Electronics Now articles from July 1997

Electronics Now archives from July 1997

Automated inspection system. (for detection of defects in fabric)
July 1, 1997... Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed an automated on-line inspection system that uses advanced vision technology, neural networks, fuzzy logic, and wavelets to quickly identify defects in fabric. The system could cut...

Equipment reports: interactive EFX Personal Scanning Kit.
July 1, 1997... Most people with a home PC don't have the luxury of a scanner or copy machine. The usual reason for that is the perceived cost of those units relative to the amount of use they are likely to receive. Still, there are times when all of us wish we...

Repairing remote controls.
July 1, 1997... As we said last time, most of the problems encountered with remote controls are the result of the abuse inflicted on them by kids, pets and even otherwise well-behaved adults. But, regardless of why a remote fails to work, our job is to bring it...

The Digital Organization: AlliedSignal's Success with Business Technology.
July 1, 1997... A "digital organization" is a company that has integrated information technology into its infrastructure. This book shows you how to develop and implement a business strategy that will transform your company into a successful digital...

Embedded Microprocessor Systems: Real World Design.
July 1, 1997... This book presents an introduction to the design of embedded microprocessor systems from concept through debugging. Unlike many microprocessor books, this one is not limited to any specific processor family. Instead, it describes interfaces and...

Flip Chip Technologies.
July 1, 1997... The use of flip chip technologies can help designers keep pace with two trends in the electronics industry - making products smaller, thinner, shorter, and faster, while at the same time making them more friendly, functional, powerful, reliable,...

Digital sampling oscilloscopes.
July 1, 1997... Two digital sampling oscilloscopes (DSOs) from Virtual Tools, Inc. have maximum sampling rates of 20 MHz and 40 MHz with 8-bit resolution. Both DSOs feature 24 sampling rates, seven sampling depths with a maximum of 32K samples, and six input...

Industrial ScopeMeter. (combination of oscilloscope, multimeter and recorder)
July 1, 1997... The Fluke ScopeMeter 123 combines the three most frequently used service tools - oscilloscope, multimeter, and recorder - in a small, battery-powered tool that offers all the measurement functionality needed to do an effective service job. The...

How to become a better coder. (programmer)
July 1, 1997... My April column ("how not to be a bad coder") resonated with lots of readers, many of whom had war stories of their own to share. Several people, however, asked related questions, which in essence boiled down to this: "I know my coding is not as...

Build the Smartbox. (device for synchronizing an automobile's air conditioning compressor with the load demand on the engine)
July 1, 1997... Increase fuel economy while improving your vehicle's performance Operating the air conditioner in a vehicle is not free. It takes precious fuel to provide the horsepower that is demanded by the A/C compressor. Automotive manufacturers have...

Build the react-time tester.
July 1, 1997... Do you sometimes feel you're too tired, ill, or under the weather to operate machinery or drive a car? The React-Time Tester can measure your reaction time and show you if you're slowing down - even if you still feel fine. The human brain is...

All about monitors. (computer monitor)
July 1, 1997... Here's a look behind the screens of one of the most important, yet often overlooked, parts of a personal computer No matter how fast and powerful your PC may be, it serves little purpose without a monitor. For most computer users, the monitor...

Build the DTMF-Plus. (device for decoding dual-tone modulated frequency signals)
July 1, 1997... Decode DTMF tones from the telephone line or radio, and display them on any PC with this easy-to-build project. Decoding dual-tone modulated-frequency (DTMF) signals continues to be an area of interest for many people, DTMF signals can come...

A great new printer, using PostScript as a computer language, and much more.
July 1, 1997... The folks at ibm have added a new patent repository to the web. Among other things, it offers a free searchable master file for all patents in all fields newer than 1971 and a $3 per patent hard-copy fax service. You can access the site from the...

Build your own audio oscillator.
July 1, 1997... One of the most important pieces of audio test equipment that you will ever own is an audio oscillator. In this column I will show you the basics of building one for yourself. It is the first of a series of audio test instruments that will be...