Electronics Now articles from December 1996

Electronics Now archives from December 1996

LAN Times Encyclopedia of Networking.
December 1, 1996... Designed to serve as a comprehensive desk reference for anyone involved in networking, this book explains the complex world of networking. In more than 1000 pages, it covers every aspect of the subject, from Peer-to-Peer to LANs and WANs. The...

A Simple Approach to Digital Signal Processing.
December 1, 1996... Most books on digital signal processing (DSP) involve complicated mathematics and assume a prior knowledge of the field. This practical guide is a readable, understandable alternative. It assumes no prior DSP experience and provides clear...

Tune in on Telephone Calls!, 3d ed.
December 1, 1996... Despite repeated reminders, most people don't understand that cordless- and cellular-telephone calls can be easily monitored. Thinking that no one else is listening, they gossip, conduct financial transactions, discuss their innermost feelings,...

The Web Page Workbook.
December 1, 1996... Aimed at web enthusiasts w h o want to create useful, appealing Web pages quickly and easily, this book teaches the basics of Web design, development, and promotion. It offers straightforward instructions for the programming and design of Web...

The five monkeys and the personality characteristics of the nerd.
December 1, 1996... Recently I completed an in-depth psychological and sociological analysis of the types of people who get involved with computers-and the results are pretty frightening. The study was commissioned by a group convened from the Federal Government, a...

Microphone splitting made easy.
December 1, 1996... Just what is microphone-splitting, and why would anyone want to write about that subject? Well, for one thing, I have spent over twenty years of my life doing it. Why? Simply because I had to. I hope that by the time you finish reading this...

Making your job easier with a DSO. (digital storage oscilloscope)
December 1, 1996... Not that long ago, analog-oscilloscope technology was the only practical scope technology available. In those days, analog scopes performed very well; they displayed repetitive signals in real time and were affordable, familiar tools that users...

Build a biofeedback monitor.(Cover Story)
December 1, 1996... Stressed out from your job? Life's got you in a tizzy? Is your stomach in knots trying to find parts for that last Electronics Now project? With this simple device and an IBM or compatible PC, you can use biofeedback techniques to smooth over...

Build this fan-speed control for your furnace.
December 1, 1996... Want to save home-heating fuel while adding to the comfort of your home? This low-cost, easy-to-build project will enhance any warm-air heating system. Unless the warm-air furnace which heats your home is one of the very latest, most highly...

A look at PC technology.
December 1, 1996... Here's what to look for when you buy your next personal computer. With the holiday-shopping season fast approaching, one item high on many lists might be a new personal computer. Unfortunately, even for the technically savvy, the process of...

Build the cable reflection tester.
December 1, 1996... Need to test a damaged or suspect coaxial cable? This handy circuit will do the trick without sending you to the poorhouse for buying expensive equipment. If you supply the oscilloscope and about five bucks for parts, we'll supply the know-how....

Build this automatic parts tray.
December 1, 1996... Here's the software that makes our board-assembly system work, and an optical encoder to make sure it works perfectly. Last time we built a PC-based stepper-motor controller, and an automated parts-dispensing system called the APT (Automated...

Solving linear equations, induction heating, and more.
December 1, 1996... There sure was a lot of email over our simplified trisamp digital-filter story from last month. Those digital filters continue to amaze me. Properly used, digital filters can completely blow away all older analog designs. With digital technology,...

Visual productions and light shows.
December 1, 1996... Lighting is nothing new to the entertainment industry. Simple candle reflectors, used as "footlights", date back to the 1800s. Whenever new lighting technology came along, it wasn't long before it became a part of entertainment presentations. Few...