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January 2017

Nuts and Volts Magazine

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Features

The Retro PIC Single-Board Computer

Put some of your historic chips to work in a new “computer” system with a PIC acting as the CPU.

ESP8266 RSS News Reader

Utilize the versatile ESP8266 module to get your daily dose of news.

REVIEW: Bench Werx Offers a Versatile PCB Holder

Check out the new PCB Rax system for help soldering your circuit boards.

Computer Control and Interfacing with the NI MyRIO

National Instruments’ MyRIO is one of the best units available for computer interfacing and data acquisition. Plus, it can be utilized for a variety of teaching applications in controls, robotics, mechatronics, and embedded concepts.

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Projects

An Electronic Chessboard Using RGB LED Strips and Hall Effect Sensors

This chessboard is used by two players, and the basic objective is to keep track of the board and the rules of the game for both players. This makes it a nice learning device for the beginning chess player.

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Columns

Q&A
by Kristen McIntyre
Reader Questions Answered Here (01.2017)
Find answers to questions on phantom power, extending Wi-Fi range on the cheap, and PBX and auto dialers.

The Ham’s Wireless Workbench
by H. Ward Silver
Ham Metrics and the Decibel
Wireless communication seems to involve many unfamiliar terms, but most seem to be calculated or expressed in terms of the decibel. Let’s take a look at these measurements and values, and see how to use decibels for them.

The Spin Zone
by Jon McPhalen
Making Menus
The user interface on any system is important — especially the menus.

The Design Cycle
by Fred Eady
A Look at the nRF52832’s SPI Peripheral
The ARM-based nRF52832 blinks LEDs, speaks SPI, UART, and I2C just like any other microcontroller, so we will continue our exploration of the nRF52832’s peripherals.

TechKnowledgey
by Jeff Eckert
Events, Advances, and News (01.2017)
Information on current events, advances, and news in various technology fields.

Departments