February 2009 www.nutsvolts.com
Features
49 FPGAs at the Command Line
■ By Bob Smith
The problem with using Field Programmable Gate
Arrays is that you have to learn a design language
and then set up a fairly complex development
environment to write programs in. That problem
is addressed here.
60 A Touch of Spice ■ By Peter Stonard
In this final part, take a look at oscillator circuits
that create their own signal during simulation.
64 How To: A Guide to Soldering
■By James L. Antonakos
Never soldered before? Now you can learn how!
54 Power MOSFETs ■ By Gerard Fonte
Experience for yourself how power MOSFETs are
an inexpensive and easy way to control significant
power by building the two projects presented this
month using what you learned last month.
Projects
Page 41
Page 36
36 Garage Access Goes Digital
Keypad access is a great convenience and with this
unit you can trigger activation of up to two
garage doors! ■ By Jay Carter
●●●● Advanced Level
Columns
12 TechKnowledgey 2009
Events, Advances, and News
Topics covered include DNA analysis, owning
a Cray, Nabaztags explained, plus more.
41 High Resolution Time-Lapse Movies
Using a Still Camera
Cam Tim is a digital hack to convert your camera into a
high-res time-lapse camcorder.
■By Balakumar Balasubramaniam
●●●● Advanced Level
44 Makin’ MIDI with mistralXG
mistralXG is a USB connected, PIC-based synthesizer
that will help you turn your computer into a music
machine. ■ By Steve Russell
●●●● Advanced Level
Departments
08 DEVELOPING 67
PERSPECTIVES 86
10 READER FEEDBACK 90
32 NEW PRODUCTS 92
34 SHOWCASE 96
ELECTRO-NET
NV WEBSTORE
CLASSIFIEDS
TECH FORUM
AD INDEX
16 PICAXE Primer
Sharpening Your Tools of Creativity
Implementing a serial data link with the
IR multi-board.
24 Open Communiation
The Latest in Networking and
Wireless Technologies
Converting to digital TV.
27Q &A
Reader Questions Answered Here
CO laser power supply, a cycling circuit,
2
LED replacement of incandescent bulbs, more.
68 The Design Cycle
Advanced Techniques for Design Engineers
A reasonable replacement for RS-232.
74 Smiley’s Workshop
An AVR C Programming Series
The wearable alarm clock.
78 Near Space
Approaching the Final Frontier
The Great Plains Super Launch 2008.
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6
February 2009
81 Personal Robotics
Understanding, Designing & Constructing
Robots
Pneumatics in robotics.
