Electronics Now articles from December 1995

Electronics Now archives from December 1995

Digital videodisc standards unified.
December 1, 1995... The converging interests of consumer electronics manufacturers, the entertainment industry, and computer manufacturers could be seen clearly in the recent agreement on a unified standard for high-density videodiscs. The standard is a merger of...

Data Depot PC Clinic System Test software. (Data Depot Inc.'s PC Clinic SB diagnostic software)(Equipment Reports)(Evaluation)
December 1, 1995... Troubleshooting electronic circuits is a skill that's acquired over time, and it is similar to detective work in that one must follow a series of clues to reach the problem. It's pretty much obvious that when you turn on a stereo receiver and...

Jacob's ladder. (electronic circuit)
December 1, 1995... Build this exciting Jacobs's Ladder and watch electric arcs ascend the ladder and evaporate in space. It works from a clever 12,000-volt power supply. People have long been fascinated by electric arcs - and perhaps put off by them. They show...

Regulated power for electrochemistry. (includes glossary of electrochemistry terms)
December 1, 1995... Build this regulated electrochemistry power supply and learn about electrolysis and electroplating. Then plate small objects to protect them and improve their appearance. The regulated power supply circuit described in this article will permit...

Experimenter's video receiver.
December 1, 1995... Build this versatile video receiver so you can perform video descrambling experiments and learn about TV basics. The minimalist video receiver described in this article could be considered as a kind of "crystal set" of television receivers....

Waveform generating circuits.
December 1, 1995... Learn about Wien-bridge and Twin-T oscillator circuits and put them to work in your circuit designs. Circuits that are capable of generating a variety of waveforms are important for test and analysis in electronics. The sinewave, the most...

Modular dc-to-dc converters.
December 1, 1995... The DC-to-DC converter module might be a better alternative to the custom design of a power supply. Electronic circuits typically require several different operating voltages, which can be provided by many different sources. In AC power...

Pseudoscience strikes again.(Hardware Hacker)(Column)
December 1, 1995... Plus important EE Internet sites, a MIDI music book, the BASIC Stamp II microcomputer, and more. It's now our monsoon season out here in Arizona. For some weird reason, this seems to bring the perpetual-motion folks and pseudoscience...

Hum, dance SPL, and medical music. (sound pressure level)(Audio Update)(Column)
December 1, 1995... Last summer my wife schlepped me, our son, and our dog through an 1,850 mile drive/vacation in new Mexico. My wife and the dog enjoyed it very much. One of our tour stops was Taos, an area revered by many for its perceived New-Age spiritual...

Solipsism and cyberspace.(Computer Connections)(Column)
December 1, 1995... This column is somewhat different from usual. Usually I try to present some thoughts on one central topic in a linear fashion. this time I'm going to discuss several seemingly unrelated topics more or less independently. Then I'll braid them...

Infrared logic probe.
December 1, 1995... Here's a device to help you troubleshoot infrared emitters. You can't buy it anywhere - you have to build it yourself! If you have ever tried to test an infrared LED with a fluorescent phosphor card, you'll be happy to know that there's a...