As the Jedi Padawans demonstrate in Star Wars, acquiring the first 80% of knowledge and skills may take a few weeks or months, but getting a handle on the remaining 20% usually takes years of study and practice under the leadership of a master.
This fourth installment will examine the more complex circuits from the book, “555 Timer IC Circuits” by Forrest Mims. Some will use the PIC replacement from Part 1, while others will develop specific programs using a PIC to emulate a particular implementation of a 555.
For audiophiles, musicians, and ham radio operators, the soft glow of the vacuum tube filament is not only an indication of function, but a nostalgic trigger for memories of simpler times. Though they may have been outpaced by tiny transistors and integrated circuits, these workhorses still may have something to offer in many modern devices.
The “magic” of Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) process control can be mystifying. In this article, we’ll step you through using an Arduino in a hands-on exercise using a solid-state relay to control a 1,500 watt hotplate in a real world solution to a tricky problem: automating a vegetable canning process.
Here’s a quick beginner-friendly tutorial that shows you how to interface and read data with the popular serial protocol, I2C. In particular, we’ll be reading data from the NXP MPL3115A2 altimeter/barometer/temperature sensor. The principles found here can also be applied generically, even to your ambifacient lunar wane shaft positioning sensor of your turboencabulator.
With a circuit simulator and a basic knowledge of components and circuit theory, it’s possible to simulate just about any electronic device that can be built. Trouble is that circuit simulators and the underlying models are inherently limiting. However, the great thing about simulation is that you can define your own universe in software. So, go ahead, define that flux capacitor.
This timely clock project uses CMOS logic and seven-segment displays, which offer the builder many design variations for construction.
Over the years, I have accumulated a bunch of chips from before the era of true PCs when computers with names like Altair, KIM-1, and Cosmac ELF were popular. I’ve been looking for a way to use them in new projects, so I designed a system around a 40-pin PIC16F887. I figured this would put some of my historic chips to work and be a great learning tool for understanding how a microcomputer works.
Reverse engineering is one of the most challenging and rewarding endeavors in electronics. I’m talking about replicating the functionality of a device that you’ve seen or read about but that’s too expensive or otherwise unavailable. There are numerous issues involved in reverse engineering — from creating a schematic to locating parts. Moreover, you have to understand what’s going on.
Inspired by Forrest Mims and his Mini-Notebook series, we'll detail the emulation of a 555 or 556 using a PIC in several different circuits. The particular implementation this time covers both monostable and astable modes, and the PIC does not have to be reprogrammed in any way.
