Nuts and Volts - March 2015

Nuts & Volts (ISSN 1528-9885/CDN Pub Agree #40702530) is published monthly for $26.95 per year by T & L Publications, Inc., 430 Princeland Court, Corona, CA 92879. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT CORONA, CA AND AT ADDI TIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POS TMASTER: Send address changes to Nuts & Volts, P.O. Box 15277, North Hollywood, CA 91615 or Station A, P. O. Box 54, Windsor ON N9A 6J5; cpcreturns@nutsvolts.com.

4 March 2015

08 Q&A

Reader Questions Answered Here

Find out how to fix burn marks on LCD screens and whether or not to go with CFLs or LEDs.

10 PICAXE Primer

Sharpening Your Tools of Creativity USB-to-Serial Adapters Revisited.

Explore a hardware solution that allows you to use a wide variety of relatively inexpensive USB-to-serial adapter cables in PICAXE breadboard projects.

59 The Ham’s Wireless Workbench

Practical Technology from the Ham World

Oscillators.

Every signal begins with an oscillator — which is a key element in ham radio to generate, mix, and extract the info from these signals. This time, see how to make an audio oscillator, plus learn about common RF types.

64 Open Communication The Latest in Networking and Wireless Technologies

New Short-Range Wireless Standards Target Io T Applications.

Now, it is easier than ever to connect devices over the Internet with the features available in upgraded versions of Bluetooth and ZigBee.

72 The Design Cycle

Advanced Techniques for Design Engineers

A Blueprint for Embedded Wi-Fi.

Last month, we discovered that the Numbat Wi-Fi module on the Moray development board can take care of itself in the wild. However, you can’t Wi-Fi in the woods if you have to be attached to the USB port of a laptop. This month, we will replace the USB cable, laptop, and terminal emulator with a simple PIC microcontroller and some tricky CCS C code.

22 Build a Frequency Counter

Frequency counters have been around for years as a standard piece of test equipment in both commercial and hobby labs. If you need one for your workshop, take a gander at the one presented here.

■ By Jim Teixeira

30 A Cost-Effective Traffic Light Controller This project spotlights how sometimes the good old fashioned way is the most efficient when constructing circuits.

■ By Alan Grambo

36 Beyond the Arduino

Ready to cut the apron strings and discover what it’s like to work directly with a microcontroller? This series will help you down that road less travelled.

■ By Andrew Retallack

46 Give Your Sound a Boost — Amplifier Modules to Power Your Project’s Audio Want to hear about a way to add sound to your project? Then, check out this review on a selection of low to mid power amplifier modules from Parts Express.

■ By J. W. Koebel

54 A Look at the 23rd Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST!

So, what’s the big deal about a vintage computer expo in this modern world of Windows, Androids, and iPads? Not only does this event highlight the TRS- 80 Color Computer, but it also showcases a unique fusion of old and new technology.