Electronics Now articles from August 1996

Electronics Now archives from August 1996

Smart radar detectors.
August 1, 1996... Approximately 20 million drivers rely on radar detectors to warn them of speed traps. A new generation of radar detectors will also alert them to emergency vehicles, accidents, and road construction on the road ahead. Researchers at the...

TVs and PCs. (television sets and personal computers)(Video News)
August 1, 1996... Although television sets and personal computers continue to sell at near-record or record rates, their manufacturers and dealers are dissatisfied with the profits and nervous about the future. As a result, manufacturers of both products are...

Equipment reports: Telulex SG-100 Signal Generation and Processing Engine.(Evaluation)
August 1, 1996... The Model SG-100 Signal Generation and Processing Engine is a signal source capable of generating many waveforms, including CW and wideband frequency sweeps from DC to 20 MHz in steps of 0.1 Hz. The signals are generated using direct digital...

The World Wide Web Complete Reference.
August 1, 1996... This comprehensive book helps novices avoid getting tangled up in technical jargon and experienced users take full advantage of the power of the World Wide Web. Illustrated fully and written in a fun, easy-to-understand style, it first shows Web...

Guide to Home Theater Technology and Construction.
August 1, 1996... This 100-page book is much more than a catalog. Aimed at home-theater enthusiasts and do-it-yourselfers, it provides a wealth of practical information about home theater. It describes all the necessary components - large-screen picture,...

Digital Panel Meter Data Book.
August 1, 1996... This data book describes more than 200 meters and instruments and provides 16 application notes. The 100-page guide is filled with design and applications information on 3 1/2 - and 4 1/2-digit, LCD and LED display, miniature digital voltmeters....

Practical Packet Radio.
August 1, 1996... Packet radio has come a long way since the early days. Such developments as low-cost PCs, a new generation of terminal-node controllers (TNCs), and 9600-plus baud rates have created a world of new opportunities for packet enthusiasts. This book...

Windows 95 Answers: Certified Tech Support.
August 1, 1996... Osborne/McGraw-Hill has teamed up with Stream International Inc., the world's largest provider of technical support, to produce a series of "Certified Tech Support" books, including this one. The book is based on the most frequently asked Windows...

Web resources. (World Wide Web)(includes related article on books and Web sites on Internet communications protocols and applications)
August 1, 1996... I've been looking into web technology in a serious way lately, so I thought I'd share some of what I've learned. A disclaimer first: everything in this area is subject to change. The dv/dt (rate of change) of Internet technology is utterly...

Audio system integration.
August 1, 1996... A knowledge of impedance matching and an understanding of component spec sheets will help you integrate a high-quality public address system You can integrate a truly satisfactory professional-level public address system from discrete...

Optics and optical experiments.
August 1, 1996... Use lenses, defraction gratings and mirrors to discover new ways to have fun and learn more about lasers and their properties. The single most fascinating and useful characteristic of laser light is probably collimation - the concentration of...

Build this stereo compressor. (includes related article on how compressors work, schematic diagram and parts list)
August 1, 1996... Designed to lower the audio that goes with TV-commercials, the unit also serves as a studio sound manipulator! An audio compressor is an essential tool for audio processing and it is commonly found in recording studios. Most recording studios...

New Windows 95 keyboard. (includes directory of keyboard sources)(Evaluation)
August 1, 1996... Does your new keyboard have three keys too many? Find out what they're for! Most of us expected Windows 95 to make changes in the way we work, but how many knew just how far these changes would take us. In addition to wrestling with a new...

Electronic lighthouse.
August 1, 1996... This one evening project will run for over a year on a single battery! The lighthouse combines both beauty and utility as it warns ships of dangerous reefs and other hazards near shore. You can build a model of a New England lighthouse in one...

Build this Mini High-Voltage Probe. (includes parts list)
August 1, 1996... Increase your voltmeter's input impedance and measure up to 7500 volts with this easy-to-build accessory. The maximum allowable voltage specification on the typical digital voltmeter (DVM) usually never exceeds 1000 volts. Even the DVM's...

Are you stalled without a clue as to why your TTL design doesn't work? Use a logic simulator to tell you why it's stalled and how to get it up and running. (includes design of a 4-bit ring counter)
August 1, 1996... In this installment of low-cost circuit design software, the last in our series, we look at logic simulators. It's been said that logic simulators are the life blood of the computer industry. Without them, the Pentium PC undoubtedly wouldn't...

"Colorizer" for PostScript, using binomial coefficients, laser printer repairs, and more .... (includes directory of laser printer repair sources)(Tech Musings)
August 1, 1996... For this month, I thought we'd look into a few applied math topics. I was rather poor at math through much of high school and college. It took a graduate level partial diff course for me to at last finally see the light. There's a lot to be...

Four essential test instruments. (DC power supplies, function generators, frequency counters and bench-type digital multimeters)
August 1, 1996... DC power supplies, function generators, bench digital multimeters and frequency counters are essential in every lab or service center. Here we examine their applications and key features The myriad of test instruments available today is...