Electronics Now articles from February 1998

Electronics Now archives from February 1998

Nomai 750.c portable SCSI hard drive.
February 1, 1998... If you regularly deal with large computer files, some type of removable media is a must. After all, floppy disks are useful for transferring a few kilobytes or even a few megabytes, and Zip and similar drives become necessary for moving 100...

Pilot port I/O. (computer software HiLo)
February 1, 1998... Once upon a time the valley begat a little company called palm computing, and that was good. So good, in fact, that medium-size U.S. robotics swallowed it whole, and that was fine. So fine, in fact, that big ole 3Com Corp. gobbled it, and that...

The docter will sense you now. (medical telesensors)
February 1, 1998... Using a tiny, wireless electronic device that can be attached like a band-aid or imbedded in a fingertip or earlobe, tomorrow's doctors and paramedics will be able to remotely monitor the vital signs of high-risk patients or permit neo-natal...

Space research spotlights tumors. (use of light for treating cancers)
February 1, 1998... Special lighting technology - developed for NASA Space-Shuttle plant-growth experiments - may soon help treat cancer and save lives on Earth. A treatment technique called Photodynamic Theory uses tiny pinhead-size LEDs to activate...

Low-altitude vertical flights in urban areas.
February 1, 1998... A research and development project conducted in Atlanta during last year's Olympic games could have a long-term impact on improving transportation in crowded cities. Supported by the FAA, Operation Heli-STAR (Helicopter Short-Haul...

Investigating Brown's gas, a tiny TV generator, and more.
February 1, 1998... This month, we again have a fascinating mixture of pseudoscience and real science topics. Interestingly, however, this time "they" almost (but not quite) got the pseudoscience right. Before we get to that, let's see if we can kick things off...

Build a multichannel oscilloscope trigger.
February 1, 1998... Trigger an oscilloscope sweep on a combination of input signals! If you have ever experimented with your PC's hardware, you have probably figured out that a two-channel oscilloscope isn't exactly the best tool for debugging or troubleshooting...

The great compression. (digital compression)
February 1, 1998... MPEG is the key behind many of today's high-capacity multimedia technologies. Here's an overview of what it is and how it works. Most readers of this magazine have likely heard the term "MPEG," and are aware that it is the key technology that...

Build this POCSAG signal generator. (Post Office Code Standard Advisory Group)
February 1, 1998... Generate pager signals with this simple interface and computer program. Not too many years ago, personal pagers were mainly used only by people in the business world. Now pagers have become a popular means for almost everyone to keep in...

Restoring a "reel" recorder.
February 1, 1998... Here's what you need to know and do to bring your open-reel audio tape recorder back to life. This month, we begin a series of articles about repairing and restoring audio tape recorders. Specifically, it focuses on vintage open-reel...

Build this precision voltage/current reference.
February 1, 1998... Add this easy-to-build and inexpensive accessory to your test bench for lab-quality measurements and calibration. If you enjoy experimenting with both linear and non-linear analog-electronic circuits, you've probably gotten aggravated having...

Printer and copier basics.
February 1, 1998... This month, we are going to do something that's a little different: rather than dealing with specific servicing problems and solutions, we are going to present a brief overview of computer printers and how they work. Note that some of the...

Building a capacitance-substitution box.
February 1, 1998... If you were interested in the resistance substitution box we described in the December 1997 issue, it is likely that you have by now built it and put it to work. This month, we will show you another useful accessory for audio testing. It is a...