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siliconchip.com.au November 2010  1 PARTY Roadies Cable Tester Simply plug in the cables under test and turn the rotary switch. The LED array gives an instant go/no-go status of each conductor path in the cable. With tough all-metal construction, its ideally suited for any tradie or roadie working on cables. • Requires 1 x 9V battery • Dimensions: 190(L) x 98(W) x 35(H)mm AA-0405 59 95 $ 5” Speakers - Sold as pair Frequency response: 120Hz - 20kHz Power handling: 50WRMS Nominal impedance: 8 ohms Dimensions: 245(H) x 185(W) x 168(D)mm CS-2436 $99.95 pair Active 12" 150W Subwoofer This high-performance powered subwoofer is finished in a timber veneer and houses a 12" driver and amplifier. The amp is rated at 150 watts RMS, has auto power-on, level adjustment, crossover frequency adjustment, phase reversal switch, high and line level inputs as well as high and line level outputs. Line level connectors are gold plated RCA while high levels are via spring loaded clips. 00 An essential technical reference source for acoustics. A hands-on approach to acoustic measurement, room dimensions, speaker placement, room response, reverberation and how to build sound absorbers or diffusers. 72 00 $ 239 $ UHF Wireless Microphone System • Frequency response: 20 - 150Hz • Dimensions: 350 (W) x 440 (H) x 420(D)mm CS-2457 100WRMS 2.1 Active Satellite Speaker-Mixer-Amp Set-up Includes 2 mics! Suitable for schools, churches, karaoke, weddings etc. this dual channel UHF wireless microphone system that is not short on features. This system offers the superior performance and convenience found on more expensive models. Incorporates two microphones with easy to use infrared pairing and wireless transmission up to 100m line of sight. • Budget non-diversity receiver • 2 channel $ • 2 microphones included • Requires 4 x AA batteries • Dimensions: 420(W) x 210(D) x 45(H)mm AM-4122 269 00 A complete DJ, karaoke or music sound system in one package, with 12" active sub and a pair of 2 way 8" satellite speakers. Includes a 4 channel mixer that takes inputs from any devise that connects to line level RCA, XLR or 6.5mm inputs. Record to a computer or digital multi-stack recorder via RCA line outputs. Two Speakon 4m cables included. Power output: Amp 150WRMS, Speakers 100WRMS Driver: 12" paper cone speaker Freq. resp: 40HZ - 20kHz $ Dimensions: Amp 410(W) x 520(H) x 460(D)mm Speakers (ea) 250(W) x 365(H) x 255(D)mm CS-2545 949 00 6.5” Speaker Frequency response: 50Hz - 22kHz Power handling: 80WRMS Nominal impedance: 8 ohms Dimensions: 296(H) x 217(W) x 190(D)mm CS-2438 $129.00 each USB MIDI Interface Connect any MIDI device to your computer: keyboards, controllers, instruments, sound cards, samplers, drum machines etc. Plug and play, no software or drivers required. MIDI in and MIDI out connectors. • Cable length 2m XC-4934 39 95 $ 30 Electronic Musical Projects This book has 30 projects to build based around musical instruments. Projects include metronome x 4, guitar practice, accompaniment drummer, guitar bass booster, treble boost preamp, presence boost, connecting guitar pickups, guitar preamps, practice amp, envelope control, distortion box, waa waa, echo and reverb, tremolo, sustain, phasers, bonger, percussion box, sound generators, organ, etc. • Softcover. 52 pages 135 x 210mm. BM-2450 6 $ 50 Moondot Revolving Disco Light Liven up any party with this funky light display. Featuring 18 high brightness red, green and blue LEDs that rotate, change colours and direction in response to music being played. USB Cassette Deck DJ Single Headphone with Handle Record cassette tracks to a computer via USB or play back through the built-in 5W speaker. Can also run the line level outputs to an external amplifier and use it as a component cassette deck. • Dimensions: 178(L) x 72(H) x 178(W)mm GE-4054 Versatile speakers that can be mounted to a wall or ceiling and can be rotated 180 degrees for perfect sound projection. Ideal for conference rooms, auditoriums, lecture halls or out on the patio. Please note that CS-2436 sold as a pair; CS-2438 is sold individually. TIME AT JAYCAR Master Handbook of Acoustics 5th Edition • Softcover, 510pages, 235 x 190mm BA-1490 5" Indoor/Outdoor Speakers Closed back, single cup headphone, designed especially for DJs. Keeps one hand available and frees you up from the constraints of wearing headphones. Curly cord cable terminates to 6.5mm plug. 29 79 $ 95 Driver diameter: 50mm 95 $ Impedance: 48 ohms SAVE $40 00 Sensitivity: 98±3dB Frequency response: 15Hz - 20kHz AA-2059 WAS $69.95 Limited Stock To order call 1800 022 888 www.jaycar.com.au Prices valid until 23/11/2010. While stocks last. No rainchecks. Savings are based on ORRP. • 10° beam angle • Auto mode (plug-play effect) • Sound activated mode • Mains powered • Weighs 2kg • Measures 200(L) x153(W) x 94(H)mm SL-2898 119 00 $ Contents Vol.23, No.11; November 2010 SILICON CHIP www.siliconchip.com.au Features 12 Broadband Radar: A Quantum Leap Forward Mariners have always needed to know the quickest and safest route and what obstacles might be encountered on the way. Broadband radar promises to revolutionise marine navigation – by Kevin Poulter 90 Review: Altium Designer & the Nanoboard 3000 Arguably the premier design package in Australia, Altium Designer is software for designing PC boards, circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) projects and embedded software – by Mauro Grassi Build A Hearing Loop Level Meter – Page 20. 20. Pro jects To Build 20 Build A Hearing Loop Level Meter Setting the correct signal level and minimising noise are critical factors when installing a hearing loop. This easy-to-build level meter will allow you to achieve optimum results – by John Clarke 26 Digital Lighting Controller For Christmas Light Shows, Pt.2 This controller will make your Christmas light display the best in your suburb. Here’s how to put it together – by Nicholas Vinen & Jim Rowe 44 An RFID Security System This RFID (radio-frequency identification) system offers high security but is low in cost. Team it with an electric lock and you could have a secure keyless entry system – by Jeff Monegal 70 A High-Quality DAB+/FM Tuner, Pt.2 Second article shows you how to assemble the two PC boards and install them into a low-profile custom steel case – by Mauro Grassi An RFID Security System – Page 44. 80 Ultrasonic Anti-Fouling Unit For Boats, Pt.2 Pt.2 has all the details on encapsulating the ultrasonic transducer so that it is safe to handle and will operate reliably, even underwater. We also describe a typical installation in a boat – by Leo Simpson Special Columns 38 Serviceman’s Log Do-it-yourself servicing at the deep end – by the Serviceman Building The High-Quality DAB+ & FM Stereo Tuner – Page 70. 65 Circuit Notebook (1) Electronic Fuse Employs A Relay; (2) Golf Buggy Battery Charger Control; (3) Reversing Camera Delay; (4) Lullaby & Lamp Timer; (5) High-Performance Shortwave Converter 98 Vintage Radio Traeger’s first pedal radio & other replicas – by Rodney Champness Departments   2 4 43 97 Publisher’s Letter Mailbag Order Form Product Showcase siliconchip.com.au 106 Ask Silicon Chip 109 Notes & Errata 110 Market Centre Ultrasonic Anti-Fouling: Potting The Transducer & Installing The Unit In A Boat – Page 80. November 2010  1 SILICON SILIC CHIP www.siliconchip.com.au Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Leo Simpson, B.Bus., FAICD Production Manager Greg Swain, B.Sc. (Hons.) Technical Editor John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.) Technical Staff Ross Tester Jim Rowe, B.A., B.Sc Mauro Grassi, B.Sc. (Hons), Ph.D Nicholas Vinen Photography Ross Tester Reader Services Ann Morris Advertising Enquiries Glyn Smith Phone (02) 9939 3295 Mobile 0431 792 293 glyn<at>siliconchip.com.au Regular Contributors Brendan Akhurst Rodney Champness, VK3UG Kevin Poulter Mike Sheriff, B.Sc, VK2YFK Stan Swan SILICON CHIP is published 12 times a year by Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd. ACN 003 205 490. ABN 49 003 205 490. All material is copyright ©. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Printing: Hannanprint, Noble Park, Victoria. Distribution: Network Distribution Company. Subscription rates: $94.50 per year in Australia. For overseas rates, see the order form in this issue. Editorial office: Unit 1, 234 Harbord Rd, Brookvale, NSW 2100. Postal address: PO Box 139, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097. Phone (02) 9939 3295. Fax (02) 9939 2648. E-mail: silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au ISSN 1030-2662 Recommended and maximum price only. 2  Silicon Chip Publisher’s Letter The NBN is looking more like a white elephant Every time another report appears on the National Broadband Network it inevitably becomes another piece of evidence in the monumental folly that this project has become. That the Federal Government can still blithely proceed with a project with a projected cost of 43 billion dollars but no cost/benefit analysis seems incredible enough. Then it was announced that the NBN rollout in Tasmania would be strung pole-to-pole rather than underground, repeating the mess that was made years ago with cable TV. Now, it appears that not enough people in Tasmania are taking up the service as it becomes available. Apparently they either don’t need it or it is too expensive, or both. Well, we are not surprised. For most people, present broadband internet services are probably adequate. While just about everyone who logs on and downloads stuff would like it to be faster, they are generally not prepared to pay substantially more to save a small amount of download time. So what can the government and the NBN authority do to increase the take-up? One proposal is that people might be forced to take it up if they want to keep their existing fixed line phone service. Apart from being a most unwelcome draconian approach, it also ignores what is presently happening out there with fixed-line phone services – people are abandoning them, as they have been for years. In fact, several of my own relatives have recently abandoned their fixed-line phones, figuring that their mobile phone plans made the fixed line unnecessary. Furthermore, they don’t bother with fixed-line internet services either since they have 3G internet as part of their mobile plans. In effect, they are always “on-line” and they like being able to connect at any time, without cables. When 4G mobile services become available, the move away from fixed line services is likely to become a stampede and it will make the NBN even less viable. Virtually anyone with a mobile phone knows about 3G and knows that much faster 4G services are not far away. So if the government and the NBN authority think that they can force-feed their potential customers with this service, they are horribly misinformed – as usual! In any case, part of the deal with the NBN is that the government has decided to pay Telstra a cool 11 billion dollars to transfer its fixed-line customer base to the NBN. No doubt Telstra is anxious to do this as soon as possible – before the customer base deteriorates much more and its revenue continues its inexorable slide. In fact, Telstra’s fixed line revenue is being squeezed on two sides. As noted above, domestic customers are giving up their fixed lines and on the commercial side, more and more businesses are converting to VOIP services, as we recently did in the SILICON CHIP offices. It has more than halved our telephone costs. Multiply that trend in thousands of businesses across Australia and you can see that Telstra has a grim future as far as fixed-line revenue is concerned. There is little doubt that the whole situation involving the NBN and Telstra is a mess – a government-created mess. Let us hope that the government finally sees reason before the rollout begins in earnest on the mainland. It should abandon the NBN and forget about paying Telstra $11 billion, even though that will massacre Telstra’s share price. It should then let Telstra and its competitors get on with providing internet and phone services – and let the cards fall where they may. Leo Simpson siliconchip.com.au STIC FANTAIDEA GIFT UDENTS FOR SFT ALL O S! AGE THEAMATEUR SCIENTIST An incredible CD with over 1000 classic projects from the pages of Scientific American, covering every field of science... NEW VERSION 4 – JUST RELEASED! GET THE LATEST VERSION NOW! Arguably THE most IMPORTANT collection of scientific projects ever put together! This is version 4, Super Science Fair Edition from the pages of Scientific American. As well as specific project material, the CDs contain hints and tips by experienced amateur scientists, details on building science apparatus, a large database of chemicals and so much more. ONLY 62 $ 00 PLUS $10 Pack and Post within Australia NZ P&P: $AU12.00, Elsewhere: $AU18.00 “A must for every science student, science teacher, science lab . . . or simply for those with an enquiring mind . . .” Just a tiny selection of the incredible range of projects: ! Build a seismograph to study earthquakes ! Make soap bubbles that last for months ! Monitor the health of local streams ! Preserve biological specimens ! Build a carbon dioxide laser ! Grow bacteria cultures safely at home ! Build a ripple tank to study wave phenomena ! Discover how plants grow in low gravity ! Do strange experiments with sound ! Use a hot wire to study the crystal structure of steel ! Extract and purify DNA in your kitchen !Create a laser hologram ! Study variable stars like a pro ! Investigate vortexes in water ! Cultivate slime moulds ! Study the flight efficiency of soaring birds ! How to make an Electret ! Construct fluid lenses ! Raise butterflies as experimental animals ! Study the physics of spinning tops ! Build an apparatus for studying chaotic systems ! Detect metals in air, liquids, or solids ! Photograph an ant's brain and nervous system ! Use magnets to make fluids into solids ! Measure the metabolism of an insect . . . ! and many, many more (a thousand more, in fact!) See the V2 review in SILICON CHIP, October 2004. . . or read on line at siliconchip.com.au This is the ALL-NEW Version 4 . . . it’s even BETTER! HERE’S HOW TO ORDER YOUR COPY: BY PHONE:* (02) 9939 3295 9-5 Mon-Fri BY FAX:# <at> (02) 9939 2648 24 Hours 7 Days BY EMAIL:# silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au 24 Hours 7 Days BY MAIL:# BY PAYPAL:# PO Box 139, Collaroy NSW 2097 silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au 24 Hours 7 Days * Please have your credit card handy! # Don’t forget to include your name, address, phone no and credit card details. BY INTERNET:^ siliconchip.com.au 24 Hours 7 Days ^ You will be prompted for required information There’s also a handy order form inside this issue. Exclusive in SILICON Australia to: CHIP siliconchip.com.au siliconchip.com.au November 2010  3 MAILBAG Letters and emails should contain complete name, address and daytime phone number. Letters to the Editor are submitted on the condition that Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd may edit and has the right to reproduce in electronic form and communicate these letters. This also applies to submissions to “Ask SILICON CHIP” and “Circuit Notebook”. Solar power article did not give the whole story George W. Bush said that the British had information that Saddam Hussein had tried to obtain uranium from Niger. It was true. But what he deceptively didn’t say was that the USA’s own intelligence agencies had looked at that information and dismissed it as wrong. And your article in August 2010 about solar thermal power did the same. Everything you said was true but the issue is what it didn’t say. It’s not a secret what the power generated by that plant in Spain costs. But that was left out. The only reference to the price of this type of power was that a plant that will open at some time in the future in the US might be able to generate power at 20c/kWh. Which considering that’s about what Australians pay for electricity would sound reasonable to an uninformed person. In fact, the price at the gate for the Spanish plant is 27.5 eurocents/ kWh or 40c/kWh. Which is over 10 times what the CSIRO’s Heat Is On report says coal-generated power in Australia costs to produce. Even 20c/kWh is three times the price of wind-generated power. It’s twice what ANY other form of power Praise for PIC Programmable Ignition I am an electronics, car and computer enthusiast of many years. I recently retired from the defence force after 26 years as an electronics engineer and I now have time to get back into my old hobbies. I started out reading Practical Wireless as a teenager in England and later Practical Electronics and Electronics Today International. I now read SILICON CHIP regularly and I find it to be very enjoyable. Now that I can afford a decent CRO and other equipment I am delighted 4  Silicon Chip costs. And no mention of that plant only being able to operate about one day in two. Ten times the price and not able to operate half the time isn’t an honest definition of “baseload”. According to the CSIRO report, this technology came a very distant last in the race to find what would best replace dirty coal. It’s just delusion to choose the loser as the one to back. Gordon Drennan, Burton, SA. Comment: you make a good point. It is true that the high cost of renewables is seldom discussed by those people who advocate that we must move away from coal-fired power stations. Modern electronics leaves much to be desired It’s 2010, so why can’t they make the following? If we could put a man on the Moon 30 years ago why can’t we have: (1) A microwave oven that remembers the time after loss of power? We live in a caravan, which means that every time we move to another park we have to disconnect the 230VAC power and when we get to our new site, we have to reset the clock on our microwave oven. A microwave oven to get back into constructing and repair work. I was particularly pleased to see the Programmable Ignition System Mk.2 (SILICON CHIP, March, April & May 2007), as it combined all three of my interests into one project. I immediately went to Jaycar to get the kit. Today I finished the project. I simulated the input with a signal generator and the MAP with a pot and watched both the input and output on a dual-trace CRO. The dwell was spot-on as programmed and it was a real joy to see the advance (in ms) on the CRO correspond exactly that targeted the caravan and RV market would need to have small dimensions and low power; under 1000 watts would be ideal. But the main selling feature would be battery backup for the clock and personal memory settings. Another option for an RV microwave could be a larger clock display and a 12V connection so that the clock display still works when the power is disconnected. This would mean that RV manufacturers could do away with a separate clock. (2) A video recorder that remembers the time and the timer record data? If modern recorders or PVRs can retain the station set-up, why not retain the time record information and clock data as well, after loss of power? I remember a National MV300 VCR made in the early 80s had a two Farad capacitor that functioned as the backup for the clock and recording times. A later model Philips VCR used two AAA batteries for the same thing. That was nearly 30 years ago. Surely the makers of modern recorders could do better today? We are travelling around Australia and we move from site to site every with the advance (in degrees) as entered on the hand-held unit. That PIC microcontroller is truly an impressive technological advance over the 8086 and Z80 chips I used in university! All went well on the bench and I will be putting the unit in my car as my next project but I expect all will go well. So, thank you very much to John Clarke and your magazine for this and many other interesting and outstanding articles. Keep up the good work. Dave Comfort, via email. siliconchip.com.au Poor mains connections can interfere with digital TV I had problems with my digital TV which was intermittently troubled with drop-outs and errors on weak signals. I don’t know if the signal transmission to my area was recently boosted at the transmitter or if it was fixed by the sequence of events I will describe now. I tried every thing I could think of: AC filtering, upgraded to double-shielded aerial cable, antenna amplifiers, new antenna and a new earth stake just for the TV. Nothing worked. Then I had the fusebox upgraded with ELD (electrical load detection) couple of days. When we get to our new site, not only do we have to reset the clock but we also have to input all our favourite shows back into the timer record menu. (3) Two remote controls for all new AV equipment? One remote would have all the functions on it (to be stored away and only used when unusual functions required.) The second, smaller remote would have only the major function keys on it. With only 10 or so keys it could be made in big bold colours so that the elderly and visually-impaired could use it. If it gets broken, you would still have a spare. And while we are on this subject why can’t the most often-used keys (Play, Stop, FF, FRW, Vol Up, Vol Down, Channel Up, etc) be more prominent on the remote? Make them bigger, coloured or raised; anything to make it easier to use. You should not have put on glasses just to change channel! In addition, battery compartment covers should be screwed on, not clipped on, as it is far too easy for the covers to fall off and be lost. (4) Actual temperature set-up on portable fridges? Most 12V fridges (Engel, Waeco, etc) have a temperature readout that lets you see what the inside temperature is. If it is too cold, then you have to adjust the control to make it a little bit warmer or vice versa. Why don’t they make it so that you set the display to the actual temperature you want? Simple! No more constantly monitoring the fridge to make siliconchip.com.au and due to this change the MEN system used on the garage switchboard had to be removed and the earth separated from the neutral there. At the same time it was noted that the supply fuseholder was slack on the fuse cartridge (on the barge board of the house). The holder was tightened. After all this electrical work was done the problem with the TV is now fixed. I suspect the loose mains connection was the principle cause. This might help other technicians in the struggle against spurious noise faults. Norm Boundy, Melbourne, Vic. sure the beer is the right temperature. It seems to me they have all the necessary electronics installed; it’s just not configured correctly. (5) Devices that work faster, not slower than older models? In the past, when you turned something off or on, it did so right away. Now most modern appliances have to think about things for inordinate lengths of time before something happens. With DVD players, press eject and it takes up to a minute before it deigns to open the tray. What’s the hold-up? If it’s playing, just stop the disc spinning and open up. What’s so hard about that? Modern CTVs take forever to auto tune the stations. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why some manufacturers set the search speed for TV stations at such a slow rate. If Sony, Teac, and other Japanese brands can do it quickly, why not the other Asian makers? Modern notebooks and laptops take forever to boot up. It seems to be an evolutionary thing – they make faster chips, which are then hamstrung by bigger and slower software, ad infinitum. Another issue with modern CTVs is sound quality. I would like to know who decided that we had to have flat panel sets as thin as possible, with tiny speakers and no bass response at all. If installing big speakers with sufficient baffling, to provide a decent sound, required the set to be 100mm deeper, then so be it. My main concern is listening enjoyment, not how far it sticks out from the wall. FRONT PANELS & ENCLOSURES Customized front panels can be easily designed with our free software Front Panel Designer • Cost-effective prototypes and production runs • Wide range of materials or customization of provided material • Automatic price calculation • Fabrication in 1, 3 or 5 days New Version 4.0 New functions include dxf import for inner and outer shapes. Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X compatible. Sample price: $ 50.53 plus S&H www.frontpanelexpress.com (206) 768 - 0602 November 2010  5 Mailbag: continued Helping to put you in Control Control Equipment Arduino Uno This new arduino comes fully assembled and tested with ATMega328 preloaded with bootloader. The Uno uses an ATmega8U2 for USB to serial connection. SFA-100 $35 +GST Labjack U6 Data Acquisition Module Feature packed includes USB connection, 14 Analog Inputs (16-18+ Bits Depending on Speed) , 20 Digital I/O, Up to 4 Timers, 2 Counters and 2 Analog Outputs. Free Software and drivers LAJ-041 $425.00 +GST Industrial Flashing Light Tower Our flashing LED multilevel signal light has Red, Yellow, Green lights and a Buzzer. Powered from 24VDC the lights flash at approximately 1Hz. HEL-020 $64.95 +GST 6 Digit Counter This programmable 6-digit counter is also a batch counter and totaliser, performs quadrature counting and accepts remote reset. Has relay and pulse outputs. NOV-400 $129 +GST Float Switch Industrial grade float switch with 10m lead. Has both Normally open and closed contacts. Suitable for raw water and sewerage. HES-100$39.95+GST Led Message Display Gateway Want to display readings so they can be read 30 metres away. Our gateway displays messages from your PLC or microcontroller onto a large 1 line 20 character display. Led display also available. KTA-270 $159+GST Contact Ocean Controls Ph: 03 9782 5882 www.oceancontrols.com.au 6  Silicon Chip Lead-free solder & cable glands With regard to the letter about Toyota engine runaway (Mailbag, October 2010, page 4), there have been several previous instances of engine runaway. I have been involved with car clubs for over 40 years and think that there have been some instances here with some other models some time ago. A lot of the auto technology here is way behind overseas manufacturers. I strongly believe that the rise and rise of the use of that rubbish called lead-free solder is and will be a significant problem. I am already seeing it and often wonder if the tin whiskers that it suffers from is the cause of the automotive issues. I have already seen this stuff fracture and recently was presented with a bench-type multimeter, cap tester etc that was doing bizarre things and the display was quite unstable. I pored over the circuit board with a magnifier to see if there were any dry joints as that is still the number one cause for this sort of thing and various other hassles. As a consequence of what I saw I grabbed a stiff brush that I felt would not be electrostatic and brushed the board, paying particular attention to the chip. It now works. I also have a faulty circuit board from a coffee maker on the bench. This is the second board (other was a Megger) where a sloppy worker has left splatter and splinters of solder all over the board. No wonder they play up. Secondly, I was outraged at the (6) Equipment that is at least as reliable as 20 years ago? Modern electronics is abysmally unreliable, compared to just 10 years ago. In a quest for lighter and cheaper power supplies, we have swapped proven reliable designs for the current lot of cheap and nasty designs. Old-style power supplies had a transformer followed by a bridge rectifier, filter network and the regulator. These parts were seldom replaced and had excellent qualities almost ridiculous Nannyism demonstrated in the comment re the grommet used for anchoring the power cord in a Vintage Radio article. Those are approved glands for mains cabling. I tend to use those glands by the dozen but I remove the rubber. The nut is actually a ratchet type and is not that easily undone. I do use the cord-grip type but in many cases, with the poor quality nibblers available and the size of hole you can cause more damage than enough trying to fit them. Meddlers will not be stopped, irrespective of what you use. My only issue with Rodney’s effort was that he put it in the wrong way around. In many chassis it is better to put the clamp nut on the inside, if space allows or it has a back. It is too easy to break if it’s protruding. As for the comment re soldering the earth. From what I have seen in several hundred radios of all ages, there is more chance of a loose corroded bolt and Hell freezing over than there is of a good solder joint lifting off of the chassis. Many of the factory fitted 3-wire cables were soldered. Even the separate earth wires were soldered, often next to a bolt. I have even seen earthed binding posts with a wire from them to a soldered ground. Marcus Chick, Wangaratta, Vic. Comment: as far as we are aware, a cable gland is not an approved method of anchoring a mains cable to a chassis. Certainly, we have never seen any commercial equipment that uses a cable gland in this role. in regard to power surges, overload, and reliability. By contrast, modern switchmode supplies rely on small electrolytic capacitors that have proven to be the most unreliable of all modern electronic components. Nearly all modern equipment relies on cooling fans to remove excess heat. The benefits of this method of cooling are small cabinet size as no bulky heatsinks are needed. But after siliconchip.com.au a few years, fans will get blocked with dust, bearings or (if the fans are cheapies) bushes will seize and the electronics will be subjected to much higher temperatures than they can handle and will fail. Some flat screen plasma TVs have more than six fans installed. If you wanted to come up with a planned obsolescence system, then this scenario is perfect. Laurie Bell, Echuca, Vic. Bad design in LED torches I was interested to read the letter in “Ask SILICON CHIP” (October 2010, page 95) regarding batteries for a LED torch. From my experience, short battery life may be due to poor design. A few years back, my children had a small keyring, single-LED torch. When the batteries went flat, I opened it up to find out what the batteries were, to obtain replacements. This torch was powered by two button batteries in series. What took me back when I looked inside was that the torch had no limit- Compact fluorescents have no warranty in oyster fittings Two months ago I purchased a box of Philips Genie 14-watt compact fluorescent lamps. One of them lasted 360 hours (about 45 days) and failed. My concern was that the other lamps would also fail before the manufacturer’s claim of three years of life. After ringing the call centre and answering some questions, I was informed that the lamp was not covered under any warranty claim as it was in an enclosed fixture (Glass ing resistor. The batteries were simply connected directly to the LED via the pushbutton switch. I can only assume that the batteries’ internal resistance was the only thing stopping the LED being destroyed. Some time later a friend purchased a similar but differently constructed keyring single LED torch and when he opened it up, he found the same thing – no resistor. The switch on a multi-LED torch that we keep in a handy place in the Oyster fitting). In small print under the top cover of the box flap it says, “Specified performance measured in 220-240V”, and another one saying “Not suitable for enclosed fixtures”. These statements cannot be seen by a purchaser until they open the package. This is very annoying to me and I wonder how many other consumers are being caught by this packaging. Note that this product is also endorsed by “PLANET ARK”. Name & address supplied but withheld at the writer’s request. kitchen for power failure etc was intermittent, so I dismantled the torch to see if I could repair it. The battery holder held three AAA batteries in series (4.5V) and the LEDs were mounted in parallel on a small circuit board. Once again the battery holder was simply connected via the switch directly to the LED board. As part of my repair, I fitted an appropriate resistor. The only bright note (no pun intended) in the story was Custom Battery Packs, Power Electronics & Chargers For more information, contact Phone (08) 9302 5444 or email mark<at>siomar.com www.batter ybook.com siliconchip.com.au November 2010  7 SiliconChipAd_11_10_#2 copy.pdf 1 10/10/2010 18:42:02 Mailbag: continued Order online at www.protogear.com.au email: sales<at>protogear.com.au C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Development Boards for PIC, AVR and heaps more! Freescale coming soon! Programmers, Cables, Chips, Serial Converters, Solar Cells, GPS Brushless Motor Kits - Wind your own! Stators, Flux Rings, Wire, Magnets Awesome Sparkfun Gear - Breakout boards, kits, and heaps of other gear We specialise in gear to help prototype electronic circuits. We’re landing heaps more stock every week, so be sure to check back and see what we have in store! when I had a look at the insides of a rather nice anodised metal-bodied multi-LED torch, belonging to our youngest daughter. I could see a surface-mount resistor on the back of the LED board. So, out of four different torches only one did the right thing! The other thing I thought I would comment on was in a letter by Ranald Grant about the Quad amplifier and ESLs (Mailbag, October 2010, page 4) where he referred to “the late Professor Ed Cherry . . .”. As an employee of the Electrical Engineering Dept of Monash University, I think we would have been definitely informed if the good Professor had passed on! Incidentally, Ed and his wife were living in Marysville when the Black Saturday fires came through. Miraculously their home was one of the very few that survived that terrible tragedy. I think Mark Twain once was reported to have said “The reports of my death are grossly exaggerated”. Ray Chapman, Pakenham, Vic. Criticism of circuit explanation RS DE R % 5 O 20 T 2 IVE ! S E F FIR REC OF I am very happy to see the number of microprocessorbased articles in SILICON CHIP recently. I particularly like the project article on “An Intelligent 12V Fan Controller” (SILICON CHIP, July 2010) but I am very disappointed in the “Buck Converters Explained” side box. This explanation is over-simplified to the point of being misleading. Rather than enhance understanding it promotes confusion. Inductors do not limit current, they limit the rate of change of current. There is no spike of current through the inductor, rather the current ramps up or down depending on the voltage across it. Certainly SILICON CHIP must pitch their articles to their perceived audience but to my mind the uninitiated will find your explanation steers them away from understanding, rather than giving them any insight into how buck converters or indeed inductors work. Peter King, Doncaster East, Vic. Giving up on soldering I think I have had something of a religious conversion. In the past I enjoyed assembling digital chips and wire to make things but after a couple of decades working with strip board it has become all too tedious. I finally have to admit it, microcontroller boards are the way of the future. SILICON CHIP has had many PICAXE projects but by the time you add an IC socket, circuit board and power supply the price of a minimal PICAXE project starts to mount. But for NZ$40 I can purchase a fully-built Arduino-compatible board, ready to go with multiple power options, USB connectivity, 14 pins of digital I/O and eight analog inputs. There is also a large market for “solderless” Arduino-compatible add-ons such as RF devices, cellular modems, GPS modules, motor drivers and even network connectivity that can be used without lifting a soldering iron. 8  Silicon Chip siliconchip.com.au Compressed Natural Gas for cars I need to comment on the Publisher’s Letter which proposed the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel. Natural Gas (NG) is a very high octane (no lead), clean burning, cheap fuel. Unfortunately being a gas causes some practical problems. It needs a heavy high-pressure cylinder (typically rated around 8000 psi) and needs to be compressed to around 2000 psi to get any practical quantity. The result for a vehicle is heavy cylinders, small fuel quantity and hence a short driving range. The other problem is that a lot of energy is required to compress NG to 2000 psi and these compressors are expensive. However, it is feasible to use off-peak electricity to run these compressors overnight. One promising technological solution is the recent creation of molecular sponges (Google “methane MOFs”). Basically, the same volume and quantity of 2000 psi NG can be stored at only 200 psi in a MO, resulting in much lighter cylinders and far less energy to compress NG. Unfortunately, the real impediment is not technical but government greed. Over 20 years ago, I talked to someone from “All Gas” who had recently been to Canberra. It was at the time of lead and smog concerns in our cities and just before the introduction of lead-free fuels and mandatory catalytic converters. He thought he had a winner; cleaner exhausts; cheaper fuel that repaid the cost of converting vehicles to CNG; figures from real vehicles supporting his petition, etc. But NO! The whisper he got was that Canberra was addicted to petrol tax. At that time petrol was about 50c/litre (25c tax) and the equivalent energy in NG was only about 1-2 cents. Today, petrol is around $1.30/litre (65c tax); the equivalent energy in NG costs about 5c. As well as CNG for transport, I would also like to see the extension of reticulated gas networks into suburbia, especially because of the threat of electricity price rises. J. Williams, Carrara, Qld. The speed of design and implementation for small projects is reduced from a weekend to an evening. Building a project then just becomes a matter of interfacing with sensors and any output devices and then writing software. The April 2010 project for an Arduino-based I/O Controller almost hit the mark but fell just a little bit short as it included a full on-board implementation of an Arduino controller. Would it not make more sense for the project to interface onto a discrete Arduino board? The total project cost would be significantly reduced and it would be much simpler to assemble and test. For more complex digital systems the only sensible siliconchip.com.au ecoLED Tube Saving Energy & the Environment No mercury Friendlier alternative to fluorescent lamps Install in its place Half your energy bills 18W for 4ft (120cm) 9W for 2ft (60cm) No flickering, no noise - No irritation No glass to break (robustly built) No starters to change 50,000 hours of lifetime Daylight White, Cool White, Warm White CRI > 75; 76.7 Lm per W (off the wall) 500gm net IES Data available Website: www.tenrod.com.au E-mail: sales<at>tenrod.com.au Sydney: Melbourne: Brisbane: Auckland: Tel. 02 9748 0655 Tel. 03 9886 7800 Tel. 07 3879 2133 Tel 09 298 4346 Fax. 02 9748 0258 Fax. 03 9886 7799 Fax. 07 3879 2188 Fax. 09 353 1317 November 2010  9 DYNE INDUSTRIES PTY LTD Mailbag: continued Now manufacturing the original ILP Unirange Toroidal Transformer - In stock from 15VA to 1000VA - Virtually anything made to order! - Transformers and Chokes with Ferrite, Powdered Iron GOSS and Metglas cores - Current & Potential Transformers DYNE Industries Pty Ltd Ph: (03) 9720 7233 Fax: (03) 9720 7551 email: sales<at>dyne.com.au web: www.dyne.com.au into PICS? There’s something to suit every PIC practitioner in the SILICON CHIP reference bookshop PIC Microcontroller – know it all (Newnes) Newnes have put together the best of subjects their authors have written on over the past years into this one $ 90 few handy volume! The PIC Micro – personal intro course by John Morton Practical guide which assumes no prior knowledge. So it is an ideal introduction for hobbyists, students and teacher alike. $60 PIC in Practice – by DW Smith Based on popular short courses for the PIC for professionals, techs, hobbyists, students and teachers. Ideal introduction to PICs. $ 65 You’ll find many more technical titles in the SILICON CHIP reference bookshop – see elsewhere in this issue 10  Silicon Chip Windows interface for WIB project I have written a Windows-based program to interface with my WIB. It graphs the temperatures and caters for alarms to be set. I thought some of your readers might like to play with it, so I have put it up on a web page way to design and test is to use a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). For less than the cost of a good soldering iron I’ve acquired an FPGA development board which is equivalent to around 500,000 discrete logic gates and with many megabytes of RAM and flash ROM. All of this hardware can be “virtually” rewired in a few minutes using no-cost software tools. The other great feature is that you can run simulations of your designs on your PC and debug most problems without expensive test equipment. To me, it seems that any project that uses more than a handful of digital ICs is no longer relevant – even the popular Web Server In A Box (WIB) becomes unappealing when compared to such things as a $200 single-board PC (eg, a PC Engines ALIX 3D3), possibly connected to a Velleman USB Experimenter’s Interface Kit. For me, the time spent assembling the kit (which includes soldering SMD components) just isn’t time well spent. for anyone to download. You can download it directly – it’s at http://www.3d.com.au/wib/Wib Reader.Zip which is an exe and a chm help file. The help documentation is separate from the zip file at http://www.3d.com.au/wib/wib.chm Kevin Benson, via email. If SILICON CHIP is to remain relevant for aspiring electronics professionals or serious hobbyists it should focus on what this technology now allows. SILICON CHIP should aim to have a regular article in each issue on how to interface a digital system to a class of device and perhaps should even start publishing projects that can be used with FPGAs. Failing this, any digital projects in SILICON CHIP will become a nostalgic journey to a bygone era, much like reading Vintage Radio. Mike Field, Springston, NZ. Comment: Arduino and Arduinocompatible boards are very attractive to those people who are skilled in programming in C but they are not so practical for many of the projects featured in SILICON CHIP magazine. Really, Arduino is a very useful tool but in practice, you have to add other circuitry to it, ie, op amps, Mosfets, relays and so on, to make it do what you want. Our projects would not be siliconchip.com.au nearly as attractive and easy to build if they were based on an Arduino board which then had to be hooked up to another board to provide all interfacing. And while many SILICON CHIP projects do use microcontrollers, many do not and Arduino and FPGAs are not suitable and would be overkill. Easy solution for poor TV sound Regarding your Publisher’s Letter on poor TV sound (SILICON CHIP, July 2010) and subsequent correspondence on the topic, I recently bought a new Samsung 106cm plasma TV and was very disappointed with the tinny sound quality. I simply connected the 3.5mm stereo headphone output to an audio amplifier and good speakers. This was the simplest fix. It disconnected the TV speakers and provided great stereo sound. I have found a lot of TV brands have a headphone output socket which will not necessitate the purchase of a new home-theatre system or digital-toanalog converter. Chris Rogers Pakenham, Vic. Getting goods posted from the USA In the Eye-Fi review (October 2010), Ross Tester details the difficulties he encountered ordering an Eye-Fi card, with virtually all the online sellers refusing to post one to an address outside the USA. Resistor colour codes can be hard to read I had an experience with a PICAXE interface which might help someone out and in non-PICAXE situations as well. I had been programming PICAXEs with the same set of resistors and diode for the last few months and they sit permanently connected to a ZIF socket. The other day a smallish download started and suddenly stopped at about the 20% mark (on a 20X2). Several retries and a quick check gave the same result. Then, with a new 20X2 chip, it again failed immediately. Again I looked at the interface – nothing else was connected to the 20X2. The sole difference, known from the beginning, was that I have always used 20kΩ resistors in the interface instead of 22kΩ as I have so many of them. I wondered if going to 22kΩ as specified would be the difference, though it has never mattered before and measured it to check it was within tolerance. However, they were 30kΩ, not 20kΩ, and obviously There is a website called myus.com which, for a small annual fee, will provide you with a mailing address in the USA. They will then forward packages sent to that address on to you and bill you for the cost of postage. Hopefully this will help readers Presensitized PCB & associated products wrongly marked as the first and fourth band were clearly red. I had bought a pile of these 18 months ago at a good price, to ensure I had an ample quantity of all values. Now, I am not colour-blind – not even slightly. It was a high tolerance, blue, metal film resistor (practically all I use now) though I dislike them slightly as colours are not always as easy to determine (especially white/ grey and sometimes even black/ brown). Even sitting near a window, that orange band still looks red; to my wife too. But no, it was orange as I poked about to find a high tolerance 22kΩ. When side-by-side you can see a difference between orange and red – but only if they are side by side. So, should anyone report flaky downloads for no known reason, ask them to measure the 22kΩ resistor with a meter. Brett Cupitt, Ashfield, NSW. Comment: those blue resistors can be hard to read – that is why we suggest that people always check values with a DMM. who run into the same problem in future. They also have a service (for an additional fee) that allows you to combine multiple packages into a single on-shipment. Lyle Barry, SC Campbelltown, NSW. IN STOCK NOW! •Single Sided Presensitized PCBs •Double Sided Presensitized PCBs •Fibreglass & Phenolic •UV Light Boxes •DP50 Developer •PCB Etch Tanks, Heaters & Aerator Pumps •Thermometers •Ammonium Persulphate Etchant •PCB Drill Bits (HSS & Tungsten) For full range, pricing and to buy now online, visit 36 Years Quality Service siliconchip.com.au www.wiltronics.com.au Ph: (03) 5334 2513 Email: sales<at>wiltronics.com.au November 2010  11 Broadband Radar: By Kevin Poulter A quantum leap forward Mariners have always needed to know the quickest and safest route between where they are and where they want to be – and what obstacles might be encountered on the way. 12  Silicon Chip siliconchip.com.au This comparison of Broadband vs Pulse radar shows a line of mooring poles. In the Broadband image (left) there’s a boat moored between the fourth and fifth poles – a fact completely missed by the pulse radar. In fact, it’s having a hard time differentiating the poles! Just as important is the “blind spot” immediately around the pulse radar, masking close craft. R adar systems, first used during WWII, are commonplace on larger, ocean-going vessels but for quite a number of reasons – cost being a major one but also the inherent danger of traditional radar signals – they haven’t been found on too many smaller craft. With the exception of tall-masted vessels, keeping boat users and radar signals separated isn’t easy! The electronics age has revolutionised small boat use with accurate positioning guaranteed, collision avoidance systems, depth sounders, world-wide radio contact, AIS and much more. But now there’s a new player in the game: Broadband Radar, which promises to revolutionise navigation for vessels of all sizes – at a price that is significantly lower, bringing it into the range of the casual yachtsman or recreational fishing boat owner. Not only that, it’s dramatically safer to use than existing (pulse) radar systems. Broadband Radar utilises technology similar to that used in military and IMO-certified radar applications – unlike anything else on the recreational marine market. Designed from the ground up, Broadband Radar is not an improvement on old designs, rather its a completely new design. Consumer FMCW (Frequency- Modulated Continuous Wave) Broadband Radar technology was introduced during 2009. It came after more than five years of intensive research, development and testing, even when one manufacturer ‘threw in the towel’ as too hard/too expensive. It was developed by Navico, the world’s largest marine electronics company, which has five leading marine electronics brands: B&G, Eagle, Lowrance, Northstar and Simrad. Broadband Radar is available in three of their brands: N o r t h s t a r, Lowrance and Simrad. Broadband Radar systems clearly differentiate between docks, channel markers, pilings, moored vessels and other important targets. Target resolution is from <10m up to 13km (7 nautical miles), depending on the size of the object. Broadband Radar is far more than a minor upgrade. FMCW radar technology is not new – it’s existed for as long as traditional or “Pulse” radar systems (using the Inside the Navico Broadband Radar radome, along with the electronics which drives it. There is no physical connection between the transmit/receive antennas (at top) and the drive system – spinning toroids induce power and data is fed via an IR link. siliconchip.com.au November 2010  13 magnetron) have. It’s commonplace, especially in military radar where expense is not a constraint. But in the leisure market FMCW was not used at all until last year, as it was considered too expensive. Traditional radar Traditional “pulse” radars use high-powered magnetrons to generate microwave signals with very short pulses. Cavity magnetrons, which consist of a hot cathode with a high-pulsed negative potential activated by a high voltage, direct-current power supply, are one of the most common devices on earth – every microwave oven is based on one! Pulse Radar transmits an enormous pulse of microwave energy. Because it has a single antenna, Pulse Radar is ‘deaf’ for a brief period during and immediately after transmitting, as the receive circuitry must be turned off to prevent being overloaded by the transmitting pulse. Therefore it cannot ‘see’ at close range. After the RF Pulse, it turns off and goes to ‘listen’ mode. On a typical boat the resultant ‘blind spot’ is typically within about 10 – 15m of the vessel. Some units cannot even see within 30m. The high-power radar pulses, being microwave energy, are also dangerous at close range, so must be used away from where people are, or can go, on the vessel. This significantly reduces mounting options. Also, Pulse Radar emissions are particularly ‘dirty’, polluting the radio spectrum, with significant unwanted transmitted frequencies each side of the desired frequency. Another major disadvantage of Pulse Radar is its warm-up time – the magnetron filament must be heated for it to work, just like the vast majority of thermionic devices. This delay can be as much as 2-3 minutes – a significant safety consideration. Two minutes can be a long time when you’re worried about a collision. The alternative, leaving it on standby all the time, wastes a lot of power which is often unacceptable, especially on power-limited vessels such as yachts. Leaving the unit on also ages the magnetron’s filament. It has a finite life – typically around 3000-4000 hours – after which time it will either 14  Silicon Chip burn out or lose emission – either one of which will render the radar useless until the quite expensive Magnetron is replaced. FMCW radar is a whole new technology Unlike pulse radar, FMCW radar is instant-on and has no filament to burn out. Nothing beats Broadband Radar in the most vital navigation scenarios, such as coming into port at night, with possibly fog in the atmosphere too. The skipper may be navigating between boats, moorings and jetties, adding to the need to see at close range. FMCW can see within metres of the boat – the very objects that pose the greatest threat of collision – plus smaller targets, like a pole or fibreglass canoe. There’s a saying: ‘All collisions happen at zero metres’. Dramatically lower power Despite the high-definition improvements, Broadband Radar transmits a minuscule 100mW continuous – around 1/20,000 the power of typical pulse radars! To put that in some form of perspective, that’s around a tenth of the peak power a mobile phone radiates. Therefore the Broadband Radar radome (antenna) is safe to mount almost anywhere, in locations never before possible. You can even hug the radome during transmission! Lower power equals lower battery drain. With such low transmit power, the unit is easy on the battery, with only siliconchip.com.au about 14W consumption. Achieving the lowest DC power drain of any Xband marine radar makes Broadband Radar ideally suited for vessels with limited power, like sailboats. The beauty of being solid state is the unit can be turned right off and activated only when you want to make a sweep. Lower range – but clearer! Looking at the average power of a 2kW Pulse Radar, it’s sending out 2,000 pulses per second – average that out and it’s about 80 to 120 watts. The pulse radar has a range of about 44km (24 nautical miles). Broadband Radar does not cover such a range – it’s limited to about 5 to 7km – however, images are in highdefinition and as mentioned, they are down to very close to the vessel, where it really matters. Interference Because other boat’s FMCW Radars have the same technology, two antennas ‘looking’ at the same data at the same time could cause interference. However, in practice, this is almost unheard of. At worst, you see a single line across the screen, radiating from the centre out, which would only last for a short time. Sea clutter Sea clutter, or unwanted reflections The ethernet junction box which allows the system to accept a range of other inputs, such as sonar, audio, side-scan radar and so on. from waves, is a major problem in conventional radar for areas close to the boat. Traditionally, pulse radar has been detuned slight to eliminate sea clutter but this potentially causes legitimate targets to be missed. Highly improved range discrimination in FMCW radar allows it to scan smaller areas of the sea and so receive less unwanted reflection from waves in that area. Any small target amongst those waves will show up more clearly. Expansion The display unit is a modular type system, utilising ethernet in the antenna/scanner, expanding functionality through an ethernet junction-box. There are three ethernet connections across the back of the junction-box, enabling other devices to be attached, such as audio, engine management, autopilot control, AIS transceiver and much more can be connected. How it works Navico’s first-generation Broadband solid-state X-band radar technology utilises Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) techniques, by sending a continuous transmission wave with linearly increasing frequency. If those transmitted waves intercept an object, some are reflected back to the radar’s receiver. The difference between the currently transmitted and received frequencies, coupled with the known rate of frequency increase, is the basis for precisely calculating a “time of flight” and target distance. This system provides target detail superior to pulse radars, while transmitting at far lower energy levels. No slip rings The multi-pupose visual display has broadband radar on the left and Navico’s Sonar on the right. Highlighted is a shipwreck, clearly indentified on the screen. siliconchip.com.au In the scanner/antennas, there are two rotating toroids creating a transformer effect, transferring power from the bottom to the top. In the middle of the two toroids there’s a high-speed November 2010  15 infrared data link. The installation height is a balance between the ‘line of sight’ advantage of being high up and the benefit of seeing close targets, achieved best by a lower installation height. So oceangoing vessels generally have a higher installation while for inshore, lower height is best. This offers more flexibility – because it’s safe, the unit can be installed lower, with no adverse affect from radiation. On a Maritimo boat, for example, the Transponder is mounted quite low on the flybridge, on the arches. This would definitely not be safe for a Pulse Radar installation. Interface box To make it installation as easy as possible, even for the home boat handyman, Navico developed a unique interface box for their Broadband Radar. With standard radar, there’s connections such as the power cable, heading information to the radar plus ethernet cable. Installers like Broadband Radar with its plug’n’play installation. Other advantages are a lightweight design, low electromagnetic interference due to low emissions (which keep regulatory authorities happy) and of course a longer life. Narrow band, wide frequency sweep Broadband Radar operates in the 9GHz Marine X-Band. Specifically, the transmit frequency is swept over Simrad’s NSE12 visual display here shows the Broadband Radar but can display a wide range of data that will extend its capabilities – for example, an echosounder/fishfinder, AIS transceiver, autopilot control, engine performance display and much more – all accessible from a single screen. a bandwidth of 65MHz between 9.30GHz to 9.38GHz. That’s intended to keep clear of X-Band Pulse Radars and their ‘dirty big bangs’ of about 10-20MHz bandwidth. One of the key performance measures of any radar is its ‘range discrimination’ – the ability of the radar to discriminate between two close targets in range. Range discrimination for any radar is proportional to the bandwidth of the transmit/receive signal. A narrow bandwidth signal produces poor range discrimination, while conversely, FMCW’s wider bandwidth produces best range discrimination. In some operation modes Broadband Radar does transmit a narrower band signal. In these cases Navico uses “frequency-hopping”, a spreadspectrum technique, to spread the energy transmitting across the entire Another view mmm inside the Radome, this mmm this time showing rear (left) and front (right) views. Of particular interest is the double antenna seen clearly from the front, one section for transmitting and one for receiving. The signal processing is all achieved within the Radome and is fed to the display via an Ethernet connection. 16  Silicon Chip siliconchip.com.au available band. This reduces interference between radars. Broadband Radar picks up surfboard riders The receiver Conceptually the receiver is quite simple. It mixes the transmitted signal with the received signal that has bounced off a target. This received signal will be a delayed, producing a ‘difference’ or ‘beat’ frequency that’s proportional to the delay (and therefore also proportional to the distance to the target). The Broadband Radar unit then performs “Fourier analysis” of the ‘beat’ signal (using an FFT) to identify target responses in the signal. While conceptually the principle of FMCW radar is quite simple, the implementation can be quite involved. Since the radar is transmitting at the same time as it’s receiving, the transmitter has to be extremely low noise, so weak returns from distant targets are not obscured by noise from the radar’s own transmitter. Also a very high dynamic range is vital, so the receiver can process the large signals from close targets while at the same time processing the weak signals from very distant targets. The system design for the radar is quite different to a conventional radar. A conventional radar uses only one antenna, however because Broadband Radar transmits at the same time as receiving, two antennas are grouped in the one housing, one for transmit and one for receive. With a single conventional antenna, it’s relatively easy to couple the transmit/receive signal (in the base of the radar) to the rotating antenna through a rotary joint using a waveguide. With two antennas, Navico mounted the transmitter and receiver on the back of the rotating antenna. Navico does this because the aim is to detect the very faint returns from distant targets at the same time as transmitting. The receiver circuitry has no problem in removing the transmitted signal but the distant echos are so faint that they can get swamped by noise from the transmitter. By using separate antennas, the coupling of the noise from transmitter to receiver is reduced, making this problem significantly easier to overcome. Nevertheless, the RF transmitter has exceedingly low noise characteristics to meet the performance goals. siliconchip.com.au Every waterway has hazards particular to it – and the passage out to the open sea from the Gold Coast Broadwater, known as the Seaway, is no exception. In addition to fast-moving tides, Gold Coast boaties making their way out to sea know they have to keep a sharp look-out for surfers paddling across the Seaway to and from a popular break on South Stradbroke Island. The surfers are particularly hard to see when the swell’s up – which is unfortunate, given that’s when surfers are most likely to be out searching for waves! Last year, the Navico Australia team was heading out to sea to continue trials on its new Broadband Radar, the BR24. To everyone’s amazement, the radar picked up an image long before those on board spotted it: a group of surfers paddling across from South Stradbroke Island – even though the surfers were flat on their boards and had radar profiles of no more than about 30cm above the sea! Clearly, Navico’s BR24 Broadband Radar takes precision radar to a whole new level. The ‘beat’ frequency signal is sampled by a 16-bit ADC. This digitised signal is then processed by a signalprocessing chain implemented in an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The signal-processing chain performs Fourier analysis plus a number of other signal processing operations including interference suppression and rejection, sea and rain clutter filtering, equalisation for range, targettracking and conversion to a 4-bit-perpixel protocol for transmission on an Ethernet network. The display reads the radar data off the Ethernet network, applies a colour palette and performs a Cartesian-topolar conversion to generate the standard radar PPI (Plan Position Indicator) that most people associate with radar. The price? Compared to pulse radar, Broadband Radar is exceptional value for money, even disregarding the clear operational advantages. First you buy the multi-pupose visual display screen and then add on what you need – including Broadband Radar of course! The entry-level 5-inch HDS screen, intended for smaller craft, is $1000 and the BR-24 radar is currently $1999 RRP, or $3,000 for a full system. For larger boats, the system with 12inch NSE Screen plus BSM-1 (Sounder Module) and BR-24 is $8299 RRP. Acknowledgement Our thanks for assistance in the prepartion of this feature to: Kevin Soole, Program Manager, Navico Auckland Andrew Corbett, R&D Manager, Navico Asia Pacific Estelle Baldry and Damien Weber, Navico Australia and Ben Sandman. SC Further information: Contact Marine Dealers, or Navico at www.navico.com November 2010  17 Dick Smith - Your Comple BL E AVAILA MI D BE R DECEM Dick Smith Digital Indoor Active Antenna VIEW LIVE FOOTAGE IN YOUR 3G iPhone A compact, indoor digital active (amplified) TV antenna that covers all Australian UHF and VHF channels. Suitable for good to strong signal receiving areas. In weaker areas, an external antenna is recommended. L4076 5997 $ NeW Deluxe Gold Camera Pen 2GB 78 $ Take still photos or shoot colour videos with audio then upload straight to your PC. Features internal 2GB USB flash memory and long lasting 90 minute battery. L6169 PS3 Harmony Adaptor DVR4-2500 Security Recorder System with Internet Viewing • 500GB hard drive • Up to 50ft (15m) night vision • 4 CCD cameras - view and record 4 channels simultaneously • USB backup. L6187 5995 $ 1119 $ save $80 A. B. Harmony Universal Remote Controls A. Harmony 300 Remote GH3034 $4995 B. Harmony 650 Remote GH3036 $12999 EXCLUSIVE Works with Harmony remotes to give you the power to use your remote to control your home entertainment system, including your Playstation®3. GH3031 20m VALUE PACK 1598 $ 99 29 Dick Smith 4-Way Universal Audio $ Video Switch Selector Plug 4 AV devices into this unit, plug the unit into the TV, and switch between them without having to unplug anything! L4680 98 59 Dick Smith 2-way HDMI Switcher $ ™ Expand the number of HDMI™ slots in your HD TV or monitor. Easily switch between two HDMI™ devices without the hassle of unplugging cords. Remote control included. LA4680 Dick Smith Flexible Cable Tidy Wrap Kit This handy cable management sleeving kit is so simple to use as it easily zips down, pushing loose cables into the wrap with the supplied tool. To unwrap, simply peel and zip apart! 1.8m long, supplied with Zip Clip tool, 4 stick-on wall mount clips and 14 equipment ID labels. L6270 3373 $ save $1125 High Quality Digital TV Coaxial Cable - 20metre Roll Quality 75 Ohm RG6U quad shield coaxial cable. Ideal for Digital TV, Pay TV and Satellite TV. Great for low signal areas. W2987 Looking for your nearest Dick Smith store? Head to dicksmith.com.au! te Technology Destination 4999 59 $ 144 Amazing Educational Science Station Kit Features over 144 educational experiments. It's a creative way to teach realistic concepts of electronics and electricity. K0039 Meccano 15 Multi Model Set 44 $ Builds 15 different models and is suitable for ages 8+ 2999 NEW 288 Amazing Science Centre K1565 NEW New Generation Die Cast HD Microscope with wide-angle eyepiece for easy viewing, quick and precise focusing mechanism and strong durable base. K0038 6999 $ You will have hours of fun were you can make up to 30 different moving models using the 352 pieces in this superb kit. Comes with 6V motor and gear boxes to create cool constructions. 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K1357 99 29 Explorer kit contains binoculars, compass, torch and Outdoor Explorer Kit and Night Vision Goggles 99 $ $ magnifying glass and cut-out nature quiz cards. K1822. Night Vision kit contains high gain sonic ear listening device, automatic volume limiter for safe sound level, and high powered flashlight. K1823 59 99 $ National Geographic Star Planetarium and Explorer Projector Transforms a room into a 360 degree space theatre. Learn how to recognise stars and watch the stars move across the ceiling or learn about the underwater world with this explorer projector. K1824 Planetarium. K1825 Projector Hearing Loop Level Meter Setting the correct signal level and minimising noise are critical factors when setting up a hearing loop. This easy-to-build tester can display field strength levels over a 27dB range. Here’s how it works, how to build it and how to use it. Pt.1: By JOHN CLARKE W HEN INSTALLING a hearing aid loop, it is important to set the magnetic field strength to the correct level. This ensures that a hearing aid with a Telecoil (or T-coil) will deliver the best signal-to-noise ratio without signal overload. The same applies if you are using a hearing loop receiver such as the one described in the September 2010 issue of SILICON CHIP (or a commercial equivalent). Additionally, when setting up a hearing aid loop, it is important to verify that any background magnetic noise is at an acceptable level. Both background noise and signal strength from the hearing aid loop can be measured with this Hearing Loop Tester. Of course, if you are setting up a small hearing loop in your home, you can usually get away without using a level meter. In that case, it’s usually just a matter of setting the level to give good results from the hearing aid without any overload occurring. However, for a system that will be used by more than one person or the general public, it is important for the level to be correct. That way, the loop will be suitable for all who use it. Specifications As shown in the photos, the SILICON CHIP Hearing Loop Tester is housed in a small hand-held plastic case that includes a battery compartment. A power switch and an indicator LED are located on the top panel, while the front panel carries 10 bargraph LEDs arranged in a vertical column on the lefthand side. In operation, this bargraph displays signal levels ranging from -21dB to Power supply: 9V at 18-26mA Display: –21dB to +6dB in 3dB steps Meter response: “S” (slow) response of 1s Weighting: A-weighting or wide (see Fig.4) 20  Silicon Chip Main features +6dB, with each LED representing a 3dB step. However, to conserve battery life, the display is normally set to dot mode which means that only one display LED is lit at any time. The current consumption is 18mA when no bargraph LEDs are lit and 26mA when one bargraph LED is lit. This is quite satisfactory for an instrument that is normally only used for short durations. Alternatively, you can install a link under the PC board to convert to a conventional bargraph display. This is not recommended though, due to the increased current drain. An important feature is that the unit can be accurately calibrated to indicate 0dB at a field strength of 100mA/m. This specification is based on the Australian Standard AS60118.4-2007 – “Hearing Aids: Magnetic Field Strength In Audio-Frequency Induction Loops For Hearing Aid Purposes”. Once calibrated, the meter can then be used to set the field strength level in a hearing loop to the correct level. It can also be used to measure the siliconchip.com.au environmental background noise, to determine whether this is low enough for a hearing loop to be successful. In operation, the unit is simply held at right-angles to the plane of the hearing loop for both signal level and noise measurements. Circuit details Refer now to Fig.3 for the circuit details. It’s based on four low-cost ICs, an inductor (L1), 11 LEDs and a handful of minor parts. Inductor L1 is used to detect the magnetic field from the hearing loop. This inductor is actually an Xenon flash-tube trigger transformer (Jaycar MM-2520) which has a high inductance, suitable for loop monitoring. In this circuit, we use only the secondary winding of L1, which is wound as an autotransformer. This winding has an inductance of about 8.4mH and is biased at about 4.15V using two 10kΩ resistors connected in series across the 8.3V supply. A 100µF capacitor bypasses the divider output. The 4.15V half-supply rail is also used to bias pin 5 of op amp stage IC1b (via L1). This allows IC1b’s pin 7 output to swing symmetrically about this half supply rail. L1’s coil resistance is 27Ω and, in conjunction with the 100µF bypass capacitor, it presents a low source impedance to IC1b’s pin 5 input at low frequencies. This minimises any low-frequency noise. The inductor’s impedance increases with increasing frequency but this is restricted by a parallel 2.2kΩ resistor. This 2.2kΩ resistor lowers the Q of the inductor, thereby preventing oscillation. A 220pF capacitor at the output of L1 also shunts any high-frequency signals to ground. IC1b is configured as a non-inverting amplifier stage with nominal gain of 1001, as set by the 100kΩ and 100Ω feedback resistors. However, one aspect of using an inductor to receive the hearing loop signal is that the signal induced in L1 rises in level with frequency. This is because the induced voltage is proportional to the rate of change of the magnetic field. As a result, IC1b’s gain is reduced with frequency in order to achieve a flat overall frequency response. This is achieved by using a 33nF feedback capacitor and 100kΩ feedback resistor to roll off signal frequencies above about 50Hz by 20dB per decade. This siliconchip.com.au Fig.1: the basic arrangement for a hearing loop. The loop creates a varying magnetic field in response to the driving signal and this is picked up by suitablyequipped hearing aids and receivers. T-COIL OUTPUT VOLTAGE MAGNETIC FIELD Fig.2: this diagram illustrates the magnetic field generated by the hearing loop and shows how it couples into a hearing-aid T-coil. counteracts the 20dB per decade increase from the inductor. In addition, IC1b’s low-frequency gain is rolled off below 723Hz using a 100Ω resistor and 2.2µF capacitor connected in series between pin 6 (the inverting input) and ground. If link LK1 is installed, an extra 22µF capacitor is placed across the 2.2µF capacitor and this lowers the low-frequency roll-off point to around 66Hz. Op amp IC1a provides a further stage of gain. If trimpot VR1 is set to its minimum, IC1a’s gain is 1+ (100kΩ/150Ω) or about 667. However, if VR1 is set to its maximum value of 5kΩ, the gain is reduced to about 20. This range of gain adjustment allows the meter to be calibrated. IC1a’s high-frequency roll-off starts at about 10.6kHz due to the 100kΩ resistor and 150pF capacitor in the feedback path. In addition, both IC1b & IC1a have inherent reduced gain at high frequencies. IC1a’s low frequency roll-off depends on the setting of VR1 and occurs somewhere between 10.6Hz and 0.32Hz. ing. A-weighting is a tailored response that’s designed to match the way our ears perceive loudness with respect to frequency at a particular low-level sound pressure. The weighting rolls off the signal below and above 1kHz as shown in the graph of Fig.4. Inserting link LK1 extends the frequency response of the unit down to at least 200Hz, before rolling it off at the lower frequencies. As explained later, this wider response is better for checking background noise levels than the A-weighted curve. As a result, we recommend that LK1 be installed for all measurements (including loop level measurements), to provide a nominal frequency response of 200Hz to 10kHz (-3dB points). In fact, the relatively flat response of the meter between 200Hz and 5kHz with LK1 in is ideal for checking hearing loop response levels. If necessary, treble boost can be applied to the loop amplifier to counter the effect of drooping high-frequency response due to the loop inductance. A-weighting IC1a’s output is fed via a 100nF capacitor to a full-wave precision rectifier stage based on IC2b, IC2a and diodes D4 & D5. The capacitor rolls off the response below about 106Hz. This The high and low roll-off frequencies set for IC1b with LK1 out of circuit produce a nominal A-weighted overall frequency response for the level meter- Precision rectifier November 2010  21 Parts List For Hearing Loop Tester 1 remote control case, 135 x 70 x 24mm (Jaycar HB5610 or equivalent) 1 PC board, code 01111101, 65 x 86mm 1 panel label, 55 x 14mm 1 panel label, 113 x 46mm 1 miniature PC mount SPDT toggle switch (S1) 3 DIP8 IC sockets (optional) 1 DIP18 IC socket (optional) 1 Xenon flash tube trigger transformer (Jaycar MM2520 or equivalent) (L1) 1 2-way pin header (2.54mm spacing) 1 jumper shunt for pin header 4 M3 x 5mm screws 1 9V (216) alkaline battery 1 9V battery clip 1 40mm length of 0.7mm tinned copper wire 2 PC stakes 1 5kΩ horizontal trimpot (code 502) (VR1) Semiconductors 2 TL072 dual op amps (IC1,IC2) 1 LM3915 log bargraph driver (IC3) 1 7555 CMOS timer (IC4) 1 1N5819 1A Schottky diode (D1) 4 1N4148 diodes (D2-D5) 1 3mm red LED (LED1) 2 3mm orange LEDs (LED2,LED3) 8 3mm green LEDs (LED4-LED11) stage works as follows. When the signal from the 100nF capacitor swings positive, pin 7 of IC2b goes low and forward biases diode D4. As a result, IC2b operates as an inverting amplifier stage with a gain of -1, as set by the 15kΩ input and 15kΩ feedback resistors on its pin 6. This inverted signal at D4’s anode is applied to IC2a’s inverting input (pin 2) via a 150kΩ resistor. This stage operates with a gain of -6.66, as set by the ratio of the 1MΩ feedback resistor and the 150kΩ input resistor. As a result, the total gain for the signal path from pin 1 of IC1a to pin 1 of IC2a via IC2b is -1 x -6.66 = +6.66. In addition, the positive-going signal from IC1a is applied to IC2a via a second signal path, ie, via a 300kΩ 22  Silicon Chip Capacitors 1 470µF 16V PC electrolytic 4 100µF 16V PC electrolytic 1 22µF 16V PC electrolytic 3 10µF 16V PC electrolytic 1 2.2µF 16V PC electrolytic 1 1µF 16V PC electrolytic 1 100nF MKT polyester 1 33nF MKT polyester 1 1nF MKT polyester 1 220pF ceramic 1 150pF ceramic 1 10pF ceramic Resistors (0.25W, 1%) 1 1MΩ 4 10kΩ 1 300kΩ 3 2.2kΩ 1 150kΩ 2 150Ω 2 100kΩ 1 100Ω 2 15kΩ 1 10Ω Helmholtz coil 2 836mm lengths of 2.4mm diameter steel fencing wire (or similar stiff wire) 1 piece of timber, approximately 65 x 19 x 200mm 1 33Ω 0.25W resistor 1 wire clamp made from two solder lugs or metal scrap 4 small rubber feet (optional) 1 400mm length of medium-duty hook-up wire 1 1m length of shielded cable 1 3.5mm stereo jack line plug 4 solder lugs 3 small wood screws resistor. For this path, IC2a operates with a gain of -3.33 and so the overall signal gain from the output of IC1a to the output of IC2a is +6.66 - 3.33 = +3.33. Now consider what happens for negative-going signals from IC1a. In this case, diode D5 is forward biased and so IC2b’s output is clamped at about 0.6V above its pin 6 input. As a result, no signal flows via D4 and IC2b ceases operating as an inverting amplifier. This means that negative-going signals from IC1a are fed to IC2a via the 300kΩ resistor only (ie, via only one signal path). Because IC2a operates with a gain of -3.33 for this path, the signal is inverted. Therefore, the precision rectifier provides a positive output for both positive-going and negative-going signals from IC1a and both have a gain of 3.33. IC2a also provides low-pass filtering of the signal so that its response is slow to incoming signal level changes. The time constant is around one second (1s) as set by the 1MΩ feedback resistor and its parallel 1µF capacitor. This matches the slow (S) response requirement for measuring background noise for a hearing loop system. Bargraph circuit IC2a’s output is fed to the pin 5 input of IC3, an LM3915 10-LED bargraph driver with a logarithmic response. The bargraph displays a 27dB range with each LED covering 3dB. We have labelled the display so that is covers field strength levels from +6dB down to -21dB As explained previously, the unit is calibrated to read 0dB at a field strength of 100mA/m. The voltage range for the meter display is from 1.25V at full scale (+6dB) down to about 56mV for the -21dB LED. This range is set by connecting the RHI input to the 1.25V reference (pin 7) and the RLO input to ground (0V). The 2.2kΩ resistor between REF (pin 7) and ground sets the bargraph LED current to about 6mA. Link LK2 sets the bargraph mode. Power supply Power for the circuit is derived from a 9V battery, with diode D1 providing reverse polarity protection. S1 functions as a power switch, while LED11 is used as a power-on indicator. The 2.2kΩ resistor in series with LED11 limits the current through it to about 3.5mA. The resulting 8.7V rail is filtered using a 10µF capacitor and directly supplies IC2, IC3 & IC4. IC1’s supply is also derived from this rail but is decoupled using a 150Ω resistor and a 470µF filter capacitor. This is done so that supply variations due to changes in the LED bargraph display are not introduced into IC1, which contains two sensitive amplifier stages. A negative supply for IC2 is generated using 7555 timer IC4, diodes D2 & D3 and two 100µF capacitors. IC4 is wired as an astable oscillator and operates at about 72kHz due to the timing components on pins 6 & 2, ie, a 1nF capacitor to ground and a 10kΩ resistor which is connected back to pin 3. siliconchip.com.au siliconchip.com.au November 2010  23 8 WIDE IN VR1 5k 150 10 A K D2–D5: 1N4148 7 IC1: TL072 HEARING LOOP TESTER 'A' WEIGHTING OUT 2.2 F 33nF 100k IC1b FUNCTION LK1 22 F 100 220pF 6 5 LK1 100 F 2.2k L1 8.2mH CALIBRATE 150pF 100k 4 IC1a 100 F 2 3 1 A K 15k 300k K D1: 1N5819 100nF 470 F 150 5 6 D5 8 K A 4 IC2b A K LEDS IC2: TL072 7 15k 10pF +8.7V A 150k –V D4 1nF 3 2 A IC2a 1M 1 F 100 F 2 6 7 D3 K 4 5 3 K A 3 V+ RLO IN V– 2 IC3 LM3915 REF RHI MODE 8 REF ADJ 4 5 7 6 9 10 F 2.2k D2 100 F LK2 OUT = DOT IN = BAR 1 10k 1 IC4 7555 8 K A 1 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 K           10k K K K K K K K K K K 10 F 2.2k  LED11 S1 A A A A A A A A A A 10 F LED10 LED9 LED8 LED7 LED6 LED5 LED4 LED3 LED2 LED1 9V BATTERY A POWER D1 1N5819 Fig.3: the circuit uses inductor L1 to detect the magnetic field generated by the hearing loop. The resulting signal is then amplified by IC1b & IC1a and fed to a precision rectifier based on IC2b, IC2a and diodes D4 & D5. The output from the rectifier then drives IC3 which in turn drives the 10 LEDs in the bargraph display. Power comes from a 9V battery, while IC4 and diodes D2 & D3 generate a -7V rail for op amp IC2. SC 2010 10k 10k +8.3V practice, will be close to -7V. +20dB +10dB 0dB 'WIDE' CURVE directions shown (note: IC3 faces the opposite way to the others). The ICs can then be fitted, taking care to ensure that IC4 is the 7555. Alternatively, you can solder the ICs straight in. The 2-way header for LK1 can now go in, followed by the capacitors. Be sure to install the electrolytics the right way around and keep their heights above the PC board to less than 12.5mm, otherwise the lid of the case will not fit correctly. If necessary, sit the electrolytics up off the board slightly and then bend their bodies over after soldering. Trimpot VR1, switch S1 and inductor L1 are next. Note that a third (thin) wire attached to L1 is soldered to a spare pad on the PC board. Construction –10dB All parts except for the battery are mounted –30dB on a single-sided PC –40dB 'A–WEIGHTING' CURVE board coded 01111101 –50dB (65 x 86mm) and this –60dB assembly is housed in –70dB a remote control case –80dB measuring 135 x 70 x 100k 10 100 1k 10k 24mm. Two labels are FREQUENCY (Hz) attached to the front Fig.4: this graph shows the frequency response of and top panels to give a the Loop Tester with LK1 installed (wide) and with professional finish. LK1 removed (A-weighting). The PC board is designed to mount onto It operates like this: when power is the integral bushes inside the box. first applied, pin 3 goes high and the Check that the top edge of the PC board 1nF capacitor charges via the 10kΩ has the corner cut-outs so that it fits resistor. When it reaches 2/3rds the correctly. If necessary, you can make supply voltage, the pin 3 output goes the cut-outs yourself using a small low and the capacitor discharges until hacksaw and then carefully filing them it reaches 1/3rd the supply voltage. to shape. Pin 3 then switches high again and so Fig.5 shows the parts layout on the the process repeats indefinitely while PC board. Begin by carefully checking power is applied. the board for any breaks in the tracks As well as charging/discharging the and for shorts between tracks and timing capacitor, pin 3 also drives the pads. The four mounting holes and the negative supply circuit. When pin 3 two holes that are used to anchor the goes high, it charges its associated battery clip leads should all be 3mm 100µF capacitor to the positive supply in diameter. rail (+8.7V) via diode D2. Then, when The assembly is best started by pin 3 of IC4 subsequently switches installing the two wire links and the low, the positive side of the 100µF resistors. Table 1 shows the resistor capacitor is pulled to 0V. As a result, colour codes but it’s also a good idea its negative side goes to -8.7V (or to check each one using a digital multhereabouts) in order to maintain the timeter (DMM). charge across the capacitor. Follow with the diodes, taking care This negative voltage now charges to orientate them as shown. Note that the second 100µF capacitor via diode D4 & D5 face in opposite directions. D3 to provide the negative rail for That done, install two PC stakes to IC2. The actual rail voltage obtained terminate the battery clip leads. depends on the load and the voltage Next, install DIP sockets for ICs1-4 drops across the two diodes but, in with their notched ends facing in the –20dB Installing the LEDs LEDs1-10 must be installed so that the top of each LED is exactly 15mm above the PC board. This can be done by cutting a 10mm-wide cardboard spacer which is slid between the leads during soldering. Take care with the orientation (the anode is the longer of the two leads) and be sure to push each LED down onto the spacer before soldering it in place. Note also that LED1 is red, LEDs2 & 3 are orange and LEDs4-10 are green. The power LED (LED11) is installed so that it sits horizontally with the centre of its lens 6mm above the board. To do this cut a 6mm-wide cardboard spacer, then bend the LED’s leads down through 90° 12mm from its base, making sure that the anode lead is to the left. The leads can then be inserted into the PC board and pushed down onto the 6mm spacer before soldering. Now for the battery clip. This is installed by first passing its leads through the battery compartment and Table 1: Resistor Colour Codes o o o o o o o o o o o No.   1   1   1   2   2   4   3   2   1   1 24  Silicon Chip Value 1MΩ 300kΩ 150kΩ 100kΩ 15kΩ 10kΩ 2.2kΩ 150Ω 100Ω 10Ω 4-Band Code (1%) brown black green brown orange black yellow brown brown green yellow brown brown black yellow brown brown green orange brown brown black orange brown red red red brown brown green brown brown brown black brown brown brown black black brown 5-Band Code (1%) brown black black yellow brown orange black black orange brown brown green black orange brown brown black black orange brown brown green black red brown brown black black red brown red red black brown brown brown green black black brown brown black black black brown brown black black gold brown siliconchip.com.au S1 LED11 2.2k D1 D2 D3 4148 10k 100 F 15k 150 33nF 1 L1 2.2k K 150k LED10 15k 300k K 470 F 10k LED9 10 F 150pF 22 F 10 F + 100 F 10 100 100 F 10k K D4 4148 4148 D5 10pF LED8 1 100nF 100k K LK1 K LED7 5819 K RETE M P O OL LED5 LED6 1 IC2 TL072 K 1M IC1 TL072 K 2.2k LED3 LED4 100 F 1 F 100k K IC3 LM3915 LED2 LK2 RA B (UNDER) 10k K 150 LED1 IC4 7555 1 A 4148 10 F 1nF VR1 5k 2.2 F 220pF 10111110 Table 2: Capacitor Codes 9V BATTERY Fig.5: install the parts on the PC board as shown on this diagram and the photo at right. The bargraph LEDs must be installed using a 10mm cardboard spacer – see text. then looping them through the holes in the PC board as shown. This anchors the leads which can now be soldered to the PC stakes (watch the polarity). The PC board can now be secured to the base of the case using four M3 x 5mm screws into the integral mounting bushes. That done, attach the label to the top panel and drill the clearance holes for the power switch and indicator LED. If the label is not supplied as part of a kit, you can download the artwork in PDF format from the SILICON CHIP website. You will also need to drill 10 x 3mm-diameter holes for the bargraph LEDs in the lid. These holes must line up along the inside border of the inset section on the top lid. Note that the label does not extend fully to the left side of this inset and so it does not need to be drilled. If you are building this project from a kit, then the labels will probably siliconchip.com.au be supplied. If not, the downloaded PDF files can be printed out onto photo paper with a peel-away adhesive backing or onto clear plastic film. If using clear plastic film (eg, overhead projector film), you can print the label as a mirror image so that the ink is at the back of the film when it is placed onto the panel. Wait until the ink is dry before cutting the label to size. The film can then be affixed in place using an even smear of neutral-cure silicone sealant. If you are affixing the label to a black coloured panel (eg, if using the specified case), use grey or whitecoloured silicone so that the lettering will stand out. The holes for the power switch and indicator LED in the top label can be cut out using a sharp hobby knife after the silicone has cured. Testing Before applying power, go back over Value 100nF 33nF 1nF 220pF 150pF 10pF µF Value 0.1µF .033µF .001µF   NA   NA   NA IEC Code EIA Code 100n 104   33n 333    1n 102 220p 221 150p 151   10p   10 your work and check for wiring errors. That done, connect a 9V battery, switch on and check that the power LED lights. If not, then either D1, LED 11 or the battery is the wrong way around (or a combination of these). Assuming the LED does light, check that pin 8 of IC1 is at about 8.3V (assuming that the battery itself measures 9V). Similarly, check that pin 8 of IC2 is at about 8.7V and that pin 4 is at about -7V. Pin 3 of IC3 should be at 8.7V, as should pin 8 of IC4. If these supply voltages check out, touch the bottom lead of inductor L1. This should cause some of the LEDs in the bargraph to light due to the noise introduced into op amp IC1b. Note: it can take several seconds for the unit to display a bargraph reading immediately after switch-on. That’s all for this month. Next month, we’ll give the calibration procedure and describe how the unit SC is used. November 2010  25 Putting it together . . . DIGITAL LIGHTING CONTROLLER Part 2 – by Nicholas Vinen and Jim Rowe Everyone who has seen this has been pretty impressed . . . and no wonder! While we originally intended it to make your Christmas Lights display the best in your suburb, with up to 32 channels and total power limited only by your power outlets, it’s capable of controlling just about any lighting sequencing task you want to throw at it. Now we get on with the good stuff: putting it all together! W e introduced this new Digital Lighting Sequencer last month and already it’s created quite a stir. So how many budding Chevy Chase wannabes are there out there, anyway? This month we’ll go through the relatively simple construction of both master and slave units, testing them and then how to use them. We’ll start with the smaller of the two “boxes”, the Master Unit which has all the “smarts”. Master board construction Before assembly, check the copper side of the PC board for defects and that the holes are drilled correctly. Test the connectors for fit. If your board is not provided with the corners cut out to suit the case, you will need to file it to shape. First install the SD/MMC card socket, which goes on the copper side. Remove the dummy plastic “memory” card, then place the socket over the pads. Check that they all line up, then apply some solder to the two larger mounting pads. Ensure it is aligned and that it is sitting flat on the board – if required, re-melt the solder joints and adjust its position. Once it is in place, apply solder to the 13 remaining pads, ensuring that the solder flows properly onto both the Above is the master unit with a 128MB SD card in its reader. This is connected via a suitable length Cat5 cable . . . 26  Silicon Chip siliconchip.com.au pins and the pads. In the case of the Altronics socket, one of the mounting pads has two pins (one is ground) so make sure that the solder covers both. After that, install the wire links using either tinned copper wire or 0Ω resistors. Follow with the resistors as shown on the overlay, checking each value with a multimeter before installation. Then fit the four diodes, taking care with their polarity. Next is the 28 pin socket for IC1 with the notch orientated as shown on the overlay. Solder two diagonally opposite pins and then check that the socket is sitting flat on the PC board before soldering the rest. Then straighten the pins of the TL072 IC and solder it in place, oriented as shown. Using small pliers, bend the legs of the LM3940 regulator down at right angles 6mm from the tab. Attach it to the board using a 6mm M3 machine screw, shakeproof washer and nut. Once it is firmly mounted, solder the leads and then trim them. After that, mount the 3.5mm stereo socket. Ensure its pins are straight before inserting it and check that it sits flat before soldering them. Fit the MKT and ceramic capacitors next. Polarity does not matter but the values do, so check the overlay diagram as you go. Follow with the single tantalum capacitor. The positive lead is normally marked with an inked “+” on the plastic body, which lines up with the “+” on the overlay. Now install all the electrolytic capacitors except the largest (2200F). The 4.7F non-polarised capacitor can go in either way but the rest must have their longer leads (+) through the hole marked “+” on the overlay. Install the 7806 regulator next, using the same procedure as for the LM3940 but before you insert the M3 machine screw, slip the small heatsink between the regulator and the PC board. Thermal grease is not required. Make sure it stays straight as you tighten the bolt, otherwise it may touch the large capacitor which will be adjacent to it. Unless the 2200F capacitor lies flat it is too tall to fit in the box. Bend its leads down about 2.5mm from its base, keeping in mind its final orientation (as shown by the + symbol on the overlay). Push it flat against the board, solder it in, then run a thin bead of neutral-cure silicone sealant or hotmelt glue along the side closest to the board edge to hold it in place. Now fit the crystal adjacent to IC1. Its orientation does not matter but avoid heating its leads too much. Next install the DC socket, ensuring that it is flush against the PC board and is at right angles with the board edge in both planes. Follow with the RJ-45 socket – push its plastic posts into their holes, then carefully solder the eight pins without bridging them. If you do manage to create a solder bridge, it can be cleaned up with solder wick. The green LED is installed at rightangles to the PC board and in line with the edge. Bend its leads 6mm from the body, using the overlay as a guide as to the final orientation – the flat side should be lined up as shown. Solder it so it sits 7mm above the board surface. The infrared receiver needs its leads bent twice. With the dome of the lens at the front, bend the leads 90° backwards 1mm from the component body, then back in the opposite direction 7mm from the first bend, forming a “Z”-shape. Push the remaining leads all the way through the PC board before soldering them so that the 7mm section rests on the top. Testing the master board Before installing IC1, check that the power supply is working. Temporarily connect a 9V AC plugpack to the power socket and measure the output (rightmost pin) of both regulators relative to the tabs – they should be close to 6V and 3.3V. Assuming they are OK, remove the power supply and wait a few seconds, then install the microcontroller (IC1), being careful to line up its notch with that on the socket. Re-apply power and the green LED should flash twice then continually ramp its brightness up and down. This tells you that the microcontroller and its zero crossing detection circuitry are working. If the LED does not flash, check that IC1 has been programmed correctly and the crystal is correctly installed. If it does not pulsate, check the passive components in the zero crossing detection circuit. Assuming all is OK, place a WAV file (in the standard PCM format, eg, from a CD) on an otherwise blank . . . to the slave unit, which contains the drive circuitry for the lights. Up to four slave units can be connected in series, giving a total of 32 channels. For a full explanation, see last month’s intro. siliconchip.com.au November 2010  27 Digital gnithgiLighting L latigiD rSequencer ecneuqeS 012010 02 © © 10101161 16110101 10k 10F CON1 LED1 9V AC IN (RJ45 TYPE II) TO SLAVE MODULE(S) memory card and plug it in. The green LED should go out (it may flash twice first) and after a few seconds it should turn on fully. If so, connect the audio output socket to an amplifier (eg, using a 3.5mm to RCA cable) with the volume turned down then slowly turn the volume up. If you hear the audio being played then the card, socket and audio output are all operating correctly. If the LED is on but there is no sound, check the audio output circuitry. If the LED does not turn on as described then there may be a problem with the soldering on the card socket. 28  Silicon Chip (UNDER) 15nF IRD1 CON4 SD/MMC SOCKET If LED flashes repetitively in a pattern, this indicates that the software has encountered an error – see the table of error codes towards the end of the article. Completing the master module Snap the front panel off the box and cut and drill it as shown in Fig.5. A photocopy or print-out of this template can be temporarily glued onto the panel as a drilling aid. For the round holes, drill a small pilot hole in the centre and then expand it using a series of larger drill bits, then de-burr it using a larger drill bit. This 10k 13k 10k R T CON2 S AUDIO OUT 150pF 15nF 10k 100 100 100 CON3 13k 10k 150pF NP 4.7F 3.0k 220 10k 10k 10k D1 D2 4004 27k + 10F 10F 4004 100nF 100nF 100 + 4004 10k IC2 TL072 + D3 100 10k 10F 10F 100nF 100 D4 10k 13k 47k 100nF 4004 10k X1 33pF 24.576MHz 13k 33pF 10k 100 + + 470F 100F IC1 dsPIC33FJ64GP802 + 470F 100F + 1nF + 2200F (LAID OVER) + REG1 7805 CS SC 100nF REG2 LM3940 -3.3 Fig.4: here’s the component overlay for the master unit, with a matching photo underneath. Two points to note: (a) the SD card socket is mounted on the underside of the PC board, and (b) the 2200F capacitor is mounted lying down on the PC board, with some hot melt glue or silicone sealant to hold it in place (after soldering!). We strongly suggest you use a socket for the microcontroller at least – it makes testing and trouble-shooting a whole lot easier. Note that there are some minor differences between the early prototype PC board at left and the component overlay above. ensures that the holes remain round and clean. For the larger rectangular hole, mark the outline using a sharp knife and then drill a series of closely spaced 3mm holes around the inside of the outline, then cut the remaining plastic to knock out the centre section. Use a needle file to clean up the edges and slowly expand the opening until the connector fits neatly. The card slot can be made using a similar technique but the holes must be small (eg, 1.5-2mm) to avoid going outside the outline. Once the slot has been filed to a rectangular shape you siliconchip.com.au Fig.5: samesize diagram showing the holes and cut-outs for the master unit. The photo below shows the same thing, this time assembled. 20 19 A 13.5 26 5.75 15.5 3.5 11.25 17 B C B 15.5 15.75 ALL DIMENSIONS IN MILLIMETRES may need to slightly elongate it in one direction or the other after the case is assembled to suit the alignment of the card socket. Now mount the PC board in the case. It is attached to the lid’s integral plastic stand-offs with nylon washers between them, so that the memory card can clear the lip on the lid. Place the Nylon washers atop the standoffs then lower the PC board on top without knocking them off. Attach the board using the specified self-tapping screws. If you can’t get the board on with the washers staying in place, you can glue them to the underside of the board with a dab of hot-melt glue or other adhesive. They must be slightly offset from the centre of the holes so they do not extend out past the board’s corner cut-outs. With the board installed, one further cut-out must be made to the base lip. The specified RJ45 socket is quite tall and requires a notch, as shown in the close-up photo. Gently trim away the plastic using side-cutters and clean it up using a file. Care must be taken to avoid cracking the case or scratching the panel – the lip itself is hidden by the front panel when it is installed. At this point, with the lid in place, the front and rear panels can be snapped on and the master module is complete. Note that when attaching the front panel you will need to lever it in place – clip on the edge with the RJ45 cut-out first. In doing so be careful that the LED fits through the hole, otherwise its leads will be bent. Also check that the infrared receiver sits properly behind siliconchip.com.au 13.25 10 20 14.5 HOLE A: 6.0mm DIA. HOLES B: 5.0mm DIA. HOLE C: 5.5mm DIA. its hole with the front panel is in place. Once you have confirmed that all the cut-outs are correct and the front panel fits properly you can stick the label in place. If it is not adhesive (eg, if you have printed and laminated it) it can be attached with a thin smear of silicone sealant. Slave board construction Again, check the copper side of the board, then install the wire links. There are ten in the low voltage (bottom) section and these can be made from tinned copper wire or 0 resistors. The eight links near the Triacs are at mains potential, so they must be insulated. Cut eight 11mm lengths of the 2.5mm or 3mm fibreglass sleeving and slip each over a 20mm length of tinned copper wire. Bend the ends of the wire to form 11.5mm wire jumpers and then solder them in place. When that is finished, install all the resistors. Use the colour code table provided and/or check each with a multimeter before installation to be sure that they are the correct value. Next fit the three ICs and eight optocouplers. The ICs all have different pin counts so it is hard to mix them up but be careful with their orientation (see the overlay diagram). Straighten the leads and press each IC down as far as it will go before soldering it. The orientation of the optocouplers is critical so be sure to install them with the notch towards the left side of the board, as shown on the overlay. Now solder the two low-voltage MKT capacitors (at the bottom left) and the two electrolytic capacitors. The longer lead of each electro goes into one of the two holes near the “+” symbol. After that you can install the terminal blocks, with the openings facing towards the nearest edge of the board. Follow with the X2 capacitors, then the two RJ45 connectors. They are installed in the same manner as with the master board. Ensure they are pressed down fully before soldering them. The eight red LEDs are next but first their leads must be bent at right angles 7mm from the lens. The anode (the longer lead) must go towards the right edge of the board, so bend them in the correct direction to achieve this. The horizontal portion of the leads go 16mm above the board surface. A 16mm-wide strip of cardboard can be cut to assist in positioning them. Fit the Triacs to the heatsinks in pairs – one on either side. Insert a 10mm x M3 screw through one tab, then the heat sink, then the other tab and secured with a shakeproof washer and M3 nut. Do them up tightly. As before thermal grease is not necessary This notch needs to be cut in the case to accommodate the RJ-45 socket. Cut it as neatly as you can but don’t worry too much if your skills aren’t up to scratch: it’s hidden by the front panel. November 2010  29 The assembled slave unit, ready to be wired (as shown later) and fitted to its case. Never be tempted to work on the PC board with power applied – always have the lid on the case. At right is Fig.6, the component overlay for the slave unit. but may be used if desired. Note that the tabs on these devices are insulated – do not substitute other Triacs! Once each Triac/heatsink assembly is complete, push the leads through the holes in the PC board until the heatsinks are right against the board, then flip it over and solder the two thick posts to hold the assembly in place. Because the heatsinks are quite large you will need to use a large tip and/or high temperature for this job. When the heatsinks are in place you can then solder and trim the Triac leads. Now fit the toroidal inductors. Push each pair of leads through the board as far as they will go then solder and trim them. Finally, install the earth lug. If you spade terminal is double-ended, cut one end off first with a pair of sturdy side-cutters. Place a shakeproof washer over an M3 x 10mm machine screw and insert it through the earth mounting hole from the copper side. 30  Silicon Chip Place the lug over the shaft, then an M3 nut. Tighten it, with the lug orientated so that the cable won’t interfere with any components. Add a second nut on top (to act as a locknut) and do it up firmly too. Testing the slave module Test the low voltage section of the slave module before installing it in the case. Download the test data from the SILICON CHIP website (1611010T.zip) and extract it into the root directory of a blank memory card. With the master module power disconnected, connect the slave board to it using a short Cat5 cable. Make sure the slave board is resting on a nonconductive surface and check that you have plugged the cable into the correct (control input) connector. Plug the card into the master module and apply power – do not connect the slave module to mains! After a brief delay, you should see the LEDs on the slave module light up in turn for two seconds each. This repeats, then after a ten second delay, it goes into a loop where each LED fades in and out in turn. If some of the LEDs do not light, check the corresponding LED, optocoupler and current limiting resistor for errors. If none of the LEDs light then there is a problem around one of the digital logic ICs or one of the RJ45 connectors. Slave module assembly Now prepare the front panel, using Fig.9 as a guide. As with the master module, the round holes can be drilled while the others can be made by drilling a series of holes within the outline, knocking the centre out and filing them to shape. Be careful to make the IEC connector cut-out accurately as a tight fit will ensure that it can’t come loose. After that, attach the front panel label. For maximum protection from grubby fingers, we suggest it be lamisiliconchip.com.au 100nF 10k 10k 470 360 47nF 275VAC 100nF 275VAC 39 + IC2 TRIAC8 BTA41 74HC04 IN 47 Aout8 Aout7 OPTO7 MOC3021 TRIAC7 BTA41 10k (RJ45 TYPE II) CON2 100 360 47 100 47nF 275VAC 470 100 OUT 100 100nF LED1 A IC1 74HC595 470 360 47nF 275VAC 10nF 275VAC 100nF 275VAC 100nF 275VAC 39 LED2 A Aout6 Aout5 OPTO5 MOC3021 LED4 A 47nF 275VAC 470 LED5 A 470 360 47nF 275VAC 39 10nF 275VAC 10nF 275VAC 39 100nF 275VAC 100nF 275VAC LED6 A L4 100 H 5A OPTO4 MOC3021 L5 100 H 5A LED3 A TRIAC5 BTA41 360 47 TRIAC4 BTA41 47 LED7 A Aout4 Aout3 OPTO3 MOC3021 360 10nF 275VAC 100nF 275VAC 470 10nF 275VAC 100nF 275VAC 47nF 275VAC TRIAC2 47 39 470 39 L2 100 H 5A 20101161 0102 © L ORT N O C G NIT H GIL DRA O B H CTI WS OPTO2 MOC3021 47nF 275VAC L3 100 H 5A LED8 A TRIAC3 BTA41 360 47 BTA41 NOTE: ALL TRACKS AND COMPONENTS IN THE PINK SHADED AREA OPERATE AT MAINS POTENTIAL. CONTACT COULD BE FATAL! Aout2 Aout1 TRIAC1 EARTH 360 BTA41 47nF 275VAC 470 L1 100 H 5A OPTO1 MOC3021 47 10nF 275VAC TRIAC6 BTA41 47 ULN2803 39 L6 100 H 5A OPTO6 MOC3021 10k L7 100 H 5A 10k IC3 10nF 275VAC L8 100 H 5A 100 F 100 F CON1 (RJ45 TYPE II) + OPTO8 MOC3021 39 10nF 275VAC 100nF 275VAC ACTIVE INPUT nated and glued on using a thin layer of silicone sealant – or it can be printed on adhesive-backed paper. With the label in place, the IEC connector can be snapped in. Make sure it is the correct type, designed for mounting on a 1.5mm panel, or else siliconchip.com.au it will not be secure. If is it all sloppy in the cutout, we suggest a couple of dobs of suitable glue around the edges (inside) to keep it tight. Then push the LEDs and RJ45 connectors on the main board through the front panel and lower the whole assembly into the plastic case, with the front panel in its recess. If your case has a vent in the bottom, orient the board so that this vent is towards the front (low voltage) end. Screw the board onto the plastic risers using self-tapping screws. November 2010  31 55mm 55mm LINK BETWEEN N TAG ON IEC MALE CONNECTOR & SWITCH TAG S1 45mm 45mm LINK BETWEEN FUSE TAG F2 ON IEC MALE CONNECTOR & SWITCH TAG S2 90mm 90mm 90mm 120mm 90mm 90mm 90mm 200mm BLUE SPADE CONNECTORS ARE LARGER TYPES TO ALLOW TWO WIRES TO BE INSERTED 150mm WIRE BETWEEN SWITCH TAG S4 ON IEC MALE CONNECTOR & 'ACTIVE INPUT' TERMINAL BLOCK ON PC BOARD 90mm 90mm 90mm 120mm 90mm 90mm 90mm 80mm 80mm 170mm E ON IEC OUTPUT 1 E ON IEC OUTPUT 3 E ON IEC E ON IEC OUTPUT OUTPUT 5 7 E ON IEC OUTPUT 8 E ON IEC OUTPUT 6 E ON IEC E ON IEC EARTH LUG OUTPUT OUTPUT FOR REAR 2 PANEL 4 E TAG ON IEC MALE (MATES WITH SPADE LUG ON PC BOARD) 80mm TO Aout7, Aout5, Aout3 & Aout1 TERM BLOCKS ON PC BOARD FOUR OF THESE LEADS, TO CONNECT TO 'A' LUG OF IEC OUTPUT 7, IEC OUTPUT 5, IEC OUTPUT 3 AND IEC OUTPUT 1 FOUR OF THESE LEADS, TO CONNECT TO 'A' LUG OF IEC OUTPUT 8, IEC OUTPUT 6, IEC OUTPUT 4 AND IEC OUTPUT 2 45mm TO Aout8, Aout6,Aout4 & Aout2 TERM BLOCKS ON PC BOARD NOTE: ALL FEMALE SPADE CONNECTORS HAVE INSULATION SLEEVES Fig.7: you’ll need to make up a set of cables with spade connectors, as shown, to complete wiring the slave unit. Both the cables and spade connector sleeves should be the same colours as shown here to ensure there are no mixups between active, neutral and earth wires. (The blue sleeves allow for two wires). Now prepare the rear panel. If you are building the module from a kit, the rear panel may be supplied pre-cut. Otherwise, cut a piece of 2mm thick aluminium (or 1mm steel) to shape as shown in Fig.9. The eight cut-outs are best made using a nibbling tool. To accurately nibble the cut-outs, print or photocopy the template, glue it to the panel (spray glue is ideal) and nibble out the holes to the lines on the template. Use a file to clean up the holes and remove any burrs. At the same time, drill the seventeen holes and de-burr them with a larger drill. Once everything fits, peel off the temporary label and clean with solvent (metho) if necessary. Then install the eight connectors using 10mm M3 machine screws, shakeproof washers and nuts. You may have noticed that we used snap-in female IEC connectors in our prototype but specified screw-mount types in the part list. This is because the snap-in connectors can easily fall out when used on a panel this thick (necessary due to the amount of metal removed for the connectors). Screw-mounted IEC connectors are much safer in this application. Now cut 250VAC-rated wire to length and attach crimp connectors as shown in Fig.7. To ensure the wires can not come loose, you must use a ratchet-type crimping tool. Be sure to use the connectors with the correct colour, as shown, since they are designed for different thicknesses of wire (the blue connectors are designed for thicker wire so are suitable for joining two smaller diameter wires). Complete the slave module wiring using Fig.8 as a guide. You may need to bend some of the spade terminals on the IEC connectors upwards to get the wires past the inductors. If so, bend them carefully using pliers, to the minimum extent possible, so that the insulated connectors still cover the exposed metal. Be sure to plug the connectors in all the way so they can’t come loose. The rear panel earth lug is attached using a 10mm M3 screw. Pass it through from the rear then place a shakeproof washer on the shaft, then the eyelet lug, another shakeproof washer and two nuts which are tightened very firmly. If there is any coating on the rear panel, it must be scraped away around Notes and Errata from Part 1: We have produced an alternative PC board for the master module to suit the Jaycar PS0024 surface mount memory card socket, coded 16110103. It can be downloaded from the SILICON CHIP web site. Also, the parts list published last month omitted the following parts: 1 1 2 2 2 28-pin DIP socket mini TO-220 heatsink (Jaycar HH8502, Altronics H0630) 6mm M3 machine screws M3 shakeproof washers M3 nuts 32  Silicon Chip It is a good idea to use a socket for the microcontroller in case it needs to be removed for re-programming. Regarding the RJ45 sockets specified, there are several sockets with similar pin configurations that should theoretically work but we have not tested them. While the ones we specified are “Type II” (ie, the pins are at the top), “Type I” (with the pins at the bottom) should also work as long as you use the same type on all the modules. We have only tested the connectors specified in the parts list so if in doubt, stick with those. siliconchip.com.au REAR PANEL OUTPUT 5 OUTPUT 3 E E E A A N A N IEC FEMALE CONNECTORS OUTPUT 1 E A N N OUTPUT 8 OUTPUT 6 OUTPUT 4 OUTPUT 2 E E E E A N + WARNING! This is a mains-operated device. Construction should not be attempted unless you have knowledge of and experience in building mains-powered projects. The slave unit has areas of the PC board where components and tracks are at mains potential. Contact with live wiring could prove fatal. Aout1 N Aout2 Aout6 Aout7 Aout8 A N Aout3 A N Aout4 A Aout5 CABLE TIES ACTIVE INPUT OUTPUT 7 + EARTH CON1 LED1 (RJ45 TYPE II) INPUT FROM CONTROLLER 20101161 0102 © L ORS4 T NO C G IL S3NIT H GF2 DRA O B H CTI WS CON2 LED2 LED3 LED4 LED5 LED6 LED7 LED8 (RJ45 TYPE II) S2 THROUGH TO OTHER SWITCH BOXES S1 N E IEC MALE CONNECTOR WITH FUSE & DPST SWITCH Fig.8: using the cables made up to suit (see Fig.7) here’s how to wire the slave unit. It’s easy if you make the cables the right lengths and terminate them with spade lugs, as shown. the earth lug hole to ensure a good electrical contact. Use cable ties to secure the wires so that they are held away from the components on the board and to prevent any wires from moving around and working their way loose. The lid can then be installed using the supplied machine screws. Finally, insert the two 10A fuses into the mains input connector (15A siliconchip.com.au for 115V mains). One is a spare. Final test First, a warning. Never plug the slave module into the mains without the lid in place. If you ever need to remove the lid, unplug the module first and before re-installing it, check that the mains wiring is secure and safe. The whole project can now be test- ed. Use the same files on the memory card and the same set-up as previously but this time connect some lights. ­For testing (which involves phase control), use 230V incandescent lamps only, not LEDs with a switch-mode supply. While it is unlikely that a switch-mode supply would be damaged by a brief period of phase control, it certainly won’t like it! Later, in use, LEDs with switchNovember 2010  33 Error flash codes    Remote control The default remote control codes for the master unit are set up initially for a Jaycar AR1726 (TV code 102) or Altronics A1012 (TV code 156) universal remote. We explain later how to customise the codes for other remotes. These are the available functions: Button    Command Description Play play Starts or resumes playback. Stop stop Stops playback. Pressing it twice will go back to the first file. Pause pause Pauses or resumes playback. Channel + next Goes to the next sequence/WAV file. Channel prev Goes to the previous sequence/ WAV file. Volume + volup Increase audio volume. Volume voldn Decrease audio volume. Fast forward forward Skip ahead 10 seconds. Rewind back Skip backwards 10 seconds. 1-9, 0 1, 2,…10 Jumps to the first, second, third etc sequence/WAV file on the card and starts it immediately. Playback will stop when it finishes. Power reset Stops playback and goes back to the first file. Record order Changes the playback order in this sequence: sorted, shuffle, directory, sorted. . . See “Configuration” for more details. mode supplies may be switched on and off using this sequencer but should never be dimmed or faded. Join the master and slave modules together, plug the slave module into mains and switch it on. Then apply power to the master module and check that the lights operate as expected. Using the controller While the photo last month shows the master module sitting on top of the slave module, in practice it is a good idea to separate them by at least 50cm and if possible, run them from separate mains outlets. The reason is that the 100Hz/120Hz Triac switching generates a fairly significant amount of EMI (electromagnetic interference). The LC filter at each output reduces but does not eliminate the radiation. Most of the emissions are from the cabling between the controller and the lights. As a result, if the master module 34  Silicon Chip If something goes wrong, the master module flashes its LED in a pattern. This pattern involves a specific number of slow and fast flashes which repeat after a delay. To determine what has gone wrong, count the flashes and then look them up in the following tables: No of      When error occurred Slow flashes 1 2 3 No of Fast flashes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 While re-programming the main program While re-programming the bootloader During operation (in the main program)         Meaning Failed to initialise memory card after 3 attempts FAT file system not recognised Could not find root directory Re-programming completed but verify failed HEX file read error HEX file format invalid Failed to detect valid mains frequency Unexpected error while re-flashing bootloader Memory card indicates wrong supply voltage Memory card command time out Configuration file contains invalid line(s) No sequences found on memory card Invalid WAV file on memory card Unsupported WAV file format detected Memory card file read error is too close to a slave module then a buzzing sound can be coupled into the audio output. By keeping the modules physically separated and also separating the mains wiring this effect is minimised. Creating sequences In order to create a truly spectacular light show you need to make a sequence for each piece of music. We have supplied a sample sequence along with a public domain Christmas song which you can download from the SILICON CHIP website. To create your own sequence you will need to download and install our Windows sequencing software. The first step in creating a sequence is to open a WAV file. Select the File->New command and you will be prompted to select the WAV file. At this point blank sequence is created. From top to bottom, the application window is separated into the following sections: menu, toolbar, audio display, sequence display and light status bar. The menus give you access to all functions while the toolbar provides more convenient access to the most commonly used function. Move the mouse over a toolbar button and leave it there to display a “tooltip” which explains what that button does. Buttons which can not be used are “greyed out” and in this case the tooltip will explain why. The tooltips also indicate the shortcut key combination (if available) to activate that function. Below the toolbar is a representation of the WAV audio data, shown as it would be on an oscilloscope. If you place the mouse cursor over that section, the scroll wheel (or menu/ toolbar functions) can zoom in and out. Right-clicking or right-dragging the mouse will scroll the display, as will moving the scrollbar at the bottom of the window. You can get a feel for how the audio display works by pressing the “play siliconchip.com.au siliconchip.com.au B B FRONT PANEL REAR PANEL 38 10 B 12 12 24 24 18 18 6 6 B B 10 15.5 10.5 16 17.5 HOLES B: 3.0mm DIAMETER 32 40 32 40 28 45 12 12 24 24 32 40 32 40 18 18 15.5 A 10 A 6 6 A 10 45 HOLES A: 5.0mm DIAMETER B B Fig.9: same-size diagrams show the cutouts and holes required for the rear panel (left) – all IEC connectors, and the front panel (right) with cutouts for the RJ45 plugs, the IEC mains connector/ fuseholder/ switch and holes for eight LEDs. November 2010  35 10 A B 14 B 5 CL A 5 A 10 B 14 B A 10 12 12 24 24 A 10 61 32 40 32 40 18 18 25.5 6 6 B B 24.5 45 10 B 12 12 24 24 32 40 32 18 18 27 46 6 6 ALL DIMENSIONS IN MILLIMETRES 28 B 40 6 6 6 B B Configuration The master module’s default behaviour should be adequate for most users. You just need to load your music and sequence files onto the memory card, plug it in and switch it on. However, some users may want to alter the master unit’s behaviour. To do so, place a text file in the root directory of the memory card and rename it to “Light Controller.cfg”. In Windows, it can be edited by opening Notepad and dragging this file into the main window. In this file, each option is written on a separate line, with the option name on the left, then an equals sign (“=”), then the value for that option. The possible options are as follows, with the default shown in bold italics: start playback automatically = yes, no If yes, the first file on the card is played immediately. Otherwise playback must be started via the remote control. start file = “filename” If set, the file of the name specified will be the first played. Otherwise the first file found is used. default file order = sorted, shuffle, directory If set to sorted, files will be played in alphabetical order. If set to shuffle, files will be played in a randomised order. Otherwise, files will be played in the order that they are stored. default volume = 100% Allows you to reduce the initial volume. It is better to use an external volume control if possible. default repeat all = yes, no If set to yes, when the last file finishes playback will start again at the first. Otherwise playback will stop. filament preheat amount = 20 The fraction of full power to use for the filament preheat. It is a number between 0 and 255, where 255 means full power. The default should suit most incandescent lamps. filament preheat <slave> = yes, no Controls filament preheating on a per-slave basis. <slave> is replaced with the slave number between 1 and 4. Slave 1 is the slave closest to the master module. filament preheat <slave>:<channel> = yes, no Controls filament preheating on a per-light basis. <channel> is replaced with the channel number between 1 and 8. triac turnoff <slave> = immediate, delayed If set to delayed, the trigger pulses for the specified slave will be held until the end of each mains half cycle. Read the section on delayed turnoff before using this option. triac turnoff <slave>:<channel> = immediate, delayed As above but allows control on a per-channel basis. remote code <command> = RC5(0x????) or NEC(0x????) Allows the unit to be configured for different remote controls. See “remote control configuration” for more information. infrared logging = off, on If set to on, the unit will log all infrared activity to a file. This assists with reconfiguring the codes. Here is an example configuration file: default file order = shuffle filament preheat 1:7 = off filament preheat 1:8 = off triac turnoff 1:3 = delayed triac turnoff 1:4 = delayed file” button with speakers or headphones connected to the computer. Below the audio data display are the sequencer light states, which scroll together with it. The brightness of each horizontal strip represents the brightness of the light as time passes. By clicking on a portion of the audio data, you can see state of the lights at that point in the sequence on the light status bar, at the bottom of the window. This bar is also active during 36  Silicon Chip playback to provide a preview of the sequence. Manipulating the sequence Click and drag the mouse within the sequence area to select a portion, which will turn blue. You can move the start and end of the selection by dragging them. It is also possible to select from the audio display. Which lights are selected can be changed by clicking on the light names at the left of the window. Control-click and shift-click allow you to select multiple lights. Once a selection has been made, you can manipulate that portion of the sequence using the functions towards the right-hand side of the toolbar (or from the Lights menu). These include turning the light(s) on or off for that period, setting them to an intermediate brightness, ramping the brightness up or down or performing a “cascade” where the lights are turned on in sequence. siliconchip.com.au Inside the completed slave unit – this shows push-fit IEC connectors on the rear panel but with 20:20 hindsight, we now recommend captive types (with screws and nuts). For safety, follow our wiring diagrams and photos exactly! The best way to understand how these functions work is to experiment with them. After changing the sequence, you can play it (or a section of it) to get an idea of what it will look like. The easiest way to do this is to select the section of the file you are working on and press the “set play region” button on the toolbar. You can then use the “Play region” function to play this section at any time as you are working on it. If you make a change that you are not happy with, simply use the “undo” function to revert it. Auto sequencing For automated sequence creation there is the “beat detection” function which pulses one or more lights in time with the beat, the “spectrum analysis” function which behaves like a “Musicolour” and even an “automatic sequencing” function which can generate a complete sequence with just a few mouse clicks. The GUI (Graphical User Interface) is designed to be easy to learn so with a little experimentation you should be siliconchip.com.au able to figure out most of its functions. We don’t have enough room for a more detailed explanation this month but we will provide more information next month. Delayed turnoff The delayed turnoff option should only be used in two situations – either during testing, to allow the slave indicator LEDs to vary their brightness or else for channels with lights that have insufficient current to properly latch the Triacs (<25W or so). If the brightness of your lights is not being properly controlled, you may need to use this option. In the latter case, only enable delayed turnoff for the affected channels. It is not a good idea to have more than a few such channels as this results in higher current drain on the 6V line. This can cause excessive heat generation in the 7806 regulator and higher voltage drops across long Cat5 cables, possibly resulting in incorrect operation. Ideally, use lights with a high enough power to allow the Triacs to latch. Remote control configuration Up to three remote control codes can be assigned to each command. These can be Philips RC5 12-bit codes or NEC 16-bit codes (used by some Digitech remote controls). Either way, the code is specified as a 4-digit hexadecimal number. Do not worry about what this means as the infrared logging feature can tell you what codes your remote control uses. Simply enable the feature, turn the unit on and press the buttons you are interested in. All you then need to do then is open the log file on your computer, copy the codes into the configuration file as appropriate, and disable the logging feature. The format for an RC5 code is “RC5(0x1234)” and for an NEC code it is “NEC(0x1234)”. For example, to configure the master module so that RC5 code 0x0020 triggers the “next” command (which is the default), add the following line to the configuration file: remote code next = RC5(0x0020) To add two to four possible remote codes for a given command, separate SC them with commas. November 2010  37 SERVICEMAN'S LOG Do-it yourself servicing at the deep end It’s quite common to hear people complain that they spend more time maintaining their swimming pool than they do swimming in it. It’s not just a matter of keeping the water clean – you have to maintain the pump and electronic control gear as well. My first story this month comes from R. W. of Noosaville in Qld and concerns a number of interesting faults in his swimming pool control gear. I’ll let him tell it in his own words . . . This saga covers a period of about eight years to the present. It all began when we moved into a 12-month-old house and had a pool installed. To save me the chore of buying and decanting chlorine, we opted for a saltwater pool with a cell to generate the chlorine. We also opted for solar heating, as we hoped to swim for most of the year. Things went well for about 10 months, then occasionally the pool pump would not start in the morning. The obvious “fix” was soon discovered – give it a gentle thump on the side of the control box and it would immediately spring into life! However, with the 12-month warranty on the unit nearly up, we soon decided that thumping it was not the best answer and that it should be properly fixed. And so it was left with the local agent for a 100km round trip to the depot. They were very efficient because just four days later, the agent rang to say “it’s fixed, come and get it”. When we went to retrieve it, we asked what the problem was but this only brought a blank stare from the lass in the pool shop. Oh well, if it’s fixed, why should we care. Anyway, we re-installed the control box and all worked well for a couple of weeks. Then the intermittent fault returned. This time, having spent 25 years of my life as a service technician, I thought “what the heck – I can fix a simple thing like a pool pump controller”. Disconnecting the control box from the motor, flow sensor and mains didn’t take long but clearing a place on the workbench took much more time. I then removed a couple of screws and the cover lifted off. It was nicely made, with a screened PC board, well laid out parts and rugged clip-on connectors. Now what is the most common cause of intermittents that can be cured with a gentle tap? Yes, dry joints of course. There were none on the flow-soldered PC board but it was a different story when it came to the power transformer (a rather large PCmount unit). The mains side was fine but the heavy secondary pins all had dry joints. The solder joints themselves looked good but the solder had not adhered Servicing Stories Wanted Do you have any good servicing stories that you would like to share in The Serviceman column in SILICON CHIP? If so, why not send those stories in to us? In doesn’t matter what the story is about as long as it’s in some way related to the electronics or electrical industries, to computers or even to car electronics. We pay for all contributions published but please note that your material must be original. Send your contribution by email to: editor<at>siliconchip.com.au 38  Silicon Chip Items Covered This Month • • • Swimming pool pump controller & thermostat monitor BWD 207b power supply The 5-minute PC fix – not properly to the pins. I sucked the old solder away, gave the pins a good scrape with a sharp knife and carefully tinned them before resoldering them to the PC board. The chlorinator cell takes quite a few amps at around 16V and the pool pump is controlled by an AC relay. By now, it was obvious that the problem was fixed (famous last words!) and with it all back together, it was running like a bought one. This time, there were no more worries for a couple of years but then the control buttons became progressively less responsive. There are nine buttons in all and these are covered by a flexible membrane to keep the hostile salt atmosphere away from the PC boards. One is the on-off control button, another steps the level of chlorine injection and a third carries out a super-chlorination cycle. The remaining six buttons are for the time and day settings. The pressure required to actuate these pushbuttons gradually increased until one day, I pressed so hard that the membrane split. Fortunately, I found a local technician who serviced all brands of chlorinators and he sold me a new membrane. He also told me that he thought the switches were unobtainable and offered a replacement PC board for around $350. A quick check through a few catalogs soon revealed that Jaycar had the switch as a stock item. Replacing both the switches and membrane then restored the unit to full health. The pool is cold A few more years passed, then one day my wife complained that the pool was “cold”. A quick check with a siliconchip.com.au thermometer revealed that the water temperature was only 23° instead of the set 25°. The cure was simple – just turn the preset to 27° and all was well, except that as the months went by the setting had to be progressively increased until it was finally at its maximum of 39° in order to set the pool at 25°. You can put these tasks off for so long but eventually you have to take the plunge (pun intended). And so the solar control box was disconnected and opened up on my workbench. Of course, this was a new “black box” and I had no idea what the circuit was really like. However, in view of its function, it had to use a comparator of some sort plus a thermocouple or similar to monitor the pool temperature. The pool temperature reading would then be compared with the stored reading set by the front-panel pushbutton. In operation, the solar pump ran until the pool temperature reached the preset, then the pump turned off. The first step was to simulate the pool sensor which turned out to be a thermistor. I heated some water to 25° and inserted the pool sensor in it, then read its resistance. This value then became my reference. Of course, Murphy now reared his ugly head and the controller switched off when the indicator showed 26°, ie, it was suddenly working correctly. No amount of prodding or poking could provoke the fault. As a result, I made a number of voltage checks and then left it running overnight (it was the middle of winter). Fortunately, by siliconchip.com.au next morning, the fault had reappeared so I repeated the voltage checks. The reference voltage is derived from a zener diode (the zener voltage was the same as previously) and this is then fed through a resistor to a potentiometer, which is used as the calibration adjustment. The voltage on the wiper had dropped so that was my clue. The resistor value was checked and found to be spot on so I moved onto the pot. In the end, the culprit turned out to be the crimped connection at the end of the potentiometer – it was going slightly high in resistance. In all my years of servicing, I have never struck this type of fault but there’s a first time for everything I guess. A new preset control solved the fault. November 2010  39 Serr v ice Se ceman’s man’s Log – continued This is the view inside the BWD 207b power supply. It’s based mainly on discrete components. Fig.1: this circuit section from the BWD 207b power supply generates the +16V and -6.2V reference voltages. This is done using zener diode D2 and an error amplifier based on two bipolar transistors and a JFET. With the rapidly increasing cost of electricity, my next project is to eliminate the solar pump motor. The pool pump label says “1.5 horsepower” while the solar pump label says 1kW (1.25hp). Basically, the job will involve fitting a valve to divert the pool pump flow from its normal path to the pool, feeding it instead up to the solar collector on the roof whenever the pool temperature is low. When I get my next power bill the incentive will probably be there. Until then, inertia will probably rule the day. BWD power supply This next story comes from SILICON CHIP staff member Nicholas Vinen and concerns a BWD model 207b DC power supply that was originally purchased by “Electronics Today” in 1972. SILICON CHIP subsequently purchased it from “Electronics Australia” when that magazine ceased publication some 10 years ago. This supply is a linear DC type with an output voltage of 10-15V at 12A or 20-30V at 6A (with internal foldback limiting). And as you would suspect from these figures, it is a large and heavy unit, primarily due to the size of the transformer but also the substantial steel chassis. It has 16,000µF worth of filter capacitors for its unregulated supply and an 8000µF filter on the output. Back then (ie, in 1972), ICs were not as common or as cheap as they are today, so the regulator circuit consists Some key features Mixed Signal Oscilloscope + Signal Generator mainly of discrete components. In fact, the only IC used is a CA3046 transistor array which was manufactured in Australia by AWA. This is used in the two main error amplifiers, as its transistors are well-matched. There are also a number of discrete transistors, all NPN types as PNP types at that time were substantially more expensive and didn’t work as well. The supply’s output voltage is regulated by four 2N3055 transistors in TO-3 packages which are mounted on large heatsinks at the rear of the chassis. The transistors themselves are covered with plastic insulators so that the user can’t get a shock from touching the metal bodies. As an aside, the supply was manufactured by BWD in Victoria, who also manufactured the transformer and chassis (the two most expensive parts). Many of the other components were produced in Australia as well. For example, the meter movements were made in Sydney by Master Instruments, while the main voltage adjust- Mixed signal with protocol decoding + Windows and Linux + 10ns resolution on 40 msec display + Disk save at 1.5 MSPS, to 500 GSamples. + Spectrum analysis – see 50Hz in 50 MHz. + Driver software for Visual C#, C++, Basic, Labview, Delphi and C Builder with examples. + Protocol decoding – SPI, I2C and UART + Isolated Ethernet option www.cleverscope.com 40  Silicon Chip siliconchip.com.au siliconchip.com.au ACOUSTICS SB ment potentiometer (a wirewound type) was made by A. C. Naunton & Co, Victoria. This particular unit had not been used for many years. And then one day we had a need for a high-current DC supply, so we switched it on. The red power lamp at the front lit up but the voltmeter did not move off its zero mark. Attaching a multimeter to the outputs confirmed that the supply was not delivering any output voltage. After removing the cover we checked the voltage across the large DC filter capacitors and confirmed that the expected voltage, about 26V DC at the lower output setting, was present. We also checked the voltage at the adjustment potentiometer terminals but it was more or less zero. So the fault was likely to be somewhere on the small control board and not in the output transistors. Since we had no service manual or circuit we put the supply aside and placed a notice in the magazine asking for the manual. Before long we had several responses from helpful readers who sent us service manuals in various forms; one original manual, one photocopy and a scanned version. The circuit diagram, which we have partially reproduced here (Fig.1), gave some important clues as to the fault. This section is responsible for generating two reference voltages relative to the positive output terminal, ie, -6.2V and +16V. Both are generated from an auxiliary 30V secondary winding on the mains transformer. The -6.2V rail is regulated by a zener diode and is bootstrapped from the +16V rail. The +16V rail is regulated by a transistor-based linear amplifier using the -6.2V rail as a reference. This amplifier comprises transistors Q6, Q7 & Q8. The problem with the supply was in this reference circuit, as the -6.2V rail measured -0.6V and the +16V rail measured 0V. The first possibility was that either the 6.2V zener diode or its parallel 100µF capacitor could have failed short circuit but after removal both tested fine, so they were re-installed. In fact, the 100µF capacitor measured 162µF despite being nearly 40 years old, while the zener diode was spot on. Our next step was to temporarily unplug the CA3046 transistor array IC in order to rule out the possibility that the -6.2V rail was being pulled up by a fault inside this chip. That did not have any effect on the reference voltage which meant that the fault was clearly in the reference circuit itself and so the IC was reinstalled. The fact that the 16V rail bootstraps the current supply for the 6.2V zener complicates troubleshooting this circuit. It seemed like the zener was not getting any current but without the zener voltage, the +16V rail would not operate correctly anyway. Resistor R29 (2.2kΩ) which feeds current to the zener measured OK. To work out what was going on we checked the voltage across R1 to confirm that FET Q6 was supplying current to Q8’s base. This read about 2.2V, indicating a 2.2mA current flow, ruling out Q6 as the faulty party. Q8’s VBE measured around 0.65V so it seemed to be OK too, but Q7 remained off. The only remaining components that could be at fault were R2 and RV3 (which form the resistive divider for the amplifier feedback), capacitor C2 which bypasses the divider and capacitor C3 which filters the +16V rail. R2 and RV3 did not measure as short circuit so it dynamica November 2010  41 Serr v ice Se ceman’s man’s Log – continued seemed that C2, a 10µF solid tantalum capacitor must be the culprit. It was removed from the circuit and confirmed as faulty, with a 20Ω reading between its terminals. Without C2 the supply sprang back into life so a replacement was installed (a 10µF 35V tantalum capacitor to be safe). Presumably, C2 is a tantalum type (the only one in the supply) in order to reduce leakage to the base of Q8, to avoid turning it on when it should be off. We could probably have substituted a low-leakage aluminium electrolytic type if a suitable tantalum hadn’t been on hand. While this brought the supply back to life, that wasn’t the end of the story. The next step was to re-calibrate it by adjusting the five trimpots on the PC board and the offset adjustment screws on the panel meters. Trimpot RV3 trims the nominally +16V reference rail and this allows for the output voltage range to be set. While we could adjust RV3 to obtain the correct range for the 20-30V setting, switching the supply back to the 1015V setting resulted in the range being too low (7-13V). What’s more, the +16V reference rail was high at nearly 20V. Could this be why C2 failed? The mystery deepened when we compared two different circuit diagrams we had received, which were from different issues of the manual. One showed a +16V reference rail with R23 at 8.2kΩ while the other showed a +14V reference rail with R23 at 6.2kΩ. The manuals have change logs but neither mentioned this change! Our supply had an 8.2kΩ resistor and this seemed to be causing the calibration problems since shunting it improved the situation. Perhaps the +16V rail was changed to +14V to protect C2 and R23’s value was changed to suit but somehow our supply ended up with the wrong value. Or perhaps some other component values had shifted over time. Regardless, replacing R23 (which is mounted on the rear of S2, the voltage selector switch) was the easiest way to solve this problem. We cut its leads off since desoldering it might have damaged S2 and a suitable replacement would be hard to find. In its place we soldered 5.6kΩ and 100kΩ metal film resistors in parallel. After that, we were able to calibrate the output voltage so that it is correct on both ranges. Finally, we fitted some new TO-3 transistor insulating covers (three of the four were missing) and the 40-yearold BWD supply was just about as good as new. An equivalent supply today would be quite expensive so it was well worth restoring. The 5-minute PC fix – not! My next story comes from A. F. of Chinderah, NSW. Here it is . . . Why does Murphy’s Law always turn my “spare time” 5-minute tasks into 3-week long projects? Recently, I decided to give away a computer to a battling single-parent family with an 8-year-old child. They live nearby and didn’t have a computer, so I thought that I would lend a helping hand by repairing and recycling a machine that had been left behind by a customer. The PC had a faulty power supply but I had a spare on hand from another machine which I soon fitted. And because I did not want to give my neighbour a “lemon”, I also decided to add more RAM and upgrade the operating system (OS) from Windows 2000 to XP. Unfortunately, things didn’t go at all according to plan. After installing XP, the computer restarted and immediately displayed an “Operating system not found” error message. Apparently, the previous anti-virus software was still protecting the boot sector of the HDD, preventing XP from installing correctly. Because I did not have a bootable CD with a “disk wipe” program on it, I decided to format the HDD using a Win98 boot floppy disk which included the DOS “Format” utility. Unfortunately, the floppy drive on this old computer was faulty so I had to fit a spare. That done, I used the format c: /u command to unconditionally format the HDD, after which XP installed and booted without problems. I then had to upgrade the video and sound card drivers, as they were not included with XP. I also installed Service Packs 1, 2, and 3. By this stage, the original 4.3Gb HDD was looking rather full, so I fitted and formatted a spare 3.2Gb drive to provide more room. Three weeks have now passed and I still haven’t parted with this PC, as I keep finding more great programs to install. The next time a customer suggests that he leaves a faulty PC with me because the quote is too expensive, I really must insist that he takes it home SC with him! Hakko FX888 Hakko FX951 Hakko FA400 General purpose soldering iron Advanced lead-free soldering iron Bench top smoke absorber • • • • Compact Lead or lead-free solder Excellent thermal recovery With tip conical shape T18-B, cleaning sponge and wire 42  Silicon Chip Price inc gst $195.00 • Heating element and tip in one • With sleep mode, auto shutdown, lock out card, quick tip replacement. Price inc gst $467.50 • Absorbs unwanted smoke onto a carbon filter (supplied – replaceable item) • Quiet and efficient. Price inc gst $197.50 siliconchip.com.au SILICON SILIC CHIP siliconchip.com.au YOUR DETAILS CHECK OUT THE NEW LOWER PRICES ON MANY BOOKS BELOW! Your Name_________________________________________________________ Order Form/Tax Invoice Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd ABN 49 003 205 490 PO BOX 139, COLLAROY NSW 2097 email: silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au Phone (02) 9939 3295 Fax (02) 9939 2648 This form may be photocopied without infringing copyright. 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PRICES VALID FOR MONTH OF MAGAZINE ISSUE ONLY. ALL PRICES INCLUDE GST PHONE – (9-5, Mon-Fri) MAIL OR This form to PO Box 139, Call (02) 9939 3295 with your credit card details Collaroy NSW 2097 November 2010  43 10/10 RFID Security System Here’s a high-security system that’s very easy to build but offers you peace-of-mind for your home, car – in fact, anything where entry needs allow the good guys in but reject the bad guys. Team it with an electric lock and you can have a keyless entry system as well! I t’s a sad fact that in today’s world the need for property security is ever present. Our homes and business properties are a target for thieves and other criminals. We spend countless amounts of money on systems that have been designed to counter the would-be bad guys. The complexity of these systems ranges from a simple sticker that proclaims Batman will jump through the window and zap any burglar stupid enough to attempt robbing the premises, all the way up to computer controlled alarms systems that use satellites to protect our property and warn of a crime in progress. Although the system presented here does not quite communicate with satellites it will give a high level of protection and control access to any structure that it is monitoring. RFID? If you have an E-tag for the tollway, a micro-chipped pet or a late-model car with an immobiliser key, then you’re already using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Although RFID is not a 44  Silicon Chip new field and it has been written about in this magazine in the past, it is now available as a project for any person who wants to protect their property from unauthorised access. This system will give control over who has access to your home, car or any other building you care to mention. The system is installed in a position that will allow the users access to the protected building. A tiny (keyring-sized) RFID tag is held close to the sensor. The system detects the tag and compares its “signature” with those stored in memory (up to eight). If, and only if, a match is found, an on-board relay is enabled for one second. This relay could be used to disarm a burglar alarm or unlock a door. If the detected tag is not one of those stored in memory then the system can be used to trigger an alarm or to sound a warning that an unauthorised access has been attempted. The advantage of this is that tags can be changed and the system reprogrammed at will, so if a tag is stolen or even if someone attempts entry who is no longer allowed, that tag will have no effect except to flag an unauthorised entry attempt. The operating principals of RFID were explained in a previous article (July 2003) so if you want to know how the system works in detail you should read that article. Copies are available from SILICON CHIP. Basically, RFID operates by generating a magnetic field then looking for any modulation on that field. RFID “tags”, when bought within range of the scanning coil will send out a unique series of bits. The on-board microprocessor decodes these bits and outputs a data frame from pin 1 which is sent to RB0 (pin 6) of IC2. The range of this system Fig.1: a basic RFID setup consists of a reader is around 4cm which, al(or interrogator) and transponder. Low frequency systems though not a lot, is ideal for rely on inductive coupling to provide transponder power. siliconchip.com.au The project is very easy to build – all the hard parts (the RFID module and the detection coil) are prebuilt, which leaves you with only a handful of components to solder onto the PC board. The relay output can switch an electric door strike, a car central locking system, another alarm or just about anything you want! by Jeff Monegal the application presented here. Looking at the circuit diagram shows that there is not much to the system at all. The RFID part consists of a pre-built module that generates the necessary RF field used to scan the tags as they are bought within range of the scanning or detection coil. As well as “reading” the data from the tag, the coil also provides power to the tag via inductive coupling. It’s a minute amount of power but enough to “wake up” the tag and cause it to transmit its unique code back to the coil. The data frame consists of 42 bits which is detected and fed to the PIC16F628 microprocessor. The inter- The “works” of the RFID tag is tiny, as this photo shows. Very close to actual size, this is the same tag that’s encased on the keyring shown above left. siliconchip.com.au nal software strips off the unwanted bits of the frame to leave the last 24. If you think that this cuts down on the number of different combinations then consider this: 24 bits = 2 to the power of 24, equals 16,777,216. The circumference of Earth is 40075km... If you think of Earth as a giant chocolate wheel you would need a pin spacing of 2.4 meters around the full circumference of the wheel to equal this number of bit combinations. Another way of looking at it is, if each tag is randomly programmed when manufactured, you could line up 24 people and get each one to toss a coin, “1” for heads “0” for tails... the chance of one of the combinations being repeated again is one in 16,777,216... If the coins are tossed once every minute the probability of repeating the same combination again would take 32 years... I think you will agree that 24 bits are more than enough to ensure good security for this project! Up to eight tags When setting up the system the user can make the system learn up to eight separate tags. The unique code of each of the tags is then stored in memory. When a tag is detected the micro compares its code with those in memory. If a match is found the relay is latched for one second and the GO led is lit also for one second. One of the eight user LEDs will also light to indicate which tag was detected. After the relay unlatches, the system goes back to standby, waiting for the next tag to come by. That is really all there is to the system. The relay can be used to operate an electric door strike to give controlled access to a room or building. Be careful when selecting the strike: you can get “fail safe” where the lock The heart of the project is this RFID module, which comes pre-assembled and tested, ready to solder into the PC board. November 2010  45 BR1 W04 REG1 7805 +5V KEY LED14 A LEARN  K 560 LED1 100 F  K 100nF 4 14 560 Vdd RB1 RA0 RA7 17 330 6 RB0 RB5 RB4 +5V 26 [PIN NOS ON RFID MODULE ARE NOT MARKED BUT PINS ALIGN WITH HOLES IN PCB] 1000 F 25V CON2 ~ RA2 10k RA3 3 RB2 RA4  S2 Vss RB3 K USER 2 LED3 K  A  USER 3 K USER 4 LED5 K  A K  10  A 1 A ERROR LED13  K A A 560 560 K DETECT 8 9  A CON3 560 LED11 2 NC COM NO USER 8 LED9 K A USER 7 K LED10  D1 1N4004 USER 6 LED7 K RLY1 K USER 5 LED8 11 A NO GO SELECT USER 1  A LED6 RB6 1 K 15 IC1 RB7 PIC16F628A 12 28  LED4 16 A 13 A 16 4 RA6 S1 RFID MODULE 100nF LED2 MCLR 18 A RA1 LEARN 27 IN GND POWER IN – 10k 100 15 + 10k 7 SENSING COIL (PREMADE) OUT A ~ 10k B C E GO  LED12 Q1 BDX37 K 560 5 GND SC 2010 RFID SECURITY SYSTEM K K A LEDS A B 1N4004 C BDX37 E IN GND OUT 7805 Fig.2: the RFID module detects any tag brought into close proximity, sending its code to IC1. This in turn determines whether it is a valid code and if so, energises the relay for about a second. The one-second relay closure is perfectly suited to a central locking controller, or an electric door strike, such as this one (available from Jaycar and Altronics). Bear in mind our comments about fail-safe and failsecure electric strike models. 46  Silicon Chip will be open if power is not applied, or “fail secure” where the mechanism will be locked if power is not applied. You have the choice of wiring the relay output so power is normally applied and the lock opens when the relay pulls in (wasteful of power but important if emergency egress is required) or using a fail-secure strike which “opens” for the second power is connected (much less wasteful of power but can be a hazard in an emergency). The digital output from pin RB2 can be interfaced to an existing security system so that the RFID system can trigger it, turn on lights and cameras, sound a warning siren and so on. Just keep in mind that the relay only pulls in for a second, so any other device will need to take this into account. As the system will operate on 12V DC it can be used to operate a car central locking system. The scanning coil could be placed up against the inside of the windscreen and the relay connected to the car’s locking system. This would give a high level of security to your vehicle. I’m sure that readers will come up with a few other applications for this system. Indeed, the 8-user LED outputs can also be used to perform various functions – with some clever interfacing the eight user LEDs can be used to give varying levels of security. As an example, user 1 may be given full access to a secure building. Users 2 and 3 may only be allowed access to certain rooms. Despite its apparent simplicity, the project presented here could form the basis of a very secure personnel access control system. How it works The circuit diagram shows that there are not a lot of components in siliconchip.com.au (TO COIL) 560 560 10k 560 100 10k 560 560 S1 10k 330 S2 NO NC C BDX37 5 CON3 RLY1 100nF BR1 – ~ IC1 PIC16F628A ~ 100 F K291 + + © oatleyelectronics.com 1000 F LED14 LED1 LED13 LED12 LED11 LED10 LED9 LED8 LED7 LED6 LED5 LED4 LED3 KEY LEARN NO GO GO REG1 7805 POWER 4 D1 + 3 10k 100nF 2 Q1 CON2 16 15 CR003 560 SELECT 1 LEARN MODULE 4004 RFID 28 27 26 LED2 USER USER USER USER USER USER USER USER DETECT ERROR 8 2 1 7 6 3 4 5 Fig.3: follow this component overlay as you construct the RFID Security System. Note LED 14 faces the opposite way to the other LEDs. We suggest you use an IC socket for the PIC processor, as seen in the photo below, as it makes checking simpler. PARTS LIST – RFID Security System 1 PC board 96 x 62mm, code K291 1 CR003 pre-built RFID receiver module (supplied with pre-made sensing coil to suit) 1 2-way PC-mount screw terminal, 5.08mm spacing (POWER – CON2) 1 3-way PC-mount screw terminal, 5.08mm spacing (RELAY OUT – CON3) 1 SPDT 12V relay, PC-mounting 2 tactile switches, PC-mounting 1 18-pin DIL IC socket Semiconductors 1 PIC16F628A microprocessor (programmed with RFID_4.hex) 1 7805 5V three terminal regulator 1 W04 bridge rectifier 1 BDX37 NPN transistor 1 1N4004 silicon diode 14 5mm LEDs of any colour Capacitors 1 1000µF 25V electrolytic 1 100µF 25V electrolytic 2 100nF monolithic.................... (code 104 or 100n) Resistors (0.25W, 5%) 4 10kΩ (R3,R6,R7,R11).......... [brown-black-orange-gold] 6 560Ω (R1,R5,R8,R9,R10,R12)...[green-blue-brown-gold] 1 330Ω (R2)...................... [orange-orange-brown-gold] 1 100Ω (R4).......................... [brown-black-brown-gold] WHERE DO YOU GET IT? this system – if we take away the mandatory power supply there is not much left. The actual receiving of the data is done by a pre-built module. The output from this module is a 42-bit data frame but as explained above we only use the last 24 bits. The micro extracts this 24-bit data, then compares this with the eight memory locations and if a match is found the relay is latched for one second and the activated user LED is turned on for 1 second. The ERROR LED will light if a tag was detected but its code was not complete or corrupted in some way. The DETECT LED lights to show a tag was detected and decoded. The power supply is about as standard as you can get, with a bridge rectifier followed by the standard big filter capacitor, 3-terminal 5V regulator and then a 10µF output filter capacitor. The two 100nF caps help to keep the supply rail quiet and are placed near the microprocessor. Pushbutton switch S1 and associated components, along with the learn LED, are used in the tag storage function. Pin 7 (RB1) can be both an input and an output. Normally the pin is an input and the learn LED is off. The micro polls this pin looking to see if the push button PB1 is pressed at any time. When it is pressed the input pin is changed to an output which is then pulled low. What this does is to hold the learn LED on after the button is released. This siliconchip.com.au This design and its operating software are copyright © 2010 Oatley Electronics. A kit of parts for this project, with all components listed above, is available from Oatley Electronics (Cat K291). www.oatleyelectronics.com or (02) 9584 3563, for $40 including 10 keyring RFID tags. Extra tags are $1.50 each. Any technical enquires for this project should be directed to jeffmon<at>optusnet.com.au Phone support is not available for this project. All enquires and questions will be answered via this email address within 48 hours (most will be answered within 12 hours). now means that the system is in learn mode. Learning the tags Before this system can work effectively it must learn at least one tag so that it will have something to compare any detected tags with. To learn tags the operator presses and releases the learn button. The learn LED will now come on and stay on as previously stated. The program is now in learn mode and waiting for the next tag to come along. The operator now simply places the tag to be stored near the receiving coil. If the program successfully decodes this tag the learn LED will go out and user 1 LED will come on. The system is now waiting for the user to select a memory location for the next tag. November 2010  47 Pressing the USER SELECT button will cause the user LEDs to cycle around. First press will turn user 1 LED off and user 2 LED on. Next press will turn user 2 LED off and user 3 LED on. Each press of the select button will shift along the LEDs. When LED 8 comes on the next press will cycle back to user 1 LED. When you are happy with the memory location press the learn button again. The last decoded tag will now be stored in the memory location indicated by the user LEDs. The LEARN LED will now flash once. The program now stores the unique tag ID in EEPROM. That’s it, the tag has been saved. When the same tag is decoded next time the system will respond and allow access to the user holding that tag. To erase any memory location the operator simply goes through the same procedure and stores the new tag over the top of what was stored in the old memory location. To summarise the tag learning procedure users should consult the following table: ACTION RESULT Press and then release Learn LED on the LEARN button Bring required RFID tag in range of coil Learn LED off User 1 LED on Select memory location with SELECT button User LEDs shift along When location selected press LEARN button Tag stored in user location The Tag has now been detected, decoded and stored in the User EEPROM location. Construction Assembly of the project is fairly straightforward. The PC board is of a very high quality so as long as your soldering is up to the task and the components are placed in the correct position you are virtually assured of an operational project. Start with the resistors and capacitors. Remember that the electroylitic capacitors are polarised so be careful when installing them. The same goes for the LEDs. There is a trap for young players with the LEDs: all bar one mount flat side (cathode) to the right, when looking at the board with the terminal blocks on the right. LED 14 mounts 48  Silicon Chip The sensing coil (shown close-up at right) solders directly to the PC board alongside the RFID module. This coil, which measures about 50 x 45mm, is made from very fine wire so needs to be treated with all due care. The ends of the coil wires pass through a protective spaghetti sleeve to protect them. cathode to the left. You have been warned! It is recommended that an IC socket be used for the microprocessor – again, this must go in the right way around. The RFID module should be installed next and again be careful when handling this component. The bridge rectifier, 3-terminal regulator and transistor are next and all three are polarised (no heatsink is needed on the regulator). The relay is the last on-board component and will only go in one way. Sensing coil The sensing coil is supplied preassembled, which means you only need to attach it to the PC board. However, the wire which forms the coil is quite fine and will be easily damaged with any form of rough handling. There’s about 200mm of wire emerging from the coil – this attaches to the two points marked “COIL” on the PC board (polarity is unimportant). To protect this fine wire, we slid on a piece of thin heatshrink tubing over the two wires (which are in fact loosely twisted together) and glued it to the coil itself (the coil is actually quite rigid). To prevent stress on the opposite ends of these wires (ie, the end where they solder to the PC board), we anchored the heatshrink with a small cable tie right around the RFID module and heatshrink You also need to decide whether you’re going to have the coil close to the PC board or some distance away. If you mount it any further away than the ~200mm allowed by the connecting wires, you’ll need to extend them with either thin insulated hookup wire or better still, two strands of ribbon cable or some thin Figure-8 cable. Note that we have not tested the RFID unit with the coil any further away than the 200mm. In theory, it should be quite OK but . . . Smoke test At this stage do not install the microprocessor. Apply power and using your multimeter measure the voltage on pin 14 with respect to pin 5 of the micro. You should read close to 5V DC. If OK, then switch off the power, wait for a short while and then install the microprocessor. This time when you switch on the power the LEARN led should come on for 500ms. If this happens then the system is alive and well and ready for work. One of the first things the program does is to load the eight user IDs from EEPROM so it is ready to decode the stored tags. If no user data has been stored in EEPROM the unit will ignore all tags. Go through the learning tag procedure to store at least one tag. SC ELNEC IC PROGRAMMERS High quality Realistic prices Free software updates Large range of adaptors Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2k/XP CLEVERSCOPE USB OSCILLOSCOPES 2 x 100MSa/s 10bit inputs + trigger 100MHz bandwidth 8 x digital inputs 4M samples/input Sig-gen + spectrum analyser Windows 98/Me/NT/2k/XP IMAGECRAFT C COMPILERS ANSI C compilers, Windows IDE AVR, TMS430, ARM7/ARM9 68HC08, 68HC11, 68HC12 GRANTRONICS PTY LTD www.grantronics.com.au siliconchip.com.au 59 95 $ Digital Stereo Recorder Simple one button recording - press once for standby then again to record, or use the VOX function. It captures audio directly on built-in 2GB memory, which is ready for more than 50 hours stereo recording, and also on high capacity SD/SDHC cards. You can record at super-clean 24-bit resolution with a wider dynamic range (up to 96kHz sampling rate) with this unit, providing twice the digital audio definition of ordinary CD’s. Records via the stereo pair of microphones straight to an SD card then you can also edit the recordings in the unit itself. Suitable for recording jamming sessions, conferences, meetings and lectures. Pocket size to take anywhere and can be powered by batteries or a 5VDC plugpack (not included). 199 • Formats: MP3, WAV 00 $ • Line in and mic inputs • Headphone & built in speakers • Sample rates: 16 - 96k, 16 or 24 bit • Switchable stereo or mono • Tripod mount • Requires 2 x AA batteries (gives 15hrs) • Dimensions: 60(W) x 112(H) x 22(D)mm XC-0386 FM Transmitter with Dock for iPod® Listen to your favourite tunes through the FM radio in your car dock and charge your iPod® at the same time. This nifty little unit stays in your cup holder and is powered by your car's cigarette lighter outlet. It's compatible with most iPod® models, works with MP3 players, CD players and other media devices. See website for iPod® compatibility. • Last frequency memory • Backlit LCD • Size: 82(Dia) x 78(H)mm AR-1869 WAS $79.95 49 95 $ SAVE $30 00 Note: iPod® not included Limited stock JV60 6.5” 3 Way Speaker Kits – 150WRMS With the return of the Vifa drivers, we are proud to re-introduce the JV60 speaker kit. By investing a couple of hours of your own time to build this superb system to compliment most midpowered amplifier/receivers, you can save hundreds over commercial speakers. Kit is sold in two parts; speaker components and mounting accessories and pre-built speaker cabinets. Both have enough components to build a pair of JV60s. JV60 Speaker Kit with Crossovers & Accessories - Pair • Speaker kit includes woofers, tweeters, crossovers and mounting accessories. • 4 x 6.5" Vifa P17WJ (see CW-2106 for specs), cast magnesium basket, mineral filled polycone woofer • 2 x Vifa D25AG (see CT-2020 for specs), aluminium alloy diaphragm, Ferro fluid cooled tweeter • 2 x 3-way, Linkwitz-Riley filter with polyswitch protection and impedance equalisation CS-2560 $499.00 pair JV60 Prebuilt Cabinets - Pair Covert Pen Video Camera Maxwell Smart would have loved to have one of these to go with his shoe phone. Capture video, audio or still photos discreetly and quickly, then transfer them onto your PC via USB. The built-in memory stores up to 4GB, so there's plenty of capacity for taking electronic notes at your next meeting or protecting your legal rights by capturing a video or audio record of an event. It also functions as a conventional ballpoint pen. • One-button operation 00 $ • Recharges via USB • Drivers included • Resolution: 640 x 480 VGA • Still image resolution: 8MP • Up to 2 hours of video or 600 photos • Size: 148(L) x 15(Dia)mm QC-8004 99 Motorised Plasma/LCD TV Brackets Speaker Kits are Back! • Bass reflex design with corner frequency of 35Hz $ • Pre-built with all holes cut for components • Finished in "blackwood" veneer • 1090(H) x 250(W) x 260(D)mm (50L internal volume) CS-2562 $199.00 pair 499 00 Pre-assembled JV60 Complete - Pair We are also offering a fully assembled version if you just don’t have the time but still want to experience the quality performance of this design. Place your order in-store CS-2564 $899.00 pair and we'll build it for you. With the touch of a button, swivel or tilt your LCD or plasma TV either manually or to a pre-programmed position. The mount will fit standard VESA 200, 300 or 400mm and with a specified operating noise level of 25dB, they are practically silent. Ideal for TVs that are concealed behind panels or TVs in commercial environments like pubs, clubs or conference rooms etc. 30kg Motorised TV Bracket Projection distance: 150mm TV weight: 10 - 30kg CW-2835 $299.00 50kg Motorised TV Bracket Projection distance: 180mm TV weight: 30 - 50kg CW-2837 $499.00 2MP Web Camera with Microphone Ideal for podcasting or creating your next YouTube masterpiece. No drivers required, just plug and shoot. Built-in microphone included for adding sound. • 720P HD Video • Plug-and-play QC-3237 Also available 300k Web Cam with Mic QC-3235 $19.95 www.jaycar.com.au 59 95 To order call 1800 022 888 Prices valid until 23/11/2010. Limited stock on sale items. No rainchecks. All Savings are based on Original RRP 299 00 y SHERRIFFS RD $ FROM $ NEW Reynalla, South Australia Store McD RD • Output voltages: 4.2 - 24VDC • Output voltage selection: Automatic • 16 Plugs • Dimensions: 110(L) x 52(W) x 25(H)mm MP-3320 JV60 6.5" 3 Way Speaker Kit 399 00 UT H Perfect for use as a replacement laptop power supply or to keep as a spare. Suitable for most laptop/netbook models. See website for compatibility. • Digital station info display • RCA and optical audio output $ • External antenna connection • Station memory presets • Requires mains plugpack KC-5491 Due into Stores late November 2010 SO 70W Universal Mains Netbook / Laptop Power Supply TIME AT JAYCAR IN 29 95 $ There are very few digital radios available as hi-fi components & the few that are cost north of $700. Many hi-fi enthusiasts want to add a digital tuner to their system and want function and sound quality over bells & whistles. It covers DAB+ & FM, has analogue and optical audio outputs, IR remote (optional extra), an external antenna connector and is powered by a low-cost mains plugpack. The kit is complete with all electronic component and screen printed case. See website for full specs. MA • Requires 6 x AA batteries • Measures: 160(L)mm approx • Recommended for ages 8+ GT-3306 Spare blade set GT-3307 $9.95 PARTY HILLIER RD An entry-level chopper for the first time flier. 3 channel means you don't have too many controls to think about so you'll be up and flying in no time. Robust moulded plastic construction to take the inevitable bumps and occasional crash. 20 minute charge gives about 10 minutes flying time and the chopper recharges directly from the remote unit. DAB+/FM Digital Radio Kit HILLIER RD Mini 3 Channel RC Helicopter PIMPALA RD 141 Sherriffs Rd Reynella SA 5161 Ph: (08) 8387 3847 Off street parking available! 2 6-in-1 Solar Educational Kit Asuro Programmable Robot Kit Build any one of six different projects from the parts in the kit. No tools, soldering or glue required. All the parts snap together with spring terminals for the wiring. The instructions are excellent with extremely clear illustrations detailing every step. The finished projects are solar powered, but can also be powered by the light from a household 50W halogen light. In addition to six collision sensors and an optical unit for following a line, Asuro has two odometers and several display elements. The supplied duplex infrared interface permits wireless programming, as well as a remote control with a PC. The "brain" of the robot is a RISC processor that also permits the processing of complex programs. Asuro is ideal for hobbyists, school and student projects, schools, training in the electrical engineering and mechatronics fields as well as university course. This is not a kit for the fainthearted! Suitable for ages 14+. Some soldering required. 95 $ KR-3120 Projects include: • Windmill • Car • Dog • Plane • Airboat • Revolving Plane Suitable for ages 10+ KJ-8926 79 3-In-1 Solar Robot Kit Learn About Solar Power An exciting project that will keep the kids occupied for hours! This 3-in-1 solar robot kit easily transforms into three intergalactic robotic designs. See how solar power drives the motor forcing these 3 robots to make different movements. If it’s a cloudy day, then have some indoor fun and use a 50W halogen light. Projects include a tank, robot and a scorpion. 24 95 $ • Suitable for ages 10+ KJ-8928 Solar Car Kit This terrific little car is fun to build and will introduce young minds to the concepts of mechanical construction and solar electric propulsion. It can run purely from solar power or from the included hand-cranked generator. • Forward and reverse control • Approx 200mm long • Recommended for ages 8+ KJ-8920 WAS $29.95 24 95 $ Mini Solar Bullet Train Kit All aboard the solar bullet train! This kit is an excellent way to teach how solar power is used to drive a small motor. Perfect for train enthusiasts! 24 95 $ SAVE $5 00 KITS Solar Eco-House Kit Solar Powered Grasshopper Kit Unleash the biblical wrath of Yahweh and wreak a horrible pestilence on thine enemies. Of course you might need to buy a few thousand, but think how good you'll be at building them! • Approx. 40mm long • Suitable for ages 8+ GT-3751 The house is fun to build and will introduce your child to the eco-friendly concepts in a deceptively entertaining way. It has it own solar panel and a windmill to supply free power to the lighting & sound circuits, or it can run from ordinary batteries. Simple and safe for ages 8+. 9 Solar Powered Row Boat Kit This wind powered generator kit is a great way to learn about green energy and the mechanics of wind generators. It is supplied in kit form, so you get to assemble the whole thing before you start learning about how it works. Includes all the parts to make the generator, fan assembly, and pedestal. Stands 250mm high. • Output up to 10VDC <at> 100mA • Suitable for ages 8+ KJ-6696 59 95 $ Solar Powered/Dynamo Robot Kit Build your own solar powered robot. Also supplied with a hand cranked dynamo for alternative power source. Hours of robotic fun. • No batteries needed • Recommended for ages 8+ KJ-8821 29 95 $ Better, More Technical The boat is easy to build and uses a solar panel to drive teh rowing mechanism. The cleave mechanics allows the boat to go forward and backwards with the flick of a switch. • Suitable for ages 8+ • Approx. 210(L) x 400(W)mm KJ-8922 WAS $29.95 24 95 $ SAVE $5 00 Solar Powered Planetarium Young astronomers will love this mini solar kit. Easy to build and loads of fun. Not only does it provide a hands-on lesson about how solar power drives a motor, but also gives some educational pointers on planets and the solar system. Operates from a 50W halogen light as well. Suitable for ages 10+ Kit Includes: • 6 colours of opaque acrylic paints and paint brush • Planets including Earth, Mars and Jupiter • Solar panel with motor • Detailed instruction manual KJ-8927 14 95 $ Experiment with solar energy - the energy source of the future. Our solar educational kit is designed to let you build your own solar models. SAVE $5 00 Wind Powered Generator Experimenters Kit • Includes 18 parts, 4 screws, and 1 mini solar panel • Suitable for ages 10+ KJ-8929 Solar Educational Kit • Requires 2 x AA batteries for no-solar operation KJ-8924 95 $ WAS $29.95 24 $ 95 Best Seller 24 95 $ All Savings are based on Original RRP Limited stock on sale items. 16 95 $ The kit comes complete with: • Solar cell module • Solar energy booklet explaining the hows and whys of solar energy • Small DC motor • Screws and nuts • Wire with motor clips • Colour spinner discs • Paper aeroplane and bird models • Plastic turntables with 4 sizes, 5/8, 1, 1.5 and 2" • Plastic fan spinner KJ-6690 Infrared Remote Controlled Robotic Beetle The beetle is supplied as a kit of parts and once assembled, the beetle will scurry around and can pick up small objects with its controllable claw. It has forward and reverse drive capability and can be steered around obstacles. Suitable for ages 12+. • Lifting robotic claw • 100g lift capacity • Forward and reverse control • Fully steerable • Requires 8 x AA batteries KJ-8914 69 95 $ To order call 1800 022 888 3 Electronic Projects DON’T JUST SIT THERE, BUILD SOMETHING Remote Control Digital Timer Kit Refer: Silicon Chip Magazine August 2010 Remote-controlled digital timer with a bright 20mm-high 7-segment red LED display. It can count up or down from one second to 100 hours in 1-second increments. Its timing period can either be set and controlled using the remote control or it can be automatically controlled via external trigger/reset inputs. An internal relay and buzzer activate when the unit times out. The relay contacts can be used to switch devices rated up to 30VDC or 24VAC and the project can be powered from a plugpack or a battery. Short form kit only - you'll need to add your own universal remote, power supply and enclosure. • 9-12VDC <at>300mA • PCB and components KC-5496 Refer: Silicon Chip Magazine May 2010 An ideal project for anyone wanting a compact stereo amp. It could be used for busking or any application where 12V power is available. No mains voltages, so it's safe as a schoolies project or as a beginner's first amp. Performance is excellent with 20WRMS per channel at 14.4V into 4 ohms and THD of less than 0.03%. Shortform kit only. Recommended heatsink. Cat. HH-8570 $6.95. 44 95 $ Voltage Modifier Kit Recommended with this kit: Hand controller Cat. KC-5386 $67.95 RS232 cable Cat. WC-7502 $13.95 79 95 $ Hearing Loop Receiver Kit Refer: Silicon Chip Magazine September 2010 A hearing loop is an inductive assisted listening system for the hearing impaired. They're typically installed in venues such as churches and conference rooms to enable listeners to receive in-ear communication via a wireless induction loop. You can now install this technology on your own TV, home theatre or hi-fi system. This will enable someone who's hard of hearing to hear at their own volume level without having to turn the volume up to a level too high for everyone else. The receiver will drive a pair of headphone or earbuds from the signal picked up from the hearing loop. The whole unit is completely selfcontained and can be carried around in a pocket or you can add your own belt clip, so the user isn't constrained by a set of headphone leads. The kit is complete with case, label, PCB and components. Note: Transmitter not included Refer: Silicon Chip Magazine November 2009 Host your own website on a common SD/MMC card with this compact Web server In a Box (WIB). It connects to the Internet via your modem/router and features inbuilt HTTP server, FTP server, SMTP email client, dynamic DNS client, RS232 serial port along with four digital outputs and four analogue inputs. Requires a SD memory card, some SMD soldering and a 69VDC power adaptor. Kit includes PCB, case and electronic components. • PCB: 123 x 74mm KC-5489 Best Seller 89 95 $ Low Capacitance Adaptor for DMM Kit Refer: Silicon Chip Magazine March 2010 Many modern multimeters come with capacitance ranges, but they're no good for very small values. This kit is a nifty little adaptor that allows a standard digital multimeter to measure very low values of capacitance from less than one picofarad to over 10nF. It will allow you to measure tiny capacitors or stray capacitances in switches, connectors and wiring. The kit is complete with PCB, components and case. All you'll need is a 9V battery and 95 $ just about any modern DMM. KC-5493 34 DMX Relay Control Kit Control a relay with the DMX512 protocol. It is actually a buscontrolled power driver. The relay will be activated when the DMX value of the set channel equals 140 or more and turns off when the value is 120 or less. Team it with KC-5482 to make a computer controlled automation system. Kit contains DMX-512, XLR plug, PCB and all specified components. • 512 unique addresses, DIP switch settable • LED indication for power supply, relay output status and error situation 95 $ • Relay Hold function in case of DMX signal loss • Switching capacity: 8A • Supply voltage: 12VDC • Power consumption: max. 100mA KV-3612 49 34 95 $ www.jaycar.com.au Limited stock on sale items. All Savings are based on Original RRP • 12VDC Including epoxies • Suitable for power or sail • Could be powered by a solar panel/wind generator • Available end of October call first for availability KC-5498 Due into Store early Nov 2010 Balanced to Unbalanced Audio Converter Refer: Silicon Chip Magazine June 2008 Using domestic audio equipment in a professional environment is complicated by the fact that standard audio gear does not have the balanced inputs and outputs found in professional systems. This kit overcomes the problem and will adapt an unbalanced input to balanced output and vice versa. This allows domestic equipment to be integrated into a professional installation while maintaining the inherent high immunity to noise pick-up on long cable runs provided by balanced lines. Kit supplied with solder masked PCB and all specified components. 95 $ KC-5468 32 Ultrasonic Cleaner Kit Refer: Silicon Chip Magazine September 2010 Most people would know that you can get small ultrasonic cleaners for jewellery and similar small items, so why not a much larger version? It would be ideal for cleaning automotive and other mechanical parts, fabrics which can't be machine washed, ornate bric-a-brac and a host of other hard-to-clean items. You can use a variety of receptacles for a tank, such as an old cistern or laundry tub. It can also be used with solvents such as kerosene or just water and detergent. The kit includes the transducer, case, cable, electronics and can be powered from a 2.5A 12VDC plugpack. Everything is included in the kit except for a housing for the transducer and sealant (NA-1518). See website for more details. • Power requirements: 12VDC, 2.5A • Transducer voltage: 250VAC square wave • Frequency range: Main mode 19kHz to 42kHz • Timeout adjustment: 30s to 10m • PCB and electronic components KC-5499 199 00 $ KITS Refer: Silicon Chip Magazine December 2009 This kit intercepts and alters the signal from engine sensors that supply a voltage signal to the engine control unit (ECU). Restore correct air/fuel ratios after engine modifications, prevent engine boost cuts; or alter sensor signals for improved drivability. Requires hand controller for programming, RS232 cable and a suitable input signal. Kit includes PCB, case and electronic components. KC-5490 Refer: Silicon Chip Magazine September/November 2010 Many of you know that you can buy $3-8,000 imported marine growth electronic antifouling systems. Jaycar, with Silicon Chip have developed a similar system based on this technology and information in the public domain. This project uses the same ultrasonic waveforms and virtually identical ultrasonic transducers mounted in sturdy polyurethane housings. By building yourself (which includes some potting) you save a fortune! Standard unit consists of control electronic kit and case, ultrasonic transducer , potting and gluing components and housings. Research reveals only one transducer is needed for boats under 40ft. Basically all parts supplied in the project kit including 00 wiring. $ 249 SD/MMC Card Webserver In a Box 39 95 $ • Current consumption: 10mA • Frequency response: 100Hz - 5kHz • S/N ratio: 67dB • Battery voltage indication: Down to 7V KC-5497 Due into Store mid Nov 2010 Ultrasonic Antifouling System High Performance 12V Stereo Amplifier • PCB: 95 x 78mm • 12VDC KC-5495 At Jaycar 4 Twinkle DMX Laser Shows Whether staging a dance club or house party, these laser light projectors help create the perfect dance floor atmosphere. They produce truly spectacular lighting effects with plenty of geometric patterns and overall effects to choose from. Green DMX Laser Show 00 149each $ Two models available: Red Twinkle DMX Laser Light Show SL-3431 $149.00 • Dimensions: 205(L) x 80(W) x 145(H) mm Green Twinkle DMX Laser Light Show SL-3433 $149.00 • Dimensions: 205(L) x 80(W) x 145(H) mm i.Scratch CD & MP3 DJ Station Party Time At Jaycar No need for a laptop or PC - the i.Scratch DJ Station gives you the digital DJ essentials. Front loading CD tray, large LCD screen and an XXL jog wheel. Sample banks, cue point banks, seamless loop & reloop, instant start, auto cue, fast cue, track & folder search, pitch range/bend and scratch. CD, CD-R, CDRW, MP3 compatible. • S/PDIF digital audio & RCA coaxial outputs Buy 2 For Only $499 • Fully programmable repeat function Save an • Fader start & relay mode extra $99.00 • Measures: 348 (L) x 246(W) x 106(H)mm AA-0493 WAS $349.00 299 00 $ DJ Skills Mixing and Scratching Guide Explores the history of the DJ from the radio jock to the hip-hop, rave and club generation, and the influence of jazz and other music forms on the modern DJ. It also covers tools of the trade - turntables, hard disks, drum machines, effects and mixers, as well as the skills to become a working DJ. 199 00 $ 44 95 $ Get your party started the right way with these creative lighting effects! Green Laser Star Projector Projects thousands of dazzling green laser star like formations and comes with an integrated amplified speaker to connect an iPod® and MP3s to blast tunes through the stars. To complete the ambience, it also has colour changing LEDs which can be set to beat with the music or one of the four colours (red, green, blue and white). • De-stress speaker • 6W Motion light • HDSS noise filter technology • Dimensions: 140(L) x 140(H) x 110(D)mm 95 SL-2931 $ 149 69 95 SAVE $15 00 Better, More Technical • SD card and USB inputs • Tough moulded enclosure • 2 band equaliser • Line level RCA inputs FROM 399 00 $ 200W 12" Active PA Speaker with MP3 Controller CS-2529 $399.00 • Dimensions: 620(H) x 400(W) x 400(D)mm 12VDC 5W Mono Amplifier - Bargain Sometimes you don't need gigawatts and multi channels and this versatile small audio amp is excellent for the workshop, test lab, as a small PA or for busking. Includes RCA and microphone inputs, dual speaker outputs. Runs on 12VDC input so you can run it from a battery. Please note that this amp has dual inputs and outputs but is mono. • Power output: 5WRMS 95 $ • Short circuit and thermal protection • Dimensions: 190(L) x 170(W) x 85(H)mm AA-0483 May not be available in all Stores - call to check! 14 Great for parties! Features a variable flash rate up to 10Hz, and is mains powered. Uses a Xenon flash tube. The unit is housed in a compact case measuring 85(W) x 50(H) x 125(D)mm and is fitted with an adjustable mounting bracket. SL-2990 $24 95 WAS $34.95 SAVE $10 00 Transfer your vinyl collection directly to your USB device. Technology has never been easier. Simply play your records, plug your USB device in and click record. When finished click record again and your music is stored onto your USB - too easy. • 2 speed belt drive turntable • 33.33 and 45 RPM $ • Anti-skating control • Motor off and reverse function • RCA Phono/line output • Dimensions : 449(W) x 145(H) x 370(D) x mm AA-0494 249 00 $ 2-way active PA speakers that are not only powerful but also extremely portable. Incorporates a 12" or 15" woofer and compression driver, 3 channels with balanced XLR inputs and 1/4 unbalanced inputs, RCA line level inputs and an MP3 controller. Ideal for DJ, PA for schools, sports, churches, weddings, conferences etc. 300W 15" Active PA Speaker with MP3 Controller CS-2530 $469.00 • Dimensions: 690(H) x 460(W) x 400(D)mm USB Turntable with USB Direct Encoding Party Light Set Party pack contains: • 20cm (8") mirror ball • Mirror ball motor (240VAC) 3 RPM • PAR 36 spotlight (240VAC) • 4 x coloured filters for spotlight (colours: red, amber, green and blue) SL-2978 WAS $84.95 • More then 100 green patterns • Sound activation microphone • Sound and power active indicator • Safety function • Sensitivity adjustment • Dimensions: 205(L) x 80(W) x 145(H) mm SL-3436 Mini Strobe Light SAVE $50 00 • Softcover, 282 pages, 240 x 190mm. BA-1445 Creating nightclub effects on a budget price is easy with this green laser light display. Applying the latest technology this laser projector is ideal for bars, clubs, house parties or family functions. It produces impressive lighting effects with sound activation or DMX master/slave control. Light weight and portable at only 1.5kg; take it with you to create a magnificent laser light atmosphere. Active PA Speakers with MP3 Controller All Savings are based on Original RRP Limited stock on sale items. 2 Channel Pro DJ Mixer The ideal mixer to learn on. Two channels each with RCA inputs for CD or other line level source and a set of dedicated phono inputs. The BPM counter is capable of accurately measuring the beats per minute of almost any kind of dance music automatically and works equally well with a CD player or a turntable. • Level meters on each channel • 2 band EQ on each channel • Phono and line level inputs • Mic and headphone outputs • Effects loop • Line level preamp outputs • Selectable CF curve • Dimensions: 330(W) x 22(H) x 102(D)mm AM-4206 149 00 $ 3 Channel Microphone Mixer Combines three microphone audio signals into one for applications like karaoke. Each input has its own volume control. • No power required • Inputs: 3 x 6.35mm sockets • Output: 1 x 6.35mm plug on 3m lead • Plastic housing • Weight: 205g AM-4220 29 95 $ To order call 1800 022 888 PARTY TIME 50W Guitar Amplifier Bubble Machine Create instant, continuous bubbles with this affordable portable bubble machine! Great special effect for kids parties, weddings or just for fun! Mains adaptor included. Approx 280mm long. AB-1220 95 $ Available separately: Bubble Mania Bubble Liquid (946ml) AB-1222 $6.95 34 Digital Tuner with Metronome Acoustic tuner and metronome in one. Combines the features of a an acoustic tuner and a metronome. You can tune by plugging in to your pickup or use the built-in microphone. Ideal for music students. • Requires 2 x AAA batteries • Size: 110(L) x 35(W) x 20(H)mm AA-2045 AT JAYCAR 29 95 $ Infrared Wireless Stereo Headphones 59 Made from ABS plastic & are weather-resistant, allowing for both indoor or outdoor mounting. Ideal for surround sound, or outdoors on the patio or pool. Brackets are supplied for mounting. • 100 - 350Hz notch gain • Bass and treble controls • 10" speaker • Dimensions: 410(W) x 435(H) x 220(D)mm $ CS-2556 WAS $199.00 • Speakers: 4" Woofer and 2" tweeter • 30WRMS • Sold as a pair • Cabinet size: 210(H) x 95 $ 140(W) x 120(D)mm pair CS-2430 79 129 00 SAVE 70 00 $ Amplifiers Professional VHF Wireless Microphone System 5W Single Channel Amplifier Has enhanced signal reception and is ideal for performers on the go, churches or halls etc. Includes 2 microphones, 1 wireless unit, and plugpack. Microphones require 2 x 9V batteries (not included). 99 00 $ Low Cost Mains Powered Stereo Amplifier This simple, low cost amp is surprisingly loud! Ideal for a small office, workshop, or as a church PA amp. See our website or catalogue for full specifications. • Microphone input, bass, treble controls and master volume controls • Dimensions: 170 x 77 x 157mm AA-0472 DMX Spotlights & DMX Controller Team any of these LED DMX-controlled lights with a controller or software for complete control over your stage, party or DJ lighting setup. Each is 240V powered, individually addressable via DIP switch and includes a mounting bracket. A Budget 61-LED 4 Ch DMX Spotlight SL-3420 $99.00 Dimensions: 180(L) x 170(Dia)mm All Aluminium Par 46 5-Channel 94LED DMX Spotlight SL-3422 $139.00 Dimensions: 300(L) x 135(Dia)mm AA-0477 Very versatile rack mount amps that suit a variety of applications. Add a small mixer and use them as a PA amp, or standalone as a foldback amp. They have 1/4" jack inputs, balanced XLR and line-level RCA inputs. Speaker connections are by Speakon connectors or screw binding posts. They can be run as dual channel, stereo or bridged. The build quality of these amps is excellent, with very solid aluminium chassis and front panels so they are a very cost-effective solution for a pro audio application. FROM • Dual channel or bridged 00 $ • Fan cooled • Separate level controls for each channel • Clipping and overload protection indicator LEDs 199 Par 64 5-Channel 94-LED DMX Spotlight SL-3424 $169.00 Dimensions: 245(L) x 195(Dia)mm 19" Rack Mount DMX Controller Controls multiple DMX devices, such as lights, fog machines or laser light shows with pre-programmed scenes such as fade, pan, strobe, colour etc. Limited only by the capabilities of the actual DMX devices. Rack mountable and mains powered. • Controls up to 12 devices FROM • 16 channels per device 00 $ • Dimensions: 482(W) x 133(H) x 70(D)mm SL-3429 $149.00 99 Dual Channel / Bridged 200W Rack Mount Amplifier • Power output: 2 x 100WRMS <at> 8ohms, 1 x 380WRMS bridged <at> 4 ohms • Dimensions: 480(W) x 90(H) x 247(D)mm AA-0477 $199.00 Dual Channel / Bridged 400W Rack Mount Amplifier • Power output: 2 x 200WRMS <at> 8ohms, 1 x 760WRMS bridged <at> 4 ohms • Dimensions: 480(W) x 90(H) x 247(D)mm AA-0479 $299.00 Dual Channel / Bridged 600W Rack Mount Amplifier • Power output: 2 x 300WRMS <at> 8ohms, 1 x 1140WRMS bridged <at> 4 ohms • Dimensions: 480(W) x 90(H) x 247(D)mm AA-0481 $299.00 www.jaycar.com.au 29 95 • Dimensions: 190(L) x 170(W) x 85(H)mm AA-0473 Dual Channel / Bridged Rack Mount Amplifiers • Operation distance: up to 15m • Requires 2 x AA batteries AA-2049 A versatile small audio amp for the workshop, test lab or as a small PA or busking amp. RCA and microphone $ inputs, dual speaker outputs. 12VDC or mains powered. 49 95 $ 2 x 100 WRMS Stereo Amplifier with Remote Control A no-nonsense stereo amplifier that is rated at a generous 100 watts RMS per channel and will form the heart of an impressive stereo system. Includes remote control to adjust input source, volume, etc. • 100 watts RMS per channel • Size 420(W) x 135(H) x 214(D)mm AA-0470 199 00 $ Rave Fog Machine Produces clouds of white fog on demand. Fantastic for use with laser light shows, mirror balls and other party lighting. Mains powered. • 70 cubic metres/min fog output • 800ml fog juice capacity • Measures: 330(L) x 160(W) x 140(H)mm AF-1214 Spare Fog Juice 1 litre AF-1212 $17.95 To order call 1800 022 888 Prices valid until 23/11/2010. Limited stock on sale items. No rainchecks. All Savings are based on Original RRP 99 95 $ Party Time At Jaycar A great pair of entry-level wireless headphones. Setup is quick and easy and the sound clarity is excellent. The ultra-light design allows them to comfortably sit on your head and 95 you’ll hardly know they're there. $ Indoor/Outdoor Speakers With a nice clean sound, it also has switchable distortion with variable gain and level controls. Notch gain and 1 kHz shape control give you more flexible sound and it also has an effects loop. Good low-cost rehearsal amp for guitar or keyboards. • High-precision quartz crystal locked frequency • 12 hour battery life • Up to 80m range • Carry case included • Dimension:195(L) x 145(W) x 42(H)mm AM-4071 5 6 Rack Mounts Metal Right Angle PCB Standoffs Rack-Mount 6 IEC Power Distribution Unit The board has 6 IEC outlets and mounting brackets at 90° so it can be mounted vertically or horizontally depending on your setup. • Overload and surge protection • 16A input • 6 x IEC outlets • Dimensions: 482(W) x 38(H) x 38(D)mm MS-4090 99 95 $ 6-Way PDU with Surge & Overload Protection Power up to six components in your rack setup. The board has 6 conventional 240V outlets and fits any standard 19" rack. It actually takes a little more than one rack unit, but mounts on 1U centres. Tools • 1U rack space • Overload protected • Surge Protection • Lead length: 1.6m • Dimensions: 482(W) x 63(H) x 45(D)mm • Approval No: SAA100549EA MS-4094 99 95 $ 14 Racing Ignition Switch Panel Make quick repairs without tools. Simply cut a strip to the size you need, then fix just like double-sided tape to create a permanent, instant bond. Bonds to just about anything, even rough surfaces. Non-toxic, acid free, no mess. Millions of uses at home, office and workshop. Pack contains ten 75 x 30mm strips. 7 $ 95 • Strength of glue, convenience of tape • Instant bond, permanent hold • Waterproof and weatherproof • Made in USA NA-1522 39 95 $ Extremely robust, this is not the kind of magnifier you keep in the desk and bring out occasionally. All metal construction makes it ideal for the lab, workshop or photography studio. The high quality glass lens provides superior optics. 12 LEDs ensures ample illumination for your work and can be switched to a low power setting of 6 LEDs. Case included. 39 $ 95 119 Better, More Technical SPST IP65 Large Rocker Switch Waterproof large rocker actuator for harsh environment applications. • SPST • IP65 rated • Rated for 125VAC 20A • Mounting hole 36.5 x 21mm SK-0996 12 95 $ Desoldering SMD chips can be very tedious and risky. Most of the time you don't even bother due to the risk of destroying the component or lifting the tracks on the PCB. Chip Quick is a low melting point solder product that maintains the molten state of a row of pins. It even works on PLCC chips. Essential rework tool for anyone who uses SMD components. 1cc lead-free alloy kit will 95 $ remove 8 - 10 SMD PLCC chips. NS-3050 39 50W 40kHz Ultrasonic Transducer Bandwidth: 3.9kHz Impedance: 15 ohms Power: 50W AU-5556 $149.00 Due mid Nov 2010 Micro 30A Horn Relays Rotary Tool Kit with Flexible Shaft 44 95 $ 7 Amp Hour 12 Volt SLA Battery Perfect for use as an emergency power source with alarms and computer peripheral terminals as well as a portable power source for portable DVD players, lights or solar panels for remote power. • Leak proof construction • Usable and rechargeable in any position • Wide operating temperature range • Long service life • Size 151(L) x 65(D) x 101(H)mm SB-2486 WAS $34.95 19 95 $ Chip Quik SMD Removal Kit 35W 42kHz Ultrasonic Transducer Bandwidth: 3.9kHz FROM Impedance: 25 ohms 00 $ Power: 35W AU-5554 $119.00 • 135W • Over 200 accessory pieces • See website for full kit contents • Size: 210(L) x 52(Dia)mm TD-2459 • Metric and Imperial sizes • Even has a "wing nut" driver TD-2038 Driver handle to suit - sold separately TD-2032 $6.95 Industrial Glue Strips Flexible shafts have a multitude of uses. The kit consists of a powerful 32,000 RPM rotary tool that Dad can use with numerous attachments in the usual way, plus a 1m long flexible shaft that attaches in seconds to give extra versatility. Suitable for model making, automotive, workshop, art, jewellery or sculpture. 6 or 12 LED Magnifying Glass • 3.5x magnification • Requires 2 x AA batteries • Size: 240(L) x 110(Dia)mm QM-3534 4 $ 95 Ultrasonic transducers as used in Silicon Chip projects such as the ultrasonic cleaner (KC-5499) and boat antifouling (KC-5498). See website for data sheets. The worlds finest cold-weld compound. It's an easy, convenient and inexpensive 95 $ alternative to welding, soldering and brazing. Two-part epoxy that can be drilled, tapped, machined sanded and painted. Bonds metal, wood, plastics, fabric, paper - just about anything. 25ml. NA-1518 Size: 95(W) x 66(H)mm SP-0774 Includes just about every driver bit you could want. Ultrasonic Transducers J-B Weld Epoxy Complete ignition switch panel ready to install. Push button engine start, missile launch ignition on and indicator light. Faux carbon fibre finish to complete the go-fast look. Threaded M3 right angle standoffs. Can be used stand alone to directly mount a PCB or with the addition of an extra nylon standoff. Pk 8. HP-0872 100 Piece Driver Bit Set 24 95 $ SAVE 10 $ 00 All Savings are based on Original RRP Limited stock on sale items. Extremely compact with a footprint of only 22 x 15mm, but maintaining high contact currents for automotive applications. Ideal for air horns, fog lamps or driving light installations. 30A rating on NO contacts, 20A on NC for both 12V and 24V types. SPST 30A Horn Relay 12V SY-4045 $6.50 SPDT 30A Horn Relay 12V SY-4046 $6.50 SPST 30A Horn Relay 24V SY-4047 $6.50 Due early Nov 2010 6 $ 50 each Semiconductor Component Analyser Offers simple identification and testing of a variety of 2 or 3-pin devices. Type and lead identification as well as forward voltage, test current and other parameters for transistors. • Automatic type identification of Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs), Darlington, MOSFETs, JFETs, triacs, thyristors, LEDs, diodes and diode networks • Automatic pinout identification • Gain and leakage current measurement for BJTs • Silicon and germanium detection for BJTs 00 • Forward voltage and test current $ • Dimensions: 100(W) x 71(H) x 27(D)mm SAVE QT-2216 WAS $129.00 99 30 00 $ To order call 1800 022 888 7 DIY TIME Gaming Console Tool Kit 29 IP67 LED Landscape Spotlights •240 pages, softcover BE-1534 One display that shows both the inside and outside temperatures simultaneously. It will also record the minimum and maximum temperatures. The outside temperature sensor is waterproof and is on a 3 metre cable. It also has a tilting bail for standing as well as a keyhole for wall mounting. Jumbo digits for the optically challenged. 42 95 $ 19 95 29 SL-2755 1W IP67 LED Garden Spotlight SL-2755 $29.95 3 x 1W IP67 LED Garden Spotlight SL-2756 $59.95 Power Supply 12VAC 12W SL-2757 $24.95 Power Supply 12VAC 24W SL-2754 $39.95 Extension Cable 5m Screw Lock SL-2759 $19.95 NEW Cable Splitter (to suit SL-2755/56) SL-2753 $12.95 Limited Stock 4 Channel Mini RC Helicopter with Remote Recharge One of the smallest 4 channel RC helicopters on the market, this little beauty is a joy to fly. Surprisingly easy to control and stable in flight, it comes ready assembled with a true 4 channel remote. Simply attach the helicopter to the IR remote to recharge it for 17 minutes, and you're up, up and away again. 3 x 1W puck lights that can be surface mounted or recessed to fit into your décor. They're powered by a single plugpack with a distribution block on a 2 metre cable, and each light has its own 600mm cable, so you can easily install them yourself. • Fashionable cool white colour • More than 30,000 hours life • Power supply 12VDC 1A • Light size: 72(Dia) x 28(H)mm ST-3894 WAS $149.00 119 00 $ SAVE $30 00 69 95 SAVE 10 $ 00 Twin rotors with buckets of power, 3-channel radio control unit with throttle, rudder and trim controls. Finished in matt olive livery with twin rocket pods. • Around 20 minutes flying time per charge $59 95 • Requires 8 x AA batteries • Suitable for ages 10+ SAVE $20 00 GT-3264 WAS $79.95 Limited stock - call for availability. www.jaycar.com.au Jumbo Display Thermometer/Hygrometer Displays the temperature and humidity together on the one huge LCD display. It also has a min / max function (memory). Switch between °C and °F. Requires a AAA battery. Temperature: -10° - 60°C (14° - 140°F) Humidity: 10 - 99% ±-5% Accuracy: ±-1°C, ±-1.8°F Size: 110(H) x 100(W) $ x 22(D)mm. QM-7312 24 95 GU10 LED Lamps LCD Probe Thermometer GU10 LED Lamps Multi-purpose digital thermometer for the kitchen, lab, factory, workshop or barbeque. It measures in Celsius and Fahrenheit and fits in a pocket. Drop-in replacements for standard GU10 downlights. White or warm white, 240V mains operation, equivalent light output to a 50W halogen globe, far less power, many times the life span. • 240V operation • Dimmable • White = 450 lumens • Warm white = 310 lumens • Power consumption = <6W GU10 LED Lamp 3 x 2W White CREE ZD-0374 $59.95 GU10 LED Lamp 3 x 2W Warm White CREE ZD-0375 $59.95 Due mid Nov 2010 95 59 each $ Handy desk or table-top thermometers. Measures degrees Celsius with hi and low memory. Tilting bail for standing on desk purposes. Indoor only or indoor/outdoor type. Battery included. Socket and base for GU10 downlights. 150mm flying lead with terminal block. PS-4076 Due mid $ 95 November 2010 Indoor QM-7316 $5.95 Indoor/Outdoor QM-7318 $6.95 7 Micro Blade Fuses 10pk Micro-blade fuses to suit newer model cars. The pack contains one each of 5, 7.5, 25, 30A and two each of 10, 15, 20A. SF-2146 9 $ 95 • Pocket clip • Stainless steel probe • Temperature range: -50 - 120°C, -58 - 248°F • Accuracy: ±1°C • Length: 150mm QM-7314 Indoor Desk Thermometer GU10 Base Socket $ • Reads Celsius or Fahrenheit • Temperature range: -39.9°C to 49.9°C -39.8°F to 122°F • Requires AA battery • Size: 95(W) x 140(H) x 22(D)mm $ QM-7310 Tools & Lighting • Provides natural-looking light • Energy efficient FROM • Equivalent to a 50 95 $ watt halogen 3 Channel RC Apache Attack Chopper Jumbo Display In/Out Thermometer Shows anyone using residential or commercial lighting how to implement upgrades to reduce energy costs while maintaining or even improving the quality of the lighting. It includes methods for calculating payback and return on investment, and a complete source for energy-efficient products available worldwide. 3 Piece LED Puck Light Kit IP67 rated for complete protection against the weather and can even be mounted in a water feature or rock pool. Being LED, they use very little power and will last for thousands of hours. Each can be mounted on a surface or on a stout spike and thrust into the ground in a convenient location. Each has a 5m length of cable and extension cables are available. 1W or 3W types. • 17 mins recharge for 5-7 mins flight time • Weighs 19g, 190mm long (220mm including blades) • Requires 6 x AA batteries • Suitable for ages 14yrs + GT-3279 WAS $79.95 Limited stock - call for availability. NEW Thermometers Green Lighting Book If you have ever attempted any repair or improvement on your gaming console, you know that the right tools an make the difference between a good experience and a bad one. Everything you need to get into your gaming console and accessories. Includes tools for pretty much every console and handheld on the market today - WII, X-Box, Playstation etc. Carry case included. See 95 $ website for full contents. TD-2109 RC Helicopters AT JAYCAR • Range: -20 - 50°C • Size: 64(W) x 72(H) x 18(D)mm 9 $ 95 Limited stock on sale items. All Savings are based on Original RRP FROM 5 $ 95 QM-7318 QM-7316 8 5-in-1 Jump Starter-InverterCharger-Compressor-Work Light Far more than your average jumpstarter this unit has an impressive set of features for a hundred different uses. Tucked in on either side are two tough insulated battery clamps for all your jumpstarting needs, on the front panel you have 2 x 12VDC cigarette lighter sockets for operating 12V appliances, a 5 LED worklight and two dial indicators for air pressure and charge status. Powered by the internal 12V 18Ah SLA battery, it even has a 400W inverter to charge your laptop, etc. See Website for specifications. • Dimensions: 220(L) x 215(W) x 295(H)mm MB-3594 Selling fast stock limited 149 00 $ Windscreen Mount Suction Bracket for iPhone® A handy device to mount a iPhone® to the windscreen for easy access. The strong 80mm diameter suction mount will keep his iPhone® securely attached. The ball and socket joint enables positioning for maximum effectiveness. Will hold an iPhone® with or without a $ 95 protective back cover. Butyl Based Sound Deadening Material 49 95 $ Ultra High Current Fuses SF-1980 $19.95 SF-1982 $9.95 SF-1984 $9.95 SF-1986 $9.95 Precision Car Amplifiers With improved heat sinks and upgraded low-profile chassis design, each model delivers surprising grunt and performance in a sleek and compact package that fits neatly under a car seat. All include gold plated power and speaker terminals and variable low pass filters. Plus our class AB amps come with variable high pass filters and pass through RCAs; while our class D subwoofer amps feature variable subsonic filter, phase shift and master/slave operation. 2 x 80WRMS Class AB Amplifier Dimensions: 266(L) x 235(W) x 58(D)mm AA-0450 $149.00 4 x 50WRMS Class AB Amplifier Dimensions: 316(L) x 235(W) x 58(D)mm FROM AA-0451 $199.00 00 $ 2 x 150WRMS Class AB Amplifier Dimensions: 376(L) x 235(W) x 58(D)mm AA-0452 $229.00 4 x 100WRMS Class AB Amplifier Dimensions: 436(L) x 235(W) x 58(D)mm AA-0453 $299.00 500WRMS Linkable Class D Subwoofer Amplifier Dimensions: 232(L) x 178(W) x 58(D)mm AA-0454 $249.00 1000WRMS Linkable Class D Subwoofer Amplifier Dimensions: 306(L) x 178(W) x 58(D)mm AA-0455 $369.00 Response Precision 4 x 100WRMS Full Range Digital Amplifier 12 Month Dimensions: 306(L) x 178(W) x 58(D)mm Warranty AA-0457 $349.00 149 Better, More Technical 29 95 $ Self-Adhesive Sound Absorbing Foam FROM 9 $ 95 The perfect ultra light weight insulator to use in conjunction with AX-3687. This durable crush and tear- resistant material has one of the highest heat blocking properties available in a single layer synthetic foam-type material. Not affected by oil and does not absorb water. It provides acoustic isolation and excellent thermal insulation for roof, firewall, floor, quarter panels, doors and even as an under bonnet liner. • Thickness: 5mm • Size: 660 x 330mm AX-3662 Used in the latest model luxury and high performance cars, High Intensity Discharge (HID) vehicle headlights are far brighter, whiter and more efficient than their quartz halogen predecessors. FROM 35W HID Xenon Lamps - H4 base 6000K colour temperature comparable to sunlight Extra bright 3200 lumens By adding weight to the metal panels of your car, such as door skins, boot lids, quarter panels, etc, you can stop nasty vibrations, reduce road noise, and give your doors and boot a nice solid "thud" when they shut. Each sheet is self-adhesive, and can be easily moulded, cut and stuck onto virtually any metal surface of your vehicle's body, giving you a pleasant, quiet and comfortable ride. • Thickness: 1.5mm • Size: 900 x 330mm AX-3687 Patented technology designed for high current protection up to 250 amps found OEM on Ford, GM and Chrysler vehicles. Slo-Blo® feature eliminates nuisance blowing during temporary, short duration overloads. Commonly used for battery and alternator connections and other heavy gauge cables requiring ultra high current protection. Rated up to 32V AC or DC. Terminal studs 8mm. HID Dual Lamp Conversion Kits - 35 Watt Caution: Always ensure it is mounted so that it does not obstruct your view or cause a distraction. HS-9004 Note: iPhone® not included Auto Easily paired with any Bluetooth device such as a mobile phone or computer. Extremely light and comfortable. Microphone for Bluetooth hands-free capability and lithium-ion rechargeable batteries which will provide hours of use. USB cable included. AA-2067 High Current Fuse Holder Bolt-Down Fuse 125A Bolt-Down Fuse 250A Bolt-Down Fuse 500A 19 Sound Proofing for Your Vehicle Bluetooth Stereo Headset 99 00 $ SL-3417 Available in two easy-installation models: HID Dual Lamp H4 Conversion Kit Low Beam SL-3416 $$99.00 HID Dual Lamp H4 Conversion Kit High/Low Beam SL-3417 $$149.00 SL-3416 Also available: NEW Replacement Bulb for HID Kit SL-3417 Cat. SL-3414 $39.95 NEW Spare or Replacement Ballast for HID Kits SL-3416 and SL-3417 Cat. SL-3418 $49.95 14 95 $ Combination Butyl/Foam Super Sound Deadener Combining both the sound deadening properties of butyl material, and insulating properties of honeycomb foam, this is an easy single application solution for complete sound deadening and isolation that also offers thermal insulation. Consisting of a layer of our AX-3687 Butyl Based sound deadener and a 3.0mm thick layer of honeycomb foam (similar to our AX-3662), lining the cabin of your vehicle with these sound deadening sheets will give you drastically reduced road noise, less panel vibration and a cooler cabin temperature. • Thickness: 4.5mm (1.5mm butyl, 3.0mm foam) • Size: 660 x 330mm AX-3689 29 95 $ In-Dash MP3 Player with Radio Warning: State roads & traffic authorities prohibit the retrofitting of these products to cars with normal headlights. Advised to be used only for off-road and showroom vehicles when replacing quartz halogen bulbs, or as headlight replacements for HID factory-fitted new model vehicles. Listen to your favourite MP3s directly from the USB/SD card slot. Featuring PLL tuner with 18FM/12 AM presets, and MP3/WMA playback you will never miss a beat with this in-dash MP3 player. 1 Farad Capacitor Integrate these capacitors into your audio system to avoid the voltage drop that can cause distortion etc. which can damage your valuable speakers. • Gold plated terminals • Mounting brackets & hardware included • Digital voltage display • Dimension: 260(H) x 00 $ 75(Dia)mm RU-6754 99 All Savings are based on Original RRP Limited stock on sale items. • Front USB and SD card slot • MP3 ID3 tag display • 4 channels x 40W MAX power output • 4 channels x 20W RMS power output • 2 channels x 2V line-out QM-3781 99 00 $ To order call 1800 022 888 9 AT JAYCAR CAR & OUTDOOR TIME Replacement LED Automotive Globes 12V BAY15D & BAY15S LED Replacement Lights Utilising SMD LED technology, these replacement globes offer a 360° arc of illumination and high flux Pirahna LEDs for high brightness. Suitable for parkers, reverse, tail and brake light replacements. 9 x White LED BAY15D 9 x Red LED BAY15D 9 x White LED BA15S 9 x Amber LED BA15S ZD-0361 $24.95 ZD-0365 $24.95 ZD-0367 $24.95 ZD-0369 $24.95 24 95ea 12V T10 Wedge Replacement LED Globes Replace your interior lights with LED replacements and never have to replace a blown globe again. 360° arc of illumination for even light distribution. Spruce up the lighting on your set of wheels with some LED replacement globes. The SMD LEDs provide 360° illumination for even distribution of light. 15 x White T10 Wedge Replacement Globe 12V ZD-0495 $24.95 15 x Red T10 Wedge Replacement Globe 12V ZD-0496 $24.95 15 x Yellow T10 Wedge Replacement Globe 12V ZD-0497 $24.95 8 x White LED Festoon Globe 31mm ZD-0481 $16.95 8 x White LED Festoon Globe 36mm ZD-0483 $16.95 16 95ea $ 24 95ea $ Emergency Caution Light Used by OEMs for more than 70 years and found in many high end Hi-Fi and home cinema speakers, Danish designed Vifa, have a long track record of excellent design, innovation and exceptional sound quality. The Vifa car audio range includes subwoofers, coaxials and splits. All feature state-of-the-art design and materials - strontium magnets, oxygen-free copper voice coil, composite and carbon fibre diaphrams. For full specifications ask in-store or visit online. Vifa 10" Subwoofer 200WRMS<at>2 x 4 ohms CS-2351 $249.00 Cigarette Lighter Battery Monitor Compact and visible up to 800 metres away, this super strength plastic caution light contains a strong magnet for placement on vehicles in an emergency situation. With built in IC controlled LED flash, this light has 9 user-selectable flash patterns. Perfect for cars, boats and watercraft safety. • Requires 2 x AAA batteries • Dimensions: 105(Dia) x 35(H)mm ST-3201 19 95 $ Vifa 6.5" 2 Way Coaxial Speakers 80WRMS<at>4 ohms CS-2395 $129.00 pair Vifa 6 x 9" 4 Way Coaxial Speakers 150WRMS<at>4 ohms CS-2397 $189.00 pair Vifa 5" Car Speaker Splits 60WRMS CS-2398 $179.00 Kit FROM 99 $ 79 95 $ • XP-E (Q4) CREE® White LED • Burn time: 3.5hrs 100% brightness, 30 hrs 10% brightness, 15hrs quick flashing • IPX4 water resistance rating • Charging time: 12 hrs • Dimensions: 45(W) x 142(H)mm ST-3457 00 These double shielded leads reduce unwanted noise providing crisp signals. • Tinned OFC • Chemical & moisture resistant • Split centre pin connection • Platinum plated ends 5 lengths available: 0.3m WA-1079 $14.95 0.5m WA-1071 $14.95 1.5m WA-1073 $19.95 2.5m WA-1075 $24.95 5.0m WA-1077 $24.95 FROM 14 $ 95 8G Wiring Kit AA-0442 $59.95 4G Wiring Kit AA-0444 $99.00 www.jaycar.com.au Three modes of operation - high, low and strobe. The beam can be focused quickly from wide to spot by simply sliding the zoom in or out. Comfortable elasticised head strap. Camping, caving, fishing etc. • Output: 180/80 lumens • Burn time: 8hrs • Light modes: High, low, strobe • Water resistant $ • Requires 2 x AA batteries • Weight: 105g with batteries ST-3279 Due early November 2010 39 95 Keep tabs on the weather, the time and display photos of the nearest and dearest. A remote sensor sends weather data to the display unit which provides temperature, humidity, trend and forecast information and also displays indoor temperature. Photos can be loaded by a host PC, via SD/MMC card or USB flash drive. Mains plugpack included. Car Amplifier Wiring Kits Complete wiring kits for installing an amplifier into you vehicle. Everything you need, power cable, speaker wire, stereo RCA interconnect, 18G remote wire, gold plated fuse holder, 40A fuse, loom tubing, gold plate crimp connectors, grommets, cable ties and screws. Two sizes available: 19 95 Weather Station/Clock/Photo Frame Car Audio Accessories Twisted Pair RCA Stereo Audio Leads • Display resolution: 0.1V • Accuracy: +/- 2% • Operating voltage: 8 - 30VDC $ QP-2220 IT Built for the serious torch user. It has an extensive range of features suitable for any outdoor activity. It outputs 185 Lumens and though it's rechargeable, the induction charging means the torch is fully sealed against water and dust intrusion. Focus control and 2 light modes (on/quick flashing) make this tough and versatile torch an excellent buy. Wrist lanyard included. Vifa 5" 2 Way Coaxial Speakers 60WRMS<at>4 ohms CS-2393 $99.00 pair Check the voltage output of your vehicle's main battery quickly and easily. Simply plug this handy voltmeter into the cigarette lighter socket and get an instant LED readout of the electrical system's voltage. 3W CREE® LED Adjustable Head Torch X-Glow CREE® LED Torch 185 Lumens Rechargeable Vifa 12" Subwoofer 250WRMS<at>2 x 4 ohms CS-2353 $299.00 Vifa 6.5" Car Speaker Splits 80WRMS CS-2399 $199.00 Kit 12V 360° LED Festoon Lights $ Vifa Car Audio Speaker Range Due in-store mid-Nov 2010 FROM 59 95 $ • 12/24 hour clock with alarm • Time and date display with DST and time zone • Weather and photo display • Wall or desk mount • Mains powered • Dimensions: 200(W) x 150(H) x 30(D)mm XC-0345 To order call 1800 022 888 Prices valid until 23/11/2010. Limited stock on sale items. No rainchecks. All Savings are based on Original RRP 159 00 $ 10 Visible Deterrent To intruders CCTV Sticker Large Size The simple solution to warn intruders. Bright yellow to attract attention. Partner with a dummy camera or two for a complete faux security system or just to warn that the real thing is installed. • Dimensions: 110(L) x 110(W)mm LA-5101 3 $ 95 Security & Surveillance Solar CCTV Warning Sign A visible deterrent that will really get attention. With a builtin solar cell, this CCTV Warning sign flashes when there is light available. Double sided tape is included for convenient mounting. Ideal for shops, homes, garages or anywhere you need to advise would-be robbers that you have an expensive CCTV surveillance system. Outdoor IR Camera Dummy IR Camera Most criminals aren't completely stupid - if your place looks like it has CCTV surveillance, they'll move on to the place that doesn't. These dummy cameras look totally convincing - they have genuine-looking IR LEDs and a real LED that adds to the illusion. Add a couple of warning signs to complete the installation. Versatile CMOS outdoor camera with IR illuminator. Supplied with an 18m power/video cable, it could be used stand-alone, or as an additional camera for a DVR. • Requires 2 x AA batteries • Mounting hardware included • Dimensions: 175(L) x 85(Dia)mm LA-5325 • 350TV lines • Day/night operation • 6.0mm lens • 180mm adapter cable - DIN to BNC and DC plug • 12VDC 300mA power adaptor • Dimensions: 85(L) x 58(Dia)mm $ QC-3239 Due late Nov 2010 59 95 24 95 $ NEW Professional CCTV Cameras 14 95 $ • Dimensions: 80(L) x 80(W)mm LA-5103 Colour 520TV Lines 23x Zoom Camera Professional camera capable of 23x zoom. It utilises the Sony SuperHad 1/4" sensor for 520 TVline resolution. See website for full specifications. High Resolution Day / Night Colour CCD Camera Network Connect Vandal Proof Mini Dome Camera High resolution Sony 1/3” sensor, colour by day, black and white by night resolution is 550TV lines. • Perfect for use with infra red illuminators. $ • High Resolution Sony SuperHAD CCD Sensor. • Extremely high performance in low light levels • Flickerless with auto iris control • Automatic white balance & back light compensation • High speed electronic shutter • For full specs ask in-store or visit our Website QC-8621 Designed to take advantage of power over Ethernet to reduce installation costs and setup time, these dome cameras connect straight to your existing network for complete control. Access the camera through a web interface by hitting the IP address of the device and logging in. The web interface allows you to control the camera around 3-axis, zoom, adjust visual settings, record, take snapshots and FROM setup scheduled recording. 2 models 00 available. Both use H.264/MPEG/JPEG $ compression. For full specs ask in-store or visit our Website. 249 00 Also available NEW High Resolution 550TVL ExView Colour CCD Camera - for very low light conditions QC-8622 $299.00 NEW Pro 550TVL Dual Voltage CCD Camera QC-8623 $399.00 • Image sensor: 1/4" Sony SuperHAD Interline Transfer CCD • Video format: PAL • Dimensions: 125(L) x 69(W) x 66(H)mm • Weight: 550g QC-3508 499 00 $ Mini DVR Kit with Button-Hole Camera Producing high definition video and audio you can capture meetings, conferences or lectures. The kit includes a pinhole camera with different buttonhole options so it's completely covert and discreet. Includes rechargeable battery, charger, AV leads, USB cable, software and dummy buttons for disguising the camera. • Li-Ion battery • Recording resolution: Up 720 x 576 • Store up to 32GB on an SD card about 10 hours of video • 128MB flash memory • 2” TFT LCD screen 00 • Camera resolution 420TV lines $ • USB interface • Windows XP, Vista, 7 compatible • Dimensions: DVR: 65(W) x 54(H) x 14(D)mm Camera: 22(W) x 34(H) x 15(D)mm QC-8006 249 Better, More Technical Network Connect Vandal Proof Mini Dome Camera VGA QC-8624 $399.00 Network Connect Vandal Proof Mini Dome Camera 2MP, Full HD 720P QC-8625 $599.00 New Professional CCTV RG59 / Power Cable Combines RG59 coax and 16G power cable. For CCTV and surveillance applications. $ 40 • Sold per metre Per metre • Dimensions: 10 x 7.5mm WB-2017 1 2.8" TFT LCD Monitor and AV Recorder The smallest and lightest LCD monitor on the market with a multitude of applications. Monitor CCTV cameras, record audio and video to an SD card or use it as for playback either through the unit or via the AV out to an external monitor or TV. Rechargeable and ultra-portable, complete with AV lead, instruction manual and charger. • 2.8" LCD • 480 x 234 pixel resolution • Built-in rechargeable battery • Dimensions: 88(L) x 58(W) x 17(D)mm QM-3824 399 Budget DVR Kit With Colour Cameras DVR kit that is ideally suited to smaller surveillance installations around the home or office. The system can store over 150 hours of video on the 320GB HDD. Not a PC-based system, but recorded video is indexed in an event log and can be viewed via a computer or external monitor. Complete with two weather resistant IR cameras, cables, remote control and mains adaptor. DVR • 4 x camera inputs • 1 x composite video output • MJPEG compression • SATA hard drive interface • 320GB Seagate SV35 Surveillance Hard Drive Camera • 350TV lines • In-built infrared illumination • Day/night operation QV-3020 499 00 $ 149 00 $ All Savings are based on Original RRP Limited stock on sale items. Due Mid November 2010 To order call 1800 022 888 Solar Powered Mini Window Alarms Cost-effective and simple security measure. Use one or more as a stand-alone option or as an addition to an existing electronic security setup. Simply peel the clear backing from the self-adhesive mount and position on a window - no tools required. The solar cell keeps the built-in Ni-MH battery charged and if triggered, the very loud alarm sounds. Two types are available: one is a glass breakage and vibration sensor, the other is a magnetic reed switch. Suitable for windows, French doors, sliding glass doors and pane glass doors. 24 95each Licence Plate Camera with IR Illuminator Piezo 4-Tone Siren with Controller A very loud 125dB siren, it has four different tones - police, ambulance, fire engine or truck air horn. Connects to a 12VDC power source and select a tone with the controller. Sturdy moulded plastic construction with metal mounting bracket. • 125dB • 12VDC • Size: 150(L) x 130(Dia)mm LA-5259 • Warning sticker included • No wiring $ • Never needs batteries • Self-adhesive • 3 year warranty • Size: 70(W) x 82(H) x 8(D)mm 29 $ Shadow G - 3G/GPS Enabled Engine Immobilising Car Alarm 95 399 00 $ LED Remote Controlled Open/Closed Sign High visibility shop sign with LED open/closed display has high intensity LEDs can be seen from a considerable distance, so customers know if your shop is open for trading or not. It also has a clock display that shows hours, minutes and seconds and you can disable the open/closed display if required. The display is remote controlled and runs from a 9V mains adaptor. • Dimensions: 362(W) x 242(H) x 25(D)mm XC-0200 $ 169 00 www.jaycar.com.au Alarm Relay Module 2 x 15A Makes distributing power to multiple CCTV cameras a simple matter. Simply connect a common source up to 30VDC and distribute it to up to 9 slave devices. Screw terminal connection. • Individually protected PTC output • Individual status LED indicators • 1 - 30V AC or DC input • Dimensions: 138(L) x 65(W) x 28(H)mm MP-3351 39 95 $ When it comes to large alarm installations, there is often a requirement to have several sirens and strobe lights. In order to do this safely, the best way is to use an isolated relay module. This enables you to supply an external power source so as not to overload the power supply on the alarm panel and switch high currents to multiple sirens and strobe lights. • 15A switching current • Easy connection via wire terminals • NO and NC contacts • Isolated to protect the alarm panel • Relay coil protection for spike free operation LA-5558 Touch Screen LCD Monitors with USB Touch screen capabilities enables use with a laptop/PC, games console and endless other VGA operating devices. Use it to control a computer or any other USB compatible device. The monitor can be mounted either on the bracket or flush mounted with cradle. Software and adaptor cables included. 19 95 $ Reversing Cameras Flush Mount Mini Waterproof Camera for Cars or Trucks FROM 249 00 $ Designed for use in vehicles to give drivers a clear view of car or truck blind spots. Composite RCA cable and the appropriate sized hole saw included. 7" Touch Screen LCD Monitor with USB QM-3744 $249.00 • Dimensions: 178(W) x 122(H) x 30(D)mm Sensor: CMOS Resolution: 628 x 512 pixels Minimum illumination: 0 Lux / F1.2 Camera dimensions: 31(L) x 20(W)mm QC-3513 12" Touch Screen LCD Monitor with USB QM-3746 $399.00 • Dimensions: 308(W) x 208(H) x 32(D)mm Colour CCD Wide Angle Waterproof Rear View Camera Solar Powered Flashing Sign Display Thousands of uses for this handy little display unit. You simply print out whatever you want to say on the sign, then slip it into the display. The solar cell keeps it flashing ad infinitum. Shop signs, desk photos, warning signs. Wall or table mount in landscape or portrait orientation. Works in normal indoor light levels. • Dimensions: 132W) x 100(H) x 10(D)mm LA-5105 399 00 $ 24 95 $ Limited stock on sale items. All Savings are based on Original RRP The tiny camera is easily mounted with the attached mounting bracket and screws. Ideally it should be fixed to an area above your rear licence plate, or any area at the back of the car that will give a good view. See website for full specs. Power supply: 12VDC Dimensions: 27(L) x 20(W)mm QC-3514 89 95 $ 119 00 $ Security & Surveillance A car alarm is an effective deterrent and a worthwhile investment, but what happens when your wheels get stolen even when you have an alarm? Track it via GPS. In addition to the normal array of sensors and functions you'd expect, this alarm will also track your stolen vehicle via GPS, then send you the co-ordinates via SMS to your mobile phone. The supplied wiring is all black, so is easy to conceal in your existing car's wiring harness. Please note that in order to comply with the power consumption requirements of AS/NZS 3749 the GPS module is sold separately. Designed in Australia to comply with the Australian standard for intruder alarm systems (road vehicles) AS/NZS 3749. See website for full specifications. LA-8966 With advanced signal processing this camera is capable of adjusting to compensate for headlight glare that would normally render a vehicle's numberplates unreadable. Capable of performing in complete darkness for identifying licence plates on vehicles coming and going. Weatherproof and housed in a robust aluminium enclosure. • Sensor brand: Sony ExView HAD • Resolution (TV lines): 480 • IR range: 15m • Power requirements: 12VDC • Dimensions: 172(L) x 102(W) x 95(H)mm QC-8614 CCTV Power Distributor Box Mini Glass Breakage/Vibration Window Alarm LA-5003 $24.95 Mini Magnetic Entry Alarm LA-5005 $24.95 Also available separately: GPS Unit LA-8967 $149.00 Spare Remote LA-8968 $24.95 AT JAYCAR SECURITY TIME 11 12 Universal Camcorder Power Supply/Charger 720p Media Player with USB/SD ports Media Players are a great way to easily view your collection of downloaded movies or digital pictures on your TV. Once the media player is connected to your TV just attach your USB hard drive or thumb drive with your movies or SD card from your digital camera and start watching. The user interface is as simple as they come with an eye catching design. The remote control gives you complete control over your viewing experience. Extensive file support makes this the perfect home entertainment accessory. Video playback: Supports up to 720p AVI/MP4, DIVX, XVID, Mpeg1/2, RM, RMVB, DAT, MOV (not H.264) and VOB Music playback: MP3, WAV, OGG & WMA audio formats XC-4206 99 95 $ Also Available: 1080p Media Player with USB/SD/LAN ports XC-4204 $169.00 • LED voltage display • Output voltage range: 5 - 8.4VDC 95 $ • Input voltage: 100-240VAC, 50-60Hz • Dimensions: 110(L) x 52(W) x 25(H)mm • Suits camcorder brands: Sony, Canon, Casio, Fuji, Kodak, Olympus, Nikon, Panasonic, JVC, Samsung MP-3325 Home Theatre Power Board Light Night LED With Torch Surge protection and filtering is provided to all your home theatre equipment connected to this powerboard as well as current protection via the in-built circuit breaker. A product that smartly combines a night light and a 6 LED powered torch. Plug the night light into a vertical mains outlet with the torch docked in the induction charging cradle. Whenever you take the torch out it will automatically switch on. The night light base emits a soft but adequate white glow and has 3 modes of operation. • Torch dimensions: 143(H) x 40(W)mm • Night light dimensions: 78(L) x 60(W) x 62(H)mm ST-3141 With 8 different connectors included to suit all the major brands, this universal camcorder power supply is an excellent choice to replace a damaged or lost original unit, or as a spare to take with you on the road. It will automatically set the output voltage depending on which connector is fitted to it and also features a USB output for charging other gadgets such as MP3 players etc. 24 95 $ 69 64 95 $ • Provides protection to telephone, data via a network connection, satellite/cable TV and TV aerials. MS-4024 Audio Video & Home AV Senders 5.8GHz Wireless AV Sender 5.8GHz HDMI Sender with Remote Extender Send audio and video signals around the house from practically any video source - DVD, VHS, set-top box, cable TV etc. Operating on the 5.8GHz band keeps it free from interference on the 2.4GHz band and an external omnidirectional antenna provides a transmission range of up to 100 metres. Extra receiver Cat. AR-1881. Pipe HD TV to another room in your home. Simply connect the transmitter to the HDMI source & the receiver plugs into your HDMI equipped TV in the remote location. Such a handy device lets you enjoy the benefits of watching Pay TV in the bedroom in full-HD quality. Features: • 8 channel for minimal interference • External IR extender • Compact size 00 $ Transmission range: 100m Frequency: 5.725 - 5.875GHz Sensitivity: -80dBm Power supply: 7.5VDC, 500mA Dimensions: 120(L) x 88(W) x 34(H)mm AR-1880 Also available Extra Receiver AR-1881 $64.95 89 • IR remote extender • HDCP 2.0 and CEC compliant • HDMI 1.3 complaint • Up to 1080p/60Hz video resolution (full HD) • On-screen status display • IR remote control extender built-in • Dimensions: 180(L) x 140(W) x 39(H)mm AR-1875 LCD Alarm Clocks with Temperature and Calendar With clearly visible size and stylish designs these LCD alarm clocks are ideal for your home or office workspaces. With several handy features they relay the time, date and temperature. • Displays hour, minute, second, month, date and day • Thermometer measuring in Celsius or Fahrenheit • Humidity measurement by percentage LCD Wall Clock With Temperature & Calendar • 192mm LCD Screen $ • 60mm high digits • Dimensions: 280(L) x 180.5(H) x 20(W)mm • Requires 2 x AA Batteries XC-0221 39 95 Jumbo LCD Wall Clock With 00 Temperature & Calendar $ • 330mm LCD screen • 100mm High Digits • Dimensions: 450(L) x 260(H) x 20.5(W)mm • Requires 3 x C Batteries XC-0223 99 Better, More Technical 499 00 $ Full HD Resolution LCD Screen Cleaning Kit Keep your computer, TV and other LCD screens clean with this easy to use kit. Remove dust and fingerprints without streaking, scratching or staining. Kit includes: • Elastic anti-static brush • Drip-free cleaning solution • Microfibre cloth AR-1418 11 95 $ UHF Phased Array TV Antenna This wideband antenna suits analogue or digital TV, and is ideal for fringe areas, where ghosting is a problem, or your aren't in direct line of sight of the transmitter. • Band 4/5, 470 to 862MHz • UHF channels - 21 to 69 (27 to 62 in NZ) • Gain 11-13.5dB • Measures 610mm x 890mm LT-3138 69 95 $ HDMI Cable Tester Designed to check and troubleshoot the pin connections of Type A HDMI cables quickly and easily. It's ideal for testing the continuity of each signal pin of an HDMI cable prior to installation. Requires 9V battery. • Carry case included • Dimensions: 215(L) x 38(W) x 36(H)mm AA-0406 WAS $149.00 89 00 $ SAVE $60 00 2 Way AV Selector Switch Switch between two composite video and stereo audio sources. Easy push-button operation. • Channel separation: 60dB<at>1kHz • Cross-talk: 70dB<at>1kHz • Dimensions: 135(W) x 50(D) x 32(H)mm AC-1650 All Savings are based on Original RRP Limited stock on sale items. 12 95 $ To order call 1800 022 888 AUDIO/VIDEO TIME Glass Wall-Mount DVD Brackets AT JAYCAR HDMI Leads Universal VESA Adaptor Wall mount your DVD player or any other component right under your flat-screen TV. Tempered glass shelves and black anodised aluminium finish to complement modern décor. Also features cable management. Single or double shelf models: Adapt any VESA mounting TV to any bracket. Many LCD or plasma brackets on the market are only designed to take TVs with standard 200mm or larger mounting centres, thereby limiting the range of brackets you can use with some TVs. This handy adaptor solves the problem by providing centres for 100, 200 and 300mm VESA mounts. Solid steel construction, black finish. CW-2815 Single Shelf CW-2830 $69.95 Double Shelf CW-2832 $99.95 Concord HDMI Leads Feature heavily plated 24K gold plated connectors and extra special oxygen-free heavy copper cabling. Each plug is solidly constructed for frequent, reliable use. Also featured are high quality moulded strain-relief cord grommets. 24 95 $ Outdoor Omni-Directional UHF/VHF Amplified Digital Antenna With inbuilt low noise and high gain booster, this compact and weather resistant outdoor digital antenna is ideally suited for caravans, boats, and other fixed or mobile applications where space is constrained or harsh environmental conditions require a little extra durability. Excellent wide frequency reception for local free-to-air analogue and digital TV, DAB+ digital radio as well as FM radio transmissions. It can be either base mounted or mast mounted; and includes mounting bracket, 12V mains power adaptor, 12V in-car charger and PAL to F coaxial cable. Ideal for Caravans, RV's etc 79 95 $ Enjoy full Digital TV picture resolution from this sleek and attractive package. This flat panel indoor amplified digital antenna features low noise circuitry, multidirectional reception and auto gain control - receiving both local free-to-air analogue and digital TV as well as DAB+ digital radio signals with remarkable consistency and crystal-clear clarity. Includes 6V 100mA mains adaptor and PAL to F coaxial cable. Mount it either freestanding, on your wall or even on your ceiling in either vertical or horizontal position. Single gang brush plate for cable entry through walls etc. Suitable for pre terminated cables going to LCD or plasma screens, and particularly suited to HDMI cables as they can't be split, spliced or field-terminated. PS-0291 9 $ 95 49 95 • Transmission range: Up to 100m line of sight • Frequency: 433MHz • Dimensions: 100(Dia) x 120(H)mm (including antenna) AR-1817 49 $ 95 www.jaycar.com.au A cost-effective solution without compromising quality or performance. All have gold plated connectors and are fully HDMI v1.3b and HDCP compliant. 1.5m HDMI Lead 3.0m HDMI Lead 5.0m HDMI Lead WV-7915 $24.95 WV-7916 $34.95 WV-7917 $49.95 Made from 99.99% pure copper with triple layer shielding and nickel plated connectors, these HDMI are a bargain. • Supports 1080p • HDMI 1.4 compliant • 1.5m long WV-7914 9 $ 95 Buy 4 for $25 Save $14.80 Boost your TV signal indoors. The antenna lead is plugged into the amplifier, and there are two outputs for two TVs, both have a 12dB boost. One outlet can be used for FM stereo if required. VGA Plug to Sockets VGA plug to socket right angle adaptor. • Available with the socket angles up or down Socket Angled Up PA-0898 $8.95 Socket Angled Down PA-0899 $8.95 IR Extenders IR Remote Control Extender Extend the range of your IR remote control up to 100m. Great if you want to keep your home theatre components out of sight or make absolutely sure the kids turn the TV off when they're supposed to. Mains plugpacks for transmitter and receiver included. Economy HDMI Leads Indoor TV Amplifier/Splitters $ Brush Cable Entry Wall Plate WQ-7906 $34.95 WQ-7900 $39.95 WQ-7902 $49.95 WQ-7904 $59.95 WQ-7905 $89.95 Bargain HDMI Lead 1.5m SAVE $10 00 Indoor Flat Panel UHF/VHF Amplified Digital Antenna • Panel size: 227(W) x 235(H) x 14(D)mm LT-3131 Male to male 0.5m Male to male 1.5m Male to male 3.0m Male to male 5.0m Male to male 10.0m 16 Channel IR Remote Control Extender Extend the range of your IR remote up to 30m. One of 16 coded channels can be set using by DIP switch so you'll be free from interference. Plugpacks for transmitter and receiver included. • Frequency: 433.92MHz • Modulation: Amplitude key shifting • Sensitivity: -90dBm • Dimensions: 78(Dia) x 40(H)mm AR-1818 79 95 $ Limited stock on sale items. All Savings are based on Original RRP • Runs on 240VAC mains • Includes a LED power indicator • Australian made • 2 Way 50 $ LT-3288 Also available: 4 Way Indoor TV Amplifier/Splitter LT-3287 $99.00 66 Digimatch UHF/VHF Diplexer with DC Bypass If you want to install a VHF and a UHF antenna on the same cable, you'll need a diplexer. Easy installation and the cable entry is sealed against the weather. Matchmaster quality, suitable for Australia and New Zealand, 95 $ supplied with heavy duty clamp. 29 • HDTV compliant • F connections for faster installations • Fully screened and weatherproof • Dimensions: 112(W) x 108(H) x 35(D)mm LT-3082 Sight N’ Sound • SMD technology • Anti-rust and UV protected • Receiver dish size: 350(Dia) x 60(H) • Mounting base size: 120(Dia) x 70(H) LT-3141 WAS $89.95 13 14 Mini Desktop Wind Generator with LED Powertech Monocrystalline Solar Panels Quite possibly the world's smallest wind generator! Use a fan or outside the wind to blow on the rotor blades and create electricity to power two blue and one green LED. Made from durable ABS plastic. A novel educational gift for young and old. • Blade diameter: 60mm • ABS plastic stand height 170mm • Ideal wind speed around 9.6km per hour if used outdoors • Small components. $ • Suitable for ages 3+ GT-3752 19 95 Renewable Energy & Power 5-Blade Wind Generators Compared to our earlier model 500W wind generator with 3 blades, this updated 5-blade version offers many improvements in features and performance. Blade rotational diameter and rotating speed are significantly reduced, improving long term reliability, safety and noise levels. Electrical efficiency is far greater, especially at lower wind speeds around 5m/s or less. The charge controller now features a dump-load function to slow down blade rotation when the battery is fully charged. See our website for full details and data. NOTE: This wind generator is design for permanent terrestrial installations only! Mounting tower and hardware not included. 949 00 $ 5-Blade Wind Generator 24VDC 500W MG-4542 Spares: Set 5 Spare Blades (MG-4542) MG-4544 $129.00 5-Blade Hub (MG-4542) MG-4546 $79.95 Dump Load Charge Controller MG-4548 $299.00 Portable Fold-Up Solar Panel Kits Excellent for your next camping, 4WD or boating trek, this fold away solar panel and charging kit allows you to easily charge your batteries (not included) allowing you to run power, lights, TV etc wherever you stop. Each model features alligator clamp connections on a 4m lead, has the charge controller included so you can connect directly to your battery without fear of over-charging, and is supplied with a heavy duty metal carry handle and latches, plastic protective FROM corners and a durable nylon carry bag. Three $ sizes to choose from, all are 12V. 399 00 40W Folding Solar Panel* ZM-9132 $399.00 80W Folding Solar Panel ZM-9130 $649.00 120W Folding Solar Panel* ZM-9134 $899.00 * 40W & 120W models due end Nov 2010 Better, More Technical Telescopic Vertical Axis Wind Generator As strong and tough as the better known brands, but at a more attractive price. • Sizes range from 5 watts to a massive 175 watts • For full technical spec ask in-store or visit online • QC tested - all come with test certificate • 20 year limited warranty CAT NOW 12V 5 Watt ZM-9091 $39.95 12V 10 Watt ZM-9093 $89.95 12V 20 Watt ZM-9094 $129.00 12V 40 Watt ZM-9095 $249.00 12V 65 Watt ZM-9096 $399.00 12V 80 Watt ZM-9097 $449.00 12V 120 Watt ZM-9098 $695.00 24V 175 Watt ZM-9099 $949.00 NEW 40W PANEL IN STOCK NOW Cat. ZM-9095 Can be mounted on a mobile home, caravan, or small building. The telescopic design allows you to fold the generator to half its height when not in use and an LED display gives a readout of output voltage to know when it is working effectively. Cable mounting bars, and a strong magnetic base are included. • Voltage output: 12-14VDC • Current output: 4A max • Compact design with no spinning blades • Not sensitive to wind direction • Effective in wind speeds of 8 - 10m/s • Weight: 4.5kg • Dimensions: 455/655(H) x 280(W) x 150(D)mm 00 $ MG-4570 399 Solar Lighting Kit - 10W Kit features high efficiency copper indium selenide(CIS) solar panel with integrated charge controller, 1x5W CFL lamp, E27 base, 2x1W LED lamps, 8Ah SLA battery, connecting cables, fuse and switch. All you need to to build a basic solar powered light system. MP-4552 WAS $219.00 Pure Sine Wave Inverters 180W to 2000W Provide ample power in mobile and permanent installations. Ranging from 180W to 2000Wand have been selected and rigorously tested for durability and reliability. Each has 240VAC outlet and a USB port for powering your gadgets. Suitable for applications where you want to run sensitive equipment. 180W 12VDC to 230VAC 380W 12VDC to 230VAC 600W 12VDC to 230VAC 1000W 12VDC to 230VAC 1500W 12VDC to 230VAC 2000W 24VDC to 230VAC FROM 199 00 $ A highly informative and practical guide showing the do's and don'ts of DIY solar installation. From caravans to fishing lodges, it features detailed descriptions of working solar systems with illustrations. Written by acclaimed Australian author Collyn Rivers. Limited stock on sale items. As well as the 200W model we now have a super-compact 300W version, and a big 500W unit for those who want to generate some serious power. All models feature external charge controllers with three-phase AC output, so you can install a long cable run without worrying about DC voltage drop. NOTE: All wind generator models are supplied without mounting tower and associated mounting hardware. WARNING: These wind generators are suitable for permanent terrestrial installations ONLY! 200W 12VDC • Number of Blades: 3 • Included: generator, blades, tail, hub, nose cone, external charge controller MG-4520 $399.00 Books - Solar that Really Works All Savings are based on Original RRP SAVE $40 00 Wind Generators MI-5160 $199.00 MI-5162 $269.00 MI-5164 $399.00 MI-5170 $799.00 MI-5172 $1099.00 MI-5174 $1349.00 Softcover, 82 pages, 290 x 210mm BE-1535 Also available in this series: Motorhome Electrics BE-1536 $42.50 Solar Success BE-1537 $47.50 179 00 $ 42 50 $ FROM 399 00 $ Check out our new 300W Lightweight Wind Generators! 300W 12VDC MG-4580 $599.00 300W 24VDC MG-4582 $599.00 Features: moulded, compact, efficient blade design, are lightweight, have neodymium magnets, and the charge controllers are built into the generator heads. • Number of Blades: 3 Spare parts available. • Included: generator, blades, See our catalogue or tail, hub, nose cone website for more details 500W 24V • Number of Blades: 3 • Included: generator, blades, tail, 00 $ hub, nose cone, charge controller MG-4540 WAS $999.00 SAVE $100 00 899 To order call 1800 022 888 AT JAYCAR I.T. TIME 2MP Web Camera with Microphone Ideal for podcasting or creating a YouTube masterpiece. No drivers required, just plug and shoot. Built-in microphone included for adding sound. QC-3233 39 95 $ Dual HDD 2.5"/3.5" SATA Dock with Offline Clone Function This dual SATA dock will accept 2 x 2.5" or 2 x 3.5" (or one of each) SATA HDDs/SSDs. Just dock a drive with a complete install of an operating system, dock an empty drive and press the big red clone button. Can also be used as a regular SATA dock with mountable drives on your operating system. Also has the unique ability to copy hard drives with the computer off! USB 2.0 or eSATA for 95 $ connection to PC. Compact and completely self-contained, this is the ideal backup solution for your data or other important equipment. It has 3 surge-protected outlets as well as 3 outlets backed up by the UPS. It also has RJ11 ports for protecting phone or fax lines. • Cold start feature • Software included • Rating: 375W, 600VA • SLA battery: 7Ah • Supply voltage 220 to 280VAC • Backup time: 3 min at full load • Recharge time: 10 hrs • Output waveform: Step sine wave • Dimensions: 268(L) x 180(W) x 80(H)mm MP-5222 Dual 2.5/3.5" SATA HDD Docking Station - USB 3.0 USB 3.0 ready dual SATA docking station for the home or office. Dock two 3.5 or 2.5 inch SATA drives or one of each, and in a flash you can back up gigabytes, terabytes or petabytes of information without the hassle of installing hard drives in enclosures or in the PC. 99 00 $ 119 00 $ Add two USB 3.0 ports to the front of your desktop PC for compatibility with the next generation of superfast USB 3.0 hard drives, flash drives and other assorted peripherals. The front panel will fit neatly into the 3.5" FDD slot of most PC cases. Each port has a USB 3.0 cable running from the rear which 95 $ should be plugged into the ports on the supplied PCI-E card. XC-4147 High Power Wireless-N USB 2.0 Network Adaptor Able to reach wireless networks from significant distances with enough signal strength to do what you need. The unit can connect to wireless networks up to 1.5km away. The supplied software provides you with a myriad of specifications of wireless networks broadcasting in your area. • Dimensions:75(L) x 58(W) x 10(H)mm • Antenna: 172(H)mm YN-8306 69 95 $ Rack Mount 16 Port 10 / 100Mbps Fast Ethernet Switch 10/100Mbps 16 Port Rack Mount HUB with simply and easyto-read interface, has 16 LEDs for each port's status. It can satisfy the different demands from house, multimedia classrooms, Internet cafes to enterprise networks. 89 95 $ • 16 Port • 10/100Mbps • IEC power connection • Dimensions: 440(L) x 123(W) x 44(H)mm YN-8085 www.jaycar.com.au All the normal mouse functions - left and right click, scrolling, plus forward, back and quick-launch button. Ergonomically shaped for fatigue-free use. 17 95 $ USB Optical Mini-Mouse USB 3.0 Port Upgrade Kit Note: HDD not included USB 5-Button Laser Mouse • Plug and play - no drivers required • Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7 XM-5240 79 Note: HDD not included • Dimensions: 130(W) x 61(H) x 103(D)mm XC-4697 Laptop Essentials Wireless-N Broadband Router with 4 ports Expand your network with ease, reliability and security. A Wireless-N router with a wireless access point function combined with the flexibility of a 4-port switch, and a built-in firewall. Setup is streamlined through the configuration wizard where you can change dozens of settings. • 802.11n • Provides up to 3 times the transmission rate and double the range of 802.11g products • Supports UPnP and DDNS • Meets 64/128-bit WEP, WPA, and WPA2 security standards • Detachable antenna YN-8305 69 95 $ Limited stock on sale items. All Savings are based on Original RRP If you own a laptop or netbook, there's no doubt a mouse is easier to use than a touchpad. Take this to school, the office or on business trips. It's small enough not to take up much space, but big enough to be functional. Ideal for the kids first starting to use computers too. • Scrolling wheel • Plug and play • Compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7 XM-5242 9 $ 95 Notebook Combination Cable Lock As easy as typing in four digits to unlock your phone, this laptop security cable has a four digit combination that you can customise for security. It's 1.8m long and has a swivel on the end so moving it around your desk area will not be a problem. • 1.8m long • 4 digit combination • Steel lock mechanism XC-4639 17 95 $ Wireless 2.4GHz Multimedia Remote and Keyboard Wireless USB Trackball Remote Control The trackball works as a mouse or any other pointer device can be used to type numbers or text like a mobile phone. Also features quick-launch keys, and controls for multimedia use. No software or drivers needed - just plug in the receiver. Requires 2 x AA batteries. 00 $ • 2.4GHz frequency • 10m range SAVE $10 00 • 19mm optical trackball & mouse keys • USB dongle receiver • Microsoft Windows XP, MCE/Vista compatible • Dimensions: 180(L) x 50(W) x 30(H)mm XC-4940 WAS $89.00 79 Wireless Trackball Keyboard Designed for use with PC-based home theatre systems, multimedia and gaming PCs, this keyboard sits on your lap so you can control everything from your couch! The space saving trackball control eliminates the need for a mouse and the conveniently placed left/right buttons are great for gaming. Simply plug-in the USB receiver to your PC. Requires 2 x AA batteries. • 2.4GHz frequency • 10m range • 12 Internet/multimedia hot keys • Windows XP & Vista compatible XC-4941 99 00 $ Renewable Energy & Power • Dimensions: 125(L) x 112(W) x 60(H)mm XC-4695 79 600VA 375W Line Interactive UPS 15 Remote Control Racing Hovercraft Micro Solar Car Racer Kid's Digital Photo & Video Camera Massive power slides, high speeds drifts and even jumps are all part of the repertoire. Two brushless ducted fan motors are responsible for the power, one blowing downwards to generate lift, and the second (and more powerful) motor providing the forward thrust. Powered by a high capacity 1800mAh 11.1V Li-PO battery, and controlled by a 2.4GHz radio system, be prepared to waste many, many hours. See website for full specs. The smallest solar powered car we've seen. Don't let it's miniscule size fool you, yes it actually does work! Shine a lamp on its solar panel and watch it travel across your desk. Shine a higher powered torch on it and you'll see it take off at a surprisingly furious pace. Adjust the front wheel steering so it goes around in circles. Comes in its own see-through screw top case. • Dimensions: 193(L) x 280(H) x 113(W)mm GT-3740 • Dimensions: 31(L) x 20(W) x 15(H)mm GT-3750 249 $ 00 14 95 $ All you need is a common bike pump and any 2 litre plastic soft-drink bottle with a bit of water in it. Not only does the Aquapod launch a bottle up to 100 feet in the air, but it has a built-in safety valve that releases pressure at 60psi in order to keep everyone safe from overpressurizing the launcher. Built to last! GT-3014 3-in-1 USB Microscope Designed specifically for family fun in the pool, lake or protected beaches. It's easy to manoeuvre and control with finger-tip controls on the handlebars and can even be used for shallow snorkelling. Lightweight, powerful and portable. • Powered by 24V 12Ah battery (battery included) • Up to 1 hour's use time or 40min continuous • Thrust: 5kgf • Speed: 3.8kmh Explore the miniature world with your microscope. You can use it as a conventional optical microscope, a digital microscope or snap the USB camera into the top and capture images to your PC or Mac. It comes with slides and tools for manipulating your scientific prizes. 34 95 $ 89 249 00 $ 00 $ • Software included • Magnification: 50 - 100x, 100 - 200x, 200 - 400x • Requires 2 x AA batteries • Works with Windows 2000, XP, Vista or Mac OS 10.4 • Size: 112(W) x 132(D) x 260(H)mm QC-3241 Note that this item should be used under the supervision of a responsible adult. GG-2350 Domestic Ultrasonic Cleaner Cleans all your watches, jewellery, fountain pens, dentures, razor heads, printer heads, small silverware and small machined parts. Mains powered and easy to use. Fill the tank with water, add a mild cleaning solution and set the timer. The LCD tells you how long to go and the timer is adjustable from 1:30 to 30 minutes. • Timer setting: 1:30 - 30 minutes • Tank volume: 550ml • Power consumption: 50W YH-5408 79 95 $ YOUR LOCAL JAYCAR STORE Australia Freecall Orders: Ph 1800 022 888 AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY Belconnen Ph (02) 6253 5700 Fyshwick Ph (02) 6239 1801 NEW SOUTH WALES Albury Ph (02) 6021 6788 Alexandria Ph (02) 9699 4699 Bankstown Ph (02) 9709 2822 Blacktown Ph (02) 9678 9669 Bondi Junction Ph (02) 9369 3899 Brookvale Ph (02) 9905 4130 Campbelltown Ph (02) 4620 7155 Coffs Harbour Ph (02) 6651 5238 Croydon Ph (02) 9799 0402 Erina Ph (02) 4365 3433 Gore Hill Ph (02) 9439 4799 Hornsby Ph (02) 9476 6221 Liverpool Ph (02) 9821 3100 Maitland Ph (02) 4934 4911 38 Channel UHF Transceiver Set Everything you need for mobile CB communications. One of the weirdest flying contraptions we've ever seen. A four-engine, four-rotor flying widget. Each channel and motor on the craft is colour-coded so you can easily identify what makes it go where. Once you get the hang of it, you'll have hours of fun! It also has a built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery that recharges from the remote unit. 20 minute charge gives about 5 minutes of flight time. • Requires 6 x AA batteries • Size: 230(Dia)mm GT-3782 RC Twin Engine Model Jet Driven by two brushless motors, one in each wing. Steering is achieved by varying the power to either engine so this makes it easy to control with just two radio channels. Made from ultra-light Styrofoam so is able to handle all the knocks and crashes without causing serious damage. Supplied in ready to run kit form with lithium-ion battery, mains charger and is controlled by a responsive remote control. • Recharges in 20 - 30 minutes for about 5 - 6 minutes of flight time • Recommended for ages 8+ • Wingspan: 290mm GT-3780 69 95 $ Arrival dates of new products in this flyer were confirmed at the time of print. Occasionally these dates change unexpectedly. Please ring your local store to check stock details. Prices valid to 23rd November 2010. All savings are based on original RRP • Rechargeable batteries and dual charging cradle • Includes 2 x 0.5W output handsets • Up to 5km transmission range • CTCSS function • Ideal for bush walking, camping, sports etc. $ 00 • Sold as a pair • No license required DC-1026 114 4-Channel 4 Engine UFO Newcastle Ph (02) 4965 3799 Penrith Ph (02) 4721 8337 Rydalmere Ph (02) 8832 3120 Sydney City Ph (02) 9267 1614 Taren Point Ph (02) 9531 7033 Tweed Heads Ph (07) 5524 6566 Wollongong Ph (02) 4226 7089 NORTHERN TERRITORY Darwin Ph (08) 8948 4043 QUEENSLAND Aspley Ph (07) 3863 0099 Caboolture Ph (07) 5432 3152 Cairns Ph (07) 4041 6747 Capalaba Ph (07) 3245 2014 Ipswich Ph (07) 3282 5800 Labrador Ph (07) 5537 4295 Mackay Ph (07) 4953 0611 Maroochydore Ph (07) 5479 3511 Mermaid Beach Ph (07) 5526 6722 Nth Rockhampton Ph (07) 4926 4155 Townsville Ph (07) 4772 5022 • Requires 4 x AA batteries • Camera driver software and USB cable included • Windows 2000, XP & $39 95 Vista compatible • Suitable for ages 3+ SAVE $10 00 QC-3188 WAS $49.95 Aquapod Bottle Rocket Launcher Also available Electronic Gyroscope (to suit GT-3740) GT-3741 $29.95 Sea Scooter The kids will enjoy hours of creativity with this digital photo & video camera. The robust design can withstand heavy duty play. It has a 16MB internal memory and can capture up to 120 still photos or up to 50 seconds of video. 49 95 $ Underwood Woolloongabba SOUTH AUSTRALIA Adelaide Clovelly Park Gepps Cross Reynella TASMANIA Hobart Launceston VICTORIA Cheltenham Coburg Frankston Geelong Hallam Melbourne Ringwood Shepparton Springvale Sunshine Ph (07) 3841 4888 Ph (07) 3393 0777 Ph (08) 8231 7355 Ph (08) 8276 6901 Ph (08) 8262 3200 Ph (08) 8387 3847 Ph (03) 6272 9955 Ph (03) 6334 2777 Ph (03) 9585 5011 Ph (03) 9384 1811 Ph (03) 9781 4100 Ph (03) 5221 5800 Ph (03) 9796 4577 Ph (03) 9663 2030 Ph (03) 9870 9053 Ph (03) 5822 4037 Ph (03) 9547 1022 Ph (03) 9310 8066 Head Office 320 Victoria Road, Rydalmere NSW 2116 Ph: (02) 8832 3100 Fax: (02) 8832 3169 Thomastown Werribee WESTERN AUSTRALIA Maddington Midland Northbridge Rockingham NEW ZEALAND Christchurch Dunedin Glenfield Hamilton Hastings Manukau Mt Wellington Newmarket New Lynn Palmerston Nth Wellington NZ Freecall Orders Online Orders Website: www.jaycar.com.au Email: techstore<at>jaycar.com.au Ph (03) 9465 3333 Ph (03) 9741 8951 Ph (08) 9493 4300 Ph (08) 9250 8200 Ph (08) 9328 8252 Ph (08) 9592 8000 Ph (03) 379 1662 Ph (03) 471 7934 Ph (09) 444 4628 Ph (07) 846 0177 Ph (06) 876 0239 Ph (09) 263 6241 Ph (09) 258 5207 Ph (09) 377 6421 Ph (09) 828 8096 Ph (06) 353 8246 Ph (04) 801 9005 Ph 0800 452 922 CIRCUIT NOTEBOOK Interesting circuit ideas which we have checked but not built and tested. Contributions from readers are welcome and will be paid for at standard rates. REG1 78L05 +5V 10 F D1 LED1 IC1a 2 100k 5 1 IC1b 7 1 2 4 14 3 FUSE TERMINALS 2.2k B 12 C Q2 BC547 E 8 9 RESET + 11 1M VR1 50k 10k IC2d 13 Cx RLY1 –  1.5k 100nF 7 + K 100k IC2a 8 6 D2 A 100nF 100k 3 K A VR2 100k A 1k 12V DC INPUT IN GND 47k 100nF K OUT S1 IC1: LM358 IC2c 10nF IC2: 4093B K 1 2W 10 D3 1N4004 A – Q1 BC547 Electronic fuse employs a relay While many power supplies can be set to limit their output current to a defined level, to protect the circuit they are powering, no such protection is available if you are powering a circuit from a battery. If a fault develops, the circuit can blow before you have a chance to disconnect it. Of course, you can fit a fuse in series with the supply line to the circuit under test but it will blow if a fault develops. Or perhaps it won’t blow sufficiently quickly to protect the circuit. And repeatedly having to replace fuses becomes a nuisance as well. The alternative is to use an electronic fuse. This circuit uses a relay to make and break the circuit. C IC2b 2.2k B 4 5 6 E BC547 D1,D2: 1N4148 A K 1N4004 A K GND B E The current drain of the circuit under test is monitored by a 1Ω 2W resistor which is placed in series with the supply line. The voltage across this 1Ω resistor is monitored by op amp IC1a which has an adjustable gain of between 11 and 16, as set by trimpot VR1. The resultant DC voltage from pin 1 of IC1a is fed to pin 5 of IC1b which is configured as a comparator. Trimpot VR2 provides an adjustable voltage reference to pin 6 of IC1b and this is compared with the amplified signal from IC1a. If IC1b’s threshold is exceeded, its pin 7 goes high and this is fed to Schmitt trigger inverter IC2a which 78L05 LED C K A IN OUT then “sets” the RS flipflop comprising gates IC2c & IC2d. Pin 11 of IC2d then goes high to turn on transistor Q2 and LED1 while pin 4 of IC2b also goes high to turn on Q1 and the relay which then disconnects the load. The circuit stays in this state until the RS flipflop is reset by pushing switch S1. Capacitor Cx, across the feedback resistance of IC1a, is used to simulate a slow-blow or fast-blow fuse and can be selected by trial and error. Changing the gain of IC1a or the value of the sensing resistor changes the fuse rating of the circuit. Michael Azzopardi, Deer Park, Vic. ($50) Issues Getting Dog-Eared? Keep your copies safe with these handy binders REAL VALUE AT $14.95 PLUS P & P Available Aust, only. Price: $A14.95 plus $10.00 p&p per order (includes GST). Just fill in and mail the handy order form in this issue; or fax (02) 9939 2648; or call (02) 9939 3295 and quote your credit card number. siliconchip.com.au November 2010  65 Circuit Notebook – Continued Golf buggy battery charger control voltage is too low to operate RLY1. The battery voltage is monitored via diode D1, zener diodes ZD1 and ZD2 and trimpot VR1. The three diodes reduce the voltage by around 22V, while VR1 divides it down further so that Mosfet Q1’s gate voltage is just high enough for it to turn on when the battery is fully charged. Since charging golf cart batteries involves high current (up to 40A), the charger output has a lot of ripple. Diode D4, the parallel 1MΩ resistor and the two 1µF MKT capacitors filter it out of the feedback voltage. D4 conducts during the low point of each cycle, otherwise the 1MΩ resistor allows the capacitors to slowly charge. As a result, the voltage at Q1’s gate is determined by the actual battery voltage. When the battery voltage is low, Mosfet Q1’s gate voltage is low so it is off. Mosfet Q2 is held on by the 82kΩ and 33kΩ bias resistors, which This novel circuit controls a 36V lead-acid battery charger, preventing over-charge and keeping the battery topped up without the need for float charging. The circuit operates from the battery so no additional power supply is required. It incorporates hysteresis to prevent the charger from being switched on and off rapidly. The hysteresis is implemented with a Mosfet-based adaptation of the original 2-transistor Schmitt trigger circuit. The charger’s mains supply is switched by a mains-rated (250VAC) relay with a 24VDC coil (RLY1). In order to run it off a 36V battery, several series resistors (22Ω, 180Ω and 100Ω) limit the coil current. Switch S1 is wired in parallel with the relay, allowing the circuit to be “bootstrapped” if the battery +12V REVERSE A RLY1 K D1 D2 22k K A 100 3 2 8 IC1a LM358 1 1.8k C TO CAMERA & MONITOR Q1 BD139 E 4 100 F B 330k 10k 0V 5 6 (IC1b) BD139 7 D1,D2: 1N4004 Reversing camera delay This circuit is intended to maintain the power supplied to a reversing camera and monitor. The problem with simply attaching the video system to the reversing light controlled by the gear selector is that when you are backing a trailer or caravan, you inevitably need to 66  Silicon Chip A K B C E select forward and reverse as you manoeuvre. The video display then takes some time to stabilise each time reverse gear is re-selected. Op amp IC1a (half of an LM358) is connected as a comparator. A voltage divider consisting of the 22kΩ and 10kΩ resistors applies about +4V to pin 2 of IC1a. With the 100µF capacitor at pin 3 discharged, the output at Merv Th is this m omas onth’s winne Peak At r of a las Instrum Test ent keep its gate voltage below the maximum rating (typically 20V). When the battery voltage rises enough to switch on Q1, it pulls Q2’s gate towards ground, switching it (and therefore RLY1) off. The voltage across the 100Ω resistor also drops, reducing Q1’s source voltage and therefore increasing the amount by which its gate voltage must drop in order to resume charging. To ensure that the hysteresis is not affected by ripple from the charger, power for the relay (and thus the 100Ω resistor) is filtered by a 22Ω resistor and 470µF capacitor. Because the 100Ω resistor forms a voltage divider with the relay coil and series 180Ω resistor, the amount of hysteresis is determined by the battery voltage and the position of VR1. To set the voltage at which charging ceases, turn trimpot VR1 fully anti-clockwise and allow the connected battery to charge until pin 1 is close to 0V. Hence, transistor Q1 is turned off and so is the relay. When reverse gear is selected, the reversing light is turned on, so the 100µF capacitor charges via diode D1. The 100Ω resistor limits the surge current through D1. When the 100µF capacitor charges above +4V, the output of IC1a goes high, turning on Q1 and the relay. The relay in turn switches the supply to the camera and monitor. When reverse is de-selected for a manoeuvre, diode D1 prevents the capacitor from discharging through the reversing light filament but it slowly discharges through the 330kΩ resistor. This maintains the video display for a suitable time delay. If reverse is re-selected before the capacitor discharges below +4V, it is re-charged. If not, IC1a switches off Q1 and the relay. Diode D2 prevents any spike voltage (back EMF) from the relay from damaging the transistor. The time that the video display is held on depends mainly on the size of the capacitor and the 330kΩ siliconchip.com.au + D1 + GOLF BUGGY OR FORKLIFT BATTERY CHARGER – K A K D2 A K 22  5W ZD1 18V 1W +43V A K RLY1 82k K – 350  (24V) 470 F 63V D3 A D A Q1 IRF630 S Q2 D IRF630 CW 1M G 180  5W ZD2 13V 1W VR1 10k WW D4 A K G S E N A MAINS INPUT S1 (MAINS RATED) DEAD BATTERY START 1 F MKT 100  1W 1 F MKT 33k IRF630 0V D1–D4: 1N4004 A it begins gassing. At that point, slowly turn VR1 clockwise until the charger switches off. Note that golf buggy batteries can produce a significant volume of hy- G K D D S ignite the hydrogen. For the same reason, they should not be charged in a confined space. Merv Thomas, Townsville, Qld. +9V 470 2.2k This circuit provides a soft light to lull a young child to sleep. The light fades away after about 10 minutes. It could also be used to switch off an MP3 player or similar program source. In essence, it is just a FET which controls a 7-colour LED (Altronics Cat. Z0985, Z0986 or Z0987). On pressing the start switch S1, the 47µF tantalum capacitor is charged to 9V. This turns on FET Q1 and the associated 7-colour LED (LED1). As the capacitor slowly discharges via the 6.8MΩ resistor, the FET slowly dims the LED. If you want to add the music source, the relay and diode D1 will also be required. A. J. Lowe Bardon, Qld. ($35) siliconchip.com.au A K drogen during charging so great care must be taken when connecting or disconnecting the battery. Alligator clips are not recommended as these can easily cause sparks which can Lullaby & lamp timer resistor; the larger these values, the longer the hold time. The prototype circuit used a relay with a 90Ω coil and so a BD139 was selected for transistor Q1. Miniature relays typically have much higher coil resistances so a smaller transistor such as a BC337 would suffice if one of these is used. Peter Wright, Warnbro, WA. ($45) ZD1, ZD2 START S1 A LED1 7-COLOUR  K K D1 1N4148 TO LOAD A RLY1 5V/500  REED RELAY D Q1 VK10KM G 47 F TANT S 6.8M LED 0V 1N4148 A K VN10KN K D A G S Looking for real performance? • Learn about engine management systems • Projects to control nitrous, fuel injection and turbo boost From the publish ers of systems • Switch devices on and off according to signal frequency, temp­erature & voltage • Build test instruments to check fuel injector duty cycle, fuel mixtures and brake & temperature Intelligent turbo timer I SBN 0958522 94 -4 TURBO BO OST & nitrous fuel cont 9 78095 8 5229 46 $19.80 (inc GST) NZ $22.00 (inc GST) rollers How engine management works Price: Aust. $A19.80 plus $A10 P&P ($A12 P&P NZ; $A18 P&P elsewhere) – see the order form in this issue or www.siliconchip.com.a www.siliconchip.com.auu for ordering details. November 2010  67 Circuit Notebook – Continued High-performance shortwave converter In conjunction with a good quality manually-tuned AM car radio, this shortwave converter will provide coverage from 6MHz through to 17MHz, on AM and SSB. The circuit uses just one low-cost crystal to provide suitable oscillator injection at the fundamental and harmonics, with the car radio effectively being used as a tunable IF strip. This gives a stable, low-drift, double-conversion receiver. For SSB (single sideband) reception, a varicap-tuned preselector involving VC1 & VC2 allows the mixer (Q2) to discriminate against image reception and selects the band of interest. The tuning of this section will select either above or below the local oscillator to give eight 1MHzwide bands with no switching. The crystal is a cheap and easily obtained 3.58MHz unit, providing the fundamental at 3.357945MHz and harmonics at 7.16MHz, 10.738MHz and 14.318MHz. To receive the full 31-metre broadcast band, for example, the preselector is simply tuned to peak at 9MHz and the car radio will then tune from 10.738MHz minus 550kHz to 10.738MHz minus 1.6MHz. The received frequency then ranges from 10.188MHz to 9.138MHz (the car radio will tune backwards in this instance). By tuning the front-end circuits to the “high” side, it will tune from 11.288-12.33MHz, the 25-metre shortwave segment. A BFO (beat frequency oscillator) based on transistor Q4 gives very stable SSB re­ ception, with the tuning rate remaining identical for all bands. The BFO uses a standard wound IF coil, the frequency being the same as the car radio being used; commonly 262kHz, 455kHz or more recently, 450kHz. The RF amplifier and mixer stages use dual-gate Mosfets Q1 & Q2. These are still available but now come in surface-mount packaging. The coils are wound on standard 10mm coil formers and cans. The varicaps can be any “hyper-ubrupt” type with a tuning range of about 30-300pF with a 9V swing from po- tentiometer VR2. Defunct digitallytuned car radios are a very good source for these and they are also available new. Set-up simply requires the two RF coils to be brought into line and the BFO level trimmed to suit the radio being used. The frequency is adjusted to sit in the middle of the IF passband and the level set to adequately decode SSB. Ideally the analog radio should have very smooth-tuning with no backlash (the tuning rate is exactly as it is when used for the AM broadcast band). This makes tuning SSB easy. A slight improvement to the car radio’s IF bandwidth can usually be achieved by peaking the IF strip, as these are commonly stagger-tuned for better fidelity. The prototype used an old AWA Clarion car radio with a 262kHz IF strip. This gave really excellent results on SSB. The sensitivity is a few microvolts and stability is really good, the converter remaining on the aircraft net for days without retuning! The received frequency is 550kHz to 1.6MHz plus or minus the crystal frequency. Dayle Edwards, Westland, NZ. ($60) Contribute And Choose Your Prize As you can see, we pay good money for each of the “Circuit Notebook” items published in SILICON CHIP. But now there are four more reasons to send in your circuit idea. Each month, at the discretion of the Editor, the best 68  Silicon Chip contribution published will entitle the author to choose a prize: either an LCR40 LCR meter, a DCA55 Semiconductor Component Analyser, an ESR60 Equivalent Series Resistance Analyser or an SCR100 Thyristor & Triac Analyser, each with the compliments of Peak Electronic Design Ltd www.peakelec.co.uk So now you have even more reasons to send that brilliant circuit in. Send it to SILICON CHIP and you could be a winner. You can either email your idea to silchip<at>siliconchip.com.au or post it to PO Box 139, Collaroy, NSW 2097. siliconchip.com.au Temwell World expert-customized any UHF.SHF BP Filter for mixer 0V "Any Fo, BandPass (BW), 3/4/5 tuning can be customized" C B 2.2k LED E 10nF A K K A D4: 1N4004 K A K D1–D3: 1N4148 A ZD1 LOCAL OSCILLATOR 150pF E 15k 10nF 150pF B 47k 2.2k Q3 BC547 C MIXER 100pF Fo5 IL:1.0~1.5dB; Group Delay:10~20 nsec 【 Temwell 7H3 List P/No-Fo-BW I.L. (dB) Temwell 7H4 List P/No-Fo-BW I.L. (dB) TT67853B-240M-60M TT63223B-288M-80M TT67869B-350M-99M TT63348B-375M-100M TT6395F-450M-120M TT63335F-480M-120M TT6393F-530M-120M TT63336F-575M-120M TT67618F-625M-130M TT63333F-666M-135M TT63337F-725M-120M TT63348F-805M-140M TT67859F-850M-100M TT63353E-900M-165M TT67861B-925M-120M TT67868B-933M-120M TT67862B-975M-120M TT63338F-980M-120M TT67864B-1075M-120M TT63339F-1160M-120M TT63362F-1300M-200M 2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 TF67853B-240M-60M TF64223B-288M-80M TF69869B-350M-99M TF64348B-375M-100M TF64214B-450M-110M TF64335F-480M-120M TF6493F-530M-120M TF64336F-575M-120M TF69618F-625M-130M TF64333F-666M-120M TF64337F-725M-120M TF64348F-805M-140M TF69859F-850M-100M TF64353E-900M-165M TF69861B-925M-120M TF69868B-933M-120M TF69862F-966.5M-110M TF64338F-980M-120M TF69864B-1075M-120M TF64339F-1160M-120M TF64362F-1300M-200M 2.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 BW (-3dB) 40~60MHz ;UHF Fo: 210~1.3G IL:1.5~2.5dB; Group Delay:30~40 nsec Pass Band 221~245M 246~275M 276~310M 356~400M 401~455M 456~515M 516~555M 556~595M 596~640M 661~700M 701~750M 751~800M 801~830M 831~860M 861~900M 901~930M 931~950M 951~975M 976~1000M 1001~1100M 1101~1180M 1181~1250M 1251~1300M 3 Tuning (7H3 series) 4 Tuning (7H4 series) 【 Temwell-P/N-Fo-BW IL Temwell-P/N-Fo-BW IL TT63368B-240M-40M TT67277B1-250M-35M TT67727B-293M-40M TT67728B-378M-40M TT67256B-427.5M-40M TT67811B-485M-40M TT67812B-535M-40M TT67825B-585M-40M TT67826B-630M-40M TT63326B-666M-40M TT67230A-730M-40M TT67797B-775M-50M TT67804B-815M-60M TT67516A-850M-70M TT67805B-880M-60M TT67414A-918.5M-55M TT67806B-940M-60M TT67807B-963M-60M TT67808B-988M-60M TT67341A-1030M-77M TT67357E-1105M-70M TT67809B-1215M-60M TT63364B-1280M-120M 2.0 2.5 2.0 2.0 1.5 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.5 2.5 2.0 2.0 3.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.0 2.5 2.0 2.5 2.5 2.0 TF69523B-240M-60M TF64377B-248M-50M TF64208B-325M-50M TF69728B-378M-40M TF64209B-455M-50M TF6972F-470M45M TF69257B-530M-40M TF69825B-585M-40M TF69633F-660M-58M TF64327E-666M-50M TF69652B-725M-55M TF69653B-775M-55M TF69655B1-825M-55M TF64371F-845M-70M TF69548E-895.5M-35M TF69609A-927M-60M TF64210A-935M-50M TF69342A-960M-60M TF69522A-1000M-80M TF67341A-1030M-77M TF69356A1-1140M-40M TF69809B-1215M-60M TF64364B-1280M-120M 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.0 2.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.5 3.5 2.5 3.5 3.0 2.0 BW (-3dB): 20~40MHz ;UHF Fo: 210~1.3G IL: 3.0~5.0dB; Group Delay: 40~50 nsec 【 5 tuning or New Fo Customized is accepted 4 Tuning (7H4 series) Pass 3 Tuning (7H3 series) S G1 G2 Band D VR1 10k Fo3 Temwell Innovative．GD<50ns．3&4 tuning BP Filter A K 1SV149 RF GAIN 10nF Fo2 Fo4 Lo BW (-3dB) 60~160MHz ;UHF Fo: 220~1.3G 210~270M 276~310M 311~355M 365~400M 401~455M 456~515M 516~555M 556~595M 596~640M 661~700M 701~750M 801~830M 831~860M 861~900M 901~930M 931~950M 951~975M 976~1000M 1001~1100M 1101~1180M 1251~1300M 【 40673, 3N201 10nF 10k RF AMPLIFIER 10k 18T 5T K X1 3579kHz 5T 10nF S G2 A L1 D1 Fo1 Temwell Innovative．GD<40ns．3&4 tuning BP Filter L2 40673/3N201 ETC. D G1 Q1 A fIF/RF Temwell Innovative．GD<20ns．3&4 tuning BP Filter 【 * SELECT TO SUIT CAR RADIO INTERMEDIATE FREQUENCY (262 OR 455/450kHz) K  LED1 A 10nF 10nF 150 18T G2 100k S 40673/3N201 ETC. G1 D Q2 BFO 15k 10nF 100pF IFT1* 1k RFC1 10mH 100pF 56pF* RFC2 1mH 100 SW K K 10nF A 10nF 10nF 150 10nF D3 D2 K VC2 1SV149 10nF 10nF K VC1 1SV149 【 Pass Band B 47k S1 S2B A ZD1 9.1V K A A VR2 10k 220k 3.9k 220k 3/4 Tuning Filter fLo OSC E C 100 AM SSB 10nF Q4 BC547 10nF K RFC3 470 H SW MW S2a MW PRESELECTOR (RF TUNING) 3/4 Tuning Filter f RF/IF BC547 D4 A TO CAR RADIO +12V Total Solution: F-cable, DVB-T Broadcast, WL networking Equipment etc. 221~245M 246~275M 276~310M 356~400M 401~455M 456~515M 516~555M 556~595M 596~640M 661~700M 701~750M 751~800M 801~830M 831~860M 861~900M 901~930M 931~950M 951~975M 976~1000M 1001~1100M 1101~1180M 1181~1250M 1251~1300M Temwell-P/N-Fo-BW IL Temwell-P/N-Fo-BW IL TT67186B-240M-18M TT67696B-260M-20M TT67697B-293M-20M TT6771E2-390M-20M TT67289E-463.5M-25M TT6396B-477.5M-24M TT6777B-550M-25M TT6778D-580M-20M TT6779D-620M-22M TT63325E-666M-25M TT67784B-725M-28M TT67648A-793M-25M TT67464A-813.5M-25M TT67215A-858.5M-20M TT67451F-881.5M-26M TT67550E-902.5M-27M TT67152A-940M-30M TT67266A-960M-34M TT67267A-980M-35M TT67401A-1040M-32M TT67355A-1165M-44M TT67788B-1215M-35M TT67789B-1275M-35M 3.0 2.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 3.0 2.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.5 3.0 3.0 2.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 TF69185A-225.6M-20M TF64227E-270M-20M TF69697B-290M-30M TF64226E-370M-28M TF69295B-427.5M-32M TF64247D-485M-25M TF69300A-530M-28M TF69650B-625M-30M TF64326E-666M-38M TF69475D-670M-35M TF69648F-790M-25M TF69301A-815M-29M TF69450A-836.5M-25M TF69301A-815M-29M TF69309A-900M-30M TF69291A-915M-34M TF69265A-947M-40M TF69266A-960M-34M TF69471A1-1015M-25M TF69471A-1015M-25M TF69338A-1170M-35M TF69560D-1283.7M-25M TF69426d-1260M-28M 2.5 3.0 2.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 3.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 4.0 4.0 3.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 5.5 5.5 5.0 TO ANTENNA 390 10nF See more BW& Perf+Spec: www.temwell.com.tw A.Customized Division: Joe<at>temwell.com.tw B. Mail Order Division: Sales<at>temwell.com.tw Standard Filter 200K In-Stock, 72 hr Delivery ~Welcome reseller~ www.temwell.com.tw / Mail: info<at>temwell.com.tw Made in Taiwan/ Designer & Manufacturer & Exporter siliconchip.com.au TEMWELL CORPORATION November 2010  69 ISO9001:2008 RoHS SAW Filter's Conjugation Th Sil Fu Me 1/3 Ma A high-quality DAB+ tuner to build Last month, we introduced our new DAB+/FM Stereo Tuner and gave the circuit details. This month, we show you how to assemble the two PC boards and install them into a low-profile steel case. I F YOU WANT TO BUILD this project, there’s just one way to go – buy the complete kit from Jaycar Electronics (see panel). There are several reasons for this. First, the Venice 7 radio module is not readily available from other sources. Second, the main PC board supplied with the kit will have the surfacemount dsPIC microcontroller (IC1) already soldered in place (and preprogrammed). And third, the Jaycar kit will come with a pre-punched custom steel case with screened lettering to Where To Buy A Kit Of Parts A kit of parts for the DAB+/FM Tuner will be available from Jaycar Electronics – Cat. KC5491. This kit will be complete and will include the Venice 7 radio module, double-sided plated-through PC boards, a pre-punched custom steel case with screened lettering and the remote control. The main board will be supplied with the dsPIC microcontroller (IC1) soldered in place. Kits will be available by early December and can be pre-ordered at your local Jaycar store. 70  Silicon Chip give the unit a professional finish. Having the microcontroller already soldered in place is a real bonus. It will save you the hassle of having to solder this part in by hand and risk ruining the main board. The DAB+/FM Stereo Tuner will take you quite a few hours to build, so it’s best to tackle it in stages. There are two PC boards to build: (1) a main board which carries the Venice 7 module, the microcontroller, the power supply components and several input/output connectors; and (2) a front panel board which carries the LCD, switches, rotary encoder and the IR receiver. You will need only a few basic tools siliconchip.com.au CON10 CON14* Pt.2: By MAURO GRASSI CON13 CON9 4 1 3 2 CON11* L 330 510 Q4 100nF 33k R44 CON12* 1 AG + 100nF 100 2.2nF 2.2nF 100nF REG1 7805 L R CON3* 1 CON2* 1000 F 560 CON1 56k 15nF 1nF + D1 IC3 LM833N 620 100nF 100nF IC5 4066 1nF 2200 F D2 220nF 3.0k 100nF GND 9VAC 510 R 100 AG 33k 220 620 15nF 3.0k 560 1N4004 33k 56k Q3 220nF 2.2k 510 + CON15* 2200 F REG2 7905 IC4 LM833N 100nF 1k 100nF 1N4004 D3 REG4 LM3940 330 470 F + REG5 + 100nF 100nF 100 F 100nF 470 F CON5* Q5 1 100nF K A 220 LED2 33k* 10k 33k* 220 CON7* 1 F 16V* K A + 56k 4.7k CON6* 33k* 33k* (SD MEMORY CARD SOCKET) 33k* 100nF 10k CON16* 33pF IC1 CON8 1 100nF 4.7k 100nF 1 33pF 330 100nF Q2 X1 1 33k 1 + 10 F 2.2 220 100 33k 33k* 1k Q1 1k 10 10k 330 1k 510 CON4 (ON REAR OF BOARD)* IC2 74HC00 LM317T + siliconchip.com.au 470 F 33k 330 * LM3940 VENICE7 DAB+ RECEIVER MODULE 1000 F + REG3 Main board assembly We’ll begin with the main board assembly. This double-sided board is coded 01110101 and measures 114.5 x 194mm. As mentioned, it’s supplied with IC1 already soldered into place and should be carefully inspected for defects before proceeding. Refer now to Fig.3 for the main board parts layout. Begin the assembly by installing the resistors, taking care to fit the correct value at each location. Table 2 shows the resistor colour codes but we strongly advise that you check each one using a DMM before installing it. Follow these with the three 1N4004 diodes (D1-D3). These must go in with their striped ends orientated as shown. The four IC sockets (for IC2-IC5) can then go in with their notched ends matching the board layout. Follow these with the ceramic, monolithic, MKT and electrolytic capacitors, in that order. Make sure the electrolytic capacitors go in the correct way around and note that some of the 100nF capacitors are MKT types + 100nF to build the tuner – a soldering iron (preferably a temperature-controlled type) with a fine tip, a pair of needlenose pliers, a pair of side cutters and an Allen key. A DMM (digital multimeter) is also necessary. LED1 * INSTALL CON4 ON REAR OF PC BOARD WITH KEY SLOT TOWARDS IC1 * DO NOT INSTALL – MAY BE USED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION Fig.3: install the parts on the main PC board as shown here. Make sure that all polarised parts are correctly oriented and note that CON4 is installed on the rear of the board with its keyway towards IC1. (around the regulators and op amps) while the others are monolithic types (around IC1 and IC2). Note also that some 100nF mono- lithic capacitors have a lead spacing of 0.1-inch (2.54mm) whereas others have a 0.2-inch (5.08mm) spacing. The PC board uses 0.1-inch spacing so if the November 2010  71 The completed main board assembly is installed at the righthand end of the chassis. Leave the Venice 7 module and ICs2-5 out until after the initial power supply checks have been completed (see text). Table 1: Capacitor Codes Value 100nF 15nF 2.2nF 1nF 33pF µF Value IEC Code EIA Code 0.1µF 100n 104 .015µF 15n 153 .0022µF 2n2 222 .001µF 1n 102   NA 33p 33 capacitors supplied are 0.2-inch types, you will have to bend their leads with needle nose pliers to make them fit. Next, install the 2-way screw terminal block for CON1. CON 2 & CON11 are 3-way screw terminal blocks but it’s not necessary to install these (or any other parts marked with a red asterisk) and they are not included in the kit. If fitted, they give on-board access to the two stereo audio outputs, which may be useful for a future modification. The BC337 NPN transistor (Q1) can be installed next, followed by the 72  Silicon Chip three BC327 PNP transistors (Q2-Q4). These transistors must go in the right way around. Push them down onto the board as far as they will comfortably go (but don’t over-stress the leads) before soldering them into place. Follow these parts with the 2N7000 FET (Q5), the 7.3728MHz crystal (X1) and the two 3mm LEDs (LED1 & LED2). The latter must be correctly orientated (see Fig.3) and are installed so that they sit flush with the surface of the PC board. Installing the regulators The five 3-terminal regulators (REG1-REG5) are next on the list. As shown in Fig.3, these are all installed with their metal tabs flat against the PC board. This is done by first bending their leads down through 90° about 5mm from their bodies and then securing them to the PC board using M3 x 6mm machine screws, flat washers and nuts. Note that REG1 & REG2 must be fitted with mini heatsinks under their tabs but these are not necessary for REG3-REG5. Tighten the mounting screws down firmly before soldering the regulator leads to the board. Don’t solder the leads first, otherwise the solder joints and PC board tracks may fracture when the screws are tightened. Sockets & connectors Two 7-pin female header strips can now be installed to make up the 14-pin (ie, 2 x 7-way) socket for the Venice 7 module. Once these are in, use 2 x 7-pin and 2 x 8-pin strips to make up the 30-way socket for the other side of the module. These 14-way and 30-way sockets allow the Venice 7 module to be easily removed later on, if required. The connectors can now be installed along the rear edge. This involves fitting the stereo RCA connector (CON9), the TOSLINK transmitter (CON10) and the DB9 serial port (CON13). Once these are in, install the 40-way siliconchip.com.au vertical IDC header CON4 on the rear of the board. It’s important that CON4 be orientated correctly. It must be installed with its key slot towards IC1, so that its pin 1 (indicated by a small triangle on the black plastic housing) goes to the square pad. The memory card socket (CON8) is next on the list. This is a surface-mount socket and is mounted on the top of the board. Begin by positioning the memory Table 2: Resistor Colour Codes o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o siliconchip.com.au No.   3   6   3   2   2   1   6   2   2   4   6   4   4   1   1 Value 56kΩ 33kΩ 10kΩ 4.7kΩ 3kΩ 2.2kΩ 1kΩ 620Ω 560Ω 510Ω 330Ω 220Ω 100Ω 10Ω 2.2Ω 4-Band Code (1%) green blue orange brown orange orange orange brown brown black orange brown yellow violet red brown orange black red brown red red red brown brown black red brown blue red brown brown green blue brown brown green brown brown brown orange orange brown brown red red brown brown brown black brown brown brown black black brown red red gold brown 5-Band Code (1%) green blue black red brown orange orange black red brown brown black black red brown yellow violet black brown brown orange black black brown brown red red black brown brown brown black black brown brown blue red black black brown green blue black black brown green brown black black brown orange orange black black brown red red black black brown brown black black black brown brown black black gold brown red red black silver brown November 2010  73 330 100 LED3 S7 LCD MODULE + 330 IRD1 10 F* D4 4148 D5 4148 D6 4148 D7 4148 100 F* + 100nF* S8 CON17* 1k 1k 1 100nF* SG16080E ROTARY ENCODER + 1000 F* Fig.4: follow this diagram to install the parts on the front panel PC board. Note that the IDC header (CON17) and all five capacitors are mounted on the rear of the PC board (see photo below). This is the fully-completed front panel board, with the switch caps installed and the L-brackets mounted in position. Be sure to align IRD1’s lens vertically with LED3 and with its domed top 11mm above the board, as described in the text. This rear view of the display board shows how the IDC header and capacitors are installed. Be sure to install the IDC header with its key-slot towards the bottom edge of the board. card socket so that its two plastic locating pins fit into two matching holes in the PC board. That done, use some sticky tape to hold it in place while you solder the two metal tabs on the sides of the connector. The tape can then be removed and the remaining 13 terminals carefully soldered to 74  Silicon Chip their respective pads. Take care with these and avoid touching the plastic connector with the soldering tip. Venice 7 module The Venice 7 module connects to the main board via 30-way and 14-way pin headers. It’s supplied with the 30-pin (2 x 15-way) header already in place but you will have fit the 14-pin (2 x 7-way) pin header yourself. To do this, first cut a 2 x 7-way header from the supplied 2 x 20-way header using side cutters. The 2 x 7way header can then be carefully soldered to the Venice 7 module (see photo). siliconchip.com.au S1 S4 S2 S5 S3 S6 * MOUNT CON17 & ALL CAPACITORS ON REAR OF BOARD The Venice 7 module comes with a 30-pin header already in place but you have to also solder in a 14-pin header (near the opposite edge) yourself. Additional 14-pin header As usual, begin by carefully inspecting the PC board for hairline cracks or unintended shorts between nearby tracks (use a magnifying glass if necessary). Manufacturing defects are rare but possible and it is much easier to spot any problems before the parts have been installed. Fig.4 shows the parts layout. Start the assembly by installing the resistors, then install the four 1N4148 signal diodes (D4-D7). Make sure that the latter are orientated correctly, ie, with their cathodes to the left. The capacitors can be installed next. These must all be installed on the rear of the PC board – see photo. Make sure that the three electrolytic capacitors go in with the correct orientation. The eight pushbutton switches and the rotary encoder are next on the list. These parts will only fit the right way around. Be sure to push the plastic locating pins on the pushbuttons into their corresponding holes so that the switches sit flush against the board and are straight. The blue LED (LED3) can now be fitted. It must be correctly orientated and installed so that the top of its lens sits 14mm above the board. This can be done by inserting a 9mm cardboard spacer between its leads and pushing the LED all the way down onto this before soldering. Follow with the infrared receiver (IRD1). This goes in with its leads bent down by 90° and its domed lens facing upwards (so that it will later face the front panel). Adjust IRD1 so that the top of the lens is 11mm above the board surface and is vertically aligned with LED3 before soldering its leads. All that remains now is to install the 40-pin IDC header and mount the LCD module. This header goes on the rear of the board (see photo) and must be orientated so that its keyed slot is towards the bottom edge of the board – see Fig.4. Mounting the LCD That completes the assembly of the main board apart from installing the Venice 7 module itself and fitting ICs2-5. Leave these parts out for the time being. Front panel board assembly Like the main board, the front panel board is doublesided with plated through holes. It is coded 01110102 and measures 277 x 57mm. siliconchip.com.au Now for the LCD. This must first be fitted with a 20-pin header strip, obtained by cutting eight pins off the supplied 28-pin strip. This can easily be done using side cutters. Solder the 20-pin strip into place, then mount the LCD module on the PC board as shown in Fig.5. Note that two M2 nuts are fitted between the LCD module and the board at each corner location, to provide a 3mm spacing between the two. Note also that you will have to file away a small section of the head of one of the four mounting screws so that it clears the LED backlight assembly installed inside the LCD module. This is the screw that fits in the top right corner when viewing the LCD module in the normal orientation. In addition, it may be necessary to file a small notch in bottom-left corner of the IDC socket (as viewed from the back of the board) to clear the adjacent mounting nut. Tighten the assembly down firmly, then solder the 20 header pins from the LCD module to the display board. Work quickly November 2010  75 tors at the rear are correctly centred in their rear panel cut-outs before tightening the screws down. Front panel board mounting Above: this view shows how the 20-pin SIL header strip is fitted to the LCD module. M2 NUT 2 x M2 NUTS FRONT PANEL PC BOARD M2 NUT LCD MODULE (FRONT) M2 x 15mm SCREW M2 x 15mm SCREW 2 x M2 NUTS Fig.5: the LCD module is attached to the front panel board using M2 x 15mm machine screws and nuts, with additional M2 nuts (ie, two at each corner) used as spacers. during this procedure and do not apply heat to any pin for more than five seconds. The front panel board assembly is now complete except for the switch caps. These are best left off until the board is mounted in the case, so that they don’t get lost. Mounting the main board The two PC board assemblies can now be installed in the metal case. As mentioned earlier, the Jaycar kit will come with a pre-punched case with screened lettering on the front and rear panels. This makes the final assembly easy, since you don’t have to drill any holes. Figs.6 & 10 shows the mounting details for the main board. It sits on stacked M3 x 10mm metal spacers in the righthand section of the case. The first step is to secure the stacked spacers to the bottom of the case using M3 x 16mm countersink head (CSK) screws – see Fig.6. That done, fold the 40-way IDC cable at right angles exactly as shown in Fig.7 (note the position of the lead with the red stripe). Check the cable carefully against Fig.7, then plug the righthand header into CON4 on the underside of the main board. The lead with the red stripe should go to pin 1 of the board header – see Fig.3. You should find that the IDC cable emerges from the lefthand side of the main board under transistor Q2 and the vacant holes for CON16. Important: if the headers on the supplied IDC cable do not have a key (to match the key slot in the board header), then make sure that the side with the red stripe goes to pin 1 of the board header. This pin is indicated on the parts layout diagram (Fig.3) and is also adjacent to a small triangle on the plastic body of the header. The main board can now be mounted on top of the stacked spacers and secured using four M3 x 5mm machine screws (black). Check that the connec- MAIN PC BOARD This board is attached to the top and bottom rails on the back of the front panel using six L-shaped metal brackets. Before fitting the board though, you will need to remove the front panel from the case by undoing the screws at either end and along the bottom edge. Each L-bracket has one M3 tapped hole and one untapped hole. Fig.8 shows how they are attached to the display board using M3 x 10mm countersink (CSK) head machine screws and nuts into the untapped holes. Note that a flat Nylon washer is fitted between each L-bracket and the PC board. Be sure to adjust each bracket so that it sits square with the PC board before tightening its mounting screw (see photo). This is necessary so that they later line up with the mounting holes in the front-panel rails. A couple of test fittings may be necessary before you get them exactly right. Before finally mounting the front panel board, it’s a good idea to fit the power switch. This should be orientated so that it is ON when the rocker is down and this can be determined by checking it with a multimeter (set to Ohms). In practice, this means that it goes in with the contact that’s closest to the edge towards the top (ours is in the wrong way around). Once the switch is in place, slip the front panel board assembly into position and secure it to the front panel using six M3 x 10mm countersink (CSK) head screws. These go through the top and bottom rails and into the tapped holes of the L-brackets. The completed assembly can then be re-fitted to the case and the knob attached to the shaft of the rotary encoder. You will need an Allen key to tighten the small grub screw inside the M3 x 5MM MACHINE SCREWS 2 x 10mm LONG TAPPED SPACERS RIGHT SIDE LIP BOTTOM OF THE CASE Fig.6: the main PC board is mounted on stacked M3 x 10mm spacers and secured using M3 x 16mm CSK machine screws from underneath and M3 x 5mm screws through the top. M3 x 16mm MACHINE SCREWS WITH COUNTERSINK HEADS 76  Silicon Chip siliconchip.com.au 40-WAY IDC LINE SOCKET (TO UNDERSIDE OF MAIN BOARD) (330mm LENGTH OF 40-WAY IDC RIBBON CABLE) CABLE EDGE STRIPE 40-WAY IDC LINE SOCKET (TO REAR OF FRONT PANEL BOARD) knob (align it so that the grub screw tightens against the flat section of the “D” shaped shaft). Now check that there is sufficient clearance between the knob and the front panel when the rotary encoder is pressed. Provided you’ve mounted the front panel board correctly, it should be OK with the knob pushed all the way onto the rotary encoder’s shaft. Power supply wiring The next step is to install the power socket on the rear panel and run the supply wiring – see Fig.10. As shown, the sleeve terminal of the power socket (which connects internally to chassis) goes directly to the GND terminal of CON1. This lead can be run using a 340mm length of black medium-duty hook-up wire. Note how the wire is threaded through a spare hole near the edge of the main PC board, to help anchor it. The centre terminal of the power connector is connected to the power switch using a 210mm length of yellow hook-up wire. A third yellow lead (360mm-long) is then run from the remaining switch terminal and is looped through another anchor hole before finally connecting to the 9VAC input of CON1. Eight small cable ties should now be fitted to secure the supply wiring in place. These not only keep the siliconchip.com.au Fig.7: the supplied IDC cable should be trimmed at one end and folded exactly as shown here. M3 x 10mm CSK HEAD SCREWS wiring tidy but also prevent the leads from moving and coming adrift at the terminals. Preliminary checks With construction virtually complete, you now have to make a few preliminary checks on the power supply before installing the Venice 7 module and ICs2-5. These checks should also be made before plugging the IDC header into the front panel board. The step-by-step procedure is as follows: Step 1: check that the Venice 7 module and ICs2-5 are all out of circuit. Check also that the IDC header to the front panel board is unplugged. Step 2: with the lid of the case off, connect a 9V 500mA AC plugpack and apply power while observing LEDs 1 & 2 on the main board. LED1 should light and stay on, while LED2 should light only briefly. If they don’t, switch off immediately and check the supply wiring and the regulator circuitry on the main board. Step 3: if Step 2 checks out, check the output voltage of the LM317T regulator (REG5) with respect to GND. It should measure close to 1.2V. Similarly, check the output voltages from the two LM3940 regulators (REG3 & REG4) – they should both measure close to +3.3V. * METAL BRACKET M3 NUT NYLON FLAT WASHER FRONT PANEL FRONT PANEL PC BOARD * NOTE: VERTICAL SCREWS MATE WITH M3 TAPPED HOLES IN BRACKETS METAL BRACKET * Fig.8: here’s how to attach the Lbrackets to the front panel board and secure the assembly to the top and bottom rails that run along the back of the front panel. If any of these voltages are incorrect, switch off immediately and locate the cause of the problem. Step 4: check the outputs of the 7805 and 7905 regulators – they should measure close to +5V and -5V respectively. If they do, all is well and you can proceed. If not, switch off and clear the fault before proceeding. Note: when making these voltage checks, check the pin-out diagrams for the regulators as shown in the cirNovember 2010  77 COAXIAL CABLE FROM ANTENNA SOLDER SHIELD BRAID HERE SOLDER CENTRE CONDUCTOR HERE 14-WAY DIL PIN HEADER (UNDER) When power is first applied, the tuner should display the SILICON CHIP logo for about three seconds before warning that no stations have been programmed. VENICE7 DAB+ RECEIVER MODULE 30-WAY DIL PIN HEADER (UNDER) Fig.9: the centre conductor of the coax cable from the antenna socket must be soldered to the Venice 7 module in the exact location shown here. cuit diagram (Fig.1) in Pt.1. The pinouts differ from regulator to regulator, so don’t get caught out here. Final assembly With the power supply checks complete, it’s time for the final assembly. This must be done with the power off, so disconnect the plugpack supply for the time being. The antenna socket can now be fitted to the rear panel. Secure it by tightening down the nut firmly, then connect a 100mm length of 75Ω RG59 cable to it – see Fig.10. As shown, the shield wire must be twisted into a lead and soldered to the earth lug. Keep the stripped leads of the coaxial cable as short as possible, to avoid degrading the sensitivity. Once that’s done, solder the other end of the 75Ω coax cable to the Venice 7 module’s antenna terminals as shown on Fig.9. Note that there are two separate antenna inputs on the module – one for Band 3 (VHF) and the other for L-band. Band 3 is the most commonly used and is correct for Australia. It’s simply a matter of soldering the inner conductor of the antenna cable to the pad in the exact position indicated on Fig.9, while the shield is soldered to one of two nearby gold-plated earth pads. The Venice 7 module can then be plugged into the main PC board. Finally, plug in ICs2-5, connect the IDC header to the front panel board and fit the black plastic caps to the eight pushbutton switches. Be sure to orientate the ICs correctly and don’t get the two 14-pin types mixed up. In addition, make sure that the red-striped lead on the IDC cable goes to pin 1 of the header, as shown on Fig.10. These switch caps are simply push­ ed into place. If you like, you can apply a small amount of glue inside the caps before fitting them although this shouldn’t really be necessary. Final testing Now for the final test. Apply power This view shows the rear-panel layout of the DAB+/FM Stereo Tuner and also shows how the display board is mounted on the back of the front panel. 78  Silicon Chip siliconchip.com.au siliconchip.com.au NOTE: SHOWN HERE 50% OF ACTUAL SIZE WIRE 360mm LONG FRONT PANEL BOARD MOUNTING BRACKETS MAIN PC BOARD SCREW TERMINAL BLOCK CON1 CABLE TIES CON1 + + 1 9 4 5 CK ra cyaJ 0 4 3 8 CE FRONT PANEL 1 + 01110101 Main MG 0 2 / 5 G M ni a M 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 15/2010 0 1 0 2 / 5 G M ni a M 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 + + POWER ON/OFF SWITCH FRONT PANEL PC BOARD CABLE TIES That completes the assembly of the unit. Next month, we’ll explain the initial set-up and give detailed instrucSC tions on how to operate it. WIRE 340mm LONG Next month ANTENNA SOCKET + + + November 2010  79 GND 9VAC Fig.10: here’s how everything goes together inside the chassis. Note how the supply wiring is looped through a couple of spare holes in the main board and is secured using eight small cable ties. Don’t get the connections to CON1 mixed up. WIRE 210mm LONG GND 2.1mm CONCENTRIC POWER CONNECTOR, PANEL MOUNTING + to the tuner and check that the LCD lights up. It should display the SILICON CHIP logo for about three seconds (see photo) and then give a warning stating that no digital or FM stations have been programmed in. It should then default to 104.1MHz in FM mode. Assuming this is correct, switch off and attach the lid to the case, securing it using the seven supplied M4 x 6mm screws (three along the top and two at either end). (REAR OF BOX) + Ultrasonic anti-fouling for boats By LEO SIMPSON Part 2: encapsulating the transducer and installation In the September issue we published the details of the ultrasonic driver for this project, which is housed in an IP65 case for safety and protection from water ingress. This month we describe how to encapsulate the ultrasonic transducer so that it is completely safe to handle. Once it is encapsulated it will operate reliably, even if it is submerged in the bilge of the boat. We also show a typical installation of the system in a large power boat. M ake no mistake. The drive voltage applied to the transducer in this project is enough to give you a severe electric shock. I speak from painful experience here, having inadvertently touched the top of an exposed transducer while it was under test, prior to “potting”. In fact, the shock I received was solely due to my own body capacitance to earth, since I only touched part of the circuit with one finger. If the total voltage had been applied across both my arms, for example, I might not have been here to write the second part of this article. So you have been warned! THIS PROJECT IS POTENTIALLY LETHAL! 80  Silicon Chip For that reason, we have come up with a very specific procedure for encapsulation of the transducer. Please follow it exactly. Preparation . . . The first step is to obtain everything in the Bill of Materials, shown elsewhere in this article. We start with a standard plastic plumbing fitting, available from stores like Bunnings and plumbing outlets. It is described as a “50mm BSP male valve socket”. BSP stands for “British Standard Pipe” and you will find it is the same 50mm coarse thread as on the outlet pipe for your toilet cistern. siliconchip.com.au WARNING! This circuit produces an output voltage of up to 800V peak-peak to drive the ultrasonic transducer and is capable of delivering a severe electric shock. DO NOT touch the drive unit output terminals, the PC tracks leading to CON2 or the transducer terminals when power is applied. To ensure safety, the PC board must be housed in the recommended plastic case, while the transducer must be correctly housed and fully encapsulated in resin as described here. The largest outside diameter of the transducer is close to 44mm and therefore is a close fit inside the 48mm smaller inside diameter of the nominal 50mm male valve socket. The first step in the procedure is to: Use a rasp or coarse file to create a flat on one side of the plastic fitting. This needs to be done to slightly reduce the wall thickness of the fitting so that we can mount an IP68 6.5mm cable gland on it. Once the flat has been filed, you need to drill a 12mm hole in the centre of the flattened section to take the 6.5mm cable gland. When fitting the cable gland, you will also need to chamfer the plastic nut on two sides so that it takes up enough thread. Pass a length of the 2-core black sheathed cable through the gland and strip the wires as shown in Photo 4. The length should be sufficient to be neatly routed from the mounting position of the ultrasonic driver to the Photo 1: before we get under way, here are the chemical products we’re recommending. On the left is the Electrolube Polyurethane Potting Compound, with instructions and the Electrolube Silicone Mould Release. Centre is the Fix-A-Tap waterproof lubricant (available from hardware stores and pool shops) while on the right is the J-B Weld 2-part Epoxy Glue. It’s not easy to get – but it works! Bill of Materials – Encapsulated Transducer 1 piezoelectric transducer (Jaycar AU-5556) 1 black plastic flange washer (Hansen SBN50LB) 1 50mm BSP male valve socket (HR-P0175050 or Vinidex equivalent etc) 1 IP65 6.5mm cable gland (one of three required for the whole project) ~10 metres 2-core black flexible sheathed speaker cable (see text) [the same cable should be used for the DC input to the ultrasonic driver box. The exact amount will depend on the length of the boat] (eg Jaycar WB-1754) 1 small jar of petroleum jelly or Vaseline 1 40ml tube of non-hardening silicone grease (eg Fix-A-Tap waterproof lubricant) 1 piece of melamine-coated or Formica-coated pyneboard or MDF etc (say 150 x 200mm) 1 250g pack of 2-part polyurethane potting resin (Electrolube UR5097) 1 spray can silicone mould release (Electrolube DAS400) 1 pack of J-B Weld high temperature 2-part epoxy 5 1mm thick black plastic “spacers” (see text) 4 stainless steel self-tapping screws (to attach ultrasonic driver box to bulkhead in boat) 1 small piece of cling-wrap (say 150mm square) 1 piece of coarse grade sand/emery paper siliconchip.com.au Photo 2: here we’ve filed a flat on one side of the 50mm BSP male valve socket and drilled a 12mm hole, both of which are needed to accommodate the 6.5mm cable gland through which the wires pass from the driver to the transducer. Photo 3: Unfortunately, on the threaded end there were some moulding dags – we need the base perfectly flat so we trimmed these off with a sharp knife then smoothed it with some sandpaper. N November ovember 2010  81 FOR BOATS UP TO 14m LONG, LOCATE SECOND ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER HERE (INSIDE HULL) Photo 4: next, we passed the end of the flexible 2-wire cable through this cable gland, leaving plenty of free wire on the inside. Leave the gable gland nuts loose at this stage to allow the cable to slip in and out. Photo 5: the 6.5mm cable gland, when tightened up later, makes a completely waterproof entry point for the flexible cable from the driver unit. The recommended cable is double insulated but still highly flexible. Photo 6: next we soldered the two bared ends of the cable to the lugs on the side of the transducer (disconnect from the driver unit first!) Make sure these solder joins are good’uns, because once potted, you won’t be able to get at them! 82  Silicon Chip Fig.1: preferred transducer mounting position for typical boat hulls. Catamarans would require one transducer and driver for each hull; boats longer than 14m could require three or four systems. planned mounting position of the transducer in the hull. We suggest that you make the cable length at least 4 metres; perhaps more for a very large boat. You can always shorten it at the time of installation. Solder the wires to the transducer, as shown in Photo 6. When the transducer is positioned inside the plastic valve socket and finally encapsulated, we want the encapsulating material to be no more than 1mm thick over the face of the transducer – therefore the transducer needs to sit up 1mm above the bottom of the socket. To achieve this, you will need to glue some pieces of black plastic 1mm thick to the face of the transducer. We used Loctite Glass adhesive which cures on exposure to daylight (ultraviolet). We glued five pieces but four is probably enough. See Photo 7. These 1mm “spacers” ensure the right thickness of the encapsulation, as will become evident as we proceed. Next, we work on the black plastic flange, ie, the “Hansen SBN50LB black plastic flange washer” to make a jig for the encapsulation process. This flange is a standard unit used on plastic water tank installations and will eventually be used to secure the encapsulated transducer to the hull of your boat. For now, we need to drill four 4mm holes to take 6G self-tapping screws, in the flange section. The flange is then attached to a piece of melamine-coated or otherwise sealed MDF or pyneboard. Before you do that, place a sheet of cling-wrap between the flange and the baseboard, as in Photo 8. Note that the screws used to attach the black plastic flange will be re-used when the ultrasonic driver unit is installed in the hull of the boat. Having screwed the flange to the baseboard, spray inside the thread of the fitting and the cling wrap with Electrolube DAS400 silicone mould release, as shown in Photo 9. Make sure the cling wrap is taut and has not become crinkled by the mould release spray. Screw the male valve socket, with transducer attached by its leads, into the black plastic flange. Do not overtighten it. You now have a secure jig for the encapsulation process. The transducer should still be outside the valve socket, as shown in Photo 10. It now becomes clear why we need the silicone mould siliconchip.com.au FOR BOATS UP TO 10m LONG, LOCATE ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER HERE (INSIDE HULL) release spray. We need to be able to detach the flange from the transducer/valve socket after encapsulation is complete. Photo 7: here you can clearly see the five 1mm bits of plastic we glued to the transducer surface to give clearance underneath for the potting compound when it is later poured in. The transducer should be a nice friction fit in the tube – we are just checking everything fits! Mixing the potting compund We now mix the encapsulating compound. This requires one 250g pack of Electrolube UR5097 2-part Polyurethane resin. It comes in a tough plastic pouch which is partitioned into two compartments for the resin and the hardener. You need to remove the plastic fittings from the pouch and then merge the two syrupy liquids together. Knead and roll the bag around for several minutes to thoroughly mix the resin. Follow the instructions on the pack – but we found mixing took quite a lot longer than the instructions specified (probably because it was a rather cold September day when we did it). But eventually we were happy with the mix – a consistency of runny grease. Now pour a small amount of the mixed resin into the valve socket so that it covers the bottom surface by a few millimetres. Then insert the transducer face down into the valve socket and push it all the way down. Remember that we want the encapsulation on the face of the transducer to be only 1mm thick. If at all possible, make sure that the transducer has equal clearance all round, inside the valve socket. Photo 7 shows this clearly. When you are sure that the transducer is correctly positioned, push the leads down so that they will be fully covered by the resin. Then pour in more resin until its level is just below (say a millimetre or so) the lip of the valve socket. Do not fill it to the brim, otherwise it will overflow as it warms and expands slightly during the curing process. Leave it overnight to cure. The ambient temperature should preferably be more than 15°C otherwise the curing process will take too long. The cured resin is not really hard – it has some “give” if you press it with a finger-nail. When cured, remove the four screws holding the flange to the MDF and lift it off. It should come away easily. You should be able to peel the cling-wrap off the face of the finished transducer, leaving a nice clean smooth surface. The finished transducer should look like that shown in Photos 15 and 16. siliconchip.com.au Photo 8: to make sure the potting mix doesn’t stick to the base board, stretch some cling wrap underneath the flange. Remove any wrinkles or bubbles because you want the potting compound to be as smooth as possible. Note the four holes we drilled through the flange. Photo 9: when you have screwed the flange onto the base board, spray some mould release onto the cling wrap and also onto the threads of the nut, again to make sure that the potting mix later lets go as it should. You’ll probably find that the mould release causes the cling wrap to wrinkle a little – again, pull the cling wrap tight to make it smooth. N November ovember 2010  83 Installation in the boat There are two steps to the installation in a boat. First, determine the optimum position for, and install, the transducer and then similarly select the location for the ultrasonic driver unit and then install it. The driver case needs to be mounted on a bulkhead or other position where it is unlikely to be splashed or immersed in any water which may be in the bilge. We will discuss installation of the transducer first. Transducer location Photo 10: remove the transducer and screw the empty pipework into the nut. Make it firm, but not so tight that it bites into the cling wrap. You’re now just about ready to pot the transducer so make one last check that your solder joints are perfect – once potted, it’s very hard to remove ! Photo 11: the potting mix comes in a two-part pack which must first be combined and then thoroughly mixed before use. You needs to knead it! On a cool day, this can take quite a few minutes to do but if you don’t mix completely, the compound may not cure properly. As shown in the diagram of Fig.1, the encapsulated transducer must be installed inside the hull, near the running gear (ie, propellers and rudders). On the boat shown in the photos, the transducer was installed in the lazarette, under the floor of the transom. First, you must find a suitable flat section of the hull and on many boats, this will not be easy. Try positioning the black plastic flange (ie, without the transducer fitted) in a number of positions to get the best spot. Now let us go through the steps for installation. With some coarse sandpaper and a sanding block, roughen the face of the black plastic flange, as in Photo 17. We want a good “key” for the epoxy resin. Use the sandpaper and sanding block to thoroughly scour the hull position where the black flange is to be mounted. Photo 19 shows the plastic flange temporarily in position on the hull after it has been sanded. By the way, it is essential that the mounting area for the flange must be clean and dry, and free from dust and grease. And of course, there should be no possibility of exposure to bilge water while the epoxy resin is curing. Then mix a quantity of J-B Weld High Temperature 2-part epoxy resin. Do not use Araldite or any other epoxy mixes. We want to be sure of a reliable longterm bond to the hull which won’t let go with constant ultrasonic vibration. See Photo 20. Apply a liberal coating of petroleum jelly (or Vaseline) to the thread of the plastic flange, as in Photo 18. We don’t want any epoxy resin to adhere to the threads otherwise the flange will not be usable. Apply the mixed epoxy resin to the roughened surface of the flange, as in Photo 21. Then press it down onto the previously prepared section of the hull. Leave it to set for 24 hours. If the water (and therefore the hull) is very cold (eg, midwinter), leave it for longer. Some adhesive will probably ooze out from under the flange – outside the flange it doesn’t matter too much (apart from aesthetics). Inside, though, it should be carefully cleaned away without getting it on the threads so that the transducer (when fitted) will not sit proud of the hull. Installing the driver unit Photo 12: once mixed, cut the corner of the bag off and pour just a small amount – say a couple of millimetres or so – into the transducer housing. Put the bag to one side for a moment (remember to keep the pouring hole up!). 84  Silicon Chip The next step is to install the ultrasonic driver unit. Its IP65 plastic case has provision for four mounting screws. To fit them, you need to remove the transparent lid of the case and position the unit in the spot where it is to be mounted. Preferably, it should be on a vertical bulkhead above the waterline, say between the engine compartment and the lazarette. On the boat in the photos, this was not possible so it was positioned on the horizontal beam which carries siliconchip.com.au the hydraulic drive to the rudder (Photo 24). It is most important that the ultrasonic driver unit be mounted above any likely spray or splashes from water in the bilge. On no account should you drill holes in the hull to mount the ultrasonic driver – that carries too much risk of you drilling right through the hull! Photo 25 shows the ultrasonic driver being mounted in place. Use stainless steel screws – you can recycle those you earlier used to make the encapsulation jig. Having mounted the ultrasonic driver in place, then position the encapsulated transducer next to the flange. Inevitably, this will involve running its cable through inaccessible holes in parts of the boat structure. If you can run the cable next to existing cable, so much the better. Lace the cable into position where necessary. It should not be allowed to flap about or hang in loose loops. Remember that boats experience severe vibration and we don’t want the cable to fail in the long term (Photo 27). You may have to drill holes in bulkheads to run the transducer cable through. Make sure those holes do not have rough edges which can chafe the cable. If they do, fit suitable grommets. Photo 13: now push the transducer hard down, into the potting mix, face down. About now you might find out that overfilling with potting mix makes a nice mess of your thumbs . . . try to get the transducer as centrally located in the tube as possible, although it’s not vital. Pull the cable back through the grommet until about 10mm of outer insulation is showing inside, then tighten the nuts. Meanwhile, back at the ranch hull . . . Now that the J-B Weld has cured, we can return to the transducer mounting. First, liberally coat the face of the encapsulated transducer with a non-hardening grease. We suggest “Fix-ATap” waterproof lubricant which can be readily obtained from hardware stores. This is applied to fill any voids when the transducer housing is screwed down into the flange. Before screwing in the transducer housing (a conventional clockwise thread), twist the housing anticlockwise the same number of turns as it takes to screw it in so that when the transducer is installed, the cable is in its natural (untwisted) position. Do not over-tighten it but make sure that it is tight enough that it is not likely to shake loose over time. Then make sure that the transducer cable is neatly routed and cannot possibly interfere with the operation of any moveable parts such as the rudder gear. Finally, you need to make the supply connections to the house battery. Again, lace and anchor the supply cable securely. There is no need to fit an in-line fuse since there is already a 3A fuse on the PC board. Note that since we are making a permanent connection to the battery, it must have a float charger or preferably, a 3-state charger so that it is always kept charged. When power is applied, the green LED can be seen to be glowing through the transparent lid of the case. Photo 14: squeeze the potting compound out like toothpaste – not too fast, to be sure you don’t get any bubbles trapped. Fill to a millimetre or so below the top of the tube – as it cures, it warms and expands. We found we used most of the 250g pack of resin. Turn it on . . . and nothing! You probably won’t know that it’s operating but if you want to check that the circuit is active, just position a portable AM radio next to the driver and you should hear it squealing away. As discussed in the FAQs (overleaf) there may be some who will hear a few clicks or whistles but these would be unusual. OVERLEAF: Answers to the many questions we’ve already been asked about this system! siliconchip.com.au Photo 15: when cured and removed from the jig, this is what it will look like (hopefully without the air bubbles, although these won’t affect operation). The top of the potting compound is just below the top of the fitting. N November ovember 2010  85 Ultrasonic Anti-Fouling FAQs The first article on ultrasonic anti-fouling for boats has prompted a deluge of questions from readers who could not wait until the second article. So here are the answers. Q: How big a boat? A: The single transducer design and driver presented here is suitable for boats up to 10 metres long. Longer boats, say up to 14 metres, will require two transducers, each with its own driver unit. Boats bigger than 15 metres, say up to 20 metres, will require at least three and maybe four transducers and drivers. Photo 16: and here’s what it looks like from the underside (the bit that contacts with the boat hull). The rough edge on the socket is actually a smooth edge – we removed some thread ends with sandpaper. Catamarans up to 10 metres long will require a separate transducer and driver unit for each hull. Q: Do I need to cut a hole in the hull for the transducer? A: Definitely not. The encapsulated transducer is mounted on a flat surface inside the hull. For a boat up to 10 metres, the transducer should be mounted near the running gear (ie, propellers & rudders) so that it offers maximum protection from marine growth. Q: Is ultrasonic anti-fouling suitable for all boats? Photo 17: now we’re moving onto the installation in the boat. After you remove the black plastic flange from your temporary jig, roughen the bottom with some coarse sandpaper. This is to give a good “key” for the adhesive to ensure it won’t vibrate loose when fixed to the boat hull. A: Ultrasonic anti-fouling relies on one or more transducers mounted inside the hull to excite it at various frequencies in order to disrupt the cell structure of algae. It works well with metal hulls such as aluminium and with fibreglass hulls. It does not work with timber hulls as the timber is not a good conductor of ultrasonic energy. The same comment applies to ferro-cement or fibreglass hulls with a balsa sandwich or other composite construction (eg, closed-cell PVC foam). Q: Does the ultrasonic anti-fouling unit present a risk of electric shock? A: As stated in the circuit description, the ultrasonic transducer is driven with peak voltages up to 800V. If you make direct contact with the circuit or the ultrasonic transducer there is a very high probability that you will receive a severe electric shock. That is why the transducer itself must be completely encapsulated in a plastic fitting, as described elsewhere in this article. Q: Is it necessary for the boat’s hull to be cleaned of marine growth and conventionally anti-fouled before the ultrasonic antifouling system is installed? Photo 18: it’s important that glue doesn’t get into the thread, where it would clog it up. We smeared a good coating of Vaseline right around the threads – make sure it doesn’t get on the bottom of the flange where you want the glue to take! 86  Silicon Chip A:Ultrasonic anti-fouling is unlikely to kill shell fish or molluscs already attached to the hull. Nor will it cause them to detach from the hull. Hence, there is no alternative to having the hull scraped and water-blasted to clean off all existing marine growth. And if it is already on the slips for such cleaning and siliconchip.com.au other maintenance such as servicing outboard legs and replacing sacrificial anodes, it probably makes sense to have conventional anti-fouling paint applied, although this may be regarded as optional. We should also emphasise that, no matter how effective ultrasonic anti-fouling may be in keeping the hull clean of marine growth, it will still be necessary to do regular maintenance such as the already mentioned servicing of outboard legs (in case of boats with inboard/outboard motors) and replacing sacrificial anodes. Q: Will ultrasonic anti-fouling keep propellers, rudders and other “running gear” free of marine growth or is it still necessary to use anti-fouling compounds such as PropSpeed? Photo 19: move the empty flange around the hull to determine the best transducer mounting position. When you’re happy with your choice (see the text), roughen the fibreglass as you did the black flange – for the same reason. Here the flange is sitting in place but not yet glued. A: Ultrasonic anti-fouling should keep props and rudders free of marine growth. Overseas experience with commercial units has shown this to be the case. Q: Does ultrasonic anti-fouling cause increased electrolytic leakage currents (electrolysis) and thereby increase corrosion on boats? A: The ultrasonic transducer and driver unit are installed entirely within the hull of the boat and the ultrasonic transducer itself is transformer driven and is completely encapsulated to provide a high degree of insulation. There should be no leakage currents at all. Q: Does ultrasonic anti-fouling harm fish or marine mammals? 2183 Photo 20: did someone mention glue? We’re recommending J-B Weld to secure the flange to the hull. It’s not that easy to buy (try your local hardware store as distinct from the big chains) and it’s not cheap – but it sticks like the proverbial. A: This system causes no harm to fish or to marine mammals. Fish cannot hear it and while marine mammals certainly can perceive and respond to ultrasonic signals, they are not harmed in any way by the relatively low power levels which are likely to be radiated by the hull of the boat. Furthermore, the signal levels are much lower than those directly radiated by depth sounders and fish finders. Q: Will I be able to hear the ultrasonic anti-fouling unit in operation, especially at night when the water is very still? A: Unless you are a bat(!), you cannot hear ultrasonic frequencies directly. However, the transducer and the driving transformer do emit high frequencies and clicks at low levels. These are actually sub-harmonics of the siliconchip.com.au 2301 Photo 21: apply a good layer of mixed glue all over the roughened base of the flange, again making sure you don’t get any on the thread. You have quite a while before it starts to cure so take your time! N November ovember 2010  87 Ultrasonic Anti-Fouling FAQs ultrasonic signals and are most evident as the frequencies are continuously shifted up and down over the operating spectrum. However, once the unit is installed, you will only be able to hear these sounds, if at all, by placing your ear directly over the ultrasonic driver or over the transducer. You might also be able to feel some slight vibration of the transducer itself. Photo 22: it’s almost inevitable that there will be some J-B Weld oozing out from under the flange as you press it in place. The secret is to apply only as much pressure as is really needed to ensure the glue spreads right around, then wipe any excess off before it sets. Q: Is ultrasonic anti-fouling equipment likely to cause damage to the hull of a boat, especially those of fibreglass construction? Will it cause osmosis or de-lamination? A: We know of no research into this topic and while it could be suggested that the continuous, albeit low-power, ultrasonic vibration of the hull could lead to de-lamination, such ultrasonic vibration is extremely low in amplitude compared with the severe hull vibration caused by propellers and diesel or petrol motors when boats are operating at high power, especially when “on the plane”. Furthermore, hulls are placed under very high stresses when boats are being pounded by heavy seas or are repeatedly slammed though waves or hitting wakes of other boats at speed. Many older fibreglass boats, say more than 20 years old, are subject to osmosis and de-lamination. Repairs are routine but expensive to carry out and the boat must be out of the water for many months to ensure that any water trapped in hull laminations is removed. Photo 23: once set (24 hours +), the transducer assembly is screwed into position with a good big dollop of Fix-ATap lubricant on the face. But before doing so, wind it anti-clockwise a number of turns so that the cable ends up without loops or kinks. Screw down as hard as you can with your fingers but don’t force it. Lace any loose cables. If a boat was fitted with ultrasonic anti-fouling and after years of use, there is subsequent evidence of hull osmosis or de-lamination, it would be impossible to determine if it were caused by normal wear and tear or other causes. Ultrasonic anti-fouling is routinely fitted to brand new boats but anyone contemplating such an installation would be wise to check that hull warranties are not invalidated. We make no warranties that ultrasonic anti-fouling does not cause hull damage. Q: Will my boat batteries be damaged by the ultrasonic driver unit? A: The ultrasonic driver circuitry described last month incorporates battery protection. If the battery is discharged to 11.5V, the circuit is disabled and will not resume operation until the battery is recharged. Photo 24: the location for the driver unit is just as important as the transducer. It must be one which can NEVER interfere with any boat operation and one which won’t be stepped on if you need to get into the area. Just as importantly, it must be one which won’t be swamped by bilge water, despite the IP65 case! 88  Silicon Chip However, since the ultrasonic anti-fouling driver is designed to operate continuously, the battery supplying it will need to be on permanent float charge. This will require 230VAC shore power if you are fortunate enough to have your boat in a pen or marina berth. If your boat is on a swing mooring or is otherwise without shore power, then a solar panel and suitable siliconchip.com.au – continued charger will be needed to keep the battery up to charge. We plan to publish a suitable solar charger with MPPT (maximum power point tracking) in a future issue. Q: How big a solar panel will be required to keep the battery sufficiently charged? A: The continuous power drain of the ultrasonic driver is about 3W or less, depending on the actual supply although the peak powers are much higher, at around 40W or more. To provide this level of power on a continuous basis you will need a solar panel installation of at least 20W. Many boats on swing moorings would already have such a solar panel but it would need to be augmented by at least another 20W to be sure that the battery is fully charged during periods of bad weather or in winter when there are less hours of sunlight. Photo 25: Use the case itself (with the lid off!) as a template to mark your drilling positions, then move the case and drill the holes to mount the driver electronics. Can the ultrasonic driver feed two or more transducers? A: The ultrasonic driver presented here can definitely only drive one transducer. Connecting it to two transducers in parallel will overload both its transformer and the driving Mosfets. In addition, each transducer needs its own separate transformer to drive it, so that it can resonate independently of other transducers. This is necessary to obtain maximum efficiency from each transducer. While it is certainly possible to produce a design with more than one transformer in order to drive two transducers (or three transformers to drive three transducers etc), the resulting design would require a much larger PC board and IP65 case. This would inevitably mean that it would be more difficult to mount in a boat since space is always at a premium. Photo 26: remember those four stainless steel self-tappers we told you not to discard? They’re perfect for securing the case to its mounting position. A power screwdriver is a good idea here: we didn’t have the right bit and screwing into the fibreglass was really tough going. In addition, in a larger boat installation, having multiple single ultrasonic drivers and transducers confers an extra degree of reliability with virtually no penalty in terms of battery drain. Q: Will the ultrasonic anti-fouling cause interference to radio operation on my boat? A: If you place a portable AM radio on top of the ultrasonic anti-fouling driver unit, you should be able to hear evidence of its operation as a continuously shifting squeal. However, at even small distances away from the driver, such interference should be negligible. No interference will be caused to marine radio communications or to broadcast FM or TV reception, or to digital TV or DAB+ reception. Q: Will the ultrasonic anti-fouling unit interfere with the operation of depth sounders or fish finders? A: No. siliconchip.com.au SC Photo 27: after mounting, connect to an appropriate battery (one that receives shore power or solar panel charging). Dress the leads so that they can’t move around or vibrate (remember that there are severe stresses and forces at work in a boat, especially at speed). Use small cable ties to lace the cables to existing wiring. N November ovember 2010  89 BY MAURO GRASSI Review . . . Altium Designer & the NanoBoard 3000 Altium Designer is software for designing PC boards, circuit diagrams, Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) projects and embedded software. It can work with the NanoBoard 3000 hardware platform and its supplied software libraries let you quickly develop, test and debug a device without the need for any hardware design or manufacturing. A RGUABLY THE premier design package in Australia, Altium Designer has so many features that it’s impossible to cover them all in this review. Basically, it is a comprehensive electronics design package encompassing a PC board layout and circuit diagram editor, a Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM) manager, and an FPGA and embedded software Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Also included are simulation tools, version control, test instruments, software libraries and more. This review refers to the features of the Summer 09 edition. We will 90  Silicon Chip cover the most important aspects of the software but will necessarily leave out others due to space constraints. If you require further information on these, take a look at Altium’s online resources at www.altium.com Migrating from other software Many readers will be familiar with the existing Electronic Computer Aided Design (ECAD) packages such as Autotrax, Easytrax, Protel 2.8, Protel 99SE, EAGLE and KiCad. Other packages include Allegro and OrCAD from Cadence and PADS from Mentor Graphics. Altium Designer is an all-in-one package which can do what they can and more. Its import wizards allow existing Autotrax, Protel, Allegro, OrCAD and PADS files to be used. As Altium was formerly known as Protel, it’s not surprising that Altium Designer retains some of the elements of Protel 99SE while adding new features and improving on old ones. If you’ve used Protel 99SE, migrating to Altium Designer will be relatively straightforward. 3D PC board editing One of the great features of Altium siliconchip.com.au Above: the NanoBoard 3000XN is a comprehensive hardware development platform based around a powerful FPGA. It’s programmed via a USB cable from inside Altium Designer. Designer is its 3D visualisation package. This allows you to see what a PC board will look like in three dimensions while editing it without having to build it. The 3D rendering is fast enough to allow interactive use and you can even see the layers inside the PC board. The 3D capabilities of Altium Designer are best explored with a Space­ Navigator™, a joystick-like device from a company called 3DConnexion (www.3dconnexion.com). It enables you to change the viewing position and zoom distance in an intuitive way. Altium Designer supports such devices out of the box but you can also use a mouse if necessary. While Protel 99SE could produce a 3D view of a PC board, Altium Designer has a much better engine that allows some basic board editing in 3D mode. For example, components can be moved or deleted and properties can be changed. The 3D view can be used to check that the PC board fits inside its enclosure, for example. This is done by superimposing a transparent 3D model of the enclosure on the board. It is also useful for checking for electrical errors in the layout of the PC board and for checking that parts don’t physically interfere with each other. Copper tracks, vias and pads are rendered siliconchip.com.au realistically, as well as any silk screen layers. This makes it easy to spot common errors, such as overlaying the silk screen on a pad or via. While some of the components in the supplied libraries already have 3D bodies, you can also easily create a default component body by selecting which outlines to extrude. This will be sufficient in most cases but you can also add realism by using texture mapping, where an image can be attached to a component’s surface. However, texture maps cannot be wrapped around a cylinder, eg, for an electrolytic capacitor. Components without a 3D representation are simply shown as pads and silkscreen outlines. Interactive routing Arguably the most important part of a PC board layout tool is the track routing support and in this respect Altium Designer is exceptional. Its interactive routing modes include “Push and Hug” routing, “Walkaround” (track hugging) and “Track Slicing”. “Push and Hug” mode allows you to literally “push” a number of tracks to make room for new ones, without having to delete and re-route them. By contrast, “Walkaround” allows you to easily route a track so that it’s adjacent to existing tracks, to most efficiently use the available board area, especially when routing busses. Finally, “Track Slicing” allows you to break tracks along a line defined by the mouse. All these features are great aids in the sometimes painstaking work of routing PC boards. Push and Hug is also handy when it comes to moving tracks. If there are several parallel tracks and you try to move the one at the edge inwards, they are all automatically moved so that they remain parallel with the appropriate clearance. Doing this in other ECAD packages can require a lot of manual editing. There are other time-saving features. Tracks and pads are automatically labelled with the net name or pin designator if they are large enough. When the mouse is moved over a track, its entire net is highlighted, giving a clear indication of what it is connected to (a “net” refers to all the points in a circuit that are electrically joined). One problem that many ECAD packages have is that tracks can become fragmented as they are edited. You can often end up with a track composed of separate smaller segments, which is undesirable. Altium Designer takes a good approach – a background process is always running that automatically detects co-linear track fragments belonging to the same net and converts them to a single segment. There are some rare cases where this process does not correctly merge segments, eg, if two segments are not perfectly aligned, so that they do not share a vertex. This can happen when changing the measuring unit for the grid from Imperial to metric or vice versa, where rounding off errors can be introduced. Differential pair routing For both radio frequency (RF) and high-speed digital signalling, good layout techniques are critical. A “differential pair” is a pair of tracks on a PC board which carry signals which are opposite in polarity. The same technique is used in twisted-pair cables as it reduces crosstalk and electromagnetic interference (EMI). Proper differential routing is especially important in high-speed signalling applications such as Hi-Speed USB (Universal Serial Bus) 2.0. The USB D+ and D- lines are a differential pair, a requirement for achieving the maximum transfer rate of 480Mbps. November 2010  91 Fig.1: a 2D representation of a PC board in the layout editor. The blue tracks are on the bottom layer and the red tracks are on the top layer (representing wire links). You can also see the rats’ nest connections corresponding to the nets in the circuit diagram. Note that, in practice, the colours are much more vivid on-screen than shown here. This type of routing is becoming increasingly common with the growing use of faster serial busses like eSATA and USB 3.0. Altium Designer allows you to tune the length and impedance of tracks as you route them. This is useful for impedance matching (which reduces signal reflections and therefore waveform distortion) and laying microstrips (a form of waveguide made from PC board tracks). These are especially important for wireless devices which can operate at 2.4GHz or more. Multi-channel design When designing a PC board, sometimes identical sub-circuits need to be laid out. For example, in a stereo audio design, the two channels may require duplicate circuits. A common solution is to lay out one channel and then duplicate it. However, this technique is less than ideal because when changes have to be made they must be made to all the copies. Altium Designer takes a better approach to this with its “multi channel” design feature. You only maintain a single copy of the sub-circuit, which is then linked to multiple parts of the 92  Silicon Chip PC board or circuit diagram. When you change the master copy, all the other copies change too. Layer stack A PC board often consists of multiple layers although two layers is the most common (ie, a double-sided PC board). Different layers are shown in different colours, with blue often used to represent the “bottom” layer and red the “top” layer. In order to connect a bottom layer track to a top layer track, a “via” is used. This is usually a small pad on each side of the board, with a copperplated through hole connecting the two layers. Vias are used for boards with more than two layers as well but in this case, they do not necessarily connect all the layers of the board. Some may not be visible on the surface of the PC board which is formed from a “sandwich” of substrates. The top and bottom layers are called “external” layers, while the rest are called “internal” layers. While the 2D representation of the PC board can show the internal layers by using additional colours, as the layer count increases it becomes more difficult to see which layers a via is connected to, especially if it is a “blind” or “buried” via. A via which passes through one external layer but not the other is called a “blind via”, while a via which is only between internal layers (and thus not externally visible) is called a “buried via”. Keeping track of which vias (or multi-layer pads) connect to which tracks is made easier by using the “Layer Stack” feature. This shows a cross section of the PC board around the selected via and shows which layers it connects to (see Fig.5). Pin swapping The PC board layout tool also allows you to perform “pin swapping”. This is especially useful for designs using high pin count FPGAs or micro­ controllers. It allows you to swap the nets (ie, all the connection points) associated with two pins. If an IC’s pins can be re-mapped, it’s possible to greatly simplify the layout of the PC board by carefully selecting which pins connect where. This minimises track crossings (resulting in a much simpler layout), keeps tracks short and makes differential routing siliconchip.com.au Fig.2: a 3D view of the same PC board as in Fig.1. Realism has been added by defining leads for most of the components and texture maps for the relays and capacitors. The orange cone is the 3D cursor. easier. Quite a few pins may need to have their functions swapped before the ideal layout is achieved, so automating this process is very helpful. Linking to online databases An important part of hardware design is selecting and sourcing components and the trend is to do this online. Altium Designer allows you to access suppliers’ databases directly and large suppliers such as Farnell, Newark and Digikey currently offer access to their inventory via this software. Not only can you search their online databases and access technical information about the component (including the data sheet) from within Altium Designer but you can also check stock levels and place an order. More importantly, with some of the newer components, you have access to component footprint information and STEP models (Standard for the Exchange of Product model data). This allows you to insert the component directly into your design from the vendor without having to go though the time-consuming (and error-prone) process of manually creating component symbols and footprints. STEP is a standard way of describsiliconchip.com.au ing the mechanical specifications of a component. It can be used to give assembly details too, including any dependency relationships between components. For example, a component may need to be installed before another one, meaning the order of assembly may be crucial. Altium Designer can also use these STEP models to render a 3D model of the component (for 3D visualisation of the PC board) and to improve its “Design Rule Checking”. Design Rule Checking Design Rule Checking (DRC) is a way of verifying a PC board against a list of rules or “constraints”. For example, you can check whether tracks or pads are too close together, or whether tracks that shouldn’t be joined do in fact join. You can also check whether pins on a component have been left unconnected or if one component’s body interferes with another. Altium Designer’s DRC is comprehensive and easy to customise. You can even check the integrity of a signal using its circuit simulator and any violations of the rules are summarised in a report file. Clicking on an error in the report takes you to the relevant place on the PC board, which is highlighted. This list is also made available in a floating window, so that the violations can easily be checked in turn. In addition, Altium Designer supports “Live DRC”, with the board being checked against the design rules as you work on it. This is very handy as, for example, you can determine how wide a track can be to fit between components without violating clearance constraints and so on. Components which violate constraints are highlighted with a special pattern and annotated, thereby streamlining the design process. Linking circuits & PC boards Usually, a circuit diagram is drawn before PC board layout begins. To draw a circuit, Altium Designer’s Graphical User Interface (GUI) allows components to be placed on a “sheet”, labelled and connected via wires to form the nets. Each component has both a symbol and one or more footprints associated with it. The symbol is used in the circuit diagram while one of the footprints is selected to go on the PC board. Basically, the symbol represents the component’s electrical properNovember 2010  93 Fig.3: another 3D view, this time from the side. Unplaced components are visible in the background along with their rats’ nest connections. The height of components is more obvious in this view. ties while the footprint also contains mechanical information, such as the physical size of the component and its pad locations. For a transistor, the symbol would be the typical transistor diagram showing the base, emitter and collector. The footprint, on the other hand, would typically consist of three pads and a silk screen outline of the body. It might also include additional information to render a more detailed 3D body, as shown in our screen grabs. Once the circuit diagram is complete and has been successfully “compiled” (which involves creating a complete global netlist), you can “synchronise” the schematic to the PC board. This results in the appropriate footprints being placed adjacent to the board so that they can be moved onto it. You can see some of these unplaced components in Fig.3. It is then possible to use either an automatic placement algorithm (which obeys the design rules) or manually place the components yourself. Lines are drawn between pads which need to be connected (the so-called “rats’ nest”) which can help determine the best location and orientation for each component. 94  Silicon Chip If the circuit is later changed, those changes can be re-synchronised to the PC board and vice versa. Circuit simulation Altium Designer has integrated support for simulation environments, including ModelSim and various flavours of SPICE (Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis). These numerical simulations, together with Altium Designer’s virtual instruments and its support for test points, allow a design to be partly tested before it is built. Manufacturing outputs When the PC board is ready for manufacture, you can use the Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM) manager to export Gerber plot files, NC drill files and data in newer formats like ODB++ (a proprietary format that is increasing in popularity). These can then be sent to a PC board manufacturer. The CAM manager is quite powerful. You can import Gerber files, “panelise” your design (ie, put multiple boards into one file) and create SMT (Surface Mount Technology) solder stencils for reflowing. You can also generate product assembly informa- tion, including files to control pick and place machines for assembly. Altium Designer also makes it easy to generate a BOM (Bill Of Materials) for parts ordering. It can also produce schematic and PC board hard copies, manufacturing data, mechanical drawings and so on. You simply select what kind of data to produce and Altium Designer will generate the files with a single click of the mouse. NanoBoard 3000 The NanoBoard 3000 is a hardware development platform that’s integrated with Altium Designer. It is ideal for rapid prototyping but can also be used for production, especially where small runs are involved. This can be economical as the extra cost of the hardware can be offset by greatly reduced development time. In addition, Altium can supply modular and stackable plastic enclosures for the NanoBoard. The NanoBoard 3000 contains an impressive amount of hardware, the core being a powerful FPGA. In fact, there are actually two FPGAs on the NanoBoard 3000, with one used to program the other and to control the peripheral functions. siliconchip.com.au As well as generous amounts of DRAM, SRAM and FLASH memory, the NanoBoard 3000 also has the following peripherals: (1) a battery-backed Real Time Clock (RTC); (2) a 3-port USB host controller; (3) a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed device port; (4) an ethernet controller and port; (5) an SVGA port; (6) MIDI input and output ports; (7) RS485 and RS232 serial ports; (8) an analog audio output, input and headphone connector; (9) PS/2 ports for keyboard and mouse; (10) S/PDIF digital audio input and output ports; (11) a TFT QVGA (320 x 240) LCD touchscreen; (12) stereo speakers; (13) four relay outputs; (14) two memory card sockets; (15) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs); (16) RGB LEDs and an IR receiver. In addition, there’s a prototyping area on the board and external connections can easily be made using the terminal blocks. It’s also possible to connect “daughter boards” for WiFi, GSM modem or bluetooth support and a USB 2.0 WiFi adapter can also be used. PC board layouts and circuit diag­ rams for the NanoBoard and the daughter boards are provided with Altium Designer, so you can even design your own daughter boards. The board is supplied with a USB cable, a switchmode plugpack, a generic infrared remote control and a stylus for use with the touchscreen. Note that there are different NanoBoards available, depending on which FPGA you prefer. The model we tested was the NanoBoard 3000XN, equipped with a 676-pin Xilinx Spartan 3 FPGA in a small Ball Grid Array (BGA) package. The Spartan 3 has an equivalent gate count of 1.4 million and this is enough to implement a 32-bit CPU (known as a “soft core”) with room left over for peripherals. Once the soft core is loaded onto the FPGA, you can write firmware for it just like you would a regular microprocessor, with the added benefit of customisable peripherals. FPGA configuration The NanoBoard 3000 plugs into siliconchip.com.au Fig.4: a screen grab of the online database access window. In this case, we are accessing the online database of Digikey, looking at a Microchip microcontroller. your PC using the supplied USB cable and is configured via Altium Designer. This includes configuring the FPGA and loading software into it for any soft cores being used. Altium Designer has a GUI for FPGA design. You can draw a diagram consisting of logic blocks, inverters, gates, flipflops, shift registers and so on, all the way up to soft cores and peripherals. The “synthesis software” then configures the FPGA to implement your design. It’s a great teaching and development tool, as very little knowledge of the low-level details is necessary to design a working project. For more complex designs, Verilog or VHDL can be used to describe the desired hardware. Each FPGA vendor provides free synthesis tools for their range of FPGAs. This must be installed so that Altium Designer can work with it. The FPGA component libraries included with Altium Designer have Wishbone-compliant interfaces. This means that they are compatible with many of the OpenCores designs. Wishbone is an open source bus for connecting hardware blocks. OpenCores is a project that aims to provide open source hardware components in the form of verified HDL (Hardware Description Language) code. For more information on this, go to http://opencores.org/ Adhering to this standard allows freely available code to be imported into your next design, thus saving development time. Embedded software IDE Altium Designer supports embedded software development by including C and C++ compilers, as well as various assemblers. If you are using one of the royaltyfree IP soft cores, the software libraries include a lot of the low-level driver software for the hardware interfaces. This includes a TCP/IP stack, USB pro- Fig.5: the “Layer Stack” shows a crosssection of a via or pad. It can be used to see what layers the via connects to, a feature that’s especially important for PC boards with more than two layers. November 2010  95 What Is A Field Programmable Gate Array? An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a digital IC that is software configured using a Hardware Description Language (HDL). You can think of it as a custom digital logic IC that can be configured to suit your application. While both FPGAs and microprocessors can be reconfigured to suit the task at hand (in the latter case, via software), the ability to change an FPGA’s hardware configuration means that it can usually deliver much greater performance for the same clock speed and power consumption. This is possible because an FPGA consists of many “logic blocks” which are connected via multiplexed lines (or “multiplexes”). There are many general-purpose logic blocks for performing arbitrary operations, as well as specialised units to perform common tasks such as data storage, multiplication, shifting, etc. The multiplexes are configured by memory (usually SRAM, EEPROM or Flash) and this determines how the logic blocks are interconnected, so by writing to this memory, the circuitry is reconfigured. It is a bit like a giant high-speed breadboard with programmable wire links. Virtually any digital circuit can be implemented on an FPGA, as long as it has enough logic blocks. The “equivalent gate count” statistic is an estimate of how the FPGA compares to an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC, ie, custom IC). If an FPGA is quoted as having one million equivalent gates, then it can take on the function of a typical ASIC with one million gates or less. This statistic is especially useful for comparing FPGAs across different manufacturers since the internal structure can be different and therefore comparing the number of logic blocks is not valid. The best FPGA performance is achieved by making full use of its specialised logic blocks while keeping the interconnections as short as possible. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about that, as the synthesis software provided by the FPGA manufacturer works it out for you automatically. A hardware synthesis tool is a program which takes a circuit description and determines the best way to implement it using the available hardware building blocks. Typically, the input to a synthesis tool is a Hardware Description Language (HDL) such as Verilog or VHDL. However, with Altium Designer, you can draw an equivalent circuit diagram and the software will generate the HDL for you. Note that hardware synthesis tools are also available for ASIC design so hardware which is prototyped in an FPGA can later be built into a custom IC which will be smaller and faster. While custom ICs are cheaper in large quantities, the set-up costs are huge, so FPGAs are often used for small production runs. tocol handlers, MIDI and audio codecs, image processing libraries and much more. In short, the software support is truly comprehensive. Version control In any project large enough to require multiple designers, version control is critical. Version control systems allow many people to work on a large set of files without “stepping on each others’ toes”. It also helps track down bugs by storing a history of changes for each file and assists with upgrades and testing by keeping track of multiple file and project revisions. Altium Designer integrates with open source version control systems like CVS and Subversion. These are also useful for creating automatic back-ups, while the ability to revert to an earlier, stable version lets you add features with minimal risk. Comparison engines allow you to track 96  Silicon Chip and merge changes between different file versions. C-to-hardware compilation A unique feature of Altium Designer is its ability to automatically build hardware acceleration support for C functions. The compiler can automatically implement hardware in the soft core to accelerate performance-critical functions within the software. This is possible because both the hardware and software can be reconfigured to suit each other. This technique can yield substantial gains in performance, especially for computationally-intensive routines. While there are some limitations as to what kind of functions can be exported to hardware, it is a powerful feature. Online resources Altium Designer gives you access to a wealth of online resources. It includes an integrated web browser which you can use to access the Altium Wiki, the “Resource Center” (with videos and tutorials) and an online community with forums. There is also a Support CENTER, accessible with a valid licence, for better technical support. Tutorials are freely available online and some training will be needed to use the software effectively. Training sessions are hosted by Altium on a regular basis. Conclusion Altium Designer is not simply a suite of tools and substantial effort has been put into integrating all the components. There are powerful cross-probing features, where you can select an item on the circuit diagram and have it selected on the PC board as well. Overall, it is a comprehensive and well-presented package. There are various licencing options for Altium Designer. The standard perpetual licence costs $A6240 + GST but you would also usually purchase a 12-month software assurance for an extra $A1995 (exc. GST), giving access to the biannual updates. This software assurance can (optionally) be renewed annually. For students, Altium offers complete versions of Altium Designer on 12-month licenses for $A115 + GST. The NanoBoard 3000XN costs $A495 (exc. GST) and includes a “soft design licence” for 12 months, allowing you to use the FPGA tools in Altium Designer for development. This licence expires after a year unless you renew it for another year for $A295 (exc. GST). While Altium Designer is not cheap, it offers good value for the amount of software provided. It is a complete solution for almost all general electronic design and also includes access to online resources and support. Although the software has been optimised for performance, you will need a reasonably up-to-date system to use it effectively. Altium’s website lists the minimum requirements. Contact details For further information on Altium Designer or the NanoBoard 3000, contact Altium. Their website at www. altium.com contains a lot of information about their products, including SC information on new features. siliconchip.com.au PRODUCT SHOWCASE New extremely fast Universal Programmer – Elnec BeeProg2 The Elnec BeeProg2 48-pin universal programmer, currently supports more than 52,000 devices. Since programming times are faster than ever before, this new product will appeal not only to hardware developers but also to small and medium sized manufacturers. It reliably programs a wide range of programmable chips in the ZIF socket (and more than 800 models of socket converters are available) as well as through the ISP connector. Elnec’s programmer software allows up to eight BeeProg2 programmers or its predecessors (BeeProg+ or BeeProg) to be connected and operated from one PC making for a very flexible production solution. Furthermore, as a whole it works as a concurrent multiprogramming system. As a result, each programmer can work independently, programming different types of chip when necessary. This solution saves user’s time and also staff and hardware. The BeeProg2 also tests TTL/ CMOS logic ICs and memories, performs device insertion tests (wrong or backward position) and contact checks (poor contact pin-to-socket) before it programs each device. These capabilities, supported by overcurrent protection and signature-byte check, minimize the possibility of chip damage due to operator error. The programming speed increase for serial and parallel NAND and NOR Flash memories means, in absolute numbers, that the BeeProg2 can program and verify a 64 Mbit NOR Flash in less than 13s and program and verify 1 Gbit NAND Flash in less than 123s. The BeeProg2’s programming times are comparable to competing USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drives from Verbatim Verbatim’s new generation USB 3.0 Store’n’Go Portable Hard Drives deliver bus speeds of up to 4.8Gbit/ sec – a ten-fold increase in performance compared to existing USB 2.0 connections – making them ideal for both home and office-based users who want to transfer large files with the newest and quickest technology available. They are available in 500GB and 1TB capacities. At 127 x 82 x 20mm in size and weighing approximately 165g (for the 500GB version), the superfast USB 3.0 Portable Store’n’Go Hard Disk Drive sits comfortably in the palm of the hand, or fits neatly in any lady’s handbag or man’s jacket, making it easy to carry around. The single-cable solution provides a combined data and power connection eliminating the need for a separate power supply. The drive comes with a 24 month guarantee. Included on the Store’n’Go USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drives are two software packages: Nero BackItUp and Burn Essentials and The GREEN BUTTON Contact: which reduces ener- Verbatim Australia gy consumption and 6 Weir St, Glen Iris, Vic 3146 extends the drive’s Tel: (03) 9823 0999 Fax: (03) 9824 7011 Website: www.verbatim.com.au life expectancy. siliconchip.com.au programmers claiming to offer “ultrafast programming speed” and costing up to 50% more. Australian price is $1400.00 + GST ($1540 inc). Contact: GRANTRONICS Pty Ltd PO Box 275, Wentworthville NSW 2145 Tel: (02) 9896 7159 Website: www.grantronics.com.au WES expands SB Acoustics range, lowers prices WES Components have recently added significantly to their range of popular SB Acoustics premium speakers and at the same time, offer even better pricing. Aimed at the higher end of the market, the SB range includes ring and textile dome tweeters, 4, 5 and 6-inch midrange/bass drivers and 8, 10, 12 and 15-inch bass drivers, subwoofers and the latest models, the NRX series which use an in-house-developed cone material called Norex. SB Acoustics was formed to bring an alternative to the high-end transducer market. It marries the design talents of Danesian Audio ( Denmark ), a company responsible for many well-known and revolutionary designs, with manufacturing partner Sinar Baja Electric ( Indonesia ), a vertically integrated company with more than 27 years of transducer manufacturing experience. More information on the SB Acoustics speaker range from Contact: WES can be found Wagner Electronic Services at the SB Acoustics 138 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield NSW 2131 website, www.sba- Tel: (02) 9798 9233 Fax: (02) 9798 0017 coustics.com SC Website: www.wagner.net.au November 2010  97 Vintage Radio By RODNEY CHAMPNESS, VK3UG Traeger’s first pedal radio & other replicas This is the view inside John Sheard’s replica pedal radio. The degree of authenticity is astonishing. I never cease to be amazed at the vintage radio collections that some enthusiasts have. One such enthusiast is John Sheard of Mt Gambier. He not only has an impressive collection of vintage gear but has built some impressively realistic replicas as well. S OMETIMES, while searching for vintage radios, you get a real surprise. One such instance happened to me a couple of years ago when I visited John Sheard in Mount Gambier, to see his collection of vintage sets. When I got there, I was immediately 98  Silicon Chip ushered down the hall to the room where his collection was housed. And did I get a shock because there in the corner was what appeared to be one of the original six pedal radios built by Alf Traeger in 1929, for use in the Aerial Medical Service (the predeces- sor to the Royal Flying Doctor Service). In researching my book, “Outback Radio from Flynn to Satellites”, I had previously concluded that none of these original sets had survived and yet here was one fully restored. I just couldn’t believe it. Then John let me into the secret; this set is a replica of the original and matches it closely in nearly every detail. In fact, he had used the information in my book, including the photos and the circuit, to build this great working replica. Back in 1928, Alf Traeger, with help from his mentor Harry Kauper, built what proved to be the first transceiver capable of being used by non-technical people in remote areas without mains power. This meant that the transceiver had to be frugal in terms of power usage and in order to generate enough energy to operate the transmitter, a high-voltage generator was used. The final testing of the first practical pedal radio took place in November 1928. The pedal radio transmitter used a single B205 triode as a crystal oscillator-cum-output stage. The transmitter had an output power of 1-1.5W on Morse code at a frequency of 2230kHz. It was a Morse code-only transmitter as Traeger, Kauper and many others had told the Reverend John Flynn that voice transmissions were not practical at that time due to the high power consumption of such transmitters. Indeed, “low-power” battery valves suitable for use in voice transmitters did not become available until the mid 1930s. The receiver in the pedal radio was a 2-valve regenerative TRF (tuned radio frequency) unit. It employed two A141 space-charge tetrode valves that required no more than 20V on their plates, although in this set only 9V was used. There was just one tuned circuit but two separate coils were used to gain the necessary coverage. One coil allowed the set to tune the broadcast band while the second coil is believed siliconchip.com.au The photo at left shows John Sheard posing with his replica pedal radio while at right is Alf Traeger with an original. to have tuned from around 1.5-4MHz. The original pedal radios were located in the hot and often humid areas around Cloncurry in Queensland. As a result, their dry batteries had a relatively short shelf-life. It was for this reason that 1.5V and 3V supplies were used for the valve filaments in the receiver and just 9V for the hightension (HT) supply. By contrast, it was necessary to use much higher voltages for the transmitter and dry batteries were unsatisfactory for this work. To solve this problem, Traeger developed a pedal generator that produced nominally 180V of HT and this proved adequate for the transmitter. replaced with B443 valves and the FET mock-ups discarded. Although the B443 is not even a near-equivalent to the A141, John found that they worked like the A141 in this circuit. It really is the best compromise solution achievable, considering A141 valves are now rarer than hens’ teeth. John built the pedal generator with help from his son Trevor. It consists of a low-voltage generator that puts out about 6V and this is then stepped up to around 180V via a transistor inverter. Because he holds an amateur radio licence (VK5JA), John installed a crystal in the transmitter so that it operates on the 3.5-3.7MHz amateur band. Both the transmitter and the receiver work well and John has had quite a few contacts with the set. As I said earlier, this replica initially fooled me so John is to be congratulated on the detail he has achieved. By the way, if readers would like to John’s replica pedal radio Although John would have liked to have built a completely accurate replica of the original Traeger pedal radio, many of the original components are unavailable today. The wave-change switch is a standard Oak wafer switch, not one of Traeger’s home-made ones, and many of the other components are items as close as John could either obtain or make for the set. None of the valves were obtainable so John initially put FETs inside old valve envelopes to take the place of the original A141 valves used by Traeger. He also used a B405 valve instead of a B205 in the transmitter. The main difference between the B405 and the B205 is the required filament voltage. The A141 valves were eventually siliconchip.com.au This working replica of 1902 coherer detector receiver is similar to those used by Marconi in the early days of radio. November 2010  99 Another display board, this time showing a range of vintage-era fixed and variable capacitors. A feature of John’s collection are some impressive display boards. This one shows a range of different valve types. read more about the development of radio communications in the outback, my book “Outback Radio From Flynn To Satellites” is still available from me for $30 plus $5 postage. Miniature 6-valve superhet Another of John’s challenges was to build a miniature 6-valve superhet receiver and the set he developed fits comfortably in the grasp of one hand. However, the chassis isn’t particularly crowded and the set could have been made even smaller. The valves are all sub-miniature mains-operated types that are not readily available in Australia. The oscillator mixer is an XR9, which is a twin triode, and this is followed by a 2-stage IF (intermediate frequency) amplifier tuned to 455kHz using two EF70 sharp 100  Silicon Chip A replica 1915-era crystal receiver. These were widely used until valves became in the early 1920s. cut-off pentodes. Solid-state diodes are used for the detector and AGC functions, while an ECC70 twin triode is used as an audio amplifier and phase splitter. This feeds another two ECC70 twin triodes wired in push-pull parallel as the audio output stage. The IF transformers and the tuning gang are all types commonly used in transistor radios. These have helped to keep the size of the set down. The HT (high tension) for the receiver is only 90V, so these parts are not unduly stressed. The only section of the receiver not inside the cabinet is the 36V AC plugpack supply. I’m sure that John could have fitted the pack inside the cabinet but he chose to keep it external. The 36V AC is applied across the valve heaters (which are connected in series) and also goes to a voltage multiplier circuit which produces the 90V HT for the plates. All in all, it’s an interesting little receiver that sounds very pleasant in operation. Display boards Most vintage radio buffs know what each item in their collection is and can tell you something about it but not many label their prized possessions, even if they are on display. In fact, this also often happens in museums, particularly the smaller ones. It is disappointing to see items on display and not know what they really are or at best, have only limited information on them. John labels the majority of his displays and it is easy to learn a little siliconchip.com.au about what particular items are. For example, there are two displays of valves, one covering most of the valve era and the other only triode valves of the 1920s. John endeavoured to sell these displays some time ago but was not offered a reasonable price for them. Afterwards, he did a check on the individual going price for the valves in the displays and got quite a shock, as their value is greater than he initially thought. Another of the displays is of older fixed and variable capacitors – types that many younger collectors are unfamiliar with. We’ve had mobile phones now in one form or another since the 1950s. I visited the Ansett Museum in Hamilton and saw some of the early units. Mobile phones at that time were the province of the rich and only about 50 subscribers could be accommodated by any single PMG telephone exchange. The system was largely a manual system whereby the mobile user would call the operator who would then connect them to the called party. When a caller from a fixed-line phone made a call to a mobile subscriber, the telephone operator would call the particular mobile via a tone encoder system. The equipment used was large and sets such as the AWA MR10 VHF transceiver were used. It was usually mounted in the boot of the vehicle due to its size. There was no privacy with this system as anyone with a suitable FM VHF receiver could listen in to the phone calls. However, scanning receivers were uncommon at that time so conversations were reasonably private. John’s display doesn’t go back that far but he has quite a selection of equipment on display, dating from the late 1980s through to the end of the CDMA era. Early 1980s mobile phones were considerably more bulky than those of the late 1980s but were nothing like the units from the 1950s. Pyrox wire recorder One of John’s prized possessions is a Pyrox wire recorder, which was previously owned by “Border Watch”, the local area newspaper. Wire recorders were used before tape recorders came on the scene and John’s unit was made during the 1940s. Wire gave way to tape as a recording siliconchip.com.au A general view of just some of the gear in John’s collection. He has an impressive range of vintage and replica equipment, including some military gear. This working unit is a replica of Marconi’s first diode valve receiver, as used on the steamship Titanic in 1912. Note the brass fittings used in this model. medium during the early 1950s. What makes this particular recorder special is what is on the spool of wire. It records the official opening of the broad-gauge railway line between Wolseley and Naracoorte in South Australia by the Governor Sir Willoughby Norrie on February 1st, 1950. Other notables on the recording are the Minister for Railways, Malcolm Macintosh and the Premier, Sir Thomas Playford. So we have in this one piece of equipment not only an early audio recording device but also a priceless historical audio record. The Titanic Many of us are familiar with the maiden voyage of the “Titanic” and its tragic end. “Titanic” was equipped with Marconi radio equipment and John has faithfully reproduced some of this equipment using plans from Dr Peter Jensen’s book “In Marconi’s Footsteps November 2010  101 – Early Radio”. A beautifully-made replica of the diode valve receiver used on the “Titanic” is the result of John’s efforts. In order to make this replica plus a number of other items from the same era, John had to source a sizeable quantity of brass. This was an expensive part of the project, as it wasn’t readily available from local metal suppliers. The coherer detector One of the early detectors used in the pre-valve days was the “Coherer” detector (see Vintage Radio for April 2010). John’s replica is of a 1902 model and is similar to those used by Marconi. They are certainly quite different to the small silicon diodes that we are accustomed to using today. 1920s crystal set Another of John’s replicas is a crystal set of the style commonly used until around 1920 when valves became more than a delicate novelty. Despite the fact that they were only crystal sets, these early receivers would have cost a fortune to construct. Many had adaptable tuned circuits and matching networks so that the maximum possible signal level could be extracted from the antennas then in use. An early portable receiver This Australian Army C42 military transceiver has 25 valves packed into a compact unit but is easy to open up for servicing. John’s Pyrox wire recorder was previously owned by Border Watch, the local area newspaper. Wire recorders gave way to tape recorders in the early 1950s. 102  Silicon Chip In the late 1920s, there were many hundreds of experimenters who built radio receivers to sell to people in their neighbourhoods. It was a time when commercially-available receivers were not common and those that were available were expensive. In fact, John’s own father, a real “wireless” enthusiast, built a small number of sets in the evenings after his day-time work as a draper was complete. One such 4-valve portable receiver was housed in a wooden cabinet and features a loop antenna which sits behind the front cover of the receiver. This is simply swung out when the receiver is to be used. The set is a battery-operated TRF design using an Osram S625 screengrid RF amplifier. This is followed by a 615 triode detector and a further two transformer-coupled triode audio stages. The S625 is unusual in that it is double-ended, with three pins (the filament and grid pins) at one end and the screen and plate pins at the other end. The valve is mounted with one siliconchip.com.au Photo Gallery: Healing Golden Voice Console M ADE during the 1940s, the Healing Golden Voice console model 577E, like all console radios, has acres of room around the chassis and speaker, so it’s easy to service. It also gives much better performance than compact mantel radios, due in part due to its large, well-baffled loudspeaker. It is a 5-valve superhet and the valve line-up is 6J8G, 6U7G, 6B6G, 6V6GT and 5Y3G rectifier. Photograph by Kevin Poulter for the Historical Radio Society of Australia (HRSA). Phone (03) 9539 1117. www.hrsa. net.au This Ericsson 1-131MW wall-type telephone was made in 1907 and has been immaculately restored. end through a hole in the side of a copper box which also houses the second tuned circuit. This effectively keeps its input and output pins separated and shielded. This was quite an innovative design for its time and John says that the set is quite stable and the performance is excellent for a receiver of its vintage. Communications in 1907 Another item that John has immaculately restored is a Swedish Ericsson 1-131MW wall-type telephone, made in 1907. This particular model was first introduced in 1890. On a wall near the telephone is the telephone directory for the Mt Gambier exchange for October 1904. There were 47 telephone subscribers listed and there were two lines to Robe and Beachport, both towns further along the coast towards Adelaide. The hours of operation were 8.30am to 7.30pm Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm Saturday and no service on Sundays. How things have changed since then. Accessibility John also has a number of other siliconchip.com.au pieces of equipment, mostly of military or commercial origin. One such item is a C42 military transceiver. There are 25 valves in the unit plus the associated components, yet it is easy to open up and access for routine servicing. That’s because the set is built onto two main chassis and these hinge, allowing easy access to all components that may need attention at some stage. On the other hand, his AWA AR8 receiver is a nightmare to service. This receiver uses two RF front-ends to tune from 14kHz to 20MHz. In order to service either of the front-end units, the front panel has to first be removed along with a dozen or so knobs. That done, the connections to the main chassis have to be desoldered, then the sub-chassis for either of the front ends is unbolted after which the particular front-end can then be removed. But that’s not the end of it – the next task is to gain access to most of the components. To do this, a long needlenose set of pliers and a slim soldering iron are needed. It is not possible to power the front ends up to check their performance in this state, although it’s possible that the military had a jig to get around this problem. In short, the AR8 amply demonstrates how difficult some pieces of equipment are to service, while the C42 transceiver is the opposite (see photo). Similarly, the AWA 617T 7band receiver takes nearly half an hour to disassemble for service while a small Precedent 4-valve mantel receiver in my collection takes less than a minute. Military radio gear (25D13) I could go on for some time but here is just a short list of some of the military equipment on display: AR8 and AR7 communications receivers, command transmitting and receiving equipment, an FS6 army transceiver (see May 2002 issue), a Bendix frequency meter and a 128 back-pack, 1W, 2-4.5MHz transceiver. Many vintage radio buffs only collect domestic receivers even though our radio communications heritage covers a vast number of areas. On the other hand, a few collectors go well beyond domestic receivers and their collections can be extremely interesting. John is one of those people and I thank him for the opportunity to show readers his collection of vintage gear SC and replicas. November 2010  103 WANT TO SAVE 10%? S C (PRINT EDITION) AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY FOR REFERENCE $ave SUBSCRIBERS* CHIP BOOKSHOP 10% A 10% DISCOUNT ON ALL BOOK PURCHASES! 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S C (PRINT EDITION) AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY FOR REFERENCE $ave SUBSCRIBERS* CHIP BOOKSHOP 10% A 10% DISCOUNT ON ALL BOOK PURCHASES! SILICON ILICON HIP (*Does not apply to website orders) SELF ON AUDIO PROGRAMMING and CUSTOMIZING THE PICAXE By David Lincoln (2nd Ed, 2011) $65.00 by Douglas Self 2nd Edition 2006 $69.00 See A collection of 35 classic magazine articles offering a dependable methodology for designing audio power amplifiers to improve performance at every point without significantly increasing cost. Includes compressors/limiters, hybrid bipolar/FET amps, electronic switching and more. 474 pages in paperback. Review A great aid when wrestling with applications for the PICAXE series of microcontrollers, at beginner, intermediate and advanced April 2011 levels. Every electronics class, school and library should have a copy, along with anyone who works with PICAXEs. 300 pages in paperback SMALL SIGNAL AUDIO DESIGN PIC IN PRACTICE By Douglas Self – First Edition 2010 $88.00 by D W Smith. 2nd Edition - published 2006 $60.00 The latest from the Guru of audio. Explains audio concepts in easy-to-understand language with plenty of examples and reasoning. Inspiration for audio designers, superb background for audio enthusiasts and especially where it comes to component peculiarities and limitations. Expensive? Yes. Value for money? YES! Highly recommended. 558 pages in paperback. Based on popular short courses on the PIC, for professionals, students and teachers. Can be used at a variety of levels. An ideal introduction to the world of microcontrollers. 255 pages in paperback. PIC MICROCONTROLLER – your personal introduc- AUDIO POWER AMPLIFIER DESIGN HANDBOOK tory course By John Morton 3rd edition 2005. $60.00 by Douglas Self – 5th Edition 2009 $81.00 A unique and practical guide to getting up and running with the PIC. It assumes no knowledge of microcontrollers – ideal introduction for students, teachers, technicians and electronics enthusiasts. Revised 3rd edition focuses entirely on re-programmable flash PICs such as 16F54, 16F84 12F508 and 12F675. 226 pages in paperback. "The Bible" on audio power amplifiers. Many revisions and updates to the previous edition and now has an extra three chapters covering Class XD, Power Amp Input Systems and Input Processing and Auxiliarly Subsystems. Not cheap and not a book for the beginner but if you want the best reference on Audio Power Amps, you want this one! 463 pages in paperback. OP AMPS FOR EVERYONE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SATELLITE TV By Carter & Mancini – 3RD EDITION $100.00 Substantially updates coverage for low-speed and high-speed applications, and provides step-by-step walk-throughs for design and selection of op amps. Huge 648 pages! By Garry Cratt – Latest (7th) Edition 2008 $49.00 Written in Australia, for Australian conditions by one of Australia's foremost satellite TV experts. If there is anything you wanted to know about setting up a satellite TV system, (including what you can't do!) it's sure to be covered in this 176-page paperback book. PROGRAMMING 32-bit MICROCONTROLLERS IN C By Luci di Jasio (2008) $79.00 NEWNES GUIDE TO TV & VIDEO TECHNOLOGY Subtitled Exploring the PIC32, a Microchip insider tells all on this powerful PIC! Focuses on examples and exercises that show how to solve common, real-world design problems quickly. Includes handy checklists. FREE CD-ROM includes source code in C, the Microchip C30 compiler, and MPLAB SIM. 400 pages paperback. By KF Ibrahim 4th Edition (Published 2007) $49.00 It's back! Provides a full and comprehensive coverage of video and television technology including HDTV and DVD. Starts with fundamentals so is ideal for students but covers in-depth technologies such as Blu-ray, DLP, Digital TV, etc so is also perfect for engineers. 600+ pages in paperback. USING UBUNTU LINUX by J Rolfe & A Edney – published 2007 $27.00 RF CIRCUIT DESIGN Ubuntu Linux is a free and easy-to-use operating system, a viable alternative to Windows and Mac OS. Introduces Ubuntu, tells how to set it up, covers the various Open Office applications and gives troubleshooting hints and tips. Highly recommended. 222 pages in paperback DVD PLAYERS AND DRIVES by K.F. Ibrahim. Published 2003. $71.00 A guide to DVD technology and applications, with particular focus on design issues and pitfalls, maintenance and repair. Ideal for engineers, technicians, students of consumer electronics and sales and installation staff. 319 pages in paperback. by Chris Bowick, Second Edition, 2008. $63.00 The classic RF circuit design book. RF circuit design is now more important that ever in the wireless world. In most of the wireless devices that we use there is an RF component – this book tells how to design and integrate in a very practical fashion. 244 pages in paperback. See Review Feb 2004 PRACTICAL RF HANDBOOK by Ian Hickman. 4th edition 2006 $61.00 A guide to RF design for engineers, technicians, students and enthusiasts. Covers key topics in RF: analog design principles, transmission lines, couplers, transformers, amplifiers, oscillators, modulation, transmitters and receivers, propagation and antennas. 279 pages in paperback. ELECTRIC MOTORS AND DRIVES By Austin Hughes - Third edition 2006 $51.00 PRACTICAL VARIABLE SPEED DRIVES & POWER ELECTRONICS Se Intended for non-specialist users of electric motors and drives, filling the gap between academic texts and general "handbooks". Explores all of the widely-used modern types of motor and drive including conventional & brushless DC, induction motors, steppers, servos, synchronous and reluctance. 384 pages, soft cover. e Review Feb An essential reference for engineers and anyone who wishes 2003 to design or use variable speed drives for induction motors. by Malcolm Barnes. 1st Ed, Feb 2003. $73.00 286 pages in soft cover. AC MACHINES BUILD YOUR OWN ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE By Jim Lowe Published 2006 $66.00 Applicable to Australian trades-level courses including NE10 AC Machines, NE12 Synchronous Machines and the AC part of NE30 Electric Motor Control and Protection. Covering polyphase induction motors, singlephase motors, synchronous machines and polyphase motor starting. 160 pages in paperback. by Carl Vogel. Published 2009. $40.00 Alternative fuel expert Carl Vogel gives you a hands-on guide with the latest technical information and easy-to-follow instructions for building a two-wheeled electric vehicle – from a streamlined scooter to a full-sized motorcycle. 384 pages in soft cover. NOTE: ALL PRICES ARE PLUS P&P – AUSTRALIA ONLY: $10.00 per order; eMAIL (24/7) To silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au Place siliconchip.com.au with order & credit card details Your Order: 1-13 See Review March 2010 OR FAX (24/7) Your order and card details to (02) 9939 2648 with all details OR NZ – $12.00 PER BOOK; PAYPAL (24/7) Use your PayPal account silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au OR REST OF WORLD $18.00 PER BOOK PHONE – (9-5, Mon-Fri) OR MAIL Your order to PO Box 139 Call (02) 9939 3295 with NovemberCollaroy 2010  105 NSW 2097 with order & credit card details Or use the handy order form on P85 of this issue *ALL TITLES SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. PRICES VALID FOR MONTH OF MAGAZINE ISSUE ONLY. ALL PRICES INCLUDE GST ASK SILICON CHIP Got a technical problem? Can’t understand a piece of jargon or some technical principle? Drop us a line and we’ll answer your question. Write to: Ask Silicon Chip, PO Box 139, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097 or send an email to silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au Questions on WIB project I told a computer nut friend of mine about the WIB project and he wanted me to ask if it can support more than one website at a time, as well as whether it can do a shopping cart. I presume it can’t do the shopping cart but that more than one website is possible if one has a URL pointed towards the IP of the unit plus specific pages mentioned. (L. B., via email). • While multiple domain names may refer to the WIB’s IP address, it will serve the same files on all domains. That does not mean that you cannot have multiple file hierarchies descended from the same root. In relation to implementing a shopping cart, the WIB cannot support that, as it would require server side scripting, which the WIB does not provide. Restoring defaults in the DSP Musicolour I have built the DSP Musicolour (SILICON CHIP, June – September 2008). When the Musicolour is in idle mode, ie, waiting for an input signal, the four lamps are at full brightness. Which set- ting should I change so that the lamps are off until the music input signal is applied? (G. B., Fassifern, NSW). • If you restore the default settings, the lights should be off when there is no audio input. The settings can be restored to their default values by using the menu system. If the lights are not off with no audio input, that indicates a hardware problem. If you need to check inside the case, the unit must be unplugged from the mains as much of the circuitry runs at 230VAC potential. Battery capacity meter for a boat I am building the Battery Capacity Meter (SILICON CHIP, June & July 2009) to put in a boat to monitor the 12V 200Ah lead-acid “house” battery. The battery and the battery switch are in the bilge area but I would like to put the meter with the other electronics in the galley area. Am I able to mount the current shunt near the battery switch and run three good-calibre leads (but not as big as the battery cable) from the shunt to the box? If so, what’s the maximum recommended length depending on calibre of cable (I think I may need 5-6 metres)? I don’t think I’ll be using the relay circuit. (K. R., via email). • Yes, you can mount the shunt at the battery and run three cables to the meter. The resistance of the wire to the BATT+ terminal should be kept to a minimum, so this wire should be as thick as possible. Five to six metres of heavy duty wire should allow it to operate more or less normally. If the resistance of this wire is too high and the load current is high, the measured battery voltage will not be as accurate. To avoid this, you can cut the track on the PC board between BATT+ and BATT HI (but not between BATT + and IC2) and run a fourth wire from the battery to BATT HI. Note that we have not tested either approach, as the design assumes a short connection between the battery and the meter. LCD malfunction on SD card audio player I have built the Digital Audio Recorder/Player from the August 2009 issue, using a Jaycar kit. I have some questions. Dimmers Do Affect Power Consumption Recently I was drawn into a rather unpleasant argument on whether or not using light dimmers reduces power consumption for that lighting circuit. With my knowledge of how phase-controlled Triac dimmers work, I of course argued that dimmers do reduce power consumption. Well, things went downhill from there, I was told I didn’t know what I was talking about and was misinformed etc. I was also told he had sought advice from experts in the lighting industry, who informed him that dimmers do not reduce power consumption. There are different types of dim106  Silicon Chip mers and different types of lamps, which may be adding confusion to the argument. All this led me to wonder if I was missing something, hence the reason for this letter. I am not looking for confirmation on my point of view, so I can say “I’m right and you’re wrong!”. It is because we are both involved in providing information to electricity consumers, on ways to reduce electricity consumption. There could be nothing worse than being misinformed, and passing that information onto others! (B. C., via email). • Interesting question, B. C. The answer is that a light dimmer does reduce power consumption for the particular circuit but it does not reduce it by as much as you might expect. For example, if you reduce the light output to half, the power consumption may only be reduced by 30%. The reason for this is that, as you dim an incandescent lamp, its colour temperature drops markedly and this rapidly reduces the useful light while producing proportionately more at the infrared end of the spectrum. When dimmed right down, the lamp produces virtually no light output but still produces considerable heat. siliconchip.com.au First, the three LEDs are not identified as to their purpose. Their function would be obvious if the recorder was working but mine isn’t, yet! When the unit is switched on, the LCD lights up but only has 16 blocks on the top row where the characters should be. All the voltages are within tolerance and I have checked out the circuit. I suspect that it’s a software or firmware problem and I have probably reached my level of incompetence. Have you any suggestions? (A.B. Ashburton Vic). • The fact that the LCD is showing 16 squares shows that it is not being initialised properly. You should make sure that the firmware is set to the correct version for the LCD you are using as the design can use two different LCDs, one from Jaycar and the other from Altronics. You can press S4 and S8 together on start up to change the mode (to switch between the two LCDs). This may fix your problem. Otherwise, it may be that the LCD is not connected properly or that some lines are not connected properly to the microcontroller. The LED functions are as follows: Green = play; Red = record; Yellow = remote control activity. Cure for solar panels in shade I had a 1kW solar voltaic system installed nine months ago. Unfortunately, I have now found out that the panels do not contain bypass diodes and so the slightest amount of shade on just one panel brings the entire power output down to nearly zero. The supplier plays “stupid” and I doubt that there is any help from his side, except suing him for “giving bad advice”. Obviously, no diodes can be retrofitted at cell level on the panels but I wonder if there are components or assemblies that can be retrofitted to bridge an entire panel? My panels have a nominal operating voltage of 36V and six of them are connected in series to provide nominally 216V. If I had such devices I would only lose 36V, bringing the total voltage down to 180V which is still an improvement. Your advice and/or reference to a suitable solution would be very much appreciated. (K. F., Munster, WA). • We think that, ideally, all cells in a panel should have reverse-biased Schottky diodes so the effects of partial siliconchip.com.au Transformer Issue With Anti-Fouling Unit I have just read the article on Ultrasonic Anti-fouling for Boats in the September 2010 issue and I believe that I have found an issue with the design of the transformer. The design requires taking a piece of figure-8 wire, stripping one end and using this as the centre-tap point of the primary of the transformer. Once that is attached, the figure-8 cable is then wound around the former eight times and connected to the Mosfets. The idea is that the centre tap is connected to the supply rail and the Mosfets connect each winding to ground in turn. The issue is that the transformer as described will not work very well. Each of the half primary windings will be energised in turn which is what should happen. However, since the two half windings are parallel, all that will happen is that the magnetic field in the transformer will be energised in a single direction before falling slightly in the dead time when both Mosfets are turned off. This will also have the impact of attempting to magnetise the core. What should happen is that the primary winding should go in the one direction with the centre-tap in the centre. This will cause the maximum energy to be transferred to the secondary as the field will reverse during each half cycle. I would also include a reversebiased diode between the Drain and Source of Q1 and Q2 to conduct any residual field to ground during changes in field direction, further shading can be minimised. In practice it appears that this is not done and as you have found, even complete panels do not have these diodes. This is a serious drawback because if a leaf is blown onto a panel, that section will become reverse-biased while the rest of the panel (and indeed the whole array) continues to generate voltage. At the very least, it will cause the panel output to drop to zero. At worst, the now reverse-biased section of the panel may become a hot-spot and this could lead to eventual failure. We would suggest that you connect a reverse-biased Schottky diode improving the efficiency of the design. (D. S., Ingleburn, NSW). • Your assumption that “the design requires taking a piece of figure-8 wire, stripping one end and using this as the centre-tap point of the primary of the transformer” is not quite correct, as the two wires at one end of the figure-8 wire do not both connect to the +12V pin. At one end of the figure-8 wire, one wire goes to S1 (+12V) and the other wire goes to F1 at pin 12 for Q1’s drain. The other ends of the figure-8 cable connect to F2 (+12V) and to S2 at Q2’s drain. If we start with the S1-F1 section of the winding (see Fig.3), the S1 end is at +12V. When Q1 switches on, current flows from S1 to F1 (anti­clockwise when looking from the pin 1-6 end of T1). Using the righthand rule, the magnetic field is to the left (looking from the pin 7-13 end of T1 to the pin 1-6 end). Then, for the F2-S2 winding, F2 is at +12V. When Q2 switches on, current flows from F2 to S2 (clockwise when looking from the pin 1-6 end of T1) and the magnetic field is to the right. So the field alternates. With regard to your suggestion to include reverse-biased diodes across Q1 and Q2, this is not necessary since Mosfets include an intrinsic reverse diode between their Drain and Source terminals. For the RFP30N06LE Mosfets used for Q1 and Q2, the diode has a 125ns response and is therefore faster than a fast recovery diode such as the 1N4936 which has a 150ns response time. across each individual panel. A suitable Schottky diode would be the MBR20100CT twin diode available from Jaycar Electronics (Cat. ZB-1039). Each diode in the assembly has a rating of 10A. Note that the two anodes should be connected together, to the negative terminal of the panel, while the common cathode is connected to the positive terminal of the panel. 32A charge controller wanted I was looking for a Battery Charge November 2010  107 Substitute LEDs For The Stereo DAC Project I am building the High-Quality Stereo DAC project and I need to know can I use switches with green LEDs instead of the ones with blue LEDs. Do I need to change the value of the three 2.2kΩ resistors? Also, the data sheets for Toshiba TOSLINK receivers suggests a 47µH coil in series with the supply pin, as well as the 100nF capacitor across the supply. Is this unnecessary in your design or is it omitted because a different TOSLINK receiver is used? (J. W. London, UK). • Yes you can use green or red LEDs for the front-panel buttons. You do not have to change the three 2.2kΩ resistors but you may wish to replace them with 3.3kΩ resistors since the green LEDs might be brighter; it depends on their exact characteristics. Green LEDs have a lower forward voltage than blue ones (~2V instead of ~3V) so more current will flow but blue LEDs also tend to be more efficient so the effects may cancel out. The best thing to do is to use 2.2kΩ Controller to use with a 20V 32A supply. I came across a design in the April 2008 issue of SILICON CHIP but it only allows for 10A. Can this be modified with higher capacity FETs or more heatsinking to accommodate my existing supply? (R. F., via email). • The 12V battery charge controller from April 2008 was designed for up to 10A. For use at around 30A, the wiring arrangement would have to be different. The PC board is not suited for 30A and so the high-current connections would have to be off-board, including the connections to the Mosfet. In addition, any connection points would need to use heavy-duty terminals rated for 30A. Wires then would need to be connected back to the PC board to complete the circuit. These wires do not carry the heavy current. The Mosfet is rated for 30A although the device leads only have the standard TO-220 package crosssectional area. You may do better with two IRF1405N Mosfets in parallel, with separate 10Ω gate drive resistors. The fuse and holder would also need to be rated for 32A. Power dis108  Silicon Chip resistors initially and then change them if the LEDs are too bright. As for the TOSLINK receivers, some brands do suggest using a 47µH inductor to filter the supply. However other (compatible) receivers do not require or mention an inductor. The datasheet we used when designing the DAC only showed a 100nF capacitor for bypassing, so that is what we used and that worked well with the Jaycar ZL3003 16mbps receivers. However, other receivers may need additional supply filtering so we have added the inductors to later designs on the basis that they can’t hurt. If you want to add an inductor to filter the power supply of your TOSLINK receivers then what you can do is install it in place of the pin header which allows for selection of the 3.3V or 5V supply for the TOSLINK receivers. A higher value inductor, say 100µH, will not hurt and will provide superior filtering. Just make sure you solder it to the correct supply rail to suit your receivers. sipation by the Mosfets would be around 5W total. Finally, a larger diecast box would also be needed to enclose the PC board and extra terminals and for heatsinking. Solar panel confusion or what is a Watt? I am currently working on a project involving solar-powered audio systems. In order to experiment with the required battery charging system, I purchased a 12V 5W solar battery charger panel from Altronics. It measures 465 x 320mm and produces a healthy 6.5W in strong sunlight. My confusion relating to solar panels started when I went to the recent Perth Caravan and Camping Show and noticed many solar panels and battery charging systems on display. One display, consisting of four solar panels, captured my interest. The panels, each measuring 440 x 540mm, were connected in parallel and charging a battery through a charge controller. A voltmeter and an ammeter were connected in line between the charge controller and the battery. The voltmeter showed 12.5V and the ammeter showed 2A which, according to my calculations, produced up to 25W. Sunlight at the time was strong and the orientation of the panels looked reasonably correct. After being informed by the attendant that the panels were rated at 20W each, I asked him why the panels were only producing 25W instead of 80W. He informed me that power from solar panels is different to normal electricity and that the calculation, Volts x Amperes = Power in Watts was incorrect for solar panels. He stated that it was necessary to use a correction factor of 0.31 to calculate solar panel power. Amazingly, his magic figure of 0.31 wherever it came from, seems to be correct: 80 Watts x 0.31 = 24.8 Watts, or 12.5V x 2A divided by 0.31 = 80.645 Watts. Joking aside, the Altronics solar battery charger panel which produces ordinary electricity is completely satisfactory for my project. So do the 1kW and 1.5kW solar power systems, subsidised by the Government for home installations actually produce their rated power or 330W and 500W, respectively? (P. K., South Guildford, WA). • It continues to amaze us just how much misinformation there is about solar panels. A typical 12V-nominal solar panel actually produces its maximum power output at around 17V so if it is simply connected to charge a 12V battery it can never produce its maximum output and it will over-charge the battery in the process. The only way the panel can produce its optimum output is for it to be connected to the load via a “maximum power point tracker” (MPPT) which is essentially a step-down DC-DC converter. We published a solar-powered lighting system featuring MPPT in the May 2010 issue. As far as typical grid-feed solar systems are concerned, they rarely seem to produce their rated output, even when the Sun’s rays are perpendicular to the panel. Partly, this is because of losses in the DC-AC inverter but it may just be that such inverters do not include MPPT, although it would be fair to expect that this feature would be mandatory. We would welcome comments from siliconchip.com.au readers who have had grid-feed solar systems installed. Simple train controller with reversing feature Jaycar at Caringbah sold me a KC5225 kit to control a 12V motor for a model locomotive. The kit has a fixed trimpot. How can I control the speed of the loco? Can I fit a variable separate trimpot and wire it into the PC board? I also wish to have a reversing facility which could be a double-pole switch to the rails. Do I have the right kit? Is there another solution to the problem? (G. O., via email). • That kit is a high-current motor speed controller and is not suitable as a controller for model railways. If you want a simple controller with forward/ reverse and preset start voltage etc, have a look at the Train Controller featured in the April 1997 issue of SILICON CHIP. This uses simple parts and although no kit is available, you can still purchase the PC board from RCS radio at www.rcsradio.com.au You will need to see the article which we can supply for $12.00 including GST and P&P (Australia). Galena crystals for a genuine crystal set I would like to make a genuine oldfashioned crystal set for my bright 8-year old grandson; a genuine one with a galena crystal held in place with an alligator clip and pricked with a bit of fuse wire. I don’t want to use a diode although I have seen a circuit, on the internet, which uses a diode. This ensures that the signal is coming through and then allows a switching to the crystal. Where do I get a crystal of galena? How important is it to have the right old-fashioned earphones (2000Ω?)? (J. R., West Pymble, NSW). • For galena crystals, try http://www. midnightscience.com/catalog5.html You do need high-impedance phones and one way to get around this problem is to use any low impedance headphones or earphones stepped up by a miniature 1kΩ:8Ω output transformer such as Jaycar MM-2532. In fact, this combination should be appreciably more sensitive than the old-style 2000Ω phones. Microwave oven transformers Is there any reason that I shouldn’t use a microwave oven transformer backwards? I have bench-tested a few after detaching the wire from the laminated core and hooking what was originally the secondary winding up to the mains. The results were about 22-26V AC at 6A or 7A across what was originally the primary winding. The single insulated winding was removed. Do these transformers have a special core or something else that makes it unwise to use them in this fashion? (R. B., Dereel, Vic). • As you have noted, microwave oven transformers have one end of their secondary winding connected to the transformer core. Removing the connection does not necessarily ensure the transformer complies with Australian Standard AS 3108. This standard applies to isolation transformers and requires that 3kV AC RMS can be applied without breakdown between primary and secondaries and between the primary and frame and between the secondary and frame. For safety, be certain that the pri- Notes & Errata High-Performance Microphone Pre­ amplifier, September 2010: CON3 on the circuit diagram (Fig.3) is shown with its tip and ring connections swapped. Christmas Lights Controller, October 2010: the following parts should be added to the master module parts list: 1 28-pin DIP socket, 2 M3 x 6mm machine screws, 2 M3 shakeproof washers, 2 M3 nuts, 1 mini TO-220 heatsink (Jaycar HH8502, Altronics H0630). DAB+/FM Stereo Tuner, October 2010: the collector and emitter labels for PNP transistor Q2 are shown transposed on the circuit diagram (Fig.1). In addition, the 100nF capacitors connected to pins 3 & 5 of IC4 should both be 220nF. The parts layout diagram (Fig.3) in Pt.2 is correct. mary and secondary windings are correctly isolated and that the secondary winding is isolated, insulated and protected from making contact with the frame. In addition, the secondary winding in a microwave transformer is designed for high voltage at around 20kV. When used in reverse with 230VAC applied instead to this high voltage winding, the transformer will not deliver its rated power at the secondary. So while we would expect a microwave transformer to deliver at least 1kVA and substantially more in the case of a bigger oven, your reverse . . . continued on page 111 WARNING! SILICON CHIP magazine regularly describes projects which employ a mains power supply or produce high voltage. All such projects should be considered dangerous or even lethal if not used safely. Readers are warned that high voltage wiring should be carried out according to the instructions in the articles. When working on these projects use extreme care to ensure that you do not accidentally come into contact with mains AC voltages or high voltage DC. If you are not confident about working with projects employing mains voltages or other high voltages, you are advised not to attempt work on them. Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd disclaims any liability for damages should anyone be killed or injured while working on a project or circuit described in any issue of SILICON CHIP magazine. Devices or circuits described in SILICON CHIP may be covered by patents. SILICON CHIP disclaims any liability for the infringement of such patents by the manufacturing or selling of any such equipment. SILICON CHIP also disclaims any liability for projects which are used in such a way as to infringe relevant government regulations and by-laws. Advertisers are warned that they are responsible for the content of all advertisements and that they must conform to the Trade Practices Act 1974 or as subsequently amended and to any governmental regulations which are applicable. siliconchip.com.au November 2010  109 MARKET CENTRE Cash in your surplus gear. Advertise it here in SILICON CHIP ELNEC IC PROGRAMMERS High quality Realistic prices Free software updates Large range of adaptors Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2k/XP C O N T R O L S Tough times demand innovative solutions! IMAGECRAFT C COMPILERS ANSI C compilers, Windows IDE AVR, TMS430, ARM7/ARM9 68HC08, 68HC11, 68HC12 Yes, it’s true! Don’t let its tiny size fool you. This powerhouse receiver covers the AM, FM, LW and entire SW bands from 35 to to30MHz 3.5 30MHz– –andandhashasgenuine genuinedigital Digitalsignal Signalprocessing! Processing! Exclusive to Avcomm, the Tecsun PL-310 DSP normally sells for $90.00 (plus p&h) but if you say you saw it in SILICON CHIP, Avcomm will give you an amazing10% off! CLEVERSCOPE USB OSCILLOSCOPES 2 x 100MSa/s 10bit inputs + trigger 100MHz bandwidth 8 x digital inputs 4M samples/input Sig-gen + spectrum analyser Windows 98/Me/NT/2k/XP WOW! A QUALITY DSP HF COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVER FOR 10% OFF? Hurry - stocks are limited. Call Avcomm now - (02) 9939 4377 Made in Australia, used by OEMs world-wide For more details visit www.avcomm.com.au splat-sc.com Battery Packs & Chargers MARKET CENTRE 1 GRANTRONICS PTY LTD www.grantronics.com.au FOR SALE Siomar Battery Engineering LEDs! Nichia, Cree and other brand name LEDs at excellent prices. LED drivers, including ultra-reliable linear driver options. Many other interesting and hard-to-find electronic items! www.ledsales.com.au (02) 4343 1970 or sales<at>questronix. com.au terrystransistors.com.au: genuine MJE15030/31 BD139/40 2SA970 BF469/470 MJE340/50 MJL4302A MJL4281A ON<at>$9.20 MJL21193/4 MJL1302A MJL3281A 2SA1085 MPSA42 Cheap postage. questronix.com.au – audiovisual experts solve home, corporate security and devotional installation & editing woes. QuestAV CYP, Kramer TVone www.batterybook.com Phone (08) 9302 5444 PCBs MADE, ONE OR MANY. Any format, hobbyists welcome. Sesame Electronics Phone (02) 9593 1025. sesame<at>sesame.com.au www.sesame.com.au KINSTEN: Make your own PCBs. Presensitised PCBs, chemicals, tools and Kynar wire. Phone 08 6465 9799 or order at www.kinsten.com.au HMI and PLC in One! Comfile Technologies CuTouch (CT1721-C). Also Advertising rates for these pages: Classified ads: $29.50 (incl. GST) for up to 20 words plus 85 cents for each additional word. Display ads: $54.50 (incl. GST) per column centimetre (max. 10cm). Closing date: 5 weeks prior to month of sale. To book, email the text to silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au and include your name, address & credit card details, or fax (02) 9939 2648, or phone (02) 9939 3295. 110  Silicon Chip available in Black and White screen for viewing outdoors. The CuTOUCH comes integrated with industrial controller, Blue & White Graphic LCD, touch-input processor, opto-isolated I/O boards, analog inputs & outputs, and Plug-n-Play support for Relay boards. 64 I/O plus 6 channels PWM or DAC, 4 external interrupts, and 2 16-bit counters. The CuTOUCH units can be programmed in BASIC or Relay Ladder Logic using the Cubloc Studio Software available from our website. Applications can range anywhere from home automation to industrial gas monitoring. By providing easy-to-use GUI tools, Comfile Technology guarantees you a competitive edge over any other touch screen products on the market today. Replace outdated PLC, push-buttons, small LCD combo with 1 single CuTOUCH™. Many other Windows CE & XP PLCs, core modules and accessories. Call for info: sales<at>ozcomfile.com.au or 1300 208 570. www.ozcomfile.com.au RCS RADIO/DESIGN is at 41 Arlewis St, Chester Hill 2162, NSW Australia and has all the published PC boards siliconchip.com.au Ask SILICON CHIP – Modules 537 Kits, and Boxes Innovative & affordable projects for hobby, school & industry FK144 4 Channel 6 Programme www.kitstop.com.au 25 Watt Light Chaser Shop on-line at: electronics-the fun starts here (buy as a kit or preassembled) INTRONIX 34 Chan 500mHZ LOGICNovember ANALYSER 2010 * RS232, I2C, SPI, CAN Interpreters * USB powered * Data compression T +GS * +/- 6 Volt threshold * Advanced multi level triggering * Ideal for microprocessor debugging 440 $ SuperPro Device Programmers Fastest low cost programmers! Standalone & USB. Socket adapters. 02 4567 8999 www.digitalgraphics.com.au from SC, EA, ETI, HE, AEM & others. Ph (02) 9738 0330. sales<at>rcsradio.com. au; www.rcsradio.com.au WANTED CUSTOMERS WANTED: Truscotts Electronic World – large range of semiconductors and passive components for industry, hobbyist and amateur projects including Drew Diamond. 27 The Mall, South Croydon, Melbourne. Phone (03) 9723 3860. sales<at>electronicworld. com.au WANTED: EARLY HIFIs, AMPLIFIERS, Speakers, Turntables, Valves, Books, Quad, Leak, Pye, Lowther, Ortofon, SME, Western Electric, Altec, Marantz, McIntosh, Tannoy, Goodmans, Wharfedale, radio and wireless. Collector/ Hobbyist will pay cash. (07) 5471 1062. johnmurt<at>highprofile.com.au KIT ASSEMBLY KEITH RIPPON KIT ASSEMBLY & REPAIR: * Australia & New Zealand; * Small production runs. Phone Keith 0409 662 794. keith.rippon<at>gmail.com siliconchip.com.au continued from page 109 connection is delivering less than 160VA. Ideally, for full utilisation of the transformer core, the transformer should be rewound. Details about doing this are at http://www.users. on.net/~endsodds/psrewind.htm Using the Zapper on 8V batteries Regarding the two projects, Battery checker and Battery Zapper, in your July and August 2009 issues, I wish to use both projects on golf-cart batteries which are 205-225Ah, 6V & 8V types. I presume there would be no problem with the 6V units but do I need to modify either circuit for the 8V batteries (eg, shift the 12V leg on switch S3a in the Checker for 8V)? Also, is there any problem using a 12V charger with both voltages in the Zapper circuit? I was also wondering if I can up rate the current pulses to around 100A for a really solid test on golfcart batteries. I had considered that by adding to the D6-D7 configuration and utilising a fourth position on the Amp setting switch, this would be possible. What do you think? (J. N., via email). • There shouldn’t be any problem using the Zapper with 8V batteries, if you leave voltage switch S1 in the 6-12V position. However we would be cautious about using a 12V charger with the Zapper for either 6V or 8V batteries, unless it has inbuilt current limiting and is specified as being suitable for 6-8V batteries. When it comes to the Battery Checker, we suggest that you do in effect convert the “12V” range of S3a into an 8V range so that the Checker gives more sensible readings for 8V batteries. To do this without significantly changing the operation with 6V or 24V batteries, we suggest these changes: (1) Replace the 220Ω resistor between the “12V” and “24V” positions of S3a with a 470Ω resistor. (2) Replace both of the series 220Ω resistors between the “6V” and “12V” positions of switch S3a with a single 200Ω resistor. (3) Re-label the centre position of S3 as “8V”, instead of “12V”. It is also feasible to increase the test current for the Battery Checker. The easiest way would be to replace the 4 x 0.22Ω 5W resistors with 4 x 0.1Ω 5W resistors and run one or more strands of 0.71mm tinned copper wire (or if your board has a solder mask, insulated copper wires) on top of the copper traces that run from the drains of the Mosfet pairs to the cathode of each 6A1 diode (D8 & D9). This will change the current settings to 26A, 55A and 88A. The components can handle the extra current as it is pulsed but the wire connecting the battery to the checker should be thicker to minimise the voltage drop and you will need to be very careful about making a good connection to the binding posts. Having said that, we are not sure that you will necessarily get accurate results under these conditions. Our tests at the 12A, 25A and 40A settings show that it gives a good indication of condition with common types of lead-acid batteries. We do not know for sure whether the readings at the higher current level (88A) will be similarly indicative. Because of the higher current drain, the battery voltage will drop further than expected and this will likely require re-calibration of the condition meter. Attach a freshly charged battery, known to be in good condition, to the tester and check it. If the reading is lower than expected, try reducing the value of the 15kΩ resistor at pin 4 of IC5 to, say, 12kΩ or perhaps 10kΩ. You may also need to insert a small value resistor (1-3kΩ) between pin 6 of IC5 and the associated 10µF capacitor to allow the “Good” LED to light at all due to the higher voltage drop. Finally, you may find that golfcart batteries have a higher internal resistance than typical lead-acid batteries and if so, that will also increase the voltage drop under load and thus contribute to the need to SC adjust the sensitivity. November 2010  111 Do you eat, breathe and sleep TECHNOLOGY? Opportunities exist for experienced Sales Professionals & Store Management across Australia & NZ Jaycar Electronics is a rapidly growing, Australian owned, international retailer with more than 60 stores in Australia and New Zealand. Due to our aggressive expansion program we are seeking dedicated sales professionals to join our retail team to assist us in achieving our goals. We pride ourselves on technical expertise from our staff. Do you think that the following statements describe you? Please put a tick in the boxes that do:  Knowledge of core electronics, particularly at a component level  Retail experience, highly regarded  Assemble projects or kits yourself for your car, computer, audio etc  Have energy, enthusiasm and a personality that enjoys helping people  Opportunities for future advancement and development  Why not do something you love and get paid for it? Please email us your applicaton & CV in PDF format, including location preference. We offer a competitive salary, sales incentive and have a generous staff purchase policy. Applications should be emailed to jobs <at> jaycar.com.au Jaycar Electronics is an Equal Opportunity Employer & actively promotes staff from within the organisation. Advertising Index Altronics............................ loose insert Amateur Scientist CD........................ 3 Australian Valve Audio................... 110 Av-Comm...................................... 110 Cleverscope.................................... 40 Dick Smith Electronics............... 18-19 Digital Graphics............................. 111 Dyne Industries............................... 10 Emona Instruments......................... 39 Front Panel Express.......................... 5 H. K. Wentworth.............................. 42 Grantronics................................... 110 Hare & Forbes..............................OBC High Profile Communications........ 111 Instant PCBs................................. 111 Jaycar............................IFC,49-64,112 Keith Rippon................................. 111 Kinsten Pty Ltd.............................. 110 Kitstop........................................... 111 LED Sales..................................... 110 Oatley Electronics......................... IBC Ocean Controls................................. 6 into RF? OzComfile..................................... 110 DOWNLOAD OUR CATALOG at www.iinet.net.au/~worcom There’s something to suit every radio frequency fan in the SILICON CHIP reference bookshop RF Circuit Design – by Chris Bowick A new edition of this classic RF design text - tells how to design and integrate RF components into virtually any circuitry. $ 75 Practical RF H’book – by Ian Hickman A reference work for technicians, engineers, students and the more specialised enthusiast. Covers all the key topics in RF that you $ need to understand 90 Practical Guide To Satellite TV – by Garry Cratt The reference written by an Aussie for Aussie conditions.Everything you need to know. $ 49 You’ll find many more technical titles in the SILICON CHIP reference bookshop – see elsewhere in this issue 112  Silicon Chip WORLDWIDE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS PO Box 631, Hillarys, WA 6923 Ph: (08) 9307 7305 Fax: (08) 9307 7309 Email: worcom<at>iinet.net.au Silicon Chip PCBCART......................................... 5 ProtoGear......................................... 8 Quest Electronics.......................... 110 RCS Radio.................................... 110 RF Modules................................... 112 Sesame Electronics...................... 110 Silicon Chip Binders........................ 65 Silicon Chip Bookshop........... 104-105 Silicon Chip Order Form................. 43 Circuit Ideas Wanted Siomar Battery Engineering....... 7,110 Do you have a good circuit idea? If so, sketch it out, write a brief description of its operation & send it to us. Temwell Corporation....................... 69 Provided your idea is workable & original, we’ll publish it in Circuit Notebook & you’ll make some money. We pay up to $100 for a good circuit idea or you could win some test gear. Silicon Chip Publications, PO Box 139, Collaroy, NSW 2097. Soundlabs Group.............................. 8 Splat Controls............................... 110 Tenrod............................................... 9 Terry’s Transistors......................... 110 Truscotts Electronic World............. 111 Wagner Electronics......................... 41 Wiltronics........................................ 11 Worldwide Elect. Components...... 112 PC Boards Printed circuit boards for SILICON CHIP designs can be obtained from RCS Radio Pty Ltd. Phone (02) 9738 0330. Fax (02) 9738 0331. siliconchip.com.au USED 15" TOUCH-SCREEN LCD MONITORS These monitors were removed from commercial point of sale computers and fully tested before shipping. Could be enclosed and used with hobby CNC or workshop uses where dust etc. is a problem. They are just an outer case with mounting brackets. They use a Elo Touchsystems IntelliTouch FLT15.1-007004-F touch panel over the LCD. They will run with Windows XP at 1024x768 Resolution. The drivers for the touch pannel are available on the net for XP and other operating systems (link provided on our web-site). The LCD plugs into your PCs VGA port and serial port We have not tested them with Windows Vista or 7. Included with each LCD is the LCD, Touch panel + approx 1Meter Power VGA and Serial cables + Power supply unit with IEC plug out x2 and additional +5v+12v +24v rails + screen control pad. CD QUALITY DIGITAL AUDIO BROADCAST (DAB+) + HD DIGITAL TV + FM STEREO 3 IN 1 SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE $59 LIMITED STOCK DON'T MISS OUT!! [ TSLCD ] ELECTRIC BIKE KITS! - LARGE DC MOTORS (GEARED & DIRECT DRIVE) - SPEED CONTROLLERS - WHEELS THROTTLES - SPROCKETS AND CHAINS - SEE OUR WEB LCD DIGITAL THERMOMETER "Inside" & "outside" temperatures, Features includes clock function display. Outside sensor on 1.5M cable. [1TEMP] $11.00 INTELLIGENT 12V BATTERY CHARGER DC MOTOR & SPEED CONTROLLER KIT & MOTOR PACKAGE This package includes our popular and powerful K252 speed controller kit (10-36V <at> 20A) and a compact yet powerful 100W/24VDC motor. This motor was designed for kids electric scooters. Measures approx. 70mm Dia. X 120 overall. Special introductory price of $39.00 [K252M100] This is one of our most popular kits. It automatically charges 12V batteries at 0.8A. Kit comes with 9V/2.2A power adaptor as shown. Switches of at float then resumes charging when the battery voltage falls by 0.5V: This charger can be left connected undefinedly to batteries to keep them in good condition. Ideal for use with vehicle batteries that are not used very often like Tractors, Boats, batteries etc. [K215]: $20 for the kit plus the plugpack. HIGH POWER - 0.5W / 150mA / 10mm WHITE LED 25 Lumens <at> 150mA / 80,000 mcd <at> 20mA. Vf min <at> 20mA = 3.0 Vf max <at> 20mA = 3.6 No additional heatsinking needed. Water clear lens. [L10W] $2.40 $34.90 [USBDRX] This amazing device not only receives HD digital TV (DVB-T) and FM stereo radio but digital radio (DAB+). It has a Belling-Lee connecter ready for use with a rabit-ear or other TV antenna. Comes complete with USB receiver, IR remote control and software CD. See our website for computer requirements & more. K239 - VIRTUALLY PRE-BUILT CODE HOPPING 4 CHANNEL REMOTE CONTROL This kit is almost identical in its function to our K180 but is pre-built (requires soldering of 2 wires). Has individual limit/reset input for each channel. Combined with our TX8 Transmitter (not incl.), this kit can control any combination of four output relays in either momentary or latching operation. Features inc. range of ~50m, indicator LEDs, & screw terminals for ease of use. [K239] $30.00 SPARE TRANSMITTER TO SUIT K239 This small key fob transmitter is used in conjunction with the K239. Uses a prebuilt and pre-aligned 433MHz UHF code hopping transmitter module. Includes transmitter module, battery clips, battery and key-fob case. [TX8] $15.00 TX9 4CH CODE HOPPING UHF TRANSMITTER Small KEYFOB 433MHz SAW resonator locked, microprocessor code encoding 4 channel transmitter. Gives over 200M range, even with some obstructions in the path, with the sensitive RX9 receiver. The range can be increased to around 1.5KM by adding our TX01 transmitter module. [TX9] $16.00 RX9 CODE HOPPING RECEIVER MODULE Sensitive (-115dbM) dual conversion SAW RESONATOR LOCKED, superhetrodyne 433MHz UHF receiver module with microprocessor code hopping decoding. Four outputs (D0-D3) go high when the corresponding transmitter button (TA-TD) or a combination of buttons is/are pressed (as a result it can be used to transmit parallel data), and the VT output goes high when any of the transmitter buttons are pressed. Can learn over 100 transmitters. The learning push button and an indicator LED are included on the small PCB. PCB dimensions are 38 x 24mm, 5V/13mA operation. Gives over 200M range, even with some obstructions in the path, when used with our TX9. [RX9] $19.00 www.oatleyelectronics.com Suppliers of kits and surplus electronics to hobbyists, experimenters, industry & professionals. Orders: Ph ( 02 ) 9584 3563, Fax 9584 3561, sales<at>oatleyelectronics.com, N PO Box 89 Oatley NSW 2223 ovember 2010  113 major credit cards accepted, Post & Pack typically $7 Prices subject to change without notice ACN 068 740 081 ABN18068 740 081 OR www.oatleye.com siliconchip.com.au SC_NOV_09