Electronics Now articles from February 1995

Electronics Now archives from February 1995

Semiconductor-market predictions. (What's New)
February 1, 1995... The worldwide semiconductor industry will continue to grow at a 15% annual pace for the remainder of this century and that growth will exhibit greater stability and less volatility than it has in the past, according to World Semiconductor. Trade...

Ford dedicates scientific research facility. (Ford Motor Co.) (What's New)
February 1, 1995... Ford Motor Company dedicated a research facility last October that it claims will help it to meet environmental requirements, improve customer satisfaction and provisions for safety, and bring new vehicles to market faster. The $137-million,...

Protek P-3502C oscilloscope. (HC Protek's $440 P-3501C oscilloscope) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1995... Electronics enthusiasts, whether hobbyists or professionals, love to get new test equipment. They are invariably proud of the assortment of test equipment on their benches like mechanics and their tools. Without adequate test equipment, even the...

The ProCar Security System.
February 1, 1995... Build this automotive alarm and anti-theft system that sounds off before it disables the car. A "secret switch," actuated by ceded signals, prevents driving. AUTOMOBILE THEFT IS A SERIOUS crime problem in most advanced countries. Existing...

Precision audio signals from your PC. (audio generator)
February 1, 1995... Build this computer-controlled audio generator--for under ten bucks. DO YOU NEED A PRECISION SQUARE-wave generator for audio testing? If so, look no further than your computer's serial port, a handful of passive components, and a very simple...

Mini logic analyzer.
February 1, 1995... AFTER YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR latest logic circuit design, you will probably want to build a prototype to test its operation. If the circuit is not complex, a common logic probe is all that's needed to troubleshoot it. However, if the circuit has...

Sinewave doubler.
February 1, 1995... Double the frequency of any sinewave from 10 Hz to more than 50 MHz. HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU WISHED THAT your signal generator would generate a higher frequency? The small module described in this article doubles the frequency of any sinewave input,...

Build this milliohm tester.
February 1, 1995... Measure low resistances with this super simple circuit that connects to your DMM. THE MILLIOHM ADAPTER ALLOWS resistances from 1 milliohm to 1 ohm to be measured with a high degree of accuracy on any digital multimeter. The circuit loads the...

High- and low-pass active audio filters.
February 1, 1995... Learn about high-pass and low-pass active audio filters, and design them for your experiments and projects. ACTIVE FILTERS OVERCOME THE shortcomings of passive filters. They are formed by adding external passive networks to an operational...

Closed-loop control systems. (includes related article)
February 1, 1995... Learn the fundamentals of closed-loop control systems--their design and applications. WE ARE SURROUNDED BY BOTH open-loop and closed-loop control systems that are not usually recognized by those names. An open-loop control system can perform a...

Scientific resources, online services, automotive computer basics, servicing intermittent problems, and "mystery band" opportunities. (Hardware Hacker)
February 1, 1995... A pair of new scientific resources might be of interest to you. One is Shawn Carlson's new Society for Amateur Scientists. It is intended to foster collaboration between amateurs and professionals. It offers some new methods for individuals who...

Audio instructions. (Audio Update)
February 1, 1995... In the early days of hi-fi, the instruction sheet that accompanied a new component was usually just that: a mimeographed (remember mimeographs?) page of bare basics. If you needed more, the salesman in the audio salon (remember "audio salons"?)...

This month we finish up the tachometer circuit by adding a 3-digit display. (Drawing Board)
February 1, 1995... The last part of the tachometer circuit is the display. Before I get to the design of the display section, however, I want to review the circuitry that has been covered so far. The spark count is being totaled by a series of CD4040B binary...

Ten years of progress - for better or worse. (Computer Connections)
February 1, 1995... Innovation is flourishing. Today an incredibly vast array of computer products is available with power undreamt about a decade ago. Sure, most people don't need all that power, but for those of us who do, the progress has been breathtaking. A...