Nuts and Volts - September 2008

◗ PARTS LIST

Item
◗ VMUSIC2
◗ Male Crimp Terminal
◗ SX Tech Board

Supplier/Part No.

Mouser/895-VMUSIC2

Mouser/538-16-02-0114

Parallax/45205

Just a reminder on using the modulus operator: When we do a modulus, the result will be somewhere between zero and the divisor minus one. In this case, I wanted to create a random 10 minute time frame; 10 minutes is 600 seconds, so using 601 gets us there when using modulus. By adding this result to 5,100 ( 85 minutes), the final result is somewhere between 85 and 95 minutes.

And that does it for the Sleepnotizer. Who knows how long I’ll leave this thing hooked up, but if it works then I might build a permanent version. And no matter what, now we’ve got a nice library of VMUSIC2 routines that let us add MP3 audio to any of our SX projects.

BRAKE LIGHT BUDDY UPDATE

So far, so good — I haven’t been smashed into. And despite a new law in California that forbids using one’s phone in the car without a hands-free device, people still

Interface a sharp LCD display to your BASIC Stamp® or other micro-controller project with ease. No-solder wiring harnesses and easy mounting kits available too. See www.seetron.com today.

• 3.2 x 1.4 in. supertwist LCD

• 2400/9600 baud serial

• Low (≈2mA) current draw

• Great with BASIC Stamps^®

BPI-216N

• 3.2 x 2 in. backlit LCD

• 1200-9600 baud serial ^ILM-216L

• Advanced protocol, 4 switch inputs

• EEPROM for configuration settings

• Favorite for OEM applications

• 3.2 x 1.4 in. graphics LCD

• 2400/9600 baud serial

• Font and 15 screens in EEPROM

• Easily draw points, lines, screens

SGX-120L

• 3 x 2 in. supertwist LCD

TRM-425L

• 1200-9600 baud serial

• ESD-protected, 4x4 keypad input

• Store up to 95 screens in EEPROM

1939 S. Frontage Rd. #F, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 phone 520-459-4802 • fax 520-459-0623 www.seetron.com • sales@seetron.com

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September 2008

charge down the 405 in full-force conversation with phones held to their ear. I have found that the Brake Light Buddy (BLB) is especially effective at night, probably because my vanity license plate (EFX-TEK) and Screen Actors Guild plate frame are less obvious. A friend was following me one evening and said that it definitely got his attention.

Not long after I installed my BLB, I happened to come out of a convenience store and found a Burbank police car parked next to my SUV. I approached the officer and asked if he could help me check my brake lights. He cheerfully accommodated, and when I pressed the brake pedal he got a slightly peculiar look on his face. When I asked him if it was legal, he said that it was. Then I asked him to do one more check and I switched the pattern to the one that flashes like a police light bar. Well, the look didn’t get any better — in fact, he shook his head a bit — but admitted that it was still legal.

A couple of the points I speculated on turned out to be true. The BLB is okay in California as I installed it because:

1) The lights are all red; different colors would have generated a ticket.

2) The device points backward; pointing it forward is a big no-no.

So, if you live in California I believe you’re okay to go. Please, if you live elsewhere then you should check your local vehicle code. (Yeah, right, who does that? Nobody, of course.) I suggest you consult a local police officer on the legal aspects of using the BLB in your area.

SX/B – TWO POINT OH!

Next time, we’ll get into SX/B 2.0; compiler engineer “Bean” worked very hard to update SX/B and has packed some great new stuff into this version. We’ve come a long way since SX/B’s release nearly four years ago, and things just keep getting better and better and better — and it’s still free!