2r a igi..2h a . 41,,,si..". What else can you ask for? ---V 4 ,,..... /0---:--C r - ' I 4 2 1 , Call New Micros today! II 4V N 7.. I r '1. EAV, hr.; 4 1 If riif F ill " ' '°c3.....,. -, ....W.,s-° ° .... .....-: NEW MICROS, INC. 1601 Chalk Hill Road Dallas, Texas 75212 Tel: (214)-339-2204 M iCr0COMrLPYAfA Volume 2, No. 1, January/February 1995 Features 15 Build a PIC16Cxx Breadboarding System By Fred Eady Lets you prototype and experiment with PIC-based circuits. 24Enhancing Home Productivity With a Network By David F. Norman Setting up an inexpensive home local -area network with Arti soft' s Simply Lantastic. 28Make Your PC Operate as a Multiple Metering Device By Paul Bergsman A simple interface device connected to its parallel printer port lets your PC meter voltage, velocity, pressure, temp- erature or any physical property for which you can find a sensor-as many as eight of them simultaneously. 36 Fuzzy Logic By Hardin Brothers The dawn of a new age of reason. 41 Video Monitors: The Big Picture By TJ Byers The inside scoop on what makes video monitors tick and what to look for when you shop around for one. 50Serial Ports Inside and Out, Part 2 By Jan Axelson page 77 From the connector out. 59 A Multi -Tasking Development Platform For PC/Compatibles By Phil Hughes The Unix -like Linux operating system is your no -cost entry into an alternative to DOS and Windows. 72Internet Watch By Alexander W. Burawa Product Reviews 64 Mathcad 5.0 By Tom Fox Is it a math program with sophisticated text -handling capabilities or a special-purpose word processor with sophisticated math capabilities? 70 LapLink V By Leslee Jo Sebastian page 41 Super PC -to -PC file transfer via serial ports. 2 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 73Installing SCSI Devices With Future Domain's PowerSCSI! By SF Sparrow Columns Breadboarc Srstem 77Multimedia By Tom Benford Great Products For Multimedia. 82Microcomputer Musings By Ted Needleman Making Paper Airplanes; Adding Emphasis to Any Windows -Based Application; Re -sizing and Re -sampling Image Files; Having Fun Manipulating Images. 87Computers On the Go By Joe Desposito PCMCIA is Headed for a Desktop Near You. 90GUI Guts By Yacco Losing It With File Manager. 96Microcomputer Q&A By TJ Byers Answers to readers questions about all aspects of personal computing. 100Industry Watch about this important element in your computer system. It will help you By John Hastings make an intelligent decision when it comes time to buy a new one. Jan Axelson is back with Part 2 of "Serial Ports Inside and Out" Departments (page 50), this time taking you on a tour from the connector out. Then, beginning on page 59, Phil Hughes offers you an alternative to DOS 4 Editorial and Windows with the Unix -like Linux multi -tasking development By Art Salsberg platform for PC/compatibles. You can download it for just the cost of Multimedia Ballyhoo a call to a BBS that has it. Beginning on page 64, we offer reviews of three products worthy of 6 What's Happening! serious consideration.