Cover - 247_Layout 1 1/12/2011 9:32 AM Page 1 DESIGN: Build a Parallel Processing Computer INSIGHT: Experiment with Multipath Fading PROGRAMMING: BASIC for EE Pros ORIGIN: Greece ORIGIN: France ORIGIN: United States PAGE: 18 PAGE: 44 PAGE: 60 THE WORLD’S SOURCE FOR EMBEDDED ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING INFORMATION FEBRUARY 2011 ISSUE 247 WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS PLUS Wireless Network Battery Check Card Reader MCU-Based Parallel NiMH Cell Tester // 8-Channel Tester Design // Discharge Currents Remote Humidity // Calibration and Firmware Control System // Data Formatting Power Via Radio Waves RF Design Review $7.50 U.S. ($8.50 Canada) www.circuitcellar.com 5_Layout 1 11/1/2010 11:49 AM Page 1 Low-cost Industrial Serial to Ethernet Solutions t*OTUBOUMZOFUXPSLFOBCMFBOZTFSJBMEFWJDF t/PQSPHSBNNJOHJTSFRVJSFEGPSTFSJBMUP&UIFSOFUBQQMJDBUJPO t$VTUPNJ[FUPTVJUBOZBQQMJDBUJPOXJUIBEFWFMPQNFOULJU SBL2e 100 SBL2e Chip SBL2e 200 QPSUTFSJBMUP&UIFSOFUTFSWFS QPSUTFSJBMUP&UIFSOFUTFSWFS QPSUTFSJBMUP&UIFSOFUTFSWFS XJUIGPVS"%DPOWFSUFSJOQVUT XJUIFJHIU"%DPOWFSUFSJOQVUT XJUIGPVS"%DPOWFSUFSJOQVUT PQUJPOBM*$QFSJQIFSBMTVQQPSU BOEPQUJPOBM41* *$QFSJQIFSBM PQUJPOBM*$QFSJQIFSBMTVQQPSU BOE3+DPOOFDUPS EFWJDFTVQQPSU BOEQJOIFBEFS Hardware Features SBL2e 6QUPUISFFTFSJBMQPSUT .CQT&UIFSOFU VQUPEJHJUBM*0 CJU"%DPOWFSUFST PQFSBUJOHUFNQFSBUVSFUP$ CJUQFSGPSNBODF Serial-to-Ethernet server with RS-232 support Software Features 5$16%15FMOFU)551NPEFT %)$14UBUJD*1TVQQPSU XFCCBTFEPS "5DPNNBOEDPOöHVSBUJPO Low Prices 4#-F$IJQ 2UZL %FWJDF1/4#-F$)*1*3 4#-F 2UZ %FWJDF1/4#-F*3 4#-F 2UZ %FWJDF1/4#-F*3 4#-F9 2UZ %FWJDF1/4#-F9*3 4#-F9" 2UZ %FWJDF1/4#-F9"*3 Need a custom solution? /FU#VSOFS4FSJBMUP&UIFSOFU%FWFMPQNFOU,JUTBSFBWBJMBCMFUPDVTUPNJ[FBOZ SBL2e XA BTQFDUPGPQFSBUJPOJODMVEJOHXFCQBHFT EBUBöMUFSJOH PSDVTUPNOFUXPSL BQQMJDBUJPOT"MMLJUTJODMVEFQMBUGPSNIBSEXBSF "/4*$$ DPNQJMFS 5$1*1 &YUFSOBMTFSWFSXJUIVQUP TUBDL XFCTFSWFS FNBJMQSPUPDPMT 3504 BOE/#&DMJQTF*%& GPVS"%DPOWFSUFSJOQVUT VQUPFJHIUEJHJUBM*0BOEVQ Information and Sales]TBMFT!OFUCVSOFSDPN UPUXP6"354 POF34 Web]XXXOFUCVSOFSDPNTelephone] 9.qxp 8/7/2008 11:04 AM Page 1 2_Layout 1 10/27/2010 1:26 PM Page 1 Embedded Systems N High-End Performance TS-7800 with Embedded Ruggedness 500 MHz ARM9 q Unbrickable Low power - 4W@5V $229 qty 100 design 128MB DDR RAM 512MB high-speed $ 269 (17MB/sec) onboard Flash qty 1 12K LUT customizable FPGA shown Internal PCI Bus, PC/104 connector w/ optional SD Cards 2 host USB 2.0 480 Mbps Gigabit ethernet 2 SD sockets 3x faster 10 serial ports 110 GPIO and backward 5 ADC (10-bit) 2 SATA ports compatible with TS-72xx Sleep mode uses 200 microamps Boots Linux 2.6 in 0.7 seconds Linux 2.6 and Debian by default TS-TPC-7390 7” Color Touch Panel Computer Low Power, Industrial Quality Design Mountable aluminum frame 200 MHz ARM9 64MB SDRAM (128MB opt) 512MB Flash w/ Debian Linux 800 x 480 video core Dedicated framebuffer- 8MB RAM $449 Audio codec with speaker qty 1 Boots Linux 2.6 in less than 2 seconds Unbrickable, boots from SD or NAND Runs X Windows GUI applications Runs Eclipse IDE out-of-the-box More Touch Panel Computers on our website Over 25 years in business Custom configurations and designs w/ Open Source Vision excellent pricing and turn-around time Never discontinued a product Most products stocked and available S Engineers on Tech Support for next day shipping Design your solution with one of our engineers (480) 837-5200 3_Layout 1 10/27/2010 1:28 PM Page 1 E New Products TS-WIFIBOX-2 $185 A Complete Solution for 802.11g WiFi Applications qty 1 Low power (3.2 watts), fanless design Power via 5-12 VDC, USB, PoE (opt.) 64MB DDR-RAM 256MB ultra-reliable XNAND drive Micro-SD Card slot RS-232, RS-485, CAN, RTC Header with SPI and 11 DIO 480Mbit/s USB, Ethernet, PoE option Boots Linux 2.6.24 in < 3 seconds 5 Un-brickable, boots from SD or flash Ideal for gateway or firewall, protocol Customizable FPGA - 5K LUT converter, web server, WiFi audio, and Optional DIN mountable enclosure unattended remote applications series T starts at TS-SOCKET Macrocontrollers $ 92 Jump Start Your Embedded System Design qty 100 TS-SOCKET Macrocontrollers are CPU core modules that securely connect to a baseboard using the TS-SOCKET connector standard. COTS baseboards are available or design a baseboard for a custom solution with drastically reduced design time and complexity. Start your embedded system around a TS-SOCKET Macrocontroller to reduce 55 mm / 2.165 in. your overall project risk and accelerate time to market. 75 mm / 2.953 in. Current projects include: TS-4200: Atmel ARM9 with super low power TS-4300: Cavium ARM11 with dual 600 MHz and FPU Dual 100-pin connectors TS-4500: Cavium ARM9 at very low cost Secure connection w/ mounting holes TS-4700: Marvell PXA168 with video and 1.2 GHz CPU Common pin-out interface TS-4800: Freescale iMX515 with video and 800 MHz CPU Low profile w/ 6mm spacing Several COTS baseboards for evaluation & development Technologic M Systems We use our stuff. Visit our TS-7800 powered website at www.embeddedARM.com Task_Masthead_247_masthead.qxd 1/12/2011 8:55 AM Page 4 ASK TMANAGER THE WORLD’S SOURCE FOR EMBEDDED ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING INFORMATION Connectivity, Power, and Apps FOUNDER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR PUBLISHER Steve Ciarcia Hugo Van haecke EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER How does it connect and at what speed? Does it have enough C. J. Abate Shannon Barraclough power? Can it efficiently run essential applications? WEST COAST EDITOR CUSTOMER SERVICE Tom Cantrell Debbie Lavoie Such questions about electronics systems don’t pertain only CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Kim Hopkins to the embedded design projects under development in corporate Jeff Bachiochi CONTROLLER or university labs. Nor do such questions arise solely in conver- Robert Lacoste Jeff Yanco George Martin sations about technology at the embedded level. Eavesdrop on a ART DIRECTOR Ed Nisley few conversations taking place in your local smartphone shop or KC Prescott NEW PRODUCTS EDITOR big-box electronics store and you’ll hear similar inquiries. Why? GRAPHIC DESIGNERS John Gorsky The topics of wireless connectivity, system power, and data/app Grace Chen PROJECT EDITORS Carey Penney processing are vital to modern techies, from the hardware and Ken Davidson STAFF ENGINEER David Tweed software engineers who read Circuit Cellar to plugged-in stu- John Gorsky dents to small business owners with growing client lists. This Circuit Cellar’s mission is to collect, select, and disseminate need-to-know informa- isn’t a necessarily novel observation on my part; it’s been this tion around the world in the fields of embedded hardware, embedded software, and way for some time now. What intrigues me is that many of our computer applications. Circuit Cellar uses an assortment of print and electronic con- readers were the forward thinkers who first began asking these tent-delivery platforms to reach a diverse international readership of professionals, academics, and electronics specialists who work with embedded, MCU-related tech- questions a few decades ago. (Take a quick look at the article nologies on a regular basis. Our aim is to help each reader become a well-rounded, titles in our issues dating back to the 1980s to see what I mean.) multidisciplinary practitioner who can confidently bring innovative, cutting-edge engi- And what truly excites me is that our readers are today asking neering ideas to bear on any number of relevant tasks, problems, and technologies. the questions that will change the tech landscape for the next ADVERTISING decade. 800.454.3741 • 978.281.7708 • www.circuitcellar.com/advertise In this issue, our authors and columnists address three main ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE topics from different angles: wireless connectivity, system Peter Wostrel power, and application/data processing. Strategic Media Marketing, Inc. 1187 Washington St., Gloucester, MA 01930 USA On page 28, Carlo Tauraso presents his “MiWi” network card 800.454.3741 • 978.281.7708 reader design. Another innovative application—a contest-win- [email protected] • www.smmarketing.us Fax: 978.281.7706 ning application, if fact—is David Penrose’s remote humidity control system (p. 36). The design can calculate water vapor pres- ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Valerie Luster sure, control a ventilation system, and more. Users have remote E-mail: [email protected] access. And speaking of system access, you could apply the tips Cover photography by Chris Rakoczy—Rakoczy Photography Jeff Bachiochi provides in “Serving Up BASIC” to develop a web- www.rakoczyphoto.com page for operating a control or monitoring system (p. 60). PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES On the topic of RF technology, columnists George Novacek CONTACTS and Robert Lacoste weigh in with need-to-know information for SUBSCRIPTIONS R&D project managers and hands-on designers alike. In “RF Information: www.cc-access.com, E-mail: [email protected] Subscribe: 800.269.6301, www.cc-access.com, Circuit Cellar Subscriptions, P.O. Box 5650, Design Review,” George reflects on the decades of R&D that Hanover, NH 03755-5650 Address Changes/Problems: E-mail: [email protected] went into developing the wireless technologies we use today GENERAL INFORMATION (p. 16). Robert focuses on the potentially ruinous phenomenon 860.875.2199, Fax: 860.871.0411, E-mail: [email protected] Editorial Office: Editor, Circuit Cellar, 4 Park St., Vernon, CT 06066, E-mail: [email protected] of multipath fading (p. 44). Be sure to read this article before New Products: New Products, Circuit Cellar, 4 Park St., Vernon, CT 06066, E-mail: [email protected] starting your next RF system. AUTHORIZED REPRINTSINFORMATION 860.875.2199, E-mail: [email protected] Want to develop a computation-intensive application? Check AUTHORS out Antonios Chorevas’s parallel processing computer (p. 18). Authors’ e-mail addresses (when available) are included at the end of each article. The PIC-based design is used to fine-tune parallel algorithms. CIRCUIT CELLAR®, THE MAGAZINE FOR COMPUTER APPLICATIONS (ISSN 1528-0608) is published monthly by Circuit Cellar Incorporated, 4 Park Street, Vernon, CT 06066.