Circuit Cellar Online -This Month

THE MAGAZINE FOR COMPUTER APPLICATIONS Circuit Cellar Online offers articles illustrating creative solutions and unique applications through complete projects, practical tutorials, and useful design techniques.

	THE POWER FACTOR
		by George Novacek Power quality has become increasingly critical for all commercial equipment. The regulations are looming and traditional 400-Hz generators are gradually being replaced by 400-Hz variable frequency generators, delivering power at frequencies between 320 and 780 Hz. Efficiency, weight, and economics dictate in this area of AC electric power distribution. March 2001
	USING PERL IN EMBEDDED SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
		by Liu Kai The PicoWeb design inspired Liu to use Perl for embedded software development. Because Perl is fully open-source, you can modify the code to your demands. Using Perl may not be a new idea, but why not try using it in embedded software industries? You�ll find it useful in almost every session of development. March 2001
	AN S7600A/PIC16F877 JOURNEY
		Part 3: Hot-Wiring the System by Fred Eady Using a PIC to communicate over the Internet? Fred is just as surprised as you, but nevertheless, that is the task at hand for this month. With in-circuit programmable flash memory and four times the I/O space of the old PIC16C55, he started the ball rolling with SMTP. Once you know how to send e-mail with small embedded devices, you�ve hit guru status. March 2001
	SELECTING THE RIGHT MICROCONTROLLER UNIT
		by Chad Gallun It�s a personal choice, but there are many factors to consider. This month, Chad takes us through the ins and outs of choosing the right MCU. His chief goal, of course, is to reduce cost while still satisfying the specifications for performance and reliability. The first step is determining your needs, then just follow this guideline for mapping out criteria for the optimal decision. March 2001
	STRUCTURED DESIGN
		Part 1: An Introduction to Structured Techniques by George Martin George was betting that he wouldn�t be at a loss for words this month, and he was right. Structured programming as it pertains to flowcharts and Nassi-Schneiderman charting holds his interest and ours, as he shows us why we can put the nightmare of debugging spaghetti code on the back burner. All you need is sequence, selection, and iteration and controlled code will follow. March 2001
	ANALOG BIT BOMB
		by Tom Cantrell This month, the hardware wizards are defending their spot in what Tom refers to as the �battle of bloat.� Even though there is a slowdown in PC sales, older PCs still have the horsepower to get the job done, so why upgrade? Still, we�ve come a long way, as Tom shows us TI�s ADS1216, a complete data acquisition subsystem that deals in precision as opposed to speed. Is relief is just a new chip away? March 2001
	ASK US
		Got Questions? Want Answers? ASK US Browse Q&As from other engineers or submit your tough technical questions to the ASK US team and let us help keep your project on track or simplify your design decision.
	WHAT'S YOUR ENGINEERING QUOTIENT?
		Test Your EQ presents some basic engineering problems for you to test your engineering quotient. Problem 1—What are the key characteristics of a good requirements document? Problem 2—What is Requirements Management? The rest of this month's questions
	RESOURCE LINKS
		Each month Circuit Cellar's Resource Links provide helpful links and information on a variety of featured topics. Portable MP3 Players by Rick Prescott Ethernet Cabling by Brant Schroeder Osciloscopes by Brant Schroeder
	NEW PRODUCT NEWS—edited by Rick Prescott
		Single-Axis Controller Lin Protocol Silicon Solution 1394 Data Mover Web Interface Card Ultra-miniature Sensors Intelligent Data Acquisition Pod New Product submissions may be sent to Rick Prescott. 4 Park St. Vernon, CT 06066
	PRIORITY INTERRUPT
		Circuit Cellar Online by Steve Ciarcia Read Steve Ciarcia's latest editorial exclusively presented by AVNET. March 2001
	CIRCUIT CELLAR's Print Magazine
		Take advantage of more than 12 years of engineering editorial experience with Circuit Cellar's print magazine! Full of unique, application-oriented articles. Come see what's in this month's publication! March 2001
	COPYRIGHT
		CIRCUIT CELLAR� Online, (ISSN 1527-8131) and Circuit Cellar are published monthly by Circuit Cellar Incorporated, 4 Park Street, Suite 20, Vernon, CT 06066 (860) 875-2751. Entire contents copyright � 2001 by Circuit Cellar Incorporated and eChips, Inc. All rights reserved. Circuit Cellar and Circuit Cellar INK are the registered trademarks of Circuit Cellar Inc. Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part without written consent from Circuit Cellar Inc. is prohibited. Disclaimer