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Build a Three-in-One Measurement System
By Salvador Perdomo

No home electronics lab is complete without a signal generator, logic analyzer, and digital oscilloscope. But why purchase the measurement devices separately, when you can build one system that houses all three? The process is easier than you'd expect. Salvador Perdomo writes:

I've built an inexpensive and versatile measurement system that contains a signal generator, logical analyzer, and digital oscilloscope. If you build your own, you'll be able to address many of the problems typically encountered on test benches.

The system is not PC-bus connected. Instead, it's external to the computer, making use of the RS-232 serial port shown in Figure 1. Also, it doesn't have a power supply input, so the same serial cable feeds it. Because the computer's serial connection provides limited power, low power consumption is a fundamental requirement. The low-power goal is achieved with a small number of components-the fewer the better. So, I quickly became interested in the Texas Instruments MSP430F149, which is a highly integrated device with low power consumption.  Continue Reading & Download 
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Industry News

The answer to the September Electrical Engineering Challenge is now live. Congratulations to the winners: John Barraclough (United Kingdom) and Pieter Willemsen (Belgium). The next Challenge launches on October 1, 2015. Good luck!...»

 

Featuring a very compact footprint as well as excellent usability, Vision Components VCSBCnano Z-RH-2 series embedded cameras enable high-speed image processing in real time. The ultra-small products are available for cost-sensitive OEM applications where installation space is limited. The smart cameras ... Continue reading →...»

 

Texas Instruments recently introduced the UCC27714 half-bridge gate driver for discrete power MOSFETs and IGBTs that operate up to 600 V. With 4-A source and 4-A sink current capability, the UCC27714 reduces component footprint by 50%. In addition, it provides 90-ns propagation ... Continue reading →...»

 

NXP Semiconductors has announced the new Mantra RF family of high-performance transceivers and receivers for secure car access and vehicle management. The chip family offers a long-range (several hundred meters), two-way RF link for bidirectional communication between a key fob ... Continue reading →...»
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Circuit Cellar #303 October 2015

Signal Processing Solutions | DIY Footlight Project | Room Acoustics Analysis | Battery Operation | Transformer Design | FPGA Design in Python | Connect Wirelessly with an MCU | Tips for Selecting an Op-Amp | X-10 and Beyond | The Future of Commodity Hardware Security | And More
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