EVERYDAY AUGUST 1997

PRACTICA
EIteCTRONle
http://www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk £2.65

COLOSSUS
RECREATED
Secret wartime
technology
outperforms
a Pentium PC
UNIVERSAL
INPUT AMPLIFIER
A better front end for
audio equipment
VARIABLE BENCH
POWER SUPPLY
Simple, see,
inexpensive and
easy to build
Circuit Surgery
I ations Interface
ew ec no ogy p ae

PICmOO
Build ahigfil -tech
nnyiewUktle

a
GAZINE FOR ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY &
9 70262
11
361089
 THERE IS ONE DANGER YOU CAN'T SEE, HEAR, WANT TO MAKE SOME MONEY? STUCK FOR AN Including cases and earoces. 2xPP3 recrd. £37.00 pr. REF: MA030
SMELL OR FEEL- ITS RADIATION. THERE ARE OVER IDEA? We have collated 140 business minuet that give you 'FM TRANSMITTER KIT housed in a standard working 13A
10,000 SHIPMENTS OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL IN information on setting up different businesses you peruse these at adapter!' the bug runs directly off the mains so lasts foreveri why pay
THE UK EVERY YEAR BY ROAD AND RAIL! WOULD your leisure using the text editor on your PC Also included is the £700? or price is £18 REF EF62 Out) Transmits to any FM radio.
ANYBODY TELL YOU OF A RADIATION LEAK? certificate enabling you to reproduce (and sed) the manuals as much as Built and tested version now available of the above unit at £45 ref
you bkei £14 ref EP74 EXM34
NEW GEIGER COUNTER IN STOCK Hand held und with
LCD screen .
auto rangrng, low battery alarm auclible'dck output blew RUSSIAN 900X MAGNIFICATION ZOOM MICROSCOPE 'FM BUG BUILT AND TESTED supenor des/gn to kit Supplied
and guaranteed f129 ref GE1 metal constnxton, bull In let mirroretc Russian shrimp farm!. group to detectrve agencies 9v battery req'd £14 REF MAG14
viewing screen, lots of acoessones £29 ref ANAYLT GAT AIR PISTOL PACK Complete with tarot darts and pellets
RUSSIAN BORDER GUARD BINOCULARS £1799
AA NICAD PACK Pack of 4tagged AA weds £2 99 ref BAR34 £14 95 Ref EF82B extra pellets (500) £4 50 ref EF80
Probably the best binoculars in the world' nng for colour brochure
RUSSIAN NIGHTSIGHTS Model TZS4 verth infra red illuminator, HEAT PUMPS These are mans operated onto air units that consist
RUSSIAN MUL11BAND WORLD COMMUNICATIONS
views up to 75 metres in full darkness in infrared mode. 150m range. of a aluminium plate (coding side) and a radiator (warming ode
RECEIVER. Exceptional coverage of 9wave bands, (5 short 1LW, 45mm lens. 13 deg angie of view, focussing range 15m to infinity 2AA connected togethermth acompressor The plate deserted into water
IFM. IMIN) interne fernte and external telescopic aerials. mama) batteries required 950g weight £199 ref BAR61 1years warranty we freeze it Probably about 3-400 watts so could produce lkw in deal
battery. £45 ref VEGA LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAYS Bargain prices, conditions £30 ref HP1
NEIN LASER POINTERS 4 5mw, 75 metre rançie. hancl had und 3FOOT SOLAR PANEL Amorphous silicon. 3' x1' housed in an
16 character 2 line, 99x24mm £2.99 ref SM1623A
runs on two AA batteries (supplied) 670nm £29 ref DEC49 aluminium frame, 13v 70OrriA ouput £55 ref MAG45
20 character 2 line. 133x19mm £3.99 ref SM2024A
HOW TO PRODUCE 35 BOTTLES OF WHISKY FROM SOLAR/991ND REGULATOR Prevents batteries from over
16 character 4 line, 62x25mm £5.99 ref SMC1640A
A SACK OF POTATOES Comprehensive 270 page bcok charging On reaching capacity the regulator &yens excess power into
TAL -1, 110MM NEWTONIAN REFLECTOR TELESCOPE
covers «aspects of stint production from everyday materials Inciudes heat avoiding damage Max power is 60 watts £27 99 ref S/CA11-/05
Russian. Superb astronomical 'scope everything you need for some
construction details of simple stills etc £12 ref MS3 FANCY A FLUTTER? SEEN OUR NEW PUBLICATION?
serious sial gazing! up to 189x magnification Send or fax for further
NEW HIGH POWER MINI BUG With a range of up to 800 Covers all aspects of horse and dog betting, systems etc and gives you
information.20kg. 885x800x1650mm ref TAL-I. £249
metres and a3days use from aPP3 this is our top seeng bug! less abetting system that should make your betting far more profitable' £6
YOUR HOME COULD BE SELF SUFFICENT IN
than 1" square and a10m voice pickup range £28 Ref LOT102 acopy ref 8E71
ELECTRICITY Cornprehensire plants« beds clinfo on designing
BUILD YOU OWN WINDFARM FROM SCRAP New FIBRE OPTIC CABLE BUMPER PACK 10 metres for £4 99
systems, panels, control electronics etc £7 ref PV1
publication grues step by step guide to budchng wind genqrators and ref MAG5P13 deal for expenmenters' 30 m for £12 99 ref MAG13R I
propellors Armed with dia publication and agood local ticrap yard 4X28 TELESCOPIC SIGHTS Surtable for all air rifles .ground
could make you self sufficient in electricity' £12 ref LOT81 lenses, good light gathering properties £24 95 ref R/7
PC KEYBOARDS PS2 connector top quality suitable for at 2881 GYROSCOPES Remember these? well we have found acompany
386/486 etc £10 ref PCKB 10 for E65. that still manufactures these popular scentrfic toys perfect gift or for
NEW LOW COST VEHICLE TRACKING TRANSMITTER educational use etc £6 ref EP70

KIT £29 range 1.5-5 miles, 5,000 hours on kA batteries, transmits NICAD CHARGERS AND BATTERIES Standard unnersal
info on car direction, left and right turns. start and stop information mains operated charger, takes 4 bans .• 1 PP3 £10 ref P01 ID
Works with any good FM radio £29 ref LOT 101a Needs AA sue (4 pack) £4 ref 4P44 C size i2 pack) £4 ref 4P73, D
sae (4 pack) £9 ref 9P12
HIGH SECURITY ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS Complete
RECHARGE ORDINARY BATTERIES UP TO 10 TIMES!
brand new wean lock and {etch assembly with both Yale type lock (keys
Inc) and 12v operated deadlock. £10 ref LOT99
With the Battery Wizard' Uses the latest pulse wave charge system to
charge as popular brands of ordinary batteries A». AA, C. D four at
NEW HIGH POWER WIRELESS VIDEO AND AUDIO
atinie' Led system shores when batteries are charged, automatically
BUG KIT 1/2 MILE RANGE Transmits video and audio signals reiects unsuitable cells, complete with mains adaptor BS approved
from ainmaturo CCTV camera (included) to any standard television' Poca is £21 95 ref EP31
Supplied with telescopic aerial £169 COLOUR CCTV V IDE LAMERAS,
PHOTOGRAPHIC RADAR TRAPS CAN COST YOU
CCTV PAN AND TILT KITMotonze your CCTV camera with this BRAND NEW AND CASED • Fpcm 99
YOUR LICENCE! The new muthband 2000 radar detector can
simple 12vdc kit 2hermenticaly sealed DC linear servo motors 5mm
threaded output Step stop to stop can be stopped anywhere lOmm Works with most modern video's, TV's, prevent even the most responsible of drivers from losing their licence'
Adjustable audible alarm with 8flashing ledo gives instant warning of
travel, powerful £12 ref LOT125 Composite monitors, video grabber cards etc radar zones Detects X K. and Ka bands. 3mile range. 'over the hid
GPS SATELLITE NAVIGATION SYSTEM Made by Garmin, Pal, 1v P-P, composite, 75ohm, 1/3" CCD, 4mm F2.8, 'around bends' arid 'rear trap facilities micro size just 425"x2 x75",
the GPS38 is hand held, pocket seed. 255g, position. altitude graphic 500x582, 12vdc, mounting bracket, auto shutter, Can pay for itself in just one day' £89 ref EP3
compass, map builder, ram filled. Bargain price Just f179 ref GP S1 100x50x18Ornm, 3 months warranty,1 off price £118 3" DISCS As used on older Amstrad machines, Spectrum plus3ss etc
CCTV CAMERA MODULES 46X70X29mm. 30 grams. 12v ref XEF150, 10 or more £88 ea 100+ £89 £3 each ref BAR400
100rrtA auto electronic shutter. 3.6mm F2 lens. CCIR. 512x492 STEREO MICROSOPES BACK IN STOCK Russian. 200x
MICRO RADIO Ifs tiny. Just 3/8" thick. auto tunning. complete with
pixels, video output sinv p-p (75 ohm) Works directly into ascart or complete vnth lenses, lights, filters etc etc very comprehensive
headphones FM f999 ref EP35
video input on aN or video. IR sensitive £79 95 ref EF137 microscope that would normally be around the £700 mark our price
25 SQUARE FOOT SOLAR ENERGY BANK KIT 100 irxr
IR LAMP KIT Suitable for the above camera, enables the camera is Just £299 (fun money back guarantee) full details in catalogue
6v Amorphous 100mA panels, 100 diodes. connection details etc to
to be used in total darkness' £6 ref EF138 SECOND GENERATION NIGHT SIGHTS FROM £748
build a25 square foot solar cell for lust £99 ref EF 112
INFRA RED POWERBEAM Handheld battery powered lamp, 4 RETRON Russian night sight 18x, infra red lemp.10m-inf. standard
CONVERT YOUR TV INTO A VGA MONITOR FOR £251
inch reflector, gives out powerful pure infrared light' perfect for CCTV 1442 lens. 114 £349 ref RET I
Converts aCOIOUf TV into abasic VGA screen Compete with bull in
use. nighteghts etc £29 ref PBI
peu, lead and s/ware Ideal for laptops ors cheap upgrade Supplied in LOW COST CORDLESS MIC 500 range. 90 -105mtu. 115g,
SUPER VVIDEBAND RADAR DETECTOR Detects both kit form for home assembly SALE PRICE £26 REF SA34 193 x26 x39mm, 9v PP3 battery required £17 ref MAG15P1
radar and laser JO< and KA bands speed cameras and all known
*15 WATT FM TRANSMITTER Already assembled but some HI POWER SURVEILLANCE TELESCOPE Continuous zoom
speed detecton systems 360clegree coverage, front &eareavegueles,
RF knoveedge we be useful for setting up Preamp req'd, 4stage 80- control from 20 times to an amazing 80 times magnificabon 60mm fully
11"x2 7"x4 6ffs on sun visor or dash £149 ref 108mhz. 12-18vdc, can use ground plane, yagi or dipole £69 ref 1021 coated objective lens for maximum light transmission, completo with
'4 WATT FM TRANSMITTER KIT Small but powerful FM tripod («fining micro elevation control £75 ref ZT1
CHIEFTAN TANK DOUBLE LASERS transmitter kit 3RF stages, mic &audioprsampirrdudedE24 ref 1028 JUMBO LED PACK 15 10min bicolour lads, plus 5gent (55mrn)
seven segment desplays all on •pcb £8 ref JUN I.
Pack of 30 55mm
9 WATT+3 WATT+LASER OPTICS YUASHA SEALED LEAD ACID BATTERIES 12v 15AH at
sevensagdispIaysonpcbsisEb9refLED4,p.c1tof50 £31 ref LED50
£18 ref LOTS and below spec 6v 10AH at f5eparr
Could be adapted for laser listener, long range communications etc 12VDC 40MM FANS MADE BY PANAFLO, NEW. £4. REF FAN12
ELECTRIC CAR WINDOW DE-ICERS Complete with cable,
Double beam units designed to fit in the gun barrel of atank each unit
plug etc SALE PRICE JUST £4.99 REF SA28
has two semi conductor lasers and motor drive units for ahgnement 7
mile range, no arcurt diagrams due to MOD, new poco £50 000? us? AUTO SUNCHARGER 155x300mm SOla panel with diode and 3
£199 Each und has two galkum Arsenide injection lasers Ix9watt. metre lead fitted with aogar plug 12v 2wett £12.99 REF AUGIOP3
Ix3 wan 900nm wavelength. 28vdc. 600hz pulse frequency The units SOLAR POWER LAB SPECIAL You get 2 ex6" 6v 130mA
also contain an electronic receiver to detect reflected signals from cells 4LED's wire, buzzer, switch 1relay ormotor £7.91 REF SA27
targets £199 for one Ref LOTS. 12V DC MOTOR SPEED CONTROL KIT Compete with PCB
EASY DIY/PROFESSIONAL TWO WAY MIRROR KIT etc Up to 30A A heat wok may be requrred. £19.00 REF: MAGI?
Includ« special adhesive film to make two viey mirrons) up to60 -x2Cr. SOLAR NICAD CHARGERS 4nM size £9 99 ref 6P478, 2x
(glass not included) includes full instructions £12 ref TW1 C size £9.99 ref 6P477
NEW LOW PRICED C091PUTERANORKSHOP/H1-Fl MEGA POWER BINOCULARS Made by Helios. 20 x
magnification. precision ground fully coated optics. 60mm obrectry«.
RCB UNITS Complete protectron from faulty equipment for
everybody! Inline und fits in standard IEC lead (extends rt by 750mm), shock resistant caged proms, case and neck strap £89 ref FIPH1
fitted oleos Men 10 seconds. reset/test button. 10A rating £6 99 each GIANT HOT AIR BALLOON KIT Budd •4 5rn carcurtifnsnce,
ref LOTS. Or apack Of 10 id £49 90 ref LOTS If you want abox of 100 fully functioning balloon, can be launched with home made burner etc
you can have one for £250t Reusable (until you loose d!) £12 50 ref rim
TWO CHANNEL FULL FUNCTION B GRADE RADIO AIR RIFLES .22 As used by the Chinese army'« training puposes.
CONTROLLED CARS From World famous manufacturer these so there rs alot about' £39 95 Ref EF78 500 «bets f4 50 ref Ent°
WIND GENERATORS 380 WATT
are returns so they wil need retention (usury phy ace, damage) cheap *NEW MEGA POWER VI DEOAND AUDIO SENDER UNIT. 114 dla blades. carbon manor blades. 3year warranty, 12vdc output,
way of buying TX and RX plus servos etc for new protects etc £12 ear.h Transmits both audio and video signals from ether avideo camera, control electronct. Mushiest neodymium cubic curve alternator. only
sold as seen ref LOT2. yX1030 recorder, TV or Computer etc to any standard TV set Ins 500m two moving parts, mentenence free, simple rooftop ostalatan. start up
range! (tune TV to channel 31) 12v DC speed 7mph, max output (30mph) 380e £499 ref AIR1
MAGNETIC CREDIT CARD READERS AND ENCODING
MANUAL ECU Cased with nybads, designed to read standard op Price it £85 REF: MAGIE 12v peu is £5 extra REF: MAG6P2
credit cards! complete We control eactronice PCB and manual •MINATURE RADIO TRANSCEIVERS A pair of walk,e talkies Check out ourVVEB SITE
covering everything you could went to know atout whets hidden in that wati arange up to 2kiflin openœurbtry. Units measure 22x52x155rnm.
magnebc strip on your card? lust £9 95 ref BAR31 full colour interactive
BULL ELECTRICAL 1997 catalogue
250 PORTLAND ROAD, HOVE, SUSSEX. http://www.pavillon.co.uk/bull-electrical
BN3 SOT. (ESTABLISHED 50 YEARS).
MAIL ORDER TERMS: CASH, PO OR CHEQUE FREE COLOUR CATALOGUE
WITH ORDER PLUS £3.50 P&P PLUS VAT.
WITH EVERY ORDER
24 HOUR SERVICE £4.50 PLUS VAT.
HIGH POWER DC MOTORS, PERMANENT MAGNET
OVERSEAS ORDERS AT COST PLUS t3.50
12 -24v operation probably about 1/4 horse poser. body measures 'SOME OF OUR PRODUCT, MAY BE UPRICENSABLE IN THE 1,1K
100m x75mm with ar3Omm x5m m output shaft with arnachned Me on
rt. Frxing sample using the two threaded bolts protruding from the front
'phone orders: 01273 203500 WE BUY SURPLUS STOCK
of the motor 4min n I2mm) These motors are perfect for model tACCESS,ViSA, SWYTCH, AMERICAN EXF1ties5)
engineenng etc they may even be motel)* as a cycle motor? We
expect high demand so dyou would Ike one or think you may require FAX 01273 323077 FOR CASH
One in the future pines your order today! £22 ref MOT4 10 pack f185 E-mail bull@pavilion.co.ak SURPLUS STOCK LINE 0802 660335
 ISSN 0262 3617 EVERYDAY
PROJECTS .THEORY NEWS
COMMENT. .POPULAR FEATURES
PRACTICAL

ELECTRONICS http://www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk
The No. 1 Magazine for Electronics Technology
VOL. 26 No. 8 AUGUST 1997 and Computer Projects

Piioiecis
e an? Chgealis
VARIABLE BENCH POWER SUPPLY by Robert Penfold 524
Ideal for any electronics experimenter: a low cost regulated 1.2V to 12V
PSU with switched current ranges from 20mA to 500mA
PIC -OLO MUSIC MAKER by John Becker 530
Amuse yourself (or the kids) with this polyphonic hi-tech evolution of the
"penny whistle"!
UNIVERSAL INPUT AMPLIFIER by Andy Millar 548
Build this versatile little front-end amplifier and benefit from its impressive
performance
INTERFACE by Robert Penfold 560
Audio Frequency Meter Interface for your PC
MICROPOWER PIR DETECTOR -2 by Andy Flind 562
A battery-powered three-part design for an integrated IR alarm system -
this month the Controller is described
INGENUITY UNLIMITED hosted by Alan Winstanley 566
IR Camera Shutter Trigger; Camper's Night-Light; Car Electrics Tester

$eties an? 7eattoses

528
NEW TECHNOLOGY UPDATE by Ian Poole
Analogue designs are benefitting from the new lower-voltage operating
ranges of their chips
COLOSSUS RECREATED by Barry Fox 540
Relating the fascinating tale of how UK engineers built the world's first
computer and helped defeat the Nazis -it outperforms aPentium PC
CIRCUIT SURGERY by Alan Winstanley 545
Capacitor ESR and Schade Graphs; Burglar Alarm modification;
Coin Cell Batteries; Which PIC?
MEXPRESS - BASIC FOR ENGINEERS REVIEW by Rob Miles 552
Examining Quickroute System's latest data manipulation and
presentation software
GREAT EXPERIMENTERS - A Short History - 4 by Steve Knight 568
Although poorly educated, Faraday began to solve the mysteries of
capacitance and magnetic induction
NET WORK -THE INTERNET PAGE surfed by Alan Winstanley 580
FTP Et Al!; Junk and More Junk; Hot Links

Xeoulems an? Sosoices

EDITORIAL 523
SHOPTALK with David Barrington 536
The essential guide to component buying for EPE projects
PLEASE TAKE NOTE 536
Infra -
Red Remote Control Repeater; PIC Digilogue Clock
INNOVATIONS - Barry Fox highlights technology's leading edge. 538
Plus everyday news from the world of electronics
READOUT John Becker addresses general points arising 556
PARTS GALLERY + ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS AND
COMPONENTS CD-ROM Special Offer to EPE readers 557
BACK ISSUES Did you miss these? 558
FAX ON DEMAND 559
Need arecent EPE article now? Dial our "instant" response service!
OHM SWEET OHM by Max Fidling 572
Succumbing to the inevitability of computers confronts Max and Piddles
with aTom and Jerry problem
ELECTRONICS VIDEOS Our range of educational videos 574
DIRECT BOOK SERVICE 576
GD Wimborne Publishing Ltd 1997. Copyright in all A wide range of technical books available by mail order
drawings, photographs and articles published in
EVERYDAY PRACTICAL ELECTRONICS is fully PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD SERVICE 578
protected, and reproduction or Imitations in PCBs for EPE projects. Plus EPE software
whole or In part are expressly forbidden. ADVERTISERS INDEX 584

Our September '97 Issue will be published on Readers Services • Editorial and Advertisement Departments 523
Friday, 1August 1997. See page 559 for details.

Everyday Practical Electronics, August /997 513

 Surplus always I
wanted for cash!
THE ORIGINAL SURPLUS WONDERLAND! Surplus always I
wanted for cash!
THIS MONTH'S SELECTION FROM OUR VAST EVER CHANGING STOCKS
LOW COST PC's - IC's -TRANSISTORS -DIODES 19" RACK CABINETS
SPECIAL 811Y OBSOLETE -SHORT SUPPLY -BULK

6,000,000 items EX STOCK

Superb quality 6foot 40IJ
Virtually New, Ultra Smart
'
AT 286'
For MAJOR SAVINGS -CALL FOR SEMICONDUCTOR FiOn.ter Less than Half Price!
40Mb HD + 3Mb Ram elellmeirigat Top quality 19' rack cabinets made in UK by
VIDEO MONITOR SPECIALS Optima Enclosures Ltd. Units feature
LIMITED QUANTITY only of these 12Mhz HI GRADE 286 systems designer, smoked acrylic lockable front door,
Made in the USA to an industrial specification, the system was One of the highest specification full height lockable half louvered back door
and louvered removable side panels Fully
J,' monitors
monitors you will ever see -m t
designed for total reliability The compact case houses the mother-
board, PSU and EGA video card wrth single 544" 1.2 Mb floppy disk adjustable internal fixing struts, ready punched
dove & Integral 40Mb hard disk drive to the front Real time clock this price -Don't miss it!! for any configuration of equipment mounting
with battery backup is provided as standard Supplied in good used plus ready mounted integral 12 way 13 amp
condition complete with enhanced keyboard. 540k 2Mb RAM, Mitsubishi FA3415ETKL 14" SVGA liluftleynC oolour monitor with trie
socket switched mains distribution strip make
.028 dot pitch tube and resoluttn of 1024 x768. A
DOS 4.01 and 90 DAY Full Guarantee. Ready ro Run these racks some of the most versatile we
Order as HIGRADE 284 oivi y £ 12 n . no%
p. (E )
variety crt routs Wows ccrnectxri So ahzst of =flout- have ever sold. Racks may be stacked side by side and therefore
ass rictudng IBM PC's n CGA. EGA VGA 8 SVGA require only two side panels to stand singly or in multiple bays.
Optional Fitted extras: VGA graphics card £29.00 rncdes, BBC, COMMODORE (ricluding Arne 1200), Overall dimensions are: 77W H a32W D x22' W. Order as:
14Mb 3Vx" floppy disk drive (instead of 12 Mb) £19.95 ARCHIMEDES and APPLE Many features: Bided
OPT Rack 1Complete with removable side panels. £335.00 (G)
Wordperiect 60tor Dos -when 314' FDD option ordered £22.50 facepete. tee switching and LOW RADIATION MPR
specrficatior Fully guaranteed. Steeled in EXCEL- OPT Rack 2Rack. Less side panels £225.00 (G1
NE2000 Ethernet (thick, thin or twisted) network card £29.00
LENT little used condition. Ortbr as
LOW COST 486DX-33 SYSTEM Tilt 8, Swivel Base £A.75 Only £119 E) kirrs-svaA 32U - High Quality - All steel RakCab
VGA cable for IBM PC included.
Limited quantity of this 2nd user, supurb small size desktop unit Made by Eurocratt Enclosures Ltd to the highest possible spec,
Fully featured with standard simm connectors 30 8 72 pin. Supplied Externai catées for other types of computers CALL rack features all steel construction with removable
with keyboard. 4Mb of RAM. SVGA monitor output. 256k cache and side, front and back doors. Front and back doors are
As New -Used on film set for 1 week only!!
integral 120 Mb IDE drive with single 1.44 Mb 3.5 floppy disk drive. hinged for easy access and all are lockable with
Fully tested and guaranteed. Fully expandable Only 15" 0.28 SVGA 1024 x 768 res, colour monitors. five secure 5 lever barrel locks. The front door
Many other options ayalable -call for details. £399.00 1E) Swivel & tilt etc. Full 90 day guarantee. £145.00 (E) is constructed of double walled steel with a •
'designer style' smoked acrylic front panel to
FLOPPY DISK DRIVES 3'h" -8" Just In -Microvitec 20' VGA (800 x600 res.) colour monitors.
Good SH condition -from £299 -CALL for Info
enable status indicators to be seen through the
panel, yet remain unobtrusive. Internally the rack
features fully slotted reinforced vertical fixing
51
/•" or 31
/2 "from only £18.95! PHILIPS HCS35 (same style as CM8833) attractively styled 14"
members to take the heaviest of 19" rack
colour monitor with boar RGB and standard composite 15.425
Massive purchases of standard EA' and 3lie drives enables us to equipment. The two movable vertical fixing struts
Khz video inputs via SCART socket and separate phono jacks.
present prime product at industry beating low prices ,All units (unless (extras available) are pre punched for standard
stated) are BRAND NEW or removed from often brand new equip- Integral audio power amp and speaker for all audio visual uses.
'cage nuts'. A mains distribution panel internal-
Will connect direct to Amiga and Atari BBC computers Ideal for all
ment and are fully tested, aligned and shreed to you with a 90 day ly mounted to the bottom rear, provides 8xIEC 3
video monitoring /security applications with direct connection
guarantee and operate from standard voltages and are of standard pin Euro sockets and 1x 13 amp 3 pin switched
to most colour cameras. High quality with many features such as
size All are IBM-PC compatible (if 3'h' supported on your PC) utility socket. Overall ventilation is provided by
front concealed flap controls. VCR correction button etc. Good fully louvered back door and double skinned top section
3V:" Panasonic JU363/4 720K or equivalent FIFE £24.95(B) used condition -fully tested -guaranteed •
31
/"Mitsubishi MF355C-L t.4 Meg Laptops only
2
3V," Mitsubishi MF355C-D 14Meg. Non laptop
£25.95(B)
£18.95(B)
Dimensions: W14' xH1214' x1554' D. Only £95 (E) with top and side louvres. The top panel may be removed for fining
of Integral fans to the sub plate etc. Other features include fitted
5%" Teac FD-55GFR 12Meg (for IBM pc's) RFE £18.95(B) PHIUPS HCS31 Ultra compact 9" colour video monitor with stan- castors and floor levelers. prepunched utility panel at lower rear for
51
/"Teac FD.55F-03-U 720K 40/80 (for BBC's etc) FIFE
4 £29.95(B) dard composite 15.825 Khz video input via SCART socket. Ideal cable /Connector access etc. Supplied in excellent, slightly used
51
/"BRAND NEW Mitsubishi MF50113 360K
4 £22.95(B) for all monitoring /security applications. High quality, ex-equipment condition with keys. Colour Royal blue. External dimensions
Table top case with integral PSU for HH 514' Flopp or HD £29.95(B) fully tested 8 guaranteed (possible minor screen bums). In attrac- mm.1625H x635D x603 W. (64" H x25" D x2314" W)
8" Shugart 800/801 8' SS refurbished & tested £195.00(E) tive square black plastic case measuring W10' x H10' x 13W D Sold at LESS than athird of makers price II
Only £79.00(o)
£195.00
8" Shugart 810 8' SS HH Brand New £195.00(E) 240 V AC mains powered.
8" Shugart 851 8' double sided refurbished & tested £250.00(E)
KME 10' 15M10009 high dehmtion colour «Mors with 0.28' dot
A superb buy at only (G)
Mitsubishi M2894-63 8' double sided NEW £275.00(E)
pitch. Superb clarity and modern styling..
Mitsubishi M2896-63-02U 8' DS shrnline NEW £285.00(E)
Operates from any 15.625 khz sync RGB video
Over 1000 racks -19" 22" & 24" wide
Dual 8" cased drives with integral power supply 2Mb £499.00(E)
source. with RGB analog and composite sync 3 to 44 U high. Available from stock!!
HARD DISK DRIVES such as Atari, Commodore Amiga, Acorn
Call with your requirements.
Archimedes & BBC. Measures only 13S5' x 12' x
End of line purchase scoop! Brand new NEC 02246 8' 85 Mbyte
11'. Good used condition. Only £125 (E)
drive with industry standard SUD interface replaces Fujitsu
equivalent model. Full manual. Only £299.00 or 2for £525.00 (E)
TOUCH SCREEN SYSTEM
20" 22" and 26" AV SPECIALS The ultimate in 'Touch Screen Technology' made by the experts -
3W" FUJI FK•309-26 20mb MFM I/F RFE £59.95(C)
314' CONNER CP3024 20 mb IDE I/F (or equiv )RFE £59.95(C) Superbly made UK manufacture. PIL all soled state colour monitors. AlIcroTouch •but sold at a price below cost I! System consists of
354' CONNER CP3044 40mb IDE VF (or equry )RFE £69.00(C) complete with composite video 8 optional sound input Attractive a flat translucent glass laminated panel measuring 29.5 x23.5 cm
3V," RODIME R03057S 45mb SCSI VF (Mac 8 Acorn) £69.00(C) teak style case Perfect for Schools, Shops, Disco. Clubs. etc In connected to an electronic controller PCB. The controller produces
3V2" WESTERN DIGITAL 850mb IDE I/F Brand New (185.00(C) EXCELLENT little used condition with full 90 day guarantee a standard serial RS232 or TTL output which continuously gives
514' MINISCRIBE 3425 20mb MFM I/F (or equry )RFE £49.95(C) simple serial data containing positional X 8 Y co-ordinates as to
20"....£135 22"....£155 26"....£185 F where a finger is touching the panel -as the finger moves, the data

rSPECIAL INTEREST ITEMS

5,4' SEAGATE ST-238R 30 mb RLL I/F Refurb £69.95(C)
EA' CDC 94205-51 40mb NH MFM I/F RFE tested £69.95(C) instantly changes. The X 8. Y information is given at an incredible
EA' HP 97548 850 Mb SCSI RFE tested £89.00(C) matrix resolution of 1024 x 1024 positions over the entire screen
5.4' HP C3010 2Gbyte SCSI differential RFE tested £195.00(C) size !! A host of available translation software enables direct con-
MfTS.J. FA3445ETKL 14" Industrial spec SVGA monitors £245 nection to a PC for a myriad of applications including control pan-
E FUJITSU M2322K 160Mb SMD UF RFE tested (195.00(E)
2kW to 400 kW •400 Hz 3phase pow somas -ex sto:k £P0A els, pointing devices. POS systems, controllers for the disabled or
Hard disc controllers for MFM .IDE. SCSI. RLL etc. from £16.95
IBM 8230 Type 1. Token ring base unit driver £950 computer.un-trained etc etc. Imagine using your finger with
IBM 53F5501 Token Ring ICS 20 port lobe modules £750 'Windows', instead of amouse !! (a driver is indeed available !) The
THE AMAZING TELEBOX IBM MAU Token ring distribution panel 8228-23-5050N £95 applications for this amazing product we only limited by your
AIM 501 Low distortion Oscillator 91-lz to 330Khz. IEEE £550 imagination!! Complete system including Controller, Power Supply
Converts your colour monitor into aOUAUTY COLOUR TV!!
Trend OSA 274 Data Analyser with G703(2M) 64 i/o £P0A and Data supplied at an incredible piece of only:
Marconi 6310 Programmable 2to 22 GHz sweep generator £6500 Full NICROTOUCH software support peat £145.00 (B)
TV SOUND & HP1650B Logic Analyser £3750 and manuals kw litAl compatible PC. £29.55 RAT •Tested
HP3781A Pattem generator 8 HP3782A Error Detector £P0A
VIDEO TUNER
ECOMPA TIM E'
HP APOLLO RX700 system units
HP6621A Dual Programmable GPIB PSU 0-7 V 160 watts
£950
£1800
LOW COST RAM & CPU'S
HP3081A Industrila workstation clw Barcode swipe reader £175 INTEL 'ABOVE' Memory Expansion Board Full length PC-XT
The TELEBOX is an attractive fully cased mains powered unit. con- HP6264 Rack mount variable 0-20V 0 20A metered PSU £675 and PC-AT compatible card with 2 Mbytes of memory on board
HP54121A DC to 22 GHz four channel test set £P0A Card is fully selectable for Expanded or Extended (286 processor
taining all electronics ready to plug into a host of video monitors
made by makers such as MICROVITEC, ATARI, SANYO, SONY, HP7580A At 8pen HPGL high speed drum plotter £1850 and above) memory Full data and driver disks supplied RFE
EG.i.G Brookdeal 95035C Precision lock in amp £6513 Fully tested and guaranteed Windows compatible £59.95(A1)
COMMODORE, PHIUPS, TATUNG, AMSTRAD etc The composite
View Eng. Mod 1200 computerised inspection system £P0A Halt length 8bit memory upgrade cards for PC AT XT expands
video output will also plug directly into most video recorders, allowing
Ling Dynamics 2kW programmable vibration test system £P0A memory either 256k or 512k in 64k steps May also be used to fill
reception of TV channels not normally receivable on most televi-
Computer controlled 1056 x560 mm X Y table 8 controller £1425 in RAM above 640k DOS limit Complete with data
sion receivers' (TELEBOX MB) Push button controls on the front
Keithley 590 CV capacitor /voltage analyser £P0A Order as: XT RAM UG. 256k. £34.95 or 512k £39.95 (Al )
panel allow reception of 8fully tuneable 'off air UHF colour television
channels. TELEBOX MB covers virtually all television frequencies Racal ICR40 dual 40 channel voice recorder system £3750 SIMM SPECIALS
VHF and UHF Including the HYPERBAND as used by most cable Flakers 45KVA 3ph On Line UPS- New bans Dec 1995 £9500 1MB x9 SIMM 9chip 12Ons Only £16.50 (A1)
TV Operators. A composite video output is locatedon the rear panel ICI R5030UV34 Cleanline ultrasonic cleaning system £P0A 1MB x9 SIMM 3chip 80 ns £19.50 or 7Ons £22.95 (Al)
for direct connection to most makes of monitor or desktop computer Mann Tally MT645 High speed line printer £2200 1MB x9 SIMM 9chip 80 ris £21.50 or 7Ons £23.75 (A1)
video systems. For complete compatibility •even for monitors with- Intel Ste 486/133SE Mullibus 486 system 8Mb Ram £1200 4MB 70 no 72 pin SIMM -with parity- Only £95.00 (Al)
out sound -an integral 4 watt audio amplifier and low level Hi Fi Zeta 3220-05 AO 4pen HPGL fast drum plotters £1150 INTEL 4864:01:33 CPU £55.00 INTEL 486-DX66 CPU £69.00 (Al)
audio output are provided as standard Nikon HFX-11 (Ephiphot) exposure control unit £1450 FULL RANGE OF CO•PROCESSORS EX STOCK -CALL FOR £££
TELEBOX ST for composite video input type monitors £34.95 Motorola VUE Bus Boards .5 Components List SAE /CALL EPOA
TELEBOX STL as ST but fitted with integral speaker £39.50 Trio 0-18 vdc linear, metered 30 amp bench PSU New £550 FANS & BLOWERS
TELEBOX MB Multiband VHF/UHF/Cable/Hyperband tuner £69.95 Fujitsu 1•43041R 600 LPM band printer £1950
Fujitsu M3041D 600 LPM printer with network interface £1250 EPSON 00412 40x40x20 mm 12v DC £7.95 10/£65
For overseas PAL versions state 5.5 or 6mHz sound specification.
Perkin Elmer 2994 Infrared spectrophotometer £P0A PAPST TYPE 612 60x60x25 mm 12v OC £8.95 10 /£75
'For cable /hyperband reception Telebox MB should be connected
VG Electronics 1035 TELETEXT Decoding Margin Meter £3750 MITSUBISHI MMF-1361312DL 60x60x25 mm 12v DC £4.95 10 /£42
to acable type service Shipping code on all Teleboxe's is (B)
Andrews LARGE 3.1 m Satellite Dish -i- mount (For Voyager.) £950 MITSUBISHI MMF-08C12DM 80id30x25 mm 12v DC £5.25 10 1(49
DC POWER SUPPLIES Sekonic SD 150H 18 channel digital Hybrid chart recorder £1995
TAYLOR HOBSON Tallysurf amplifier /recorder £750
MITSUBISHI MMF-09812DH 92x92x25 mm 12v DC £5.95 10 /£53
PANCAKE 12-3.5 92x92x18 mm 12v DC £7.95 10/ (69
Virtually every type of power System Video 1152 PAL waveform monitor £485 EX-EQUIP AC fans. ALL TESTED 120 x 120x 38 mm specify 110

1
supply you can imagine.Over Test Lab •2mtr square quietised acoustic test cabinets £300 or 240v £6.95. 80 x80 x38 mm -specify 110 or 240 v £E95
10.000 Power Suppli•s Ex Stock Kenwood 9601 PAL Vectorscope -NEW £650 IMHOF 624 1900 rack mnt 3U a19" Blower 110/240v NEW £79.95
Call for info / flat. Please call for further details on the above items Shipping on all fans (A) Blowers (B) 50,000 Fans Ex Stock CALL

Issue 13 of visp fay News now available -send large SfIE -PACKED with bargains!
•• • •• • • •• •• • ALL MAIL & OFFICES DISTEL© ALL Tr ENQUIRIES
• LONDON SHOP

0181 679 4414

• • • ...•
Open Mon-Fri 9.00-5:30 Open Mon -Sat 9:00 -5,30
•• • •• •
• • • 215 Whitehorse Lane The Original
Dept PE. 32 Biggin Way South Norwood REE On line Database
••• • •• •• • • Upper Norwood On 644 Bus Route Info on 20,000 r. stock Morns'
Fs Thornton 14imet
LONDON SE19 3XF S•lhurst Park SR Rail SlatIons RETURNING SOON! FAX 0181 679 1927
-
EL EC TROPIICS - Al prices tor UK Mainland. UK customers add 17 5% VAT to TOTAL cyder amoratE Mnrnurn order £10. Bum Fcle account orders accepted from Goyernment Schcola
Unrversites and Local Autionbes •mtenum acœrd order £5o. Ched.es over £100 are subject to 10 wceing days clearance. Carriage charges (A),-£3.00, (AIS£403.

=
EST
(B(=(5 50 (C£8 50. (D£12.03. (E)--£15 00, (F£18 00. (G)=CALL AiDW appox 6days for shq:ing -faster CALL Scotland surcharge CALL At garda suppled b cur
25 Standard Condoms cA Sale and unless stated guaranteed for 90days. Al guarantees cn areturn to base bass Al rights reserved to change prices /sGerecatxXe altoS COY
YEARS
notes. Orders subtect to stook Discounts for whine. Top CASH prices paaib Surplus (pods AI trademarks etc acknowledged. 01:Xsptay Electroncs 1996 E&0E. OM
 «trees sPr ci
If you are looking or an eès enjoyable way of studying or
improving your knowledge of electronics then this is the so are fo •
has an
Electiontcs Minuetles 4 0
Logic Measure Micro Help even more comprehensive range of
Samaidelle 1-zee:eons
Srnpie Numbers fully interactive analogue and digital
Nurnbe Con•essce
topics. From current flow and dc
Esample 1
Kam Angles
circuits through switching and
Corn/elm Angles
Corm:der< Numbers transistor operation to passive and
Volts Requlalms
active filters. Logic begins with simple
Binary Anthmere
C Feeed Regulator gates through binary, hex and octal
0 30volts D
Vmmble V Reg number conversion, addition and
ti Regulated subtraction to Boolean algebra. Pius,
microprocessor and microcomputer
New Values operation, registers, arithmetic and
Load ressstance logic unit ROM, RAM. Addressing
modes and full Instruction set which
can be simulated on the screen. All
version 3.0 topics are covered within
this program.
R RI R2 = Acliust
output Currently used in hundreds of UK and
Soon T - 11 •I;
voltage
overseas schools 8( colleges to
support GCSE, A-level, BTEC, City 8(
Vout - V1. Guilds and university foundation
courses. Also NVQ>s and GNVQ's
°Latch where students are required to have
an understanding of electronics
GtaPhcs Seven
principles.

Mathematics Principles 3.0 £49.95*

Study or revise mathematics in what we believe is an interesting and 004

enjoyable way. Nearly two hundred graphics presentations, to

enable learning by exploration, including the GCSE syllabus. 003

The popular Electronics Principles 3.0 £49.95*

002
Contains nearly 300 fully interactive analogue and digital topics.
Electron current flow, transistor operation and biasing, MOSFET
001
enhancement and depletion modes. Frequency and tuned
circuits. Logic gates, counters and shift registers to binary arithmetic.
To list just afew of those available 000
16113kHz
IHz 806 I634Hz
403 5816Hz 12087kHz
• All Inputs & outputs use electronics symbols.
Frequency
• Hundreds of electronics formulae available for circuit
Capacitance 100nF Repstance •251, -
investigation. Inductance -25Orn14 Ft, tonee Ftequen‘y -100651.Flz Bandwith @ .3dB 15915kHz

• Ideal for students and hobbyists who require a quick and ea

way to get to grips with a particular point.
Calculations.
• Explore the subject as the interactive graphics are redrawn
showing phase angles, voltage and current levels or logic 100
50 5x500re
states for your chosen component values. - 50
IL - 31 83099 - 1570796 =15708A
• Generate hard copies of graphics, text and calculations.
IL 50
157.0796 - 3183099 =318 3099re

Schools and Colleges.

I=JF (1.570796 - 3183099? = 13486 =1.3486A
A fully interactive textbook on the screen.
ran i 1570796 - 3183099 _68 2378'
OHP slides and student handouts within minutes. 5
Multi-user network version available. 100 x 157 0796 x T1_83099
37 0755R
157 07962 x 31 83099' • 100' xl 157.0796 31 83099f

EPT Educational Software. Pump House, Lockram Lane, Witham, Essex. UK. CM8 2BJ.
Tel/Fax: 01376 514008. e-mail sales@eptsoft.demon.co.uk *UK & EC countries add £2 per order for
post & packing. VAT should be added to the total. Outside Europe £3.50 for air mail postage by return.
Switch, Delta, Visa and Mastercard orders accepted -please give card number and expiry date.
Cheques & Postal Orders should be made payable to EPT Educational software.
 SURVEILLANCE
PROFESSIONAL «MITT KITS

r No. I for Kits

Whether your requirement for surveillance equipment is amateur, professional or you are just fascinated by this unique area of
electronics SUMA DESIGNS has akit to fit the bill. We have been designing electronic surveillance equipment for over 12
years and you can be sure that all our kits are very well tried, tested and proven and come complete with full instructions.
circuit diagrams, assembly details and all high quality components including fibreglass PCB. Unless otherwise stated all
transmitters are tuneable and can be received on an ordinary VHF FM radio.
Genuine SUMA kits available oh direct from Suma Designs. Beware inferior imitations!
UTX Ultra-miniature Room Transmitter UTLX Ultra-miniature Telephone Transmitter
Smallest room transmitter kit in the world! Incredible 10mm x20mm including mic. Smallest telephone transmitter kit available. Incredible size of 10mm x20mm!
3V-12V operation. 500m range £16.45 Connects to line (anywhere) and switches on and off with phone use.
MTX Micro-miniature Room Transmitter All conversation transmitted. Powered from line. 500m range £15.95
Best-selling micro-miniature Room Transmitter. Just 17mm x 17mm including mic. TLX 700 Micro-miniature Telephone Transmitter
3V-12V operation. 1000m range £13.45 Best-selling telephone transmitter. Being 20mm x20mm it is easier to assemble
STX High -performance Room Transmitter than UTLX. Connects to line (anywhere) and switches on and off with phone use.
High performance transmitter with a buffered output stage for greater stability and All conversations transmitted. Powered from line. 1000m range £13.45
range. Measures 22mm x22m. including mic. 6V-12V operation, 1500m range. £15.45 STLX High -performance Telephone Transmitter
VT500 High -power Room Transmitter High performance transmitter with buffered output stage providing excellent stability
Powerful 250mW output providing excellent range and performance. and performance. Connects to line (anywhere) and switches on and off with phone
Size 20mm x40mm. 9V-12V operation. 3000m range £16.45 use. All conversations transmitted. Powered from line
Size 22mm x22mm. 1500m range £16.45
VXT Voice-Activated Transmitter
Triggers only when sounds are detected. Very low standby current. Variable sensitivity TKX900 Signalling/Tracking Transmitter
and delay with LED indicator. Size 20mm x67mm. 9V operation. 1000m range. £19.45 Transmits acontinuous stream of audio pulses with variable tone and rate. Ideal for
HVX400 Mains Powered Room Transmitter signalling or tracking purposes. High power output giving range up to 3000m.
Size 25mm x63mm. 9V operation £22.95
Connects directly to 240V A.C. supply for long-term monitoring.
Size 30mm x35mm. 500m range £19.45 CD400 Pocket Bug Detector/Locator
SCRX Subcarrier Scrambled Room Transmitter LED and piezo bleeper pulse slowly, rate of pulse and pitch of tone increase as you
Scrambled output from this transmitter cannot be monitored without the SCDM decoder approach signal. Gain control allows pinpointing of source.
connected to the receiver. Size 20mm x67mm. 9V operation. 1000m range £22.95 Size 45mm x54mm. 9V operation £30.95

SCLX Subcarrier Telephone Transmitter CD600 Professional Bug Detector/Locator

Connects to telephone line anywhere. requires no batteries. Output scrambled so Multicolour readout of signal strength with variable rate bleeper and variable sensitivity
requires SCDM connected to receiver. Size 32mm x37mm. 1000m range £23.95 used to detect and locate hidden transmitters. Switch to AUDIO CONFORM mode to
distinguish between localised bug transmission and normal legitimate signals such as
SCDM Subcarrier Decoder Unit for SCRX pagers, cellular. taxis etc. Size 70mm x100mm. 9V operation £50.95
Connects to receiver earphone socket and provides decoded audio output to
headphones. Size 32mm x70mm. 9V-12V operation £22.95 QTX180 Crystal Controlled Room Transmitter
ATR2 Micro-Size Telephone Recording Interface Narrow band FM transmitter for the ultimate in privacy. Operates on 180MHz and
requires the use of ascanner receiver or our QRX180 kit (see catalogue).
Connects between telephone line (anywhere) and cassette recorder. Switches tape
Size 20mm x67mm. 9V operation. 1000m range £40.95
automatically as phone is used. All conversations recorded. Size 16mm x32mm.
Powered from line £13.45 QLX180 Crystal Controlled Telephone Transmitter
As per OTX180 but connects to telephone line to monitor both sides of conversations.

*** Specials ***

20mm x67mm. 9V operation. 1000m range £40.95
QSX180 Line Powered Crystal Controlled Phone Transmitter
As per OLX180 but draws power requirements from line. No batteries required.
CILTX/DLRX Radio Control Switch Size 32mm x37mm. Range 500m £35.95
Remote control anything around your home or garden, outside lights,
QRX 180 Crystal Controlled FM Receiver
alarms, paging system etc. System consists of asmall VHF transmitter with
For monitoring any of the 'O' range transmitters. High sensitivity unit. All RF section
digital encoder and receiver unit with decoder and relay output, momentary
supplied as pre-built and aligned module ready to connect on board so no difficulty
or alternate. 8-way di!, switches on both boards set your own unique
setting up. Output to headphones. 60mm x75mm. 9V operation £60.95
security code. TX size 45mm x 45mm. RX size 35mmx 90mm. Both 9V
operation. Range up to 200m.
Complete System (2 kits) £50.95 Abuild•up service is available on all our kits if required.
Individual Transmitter DLTX £19.95
Individual Receiver DLRX £37.95
UK customers please send cheques, POs or registered cash. Please add
£2.00 per order for P&P. Goods despatched ASAP allowing for cheque
MBX-1 Hi -FI Micro Broadcaster
clearance. Overseas customers send Sterling Bank Draft and add £5.00
Not technically a surveillance device but a great idea! Connects to the
headphone output of your Hi -Fi, tape or CD and transmits Hi -Fi quality to a per order for shipment. Credit card orders welcomed on 01827 714476.
nearby radio. Listen to your farvourite music anywhere around the house,
garden, in the bath or in the garage and you don't have to put up with the
OUR LATEST CATALOGUE CONTAINING MANY MORE
DJ's choice and boring waffle. NEW SURVEILLANCE KITS NOW AVAILABLE. SEND TWO
Size 27mm x60mm. 9V operation. 250m range £20.95
FIRST CLASS STAMPS OR OVERSEAS SEND TWO IRCS.

DEPT. EE
SUMA THE W ORKSHOPS, 95 M AIN ROAD,
BAXTERLEY, NEAR A THERSTONE,
DESIGNS W ARWICKSHIRE CV9 21E
Tel/Fax:
01827 714476
VISITORS STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
 Power Robotics ... for your PC
A series of high-powered kits that link to your PC's serial port

are proud to announce our new -

,--- Robotic Arm
This 5axis arm delivers fast, accurate and
"Voice Command Module repeatable movement. The kit includes
all hardware, structural components, 6
Based on the Sensory Devices RSC neural network
Hitec servos, a Mini Serial Servo
speech recognition processor. 20 individual digital Controller kit, software, sample programs
word ID outputs on IDC header. Each output with an and adetailed assembly manual.
'on' word and 'off' word giving you up to 99%
speaker dependant recognition. Simply train the
Mobile Arm
module with up to 40 words.
The mobile version adds to the
RS232 identification output of recognised word, excitement. The kit includes everything
upload and download of word lists. mentioned in the standard arm kit with
Automatic gain control on microphone jack £55 the addition of wheels and 2Hitec servos.
This makes agreat foundation to add
input. Runs off 9-12volt dc supply via Fit
sensors to create afully featured robot.
2.1mm plug

Hexapod Walker Micro Mouse

Pic Programmer: Components -PICs
H137A £25 Programs 12C508/JW £13.50, 12C508 -
PIC 16C71, PIC 16C84 04/P £2.30 12C509/JW £15.
and the new 8 pin PIC 12C509-04/P £2.70, 16C71/
JW £25, 16C71-04/P £6.99.
12C508 and PIC 12C509.
16C84-04/P £6.
Connects to parallel port.
Kit K137A £24 PC com-
patible software F.O.C. o have aevailsabalned aaccfeus"
range
We of I/O
when supplied with pro- sones. Call for details.
grammer.
All prices exclude V.A.T. Technology Education Index
and £4.50 carriage charge. 40 Wellington Road
ALL Prices INCLUSIVE or vat and delivery (UK) Only) Same day despatch.
Orpington
151, The Exchange Building, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff, CFI 6EB technologyindex@btintemetcom Kent BR5 4AQ
Tel (01222) 458417 Fax (01222) 625797 http:\tvvewv,sltec.demon.co.uk http://www.technologyindex.com Te1:101689) 876880

GREENWELD
WM&
GREEN WELD

Green weld has been established for 23 years specialising in buying and
selling surplus job lots of Electronic Components and Finished Goods.
We also keep awide range of new stock regular lines. Why not request
our 1997 Catalogue and latest Supplement both absolutely FREE!
BECOME A BARGAIN LIST SUBSCRIBER TO SEE WHAT'S
ON OFFER BEFORE IT'S ADVERTISED GENERALLY
Cdkil HIJE Standard Bargain List Subscription
For Just £600 a year UK/BFPO (£1000 overseas), we'll send you The Greenweld Guardian every
month With this newsletter comes our latest Bargain List giving details of new surplus products
available and details of new lines being stocked. Each issue is supplied with a personalised Order
Form and details of exclusive offers available to Subscribers only
Our stores
Gold Bargain List Subscription
(over 10.000
For Just £1200 a year (£2000 overseas) the GOLD Subscriber category offers the following
sq. ft) have
advantages.

çewit
enormous E The Greenwald Guardian and latest Bargain List every month, together with any brochures
stocks. We or filers from our suppliers
are open 8.00 A REDUCED POSTAGE RATE of £1.50 (normally £300) for all orders (UK only) and a reply
am -5.30 pm paid envelope
Monday to 5% DISCOUNT on all regular Catalogue and Bargain List items on orders over £20.00
Saturday
Come and So Don't Miss Out - Subscribe Today!
see us!

27D Park Road • Southampton • S015 31Pa

VISA
TELEPHONE: 01703 236363 FAX: 01703 236307
SWITCH INTERNET: http://www.herald.co.uk/clients/G/Greenweld/greenvveld.html

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 517

 £1 BARGAIN PACKS TOROIDAL MAINS DYNAMIC MICROPHONE. 600 ohm, plas-
TRANSFORMERS tic body with black mesh head, on/off
If you would like to receive the other four switch, good length lead and terminated
All with 220/240V primary with audio plug, £2, Order Ref: 2P220.
£1 lists and a lot of other lists, request winding. 0-6V +0-6V at 50VA
these when you order or send SAE. would give you 6V at 8A or
TEST PRODS FOR MULTIMETERS with 4mm sockets. 12V at 4A, price £5, Order
Good length very flexible lead. Ref: D86. Ref: 5PG1. 0-30V + 0-30V at
8 OHM PM SPEAKERS, size 8" xe, pack of two. These 120VA would give you 30V at
may be lightly rusty and that is why they are so cheap but 4A or 60V at 2A, price £8,
are electrically OK. Ref: D102. Order Ref: 8PG2. 0-110V + 0-110V at 120VA
PAXOLIN PANELS, size 8 x6". approximately'rx thick. TELEPHONE EXTENSION LEAD, flat plug one
would give you 110V at just over 8A or 220V at
pack of two. Ref: D103. end, socket the other. 12M. £2,Order Ref:
13A SOCKET, virtually unbreakable, ideal for trailing lead. 1/2A, price £8, Order Ref: 8PG3. 0-35V + 0-35V
Ref: 095. at 150VA would give you 35V at 4A or 70V at 2A. 2P338.
PIEZO BUZZER with electronic sounder circuit, 3V to 9V Price £8. Oder Ref: 8PG9. 0-35V + 0-35V at FIGURE-8 FLEX, mains voltage, 50m, £2, Order
0.C. operated, Ref: 076. 220VA would give you 35V at 61 /A or 70V at
2 Ref: 2P345.
DITTO but without internal electronics, pack of two. Ref: 31/A, price £9, Order Ref: 9PG4. 0-110V + 0-
4
075. INFRA-RED RECEIVER, as fitted TV receiver.
110V at 220VA would give you 110V at 2A or
LUMINOUS ROCKER SWITCH, approximately 30mm sq, £2, Order Ref: 2P304.
220V at 1A. price £10, Order Ref: 10PG5. 0-45V
pack of two. Ref: 064.
+ 0-45V at 500 VA would give you 45V at 11A or 2A MAINS FILTER AND PEAK SUPPRESSOR,
ROTARY SWITCH, 9-pole 6-way. small size and ."
spindle, pack of two, Ref: 054. 90V at 51/A, price £29, Order Ref: 20PG7. 0-110
2 £2. Order Ref: 2P315.
FERRITE RODS, T with coils for Long and Medium + 0-110V at 500VA would give you 110V at 45A DP 250V SWITCH on 6" x3" gold plate, £2,
waves, pack of two. Ref: 052. 5A or 220V at nearly 3A. price £25, Order Ref: Order Ref: 2P316.
DITTO but without the coils, pack of three, Ref: 052, 25PG7.
MAINS DP ROTARY SWITCH with ' control spindle. LOCTITE METAL ADHESIVE, tube and some
pack of five, Ref: D49. TWO MORE TOROIDAL TRANSFORMERS,
accessories, £2, Order Ref: 2P215.
ELECTROLYTIC CAP, 8004F at 6-4V. pack of 20. Ref: Order Ref: 4P100 is 120W and will give you
048 27V at 4-5A or 54V at 2-5A. price £4. An 35mm PANORAMIC CAMERA. Has super wide
ELECTROLYTIC CAP, 1000uF + 100uF 12V. pack of lens, ideal for holiday viewing, is focus free and
interesting thing about this transformer is that
10. Ref: D47. has an extra bright and clear view finder. Brand
it is very easy to add turns, 4 turns will give
MINI RELAY with 5V coil, size only 26mm x 19mm x new and guaranteed, individually boxed. £6.50,
1mm. has two sets of changeover contacts, Ref: D42. you 1A.
Order Fief: 6.5P2.
MAINS SUPPRESSOR CAPS 0.1 ),.F 250V A.C.. pack of Order Ref: 1.5P47 is 25W and will give you
10, Ref: 1050. 24V at lA or 48V at -5A, price £1.50. 0V-20V D.C. PANEL METER. This is a nice size.
TELESCOPIC AERIAL, chrome plated. extendable and 65mm sq. It is ideal if you are making a voltage
folds over for improved F.M. reception. Ref: 1051. SUPER WOOFERS. A 10" 4ohm with a variable instrument or battery charger. Price £3,
MES LAMP HOLDERS, slide on to 'x tag, pack of 10. power rating or 250W music and normal Order Ref: 3P188.
Ref :1054. 150W. Has a very heavy magnet and is
PAXOLIN TUBING, 1 ix" internal diameter, pack of two. FLASHING BEACON. Ideal for putting on a van.
beautifully made and finished by Challenger.
12" lengths. Ref' 1056. a tractor or any vehicle that should always be
ULTRA THIN DRILLS, 0.4mm, pack of 10. Ref: 1042. Normal selling price for this is £55 + VAT,
seen. Uses a XENON tube and has an amber
HALL EFFECT DEVICES, mounted on small heatsink, you can buy at £29 including VAT and
coloured dome. Separate fixing base is included
pack of two. Ref: 1022. carriage. Order Ref: 29P7. The second one is so unit can be put away if desirable. Price £5.00,
12V POLARISED RELAY, two changeover contacts. Ref: a 8" 4ohm. 200W music. 100W normal. Again
1032.
Order Ref: 5P267.
by Challenger, price £18,
PAXOLIN PANEL, 12 - x12 - 'ir" thick, Ref: 1033. 12V 2A TRANSFORMER, £2, Order Ref: 2P337.
MINI POTTED TRANSFORMER, only 1-5VA 15V-0V-15V Order Ref: 18P9.
or 30V. Ref: 964. Deduct 10% from 12V-0V-12V TRANSFORMER, 35VA, £2.50,
ELECTROLYTIC CAP, 32gF at 350V and 50uF section at these prices if you Order Ref: 2.5P13.
25V. in aluminium can for upright mounting, pack of two. order in pairs or HIGH RESOLUTION MONITOR, 9" by Philips.
Rel. 995.
can collect. These in metal frame for easy mounting. Brand new,
PRE-SET POTS, one megohm, pack of five. Ref: 998.
WHITE PROJECT BOX with rocker switch in top left-hand are all brand new offered at less than the price of the tube alone.
side. size 78mm x115mm x35mm, unpnnted. Ref: 1006. in maker's £15, Order Ref: 15P1,
6V SOLENOID, good strong pull but quite small, pack of packing. 15W 8" 8 OHM SPEAKER AND 3" TWEETER.
two. Ref: 1012
FIGURE-8 MAINS FLEX, also makes good speaker lead. VENNER 75A TIME SWITCH. This is a top Amstrad. made for their high quality music cen-
15m. Ref: 1014 class instrument, costs probably around £60 tre. £4 per pair. Order Ref: 4P57.
HIGH CURRENT RELAY, 24V A.G. or 12V D.C., three new. Ex-electricity board but taken out of INSULATION TESTER WITH MULTIMETER. In-
changeover contacts, Ref: 1016.
service because they changed to Solar con- ternally generates voltages which enables you to
LOUDSPEAKER, 8Ohm 5W. 3.7 - round. Ref: 962.
NEON PILOT LIGHTS, oblong for front panel mounting.
trol. These have 2 on/off per 24 hours. price read insulation directly in Megohms. The multi-
with internal resistor for normal mains operation, pack of £8 each, Order Ref: 8P66. meter has four ranges: A.C./D.C. volts; 3 ranges
four, Ref: 970. milliamps: 3 ranges resistance and 5 amp range.
12V MOTOR. 'lohp with 11/ 4"spindle extend-
3.5MM JACK PLUGS, pack of 10. Ref: 975. Ex-British Telecom, tested and guaranteed OK,
PSU, mains operated. two outputs. one 9.5V at 550mA ing from each end. Motor body diameter is
yours for only £7.50 with leads, carrying case £2
and the other 15V at 150mA. Ref: 988. 3" and body length 5". Price £8, Order Ref: extra, Order Ref: 7.5P4.
ANOTHER PSU, mains operated. output 15V A.C. at 8P65.
320mA, Ref: 989 We have some of the above testers not working
PHOTOCELLS, silicon chip type, pack of four, Ref: 939. SOLDERING IRON. Super mains powered on all ranges, should be repairable, we supply
LOUDSPEAKER, 5 4Ohm 5W rating, Ref: 946. with long life ceramic element, heavy duty diagram. £30, Order Ref: 3P176.
LOUDSPEAKER, ru 5" 4Ohm 5W. Ref: 949.
LOUDSPEAKER, e circular 6 Ohm 3W, pack of 2. Ref: 40W for the extra special job. Complete with LCD 31 / DIGIT PANEL METER. This is a multi-
2
951. plated wire stand and 245mm lead. £3, Order range voltmeter/ammeter using the A-D converter
FERRITE POT CORES, 30mm x 15mm x 25mm. match- Ref: 3P221. chip 7106 to provide five ranges each of volts
P11P
i C el
jP0
f .1 ÉL, 8' 2" x 3' 2" with electrolytes 250µF DIGITAL THERMOMETER. Suitable for out- and amps. Supplied with full data sheet. Special
and 100u.F. Ref: 905. doors or indoors, has an extra wide tempera- snip price of £12, Order Ref: 12P19.
CAR SOCKET PLUG with P.C.B. compartment, Ref: 917.
ture range - 50'C to + 70`C, complete with MINI BLOW HEATER, IkW, ideal for under desk
FOUR-CORE FLEX suitable for telephone extensions.
10m. Ref: 918. heavy duty battery which should last several or airing cupboard, etc. Needs only a simple
PROJECT CASE, 95mm x66mm x23mm with removable years. Its sensor can be outside but with the mounting frame, £6, Order Ref: 5P23.
lid, held by four screws, pack of two. Ref: 876.
read out inside. £4, Order Ref: 4P104. MEDICINE CUPBOARD ALARM. Or it could be
SOLENOIDS, 12V to 24V. will push or pull, pack of two.
Ref: 877. MINI AM/FM TUNING CAPACITOR. Only 1" used to warn when any cupboard door is opened.
2M MAINS LEAD, 3-core with instrument plug moulded square but has a good length of 1 4 "diameter
/ The light shining on the unit makes the bell ring.
on, Ref: 879.
spindle, with 4 variable preset caps for fine Completely built and neatly cased, requires only
TELESCOPIC AERIAL, chrome plated. extendable, pack
of two. Ref: 884. tuning. Price £1, Order Ref: D202. abattery. £3. Order Ref: 3P155.
MICROPHONE, dynamic with normal body for hand hold- DON'T LET IT OVERFLOW! Be it bath, sink,
ANOTHER 7" FERRITE ROD AERIAL. This
Ref.
R cellar, sump or any other thing that could flood.
CROCODILE CLIPS, superior quality flex, can be at- is an extra special 1
2 "diameter with long and
/
tached without soldering, five each red and black. Ref: medium wave coils. Price £1 each. Order Ref: This device will tell you when the water has risen
886. D203. to the pre-set level. Adjustable over quite a useful
BATTERY CONNECTOR FOR PP3, supenor quality, pack range. Neatly cased for wall mounting, ready to
of four. Ref 887 12V RECHARGEABLE BATTERY. The work when battery fitted. £3. Order Ref: 3P156.
LIGHTWEIGHT STEREO HEADPHONES, Ref: 898. Yuasa 2.3AH. whose regular price is £15, you
PRESETS, 470 Ohm and 220 kilohm, mounted on single
panel, pack of 10, Ref: 849. can buy 'for £3.50 and with the normal 12 TERMS
THERMOSTAT for ovens with ' spindle to take control month guarantee. We understand these Send cash. PO cheque or quote credit card number
knob. Ref: 857. batteries have never really been used but - orders under £25 add £3 service charge.
12V-0V-12V 10W MAINS TRANSFORMER, Ref: 811.
have simply been installed as a reserve.
J itr N FACTORS
18V-0V-18V 10W MAINS TRANSFORMER, Ref: 813.
AIR-SPACED TRIMMER CAPS, 2pF to 20pF, pack of Order Ref: 3.5P14, or 10 for £30, VAT and
two. Ref :818 carriage paid.
AMPLIFIER, 9V or 12V operated Mullard 1153, Ref: 823.
CHARGER FOR YUASA BATTERIES (the
Pilgrim Works (Dept. E.E.)
2CIRCUIT MICROSWITCHES, iicon, pack of 4, Ref: 825.
LARGE SIZE MICROSWITCHES changeover contacts, 12V one which we are selling for £3.50). Stairbridge Lane, Bolney,
pack of two. Ref: 826.
MAINS VOLTAGE PUSHSWITCH with nd white,
This battery charger plugs into a 13A socket, Sussex RH17 5PA
charges at approximately 1 / A so it would
2
t
i
,l
ielah panel
i ic moutnoting
spindle
hexagonal
le ch isn ut. R
uef:8
e,29.
charge the battery overnight. Complete with
Telephone: 01444 881965
most thermostats, pack of four. Ref 833. croc clips, ready to go. £5. Order Ref: 5P269. (Also fax but phone first)

518 Everyday Practical Electronics. August 1997

PIC16C84 and BIM Transceiver
Development Platform in one !

PROJECT KITS URVEILLANCE

A hardware development platform for exploring high speed,
PC-PC, half duplex, two way Radio Data Communications !
COMBINATION LOCK Versatile electronic lock High performance surveillance hits Room
INCLUDES:- comprising mein circuit b separate keypad for transmitters supplied with sensitive electret
remote opening of lock. Relay supplied 3029-KT microphones fi battery holders/clips All
Ei95 transmitters can be received on an ordinary
10MHz PIC16C84 LIGHT ALARM Protect your valuables Alarm VHF FM radio
sounds if circuit detects smallest amount of light
Place in cash box etc. 3308-KT £450 MTX -Miniature
BIM-418-F Transceiver ALARM SMEN 110db of ear piercing noise. PCB 3V Trenernitter
fag in boa with has 2x35rnm crew ekea,aents bell Easy to build fr guaranteed to
into their own resonant veiny Use as en alarm transmit 500 metres (over 100Orn possible with
9-Pin D-Type Connector
siren or lost for fun 5-9VDC. 3015-CT £175 higher voltage b better aerial) 3-9V operation.
LED COUNTER 3 digit basic event counter cir- Only 45.18mm 3007.1Cr 14.95
2-Wire RS232 Interface cuit on main board. Count b Reset swatches b MRTK -Miniature W Roorn Transmitter
debounce circuit On 2nd. Cascade 2 or 3 kits for Our best selling 'bug Super sensitive, high power
more diode Box provided. 3001-KT 11215 -11)()Prn range IL» to 1 miles with 18V supply b
Transmitter On LED FUNCTM GENERATOR Quad Op-Amp eecrletor bane, aerial., 9V Operation 45x19rnm 3 218-er
,
b wave shaper circuit generates audio range LI 95
square waves (1314,13Klitl, triangle b pseudo sine
Receiver On LED HPTX -High Power Room Trenernitter
outputs 9VDC 3023-KT £425
High pedormance 2stage transmitter gives greeter
Ride-Tech Lamed CYRIERNET -114 LOGIC PROBE tests CMOS b TTL circuits fr
s bhigh quality reception.
Measures only 39 59rnm x17rren 1/4 Wave Wire Antenna detects fast pulses. Visual b audio indication of
1000m range with W
logic mete Full instructions supplied. 3024-KT
battery. 5-12V
£125
Supplied with a free firmware driver the Cyphernet transceiver ROULETTE LED 'Ball' spins round the wheel,
operation. ON off
switch Size 70x15ihrn, 3032KT MI6
stove down b drops into eslot. 10 LED's. CMOS
will permit you to link PC's and transfer data using Windows decade counter b Op-Amp. Educational fr fun , SITS -Voice Activeted Trerumitter
3006-KT £175 Powerful 2 Stage YOKE activated transmit«.
terminal mode. Only £79.95 each. Combined power and data PELTIER JUNCTION HEAT PUMP Boil b freeze Only operares when sounds are detected. Iltrn
water instantly! Use for regulated cooling of mange Low standby current - conserve. battery
cable only £ 6.95 each. temperature sensitive components 5 much more Power Adiustrible sensitivity 6 turn-off &OW. Only
Heesink required 3056-KT £1150 63x38nun 31228-la £7.55
W XENON TUBE FLASHER Transformer Circuit TRI -Telephone Recording Internee
snips upgv better., supply to flesh the 25rnrn long
Dedicated PIC16C84 program- It* •Toes Um». Xenon tube. Adiustable flash rate 10.25-2 Sees!
Connect between phone line 6 emcee recorder.
Automatic-ally watches on tsp. when Phone ra
ming tool for re-programming 3022-KT £70116 used. Records all Conyers/bons Powered frons lais
• ===-- LAII3183 AUDIO APARJFIER Popular module for 48s32rnrn. 3033-KT 15.115
the internal control firmware, any general (art, 131 audio application. Typ out-
TRVS -Tape Recorder Vox Switch
permitting the user to explore put 10W @ 16V Er 2W speaker. 1W 9V fr 8W
Very sensitive, voice activated switch - automat-
3047-KT £925
and develop applications of ther LED FLASHER 5 ultra bright red LEDs flash in cally turns on cassette recorder when sounds are
sequence or randomly Idea for model railways detected Adiustable sensitivity b turn-off delay.
own. Only 94.95 each. »62-KT £450
115x19rnininc rrie 30/3-KT E11.95
• a ilk • Pa
MULTI SEOUENCE LED RASHER sanie es 3052. IiiiRTX -Miniature Telephone Trammittar
()nit featured above is Licence Exempt to MPT 1340 KT above but you have 7patterns to choose from Attaches anywhere to phone kne. Tranemns only
wen«, the UK Export Versions on 433 92MHz to 3037-KT £450 when phone s used' Uses peens
LED DICE Classic intro to electronics b circuit line as renal bpower totem
ETS300-220 available with 1 and 1OrnW output motives. 7LED's simulate doe roll slow down b oui • le 50Orn range. 46x15rnrn.
power Prices exclude VAT and Carriage
Free Catalogue l land on a number at random 555 IC circuit
3003-KT £775 Two Semen IntercanrHard Wired Bug
30/547. GUN

DUAL LED DICE PIC 16C54 circuit performs aim,.

Each unit lies its own weaker, microphone b
Radio -Tech Limited, Overbridge House. Weald Hall Lane lar function to 3003-KT above but two dice Good
amplifier ILM31361 Turn into a herd svired bug by
intro to micro-controllers. Software code supplied
using 4stand ribbon cable supplied to sere power
from the receiving unit to the remote tug unit 9V
Thornwood Common, Epping, Essex CM16 6NB on dise 3071-KT 11525
11CM PIC PROGRAMMER Reads, programs Et
Sales +44 (0) 1992 57 6107 (4-lines) Fax .44 (0) 1992 56 1994 3021-KT £11.75
swinge- Os« any PC Parallel port MI hardware,
software ft documentation needed to teen 5 test Telephone Arnp114. KR
http://www.radio-tech.co.uk E-mail radtec@radtec.demon.co.uk
this itC provided. 3081-KT £25.50 Fick-up cod b senses" ineniternileti nee con-
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN Tests hand-eye co-or- versations vnthout even holding the Oxon! Can be
dination Press switch when green segment of used for survertlance purpones. 3055-KT MS
LED lights to climb the stairwaS, - miss b start AAAAAA•AAAAAAAA41
again! Good intro to several basic circuits 3005-
KT £7.75
FACTOR

11
SPEED CONTROLLER for any common DC motor
up to 100V/54. Pulse width modulation gives max-
imum torque et all speeds 5-15VDC. 3067-KT
BTEC approved £17.50 THE EXPERTS IN RARE Er
TUTOR supported
9V/1.5V TO W BATTERY CONVERTER Replace UNUSUAL INFORMATION!
expensive 9V batteries with economic 1.5V bat.
Full deeds ot an X I-AL -MILK 01.11 Atli be
merles IC tweed circuit steps up 1or 2 'AA bat-

o
mound in our cetalotpue. NE Minimum order charge
teries to give W/18mA. 3035-KT M. 75
for worts and plans 4 1 -5.00PLUS normal P&P
AM RADIO KIT Tuned Radio Frequency f rorn.
end, single chip AM radio IC fr 2 stages of SUPER-EAR MIMING DEVICE Complete pens to
audio amplification. All components inc speaker budd your own parabolic die mcronhone. Lytton to
provided .PCB 324102inrn. 331311(T MIN Meit voices and sounds through teen windows end
,
iN SOUNDS dselectable sounds -
even stole Made from node wean* pent R002
whistle blowing, level crossing bell,
NATIONAI chugging, b'cleckety-clack' All TELEPHONE BUG PLANS Budd you own moro-beetle
telephone bug Suable for any peone Tranirnia over
components inc speaker suppled
COLLEGE Of SG1 M. 50 250 metres -more good saner Made from emY
to obtain, cheep components. RONDA°
TECHNOLOGY
AUDIO TO LIGHT MODULATOR Controls intensity
of one or more lights in response to an audio LOCKS -Hew they week and how to pick them lise
fact Reed report WI Wet you more about locks and the
eiZr
input We. modern opto -coupler design Mains
art of lodi picking then marry books we have seen at 4
experience required 3012-KT £15.715
TIMER eriRCURS in one kit' 3 PCB's b .11 times the pree. Paned irdownwion and «M.

DISTANCE reiwikOnboard
components to make timers for afew seconds or up Sons R008 0.50
relay outputs 30135-KT £11125 RADIO bTV 901031/LUIS We show you how to buld
TX/RX Controls 8 relays using e eves Merl« teems for deamens TT Picture

LEARNING COURSES in: remote control unit. 3072-KT £9415 and sound plus FM redo! Miry Lem yOur
bthe authoritesll
TELEPHONE ACTIVATED SWITCH
Control 4relays from anywhere
sale» to our CeSCREnll heirOURED 9517050

Vie BirE
in world by phone Not ET INFINITY TRANIMITTER PUNS
Compels piare for building the
approved! )386-rr rum
Analogue and Digital Electronic lOW STEREO AMPURER
femme kinky Transmitter. Once
ineelled one. target phone device
MODULE Uses TDA2009 class AB
Circuits, Fibres & Opto -Electronics audio power amp IC designed for
quality stereo applications 3088-KT £/115 sounds.
acts «tearoom bug Just cal Ihe erg«

=orbternetoffics
'Mate eerooter
leerily!
unit to hear
95190,50
ell
17W smooi AMPURER 40W of 'brute' power @
Programmable Logic Controllers 12VDC into 4W speakers ideal car booster amp TIN ENNA BOX CAU. eaucarnet NAM Grabs
Weems calk out of that WI its need to sere-in a
3091-KT VIZ
Mechanics and Mechanisms STEREO VU METER shows peek music power
using 2 rows of 10 LEDb'ser 7.,ye
ellow, red)
phone bue Sin* place this device neer the phone
lines to hew the communions Meg Heal 5625056

Mathematics l'irivr.../,,,beinEchrio:.',0.
- SWITCH
Use en.y .6rernote MINI CCTV CAMERA
control unit to swatch onboard relay on/off 30513-
Latest high quality FEATURES
KT CP.50
Ill Courses to suit beginners PC DATA ACQUISITION UNIT Enables your PC IR -sensitive •Corront blight comers
PCB nodule 541•1.3111
to monitor b control external events b devices monochrome
and those wishing to update eCeultgls parallel
SÉFIVO 3C:40VOR
3 IN IZVER Inde- camera module for
x3Orwel 33 were
'Low power consumpoon
their knowledge and practical skills pendently control 4 servo motors not suppled).
3102-KT £14.75
Video Intercom 12V DC, 150niA
'Low light
CCTV. Surveillance
• Courses are delivered to the student UNIPOLAR STEPPER MOTOR DRIVER for any 5,6
or 8lead motors 3run modes 3109-KT £77.50
etc. Simply plug
0Ilan 11R70""j
.40 etillT.n5F1
el

LASER POINTER KIT 5rnW Stroh 670nrn red into start or video. resolutan COR image.
as self-contained kits laser diode Attractive plastic case supplied 3070- Six on-board IR 512.942 peels
KT £49.95 'Video output 1Vp-p750
• No travelling or college attendance• ULTRASONIC MOVEMENT DETECTOR Kull
controlled oscillator, detector ircuit b edge
LED's. Less than
half the size of a
'Lens 3finw, Fl 8
'Feld of net 719 561,
is required mounted transducers on a
75x4Ornrn PCB. 4.7m range
cigarette packet! «AllornilininCe Iris
'Mew alsceonmaY
Adrustable sensitivity. ASSEMBLED UNIT. contrciod auteni
IIII Learning is at your own pace Outputs to drive external 30A7-AS C89.95 Inured synchronisation
relay/Circuits. 9VDC. 3049-KT 112.03
plus AUDIO •EDUCATIONAL •LASER •SECURITY •TEST GEAR •BOOKS fr more
Our high quality prefect kits are supplied with a components, fibre glass PCB'S S cOmpreeenwe
For information contact:
Inftructions. RUBE œALOGUE v•th order or send 2 )(1st Clan stamps (rerundablei for detais of oser
NCT Enterprises Ica kns apublications Mail order one/ Meese ADD £2.00 P fr Plod adders (Europe £3, Rex of
Barnfield Technology Centre VéOrld ,hrvt *, Quasar Electronics. Goods normally desoaich WS', 5
MS, Prices include VAT at 171%.
Enterprise Way, Luton LU3 4BU

Telephone 01582 569757 • Fax 01582 492928

Quasar Electronics Unit 14 Sunnningdale BISHOP'S STORTFORD Hens CM23 2PA
QuasarElectronics@compuseinrecom
liVeb site http iourworld.compusiervecom/hom•patues/OussarElectronics

519
 EE182 135 Hunter Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffs, DE14 2ST :le
Tel 01283 565435 Fax 546932
E-mail: Magenta.Electronics@compuserve.com
Homepage: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Magenta.Electronics
ELECTRONICS LT D All Prices include VAT. Add £3.00 per order p&p
MAIL ORDER ONLY • CALLERS BY APPOINTMENT

E
r-- -
-P7 7nieR-oe6-
NT
-R
-6710 MICRO PEsT
- NEW ISPACEWRITER
—
Pl. TREASURE HUNTER' SCARER I An innovative and exciting gr.\

I project. Wave the wand through

The latest MAGENTA DESIGN -highly I Our latest design -The ultimate the air and your message appears. «I.
Istable b sensitive - with MC control I scarer for the garden. Uses I Programmable to hold any message ‘,
Iof all timing functions and advanced I special microchip to give random up to 16 digits long. Comes pre-loaded
▪with "MERRY XMAS". Kit includes
Ipulse separation techniques. delay and pulse time. Easy to PCB, all components & tube plus
I• New circuit design 1994 build reliable circuit. Keeps pets/ ▪ instructions for message loading.
pests away from newly sown areas. KIT 849 £16.991 •
I• High stability play areas, etc. Uses power source
I drift cancelling from 9to 24 volts. 12V EPROM ERASER
I• Easy to build • RANDOM PULSES A safe low cost eraser for up to 4EPROMS at atime
in less than 29 minutes. Operates from a12V supply
& use • HIGH POWER (400mA). Used extensively for mobile work - up-
I• No ground • DUAL OPTION Plug-in power supply £4.99 dating equipment in the field etc. Also in educa-
effect, works KIT 867 £19.99 tional situations where mains supplies are not al-
lowed. Safety interlock prevents contact with UV.
in seawater
KIT+ SLAVE UNIT £32.50 KIT 790 £28.51
• Detects gold,
silver, ferrous &
WINDICATOR
non-ferrous A novel wind speed indicator with LED readout. Kit comes
complete with sensor cups, and weatherproof sensing
SUPER BAT
metals
• Efficient quartz controlled
head. Mains power unit £5.99 extra.
DETECTOR
microcontroller pulse generation. KIT 856 £28.00
• Full kit with headphones & all 1WATT 0/P, BUILT IN
hardware
VIT" * TENS UNIT * SPEAKER, COMPACT CASE
L—— 847— — — — — — —£63.95
——J 20kHz-140kHz
DUAL OUTPUT TENS UNIT NEW DESIGN WITH 40kHz MIC.
DIGITAL LCD THERMOSTAT
A versatile thermostat using a thermistor probe As featured in March '97 issue. A new circuit using a'full bridge' audio
and having an I.c.d. display. MINTMAX memories,
Magenta have prepared a FULL KIT for this amplifier i.c., internal
-10 to 110 degrees Celsius, or can be set to
read in Fahrenheit. Individually settable upper and excellent new project. All components, PCB, speaker, and head-
lower switching temperatures allow close control,
or alternatively allow a wide 'dead band' to be set
hardware and electrodes are included. phone/tape socket. The
which can result in substantial energy savings when Designed for simple assembly and testing and latest sensitive transducer,
used with domestic hot water systems. Ideal for providing high level dual output drive. and 'double balanced mixer'
greenhouse ventilation or heating control, aquaria, give astable, high peformance
home brewing, etc. Mains powered, 10A SPCO
Relay output. Punched and printed case. KIT 866.... Full kit including four electrodes £32.90 superheterodyne design.

KIT 841 £29.95 1000V Et 500V INSULATION KIT 861 £24.99

ALSO AVAILABLE Built Et Tested ....£39.99
PORTABLE ULTRASONIC TESTER
PEsT SCARER Superb new design. Regulated E.E. TREASURE HUNTER
A powerful 23kHz ultrasound generator in acom-
pact hand-held case. MOSFET output drives a output, efficient circuit. Dual- Pl. METAL DETECTOR
special sealed transducer with intense pulses via scale meter, compact case. MKI
aspecial tuned transformer. Sweeping frequency Reads up to 200 Megohms.
output is designed to give maximum output with-
Magenta's highly
Kit includes wound coil, cut-out developed b
out any special setting up.
case, meter scale, PCB Et ALL acclaimed design.
KIT 842 £22.56 components. Quartz crystal
controlled circuit
DIGITAL CAPACITANCE KIT 848 £32.95 MOSFET coil drive.
METER D.C. coupled
A really professional looking project. Kit is sup- MOSFET Mk11 VARIABLE BENCH amplification.
Full kit includes
plied with a punched and printed front panel,
case, p.c.b. and all components. Quartz con- POWER SUPPLY 0-25V 2-5A. PCB, handle,
trolled accuracy of 1%. Large clear 5-digit display Based on our Mk1 design and case fi • KIT INC.
and high speed operation. Ideal for beginners - search coil HEADPHONES
preserving all the features,
as the µF, nF and pF ranges give clear un-
but now with switching • EFFICIENT
ambiguous read out of marked and unmarked
capacitors from afew pF up to thousands of F. pre-regulator for much higher CMOS DESIGN

KIT 493 £39.95 efficiency. Panel meters indi- • POWERFUL COIL

cate Volts and Amps. Fully DRIVE
SUPER ACOUSTIC PROBE variable down to zero.
Our very popular project - now with ready built Toroidal mains transformer. • DETECTS FERROUS AND
probe assembly and diecast box. Picks up vibra- NON-FERROUS METAL -GOLD,
Kit includes punched and
tions amplifies, and drives headphones. Sounds SILVER, COPPER ETC.
from engines, watches, and speech through wells printed case and all parts. As
can be heard clearly. Useful for mechanics, in- featured in April 1994 EPE. An • 190mm SEARCH COIL
strument engineers and nosey parkers! A very essential piece of equipment.
useful piece of kit. • NO 'GROUND EFFECT'
KIT 865 £29.95 KIT 845 £64.95 KIT 815 £45.95
ULTRASONIC PEsT SCARER DC Motor/Gearboxes
DOLBY PRO-LOGIC Keep pets/pests away from Our Popular and Versatile DC motor/Gearbox
DECODER newly sown ares, fruit, sets. Ideal for Models, Robots, Buggies
vegetable and flower beds, PU etc. 1.5 to 4-5V Multi ratio gearbox
Likootay :mammal children's play areas, patios
etc. This project produces
C W
OLT
gives wide range of speeds.

P PO • LOGIC E R LARGE TYPE - MGL £6.95

Brings full Genuine PRO-LOGIC Surround intense pulses of ultrasound RA
SMALL - MGS - £4.77
Sound to you at a fantastic price. The which deter visiting animals.
circuit meets all 'DOLBY specifications, with • KIT INCLUDES ALL
-Stereo", "3-Stereo" and "Surround" selections.
COMPONENTS, PCB & CASE
PEsT Stepping Motors
Featured in EPE APRIL'96 SCARER c
• EFFICIENT 100V
Full kit with case and transformer, MD38...Mini 48 step...£8.65
TRANSDUCER OUTPUT • UP TO 4 METRES
Kit Ref: 869 £124.99
• COMPLETELY INAUDIBLE RANGE
MD35...Std 48 step...£12.98«' ,
Short Form KIT, Kit Ref: 858 £99.00 TO HUMANS • LOW CURRENT DRAIN MD200...200 step...£16.80 •
'DOLBY and the double-D symbol are trademarks.
KIT 812 £14.81 MD24...Large 200 step...£22.95

520 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

 SIMPLE PIC PROGRAMMER SUPER PIC PROGRAMMER
INCREDIBLE LOWKit 857 £12.99 • READS, PROGRAMS, AND VERIFIES
PRICE! • WINDOWS" SOFTWARE
INCLUDES 1-PIC16C84 CHIP Power Supply £3.99 • PIC16C6X, 7X, AND 8X
SOFTWARE DISK, LEAD EXTRA CHIPS: • USES ANY PC PARALLEL PORT
CONNECTOR, PROFESSIONAL
PIC 16c84 £7.36 • USES STANDARD MICROCHIP • HEX FILES
PC BOARD Er INSTRUCTIONS
• OPTIONAL DISASSEMBLER SOFTWARE (EXTRA)
Based on the design in February '96 EPE article, • PCB, LEAD, ALL COMPONENTS, TURNED PIN
Magenta have made aproper PCB and kit for this SOCKETS FOR 18, 28, AND 40 PIN ICs.
project. PCB has 'reset' switch, Program switch, 5V
regulator and test L.E.D.s. There are also extra
connection points for access to all A and B port pins.
• SEND FOR DETAILED Kit 862 £29.99
INFORMATION -A
SUPERB PRODUCT AT AN Power Supply £3.99
PIC16C84 LCD DISPLAY DRIVER UNBEATABLE LOW PRICE.
INCLUDES 1-PIC16C84
WITH DEMO PROGRAM
Kit 860 £17.99
SOFTWARE DISK, PCB, Power Supply £3.99
PIC STEPPING MOTOR DRIVER
INSTRUCTIONS AND
FULL PROGRAM SOURCE
16-CHARACTER 2-LINE
CODE SUPPLIED -DEVELOP
INCLUDES: PCB,
PIC16C84 WITH Kit 863 £18.99
LCD DISPLAY YOUR OWN APPLICATION! DEMO PROGRAM,
FULL SOURCE CODE SUPPLIED.
SOFTWARE DISK,
Another super PIC project from Magenta. Supplied INSTRUCTIONS ALSO USE FOR DRIVING OTHER
with PCB, industry standard 2-LINE x 16-character AND MOTOR. POWER DEVICES e.g. SOLENOIDS.
display, data, all components, and software to include
Another NEW Magen aPIC project. Drives any 4-phase unipolar
in your own programs. Ideal develpment base for motor -up to 24V and 1A. Kit includes all components and 48 step
meters, terminals, calculators, counters, timers -Just motor, Chip is pre-programmed with demo software, then write your
waiting for your application! own, and re-program the same chip! Circuit accepts inputs from
switches etc and drives motor in response. Also runs standard demo
* Chip is pre-programmed with demo display * sequence from memory.

PIC16C84 MAINS POWER 4-CHANNEL PIC16C5X X WITH OPERATING

PROGRAMMING, AND
CONTROLLER Et LIGHT CHASER IN CIRCUIT CROSS ASSEMBLER
EMULATOR -WITH SOFTWARE.
• WITH PROGRAMMED 16C84 AND DISK WITH ON-LINE MONITOR.
SOURCE CODE IN MPASM The easiest way to get RUNS WITH
Now features full
• ZERO VOLT SWITCHING - 4-channel chaser software started. Allows single ANY PC
10 CHASE PATTERNS on DISK and stepping through programs -
pre-programmed displaying the internal registers
• OPTO ISOLATED
PIC16C84 chip. Easily and driving the I/O pins. Software
• 4 X 3 KEYPAD CONTROL and hardware can be developed
re-programmed for your
• SPEED CONTROL POT. own applications. and tested together. Programs
• HARD FIRED TRIACS Software source code is 16C54, 5, 6, Et 7chips. Full featured
• 4 CHANNELS (5 AMPS fully 'commented' so that software runs under DOS at high speed. SERIAL
it can be followed easily. PC LEADS
Power
Kit 855 £39.95 LOTS OF OTHER APPLICATIONS Kit 853 £99.00 Supply £8.99
9-WAY £6.00
25-WAY £7.00

68000 DEVELOPMENT AND • FULL 8MHz 68000 16-BIT DATA BUS

• EXPANDABLE - PIT OPTION 68230
TRAINING KIT • FULL MANUAL PLUS DATA
•I • SUPER LOW PRICE:
• USED WORLDWIDE IN SCHOOLS
COLLEGES Er UNIVERSITIES KIT 601 £69.95
• DOUBLE EUROCARD, 2SERIAL PORTS
EXTRAS: 9-way P.C. lead £6.99
• NOW WITH EXPANDED RAM Et ROM
• FULL FEATURED MONITOR Et LINE ASSEMBLER 25-way PC. lead £6.99
IN ROM Case - black bottom, clear lid - £5.99
• CROSS-ASSEMBLER AND COMMS SOFTWARE DISK PSU + 5V, + 12V, - 12V £12.99

Mini-Lab & Micro Lab

Electronics Teach-In 7
As featured in EPE and now published as Teach-In 7. All parts
are supplied by Magenta. Teach -ln 7is £3.95 from us or EPE
Full Mini Lab Kit - £119.95 - Power supply extra - £22.55
Full Micro Lab Kit - £155.95 Built Micro Lab - £189.95
 ,c
yj ADM232AA £3.55 TDA2050V £3.12 BAI59 £0.10 2501730 £1.44 BC328-16 £0.10 BDX32 £1.78
ADM485.161 £2.97 TDA26I IA £1.88 BAT85 £0.17 AC126 £0.44 BC337 £0.10 BDX33C £0.56
ADM690AN £5.13 TDA2822A £1.68 BYI26 £0.13 ACI27 £0.50 BC337-25 £0.12 BDX34C £0.50
▪ ADM69I AN £6.48 TED37 I 80P £5.03 BYI27 £0.18 ACI28 £0.40 BC338 £0.10 BDX53C £0.47
ADM695AN £6.48 TEA5115 £3.11 BYI33 £0.10 AC'IN7 £0.48 13C338-25 £0.10 BDX54C £0.50
ADM699AN £3.58 7106 I CP £0.35 0A47 £0.28 ACI88 £0.48 BC34813 £0.14 BF I 80 £0.31
vy CA74 ICE £0.26 TL062CP £0.60 0A90 £0.07 ACYI7
ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS ▪ CA747CE £0.39 11.064C5 £0.72 0A91 £0.10 ADI49
£3.84 BC357
£1.67 BC393
£0.25 8E182
£0.73 BFI85
£0.31
£0.58
CA3046 £0.37 T1071CP £0.39 0A200 £0.56 ADI61 £0.92 BC4 I4C £0.13 8E194 £0.31
Station Road, Cullercoats, 0 ;•••,
s4.4
CA3059
CA3080E
£1.33 TL072CP
£0.73 TL074CN
£0.38
£0.50
0A202 £0.29 ADI62
ZCIICIN 2.7 to 33V BC107
£0.92 BC44 I
£0.16 BC461
£0.40 BF194B
£0.46 8E195
£0.19
£0.19
"ke CA3130E £0.87 11081 £0.33 400mW £0.08 EiC107B £0.17 BC463 £0.29 6E244
Tyne & Wear, NE30 4PQ •
e;
t
CA3140E
CA3189E
£0.49 11082CP
£1.22 TL084CN
£0.54
£0.50
I.3W £0.14 BC108 £0.14 BC478 £0.32 BF244B
£0.35
£0.40
Bridge Rectifiers BC I 08 B £0.16 BC479 £0.32 BF244C £0.35
Z CA3240E £1.12 TL494CN £1.46
Tel: (0191) 251 4363 ral 06211C.1 £1.55 T17705ACP £1.62
5A 50V
5A 200V
£0.19 BC108C
£0.20 BC109
£0.15 BC490
£0.17 13C516
£0.24 0E257
£0.21 BF259
£0.33
£0.33
Z DG212C1 £1.55 TLC271 £0.54 5A 400V £0.22 BC109C £0.19 BC5I7 £0.17 8E337 £0.40
Fax: (0191) 252 2296 ye 0 DG411DJ
E12030CN
£3.11 11C272
£5.67 TMPO I FP
£0.88
£5.60
5A 600V £0.22 BC 114 £0.19 BC527 £0.20 BF355 £0.38
5A 800V £0.27 BC' 15 £0.41 BC528 £0.20 BF423 £0.13
ICL7106 £2.95 ULN2003 £0.52 5A I kV £0.24 BC116 £0.41 BC537 £0.20 BF451 £0.19
Email: salesgesr.co.uk
1.1

• ICL761 IDCP £1.06 ULN2004A £0.48 3A 200V £0.36 £0.41 BC546B £0.08 8E459 £0.33
cd IC17621 £1.70 ULN2803 £0.90 3A 400V £0.40 B 12 £0.36 I3C546C £0.08 8E469 £0.36
http: //www.esr.co.uk î
B 8
(..? IC18038 £4.89 ULN2804A £1.64 3A 600V £0.33 BC 134 £0.36 13C547B £0.09 BFX29 £0.29
ICM7555 £0.32 ULN2806 £1.20 6A 200V £0.70 BC 135 £0.36 BC547C £0.09 BEX84 £0.31
4000 Series 74HC Series 741.S47 €0 58 ICM7556 £0.98 XR2206 £5.37 6A 800V £0.59 BC 140 £0.25 BC548C £0.08 BFX85 £0.32
4000 £0.17 74HCOO £0.20 741551 £0.24 1165V £2.72 ZN4142 £1.16 10A 400V £1.39 K BC: 1142
4 1 £0.27 BC'549C £0.10 BEY50 £0.30
4001 £0.18 74HCO2 £0.21 741573 £0.40 1.272M £1.86 ZN4 I6E £1.99 25A 200V £1.68 £0.31 BC550C £0.10 BEY5 I £0.25
4002 £0.17 74HCO3 £0.2 t 741574 £0.32 L293E £4.35 EPROM's 25A 6001' £I .8C. BCI43 £0.34 BC556A £0.08 BEY52 £0.28
4006 £0.40 74HCO4 £0.17 741575 £0.30 1297 £6.37 2716 £4.74 BC14 £0.21 BC55713 £0.08 BS107 £0.21
4007 £6.99 2732 Thyristors
£0.18 74HCO8 £0.21 74157 £0.25 1298 £4.84 £0.36 BC557C £0.08 BSI 70 £0.23
4008 £0.31 16219 £4.48 2764-25 C10613 £0.36 BCI549
£0.23 74HC 10 £0.16 741583 £4.20 £0.12 BC558C £0.08 BSW66 £1.35
4009 £0.35 LF347N £0.46 27C64-25 P0102AA £0.30 BCI57
£0.19 74HC I1 £0.20 741585 £3.44 £0.17 BC559C £0.08 OUI 26 £1.32
4010 £.20 LF35IN £0.43 27C010 TIC I160 £0.66 BCI59
£0.23 74HC 14 £0.22 741586 £5.74 £0.28 BC560A £0.09 BU205 £1.41
4011 ods LF353N £0.40 27128-20 TIC 1260 BC. 17
BBcc :700B
£0.20 74HC20 £0.28 741590 £4.08 £0.16 BC560B £0.09 BU208A £1.24
4012 £0.16 74HC27 £0.16 741.592 £0 .35 1E356 £0.84 27C I 28-20 £4.08 Trims
£0.16 BC637 £0.21 BU326A £1.40
4013 £0.19 74HC30 £0.22 741593 £0.42 LM30IA £0.25 27256-20 £4.85 Z0105DA Bc171 £0.11 BC638 £0.21 BU500 £1.54
4014 £0.30 74HC32 £0.20 7415107 £0.30 LM308N £0.58 27C256-20 £3.68 TIC2060 £0.65 13C17IB £0.16 BC639 £0.21 BU508A
11C2260 £0.94 Ex. .124, £0.98
4015 £0.24 74HC42 £0.25 7415109 £0.21 1M31 IN-8 £0.29 27C512 £3.42 £0.13 BC640 £0.13 BU5080 £1.44
4016 £0.30 74HC73 £0.40 7415112 £0.24 LM318 £0.98 BTA08-600B £0.99 0(41213 £0.13 BCY70 £0.22 BU526
RAM TIC23613 £0.96 Bc4122 £1.74
4017 £0.29 74HC74 £0.23 7415113 £0.21 LM319N-14 £0.90 £0.18 BCY7I £0.20 BU806 £1.06
4018 £0.27 74HC75 £0.40 7415114 £0.21 LM324 £0.24 4164-15 £1.90
Dim, Si. Switch BCI78 £0.18 BCY72 £0.20 BUT IIA
6116-10 £1.53 £1.30
4019 £0.48 74HC76 £0.20 7415122 £0.31 LM335Z £1.52 DB3. 32V £0.20 BCI79 £0.18 DI 24P £6.86 BUT II AF £1.30
4020 LM339N £0.24 6264-10 £3.16
£0.36 74HC85 £0.24 7415123 £0.31 41256-10 £2.80 BRY39 £1.30 BC:
Bc 8 729A £0.17 DI35 £0.21 BUX84 £0.78
4021 £0.31 74HC86 £0.22 7415125 £0.27 LM348N £0.31 Transistors £0.11 0136 £0.21 IRF540 £1.26
4022 £0.32 74HC107 £0.40 7415126 £0.25 LM358N £0.27 62256-10 £4.22
..N1613 My 1 BC I 82A £0.11 DI37 £0.23 IRF740
511000-8 £8.54 £1.88
4023 £0.16 74HCI23 £0.33 7415132 £0.21 LM377 £2.57 2NI71 I £0.26 BC 182 B £0.12 01314 £0.22 M.12501
514256-8 £6.80 £1.60
4024 £0.32 74HC I 25 £0.24 7415133 £0.36 LM380N £0.88 2N1893 BC 18231 £0.08 0139 £0.25 M.13001
EIC 1 8 £1.80
4025 £0.15 74HCI26 £0.46 7415136 £0.23 LM38IN £2.64 A/D Converters 2N
2N222
2118A
0 A £0
£ 0.:
25
2 8 BC182LB
9 £0.08 0140 £0.25 MJ11015 £2.45
4026 £0.78 74HC 132 £0.37 7415138 £0.40 1M386 £0.79 Data Acquisition
£0.08 0150C £0.82 M111016 £2.56
4027 £0.25 74HCI33 £0.29 7415139 £0.24 LM392N £0.79 AD420AN £25.38
2N2222A £0.18 BBcc BC!8 3[ £0.08 DI65 £0.42 MJE340 £0.40
£0.21 AD5571N £8.75 8043
4028 £0.34 74HC I 38 £0.25 7415145 £0.56 LM393N 2N2646 0 £0.08 0166 £0.35 MJE350 £0.48
4029 £0.40 74HC I 39 £0.31 7415147 £1.26 LM709T £0.79 AD574AJN £18.48 2N2904A £0
f 1:215 £0.08 0187 £0.39 MPSA05 £0.14
£1.04 A0775.IN £18.48 2
4030 £0.17 74HCI51 £0.33 7415148 £0.64 LM733 2N2905A £0.25 BC I 841 £0.08 0201 £0.40 MPSA06 £0.11
AD7226KN £25.69
4031 £0.70 74HC I 53 £0.27 7415151 £0.25 LM748CN-8 £0.37 2N2907 BC c2 186 £0.33 0202 £0.40 MPSA 13 £0.12
4033 £0.56 74HCI54 £0.85 7415153 £0.25 1M759CP £3.38 AD75281N £7.04 2N2907A ££00 :220 0Es04c £0.72 0203 £0.40 MPSA42 £0.17
4034 £1.24 74HCI57 £0.40 7415154 £0.70 1M1458 £0.37 AD7545AKN £14.04 2N2926 £0.72 13204 £0.40 MRF475 £7.28
4035 £0.31 74HCI58 £0.23 7415155 £0.25 LM1881 £3.92 AD7828KN £20.33 2N3054
2N3053
££00. .
216 BC.220
7 Bc 06 7B 0
£0.74 13222 £0.58 TIP29C
£3.10 IC17109CPL £7.75 £0.31
4040 £0.38 74HCI60 £0.64 7415156 £0.36 LM2917N8 £0.85 BC208 £0.72 0225 £0.42 TIP30C £0.37
4041 £0.3 I 74HCI61 £0.28 7415157 £0.22 LM3900N £0.72 TLC549IP £3.04
2N3055 £038 BC209A £0.72 0232 £0.50 TIP3 IC £0.41
4042 £0.22 74HC 162 £0.45 7415158 £0.21 L.M3909N £1.76 ZN425E £5.94
2N3439 £0.08 0237 £0.32 TIP32C £0.41
4043 £0.28 74HC163 £0.27 7415160 £0.48 1M39 I 4 £2.30 ZN426E £3.13
2N3440 £0.08 0238 £0.44 TIP33C £0.72
4044 LM3915 £2.70 ZN427E £9.25
£0.35 74HC164 £0.35 7415161 £0.32 2N3702 £0.08 13240C £0.37 TIP4I A £0.44
4046 £0.52 74HCI65 £0.35 741S162 £0.44 LM13600 £1.66 ZN428E £5.94
2N3703 £
£££0
000 :10 BC 22 22 113 £0.08 D243B £0.50 TIP42C £0.52
4047 ZN448E £7.50 65 02 BBBCCC 12 22EB
£0.47 74HCI 73 £0.38 741SI63 £0.32 1MC660CN £2.16 2N3704 £0.08 0244A £0.53 TIP47 £0.48
4048 £0.28 74HCI74 £0.27 7415164 £0.24 LMC6032IN £1.55 Microcontollers 2N3705 old 13C213B
£0.08 D244C £0.53 TIP48 £0.62
4049 £0.22 74HC175 £0.35 74LS 165 £0.48 LP31 I N £0.74 PIC I 6C54A-04£3.07 2N3772
2N3706 £0 01...1
4140 BC
0 B8cc 2 22 113 L LC £0.08 D245C £1.18 TIP50 £0.53
4050 £0.26 74HC 192 £0.72 7415170 £0.30 LP324N £0.67 PIC I6C71-04 £4.88 2N377 I £0.08 0246 £1.18 TIP I 21 £0.45
4051 £0.38 74HC 195 £0.32 7415173 £0.24 LP339N £0.73 PIC I6C84-04 £5.92 £1.51 BC225 £0.15 0246C £1.18 TIPI22 £0.48
4052 £0.32 74HC240 £0.37 7415174 £0.24 1T1013CN8 £2.99 PHONE FOR 2N3773 £0.09 0283 £0.61 TIP I 25 £0.46
4053 £0.40 74HC241 £0.37 7415175 £0.24 LT1014CN £10.20 OTHER DEVICES 2N38 I9 £1.70 BC237B
0 2 390cc
22 33 £0.09 0284 £0.61 TIPI27 £0.40
4054 £0.56 74HC243 £0.48 7415190 £0.60 MAX202CPE £2.97 Voltage 2N3904 £
££ 00...
4
66
10 2 B0cc
E3C8B £0.09 13400 £0.79 TIP 132
2N3820 £0.46
4055 £0.34 74HC244 £0.42 7415191 £0.24 MAX208CN £6.99 Regulators £0.10 0441 £0.41 TIP 137 £0.56
4060 £0.44 74HC245 £0.46 7415192 £0.60 MAX220CPE £5.06 7805 £0.35 2N3905 £0.15 0442 £0.37 TIPI42
I £1.30
4063 £0.29 74HC251 £0.25 7415193 £0.24 MAX222CPE £5.06 7808 £0.50 2N4036
2N3906 9:1
£ 0
1 0 BCBc 2 2;0A £0.13 0534 £0.47 T1P147 £1.12
4066 £0.22 74HC253 £0.25 7415195 £0.24 MAX232CPE £1.80 7812 £0.38 £0.13 0535 £0.50 TIP2955 £0.97
4067 £2.20 74HC257 £0.25 7415196 £0.24 MAX4143CP £3.13 7815 £0.38 2N5245 f
£00 :8034 BC BC 2 26 52 1B £0.30 0536 £0.65 TIP3055 £0.70
4068 £0.16 74HC259 £0.57 7415197 £0.24 MAX485CP £2.58 78105 £0.23 2N5296 £0.57 BC262B £0.24 13581 £0.62 VNIOKM £0.48
4069 £0.20 74HC273 £0.35 7415221 £0.40 MAX63 IACP £4.99 78108 £0.23 2N532I £037 BC267B £0.30 0597 £0.92 ZTX300 £0.16
4070 £0.26 74HC299 £0.64 7415240 £0.32 MAX635ACP £4.99 78112 £0.23 BC307 £0.10 0646 £0.52 ZTX500 £0.16
4071 £0.23 74HC356 £0.45 7415241 £0.32 MAX I232CP £2.96 78115 £0.24 2N5401 £0.11 BC308 £0.10 0648 £0.52
4072 £0.17 74HC365 £0.34 7415242 £0.32 MCI488 £0.39 78124 £0.39 2N5551 £0.11 BC319C •£0.13 0650 £0.53
4073 £0.17 74HC367 £0.25 7415243 £0.30 MCI489 £0.39 78505 No Minimum
£0.70 2N6107 £0.60 BC327 £0.10 0707 £0.42
4075 £0.17 74HC368 £0.25 74LS244 £0.32 MC3302 £0.56 78512 £0.70 2N6491 f158 £0.10 D708 £1.04 Order Value
4076 £0.30 74HC373 £0.35 74LS245 £0.60 MC3340P £1.60 78515 £0.98 vsitS.18 in In E BeL:31 '87-25
2 £0 10 0807 £0.80
4077 £0.28 74HC374 £040 7415247 £0.32 MC4558P £0.36 7905 £0.40 Electrolytic Radial
4078 MV601DP £2.97 2912 Electrolytic Axial
£0.20 74HC390 £0.52 7415251 £0.24 £0.30
4081 £0.22 74HC393 £0.38 741S257 £0.24 NE521 N £6.39 7915 16, 25, 40, 63, 100, 16% 25, 40, 63, 100L 250v 450%
£0.38 .47
4082 £0.21 74HC423 £0.37 7415258 £0.24 NE53I £1.4 7 7924 £0.38
4085 1.0 £0.05 £0.05 £0.13 --- £0.22
£0.28 74HC553 £0.42 7415266 £0.14 NE555N £0.25 79105 £0.23
4086 £0.26 74HC563 £0.48 7415273 2.2
£0.32 NE556N £0.36 79112 £0.23
4089 £0.55 74HC564 £0.48 7415279 4.7 £05 £0.05 £0.05 - - £0.13 - -- £0.41
£0.25 NE565 £1.84 79115 £0.28
4093 10 £0.05 £0.05 E0.05 £1.05 £0.09 £0.12 - £0.12 £0.13 £0.17 £0.40 £0.51
£0.22 74HC573 £038 7415365 £0.21 NE566N £0.90 79124 £0.30
4094 £0.31 74HC574 £0.45 74LS367 £0.21 NE567N £0.39 ADM666AN £3.44 22 £0.05 f0.05 £0.05 £0.07 £0.11 £0.12 £0.13 £0.14 £0.15 £0.21 £0.52 £1.06
4095 £0.56 74HC640 £0.73 7415368 £0.21 NE57 1 N £2.47 L2000/ 33 £0.05 -- £0.05 - - -
£1.30 47 £0.05 £0.05 £0.07 £0.10 £0.19
4097 £1 .20 74HC688 £0.64 7415373 £0.33 NE592 £0.62 1 296
.
£6.87 £.13 £0.13 £0.15 £0.19 £0.32 £0.57 --
-
4098 £0.48 74HC4002 £0.31 7415374 £0.34 NE5532N £0.60 1 .:37
31d%
100 £0.06 £0.06 £0.10 £0.13 £0.26 £0.14 £0.16 £0.19 £0.26 £0.44 -- --
35 1.
£3.24 220 £0.08 £0.09 £0.13 £0.25 --
4099 £0.38 74HC4017 £0.64 7415375 £0.34 NE5534N £0. 64 L.M2940CT £2.30 £0.19 £0.20 £0.27 £0.39 £0.48
4502 £0.38 74HC4020 £0.36 7415377 £0.32 NE5539N £4. 7T 330 £0.09 -- £0.19 - - - -
£0.50 470 £0.12 £0.17 £0.24 £0.33 -
4503 £0.410 74HC4040 £0.45 7415378 £0.62 NE5560N £2.84 £0.24 £0.28 £0.43 £0.53 -
4508 £0.25 OPO7CN 1000 £0.15 £0.33 £0.34 --- - £0.33 £0.43 £0.59 £1.08 -
£1.40 74HC4049 £0.31 7415390 f
£2 1:4
321 LM
L M 3 341
323 ( £1.35
4510 £0.36 74HC4050 £0.25 7415393 £0.24 OP27CN 2200 £0.27 £0.55 £0.70 * £0.53 £0.66 £1.11 £1.55-- -
£2. 90 1M3371 £0.68 3300
4511 £0.38 74HC4060 £0.44 7415395 £0.26 OP77GP £2.3 6 LA1338K £5.52 -
4512 4700 £0.67 £T.05 - -
£0.32 74HC4075 £0.27 7415399 £0.62 OP9OGP £0.29
4514 £0.77 74HC4078 £0.32 7415670 £0.69 OP97FP f3
£ 2: 43
11 L
1pM2 9
7250(4
3
£2.70 reramk MI.i Disc Dipped Ceramic %annoyer
4515 £0.99 74HC45 I1 £0.64 Linear ICs OP II 3GP £3. 44 REFO1CP £3.44 1.0.1.2.1 5.1.8,2.2.2.7.3 3.3.94.7.5.76.L8.2 10.2.1.33.47 and multiples.
4516 £0.44 74HC4514 £0.84 AD524AD £4,3 OP176CiP £2. 09 REFO2CP £4.66 IOpF to 22nF 100V £0.06 10pF to 100nF 100V £0.10
4518 £0.444 74HC4538 £0.41 AD548IN é2 OP177GP £1. 89 REF12Z £1.28 47nF & 10011F 50V £0.07 220nF 100V £0.14
4520 £0.41 74HC4543 £0.90 AD590.1H £5 .40 OP200GP £5,..6„0 REFI 95GP £4.72 330nF 100V £0.16
4521 £0. 62 7415 Series AD592AN £4 .5, OP213FP £2-z 0 REF25Z £1.24 Also in stock -Mvlar Film. MKT. Boxed 470nF ICIOV £0.22
4526 £0. 40 741500 £0.26 AD595AQ £1 .2 OP275GP REF5OZ £1.22 & Dipped Polyester. Tantalum. Sub- 1.0pF 100V £0.29
4527 £0.40 741501 £0.14 AD620AN £ 1 ;48 OP282GP TL431CP £0.45 miniature. lou Leakage & I05 °C Radials Full Technical Specificabon available
4528 £„0. 40 741502 £0.29 AD625IN £16' .20 OP283GP £5. ZN423 £1.55
20 ttesistors -Please Slate Value Required
4529 £u.44 wispy £19 AD6331N £8.25 BP 29BGB £5. ZN458B £1.89 '.-.W Carbon Film 5% E12 Series 10-1om
4532 £252 OP297GP
40 £0.02 Each. £0.60 per 100 e
£0.32 741s04 o 21 AD648.IN 151. 17041 Diodes ./.‘v Metal Film 1% E24 Series 100-1s4 £0.04 Each. £1.72 per 100
4534 £2.48 24Lsoy £0:14 AD654.IN £7 .25 °P4B°GP £106 '/A1( Carbon Film 5% E12 Series 10-iont
4536 £2 3 2 OP495GP N9I4 £0.02 Each. £0.95 per 100 é;
£,.1. 00
„ 741508 £0.23 AD698AP . 8 £
£ 8
1..69
00
£0 .06 1W Carbon Film 5°. El2 Series 100-10M
N916 £0.07 Each. £3.90 per 100 7,74
4538 24isaq £0 .14 AD7014JN RC4I 36 £0.06 2W Carbon Film 5'4, El2 Series 100-10M
/
£1'31 SAAI027 N4001 £0.12 Each. £5.99 per 100 tr."
4541 £0. 33 741510 £0:14 AD711.1N £4.46 £0.07 2.5W Wirewound 5% El2 Series 001-22co
4543 £2:38 5G3524N N4002 £0.23 Each
£0.49 741511 £0.17 AD712.IN £0.96 £0.07 Preset Resistors -Please State Value Required
4555 £835 5G3543 £6.88 N4003
£0.32 741512 £0.14 AD736,1N N4004 my Enclosed. 10mm Square Hon .Vert. 1000 -IMO 0.15W £0.15 Each
4556 741513 . . 51486 £2.88 £0 .07 Skeleton. lOmm Dia. Hem 'Vert. 1000 -IMO 0.1W
4560 N4005 £0.11 Each
£1. 18 74LSI4 £0.21 AD797AN £8.69 55M20 I 5P £12.32 £0.08 Sub-min. 6mm Dia. Hornintal E3 20012-1M0 0.IW
4566 £3.38 N4006 £0.19 Each
£1. 96 74LSI5 £0.14 ADS IIN £6.73 SSM2017P £0 .08 Multitum. I Omm Square. Top Adjust. E3 1000-IMO 0.5W £1.00 Each
4572 N4007
£0.25 741S20 £0.16 AD812AN £6.32 SSM213IP N4148 £0.05 Multitum. 19mm Long. End Adjust. E3 500-2M0 0.5W £0.64 Each
4584 £0.24 74LS2I £0.14 AD8I3AN £8.81 SSM214IP £
£ 421
4.19
£0.06 Potentiometers -Please State Value Required
4585 £6.16 N4149
£147 741522 £0.1* AD817AN £3:85 55M2142P N5400 £0 .09 Single Gang -'4" Shaft. 25mm Dia. 4700-2M2 Linear £0.49 Each
4724 741526 £0.14 AD820AN £3.2455M2143P £0
t 3. .78
00
N5401 £0 .09 Single Gang - Shaft. 25mm Dia. 4k7.10k,47k. I 00k. IM.2M2 Log £0.49 Each
40106 £0.37 74LS27 £0.14 AD822AN £5.20 TBAI205 £0.10 Dual Gang -'4 - Shaft. 20mm Dia. I KO-2M2 Linear
40109 £0.70 N5402 £1.62 Each
£158 741530 £0.20 AD826AN £5:33 TBA800 £111 Dual Gang -.,..- Shaft. 20mm Dia. 1K0-2M2 Logarithmic
40163 £0.64 N5404 £1.71 Each
£0. 46 741532 £0.21 AD829.IN £6.41 TBA8I05 N5406 £0 .12 Switched -1 /"Shaft. 20mm Dia.
4 1K0-2M2 Linear £1.56 Each
40174 £0. , 6 74LS37 £0.14 AD830AN £6:14 TBA1420M £0.40 -.i. - Shaft. 20mm Dia. IK0-2M2 Logarithmic
40175
4
£2.48 N5407 £1.69 Each
741538 £0.19 A08470%1 £5.71 ,T„DA.!,, ,5
170 1:1.04
N5408 LOIS PCB Mount. Splined Shalt 16mm Dia. 4700-1 MO Linear £0.42 Each
40193 £0.60 miselo am AD9696KN £7.73 '..'" 99' £0 .10 PCB Mount, Splined Shaft. 16mm Dia. 4700,4k7.100k.IMO Log
74 Series £0.42 Each
741 S42 £0 42 ADEL2020A £5 06 TDA2004 £111 BAI57 £0 10 Dual PCB. Splined Shaft. 16min Dia. 10k.50k100k.500k Linear
'407 1.0 40 ty l, RAKI £0.85 Each
N0%1222.01 L155 TDA2010 Dual PCB. Splint-il Shall. 16mm Dia 10k.50k. I 00k,5001. Logarithmic £0 05 Idch
ORDERING INFORMATION -Carriage £1.25+Vat, Prices Exclude Vat (17 1
2 %), Add Carriage & Vat to all orders. Payment with Order. PO/Cheques
/
payable to ESR Electronic Components. ALL Credit Card Orders Accepted. NO Credit Card Surcharges. Trade discount for Schools & Colleges.

522 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

 Editorial Offices:
EVERYDAY EVERYDAY PRACTICAL ELECTRONICS EDITORIAL
ALLEN HOUSE, EAST BOROUGH, WIMBORNE

PRACTICAL
DORSET BH21 1PF
Phone: Wimborne 101202) 881749
Fax: 101202) 841692. Due to the cost we cannot reply to orders
or queries by Fax.

ELECTRONICS
E-mail: editoriakil epemag.wimborne.co.uk
Web Site: http://www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk
See notes on Readers' Enquiries below -we regret lengthy
technical enquiries cannot be answered over the telephone.
Advertisement Offices:
EVERYDAY PRACTICAL ELECTRONICS
ADVERTISEMENTS
HOLLAND WOOD HOUSE, CHURCH LANE
VOL. 26 No. 8 AUGUST '97 GREAT HOLLAND, ESSEX C013 OJS
Phone Fax: 1012551 850596

Editor: MIKE KENWARD

COMPUTING CONUNDRUM
Secretary: PAM BROWN
The Colossus Recreated article by Barry Fox in this issue raises some interesting
Deputy Editor: DAVID BARRINGTON
points about the future of computers. We naturally tend to feel that modem PCs are
way ahead of anything built more than fifty years ago using valves, so why can the Technical Editor: JOHN BECKER

world's first electronic computer still outperform aPentium PC? It all comes down to Business Manager: DAVID J. LEAVER
single task computing. Subscriptions: MARILYN GOLDBERG
If you build acomputer to perform asingle task - like cracking asecret code - then Editorial: Wimborne 1012021 881749
you can make it do that task very efficiently and therefore very quickly. If you build a Advertisement Manager:
multi-tasking machine and then write volumes of software to give it the most user PETER J. MEW, Frinton 1012551 850596
friendly interface possible for all those tasks, then you need masses of computing Advertisement Copy Controller:
power, speed and memory to achieve a result and, of course, you slow down the PETER SHERIDAN, Wimborne 1012021 882299
process with overblown software.
READERS' ENQUIRIES
PCs running Windows are not the most efficient answer to most tasks and if you use We are unable to offer any advice on the use,
one professionally for asingle task you will soon realise that Windows is an unneces- purchase, repair or modification of com-
sary inconvenience. It may be that Colossus will change the future of computing in a mercial equipment or the incorporation or
number of areas. modification of designs published in the
magazine. We regret that we cannot provide
Isn't it fascinating how much we can learn from the past. and isn't it rather worrying data or answer queries on articles or projects
how we quickly assume that what we have recently developed is hest? It's nice to that are more than five years old. Letters
have the latest, fastest machine and we regularly come across people who look down requiring a personal reply must be accom-
their noses at less fortunate, or simply less interested, individuals, but surely there is panied by a stamped self-addressed en-
velope or a self-addressed envelope and
much to be said for the minimalist approach. Why use a computer when it is not international reply coupons. Due to the cost
necessary, and why use a 200MHz Pentium PC with a Gigabyte of hard disk and we cannot reply to queries by Fax.
massive RAM just to maintain a simple database, do a few calculations or for All reasonable precautions are taken to
wordprocessing? The word "bloat - is used by Barry Fox and it is easy to see why. ensure that the advice and data given to
readers is reliable. We cannot, however,
guarantee it and we cannot accept legal
BLOAT responsibility for it.
We are probably as guilty of "bloat - as anyone else. You could say that our
COMPONENT SUPPLIES
P1C-olo Music Maker uses unnecessary technology to produce a few notes - PIC
We do not supply electronic components or
chips are not in fact well suited to music making - but it is an excellent and kits for building the projects featured, these
instructive exercise in programming and the resultant instrument (if that is not too can be supplied by advertisers.
We advise readers to check that all parts are
grand a word for it) is very simple to build and great fun. Besides, to keep everyone
still available before commencing any project
happy, we have a simple organ design based on an RC oscillator coming in a few in aback-dated issue.
months. We regret that we cannot provide data, or
answer queries, on projects that are more
than five years old.

ADVERTISEMENTS
Although the proprietors and staff of
EVERYDAY PRACTICAL ELECTRONICS take
SUBSCRIPTIONS - Prices go up on tions Dept., Allen House, East Borough, reasonable precautions to protect the inter-
September 1, 1997. Wimborne, Dorset BH21 1PF. Tel: 01202 ests of readers by ensuring as far as
practicable that advertisements are bona fide,
Annual subscriptions for delivery direct 881749. Subscriptions start with the next
the magazine and its Publishers cannot give
to any address in the UK: £24. Over- available issue. We accept MasterCard or
any undertakings in respect of statements or
seas: £30 standard air service (£47.50 ex- Visa. (For past issues see the Back Issues claims made by advertisers, whether these
press airmail). Cheques or bank drafts (in page.) advertisements are printed as part of the
fsterling only) payable to Everyday Prac- magazine, or in inserts.
BINDERS
tical Electronics and sent to EPE Subscrip- The Publishers regret that under no cir-
Binders to hold one volume (12 issues) cumstances will the magazine accept liability
are available from the above address. for non-receipt of goods ordered, or for late
delivery, or for faults in manufacture. Legal
These are finished in blue p.v.c., printed
remedies are available in respect of some of
with the magazine logo in gold on these circumstances, and readers who have
the spine. Price £5.95 plus £3.50 post complaints should first address them to the
and pacJcing (for overseas readers the advertiser.
postage is £6.00 to everywhere except
Australia and Papua New Guinea which TRANSMITTERS/BUGS/TELEPHONE
cost £10.50). Normally sent within seven EQUIPMENT
days but please allow 28 days for We advise readers that certain items of radio
delivery -more for overseas orders. transmitting and telephone equipment which
may be advertised in our pages cannot be
IR REMOTE
CONTROL Payment in f sterling only please. legally used in the UK. Readers should check
REPEATER
the law before buying any transmitting or
ed.
Visa and MasterCard accepted,
%Yen=
telephone equipment as afine, confiscation of
minimum credit card order £5. Send
equipment and/or imprisonment can result
or phone your card number and from illegal use or ownership. The laws vary
card expiry date with your name, from country to country; overseas readers
address etc. should check local laws.

Everyday Practical Electronics. August 1997 523

 Constructional Project

VARIAELf,,,
BENCH
POWER SUPPLY
ROBERT PENFOLD
A low-cost, regulated 1 .2V Co the power source. There is no mains wiring
to contend with, and the maximum voltage
12V supply with four switched in the circuit is asafe 20V or thereabouts.
Also, the double insulation in the
current- ranges from 20mA to eliminator" power source ensures that
the unit is well isolated from the mains
500mA. supply.
It aditionally means that the unit has

A
REGULATED mains power supply somewhat at higher voltages with output "floating" outputs i.e. neither output
unit is undoubtedly one of the most currents of more than about 400mA. socket is earthed. This can be helpful in
useful pieces of equipment for the Current limiting at an output current of avoiding short circuits and "hum" loops
electronics experimenter. Ideally the sup- 500mA protects the circuit against the in- when using the unit with equipment that
ply should have a wide output voltage evitable short circuits and overloads on the has an earthed chassis.
range, and be capable of providing high output. As 500 milliamps is a fairly high
currents, but a high specification is in- current that is capable of damaging many SYSTEM OPERATION
variably accompanied by ahigh price. semiconductors, additional limit currents of There are two standard approaches to
Fortunately. for most purposes a sup- 20mA. 50mA, and 200mA are available. providing a variable voltage supply, and
ply unit having amodest specification will An optional voltage meter enables the one of these is to use a potentiometer to
suffice. Most projects require a supply of output potential to be set with reasonable provide a variable voltage source from a
between about 3V and 12V, at output cur- precision. but a significant saving in cost fixed regulator circuit. A buffer amplifier
rents that are usually no more than a few can be made if the voltmeter is omitted is then used to effectively boost the
hundred milliamps. and the output voltage is set with the aid of maxitnum output current from the poten-
The mains power supply unit featured amultimeter. tiometer to asuitable level.
here has an output voltage range of 1.2V An alternative is to use a voltage
to 12V d.c., and it can supply output SAFE OPERATION regulator to provide a fixed voltage, plus
currents of up to 500mA. Despite the Normally aproject of this type would not an amplifier which multiplies the output
simplicity of the circuit, it provides excel- be suitable for beginners, as it would voltage to the required figure, and also
lent regulation. In fact, the output potential involve wiring carrying the dangerous boosts the maximum output current to
varies by no more than a few millivolts mains supply. This power supply unit is the required level. This second method
when the output current is taken from zero perfectly safe for beginners as it uses a generally offers better voltage regulation,
to full load. ready-made I 2V "battery eliminator" as and is the one adopted in this design.
A high quality reference voltage gener- The final circuit uses the arrangement
ator ensures that the circuit is free from shown in the block diagram of Fig. I. It is
drift due to temperature changes. The out- based on an operational amplifier (op.amp)
put noise is only about 2501.1N at most which is used in the non-inverting mode.
output voltages and currents, but degrades An accurate and highly stable reference
voltage is supplied to the non-inverting
(+ )input of the amplifier. The choice of
reference voltage is important, since the
minimum output voltage cannot be less
than the reference potential. In this case a
1-2V reference source is used, and this
enables the unit to be used in place of
a single "dry" cell or nickel-cadmium
battery.

OUTPUT CURRENT
Maximum output current trout anormal
operational amplifier is only a few mil-
liamps, or possibly a few tens of mil-
liamps. This is insufficient for a bench
power supply unit, and a buffer stage at
the output of the amplifier is therefore used
to boost the maximum output current.

524
 The further down the track the wiper is
taken, the greater the voltage drop through
CURRENT the potentiometer, and the higher the out-

' REFERENCE SENSE

put voltage. The potentiometer therefore
GENERATOR BUFFER OUTPUT acts as the output voltage control.
AMPLIFIER

CIRCUIT OPERATION

1
The full circuit diagram for the simple
AMPLIFIER Variable Bench Power Supply appears in
AND SWITCH SET
VOLTS Fig. 2. The unregulated input voltage
(W) supply connects to socket SKI, and the
vR
actual voltage here is nearly 20V with
no load connected at the output of the
GND regulator circuit. With an output current
of 500mA the input voltage is still almost
16V.
Fig. 1. Block diagram for the Variable Bench Power Supply. There are voltage drops through the
regulator and current limiting circuits, but
A severe overload on the output could higher potential. Taking the inverting input the circuit can just about maintain an out-
cause a very large current flow, which to the higher voltage has the opposite effect, put potential of I2V at 500mA. Fuse FS1
could damage the buffer amplifier and with the output going to alower voltage. In protects the battery eliminator if a serious
the power source before a conventional the non-inverting mode the input potentials fault should occur in the regulator circuit.
fuse would "blow." So, some form of are balanced by anegative feedback action Cl is the supply decoupling capacitor.
electronic "fuse" has to be regarded as from the output to the inverting input. The regulator diode D1 provides the
mandatory in acircuit of this type. With the potentiometer's wiper (w) at I.2V reference source. This is used much
A low value resistor in series with the the top end of the track the inverting in- like a Zener diode, but it has a much
output of the circuit enables a current put is connected direct to the output of higher level of performance than a Zener
limiting circuit to detect an excessive cur- the supply. If the output should go above diode. It will operate efficiently with cur-
rent flow. The voltage developed across 1-2V, the inverting input will also be taken rents from 50p.A to 5mA, and in this case
this resistor is proportional to the output above this level, causing the output poten- resistor RI sets the current flow at about
current. tial to be reduced. 500p.A. Capacitor C2 filters any noise
Provided the output current does not If the output potential is pulled below generated by DI.
exceed about 500mA, the voltage across 1.2V, this will again unbalance the input Operational amplifier ICI is a type
the current sensing circuit will not be levels to the op.amp, this time causing the that will operate properly with its inputs
sufficient to activate the amplifier and output to increase in voltage to correct and output at low voltages. Most other
electronic switch. The circuit then works matters. Note that the feedback is taken via op.amps will not operate properly in this
normally, providing a well regulated out- the buffer amplifier and the current sense circuit.
put voltage. resistor, so that it will compensate for any A Darlington power device TRI
If the output current exceeds much more increased voltage drop through these when operates here as an emitter follower buffer
than about 500mA, the voltage across the the output loading is increased. stage at the output of ICI. The very high
current sensing resistor exceeds about If the potentiometer's wiper is taken current gain of TR 1ensures that the circuit
0.6V. The "electronic" switch then starts down its track, the negative feedback ac- can easily accommodate output currents of
to turn on, and it connects the output of the tion still balances the input voltages to up to 500mA.
op.amp through to the final output. the op.amp. However, the voltage drop Current limiting is controlled by tran-
On the face of it, this will not have through the potentiometer means that the sistor TR2, and R3 to R6 are the four
much effect, but the crucial factor here is output settles at ahigher voltage. current sensing resistors. These bring the
that there is a voltage drop of more than For example, suppose that the wiper is current, limiting into action at approxi-
one volt through the buffer amplifier. The at the mid-point of the track, it will be at mate threshold currents of 20mA, 50mA,
switch therefore tends to pull the output of half the output voltage, which means that 200mA, and 500mA respectively.
the op.amp lower in voltage, which in an output voltage of 2-4V is needed in or- Note that the short circuit output cur-
turn reduces the final output voltage. The der to deliver 1.2V to the inverting input rents are somewhat higher than these
switch then pulls the output of the op.amp of the amplifier. figures. particularly at the lower limit
to an even lower voltage.
Any attempt to draw more than the limit
current simply results in the output voltage
rapidly diminishing, with no significant in-
crease in the output current. Even with a
short circuit across the output terminals,
the circuit will provide an output current
of only about 600 milliamps or so. This
form of current limiting responds almost
instantly to any output overloads, and is
fast enough to ensure that the supply's out-
put stage and the power source are not
damaged.

FEEDBACK
The closed loop voltage gain of a non-
inverting amplifier is controlled by anega-
tive feedback network connected between
the output and the inverting (— ) input.
In this circuit the feedback network is a
potentiometer (VR).
An operational amplifier amplifies the
voltage difference across its inputs, and its
innate (open loop) voltage gain is ex-
tremely high at d.c. and low frequencies.
In fact, it is typically in excess of 100,000.
Taking the non-inverting input positive
Fig.2. Complete circuit diagram for the Variable Bench Power Supply.
of the inverting input sends the output to a
525
 Fig.3. Printed circuit board component layout and
interwiring to offboard components, plus the full size
underside copper foil track master pattern.

currents where the output current from ICI EPE multi purpose printed circuit board

COMPONENTS becomes asignificant factor. (p.c.b.), but afair percentage of the small
components are not mounted on the circuit
VOLTAGE CONTROL hoard. This p.c.b. is available from the
Resistors Potentiometer VR1 is the output voltage EPE PCB Service, code 932.
R1
R2
33k
2k2 eCDP) control. Resistor R2 limits the maximum
output voltage to a little over I3V, but
The component layout for the printed
R3
R4
3312
12D
TALK remember that currents of up to 500mA
circuit board, together with the hard wiring
and copper track pattern is shown actual
Page
R5 3123 can only be maintained at output potentials size in Fig. 3. Start construction by fit-
R6 1(12 of about 12V or less. Meter MEI is the ting the appropriate components onto the
R7 100k optional voltmeter. p.c.b. in the usual size order, working up
R8 200k With resistor R7 selected, using toggle to largest.
All 0.6W 1% carbon film switch S2, the full scale voltage is 10V, but The CA3140E used for ICI has aPMOS
Potentiometer this is increased to 20V with R8 selected. input stage, and the normal anti-static han-
VR1 22k rotary carbon, lin This second range is needed to accom- dling precautions must be observed when
modate output potentials of 10V to I3V. dealing with this component. In particular,
Capacitors
Capacitor C3 is needed in order to ensure it must be fitted in aholder, but it should
Cl 10µ radial elect. 25V
C2 47µ radial elect. 16V good stability at high output currents. With- not be fitted in place until the board and all
C3 4117 radial elect. 50V out this component the circuit has a ten- the wiring have been completed. When fit-
dency to oscillate. ting ICI try to touch its pins as little as
Semiconductors
D1 ICL8069 1.2V precision possible, and be careful to fit it the' right
reference CONSTRUCTION way round.
IC1 CA3140E PMOS op.amp This project, like last month's IR The leads of transistor TR2 need asmall
TR1 TIP121 or TIP122 npn Repeater circuit, is constructed using the amount of manipulation before they will fit
power Darlington transistor
TR2 BC547 npn silicon transistor
Miscellaneous
FS1 500mA 20mm "quick-blow"
fuse, with chassis
mounting fuseholder
ME1 100µA moving coil panel
meter
SK1 3.5mm mono jack socket
SK2 4mm socket, red
SK3 4mm socket, black
Si 3-pole 4-way rotary switch,
make-before-break
S2 s.p.d.t. min toggle switch
Multiple printed circuit board available
from the EPE PCB Service, code 932;
metal instrument case or box, size to
suit — see text; 12V 750mA or 800mA
unregulated mains (adaptor) power sup-
ply; control knob (2 off); 10220 insulat-
ing kit; 8-pin d.i.l. holder; nuts and bolts;
output leads, wire, solder, etc.

£13
Approx Cost
Guidance Only
Excluding mains adaptor, meter & case

526
this layout. but TR2 should then drop into
place quite easily. Reference diode DI has
astandard TO92 transistor style encapsula-
tion, but it only has two leadout wires.
At this stage only fit single-sided solder
pins at the points where fuse FS I, rotary
switch SI, etc. will connect to the board.
Before mounting the p.c.b. in its case,
remember that less than 50 per cent of the
copper pads on the board are used. This
makes it essential that the board be double-
checked for any component positioning
errors

OFF THE BOARD

he completed circuit board is mounted
in the metal case using plastie stand-offs or
6BA bolts. If bolts are used, spacers about
6mm long must be used to keep the sol-
dered joints on the underside of the board
well clear of the metal case.
Darlington transistor TR 1is mounted on
the base panel of the case, which must be a
metal type so that it acts as an efficient
heat-tab is reliably insulated from the Probably the easiest way of making
heatsink.
A comparatively small case will suffice case. the cutout is using a brace plus a
device known as a "tank cutter", or
if the voltmeter is omitted, but a much
larger case will be needed if the meter is MAINS ADAPTOR simply as a "hole cutter." Alterna-
The battery eliminator used with the tively, use acoping saw, miniature round
included.
prototype has no less than five different file, "Abrafile", or any similar tool.
This is due to the increased front panel
area required for rotary switch S2 and the types of plug on its output lead. Ob- Whatever method is used, it is advisable
meter. Make sure you select a case that viously, the power input socket SKI must to make the hole slightly undersize
has a large enough front panel to comfor- be atype that matches one of the plugs on initially, and then enlarge it to precisely
tably accommodate everything, even if this the power source, and a3-5mm jack plug the correct size using ahalf round file.
means choosing one that is substantially is probably the best choice where this The meter itself can then act as
over-size in other respects. option is available. a improvised template to aid accurate
Note that Till's heat-tab connects in- The wiring for a socket of this type positioning of the four small mount-
is shown in Fig. 3, and the battery ing holes. These holes should have a
ternally to its collector (c) terminal, and it
must he insulated from the case using a eliminator set so that the tip of the plug is diameter of about 3.2mm, and are for the
standard 10220 insulating kit. This kit positive. Socket SKI is mounted on the threaded rods that are built into the rear
consists of a mica (or plastic) washer rear panel of the case. Note that the of the meter. The meter should be
which insulates TRI from the case, plus a battery eliminator must be a non-regu- supplied complete with four fixing nuts
plastic bush. The latter fits over and inside lated 12V d.c. type. and that no other and washers.
the metal heat-tab of TRI, so that it is type is suitable.
insulated from the 6BA mounting bolt.
FINAL ASSEMBLY
This arrangement ensures that there is CASE DETAILS With everything now fitted to the case,
no direct connection between TR 1 and Fuse FS1 is fitted in achassis mounting the unit is completed by adding the hard
the case, or an indirect connection via the fuseholder mounted at any convenient wiring. This is mainly straightforward, but
place on the base panel of the case. The be careful to get TRI wired to the board
mounting bolt. Fig. 4 shows how every-
thing fits together. It is advisable to use a front panel layout is not critical from the correctly. TRI 's leadout wires should be
continuity checker to ensure that TRI 's electronic viewpoint, but try to have the bent upwards slightly to ensure that they
meter and voltage setting potentiometer are kept well clear of the metal case.
VR1 reasonably well separated so that Resistors R3 to R8 are easily mounted
POWER PLASTIC FIXING
the meter is not obscured when VR1 is on switches SI and S2, provided the tags
TRANSISTOR BUSH NUT
MICA
WASHER adjusted. of the switches and the ends of the leadout
‘t13 /
1
Most panel mounting meters require wires are both tinned with solder prior to
a large circular cutout plus four small making the connections.
CL1J
mounting holes. The normal diameter for
the large cutout is 38mm, but check this IN USE
point before cutting the hole. Most 12V battery eliminators also offer
Fig.4. Isolating TR1 from the case. arange of lower output voltages, so make
sure that the voltage selector switch is at
the correct setting. Also double-check that
the polarity switch has the correct setting
(the tip of the plug being positive).
With the power source connected to
input socket SKI and plugged in at the
mains, it should be possible to vary the
output voltage over a range of 1.2V to at
least 12V. If not, unplug the battery
eliminator from the mains supply im-
mediately, and recheck the wiring.
It is advisable to check that the current
limiting circuit is functioning correctly.
Set rotary switch SI to the 500mA setting
(R6), and adjust Voltage control VR1 for
an output potential of around I2V. With a
4.7 ohm 2W resistor connected across the
output sockets (SK2 and SK3) the output
voltage should fall to about 3V.

527
 ow Technology
Update
For some time, digital chips and their design uses have
been benefitting from new lower operating voltages: now
analogue chips are being given similar treatment — lan
Poole reports.

F
lecENTLy.
e there has been alot of infor-
mation in the technical press about
moved well on from this. New chips offer
much higher speeds as well as lower volt-
noise levels can be reduced by as much as
afactor of three.
t transfer from 5V to 3V logic. This age operation, lower noise, higher input
change has been mainly brought about by impedance and ahost of other advantages. Input Concentration
the increase in the number of portable As with digital chips, there is a major Much of the design effort for the low
systems being used, as well as the need for emphasis on trying to reduce the operating voltage operation has been placed into the
higher speeds and lower heat dissipations. voltage of analogue circuits. Just as in the input stages. Here ion implantation tech-
Most of the major processors have "road case of the digital circuits, there is a need niques are used to create the negative
maps". or planned developments which to reduce the power requirements of equip- threshold devices which are required for
show them increasing the speed of their ment to enable battery sources to be used low voltage operation. The way in which
operation and migrating to the 3V standard more easily. The fact that heat dissipation
these devices operate is quite complicated.
if they have not already done so. is lower has less impact on the design of
There is a highly doped p-well in the
One of the major problems in this the chip itself because the levels of in-
structure to allow operation from very low
migration is that a number of the more tegration are lower.
voltages up to the specification limit by
specialist i.c. functions are not yet avail- For VLSI digital chips running at
changing the mode of operation. Also, the
able at the lower voltage. This gives rise to 150MHz and more, on-chip heat dissipa-
drain area is lightly doped to ensure asuf-
difficulties in using two voltage levels. tion is a major problem. For analogue
ficient breakdown voltage.
Fortunately, in many cases it is possible chips, where levels of integration are less,
to drive a3V chip from a5V one without The input circuit itself is configured
this problem is not as acute. Nevertheless.
using high impedance current mirrors to
any damage or operating problems. This this does not mean to say that, in the
has helped the acceptance of the new stan- provide high levels of gain. These mirrors
future, integration levels will not rise to
dard, because, without being able to inter- must be very well balanced to ensure that
the extent where it will become a major
face the two standards, very few pieces the offsets are kept to aminimum.
of low-voltage equipment could have been This was achallenge to the design team
designed. Now, many new computers and Lower-voltage Op.amps because it was necessary to ensure that
other logic driven circuits use the lower In response to the needs for lower volt- this parameter was met even down to the
voltage standard. age analogue chips, anumber of manufac- lowest supply voltages. It was particularly
The "glue" logic used to perform some turers are now introducing new devices. important at lower voltages because any
of the functions outside the chips is also Motorola has recently launched an op.amp increase in offset would manifest itself as a
available. A range of 74 low voltage which is specified to function with a rail- larger proportion of the available output
HCMOS chips are fabricated by the main to-rail voltage of just IV! Previously, the
manufacturers, including Texas, National lowest operating voltage for an op.amp
Semiconductor, Philips, etc. However, the was around 1.8V. This represents amajor Boosting Output
range of functions is less than that which reduction.
Apart tront the input stages, develop-
was available in the more familiar 5V Achieving the low voltage operation re-
ment was also required for the output. In
series of HCMOS. quired the use of a number of interesting view of the very low voltages involved,
The reason for this reduction in choice techniques. Most low voltage op.amps use
the normal Darlington configuration could
is that some of the less well used func- a bipolar input. For those using CMOS
not be used. Instead, aconfiguration with a
tions are unlikely to be needed in sufficient technology, the lowest rail-to-rail operat-
bass boost amplifier for the npn side of the
quantities to make their production viable. ing voltages are around 2-5V or more.
output is used. This bass boost gives addi-
Instead, it is more likely that these func- To achieve the very low operating
tions will be included in the VLSI chips or tional current drive for lower frequencies
voltages. Motorola has employed depletion
within programmable gate arrays. where a sustained current is required. A
mode f.e.t.s. These are normally on when
complementary circuit is then used for the
no bias is applied and enable low volt-
Analogue Chips age operation. However, they have been
pnp output device.
Although the main thrust for low volt- designed so that they switch to enhance- The performance of the MC33502, a
age development seems to have been ment mode as the voltage increases. This new op.amp from Motorola, for example,
focused on the digital side, analogue offers advantages in terms of higher is quite remarkable. Operating between 1 V
electronics has not been left behind. transconductance and speed for the same and 5V, the performance changes are rela-
Although there may not be as much drain currents. tively small. In addition to this, it boasts
analogue electronics in items such as Also included in the design, are a unity gain bandwidth of greater than
personal computers, there is still a vast n-channel MOSFETs fabricated using the 4.8MHz, as well as amaximum operating
requirement for analogue circuits in cel- SMARTMOS process and vertical pnp voltage of 7.5V.
lular phones, and this sector of the elec- and high frequency npn devices. Further This is just one op.amp from one
tronics industry is booming as much as any improvements have been added to the manufacturer. It is likely that other
other. Accordingly, there is aneed for very fabrication process to enable the required manufacturers will follow the lead taken
low voltage and low current analogue level of performance to be achieved. by Motorola because the industry is fast
circuits. Very tight control on the process stages, moving towards the use of much lower rail
One of the most versatile analogue cir- along with thinner layers of oxide and voltages. Not only will the operating
cuits is the operational amplifier. Some of buried channels, have enabled the noise to voltages of the future be much lower, but
us can remember the introduction of the be considerably reduced. In fact, it is in the other features will be more easily
famous 741, some 30 years ago. Whilst area of the silicon-oxide interfaces where available, making the compromise which
these chips seemed like the ultimate in major improvements in noise performance often faces today's analogue designers less
technology at the time, developments have can be made. By refining the process. of an issue.

528 Everyday Practical Electronics. August 1997

 "attractive to those seeking a
less fraught introduction to pcb cad"
Electronics World Dec 96
TM
For over 5years, Quickroute has been a We haven't forgotten value for money
solution for those seeking easy to use either.
Schematic & PCB design software.
"extremely good value for money for such a
Users from all walks of life have found
comprehensive package" 41:1
Quickroute's simple approach a QUICKROUTE
Practical Wireless July 96
refreshing alternative. *FREE Demonstration Pack *FREE Technical Support
Quickroute 3.6 Designer costs just *FULL Printed Documentation *Windows 3.1 'MIT Compatible
"probably the most intuitive of the integrated
£149 and includes "one click" ,satlahlc on rcqu,1

schematic-drawing and autorouter products"

schematic capture to turn your circuit
Electronics World Dec 96 e me more.
into aPCB rats-nest, auto-routing,
- Lane,
Quickroute Systems Ltd, Regent House, Heaton
For example, because Quickroute design checking and support for drill Stockport, SK4 I BS, U.K.
integrates both schematic & PCB & B.O.M files. For those seeking more
Name
design into one package, you only have power, we have Quickroute PRO+,
to learn how to use one set of tools! together with arange of plug in
modules and extended libraries. IAddress
"The drawing facility is logical, sequentially Phone us now or fill in the coupon for
organised and really user-friendly" afree demonstration pack.
Educational Computing &
Technology Oct/Nov 96
Tel 0161 476 0202
Furthermore, with schematic capture Phone/Fax
available at the touch of abutton, there
Fax 0161 476 0505
WINW http://www.quickroute.co.uk TEP
is no need to mess with net-lists or files. EMall info@quicksys.demon.co.uk '
GrX ,I

529
 Constructional Project

PICOLO
MUSIC MA
JOHN BECKER
How to make electronic music MUTING
The gain, or rather the attenuation,
simply for the fun of it, and of the circuit around IC2a is preset by

have a mini-lesson in PIC potentiometer VR1. The range of attenua-

tion attainable is between about x 1/2
programming logic. and x 1/100.
It may seem unusual to provide at-
tenuation rather than amplification in the

B
OURNEMOUTH Symphony Orchestra 1970s made famous by Rolf Harris (cur- output stage, but there are two considera-
is renowned as source of inspira- rently of Animal Hospital fame)? That tions which require this action.
tion, but normally in matters of extraordinary (for its time) little musical First, the square waves arriving at IC2a
music. It might, then, come as asurprise to instrument had a stylus which had to be have an amplitude of 5V. Since a.c.
learn that two EPE constructional projects touched on metal pads in order to create coupled mixing produces an output level
have also been inspired by their playing. the notes. which is the sum of the input amplitudes,
The first was the EPE PIC-A-Tuner of Over the years, there have been several the sum of the four input signals could,
May '97. On numerous occasions the imitations and enhanced versions. Un- theoretically, be calculated as 20V peak
author has watched the timpanist tune his ashamedly, PIC-olo is the latest. But, to peak.
timpani while using an electronic tuning it takes the original idea a triplet The op.amp, which is powered at 5V,
aid, obviously assured of its accuracy. So of logical steps forward: it uses a cannot handle that amount of swing on its
came the notion that as a professional PIC16C84 microcontroller, thirteen press- output. Indeed, at this powering voltage,
musician finds tuners useful, then let's button switches arranged in piano key- its output will probably have amaximum
design aDIY one —and so it came about! board style (C to C/ including sharps) and swing of about 3.5V. Any signal trying to
On another occasion, the melodic talents it is polyphonic. achieve a greater swing will be severely
of the Piccolo player and her instrument PIC-olo is housed in aslim plastic case clipped.
took prominence. Suddenly, sparks of as- and can be used with headphones. asmall This would not matter for a single
sociation leaped across the author's brain speaker, or plugged into the hi-fi system. square wave, but with more than one
cells — piccolo? PICcolo? ... PIC-olo! — Not a stylus in sight! Allowing for infla- being processed, "head-room" is needed
musical instrument designed around aPIC, tion, it might also be described as the hi- to allow four notes to sound louder than
the microcontroller with which we have tech evolution of the "penny whistle"! just one. That is, asingle note must have
become well acquainted. How you obtain the software, and pre- an output amplitude that is no more than
Here it is, then, PIC-olo Music Maker, programmed PICs, is detailed later. aquarter of that allowable for four notes.
another electronic design inspired by the Consequently, attenuation is essential
BSO! CIRCUIT NOTES and is determined by the ratio of the
As vtill he seen from the circuit diagram resistors feeding into the input (R II to
PRELUDE in Fig.1, there is not much in the way of R14) and the total feedback resistance
However, don't expect to build PIC- electronics involved with PIC-olo Music (R17 plus VR1).
olo and hear an electronic simulation of Maker. Basically, just microcontroller ICI, The other consideration is that when
the real piccolo wind instrument (inciden- small power op.amp IC2a, and the bank of PIC-olo is used with headphones, at-
tally, piccolo is Italian for small). PIC-olo switches SI to SI3. tenuation is required to protect ear drums!
is electronic in nature and electronic in The microcontroller detects which With the prototype and using 4011 head-
sound, simply generating thirteen harmoni- switches are pressed and generates square phones, an attenuation to one-fifth was
cally related notes that are basically square wave outputs of appropriate frequencies on found to he preferable.
waves with the corners lopped off. its Port A pins RAO to RA3. Via resistors
Up to four of these notes can be played R11 to RI4 and a.c. coupling capacitor C3, OUTPUT COUPLING
simultaneously, that is, chords can be the output frequency signals are mixed by The output signal from IC2a is a.c.
played — it's not a "single-note" instru- op.amp IC2a, which is capable of coupled by capacitor CS and fed to
ment as some of its historic predecessors supplying an output current of up to socket SKI. Even though the signal is
were — remember the Stylophone of the 500mA. • monophonic (in the sense that it uses one

ditee

530 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

 channel only and is not stereophonic — note-wise it is
polyphonic), it is suggested that SKI should be a 3.5mm stereo
socket, allowing "personal" stereo headphones to be used.
The use of astereo socket, though, means that a loudspeaker
or amplifier lead must be terminated with a stereo plug. Al-
Complete circuit diagram of the PIC-olo Music Maker.

ternatively. a mono socket could be used, though this would

mean that stereo headphones would only produce asingle-sided
sound.
Capacitor C8 and resistor R19 are included in the output
circuit according to the L272 data sheet recommendations
regarding signal stability. Capacitor C7, in the op.amp feedback
path. smooths off the corners of the square wave signals,
making them sound slightly less harsh. The capacitor may be
omitted if aharsher sound is preferred.
The second op.amp. IC2b, which is in the same package as
IC2a. is not used. Note that the L272 has unusual pinouts and
replacement by an "ordinary" op.amp is not practical without
22§ printed circuit board changes being made.

SWITCHING
Sv, itches SI to S13 are push-to-make types which provide a
signal path (in this case to OV) only when they are pressed.
Consequently, for the microcontroller to respond as though the
switches were change-over types producing either OV or 5V
(logic 0 or logic 1), positive biasing of the "open" side of the
switches is required.
All of ICI's 13 port pins (RAO to RA4 and RBO to RB7) are
used for switch monitoring. Port B's pins (RBO to RB7) are only
used for inputting data and, as they have pull-up resistors in-
cluded internally. switches S6 to S13 do not need additional
biasing resistors.
However, since Port A's pins (RAO to RA4) are used for both
input and output. the internal biasing resistors on those pins
cannot be used (RA4 is actually an open-collector pin and is not
internally biased). Consequently, switch biasing is provided by
resistors R6 to RIO.
Also, because of the dual function for the Port A pins, resis-
tors RI to R5 are inserted to prevent electrical conflict when
e switches SI to S5 are pressed. Whilst it may seem that "clicks"
would be heard when these switches are used, in reality, this
does not seem to be the case.
(In retrospect. resistor R5 could have been omitted had the
software not been programmed to set pin RA4 as an output — it's
0 0-4 never actively used as such here. Programmers try to think of
o
every eventuality. hut don't always spot the obvious until later!)
o 0.•

SPEED AND POWER

0 0-0
Microcontroller ICI is operated at a clock frequency of
Cr; 10MHz, as set by crystal XI in association with capacitors Cl
—0 and C2, and resistor R18. It is essential that only the 10MHz
w

O 0—•
version of the PIC 1 6C84 is used in this circuit. Although the
author has run the standard 4MHz version at 10MHz, this
condition is likely to be unreliable, and possibly unrepeatable.
The circuit can be powered at between 5V and 6V d.c. A 6V
battery supply is perfectly acceptable. Whilst ICI will tolerate
i2 a supply of 7V, it is recommended that this level of voltage
*-0 N\--• should not be used.
Although a 3.5mm mono jack socket (SK2) is shown as the
power input, any other type of connector can be used. Indeed,
the use of a "proper" power supply connector is probably a
o better way to do things.
Capacitors C6 and C9 provide power line smoothing. Resis-
ŒŒŒŒŒŒCCŒ2 Œ ŒCŒ tors R15, R16 and capacitor C4 set a mid-way bias level (3V
with a6V power supply) for IC2a.

SOFTWARE
It may appear that the circuit could have been designed so
that each of the 13 outputs from ICI could each have sent a
„ different frequency to a I3-input mixer around IC2a. Switches
would then be inserted into each of the mixer lines, pressing
them in order to connect the desired frequency to the mixer.
This, though, would have meant that each line would be
constantly generating a frequency having an amplitude of 5V.
Inevitably, all 13 signals would "leak" into the op.amp circuit
by asmall amount even when the switches were unpressed. As a
result. PIC-olo would never seem to be silent.
To avoid this undesirable situation, the software has been
written so that an output from ICI is only active when the
switch for that line is pressed. This complicated the software
program a bit, but not significantly so. It all still takes place

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 531

 first counter (NOTECI) is decremented
and checked if it is now zero. If it is
"true" that the counter is zero (answer =
logic 1) the next instruction (GOTO AC) is
bypassed (same reasoning as with BTFSC
above).
GOTO AC

• • <' <- to reach this instruction, the counter

NOTEC1 has been found not to be zero, so
O
now jump to the part of routine commenc-
ing at address AC:.
MOVLW 58
to reach this instruction, the counter has
been found to be zero, so load the W
(Working) register with the value of 58 (the
frequency setting value for Note C — other
note cells have different values set here).
MOVWF NOTEC1
now transfer the contents of W into counter
NOTEC1.
INCF NOTEC2,F
and increment counter NOTEC2.
within 236 bytes of the 1024 bytes of audio frequency. The second counter div-
program space available. ides the frequency by two and "squares" AC
the waveform that is to be output to the this is the sub-address jumped to from four
PROGRAM FLOW mixer. instructions above, and the address to which
A listing of PIC-olo's program source In the software example shown in the INCF instruction immediately above
code is available as stated later. Studying Table 1, which details the cell routine for automatically moves.
the listing, you will see that the program note C. NOTEC1 is the down-counter.
RRF NOTEC2,W
starts with a one-off routine that sets and NOTEC2 is the up-counter:
the contents of NOTEC2 are now copied
the basic initialisation parameters, after
which it enters aperpetual loop.
In this loop are 15 principle "cells" of Table 1. Software example
instructions. The first cell, named GET-
KEY, is principally responsible for read-
NC: BTFSC PORTB,5 bit test PORT B pin RB5 for "clear" (zero)
ing which keys, if any, are pressed. First,
GOTO ND go to cell for Note D
a "note quantity detected" counter is
DECFSZ NOTEC1 decrement counter NOTEC1 and check for zero
primed (BSF LOOPA,2). This limits the
GOTO AC go to note C sub-address A
number of pressed keys which will be
MOVLW 58 move decimal 58 into register W
actioned to amaximum of four.
MOVWF NOTEC1 move W into counter NOTEC1
Next, all of Port A pins (RAO to RA4)
INCF NOTEC2,F increment counter NOTEC2
are set for input, the status of these pins is
AC: RRF NOTEC2,W rotate right counter NOTEC2 into register W
read and stored in aregister (REG2). Port
RLF REG1,F rotate left register REG1
A is then reset for output mode.
DECFSZ LOOPA,F decrement counter LOOPA and check for zero
Immediately following this, a register
GOTO ND go to routine for note D
(REG1) which holds the contents of any
GOTO PAD1 go to timing compensation routine named PAD1
previously detected keynote action (zero
on the first time round the loop) is loaded
into Port A for outputting to mixer IC2a,
via pins RAO to RA3 (pin RA4, although Taking the cell instructions in detail: into the W register and shifted right by one
active as an output, is not used in this place. This shifting moves the contents of
context). REG1 is then reset to zero. NC
the W register's bit 0 into aCarry register
Following the first processing cell are this is the address name allocated to the
(actually, aCarryfiag since only asingle bit
13 cells which are allocated individually start of this cell (standing for Note C)
of a Status register is used). At the same
to separate notes. All 13 cells have identi- BTFSC PORTB,5 time, the previous contents of the Carry reg-
cal formats but read their data from dif- tests the status of Port B pin RB5; is its ister are shifted into the left hand bit (bit 7)
ferent sources and have different counter key pressed (is Port B pin RB5 low/clear of the W resister. This is irrelevant here, but
values assigned to them. — logic 0)? Only one of the next two is an automatic part of the process.
Cells one to eight read directly from instructions will be actioned, depending
Port B (which is always set for input on the "truth" of the answer. If it RLF REGI,F
mode) and deal with the "natural" notes, is "true" that Port B pin RB5 is all eight bits of register REG1 are now
C. D. E. F. G, A. B and Cl (the latter low, a logic I occurs and is added to shifted left by one place. an action which
being one octave higher than C). Cells the microcontroller's program counter automatically shifts the contents of the
nine to thirteen read from the register (PCL), causing the program to jump to Carry register (now holding a copy of the
(REG2) which holds the last key status at the second instruction rather than the value of NOTEC2's bit 0) into bit 0 of
Port A. They deal with the "sharp" first. If the answer is "false", a logic REG I. (Bit 7, the far left bit, drops out of
notes, D#, F#, G# and A#. 0 is generated which does not affect REG1 — in fact, it is shifted into the Carry
Each of the 13 cells has two counters. the program address value, and so the register, but that fact is also irrelevant here).
One counter decrements (counts down by "GOTO ND" instruction is actioned.
one) from a preset value each time the DECFSZ LOOPA,F
main program loop is repeated. The other GOTO ND decrement the keypress counter (LOOPA)
increments (counts up by one) each time to reach this instruction, the key has been and observe if it is now zero. As with the
found to be unpressed, and so the rest of previous DECFSZ instruction, only one of
the first counter reaches zero. The first
counter is, at this point, then reset to a this cell is bypassed, the program jump- the next two instructions will be actioned.
ing to cell ND (Note D). depending on the "truth" of the answer.
starting value which depends on the note
being generated by that cell. DECFSZ NOTECI,F GOTO ND
In effect, the first counter generates a to reach this instruction, the key has been as counter LOOPA is not zero, jump to the
pulsed waveform at twice the required found to be pressed, therefore this note's cell starting at address ND: (Note D).

532 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

GOTO PAD1
as counter LOOPA is zero, bypass the other
note cells and jump to the synchronisation
routine at address PAD!
Each of the note cells are actioned in the
same way, either until the counter LOOPA
reaches zero (four keypresses have been
detected), or until all 13 note cells have
been processed in the search for keypresses.

SQUARE WAVE
FORMATION
The data bit value (logic 0 or logic 1)
which is shifted into register REG1 each
time acell's keypress is detected, changes
at the rate at which that cell's'first counter
reaches zero.
This rate depends on the starting value
repeatedly loaded into that counter. The in their counter's cycles. Examination on an Even though the circuit is being run at
starting value thus determines the rate at oscilloscope will clearly display this situa- 10MHz, because of the time it takes to
which the second counter increments. tion. The phases between the notes depend perform each instruction, and thus the total
The second counter can be regarded as a entirely on the starting and ending values of time that elapses between each trip round
divide-by-2 counter, or flip-flop, whose out- their counters. the program loop, the counter starting
put (bit 0) is alternating between high and The effect is not detrimental to the values cannot be very large, and so cannot
low at an evenly spaced rate all the time that character of the sound produced. In fact, it be "corrected" by small amounts. A much
the relevant key is pressed. In other words. enhances it. It is not especially pronounced, higher clock rate than 10MHz (which is
the second counter can be regarded as a but when it is apparent, it adds a bit of impossible with a PIC16C84) would have
square wave generator. "colour" to the sound. allowed higher count values to be used,
It is the contents of this generator which resulting in greater frequency precision.
are being shifted (transferred) into bit 0 of NOTE FREQUENCY A selection of frequencies and cell count
REG I. For each new bit shifted in, the other Of additional interest to the ear is the values, as established when test-pro-
bits that have already been set are shifted slightly imprecise tuning of the "oscil- grammed into PIC-olo, is shown in Table 2.
left by one place, eventually being shifted lators". This is due to the counters having It will be seen that the use of integer values
out and lost. to count in whole numbers (integers) rather cannot result in absolute note precision, but
than in fractions. It, too, adds character to the tuning is near enough for all but the
NOTE ROUTING PIC-olo's sound. most critical ears.
Once the entire main loop has been com-
pleted (GOTO GETKEY later on in the list- Table 2. Frequency and cell count value relationships
ing) and restarted at GETKEY, the current
contents of REG Iare transferred to Port A, Note Ideal freq Count Measured Freq Chosen value
whose first four pins (RAO to RA3) output in Hertz in Hertz
the data to the mixer stage around IC2a.
Only the first four bits of REG1 are impor- 261.625 59 255.3
58 259.6 Yes
tant in this program.
57 246.2
The actual Port A pin which is output to
C# 277.182 55 273.8
by each note generator (via REG!), will Yes
54 278.8
depend on where that note is in the se- 284.1
53
quence of keys being pressed. If only one 289.6
D 293.66 52
note key is pressed, say note G, the output 51 295.3 Yes
for that single note will always appear on 50 301.2
Port A pin RA3. The other pins, RAI to D# 311.126 49 307.3
RA3, will be set at logic O. 48 313.7 Yes
If four notes are pressed, say C. E. G 47 320.4
and CI. then C will be shifted into RA3, E E 329.627 47 320.4
into RA2, G into RAI and C/ into RAO. 46 327.3 Yes
The order in which the notes will occur on 45 334.6
Port A is the order in which the key cell 349.229 44 342.3
routines are accessed, which is afixed order 43 350.2 Yes
within the program. Natural notes will al- 42 358.5
ways precede sharp notes. F# 366.994 42 358.5
41 367.2 Yes
This fact, though, is only of academic
40 376.4
interest and will not be apparent to the lis-
G 391.995 39 386.1
tener. If no keys are pressed, then the con- Yes
38 396.2
tents of register REG1 will be zero, and 406.9
37
thus all four Port A output lines will be 407.0
G# 415.304 37
"silent". There is abit more on this point 418.2 Yes
36
later. 35 430.1
A 440.00 35 430.2
PHASE 34 442.8 Yes
RELATIONSHIPS 33 456.2
An interesting side-effect of the fre- A# 466.163 33 456.3
32 470.4 Yes
quency generating techniquç, which may
sometimes be apparent, is the changing 31 485.6
493.883 31 485.6
phase relationship between multiple notes
30 501.8 Yes
played at different moments.
29 519.2
Since the note frequencies are not gener-
Cl 523.251 30 501.8
ated by constantly running oscillators, but Yes
29 519.2
are turned on and off when required, notes 537.6
28
will commence and end at different points

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 533

 It will also be seen that there is little
room for manoeuvre if raising PIC-olo's
overall frequency range is contemplated.
There is room, though, to lower its range; Two photos show-
doubling the count value will halve the ing the com-
frequency. ponents mounted
From this it will be spotted that all halved on the underside of
frequencies would have even count value the PIC-olo p.c.b.
numbers, which would allow the actual fre-
quency to be shifted closer to the ideal by
changing some numbers to the nearest odd
number.

PROGRAM BALANCE If, for example, notes C. D. E and F are will be upset if any one cell's instruction
A final, but most important point about pressed, all four allowable keypresses will timing is changed in any way.
the software for PIC-olo, is that it has been have been registered and so the jump occurs Resist the temptation to simplify the pro-
"balanced". Obviously, the time taken to from the end of cell NF: down to PAD4. gram by using alook-up table for the count
process each cell will depend on the action The dummy actions within PAD4 through values. The use of atable will slow down
required: to PAD12 are then processed, each instruc- the rate at which the main loop is processed.
If no keypress occurs for acell, the cell's tion increasing the total timing of the whole
software routine takes only two instruc- loop. ROUND AGAIN
tions to perform (e.g. BTFSC PORTB.5 and If, though, the fourth keypress is on note Once an timing compensation has been
GOTO ND). It can take nine instructions A#, the jump is to PAD12, the final pad. In performed and one of the commands GOTO
if the key is pressed. Such disparities in both four-key cases, the total timing for the GETKEY has been reached, the program
timing require additional time to be added loop's completion remains the same. jumps back to the first cell at GETKEY:,
later in the loop, otherwise the frequency All "pads" are identical in function and whereupon the software again reads Port A
generated by all cells will vary, depending format. They simply test a dummy bit of and transfers the contents of register REG I
on which keys are pressed. a dummy register (REG3), simulating the to it.
Consequently, towards the end of the action that would have occurred if each The speed with which the whole cycle
program loop, another cell contains aseries key that has not been checked had been occurs results in notes being generated at
of "pads" (a padded cell? — curtail that checked. As an example, PADs 1and 2are the rate shown in Table Iand marked with
humour!). The "pad" to which the program simply: "Ye".
will jump depends on the position from PAD I: BTFSC REG3,0
which the jump occurs. CONSTRUCTION
GOTO PAD2
Details of PIC-olo's printed circuit board
NOP (no operation)
(p.c.b.) component layout and full size cop-
PAD2: BTFSC REG3,0

COMPONENTS
per foil master are shown in Fig.2. This
GOTO PAD3
board is available from the EPE PCB Serv-
NOP
ice, code 164.
Had the remaining keys actually been Fit the three on-board link wires first, fol-
Resistors See
R1 to R5, checked, undesirable time penalties would lowed by the resistors, capacitors C1and
R17. R18 1k (7 off) occur if they were found to be pressed. C2, and then the i.c. sockets.
R6 to R10 10k (5 off) TALK Remember that the PADs are only actioned Crystal X1 and the remaining capacitors
R11 to R16 100k (6 off) Page if all four permitted keypresses have oc- (C3 to C9) are all mounted on the back of
R19 10i2 curred. Any further keypresses are un- the board and horizontal to it (see photo-
wanted. graphs). All these latter components should
Potentiometer
In reality, PADs 1to 3 will never be ac- be as tlose to the board as possible to mini-
VR I 50k preset, sub-min, round
cessed, but they are retained to preserve the mise the board's overall assembled thick-
Capacitors author's sense of program uniformity! ness (its profile).
Cl, C2 10p polystyrene (2 off) Observe the correct polarity for the
C3, C4 elect, radial, 10V (2 off) MORE TIME WASTING electrolytic capacitors (C3 to C6). Use a
C5, C6 47011 elect, radial, 10V Should fewer than lour keys be pressed, piece of insulating tape below crystal X1 to
(2 off)
additional timing compensation needs to prevent its metal case from shorting across
C7 1n8 polystyrene
C8, C9 100n polyester (2 off) take place. This is carried out in a loop the p.c.b. tracks.
named CHKIT, its processing count being Now mount the switches, SI to S13,
Semiconductors related to the actual number of keys ensuring that the indents in their sides are
ic1 PIC16C84-10 micro- pressed: once round the loop for three aligned as shown in Fig.2. If different
controller, 10MHz version, keypresses, twice for two, three times for switches are used, check their correct
pre-programmed (see text)
one. orientation using a multimeter on a resis-
IC2 L272 dual power op.amp
As with the PADs, actions within loop tance range.
Miscellaneous CHKIT are basically time wasters, they are A word of caution about the switches:
S1 to S13 single-pole push-to-make simply there to delay matters by apredict- those used in the version of PIC-olo pub-
switches, p.c.b. able amount. One useful action does oc- lished here are not the cheapest available.
mounting (5 black, 8 cur, though, register REG Ihas its contents Cheap switches were used on an earlier
white —see text) (13 off)
shifted left by one place each time round the prototype but their operation left much to be
X1 10MHz crystal
Ski 3.5mm stereo jack socket CHKIT loop. desired in aunit that relies heavily on their
(see text) This makes Port A pin RA3 the dominant repeated use. As a result, more expensive
SK2 3.5mm mono jack socket output line. The dominance of the other ones were chosen and the board redesigned
(see text) lines decreases in order of RA2, RAI, RAO. to accept them.
Printed circuit board, available from
If akey is pressed, RA3 will always have a The type of sockets you choose for SKI
the EPE PCB Service, code 164; 18-
pin d.i.l. socket; 8-pin d.i.l. socket; plas- freqüency on it, whereas RAO will only and SK2 depends on the equipment with
tic electrical conduit (see text); end caps carry an output frequency if four keypresses which PIC-olo will be used. Consequently,
for conduit (2 off); nuts (12 off); bolts have occurred. the inclusion here of socket wiring guidance
(4 off), size to suit conduit; connecting would be inappropriate. If in doubt, again
wire; solder, etc. CAUTION check matters with amultimeter.
Under no circumstances should the The socket wires may be soldered di-
balance of the main loop be upset by rectly to p.c.b. tracks or to single-sided
Approx Cost
Guidance Only £28 making amendments to any of the in-
structions within it, other than to change
terminal pins (flat side on the track side).
Before applying power or plugging in the
plus case
the counters' reset values. All frequencies i.c.s, check all your soldering thoroughly

534 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

 and double check the correctness of the component positioning and
polarity of the electrolytic capacitors.
Correctly insert the i.c.s (ICI has to be pre-programmed. of
course, as detailed in amoment). Connect up to apower supply and
; to something that allows you to hear what is happening — head-
phones, speaker or amplifier.
Er
Press the keys in turn and check that each results in adifferent
note being heard, and then that up to four notes can be played
411
simultaneously.
All right? Good, now you can make music!
But, you'll want acase first.

HOUSING PIC-OLO
Originally, a narrow plastic plumbing pipe seemed likely to be
the ideal housing for PIC-olo: nice and slender, shape reminiscent
of areal wind instrument. Regrettably, the finished construction was
just abit too big to fit in such apipe. Additionally. it was recognised
that the curvature of the pipe would make adequate protrusion of
the two rows of switches adifficult matter.
However, the electrical trade uses plastic conduit of arectangular
shape and in several sizes. It was a length of conduit (240mm x
37mm x 25mm — internally 35mm x 21mm) which was chosen
for PIC-olo. It should be available from specialist electrical stores,
and possibly from some major DIY stores. Ensure that you get the
type which has one side which can be easily removed.
The internal measurements must be no less than those stated, but
may be more: the length is not so critical. The size of the com-
ponents used, especially the electrolytic capacitors, will also deter-
mine the conduit size that can be used. It is recommended, in
fact, that the conduit is only bought after PIC-olo has been fully
constructed.

SWITCH HOLES
Care must be taken over the position of the holes through which
the switches must protrude. First remove the detachable side of the
conduit. Put that to one side for the moment.
Take aphotocopy of the p.c.b. track layout in Fig.2 and securely
tape it to the broadest surface of the other (U-shaped) part of the
conduit. Accurately mark the central position of each switch, and
the points at which the securing bolts will pass through, then care-
fully drill small diameter holes at each point using a power drill.
Use larger drill sizes to enlarge each hole as appropriate.
It is likely to be found that the switch holes required are alarger
diameter than the largest standard drill size. If so, very carefully
enlarge each hole using a counter-sink bit or cone-shaped hole-
enlarging tool. Beware that both tools are likely to " snatch" at the
hole, making it jagged, so take extreme care. The use of adrill stand
for this process is essential.
Ensure that the holes become the right size to allow the switches
to pass through, permitting them to be pressed smoothly, and to
release without friction. It may be necessary to trim off parts of any
plastic ridges within the conduit to let the p.c.b. be positioned
satisfactorily.
Using the four bolt holes provided (only two were used on the
prototype, but two have since been added to the p.c.b. artwork),
pass round-headed bolts through the conduit, heads on the outside.
Tighten nuts down onto each bolt.
Fit another nut to each bolt, positioning it so that the p.c.b. will
rest on it, allowing the switches to pass through their holes. Now fit
nuts to secure the p.c.b. in position, and tighten them down. Double
check that all the switches can still be used freely.
Drill holes in one of the conduit's plastic end caps (available
from the conduit supplier) to suit the sockets used for SKI and SK2.
Secure the sockets in position.
Now press the detached conduit side back into position and push
on the end caps. That's the case finished, unless you want to add
legends to it, saying what it is and what the note names are. Rub-
down lettering will do the job.
As an alternative to this case, P1C-olo could be housed in alarge
colourful case more suited to encourage achild's visual interest. To
this end, coloured switches could be chosen instead of the black and
white ones used in the author's model.

PROGRAMMED PIC
Software for PIC-olo Music Maker can either be obtained on disk
from the editorial office or down-loaded from our web site. There is
anominal handling charge for the former: we make no charge for
the latter. See Shoptalk page for details.
It is again stressed that the 10MHz version of the PIC I
6C84 has

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 535

to be used with PIC-olo. Before loading it children early steps in understanding how
CONCLUSION to make music. It is not a precision musi-
with the software, it must be initialised for
10MHz use, with Watchdog and Power-on- For the author. designing PIC-olo Music cal instrument, hut it was never intended to
Reset both off. Maker was an interesting exercise in find- be. More elegant electronic musical instru-
The software was written using TASM. ing out how a PIC could cope with music ments need much greater processing power
the shareware (Public Domain Shareware making. As it turns out, an instrument like and a lot more circuitry. Nonetheless, we
Library, Version 3.0 originating from PIC-olo seems to be just about all that this believe you will enjoy PIC-olo.
Speech Technology Inc.) PIC programming particular microcontroller can handle. It is The thought occurs, though, could
software first made available when the EPE a powerful microcontroller in many ap- another EPE PIC project be inspired by the
Simple PIC Programmer of Feb '96 was plications. but sophisticated music making Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra? Al-
published. This software continues to be is not its forte. though the author would like to honour.
available from the editorial office on disk. PIC-olo is a lot of fun and will not only say. the harp section. the project title
and from our web site. provide enjoyment, but could also of HarPIC might be misunderstood!
Whilst knowledgeable programmers will
be able to translate the TASM coding to
suit other programming software, such as
MPASM, neither EPE nor the author can
advise on this.
Pre-programmed PICs are also available
from our regular programmed -PIC source.
Magenta Electronics, again see Shoptalk for
details.
The web site address (including sub-
directory) is ftp://ftp.epemag.wimborne.
co.uk/pub/PICS/PIColo
Readers who wish to know more about
PIC programming should refer to the
Back Issues page where previous EPE
PIC -based project articles are listed and
available as stated. You should also
obtain PIC data books from Arizona
Microchip, Unit 6. The Courtyard.
Meadowbank, Furlong Road, Boume
End. Bucks SL8 5AJ. Tel: 01628 851077.
Fax: 01628 850259.

low-noise op.amp should be widely available. but

SHOP 119 TALK

if problems locating it do arise, it is stocked by
Maplin, quote code UH35Q.
The small printed circuit board is obtainable
from the EPE PCB Service, code 146.
with David Barrington
Variable Bench Power Supply cheaper ones used in an early prototype soon
The only item that stands out as likely to showed up defects atter repeated use. As aresult,
possibly cause sourcing problems for those under- it is recommended that constructors stick to
taking the Variable Bench Power Supply project the specified (push-to-make release-to-break) RS
is the 1.2V temperature compensated voltage types. These are obtainable through their mail
reference type ICL8069. If it is unobtainable from order outlet Electromail, codes 334-915 (black)
our usual local supplier, it can be purchased from and 334-886 (white).
Maplin, order code YH39N. For those readers who do not have their
It is important to use the specified PMOS own facilities to program PIC chips. a ready-
op.amp type CA3140E as it is capable of handling programmed PIC16C84 can be purchased from
the low input and output voltages associated with Magenta Electronics (25* 01283 565435) for the
this circuit. It was found that most other -similar" sum of £15. including post and packing.
op.amps will not work properly in this circuit. The However, if you wish to do your own program-
CA3140E is generally available from most of our ming, the software listing (TASM) is available on a
Multimeter Offer
components advertisers. 3-Sin disk from the Editorial Offices — see PCB
If you're looking for agood low-cost analogue
The case must be an all-metal type as the base Service page for details. If you are an Internet
multimeter (everyone should have one as well as
also acts as aheatsink for the Darlington transis- user, it is available Free from our FTP site:
adigital meter). you will most likely find just what
tor. Also, as the "heat-tab" is connected to its ftp://ftp.epemag.wimborne.co.ukipub/PICS/
you want from Squires Model & Craft Tools.
collector terminal the Darlington must be isolated PIColo.
The Altai HM102BZ multimeter in our photograph
from the case using astandard TO220 insulating The PIC-010 printed circuit board is available
is being offered to EPE readers at just £14.95
kit, consisting of awasher and plastic bush. from the EPE PCB Service, code 164.
inclusive of VAT: postage within the UK is free.
The battery eliminator used to power the cir- If you think the meter measures up to what
cuit MUST be anon-regulated 12V d.c. type —no Micropower PIR Detector - Control Board you are looking for. contact Squires Model &
other type is suitable. Most mains eliminators offer The dual-in-line switches. used on the Control
Craft Tools, Dept. EPE, The Old Corn Store,
arange of low output voltages, so make sure the board for the Micropower PIP Detector, are des- Chessels Farm, Hoe Lane, Bognor Regis, West
selector switch is set to the correct setting and cribed as being sub-miniature s.p.d.t. types and a Sussex, P022 8NW. ( 23' 01243 587009).
check that the tip of the plug is the positive voltage quad (Si to S4) and a single version are used
connection. The eliminator used with the model is here. These switches are carried by most com-
PLEASE TAKE NOTE
an Altai 750mA version which many of our adver- ponent stockists, but. be warned, the minimum
Infra-Red Remote Control Repeater July '97
tisers may stock. spacing between banks is 0.15in. so a 4-switch
A suitable substitute for the BP103B
This project is built on the EPE Multiple Project d.i.l. package must be used for S1 to S4 if it is to fit
phototransistor is the SFH300, which is available
PCB, this is available from the EPE PCB Service. on the p.c.b.
from RS/Electromail. code 585-220.
code 932. The BUZ11 power MOSFET came from
Maplin, code UJ33L. Note that the suffix Lshould PIC Digilogue Clock June '97
PIC-olo Music Maker be quoted when ordering the BC184L transistor, Reverse the polarity of capacitor Cl in Fig.5.
It is essential that only the '10MHz version of as other versions have adifferent pin-out line-up. Notches in switches Si and S2 align vertically.lf
the PIC16C84 microcontroller be used for the PIC- The printed circuit board is available from the instability of the display occurs (e.g. erratic
oio Music Maker project. EPE PCB Service, code 163. -rotation - of the hours I.e.d.$), decrease the value

The dual power op.amp. type 1272 is listed by of R1 to 1k.

two sources, namely: Maplin, code UJ36P and Universal Input Amplifier Cut off pins 6and 7of X2 display dii. holder
RS outlet Electromail (1'01536 204555), code The NE5532 i.c. is classified as being "suitable (units of minutes — bottom right-hand two pins)
635-167. for use in high quality and professional equip- ensuring that they cannot touch the p.c.b. track
Turning to the "keys", the pushbutton switches ment", and is the preferred choice of op.amp for (this is an easier solution than cutting and re-
used in the model are not the cheapest, but the Universal Input Amplifier project. This dual routing the associated p.c.b. tracks).

536 Everyday Practical Electronics, August /997

 %I
I
Electronic CAD For Windows
ee Cji
‘ 4 ,

Compatibility from the

DESIGN
INTERNATIONAL
lb Raw I.1.118. Po.6.4 lew•

The complete,
powerful schematic
and PCB layout
tools for Windows.

This is really easy!

Design your schematic with WinDraft...

-Choose from over 10,000 parts in WinDraft's

complete library of components.

-All the utilities you need are included in the •

package from an Electrical Rules Checker to
netlist output to printing and plotting outputs.

-Cut and Paste into other Windows applications

such as Microsoft Word. Makes it easy to
document your projects! V1í DRAFT
Schematics
Create the artwork for the PCB with WinBoard...

-Quickly route boards on up to 16 layers.

PCB Layout
-Use SMD or through-hole components — or mix them Easily create designs up to 200 pins.
for maximum flexibility. Compatible with industry standard formats.
Expand the capacity at any time.
-Unique pad-stack editor can create pads of virtually IVEX Products are also available from all
any size or shape. Good high street electronics shop's,
Call 0181 926 1161 for your closest retailer.
-Rotate components in 0.01° increments. •
he The PC Solution,
Create a Gerber photoplot, NC Drill, pick and
place, and other manufacturing outputs!
L4PPC
1
- 2a High Road Leyton
London, E15 2BP.
0 1:‘,C7- Fax 0181 926 1160
'ut'
Expand the program capacity at any time !
http://www.thepcsol.demon.co.uk

Tel 0181 926 1161 email info@thepcsol.demon.co.uk

All trademarks acknowledged. E&OE

537
Innovations Aroundup of the latest Everyday
News from the world of
electronics

RE-USABLE CDs -
AT LAST
A Stop-Press report from Barry Fox
They've done it -achieved the reality of re-writable
CDs for the consumer!

H
FWLETT PACKARD, Mitsubishi, laser beam whose reflection is affected by To erase the recording, the laser again
Philips, Ricoh, Sony and Yamaha the pits. heats the alloy but more slowly and to a
are launching the product Write-once CDs are pressed from plas- lower temperature, which lets the alloy
consumers have been wanting for the last tics without pits, and coated with a dye re-crystallise.
ten years. CD-ReWritable looks like an which absorbs laser light during record- The coating can be erased at least a
ordinary CD but behaves like a giant ing. The dye gets hot and permanently thousand times and is protected by a
floppy disc, with 500 times the capacity. deforms into pit-like marks. The disc has transparent lacquer which is sufficiently
The disc records and plays back any kind a "pre-groove" which is formed during robust to let the user handle the disc. So
of digital data, including back-up files pressing and serves as an optical guide for CD-RWs do not need aprotective caddy
from a PC, hi-fi sound or video. It can the laser during recording. and can thus fit any conventional CD
then be erased and reused. drive.
CD-RW discs play back on CD-RW CRYSTAL GAZING Existing CD-audio players and CD-
recorders or a new generation of CD- The new CD-RW discs are coated with ROM drives have alight sensor designed
ROM drives. But unbeknownst to their an alloy of silver, indium, antimony and to read pressed or write-once discs which
owners, some recently purchased CD- tellurium. In its natural state, the alloy reflect 70 per cent of the laser light from
ROM drives already contain "Multiread" is crystalline and reflects light efficiently'. the lands between the data pits, and
circuitry which self-adjusts for CD-RW During recording, the laser heats spots on around 30 per cent from the pits. The
playback. Anyone buying a new ROM the surface to around 600°C, so that the difference represents digital ones and
drive should now insist that it is Multi - alloy melts. The spot then cools so quickly zeros. Although it is possible to make an
read capable. that the alloy does not have time to re- alloy which matches these optical charac-
Conventional CDs and CD-ROMs are crystallise. It "freezes" into an amorphous teristics, the recording laser must be very
pressed from plastics, with aspiral of pits state which is much less efficient at reflect- powerful to melt the alloy. The system is
in the surface, and covered with reflective ing light. So the readout laser sees the then too expensive for consumer use.
material. The player reads the disc with a spots as pits.
NEW MULTIREAD
. STANDARD

SEMICON INDEX Recently, Philips and HI' agreed a

standard for CD-RW with 20 per cent
reflection from the alloy in its crystalline
IT was with pleasure that we recently state and five per 'cent in its amorphous
received the latest edition of the Semicon state. The recorder can use an inexpensive
Index. For many years we have benefitted 10mW laser. But the player must have a
from various editions of this authoritative more sensitive sensor.
source of semiconductor information and The new standard defines a Multiread
are pleased to receive the latest. If there is player with automatic gain control in the
amore comprehensive single source, we circuit which amplifies the signal from the
have yet to learn of it. light sensor. If the disc is apressed CD or
The Semicon Index comprises three CD-R, the amplifier gain is turned down;
volumes, each dedicated to a specific if the disc is aCD-RW with lower reflec-
group of semiconductors. Volume One tion, the gain automatically increases.
covers transistors, Volume Two details The Multiread standard has now been
diodes and thyristors, and Volume Three endorsed by all the major manufacturers
covers integrated circuits. of CD-ROM drives. Around one third of
Each volume is around 35mm thick, the latest models in the shops, known
with pages measuring about 175mm x as 12x drives which run at 12 times
246mm. Device listings are split to reflect general type categories, and in each category the normal speed, already have AGC. Once
devices are itemised in alphanumeric order. The essential characteristics for the devices makers have sold off their old stock, all
are then presented in tabulated form, complete with across-reference to outline and pinout new drives will conform. Some old ROM
details displayed in alater section. Aguide to each device's manufacturer(s) is also given. drives and even CD audio players may, by
Details of the manufacturers, complete with their distributors' details, are given in another happy chance, have sufficiently sensitive
section. A further section of each volume gives guidance on possible substitutions where optics to play CD-RW recordings.
appropriate. Surface mount devices are included. • Philips' CD-RW recorder will cost
Anyone seriously into electronics will find that once these volumes have had their data $900, with 650Mbyte blank discs costing
riches probed, you will never want to be without them. $25. Hardware and disc prices should
Each volume is available separately and may be purchased soft-bound, or loose-leaf in a soon fall to around half. The Philips
sturdy ring binder. Loose-leaf updating packs are released periodically to keep you abreast recorder looks like a CD player and
of the latest device introductions. Devices are never dropped from the Semicon Indexes connects to a PC to copy any files on its
and so you will have access to historical data as well as the very latest. hard disc. The control software already
To find out more about these invaluable data source volumes, contact Semicon Indexes, lets it copy music files. Philips expects
PO Box 470, Lee, London SE12 8AF. Tel/fax: 0181 852-2309. E-mail: Semidex@ aol.com. standalone audio recorders "this year or
next".

538 Everyday Practical Electronics. August 1997

 Sinclair Tunes in Again ARE PCs TO
Alan Winstanley has the details REPLACE
T
HE irrepressible British inventor, Sir
Clive Sinclair, is at the forefront
again with agadget harking back to
his origins in electronics, in the form of
TVs?
the imaginatively-named X/ Button Radio, It may seem an heretical thought to
which he dubs "the world's smallest avid programmers, but you could
radio". The size of a 10 pence coin, soon be using your PC to watch TV
the miniaturised mono X1 in-ear device — Barry Fox explains
weighs in at just 15 grams and is powered

T
by a lithium cell which offers up to a HE latest Homefront study, from
year's usage. electronics market research com-
A special "sure grip" feature is incor- pany Odyssey in San Francisco, shows
porated into the custom ABS mouldin, how people are buying computers and
and it includes its own antenna. Sinclair s using them instead of watching TV. But
X1 Button Radio automatically seeks and computers are now widely known to be
tunes in to FM stations, using pushbuttons
difficult to use and sales to new cus-
to scan the 88 to 108MHz FM band, in
the same way a car radio and some per- tomers are drying up.
sonal stereos search for and lock on to Odyssey interviewed 4,500 con-
radio broadcasts. The X1 is only available sumers, across the country, and found
by mail order in the UK and is supplied that repeat purchases dominate the
complete with battery. market. Only 32 per cent of consumers
Not all of his products were successful,
Back in 1962, the fledgling inventor, are now first time buyers, compared to
and reliability was sometimes a problem
aged 22, formed Sinclair Radionics and 49 per cent a year ago. So home
as he "pushed" the technology, but
marketed his first AM-band miniature penetration now remains stable, with
Sinclair's visions were still ahead of their
radio, the Sinclair Micromatic, which
time and pace setting, nevertheless. His PCs in 37 per cent of US homes.
retailed at 49 shillings and sixpence
remarkable inventive genius was rewarded Odyssey's President, Nick Donatiello
(under £2.50) in kit form. He soon
with aknighthood in June 1983. predicts that, "You won't see PCs in
established a reputation for miniaturised,
With the XI, maybe his creative more than 50 per cent of US homes
novel gadgets utilising new technology.
yearning for electronics technology has
The Sinclair name subsequently until the manufacturers figure out how to
awakened once again.
adorned awide variety of sleek products, make them easier to buy, set up and
The Sinclair X1 Button Radio is avail-
including the Cambridge calculator, use".
slim-line audio products and speakers, the able for £10 inc. P&P by mail order
only, from Sinclair Research Ltd., Vector Odyssey's study also shows that 46
best selling ZX81 and Spectrum
Services Division, 13 Dennington Road, per cent of US households with com-
computers, digital test equipment, the
Wellingborough, Northants NN8 2RL. puters (equivalent to 17 per cent of
Microvision pocket television, the Sinclair
Tel: 01933 279300. all US households) are now online. On
QL ("Quantum Leap") and Z88
computers, before he sold the brand name average they spend 9.4 hours a week
to Alan Sugar's Amstrad in 1986. B.A.E.C. NEWS sending electronic mail or surfing the
Sir Clive is better known these days for LAST time we received a British Amateur Internet.
his electric transport accessories, notably Electronics Club (B.A.E.C.) newsletter, we By far the most successful Service
the "Zike" electric cycle and "Zeta' were dismayed that they appeared to be Provider in the USA is America On Line,
electric drive add-on for bicycles. We are having difficulties finding a replacement which now has 22 per cent of the
promised another major innovation from
for their retiring editor, Alf Denison. We market, compared with nearest rival,
Sinclair later this year in the electric
are pleased to learn in the latest newsletter Compuserve, which has four per cent.
transport market.
that all appears to have been resolved. Particularly interesting is Odyssey's
Most of Sinclair's former products were
In anutshell, ateam of B.A.E.C. mem- finding that 30 per cent of the PC users
the subject of stylish advertising cam-
paigns for mail order kits, and were a bers is now jointly carrying out the neces- who surf the Internet say they are doing
regular feature in the pages of Everyday sary compilation, editing and production
so instead of watching TV. Further-
Electronics and sister magazine Practical involved. Other members, of course, con-
more, 23 per cent of them are sending
Electronics at the time. tinue to supply the material.
electronic mail, instead of mailing letters.
The B.A.E.C. is a club which en-
All this helps explain why computer
courages the enjoyment of doing elec-
tronics and of learning about it. We have giants Microsoft, Compaq and Intel have
always supported it, believing in its aims. now formed an alliance to develop and
If you would like to be directly involved sell a new generation of PCs that
with like-minded electronics enthusiasts, will receive digital TV programmes and
join the Club! digital data transmitted over the air-
For more information, contact the waves. The announcement, made at the
Secretary, J. F. Davies, B.A.E.C., 70 Ash National Association of Broadcasters
Road, Cuddington, Northwich, Cheshire, Convention in Las Vegas early in April,
CW8 2PB. Tel: 0106 883742. E-mail: follows the decision, made last Decem-
john@fdavies.u-net.com. ber by the Federal Communications
Commission in the USA, on digital
broadcasting.
SINGULARITY The FCC has not defined a TV stan-
IN an age when it is customary to cram as many functions as possible into a single i.c. dard, instead it has set a range of digital
package, the developing news of an opposite concept comes as something of asurprise. The standards, which range from current TV
news, received from two companies independently, Texas Instruments and Fairchild, an- picture quality up to high definition pic-
nounces the latest single gate i.c.s to be released. tures, with low cost receivers still able
As most of you will be aware, it has been conventional for many years for functional gates to receive high definition transmissions,
such as AND, NAND, NOR etc., to be housed as four of atype in asingle package. Now, in
what seems to be an about turn, chips comprised of just one gate are finding a use where and display them in standard definition.
board space is at apremium. Normally, if one wants asingle gate, the quad package is used The Microsoft/Compaq/Intel Alliance
and the other three gates ignored. But why take up extra space if you don't need to seems to believes that adding digital TV reception
be the concept now being catered for by i.c. manufacturers. to a PC will put only $100 on the price.
The gates from Fairchild and T1 are all surface mount devices and cover the functions The first sets should be available in the
NAND, NOR, AND, OR, NOR, inverter and Schmitt inverter. Fairchild call their range the second half of 1998 and the Alliance
TinyLogic family (HST series); TI's form the MicroGate family: predicts that by the year 2000 all new
Fairchild's web site is: http://www.fairchildsemi.com. Texas are at http://www.ti.com. PCs will be digital TV receivers.

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 539

Special Feature

Li1
OLOSSUS et,r<3,p,
RECREATED
BARRY FOX
The world's first electronic computer, built in
secret during World War II, has been recreated
and outperforms the latest Pentium PC.

E
VERY other weekend a group of volunteers welcomes WORKING REPLICA
visitors to a cluster of decaying huts in the grounds of a Although Britain's spymasters. at the Government Communica-
stately home near Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire. Despite tions Headquarters near Cheltenham, have now allowed the publi-
what the British security services would wish, and thanks to the cation of numerous books on Bletchley, the authors have always
accidental publication of top secret documents in the US, the been censored, either directly by GCHQ or indirectly by restricted
Bletchley volunteers can, for the first time, recreate the information. Much of what has been written glosses over simple
technology used during World War II to crack the codes used by
truths, replaces hard facts with complex maths or omits essential
the German military. details.
The surprise discovery, which raises questions on the best fu- Until 1996, no-one was allowed to build a working replica of
ture for computing, is that the wartime technology can still out- Colossus, the first electronic computer, even though enough un-
perform the latest Pentium PC.
authorised diagrams had survived to prod the memories of those
Fifty years ago 12,000 people were working at Bletchley Park of the original design team who were still alive. GCHQ only
in three shifts round the clock. The Public Records Office has relented because the US Security services published papers which
320,000 messages which were successfully decoded. All the the UK had given them during the war. Colossus is now built,
workers were bound by the Official Secrets Act and sworn to with its 2,500 valves glowing, and paper tape drive whirring, at
remain silent until the day they died. Some visitors are for the first Bletchley.
time able to discover what it was their wives and husbands were
GCHQ has not needed to stop anyone trying to rebuild the
doing there.
codebreakers' other machine, known as the Bombe. After
Churchill's order to smash the equipment at Bletchley, all that
LOONEY BIN remained was one fuzzy photo of a machine in a hut, some
The locals referred to Bletchley Park as the "looney bin" machine tool plans for unspecified components and ahandful of
because it was populated by oddballs, obliged to live alie. Most wiring. This wiring had survived only because one of the workers
of the staff did not understand the jobs they were doing. Each
who was ordered to smash Bombes with ahammer had broken the
worked on atightly targeted task, with no knowledge of how it
fitted into the overall strategy. Mechani-
cal engineers made precision wheels,
electricians connected wires and clerks
used two million punch cards a week to
build an index.
Only a handful knew that they were
building and using the world's first com-
puter. That handful also understood the
need for secrecy to continue long after the
normal 30 years. The principles used at
Bletchley were so far ahead of their time
that they apply equally well to modern
code-breaking. The application of new
technology just makes them more efficient.
When the war ended, the equipment
used by the codebreakers was all either
spirited away by the security services, or
physically destroyed on the orders of
Winston Churchill. The blueprints were
burned. Churchill wanted to make sure that
the Russians did not know how the British
broke codes. He feared, correctly as it
turned out, that a Labour Government
would oust him, and believed that the
Labour Party of the day had an uncomfor-
tably close relationship with the Soviet
states. Soon after, in his famous speech
given at Fulton, Missouri (March 1946)
Churchill warned that an iron curtain has The Colossus of Bletchley Park, showing its "front panel", and punched-tape
descended across the Continent". rollers in the background.

540 Everyday Practical Electronics. August 1997

handle on his suitcase, and needed something for a makeshift
repair when he went on leave at the weekend. He found it recently
in his attic.
Even the huts in which the equipment was built and used are at
risk. They are now owned by British Telecom who no longer need
them for training telephone engineers. So BT's accountants would
like to earn £10 million for the company's shareholders by raising
everying to the ground and selling the site for housing.

ENIGMA
During the war, the Germans used two quite different coding
systems to keep their radio messages secret. All operational radio
traffic, such as orders to troops and ships, were fed through
Enigma machines. These were clumsy to use so the High Com-
mand, Hitler and his generals, had a rather more user-friendly
device made by electronics company Lorenz. The Allies knew
how Enigma worked, but not how to crack the codes it used,
which were changed every day. They did not know how the
Lorenz machine was made so had to work that out before they
could start on the codes.
Enigma was invented in Germany, in the 1920s. Patents gave A side-ways view of Colossus. Its valves consumed 4.5kW
full details of the mechnical design and the UK built a similar of power and were never switched off.
machine called TypeX. It looked like amechanial typewriter and
worked on the principle of substitution. I remember, during a happened if both machines were set up in exactly the same way,
time in the RAF as aservice engineer, being taken to asecurely and this was changed daily and was well nigh impossible to
guarded hut, told to sign the Official Secrets Act and shown a guess.
TypeX machine. As we left the hut, all the notes we had made to
help us remember how to service TypeX, were taken from us and WHEELS AND PATCHES
destroyed. Signing the Act was completely unnecessary. Within a Each Enigma machine had at least three rotor wheels, like cogs,
couple of hours we had forgotten how the machine worked. For- which contained wires that connected the keyboard to the lamps.
tunately (for Britain) Iwas never asked to repair one. All the wheels were differently wired and the operator had a
Visiting the Bletchley Museum recently reminded me of what I choice of five. Each wheel had a inner and outer circle of 26
had forgotten. When the operator pressed a key, a lamp lit to contacts, and the circles could be turned through 26 alphabet
signify adifferent letter. Typing an A could give aP; then typing settings to change the internal connection paths.
another A might give aZ; typing aB could then give aP. or aZ. Each time akey was pressed, the wheels moved relative to each
and so on. other, continually changing the relationship between the keyboard
The operator wrote down the signified letter and when awhole and lamps. To make things even more complicated, the connec-
message had been keyed in and the corresponding lamp letters tions passed through a Stekker board, a patchwork of wires and
noted, aMorse Code operator tapped out the now gibberish mes- pins like aminiature telephone switchboard.
sage for transmission. A secret list told all operators which wheels to choose, which
At the receiving end, another Morse Code operator noted the alphabet settings to use and in which order to place the wheels
incoming letters, wrote them down and passed them to an side by side. This was known as the "ground setting".
operator of another Enigma machine. Keying in the gibberish text, The operator then turned the wheels at random into a start-
lit lamps to spell out the original clear text message. But this only ing position or "indicator setting". This setting, signified by
whichever three alphabet letters were aligned with amarker line,
was transmitted "clear" for anyone to receive. The operator at
the other end used this information to set his wheels in the same
starting position; but it was valueless to anyone who did not know
the ground setting.
Together, these confusions piled on confusions gave atotal of
Enigma, the German 150 million million million possible combinations of connection
machine that Colossus paths. It would take anyone with an Enigma machine, but no
was created to defeat. knowledge of the ,ground settings, literally years to decode a
message by the "brute force" method of keying it through the
machine, again and again, each time with adifferent setting.

SCHLUSSELZLISATZ
The Schlusselzusatz, made by Lorenz, worked like ateleprinter
or telex machine. Instead of changing one letter into another
(like Enigma), the Lorenz machine generated pseudo-random text
characters which were then added to the original text. So the clear
text message was hidden in aforest of gibberish characters.
Lorenz, which Bletchley people called Tunny, had akeyboard
into which the German operator typed amessage. The keyboard
convened letters of the alphabet into the world standard 5-bit
International Teleprinter Code, also known as Baudot code. Each
digital word is made up from five marks and spaces, in com-
binations which denote text characters. One word represents one
character.
The 5-bit words were stored as punched holes on paper tape,
then broken down into five separate bits, and each bit passed
through two toothed wheels, similar to the rotary contacts used in
an ordinary Strowger telephone exchange, The wheels were con-
nected in series, and each with different internal wiring paths.
This changed the marks into spaces, and vice versa, or left them
unchanged, depending on the wiring and position of the wheel. So
each bit was changed, or left unchanged, twice. Two drive wheels
turned the ten wired wheels through ever-changing combinations,
to give 10 19 code possibilities.
The wheel bank thus created a"key stream" of gibberish 5-bit

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 541

 Banks of valve circuits; Colossus Mk2 used 2,500 valves. Interconnection wiring allowed circuit paths to be changed.

code words. These were then added to the stream of orginal Tony Sale used to work for MI5, with Peter Wright, who later
"clear" text character words, to produce an encrypted stream of upset the government by writing a book about the security
very heavily disguised text. service. Sale then helped the Science Museum rebuild the
When the receiving machine had matching wheels and the same Babbage Engine, the mechanical calculating machine which
ground setting, it generated an identical stream of gibberish which Charles Babbage designed but never finished. Three years ago he
could then be stripped out to leave the original message.. became fascinated by the computers used at Bletchley and the
As was the case for Engima, the relative positions of the wheels way the Lorenz mystery was unravelled.
were set, to a secret menu, every day. Then, for each message, The Lorenz operator had sent the same 4000 character letter
their starting positions were set to anew order. The codebreakers twice, because there was afault at the receiving end — probably
at Bletchley first had to know how the wheels were wired, then because the operator had dozed off. Because he was lazy, the
find the daily wheel pattern and finally the starting order used for sender used the same Lorenz wheel settings, and thus the same
each message. Only then could they build a replica of the key encryption code. Worse still he did not send exactly the same text.
stream and strip it from the message, to reveal the clear text. Fed up at the prospect of keying it all in again, he shortened some
The British forces did not capture a Lorenz machine until words, for instance using "nmr" for "nummer". This gave the
the last days of the war. It was thus up to the Bletchely codebreakers "depth", at least two identical or similar messages,
codebreakers to try and work out how Tunny worked, from sent with the same coding settings. With depth they were able
intercepted messages. to strip the key stream from the original messages. lutte then
worked backwards from the key stream to deduce the way the
INTELLECTUAL FEAT wheels on the Lorenz machine were made.
Mathematician Bill Tutte used amistake made by an German
operator in January 1942 to unravel the key stream for a single WORLD FIRST
4000 character message, subtract it from the gibberish stream and As with Enigma, the Lorenz codes changed with the daily
work backwards to deduce the wheel design. The task took him wheel settings. Even when the codebreakers knew how the Lorenz
four months. wheels were wired, it had taken them two months of trial and
"Bill Tutte's work on Colossus was the greatest intellectualerror, working through every possible relative position for the
feat of the whole war" says Tony Sale, Director of the Bletchley
wheels, to decode amessage. By then its content was worthless,
Park Cryptology museum. "At Bletchley they knew nothing and Britain's radio operators were intercepting thousands a day
about the Lorenz machine and only six people ever understood the
and sending them to Bletchley. What the codebreakers needed
signficance of what Bill lutte had achieved." was amachine to automate the task. Colossus was the answer. It

re
was the world's' first electronic computer,
built by the Post Office Research Station
at Dollis Hill under the direction of elec-

elf
tronics engineer Tommy Flowers.
Colossus grew out of a primitive
machine, jokingly called Heath Robinson,
a% Neu I which used two loops of punched paper
tape. One tape stored the encrypted
11111e message, the other held a selection of

Jie possible keys represented by wheel

M.4
settings derived from the text in a crib.
s The machine ran the tapes at 30 mph while
reading them by shining light though the
7,:,1
,7,1`r,,,-
"r1;174 - punched holes onto photocells. All the
! time the electronics looked for possible
matches which might tell what postions
the wheels had been in when creating the
gibberish.
The Heath Robinson tapes stretched and
got out of synchronism. Tommy Flowers
then had the idea of using just one tape, to
store the encrypted message, while storing
the key information inside the machine,
electronically. This was done with a plug
board of connections and with thyraton
4
valves, which remain in digital on and off
positions after electrical switching, like
Colossus operators at work -note the punched paper tapes running on the pulleys. modem RAM chips.

542 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

 Colossus Mk 1(with 1,500 valves) was
working by mid 1943; Mk2 (which had
2,500 valves) was switched on I June
1944. The main difference was that Mk2
also had a refreshable memory, of more
switched valves, that let it store some
previous characters while processing new
ones, and then compare the results.

CRIBS
Alan Turing, another mathematician
recruited to Bletchley from Cambridge
University, saw that there was no point in
trying a brute force attack on the codes.
Messages would be out of date long before
they could be read. Instead he tried to
predict text that would be found at some
part of the message. The codebreakers
called these known text strings "cribs". It
is this kind of process that the security
services would still like to keep secret
because the principles are as valid today as
they were in the war.
One crib trick was for British bombers
to drop mines at carefully targeted lon-
gitude and latitude in the sea. The Ger-
man Navy would then transmit amessage
which somewhere contained the known
grid references. The same technique was
used by British spy ships, disguised as Keyboard data operators at Bletchley. None knew what purpose the data served.
fishing trawlers, to prod Russian spy ships,
also disguised as trawlers, into sending messages during the Cold chance, the key was wrong. The operators then had to go back to
War. Colossus and look for the next highest probability score.
The Germans also used Short Weather Codes, alookup table of Precursing modern parallel processors, like the latest Pentium
three-letter abbreviations for known weather conditions. If the MMX chips, Colossus checked five paper tape tracks simul-
weather was known, then the appropriate abbreviation would be taneosly, to generate five pulse streams, each running at 5,000Hz.
buried somewhere in the coded message. Wireless operators used Colossus then performed 60,000 calculations asecond, on each of
similar short codes to check tuning and report reception strength. the five tracks, making atotal of 300,000 calculations asecond.
All round Britain, radio stations continually monitored the air- The 2.500 valves consumed 4.5 kilowatts of power. PO desig-
waves round the clock, writing down all the gibberish messages ner Tommy Flowers told the codebreakers to leave them all run-
which the Germans transmitted. Although the wireless intercep- ning all the time. Valves fail when they are switched on from cold
tors did not know it, what they wrote down was sent to Bletchley and pass asurge of current.
for analysis.
Colossus used Boolean logic to find wheel patterns that NOT FORGOTTEN
matched letters in the plain text crib with letters in the encrypted forty Sale wants to ensure that Britain's remarkable technical
message. These wheel patterns thus might be the actual ones used achievements are not forgotten, as the original designers die. The
to encrypt the entire message. On the other hand they might not. US computer industry has made far more capital out of ENIAC,
So Turing devised a system of probability scoring. Colossus the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, completed in
continually printed out a list of numbers which represented the 1946. ENIAC calculated the trajectory of shells in different wind
probability of akey being good for the whole message, rather than and air conditions; it had 19.000 valves but was not completed
just afew characters. until 1946.
Clerks then used aBletchley-built machine which worked like Sale also believes that the work done fifty years ago has an
the German Lorenz machine — a "virtual Tunny" — to check the important message for today's computer industry. A dedicated
key with the whole message. If it produced clear German, the key computer. like Colóssus, performs one task extremely efficiently.
was the one used by the German operator. If most of the message A multi-purpose platform, like the ubiquitous PC, can perform a
came out as gibberish, with aonly a few letters correct by pure wide variety of tasks, none of them very well. To prove his point
Sale has written a program for a Pentium PC which does what
Colossus did. The Pentium still takes twice as long to come up
with the right answer.
The orginal plans for Colossus no longer exist, because GCHQ
told Tommy Flowers to burn them. But eight photos survived,
along with afew circuit diagrams illegally kept by Bletchley staff.
"No-one believed we could do it", recalls Sale. But the
Bletchley Park Trust, which rents the grounds from British
Telecom, provided the hut rent-free. Sale spent £6,000 of his own
money and ex-codebreakers chipped in another £2,000. When this
money ran out, British electronics company Quantel gave £4,000
to buy the last valves.
But GCHQ was unhappy about the project.
"It was not the technology of the computers used to break the
codes that worried the Government", says Sale. "It was the algo-
rithms used by the codebreakers on those early computers. The
work being done by Alan Turing and his team was so many light
years ahead of its time that it is still being used in cryptoanalysis
today. The Government saw it as acontinuing security risk".
Until November 1993 GCHQ flatly refused to allow a rebuild.
Sale then got "reluctant agreement" from GCHQ to let the public
know what wires, resistors and valves the codebreakers were using.
Details of Colossus• front panel. showing more valves, plus GCHQ released what information it said it still had, but this turned
keyswitches and patch connector panels. out to be very little. Sale was allowed to rebuild only the short-lived

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 543

 *Pe!›?es4,
0err.- turned, with a clockwork ticking sound (hence the nickname
Bombe), they tried every possible connection path through the
Enigma machine. Each Bombe tested 15,726 different paths every
15 minutes, registering those which connected to confirm apossible
"CODOCC/C40.0;CYC)0410.0.
0, match between the original letter keyed into the Enigma machine
and the quite different letter that came up as a lit lamp. Operators
0:04080,0 000
tried each of the possible settings on aTypeX machine to see if it
translated gibberish into acrib.
ecx0.0.c‘c
When the Bombe found amatch with apredicted fragment, this
Ce1:10.41(DX%C1).0,,, did not necessarily mean that the setting was correct, and could
0.4D,
C):0eD/0‘):0:04.)a0s0:0:0« decode the complete message. It precluded araft of other settings,
which must be wrong. This narrowed the choice for a further
search. The Bombe also took advantage of adesign flaw in Enigma.
It never encoded an A as an A, or B as aB, and so on. Applying
3 3 pa at
high level maths to this, ruled out some possibilities.
The first Bombe was built in Hut 11 in 1940. Many replicas were
• I I U at • 14 lie II x:
later installed in sites in Wavendon, Eastcote and Stanmore.
U 1? às "The Bombe was a dedicated parallel processor of immense
4
e 4 .4 6 6 6 4b power" says Sale. "Once aconnection was made current travelled
44 11 14 , at it IS 44 34
down the wires at the speed of light. There is no general purpose
' n ta S at
I platform that can match that speed".
• But Churchill's destruction was total. No useful plans or wiring
diagrams survived, not even some measurements to put a size on
A row of 4-digit electro-mechanical counters, five rows of the machine seen in the one remaining photo. GCHQ insists that it
patch sockets, and three rows of keyswitches. has nothing on file.
Most of the components were made by British Tabulating
Mark 1 Colossus, which had no memory. He was forbidden to Machines of Letchworth, now swallowed by ICL. The high speed
connect any wires so that the machine could actually work. relays, which had to switch every 20 milliseconds as the drums
stepped, came from the Post Office. The components meant nothing
GIFT FROM THE GODS to their makers. The Bombe only took shape at Bletchley when all
Without telling anyone Sale quietly rebuilt the Mark 2 version, the components were assembled and connected by the few people
complete with memory, connected the wires and got the machine who understood the overall plan.
running. A gift from the Gods saved him from prosecution un-
der the Official Secrets Act. In March 1996, the National Security BRITISH BOMB
Agency in the USA handed abundle of 5,000 secret documents on Just betore Christmas. Tony Sale visited the Washington library,
Bletchley to the US Government's National Archives and Records while on alecture tour in the US. There he found afile catalogued
Administration library in Washington. The papers contain working as the "British bomb". It turned out to be acomplete description of
plans for Colossus. The NSA had them because the US Army sent a the Turing Bombe, with 50 photographs of the original machine.
security detachment to Eastcote during the war. "We jumped alight year", says Sale who now has afull copy of
Insiders are sure that the NSA would never have released its the file. "We are already showing the photos to the 'wrinklies',
papers without permission from GCHQ. They suspect that the Chel- people who worked on the project, and it is triggering all manner of
tenham organisation only gave permission because whoever it was lost memories".
who dealt with the request, did not understand the significance of Publication of the Bombe papers also insures the Bletchley
what they were doing. Now it is too late. The documents cannot be volunteers against any threat of prosecution under the Official
unpublished and they for ever lift the threat of action on Colossus Secrets Act.
under the Official Secrets Act. But even with the US papers, the rebuild will take three years and
cost at least £150.000. It must be done fast while there are still
TURING BOMBE wrinklies left to remember.
Sale now wants to rebuild the electromechanical Bombe which Quantel has started the ball rolling with agift of £10,000. "We
Alan Turing, and fellow mathematician Gordon Welchman, know the machines worked", says Quantel's Director of R and D,
designed to crack the Enigma codes. Again the wartime machine Paul Kellar, "because we won the war. We now want to see how
was a precursor to modern parallel processing, and far more they worked. The whole electronics industry owes its existence to
efficient. When the Bombe's 15 minute search and match routine is the work done at Bletchley".
simulated on aPentium PC, it takes 18 hours. Quantel has aspecial reason to be interested in the rebuild. Quán-
"Unfortunately the world has gone for the general platform ap- tel makes the special effects and editing equipment used by TV
proach", says Sale. "It rules the world. But not always for the stations around the world and has stuck with an engineering policy
best". which parallels Turing's. Colossus, like the Bombe, and ENIAC,
The Turing Bombe had rows of contact wheels, mechanically was designed to perform aspecific task, unlike today's computers
and electrically analagous to the rotors of 36 Enigma machines. which can be programmed to perform awide range of tasks. Quan-
Together they worked like an electrical circuit tester. As the wheels tel's equipment uses dedicated electronics which perform one task
only.

BLOAT
Paul Kellar believes that the Bombe carries an important mes-
sage for today's computer industry. As the hardware for standard
platforms, like DOS, Windows or the Apple Mac, becomes more
powerful, programmers write software that needs more power, more
memory and more disk space. So it runs at snail's pace speed on
anything but the latest machine.
"We call it bloat", says Kellar. "And bloat soaks up advances in
technology. At Bletchley they lived from hand to mouth. The way
they did it would still be the best way to do it today."
"If standard platforms had existed fifty years ago, some civil
servant would have insisted that the Bletchley codebreakers use
them. Then we would have lost the war and we would all now be
speaking with German accents".

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
More patch connectors and switches, apparently associated The illustrations used in this article have been kindly supplied by
with the counting procedure. The Science Museum. London.

544
Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997
Regular Clinic

CIRCUIT
SURGERY
ALAN WINSTANLEY
This month, our regular "Surgery" deals with some obscure capacitor
specifications, we also look at coin cell sizes, an alarm modification and
answer aPIC query.
Shown in Fig.1 is an ordinary full-wave after all, been done many hundreds of
Capacitor ESR rectified power supply used with a step- times before.
Have you ever noticed a large down transformer. Even if you don't feel But, for heavier duty applications when
electrolytic capacitor becoming warm in the need to engage in heavy mathematics, things become more demanding, then
use? In an ideal world, capacitors are, there are several aspects which need to be those hidden specifications should be
well, just capacitors, and an ideal capacitor borne in mind when picking a capacitor, borne in mind. When shopping around,
would not do any "work" and would not even if the circuit is designed using a compare the ESR, ripple current and
dissipate heat. After all, in theory they pretty standard combination of rules of power factor ratings of the components on
merely store charge and have no thumb and educated guesstimates! offer.
resistance. Firstly, the transformer secondary volt- ESR will usually be quoted in mil-
But, in reality, they have further charac- age may be higher when it's off-load, liohms; the lower, the better. Ripple
teristics which aren't always obvious when because output voltages are often quoted current may be also quoted, indicating
you think of these components as "ideal" assuming a simple resistance at full load. the maximum permissible current flowing
devices. Sometimes you need to dig more Because of the transformer's regulation (or "via" the smoothing capacitor at (usually)
deeply into the data! lack of it), the output voltage may be 100Hz at 20°C, although ripple at other
Electrolytic capacitors are often used as somewhat higher when a smaller load, or frequencies may also be included (e.g.
smoothing (or "reservoir") capacitors in none at all, is placed across the output of 10kHz).
power supplies. One capacitor parameter the power supply. Capacitors claiming to be high ripple
you might see in acatalogue is its Equiv- Transformer regulation is calculated as: current imply that they have a low ESR,
alent Series Resistance or ESR. Maybe and are better suited to heavy duty
you will see alternative specs, including (Voff load —V full load)
x 100% applications featuring high load currents.
dissipation factor or ripple current given V off load Other capacitor types may claim to have a
instead. These can give you interesting Regulation specifications are not often low ESL (effective series inductance), as
pointers regarding the performance of the quoted in mainstream catalogues, and it the spirally-wound foils of electrolytic
capacitor. could be anything between, say, 7and 33 capacitors produce an inherent inductance
The physical construction of an per cent, depending on the transformer (L) effect. Even the length of the lead-outs
electrolytic capacitor results in it having an
type. Let's assume 25 per cent for asmall can have an effect on this, and the leads
inherent resistance (as well as inductance) 6VA p.c.b. mounting type; if it has a 10V should be kept as short as possible,
which causes it to dissipate I 2R power in secondary (full load) rating, the actual especially at high frequencies.
use, so it warms up. Therefore, this means off-load a.c. voltage could be 13.3V or A final rating which you may sometimes
that there is a limit as to how much so. see is that of dissipation factor or power
"work" such acapacitor can be expected After full-wave rectification, this factor. This is calculated by dividing the
to do and still operate reliably at a given voltage will be 1414 times higher, or ESR by the capacitive reactance (a.c. resis-
temperature. This becomes most relevant about 19V d.c. (Incidentally, the bridge tance) at a particular frequency. Without
at higher currents (say, over afew amperes rectifier should, therefore, be able to getting into power engineering, you can
output). withstand twice this figure as a use this figure when making comparisons
peak-inverse volt- of different types of capacitor: the lower,
age.) Hence, the the better.
capacitor must be
rated for the higher, Schade Graphs
off-load voltage. When designing d.c. power supplies,
If we're honest, probably the most accurate and elaborate
when we're design- design aids are the "Schade" graphs, of
ing those simple, which advanced electronics enthusiasts
impromptu power will be aware. These have been reproduced
supplies, a rule of in some past data books (e.g. Ihave them
thumb is simply to in certain Texas and National books) and
use, say, a 1000p.F even though they were drafted in 1943,
or 2200µ.F smooth- they are still held in high esteem today.
ing capacitor along (0.H. Schade, Proc. IRE, Vol. 31).
with a favourite Schade performed atotal analysis of the
Fig 1. Regulation of a transformer determines the maximum bridge rectifier and relationship between all aspects of a
voltage across the smoothing capacitor. (Assumes that the transformer, and capacitor-input filter section, resulting in
secondary voltage is quoted as 'full resistive load.) away we go! It has, him publishing a number of complex

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 545

graphs which enable adesigner to specify Table 1. Popular Silver Oxide Cells
a transfonher, rectifier and capacitor in
half-wave and full-wave circuits. IEC Height Dia. mAh Varta Duracell
Ref. (mm) (mm) typ. Ref. Ref.
Having used the Schade graphs, hob-
byists can be forgiven for reverting to
SR41 3-6 7.9 45 V391 D392
the time-honoured technique of using a
SR42 3-6 11-6 100 V344
1,000µF capacitor together with asuitable SR43 4.2 11-6 120 V386 D386
transformer and bridge rectifier for all their SR44 5.4 11-6 170 V357 D357
low power projects! SR45 3.6 9-5 78 V394
However, at least when you're next SR48 5.4 7-9 70 V393 D393
checking through catalogues, you'll now SR54 3.1 11.6 80 V389 D389/390
have more of an insight into those SR55 2-1 11-6 43 V391 D391
capacitor specifications. SR57 2.7 9-5 42 V395 D395/399
Finally, for the benefit of beginners, we SR58 2.1 7-9 22 V362 D361/362
would re-iterate that it is extremely dan- SR59 2.6 7-9 30 V397 0397
gerous to misuse electrolytic capacitors. SR60 2.1 6-8 16 V364 D364
It is safe to use a capacitor with a volt- SR62 1.6 5-8 8 V317
age rating higher than the one specified in SR63 2.1 5.8 12 V379
the parts list, but it is potentially hazard- SR64 2.7 5-8 16 V319
ous to utilise alower-voltage device. You SR65 1.65 6-8 13 V321
must always observe their maximum volt- SR66 2.6 6-8 27 D377
SR67 1.65 7-9 20 V315
age rating.
SR68 1.6 9-5 23 V373
Even more importantly, because
SR69 2-1 9.5 30 V370 D370 371
electrolytics are polarised, you must
always ensure that they are inserted into
circuit the right way round. The polarity of
electrolytics is always very clearly button cells, silver-
Table 2. Lithium Manganese Cells (3 Volt)
marked, so be sure to inspect them closely oxide and Lithium bat-
and double-check prior to powering-up for teries, call them what
Type Height Dia. mAh
the first time. you will. If you see No. (mm) (mm) typ.
Similarly ensure that you insert bridge something curious like
rectifiers the correct way round, because "9,5 x3,6" imprinted CR1216 1.6 12.5 25
sometimes this too could result in the on the electronic cal- CR1220 2-0 12-5 35
culator or watch in CR1616 1.6 16 50
smoothing capacitor being accidentally
question -it's simply the CR1620 2-0 16 60
reversed. Failure to observe any of these
continental way of CR2016 1-6 20 90
warnings could result in serious damage CR2025 2.5 20 170
or injury. writing the battery's
CR2032 3.2 20 230
dimensions in mil- CR2320 2-0 23 135
Burglar Alarm Modification limetres! CR2330 3-0 23 260
June 97's Circuit Surgery included a The tables quote CR2354 5.4 23 500
simple burglar alarm project which used a dimensions of most CR2430 3-0 24-5 280
transistorised loop to trigger a thyristor. common types, and CR2450 5-0 24 560
This provides a "latching" alarm which in compiling them I
continues to sound even when the trigger- checked the Duracell
ing signal is removed. Ben Dias of Bristol and the marvellous Varta sites on the might call the "standard". They will
asked if it could be adapted to provide a World Wide Web (www.varta.com and operate at clock speeds up to 4MHz. The
further delay: www.duracell.com). It's also worth "- 10" types will operate at clock speeds
I'm interested in adapting it for one of pointing out that it's much easier to use up to ,10MHz. The PIC data books give
my projects. Ineed the Normally Closed these cells on a home-brew p.c.b. these more details of the two versions. Their
loop to reset itself after adelay of about 5 days, now that board-mounting holders for pin-outs are identical.
to 10 seconds if it is closed again - coin cells are available from the major As far as the practical aspects are
in other words, the thyristor would only mail order suppliers. concerned, first you could check out
fire after a break of 5 to 10 seconds The "SR" prefix means silver oxide my own five-part series Build Your
on the N.C. loop. Could you suggest a (1.55V). An "LR" prefix infers an Own Projects which commenced in the
modification? alkaline (1.5V) type, but the dimensions November 1996 issue. Robert Penfolii's
Straightforward, this - simply add, say, would be the same. Mercury oxide periodic Techniques - Actually Doing It
a 100p,F electrolytic capacitor to the cir- ("MR") batteries are apparently being series also provides practical hints and
cuit (Fig.3, p. 390) in place of capacitor phased out for environmental reasons. tips for constructors.
Cl. Also increase the value of R4 to, say. Note that it is always extremely impor- My advice is always to get some
47 kilohms. This will slow the response tant that coin cells are kept away from straightforward projects "under your
right down and (rule of thumb time) intro- babies and children: if swallowed, a belt" to gain confidence and practical
duce a delay whose RC time constant is chemical reaction will produce a caustic experience, prior to tackling more
4.7 seconds. solution, and such cases should always be advanced subjects where there is the risk
In practice, because of the leakage and treated as amedical emergency. of running into difficulty if you've been
tolerance of the electrolytic, expect varia- too ambitious, too soon. That alone could
tions of the timed period in individual Which PIC? damage your confidence irreparably.
cases. It will also affect the operation of A question cropped up from areader con- Preferably, purchase the printed circuit
the Normally Open loop, however, as it cerning the choice of PIC microcontroller. board from the EPE PCB Service rather
introduces adelay on that too. Joseph Zammit of Malta asks: than make your own. The use of p.c.b.s
/want to buy some PIC I6C84.s hut the eliminates ahuge scope for wiring errors.
Coin Cell Batteries ones I have seen advertised have an The other main subtle causes of
Recently, when Ienquired at my local "-04:' suffix attached to the part number. problems are transistor substitution errors
branch of a well known chemist for a Is there anything different? Secondly. I (especially if the pinouts differ from the
replacement "coin cell" formy electronic know quite a lot of theory about elec- original), component value errors, and
organiser (which, in the event, conked tronics but l'in a bit rusty when it conies problems with soldering technique.
out one week later), it brought forth the to the constructional aspects. Since • If you have any queries or comments,
response, "Do you mean acoin holder?". need to budget well, how can 1boost my please write to Alan Winstanley, Circuit
Um, not quite. confidence? Surgery, Wimbome Publishing Ltd., Allen
Anyway, Tables Iand 2 are reference John Becker, our Technical Editor, ad- House, East Borough, Wimbome, Dorset,
table for the plethora of coin cells, vises that the "-04" devices are what we BH21 'PE United Kingdom.

546 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

 Cil POOL
TRIED & TRUSTED STRAIGHT FROM GERMANY
Eurocard \%
+ Tooling

Photoplots

V.A.T. CONTOUR?

ANY

MUITIMYER ?

NO ;MOSLEM!

afr

ON YOUR FIRST ORDER

(onty as long as stock lasts)

SERIE XXS incl.

Tooling
Photoplots
20%«" Iet 10b04?°°t VAT.

ofreilar
lily 25 pity 19 16 IOW f •.'"i
Ik' \tes. .c1.01.1

Eurocard + Soldermask + Position print

a

e eale
IRELAND
My ()dress/Fax numbe;
Beta LAYOUT Ltd. 1
u x/sencl back

o
PCB-Brokerage Send/ fax me the PCB-POOL®
LAYOUT 6 College Grove participation requirements.
Ennis -Co. Clare Please send me the PREVUE-DISC

100: c,Ds+ +353 (0) 65 66500o FAX 66514

free of charge.

connected = EURO analog

FAX
BBS
German Of6ce
Seta LAYOUT GmbH
pcbpool@beta layout. ie on Demand
624;1
File-Transfer Vie accee PCB-Brokerage
BBS Felt:Mirage 2
http://www. pc b-poo I
.co m 66515 66520 6(416_ Li" IMO ' 65326 Aarbergen
 Constructional Project

UNIVERSAL
INPUT
AMPLIFIER
ANDY MILLAR
A versatile little front-end amplifier giving a signal-to-noise ratio of 116dB,
rather better than digital!
with an impressive performance. The Universal Input Amplifier circuit
diagram shown in Fig. 1provides avoltage

I
TIs unfortunate that the sound quality of component. Despite the vast quantities of gain continuously variable from one (OdB
many items of low cost PA and record- new op.amps which have been launched or unity) suitable for tape machine, CD, and
ing sound equipment are let down by over the past few years, the single 5534 some musical instruments, to 1000 (60dB)
the performance of their input amplifiers. and dual 5532 still seem to be by far the suitable for low sensitivity microphones.
This is because the demands placed on a best general purpose audio op.amps for the Almost any music signal will fall some-
PA or recording input amplifier are really money in terms of gain range available and where between these two extremes. The
quite heavy. Ideally it should be able to input noise. frequency response is flat to within 0.5dB
cope with input signals ranging from the On the downside is their d.c. perfor- between 20Hz and 20kHz.
quietest microphone to the output of aCD mance, which is pretty poor compared One of the most difficult parts of design-
player, whilst having low distortion and with more modem devices, and so some ing an amplifier with awide range of gain
low noise at all times. care was required in the design of this settings is to achieve a sensible law or
The circuit described here is designed circuit to prevent d.c. offset problems. "feel" to the control. The human ear is
to replace the input stage of a mixer However, the noise performance, even of sensitive to logarithmic changes in level,
or pre-amp and will provide a gain the noisier 5532, is still very good. At full that is if you keep doubling the level of a
adjustable over a very wide range with gain the Universal Input Amplifier cir- signal it will sound as though it is increas-
low noise. It is also a straightforward cuit will have an output noise of about ing in equal steps, which is why we use the
task to assemble several of these circuits —60dBu over the audio band. dB scale for measuring audio levels.
into a simple mixer, as will be shown Since the maximum output level with An ideal gain control would vary the
later. ± 15V power rails will be about 20dBu, level steadily in dB, but it turns out that for
this gives a signal-to-noise ratio at maxi- most circuits this requires a"reverse log"
HIGH GAINS mum gain of 80dB — plenty good enough potentiometer (pot.). Although reverse log
The most critical part of ahigh gain low for Rock-and-Roll. At minimum (unity) pots. are made the author has never found
noise amplifier is the choice of amplifying gain the noise will be at about —96dBu aretail source for them.

Gain of 1st
stage (dB)

•— Gain of 2nd
stage (dB)

— — Total Gain
(dB)

Fig. 2. Gain laws for the amplifier

Fig. 1. Full circuit diagram for the Universal Input Amplifier. stages.

548 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

 However, by fitting a 10k resistor in this
CIRCUIT
DESCRIPTION
The Universal Input Amplifier circuit
position it is possible to make a simple
mixer by feeding the output of several COMPONENTS
Universal Input Amplifier circuits together
(Fig. 1) uses a combination of two as described later. INPUT AMP
different gain configurations to give a
reasonably good gain law — see Fig. 2 INPUT SCREENING Resistors
R1 47k (see text)
See
graph. To achieve this, the gain control is The input connector type will also R2 1k5
split into two stages around IC 1 a and
IC1b. Note that VR 1 a and VR I b are
depend on the application, however jack
type connectors are recommended as these
R3
R4
2k7
100k TALK
R5 51k Page
connected such that if their wipers (a) are available with an extra contact to
come off their tracks, as tends to happen R6 10k (see text)
"short out" the input when the mating
All 0.25W 5% carbon film
when pots get old and dirty, there is still a jack plug is removed (see Fig. 3). With
feedback path for the op.amps to help other types of connector the high input Potentiometer
prevent unpleasant bangs and crackles. impedance of the input may pick up VR1 47k dual rotary carbon.
Another reason for splitting the gain linear
unwanted signals (particularly mains hum)
between two stages is so that neither if the gain is set high when the input is Capacitors
op.amp is overworked. If distortion, noise, removed. Cl 1p. polyester
and offset are to be kept under control then The input connections should be made C2 3311 radial elect. 35V
the gain that is required from an op.amp with screened wire and the screen of the C3, C5 22p disc ceramic (2 off)
must always be considerably less than that C4 22p. radial elect. 25V
input connector must be connected to the
C6 1011 radial elect. 63V
available. OV connection of the p.c.b. for lowest C7. C8 100n disc ceramic (2 off)
The gain available from an op.amp at noise operation. If the input jack socket is
any particular frequency is given by the a plastic bodied type or otherwise insu- Semiconductors
gain-bandwidth product, always clearly Cl NE5532N dual low noise
lated from any "grounded" metalwork
given in the op.amp data, which for a5532 op.amp
then the other OV connection should be
is 10MHz. The op.amp will have its lowest made to the power supply. If the screen of Miscellaneous
gain at the highest frequency. the input socket will make aconnection to Ski 6.35mm ('14in) plastic bodied
For audio equipment 20kHz is normally the power supply through the metal chassis jack socket, with break
taken as the highest operating frequency, then no other OV connection should be contacts
so to find the gain available in the op.amp Printed circuit board available from
made to the board as this would make an EPE PCB Service, code 146; metal
we divide the gain-bandwidth product by earth loop, which could pick up hum. case, size to choice — see text; 8-pin
20kHz, giving us 10MHz/20kHz which is d.i.l. socket; screended cable; multi-
500. A good rule of thumb is that the gain strand connecting wire; solder pins (6
of the circuit should never be more than off); solder etc.
one-tenth (1/10) of the gain available, so
we should keep the gain of each stage of MONO MIX AMP (Optional)
this circuit below 50 (34dB). Resistors
In fact, the highest gain required in each R7 10k
stage is 32 (30dB). This leaves plenty of R8 100S2
gain available in the op.amp to counteract All 0.25W 5% carbon film
its internal distortion and noise. Potentiometer
Capacitors C2 and C4 keep the d.c. gain VR2 10k rotary carbon, log.
of each stage at unity to prevent large off-
sets, whilst C3 and C5 prevent oscillations. Fig. 3. Circuit symbol and wiring to Capacitors
-switched" input jack socket. C9 82p disc ceramic
Capacitors Cl and C6 a.c. couple the input
C10 10p. axial elect. 63V
and output respectively. C11, C12 100n disc ceramic (2 off)
Resistor RI sets the input impedance. It POWER SUPPLY
was found that 47 kilohm (47k) is suitable A suggested optional Power Supply circuit Semiconductors
for most signal sources, but for an in- diagram is shown in Fig. 4. Although it IO2 TL071CN low noise op.amp
put that will be used with a Guitar shows dual plus and minus 15V power
rails, the circuit will operate from any Miscellaneous
this should be changed to 470 kilohms.
Stripboard, size 11 strips x 10 holes
Note that contrary to popular belief both dual supply rails from ± 18V down to approx; 8-pin d.i.l. socket; multistrand
"low impedance" and "high impedance" about ± 5V. This will normally allow it to connecting wire; solder pins (5 off);
microphones can be fed into an impedance use the existing supplies when wired as solder etc.
of 10k or higher with no problems. a replacement into an existing piece of
The value of the output resistor R6 equipment. POWER SUPPLY (Optional)
depends on the circuit application. Nor- The power supply should be well Capacitors
mally this would be a 100 ohm resistor, smoothed, preferably with voltage 013.
which ensures the circuit will not oscillate regulators: Due to the 5mA current drain, C14 220i radial elect. 35V (2 off)
when a capacitive load, for example a it is not recommended that the circuit be C15 to
C18 100n disc ceramic (4 off)
screened cable, is connected to its output. run from batteries.
Semiconductors
REC1 W005 1.5A bridge rectifier
IC3 78L15 +15V 100mA
voltage reg. (see text)
IC4 79L15 —15V 100mA
voltage reg. (see text)

Miscellaneous
Si d.p.d.t. mains toggle switch
Ti mains transformer: 230V
a.c. primary; 15V-0V-15V
300mA secondary
FS1 0•5A anti-surge fuse, with
holder

Approx Cost
Guidance Only £1 6
excluding power supply
Fig. 4. Suggested dual voltage power supply circuit diagram.

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 549

 If you do need to provide an additional
power supply then use the one in Fig. 4,
this will power up to six Universal Input
Amplifier circuits with a mix amplifier 0
4 TPUT eH=.._, C60 c5

(Fig.7). For more circuits replace the 15V

co
VR Ib VR Ia
78L15/79L15 regulators with 781517915 e
0 1]
types, change the mains transformer to one •
+1
•15V •
FROM
ICI

1
POWER • ‘)
1:4 4
with a 1 A rating, and change the values of SUPPLY TV CI)

capacitors C13 and C14 to 470e. 111.-...f RI Hec3 c )

OV •

CONSTRUCTION SCREEN
•— f Ra I—•
INPUT • Cl •
Details of the Amplifier Printed circuit CORE •
board (p.c.b.) component layout, wiring
and full size underside copper foil master
are shown in Fig. 5. This board is available
from the EPE PCB Service, code 146.
Commence construction by mounting
the 8-pin d.i.l. socket for the op.amp, these
i.c.s do occasionally fail, in particular they
may become noisy. Also, this will allow
you to check that the voltage rails are the
correct way round before plugging in the
op.amp - even highly experienced en-
gineers get this wrong sometimes!
Follow this up by inserting the resis-
tors and capacitors, taking care with the . :77:031.
0 C.Cuj
o 146

polarities of C2, C4 and C6. Also, don't

forget the single wire link.
With the p.c.b. layout given, the board
is fixed to the chosen metal enclosure,
size will depend on set-up finally selected, Fig. 5. Input Amplifier printed circuit board component layout and full size copper
using the pot. mounting bush and nut of foil master pattern.
the Gain control VR1, which, being adual
device, will provide plenty of support for
the small p.c.b. If the circuit is built using
another method, such as stripboard, then
care should be taken to prevent oscillation
by keeping the pot. connections as short as
possible and the input and output of the
circuit well separated.

TESTING
Completed proto-
Testing the circuit is simply a matter
type board. Output
of connecting a signal source to the input
resistor R6 has
with the output connected to an amplifier
been replaced with
a link here.
and speaker - remembering to start with
the Gain control right down (anti-clock-
wise). A suitable signal source for testing
low gain settings would be a CD or cas-
sette player, whilst the high gain settings
would be best tested with amicrophone.
If the Universal Input Amplifier is used
to replace an existing input stage then
some investigation will be required to find
the best place to tap the signal in. This will
probably involve tracing out the existing
circuit, which 99 times out of 100 will
have the form of Fig. 6- if it doesn't then
you may require expert help!
Fig. 6 (above). Linking the Universal The existing coupling capacitor should
AT P
O
.15V Input Amplifier into an existing system. be removed and the output of the Univer-
lox sal Input Amplifier connected to the

I
CII

i2P
F

R8
10011
IINPUT
6 OUTPUT

VR2
10K LOG
CIO
VOLUME
1051 OV
O
C12 Is

15V
O

Fig. 7. Circuit diagram for a Simple

Mono Mixer. Fig. 8. Suggested stripboard component layout and wiring for the Mono Mixer.

550
Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997
"output" side (right) of the capacitor. The
signal input feed must be completely
isolated from the old circuit.
Alternatively, if your equipment has a
"Line" audio input you could build the
Universal Input Amplifier into a separate
box and connect its output to the "Line"
input. The screen of the output connec-
tor should then connect to the OV of the
Universal Input Amplifier.

MONO MIXER Completed Universal

To make the circuit into a simple self- Input Amplifier. You will
contained Mono Mixer, you will need as need one board for each input
many Universal Input Amplifier circuits as for the Mono Mixer.
inputs are required, with a 10k resistor
being used for R6 as mentioned earlier. INPUT I 'INPUT 21 INPUT 31 1INPUT
The outputs of all the Universal Input
Amplifiers are then simply wired together
and connected to the input of the single SCREEN
IN IN
i.c. Mono Mixer circuit shown in Fig. SIGNAL
OV
OV OV OV
7. Potentiometer VR2 will give a Master VR ,
o OV
Volume control if required.
A stripboard component layout for the
N N o-15V
Mono Mixer is given in Fig. 8. "Busbars" .1 o+15V
of tinned copper wire can be used to MIX
o BUS
join the outputs and the supply rails of
the Universal Input Amplifiers to simplify AMPL FIER AMPLIFIER AMPLIFIER AMPLIFIER
PC B PC B PC PC
wiring as shown in Fig. 9. Again, the OV
connection should NOT be made to the
power supply if it will connect through the Fig. 9. Wiring together several Input Amplifier boards for connection to the Mono
metal front panel and input connectors. Mixer stripboard

SQUIRES
MODEL AND CRAFT TOOLS
A comprehensive range of craft tools and
equipment featured in afully illustrated

100 page Mail Order Catalogue

1997 Issue
Robotic Arm Kits
SAME DAY DESPATCH TOYBOT -EDUBOT
5Axis open Kinematic Robotic arm kits with superb precision

FREE POST &PACKING CNC machined parts, PC controled with comprehensive

WINDOWS Software and fully programmable.
Con be interfaced with four external devices or other robots.
For your free copy of our catalogue PIC Servo Controller
write, telephone or fax to: Controls up to 8Servo
Fully Addressable
features two in and out ports for interfacing
Squires, The Old Corn Store, with up to 4external devices or other controllers

Chessels Farm, Hoe Lane, Phone for abrochure and price list
Bognor Regis, West Sussex
P022 8NW
robotics
3PARK GATE, GLASGOW, G3 6DL
MasterCard
Tel/Fax: 01243 587009 TELEPHONE: +44141353 2261 FAX +44 141 353 2614

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

Special Review

MEXPRESS SAS
FOR ENGINEERS
ROB MILES
Examining the latest in data A number is asingle value, perhaps the
voltage across two terminals, and you can
manipulation and presentation manipulate simple numbers with MExpress.
A vector, though, is aset of values, perhaps
software offered by Quickroute the voltage across acapacitor as it charges.
MExpress can accept arange of values and
Systems. then treat them as asingle vector. Take for
example, the circuit in Fig. I.

M
EXPRESS is officially described by When the switch is closed, the capacitor
software distributors Quickroute will charge up via the resistor, and there is
Systems as "BASIC" for scien- an equation which, for any given time, will
tists and engineers. The wording on the give us the voltage across the capacitor.
MExpress box describes it as a"Technical The numbers in Fig.2 represent the in-
Fourth Generation Language with Flexi- stantaneous charging voltage on a 1,000µF
bility and Power". In this review, we capacitor in series with a lki2 resistor when
examine the program, what it can do, and connected across a 100 volt source.
why it may be so useful to engineers. First, The voltages were calculated at quarter
let's look at some maths! second intervals, starting at time zero, and
Fig. 1. Circuit diagram for a simple RC were then input to MExpress as a vector.
network
MATHS AND
MEXPRESS Iqr=
Ede Edd endow delp
It you have a lot of calculations to
perform, you will probably want to use a
calculator, possibly a programmable one; >cap = 10,22,39,52,63,71,77,82,136,88,91,93,95,96,971 ;
you may perhaps resort to acomputer and >cap
maybe a spreadsheet in which you can cap =
work out totals and averages, plot graphs 0 22 39 52 63 71 77 82 86 88 91 93 95 96 97

and awhole lot more. >Plot2d(cap);

However, there are many tasks which

engineers and mathematicians would like
to perform with ordinary numbers that
spreadsheets cannot do easily, and this is Fig.2. Data for the voltage across a charging capacitor.
where software tools like MExpress come
in. MExpress, though, is not a "super- You can certainly use it to perform The last instruction plot2clIcapt: tells it to
spreadsheet", instead it might be regarded calculations, but you can also apply it to plot agraph. Fig.3 shows the result.
as atool on the next level up. build programs which are able to perform This is the curve we would expect. with
very complex tasks on large amounts of the rate of change slowing down as the volt-
data. These programs can then be em- age on the capacitor approaches the supply
bedded into other systems and "do the voltage. The values could, in this instance.
maths" for them. have been worked out using a spreadsheet.
Whilst there are already tools of this but, to give you an idea of the power of
kind available and engineers have been MExpress. consider the data shown in Fig.4.
using them for some time, the promise of
MExpress is that it will not only deliver
what other programs do, but do so at a
much-reduced cost. It also has afew extra
tricks up its sleeve.

VECTORS AND
MATRICES
>aumbers are the raw data that
calculators and spreadsheets work
with, and MExpress can indeed work
with ordinary numerical data. The
real power of the program appears
when you stan playing with vectors
and matrices.
Resultant exponential curve,
Demo screens composite supplied by Quickroute Systems. plotted as a2-dimensional graph.

552 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

 three disks, it is anuisance to keep swap-
EN IJjfj
Eat wee» dee ping them during installation.
-tied - car• 10 ; 21! Furthermore, the designers have saddled
>fled the program with a rather clumsy key
fred = mechanism, which updates a special file
0 220 390 520 620 710 770 820 860 890 910 930 950 960 970
>jim = iced + cap
onto the distribution disk each time you
>jilt -1 install or remove the program.
This can not only be annoying, but
0 242 49 7P1 .47 99: 9 46 968 1091 1927. 1045 1n5s 1067
any damage to your initial floppies might
jJ mean that you could have difficulties when
moving the program from one machine
Fig.4. More complex treatment of multiple vectors. to another. You might also get problems
when you back up and restore the key
A single statement has been performed. perform signal processing and analysis files.
and that has created anew vector, "Fred", using it (although you'd need apretty fast Quickroute Systems say they will re-
and then made a third vector. "Jim", by machine to do this in real time). place damaged disks if you send them the
adding "Fred" and "cap" together. This It is also able to manipulate bitmaps and originals, but even so, if the software had
shows that vectors can be treated as single images, so that you can perform image come on aCD-ROM, as so many packages
processing, or just enhance the appearance do these days, life could have been easier.
variables, and played with accordingly.
of your programs. In fact, the program was transported
The technique can now be expanded to
handle matrices, and this is where the fun over a number of machines during the
really starts! INSTALLATION review test and without problems, except
A vector is treated by MExpress as a MExpress requires an IBM-compatible that the Install program made rather
special kind of matrix: one having asingle PC running Windows 3.1 or later. How- a hash of modifying a particular
ever, since MExpress is a 32-bit program, autoexec.bat file. You do have the option,
row. A matrix is aset of values of a par-
ticular size. Matrices can hold many kinds you will obtain the best results if you run though, to make the changes manually, or
under Windows 95 or NT. particularly if to make no changes at all - which seemed
of data; you can even regard the screen of
your computer as amatrix, with anumber you want to use the Developer version. to work.
giving the colour and brightness of each of It is, perhaps, regrettable that MExpress Once running, the program did every-
is supplied on three floppy disks. Whilst it thing the manual said it would, and be-
the arrays of dots (pixels) on it.
MExpress lets you work with matrices is impressive that something of this power haved itself during testing with no nasty
in the same way that calculators let you and complexity can be fitted onto only crashes or hangups.
handle simple numbers. You can add
them, subtract them and multiply them "'VA! •pr ,.
Ede Ed* WUK10. He
together.
In addition, there is a range of built-in Sag 1%IíLJ
>list=101
mathematical tools which can be used to >for t=0.25 to 5 step 0.:5 do
analyse and process matrices, as well as > list = (list,100 + ( ( 0 - 100 )
a exp ( ( t * -1 ) / ( 1000 * 0.001 ) ) )
displaying them graphically. This means > end for ;
>list
that you can directly manipulate this form
list =
of data without having to write aprogram 10
specifically to handle the complicated Cols 1..8
variables. 0.0000 2.2120 3.9347 5.2762 6.3212 7.1350 7.7687 8.2623
Cols 9..16

PROGRAMMING Cols
8.6466
17..21
8.9460 9.1792 9.3607 9.5021 9.6123 9.6980 9.7648

It is possible to write àcriplà. which are 9.8168 9.8574 9.8889 9.9135 9.9326
programs that MExpress will execute for
you. For example. rather than manually
work out each value in turn for the
Fig. 5. User-written MExpress script.
capacitor in Fig. 1•the five-line program in
Fig.5 was typed in and used instead,
resulting in the figures shown below the 1111 MExpress Calcu__.
program. It looks alot like BASIC. FLAVOURS
Programs can be saved in files and There are two flavours of MExpress, the
you can create libraries of functions that Standard and the Developer versions. The
can be used in even more demanding Standard version costs £99 plus postage
applications. and VAT. The Developer version costs
Once you get the hang of program- £299 plus postage and VAT. There is a
ming you can go on to produce full-blown 30-day money-back guarantee.
Windows applications which have buttons, The Standard version interprets the pro-
pointers, sliders and all the gadgets which
Windows users seem to like! 7 8 9
grams that you write, which means that it
looks at each line of the program as it
The example shown in Fig.6. is an reaches it while running, figures out what
implementation of a calculator using is required and then does it.
MExpress. At this point, we have probably The Developer version produces pro-
come full circle!
4 5 6
grams that are compiled (by itself) while
If you use the Developer version of being written. Thus, when run, the system
MExpress, you can create freestanding does not have to spend time interpreting
programs that can then be distributed 1 2 3 each line as it occurs. This means that
without needing to make extra royalty programs can run several times faster.
payments to the designers of MExpress. You would really need the Developer's
You can also use the system to generate version if you wanted to make freestand-
components that can be made part of "C" Exit 0 ing programs, and it is also useful if you
programs. In this way you can integrate need MExpress programs to run as quickly
the mathematical abilities of MExpress in as possible.
your own software.
Programs can additionally import and it Start I;11Inbox- Microsoft Outl.. Note that to use the Developer version,
you also need a "C+ +" compiler, the
export audio samples in the standard Fig. 6. Windows Calculator application Microsoft or Borland versions being the
Windows .WAV format, so that you can written in MExpress. ones that are recommended.

Everyday Practical Electronics. August 1997 553

 The bottom line is that, unless you
specifically want speed, or want to give
your programs away, the Standard ver-
sion will probably suit you.

IN CONCLUSION
MExpress is a good product. To go
back to the description "Technical
Fourth Generation Language with Flexi-
bility and Power," it seems possible to
agree with most of it; MExpress is
undoubtedly a technically-orientated tool
for engineers.
Whilst the meaning of "Fourth Gen-
eration" is, perhaps, ambiguous when it
is applied to programming languages, in
this case, it probably means that you can
write programs which are very Windows-
like in operation, down to event-driven
buttons and sliders.
MExpress is probably as flexible as
a programming language can be, with
the added benefit of its mathematical
abilities. It is unlikely you would write a
word processor using MExpress, but
you can construct design, simulation or
analysis programs with this tool.
It provides similar facilities to other
Fig. 7. Demonstration of 3-dimensional data display.
systems already in the marketplace, but
its price makes it highly competitive, to aid porting of Meal) Level 4M files to screen, which activate functions in the
and the ability to make freestanding MExpress, which will become available in program to perform the designated tasks.
executable programs when using the beta-release form free from their WWW Compiled versions of MExpress
Developer's version is agreat asset. site in the near future. demonstration programs have been
The manual is well written and com- MExpress is a highly cost effective placed on the EPE FTP site:
prehensive — and no errors were spotted! software package that will enable you to ftp://ftp.epemag.wimborne.co.uk/pub/
It will not teach you to program, nor will perform complex data analysis and presen- software/mexpress.zip
it make you amathematical genius, but it tation functions, and to create custom For more information about MExpress,
will tell you how to use the system in a design and analysis tools. If this is what contact Quickroute Systems Ltd., Dept.
comparatively painless way. There is also you are looking for, it is strongly recom- EPE, Regent House, Heaton Lane, Stock-
a useful set of examples and demonstra- mended that you examine it. It is also great port, SK4 I BS. Tel: 0161 476 0202. Fax:
tion programs. fun to play with! 0161 476 0505.
Future versions of MExpress will be E-mail: info@quicksys.demon.co.uk.
able to make dynamic link libraries for MEXPRESS DEMOS Web: http:Pwww.quickroute.co.uk.
use with Microsoft Windows. These The screenshot in Fig.7 shows
"DLL" files are the key to how Win- MExpress in action from the demonstra- THE REVIEWER
dows applications actually integrate to- tion package that is provided with it. It Rob Miles is alecturer in the Department
gether, and this should make it even illustrates a graph containing multiple of Electronic Engineering, University of
easier to integrate MExpress into existing representations of the same data, in this Hull. E-tfiail: r.s.miles@e-eng.hull.ac.uk.
programs. case a matrix containing height He thanks Dr. Tony Wilkinson for also
Quickroute have also developed a tool information. Note also the buttons on the assessing the software.

SAVE NEARLY 25% ON COVER PRICE -SUBSCRIPTION PRICE HELD UNTIL SEPT 1
EVERYDAY il Name
PRACTICAL
Address

ELECTRONICS
SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM

Annual subscription rates:

UK £24.00.
Post code
Overseas £30.00 standard air service,
£47.50 express airmail.
l'enclose payment off
To.
(cheque/PO in fsterling only, payable to Everyday Practical Electronics).
Everyday Practical Electronics,
Alternatively send Mastercard or Visa number and card expiry date.
Allen House, East Borough,
Please charge my Visa/Mastercard
VVimborne,
Dorset BH21 1PF

CeD
Card Number
Tel: 01202 881749 torsi
Fax: 01202 841692 Card Ex Date Signature
(We cannot reply to overseas orders or queries by Fax) Please supply name and address of cardholder if different from the subscription address
E-mail: editorialo epemag.wimborne.co.uk shown above. Subscriptions can only start with the next available issue. For back numbers
Web site: http://www.epemag.wimborne co.uk see the Back Issues page.
M8/97

554 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

Transform your PC
into adigital oscilloscope, spectrum
analyser, frequency meter, voltmeter,
data logger for as little as £49.00
Picos Virtual Instrumentation enable you to use your
computer as a variety of useful test and measurement
instruments or as an advanced data logger.
Hardware and software are supplied together as a package
-no more worries about incompatibility and no programming required.
Pico Technology specialises only in the development of PC based data
acquisition instrumentation. We have the product range and experience The ADC-10 supplied with
to help solve your test and measurement problem. PicoScope gives your computer
asingle channel of analog input.
Call for your guide on 'Virtual Instrumentation'.
/eve- /e) £49
We are here to help you.
£59
with PicoLog

Data Logging
--7
Picos range of PC based data logging products enable you to easily
measure, display and record temperature, pressure and voltage signals.

TC-08 Thermocouple to PC Converter

• Supplied with PicoLog data logging software for advanced
temperature processing, min/max detection and alarm.
• 8Thermocouple inputs
• No power supply required.
TC-08 £199 TC-08 £224 with cal. Cert.
complete with serial cable &adaptor. Thermocouple probes available.

Virtual Instrumentation
Pico's PC based oscilloscopes simply plug into the parallel port NEW
turning your PC into afully featured oscilloscope, spectrum ADC-200
analyser and meter. Windows and DOS software supplied. ie

4'
' - /00 Dual Channel 12 bit resolution
The ADC-100 offers both a high sampling rate 100kHz and a
high resolution. Flexible input ranges (±50mV to ±20V) make the
unit ideal for audio, automotive and education use.
,417,e-/00 £199 ,17,e-100 with PicoLog £219
reVe-200 Digital Storage Oscilloscope
• 50 MSPS Dual Channel Digital Storage Scope
• 25 MHz Spectrum Analyser
• Windows or
DOS environment
• ±50mV to ±20V (E
• Multimeter irdçO

• 20 MSPS also available dee e

1
rive 200-20 £359.00 •,:1 •Iiiej Call
4/ for free demo disk and \
"ive 200-50 £499.00 product range catalogue
Both units are supplied with cables, Post & Packing UK £3.50, Export customers
power supply and manuals. add £9 for carriage & insurance.

Pico Technology Ltd. Broadway House, 149-151 St Neots Rd, Hardwick,

Cambridge. CB3 7QJ UK Tel: + 44 (0)1954 211716 Fax: + 44 (0)1954 211880
E-mail: post@picotech.co.uk Web site: http://www. picotech.co.uk/
Phone or FAX for sales, ordering information, data sheets, technical support. All prices exclusive of VAT

Everyday Practical Electronics 555

 PIC OR CHOOSE?

REA OUT
Dear EPE
As an avid reader of EPE since 1987, Ienjoy
the projects and articles (although not being in
the UK some flavour is lost for me). Ihave a
suggestion/problem that might revive the con-
John Becker addresses some of the general structional heydays:
points readers have raised. Have you anything I get the impression that the market in
interesting to say? Drop us a line! microcontrollers is fairly biased to the PIC and
its derivatives. Seeing that the projects published
(and the technology used) are largely beyond
your control, why not generalise the part of
PIC -TICK TIMING clock is "fast"): if they move to the right, the the project involving the microprocessor? This
Dear EPE clock is "slow". Adjust the clock's rick rate will mean that the project can be built by,
1 restore and repair clocks and recognise until the tick pulse appears to be stationary. The for example, an enthusiast of the 8051 and
in your PIC-a-Tuner (May '97) a possibly clock is then accurately set. For clocks ticking at its derivatives, or any of the other current
economical method of timing clocks. However. more than one pulse per second, set the sig-gen microcontrollers available. More generic info in
to do this it would be necessary to read frequency accordingly (e.g. 2Hz for two ticks the article will assist the constructor to get the
frequencies of 1Hz (as in the ease of a per second). JB project going without having to relive all the
grandfather clock). Can the software be modified development problems the original designer
to do this? RAILWAY SHORTS had!
J. J. McClure, Omagh, N. Ireland Dear EPE Louis Kirstein. Johannesburg, South Africa
Ihave taken EPE since it began, but mainly
It could be modified if you are familiar with due to lack of time Ifind Inever make the larger A stunned intake of breath and astonishment
PIC programming (I can't offer to do it for you). projects, plus the fact that Ihave found no use from yours truly! (Half an hour later:) It's not
But, although it can be done, in all honesty, it for them. the electronics that takes the design time in a
would not be the ideal way to achieve what you Because my other hobby of aGarden Railway microprocessor/controller based project, it's the
want. PIC-a-Tuner is very accurate for musical takes much of my time. Iwould like simple software writing!
tuning, but there is awider degree of acceptable projects like timers, flashers, light level controls, In a sense, any µcontrolled project can be
tuning range in music than there is in horology. proximity switches, speed controllers for small regarded as a generalised electronics base for
A fraction of a Hertz difference in musical motors, noise makers, temperature level con- which a variety of µcontrollers could be used.
tuning accuracy is unlikely to be noticed, espe- trollers, and so on. Don't tell me Ican get all But, and this is a big BUT, each µcontroller
cially in the very low frequency range. Clock these from books (and from back issues of EPE. type could well have different language/dialect
timing, though, requires far greater accuracy JB). I do already if required, but I like to requirements and interface facilities. There is
(as Iknow you know!). A fraction of a Hertz make different "simple" projects. Simple, in no way that most readers could take an elec-
inaccuracy for aclock can mount up to several this sense, means fairly easy and quick to make tronics base and adetailed program flow-chart
seconds of significant deviation over several and use in my situation. Ido already buy your and readily write their own software to suit
months, or even weeks. p.c.b.s and find this helps. the electronics presented in the magazine. Such
To , tune a clock to the required accuracy Eric Goodley. Doncaster projects have to be tailored to suit specific
using counting techniques, a digital readout of processors for which proven software is also
the time periods should be used, not an Between Jan '90 and Jun '97 we have pub- available as part of the published article.
analogue bargraph as used in PIC-a-Tuner. You lished four railway-type projects (plus numerous Even experienced programmers can have dif-
would then need to use a circuit which could related discussions in Interface), 25 timers, three ficulty translating between languages; expecting
count the number of "system" clock pulses flashers. 35 other lights projects. 18 switching readers to create their own software from flow
occurring between each clock tick, and the designs, four motor controllers, countless noise charts would be unrealistic. It's not just the
greater the number, the greater the accuracy of makers, seven temperature controllers, and the concept of the software which is important,
the count. "so ons" probably run into hundreds! These it's the implementation through the commands
Crystal controlled PICs can do the task, up to are, hopefully, what's helped to keep you with us available for aparticular processor.
a count rate of perhaps, at least ten times less over the years. Nice to hear from you. As an example. I've been writing machine
than the crystal frequency (the control command On apersonal note, let's hear from readers code for various projects and µprocessors for
instructions processed by the PIC to do the in favour of larger projects; all of us around 20 years. One of the projects (about
counting task slow down the sampling rate). It author/designers love designing, coming up with 1989) was a bike computer based on a 6502
would be critical, however, that the circuit an idea and seeing how it can be achiéved processor. plus Eprom, interface chip and
which detects the sound of each clock tick electronically (or just in software on aPC). but separate memory. It might seem, therefore,
should rapidly respond to each tick and produce for many of us it's the more complex design that my PIC-Agoras Wheelie Meter, which I
a pulse with a very fast leading (or trailing) challenges we prefer — something to get teeth designed to. replace it. would have required a
edge. This edge needs to trigger the counter and brain cells into. Please, people, encourage mere translation from 6502 to PIC. Not so! The
routine at identical points in the changing us with some supportive replies! end products are largely identical in function.
amplitude of the tick sound: not such an easy but because of the significantly differing com-
task for a comparatively slow changing audio BULLY FOR BULL (AND mand structures of the two processors. a total
source. OTHERS)! software rewrite was required. Apart from the
A more accurate pulse could be generated in Dear EPE fact that I knew what the design could and
the case of grandfather clock by using opto- Reading your piece on Bull Electrical (Innova- --should do. it was as though the 6502 design had
electronics, the pendulum repeatedly swinging tions, Jun '97) has prompted me to tell you of a never existed
between a sharply focussed -light source and a drill speed controller kit Ibought from them. This No. by their very nature, published IX
sensor, so creating sharply defined electrical was based on thyristor circuitry, which is "old projects must be designed for specific con-
pulses. Even that, though, could be subject to hat" today, but this was in '62 or '63 and was trollers.
error due to the slowness of the pendulum: in fairly advanced for its time. What's more, it's still Finally, we do have control over what designs
this case an averaging technique would have to in perfect working order. Even older was the mul- we publish' JB
be used, taking a given number of ticks over a timeter kit that Ibought from Bull's (albeit under
given period of time, and averaging the total one of their former names). This was possibly '59 ENGINEERING RECOGNITION (2)
microsecond (or even nanosecond) count as- or '60, but someone borrowed it and found it so Continuing to share with you the anonymous
sessed by the PIC. Its all more complex than useful that they forgot to return it. document circulating as multiple generation
PIC-a-Tuner is designed for. Iwas also one of Greenweld's first customers, photocopies (Readout, June '97), another way to
There is. though, a non-counting technique giving them one of their first big orders, for about recognise engineers is by their attitudes towards
that could be used, requiring a dual-trace os- 100 "Talking Book" machines, and that was gadgets:
cilloscope, frequency generator, small amplifier around 30 years ago. "To the engineer, all matter in the universe
and a microphone. Set the frequency generator My progress in electronics owes alot to these can be placed into one of two categories:
to exactly ¡Hz. Monitor its output on one scope two firms who have made it possible for those of I. things that need to be fixed. and
channel, setting the sync trigger to this channel. limited means to get some hands-on experience of 2. things that will need to be fixed after
Connect mic to amplifier, and the amplifier out- electronics which they could not otherwise afford. you've had afew minutes to play with them.
put to the scope's second channel. Set the scope We should all begrateful to them. "Engineers like to solve problems. If there are
sampling rate so that one pulse of the IHz sig- Alan J. Gamble, Burscough, Lanes no problems handily available, they will create
gen signal can be clearly and stably seen. Ar- their own problems. Normal people don't under-
range the mic and amp controls so that the clock Despite the (now retreating) recession, there stand this concept: they believe that if it ain't
ticks can be seen on the scope at a reasonable are still afair number of electronics companies broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it
amplitude. whose history goes back in time and to whom ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.
Observe at which point on the screen each many are grateful. Being EPE staff. Ican't men- To the engineer, the world is atoy box full of
tick pulse is being displayed (the pulse need not tion my own favourites. but we'll be pleased to sub-optimised and feature-poor toys."
be particularly "clean" — as would be needed hear about other readers' Company accolades. -Mind you, an engineer is also likely to ob-
for acounting technique). At each tick, the pulse Many newer companies are also setting simi- serve that life is too short to bother with mend-
will change its position relative to the IHz pulse lar quality and service trends for the current ing things: why waste time on the obsolete
trace. If the pulse appears to be moving to the generation. JB when there's so much else that needs to be
left, the ticks are occurring too rapidly (the invented? JB

556 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

 THE PARTS GALLERY
SPECIAL EPE
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS AND INTRODUCTORY
COMPONENTS
by MIKE TOOLEY Brooklands
OFFER
rNEIN
College of Further and Higher Education
10% OFF
with the coupon

CD•ROM Introduction

Fundamental
below

COYPU
Circuits Mounted PCs
tri a
d:
Passive Compon
Surface mounted components
allow crcuts to be bulk m the
Semiconducto smallest possible space

? rr Passive Circul

Active Circuit
SOO
'NM

'WW1
'NM
Na close-up ptcture of the
motherboard froto •laptop
computer shows some typical
surface mounted integrated
circuits
'WM

.400101 The two conventional ail lead

components will give you some
des of the scale of

Electronic Circuits I COMpOn rranniunsanonl

en Introduction n Wan vile awed en PM mein»

%. mom Molar wise» cm le
by Mike Tooley ecialnehlo Met ea emu as None
Presalhe tomb& Is plollm sues
Mike
Se( up Other Praia.
0 are

111•111 Anal

FRE E
5MB DEMO rid au -Me In /3" 01

from our Web site -http://www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk

Many students have a good understanding of Electronic Circuits and Components provides a
electronic theory, but still have difficulty in recognising sound introductiou to the principles and application of
the vast number of different types and makes of the most common types of electronic components and
electronic components. The Parts Gallery has been how they are used to form complete circuits. Sections
designed to help overcome this problem; it will enable on the disc include: fundamental electronic theory,
students to recognise common electronic components active components, passive components, analogue
and their corresponding symbols in circuit diagrams. circuits and digital circuits.
This CD-ROM also incorporates component and * Virtual laboratories, * Full audio commentary.
symbol quizzes so that students can test their * Over 20 links to pre-designed Electronics
knowledge. Workbench circuits
* Over 150 component and circuit photographs All text shown on each page is also spoken. Suitable
* 100's of electronic symbols for hobbyists, trainees and students. Covers Design
* Self-test component and symbol quizzes and Technology: Key Stage 4 Electronics GCSE,
Key Stage 3 Science. GNVQ
Electronics Key Stage 4. Inter-
PRICES PLUS VAT (UK postage FREE) Normal Price Discount Price mediate BTEC Electronics.
Minimum system require-
CD-ROM with (with valid coupon)
ments: PC with 486/25MHz,
HOBBYIST/STUDENT LICENCE £29 £26.10 VGA + 256 colours, CD-ROM
INSTITUTIONAL LICENCE £89 £80.10 drive, 8MB RAM, 8MB hard
(Schools/HE/FE/Industry) disk space. Windows 3.1, DOS
INSTITUTIONAL 10 USER 3.1, mouse, sound card.
NETWORK LICENCE £169 £152.10
CUT OUT AND SEND WITH YOUR ORDER
ORDERING: UK and EU readers ADD VAT at 17.5% to your order (UK
postage FREE). Overseas airmail postage add £5. All payments in £ sterling
only (send cheque or money order drawn on a UK bank).
Visa and Mastercard orders accepted -please give card number, card expiry date and 1 0 % OFF
cardholder's address if different from the delivery address.
Orders are normally sent within seven days but please allow amaximum of 28 days -longer EPE OFFER
for overseas orders. If you cut out and send this
Send your order to: Direct Book Service, 33 Gravel Hill, Merley, Wimborne, Dorset BH211RW
coupon with your order and
(Mail Order Only)
Direct Book Service is adivision of Wimborne Publishing Ltd., publishers of EPE.
post it before Aug 31st 1997.
Tel: 01202 881749. Fax: 841692 (Copies not accepted -orders
Due to the cost we cannot reply to overseas orders or queries by Fax. posted after Aug. 31st
E-Mail: editorial@epemag.wimborne.co.uk charged at full price
 BACK ISSUES
EVERYDAY

PRACTICAL
ELECTRONICS
We can supply back issues of EPE by post, many issues from the past five years are available. An index for each year is
also available -see order form. Alternatively, indexes are published in the December issue for that year. Where we are
unable to provide aback issue aphotostat of any one article (or one part of aseries) can be purchased for the same price.

DID YOU MISS THESE?

PROJECTS • Simple PIC16C84 Programmer
PROJECTS • Video Fade-To-White • Direct GENT?
Conversion Topband and 80m Receiver •
• Mains Signalling Unit - 2 • PIC Electric ED AN ARTICLE TODAY?
Vehicle Alert • 10MHz Function Generator.
Meter -1 • Van-Speed Dice • Analogue
FEATURES • Introduction to Satellite Televi- TRY OUR FAX ON
Frequency Meter.
FEATURES • Teach-In '96 Part 4• Circuit Sur-
sion • Ingenuity Unlimited • Circuit Surgery • DEMAND SERVICE
Net Work -The Internet. -see opposite for details
gery • Making Your Own P.C.B.s • Techniques
-Actually Doing It.

tzoliakasiuminimpr PROJECTS S D.C.-to-D.C. Converters • Central

PROJECTS • Simple Dual-Output TENS Unit
Heating Controller • EPE Elysian Theremin,
PROJECTS • Mind Machine Mk Ill Part 1 • • Video Negative Viewer • Tri -Colour NiCad
Part 1• Tuneable Scratch Filter.
High Current Stabilized Power Supply • Multi- Checker • How To Use Intelligent L.C.D.s -2•
FEATURES • Build Your Own Projects, Part 1
Purpose Mini Amplifier • Infra-Zapper • PIC - Oil Check Reminder.
• Ingenuity Unlimited • Circuit Surgery • Net
Electric Meter -2. FEATURES • Interface • Ingenuity Unlimited •
Work • Interface.
FEATURES • Teach-In '96 Part 5 • Ingenuity Build Your Own Projects, Part 5• Digital TV -
Unlimited • Flight PAL Trainer Review. The Reality • Circuit Surgery • Net Work.
efieTRONICS
FREE • Headphones (UK copies only).
PROJECTS • 418MHz Remote Control Sys-
tem • Midi Matrix • Puppy Puddle Probe •
PROJECTS • Bat-Band Converter • Event PIC -Agoras Wheelie Meter -1.
Counter • Mind Machine Mk Ill Part 2 - FEATURES • Interface • Ingenuity Unlimited •
Programmer • Hearing Tester. Digital TV and MPEG2 • EDWin NC Software
FEATURES • Teach-In '96 Part 6 • Circuit Review • Circuit Surgery • Net Work.
Surgery • Thermionic Valves Part 1.

PROJECTS • 2Metre FM. Receiver • EPE PIC-

PROJECTS S Midi Analyser • Mind Machine
DEC '96 A-Tuner • Alarm Operated Car Window Winder
I Quasi-Bell Door Alert • PIC -Agoras Wheelie
Mk Ill Part 3 - Tape Controller • Versatile PIR PROJECTS • Van-Colour Christmas Tree
Lights • PIC Digital/Analogue Tachometer • Meter -2.
Detector Alarm • Countdown Timer • Bat
Stereo Cassette Recorder • EPE Elysian FEATURES • Ingenuity Unlimited • Circuit
Band Converter B.F.O.
Surgery • Techniques - Actually Doing It •
FEATURES • Teach-In '96 Part 7 • Ingenuity Theremin, Part 2.
Great Experimenters - 1• Type 7660 Voltage
Unlimited • Thermionic Valves Part 2 - The FEATURES • Build Your Own Projects, Part
Converters • ADC200 Storage Oscilloscope
C.R.T. 2 • Interface • Circuit Surgery • Ingenuity
Interface Review • Net Work.
Unlimited • Net Work -Internet News.

PROJECTS • Sarah's Light • Ultra-Fast PROJECTS • PIC Digilogue Clock • Child

PROJECTS • Earth Resistivity Meter, Part 1• Minder Protection Zone • Pyrotechnic
Frequency Generator and Counter Part 1• VU
Psycho Rat • Theremin MIDI/CV Interface, Part Controller • Narrow Range Thermometer.
Display and Alarm • Pulstar • Home
1• Mains-Failure Warning. FEATURES • Great Experimenters - 2
Telephone Link.
FEATURES • Teach-In '96 Part 8 • More FEATURES • Ingenuity Unlimited • Build Your • Circuit Surgery • Interface • Reactobot and
Scope for Good Measurements Part 1• Circuit Own Projects, Part 3 • Circuit Surgery • Virtual •Reality • Ingenuity Unlimited • Net
Surgery • Miniscope Review. Interface • Net Work -Internet News • PCS32 Work.
Storage 'Scope Interface Review.
• . PROJECTS • Micro PEsT Scarer • Karaoke
PROJECTS • Pacific Waves • How To Use Echo Unit • Infra-Red Remote Repeater •
Intelligent L.C.D.s, Part 1 • PsiCom Experi- Computer Dual User Interface • Micropower
mental Controller • Earth Resistivity Meter, PIR Detector -1.
Part 2• Theremin MIDI/CV Interface, Part 2. FEATURES • Ingenuity Unlimited •Techniques
FEATURES • Ingenuity Unlimited • Build Your - Actually Doing It • Circuit Surgery • Great
Own Projects, Part 4 • Circuit Surgery • Experimenters - 3 • Electronics Workbench
Interface • Net Work -Internet News. V5.0 Review • Net Work.

BACK ISSUES ONLY £2.75 each inc. UK p&p.

Overseas prices £3.35 each surface mail, £4.35 each airmail.
We can also supply issues from earlier years: 1990 (except Jan., March, Oct. and Dec.), 1991 (except May, June, Aug.,
Sept. and Nov.), 1992 (except April and Dec.), 1993 (except Jan., Feb., March, April and May), 1994 lexcept April, May,
PROJECTS • Advanced NiCad Chargers June and Nov.), 1995 (except Jan., May, June, Sept., Nov. and Dec.). 1996 (except Feb., July, Aug.).
• Single-Station Radio 4 Tuner • Games Please note we are not able to supply copies (or 'stats of articles) of Practical Electronics prior to the merger of the two
magazines in November 1992.
Compendium • Twin-Beam Infra-Red Alarm • Where we do not have an issue aphotostat of any one article or one part of aseries can be provided at the same price.
Ultra-Fast Frequency Generator and Counter -2. 1M1 MI WINI •IMe 1M MM. 1M1 IMO 1M1 .» ••• oM, 1M1 MI
FEATURES • Teach-In '96 Part 9 • More ORDER FORM -BACK ISSUES -PHOTOSTATS -INDEXES
Scope for Good Measurements Part 2• Circuit
Surgery • The Internet • Ingenuity Unlimited. IE ;Send back issues dated
E] Send photostats of (article title and issue date)
[__] Send copies of last five years indexes (£2.75 for five inc. p&p -Overseas £3.35 surface, £4.35 airmail)
PROJECTS • Component Analyser • Garden
Mole-Ester • Mono "Cordless" Headphones • I Name •
Bike-Speedo • Mobile Miser. IAddress
FEATURES • Teach-In '96 Part 10 • Circuit
Surgery • Ingenuity Unlimited • Spies, Lies
and Electronics • EPT 3.0 Review. E Ienclose cheque/P.O./bank draft to the value of £

7 Please charge my Visa/Mastercard £

PROJECTS • Analogue Delay and Flanger • ICard No. Card Expiry Date
Simple Exposure Timer • PIC-Tock Pendulum I Note: Minimum order for credit cards £5. Please supply name and address of cardholder if different from that shown above
Clock • Draught Detector • Power Check. SEND TO: Everyday Practical Electronics, Allen House, East Borough, Wimbome, Dorset BH21 1PF.
I Tel: 01202 881749. Fa, 01202 841692. (Due to the cost we cannot reply to overseas queries or orders by Pay.)
FEATURES • Circuit Surgery • Ingenuity
E-mail:editorialPepemag.vvimborne co uk
Unlimited • Net Work - The Internet • Payments must be in Csterling -cheque or bank draft drawn on aUK bank Normally supplied within seven days of receipt of order
MAX038 Waveform Generator. Send acopy of this form, or order by letter if you do not wish to cut your issue.
-------- - 1•111 1M1 1M1 1M1 "MI .1.1• ------

558 Everyday Practical Electronic.s. August 1997

 FAX ON DEMAND IRON/ SAFETY
EVERYDAY DEVICE
PRACTICAL Protect your clothes and
prevent apossible fire with
ELECTRONICS this novel device. Asimple
and easy to build unit that

ON FAX
will warn if an iron is
horizontal and has not
moved for more than five
seconds, thus preventing
WHY WAIT? the singe marks and holes
We Give You The Fax! so often produced when
the "operator" is distracted.
Projects and Series This design won awards in
the 1997 Young Electronic
From Past Issues of EPE Designer Awards -including
the Texas Instruments award
AVAILABLE INSTANTLY! '
l for the most commercially
24 HOURS A DAY! viable project
-and

H
wE you ever wanted to get hold of apast project ---- -- the 1996
or part of aTeach-In series fast? EPE ON FAX is - Duracell Science
aservice aimed at providing you with the article you and Technology schools
need, on-demand, seven days aweek, 365 days ayear, competition. s
24 hours aday.
All the projects and major series from the the April
'95 issue onwards have been stored on computer and Pi1I #P 1A ry. r• A

linked to a sophisticated selection system that uses

the latest voice and Fax technology. You can select the An "active whip antenna" designed to aid reception of
article you require from a menu and have it down- 1.5MHz to 5MHz hi radio signals. A boon for those who do
loaded to any UK Fax machine on demand. not have space to erect along wire or dipole type antenna, it
The service will be constantly updated with new offers comparable performance and is compatible with any
material as each issue is published, thus providing a communications or broadcast receiver. When used with
live, instantly available, resource. inefficient receivers with apoor image response and a
tendency to overload this compact unit will provide a
marked improvement in performance.
HOW TO USE EPE ON FAX
• From your tone telephone or Fax machine call 0991 002
225, making sure that your handset is switched to "tone".
You will then hear aseries of messages, which will help to There are times when it's fun to design or build something
guide you through the system. that offers no significant benefits other than the fact
• For a copy of the index, which contains the article that it is fun to do it! Noughts & Crosses is atraditional
numbers and the number of pages of each article, press "1" game that can be played using almost anything to hand,
when prompted. paper and pencil, sand and fingers, or even apples and
pears. It doesn't need hi-tech equipment. But hi-tech
• To obtain aparticular article, press "2" when prompted
and, when requested, enter the article number you want equipment can do it, so why not use it -just for the
from the keypad on your phone or Fax machine. The pleasure of it? So, have fun, build our microcontrolled
system will then confirm your selection. Le.d. OX0 machine.
• When you have selected the document that you require,
you will then be prompted to enter the phone number of ceLUS ALL OUR REGULAR SERIES
the Fax machine you want the article or index sent to,
including the dialing code, finishing with the # key; the 4ND FEATURES
system will then confirm the phone number. Ring off and Place an order with your newsagent or take out a
the Fax will automatically be sent to the given number. subscription -and save over £7 -NOW (see page 554 for
subscription details).
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
EPE ON FAX service is ahigher rate premium line phone
service. Calls cost £1.50 aminute. First time use should cost
no more than £3 per index or article. Subsequent use should EVERYDAY
only be £1.50 per article.
NOTE. Articles over six pages long are split in two, requir-
ing two calls.
PRACTICAL
FURTHER INFORMATION
If you would like further information about how this project
va sput together, ring Starcomm I.imited on (0 I13) 294 0600.
ELECTRONICS
DON'T MISS THIS ISSUE
TRY IT NOW! SEPTEMBER ISSUE ON SALE
CALL 0991 002 225 FRIDAY, AUGUST 1
Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 559
INTER
Robert Penfold
AUDIO FREQUENCY METER INTERFACE
IN RECENT Interface articles we have
considered a number of test instru-
ments based on aPC, and we continue in
the same vein this month with an Audio
Frequency Meter Interface.
This is a function that could probably
be achieved largely in software, either
by counting the number of pulses in a
given period of time or by measuring the
period of one cycle. Either way, it would
probably require amachine code routine
to handle things with adequate accuracy,
but these are interesting approaches that
Iwill investigate in the future.
The current design relies largely on
hardware to do the work, with the com-
puter providing the display and control
logic. The interface is still quite simple,
and it is designed to connect to a bi-
Fe.1. The Audio Frequency Meter Interface block diagram.
directional parallel printer port. It should monostable which has three switched monostable to be triggered, and then
also work properly with any computer resistors to provide the three gate times. after a suitable delay the reading is
port that can provide eight input lines The monostable is activated by way of a taken.
plus two handshake outputs and one handshake output of the printer port. A The delay is provided in software
handshake input. trigger circuit is used ahead of the gate, and is a little over one second on all
However, the software will obviously and this provides a pulse output signal three ranges (i.e. slightly longer than the
need some adjustment for operation with that is compatible with the logic cir- longest gate time). The ninth bit of the
a different input port. The 8-bit resolu- cuitry regardless of the input level or counter is checked repeatedly while the
tion of the system means that it will waveform. count is in progress, and a suitable
not achieve the same degree of accuracy A minimum input level of about 150 warning produced if this bit is set.
as an expensive digital frequency meter millivolts r.m.s. is needed in order to
(d.f.m.), but it is still adequate for many operate the trigger circuit and produce a The Circuit
purposes, and is at least as good as an reading. The circuit diagram in Fig.2 shows the
analogue frequency meter. The counter is a 9-bit type, but only trigger, gate, and monostable stages of
The block diagram of Fig.1 shows the eight bits are used to provide readings. the Audio Frequency Meter Interface.
general scheme of things used in this The ninth bit is read by a handshake in- Transistor TR1 is used as an emitter
frequency meter. It operates on the nor- put and is used to provide a warning to follower buffer stage which provides the
mal pulse counting method with gate the user if the counter overruns. unit with an input impedance of about
periods of 10 milliseconds, 100 mil- A handshake output is used to control 250 kilohms.
liseconds, and one second. In conjunction the reset input of the counter and this Capacitor C3 couples the output from
with an 8-bit counter, these provide full must be activated to clear the counter the buffer stage to a simple trigger cir-
scale frequencies of 25.5kHz, 2.55kHz before a new reading is taken. The basic cuit based on transistors TR2 and TR3.
and 255Hz. sequence of events when taking a read- This drives the signal gate which is one
The gate periods are controlled by a ing is for the counter to be reset, the of the four 2-input NOR gates in IC1; a

+5V

I Cl R1 R4 R6 R9
100r1 470k 56k 3k9 2k2 VR1 VR2 VR3
2M2 I220k I 22k

si

.L
C5 Range
330n 14
R7 C4
15k 150p '11
1
TR1 2 13
C3
BC549 10u BC549
3 12
2 IC2
SKI C2
4 11
In ut 220r
0-1 R3 5 4047BE 10
5C549 IC3 pin 1
6 9
7
•— OStrobe
R2 / R3 R5 R6 R8
IC1 = 4007BE
680k 5k6 39k 470R 8k2

OV

Fig.2. The circuit diagram for the trigger, gate and monostable stages.

560 Everyday Practical Electronics. August 1997

 Listing 1: Audio Frequency Meter
Program (GW BASIC/QBASIC)
To Bi—D:dectional Pr .nte• Por.
5 REM FREQUENCY METER PROGRAM
DO Dl 02 D3 04 D5 D6 D7 Busy bit Gnd 6 REM REQUIRES PC WITH
o o BI-DIRECTIONAL PRINTER PORT
10 CLS
RIO R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17
20 LOCATE 7,30
33OR 330R 330R 330R 330R 33OR 33OR 33OR
30 PRINT "RANGE 1"
40 M =1
'2 6 15 14 112 11114
50 OUT &H37A,32
60 OUT &H37A,33
[C3 ICc
70 OUT 84H37A,37
80 OUT &H37A,33
ICI 40248E 40243E 90 T! = TIMER
pm 3 100 T! = T! + 1.2
110 X! = TIMER
120 tF (INP(8.H379)) < 128 THEN GOTO
360
130 IF XI < T! GOTO 110
150 A$ = 1NKEY$
160 IF A$ = "1" THEN GOSUB 240
170 IF A$ = "2 - THEN GOSUB 280
180 IF A$ = "3" THEN GOSUB 320
Fig 3 The circuit diagram for the counter stages. Only nine of the fourteen stages 190 LOCATE 5,30
are actually used. 200 F = (INP(8.1-1378))
210 F = F•M
220 PRINT F"HERTZ "
CMOS 40016E. The other three gates of The Software 230 GOTO 60
this package are left unused. The GW BASIC/QBASIC listing 240 LOCATE 7.30
A high control signal to pin 2of IC1 a shown in Listing 1provides a frequency 250 PRINT -RANGE 1"
blocks the output signal at pin 3, and a readout in Hertz. It prints the range in 260 M =1
low control level enables the input sig- use on the screen, and the required range 270 RETURN
nal to pass through to the output. The is selected by pressing keys 1, 2, and 3. 280 LOCATE 7.30
signal undergoes an inversion through 290 PRINT "RANGE 2"
The program is set to range 1 initially
ICla but this is of no practical conse- 300 M = 10
(the 255Hz range). 310 RETURN
quence. The range must be set separately on 320 LOCATE 7.30
Component IC2 is a CMOS 4047BE the interface and on the computer, but it 330 PRINT RANGE 3"
astable/monostable, which in this cir- would be possible to use an extra pole on 340 M = 100
cuit is connected to operate as apositive switch S1 to indicate the range in use to 350 RETURN
edge-triggered monostable. The dura- the computer. This type of thing has been 360 LOCATE 5.30
tion of the output pulse is governed by covered in previous Interface articles. 370 PRINT "OVERLOAD "
capacitor C5 and whichever of the three 380 D=1
After some initial setting up, line 50
presets (VR1 to VR3) is selected using 390 T! = TIMER
sets the data lines of the printer port as 400 T! = T! + 1.2
switch SI. inputs (see Interface Feb. '97 for more 410 X! = TIMER
The three presets provide the unit information on bi-directional printer 420 IF X! < T! GOTO 410
with its three measuring ranges, with ports). The next three lines then generate 430 GOTO 60
the 255Hz, 2.55kHz, and 25.5kHz the pulses which reset the counter and
ranges being provided by VR1 to VR3 trigger the monostable. has been pressed, the program goes into
respectively. Each preset must be A delay of about 1.2 seconds is then one of three subroutines that change the
adjusted for good accuracy on its range, provided with the aid of the TIMER func- range message printed the on-screen.
and a source of calibration frequencies tion, and this gives the hardware time to The value assigned to variable "M" is
is therefore needed in order to set-up take areading. At the same time, bit 9of also altered. After the range checking
this project ready for use. the counter is repeatedly checked by line routine the counter is read, the returned
A crystal calibrator having low fre- 120, and the program exits the loop if an value is multiplied by "M", and the fre-
quency output signals is ideal, but a overload occurs and this bit is set. quency in Hertz is then printed on the
calibrated audio signal generator or The routine at line 360 onwards prints screen. The program then loops back to
function generator should provide sig- a warning message on the screen, line 60 and starts taking anew reading.
nals of adequate accuracy. Preferably, provides adelay of 1.2 seconds, and then A continuous stream of readings are
each calibration frequency should be loops back to line 60 where a new therefore taken and displayed at approx-
more than 50 per cent of the full scale reading is commenced. imately 1.2 second intervals. There is no
frequency for the range it will be used If no overload is detected, the program built-in provision to break out of the pro-
to calibrate. checks to see if arange selection key has gram, but the usual Control-Break com-
The circuit diagram for the counter been pressed and, if an appropriate key bination will bring the program to ahalt.
stages appears in Fig.3. Two CMOS
4024BE 7-stage binary counters are used
in series to provide a 14-stage counter,
05 04
but only the first nine stages are ac-
06 D3

1
tually utilised.
The outputs of the first eight stages
DI 02
drive the data inputs of the computer's D1
printer port via current limiting resis- Busy DO
tors R10 to R17. These resistors are Strobe
needed because the data lines of the
printer port will default to behave as
outputs at switch-on, which results in
two sets of outputs connected together. D000000000000
These resistors are high enough in
value to prevent damage to either set of
outputs, but are low enough in value
600000000006/
to ensure that they do not have a
detrimental effect on the circuit's per-
formance.
Bit 9of the counter is read by the busy
handshake input of the printer port and
the reset input of the counter is driven by Fig 4. Connection details for the printer pod. The connections to the pod are via a
the initialise handshake output. 25-way male D-type connector.

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 561

Constructional Project

MICROPOWER
Pin
DETECTOR
ANDY FL/ND Part 2
A three module integrated intruder occasional passer-by is to be expected.
even though this may only be the owner
deterrent. The PIR is a self-setting, moving around the protected property.
As an example of the efficiency of this
stand-alone, battery powered type of system. the author uses one to
module for boats, caravans, protect agarage door facing onto a foot-
path occasionally used by the public. The
garages or garden sheds. pulse count is set to fifteen and requires
a seven-second interval before restarting

A
S MENTIONED last month, the con- from zero, and it hardly ever gives false
struction of an effective intruder PULSE COUNTING alarms. Loitering in front of it for around
alarm system requires more than An effective vva) to adjust the sen- ten seconds sets it off without fail how-
just the p.PIR Detector. A means of adjust- sitivity of aPIR detector is to use a"pulse ever. and apart from preventing burglary
ing sensitivity is often needed, together counting" technique. A simple PIR circuit. it has proved very useful in deterring lo-
with atimer for setting the alarm duration such as that shown last month, responds to cal children intent on destroying anearby
when triggered. A facility for resetting this changes in the level of infra-red radiation. earth bank.
timer is usually necessary, and of course a producing a series of pulses as the in-
power output stage is needed to operate a truder's body moves around the detection CIRCUIT
siren, flashing beacon or other warning area. These pulses are counted by the
DESCRIPTION
device. circuit and, should a sufficient number
The full circuit of the PIR Control Sys-
For use with the p.PIR Detector unit occur without a reasonably long interval
tem is shown in Fig. I. It is designed to be
(last month) these control functions between them, the alarm is triggered.
used with a separate power supply with
should use very little current so that a There are two main reasons why sen-
a nominal value of I2V d.c.. a practi-
complete battery-operated system can be sitivity may need to be reduced in this
cal source being a pack of eight "C" or
built for use in remote locations where way. One is that an alarm that responds
"D" cells which will also be capable of
mains power is not available. Fortunately. to a single pulse may be triggered by
supplying a few hundred milliamps to a
using CMOS components it is possible to all sorts of spurious inputs, caused by
siren.
construct a Control circuit that draws no animals, birds or even insects crossing its
The output of the p.PIR Detector is
current at all in the "standby" condition. field of view. The other is that the installa-
connected to the input points A and B. On
Power is only required during operation tion may cover an area where, perhaps, the
detecting asignal, the detector sinks cur-
following asignal from the Detector.
rent from the "pull-up" resistor RI, so
the "active" input condition is "low".
Using the "Schmitt" gate ICI d, one of
four contained in a 4093B device, to-
The Control Board. gether with low-pass filtering from resis-
tor R2 and capacitor Cl, ensures that
glitch-free pulses with rapid rise and fall
times are applied to the "Clock" input,
pin 1. of the 4024B counter IC2. The
input is inverted by ICI d so that the
pulses from its pin 11 are positive-going.
These pulses also turn on transistor
TRI which discharges capacitor C2 to
take the Reset cónnection pin 2 of IC2
low, this being the counter's "enabled"
state. The count advances on the negative
edge of the clock so it actually counts on
the trailing edge of each input pulse.
The first five outputs (Q1 to Q5) are
connected through five two-way d.i.l.
switches to inputs of the 4068B NAND
gate IC3. allowing selection of any
combination between Iand 31 pulses as
the number that will cause the output of

562 Everyday Practical Electronics. August 1997

 DIRECT
OUTPUT

01
1N4148

a >I k

14

Ve

05
CLK
PULSED
IC2 04
OUTPUT
40249

9
03
IINPUT

PST 11
o- CONTINUOUS
OUTPUT

12
(DI

-b•
954 D7 SUPPLY
10051 1N4003 .Ve
O
16
C4
DISARM 100 ,1 •Ve
& RESET
OUT
03 IC4a
1N4148 14 40018 Cue
a >I '
IC5 0 +
40608

e IN4148
•
OSO IN OUTPUT

04 V
1N4148
IC4c IC4d
()SCOUT
4 9 40018 2 4°058

° a» 2' 12
13

SUPPLY
-Ve

Fig.1. Circuit diagram for the Micropower P1R ControIlei.

IC3 to go low. When it does so, it holds TIMER CIRCUIT TR2 and resets 105 ready for further
the clock to IC2 low via diode Dl, so that The output timer is built from the 4001B triggering.
the circuit remains in the "operated" quad NOR gate IC4, and the 4060B A positive voltage applied to pin 1 of
condition. counter, IC5, which has an internal oscil- 1C4a at any time will also reset thç flip-
When the input is not active, transistor lator. Gates 1C4a and IC4b are connected flop to turn off TR2. Holding this point
TRI is "off" and capacitor C2 is charged to form a"set-reset" flip-flop. positive prevents the circuit from operating
by resistor R5. It takes about seven A positive voltage applied to capacitor to provide a"disarmed" condition.
seconds to reach a high enough value to C5, either from IC 1 a through diode D4 An input, such as aswitch, that is either
reset 1C2, so a gap of this length is or from an external input connected to positive or floating can be applied directly
required to restart the count or to reset the point F. results in a pulse at pin 6 of to input point E. but one that has an active
circuit once it has operated. 1C4b which sets it to the state where its low state such as aCMOS output must be
output pin 4 is low and 1C4a output pin connected through point D so that diode
OUTPUT SELECTION 3 is high. The positive voltage from pin D3 will allow resistor R9 to take pin 1of
Three outputs are available from this 3 turns on TR2, an inexpensive power 1C4a high. Diode D3 also allows the "dis-
part of the circuit. ICIc inverts the out- MOSFET which can switch several am- arm" connections of several boards to be
put from IC3 to give a Continuous Out- peres if the power supply can deliver it, connected in parallel.
put which goes high on operation and via diode D5 and resistor R12.
remains high until IC2 is reset. This is All positive input pulses are also ap- USEFUL FEATURES
combined with the input through NAND plied to input pin 8 of IC4c, resulting This tinier circuit has some useful fea-
gate 1C1b and passed through the time in negâtive pulses from this gate and tures that may not be immediately obvious.
constant of capacitor C3 and resistor R6 positive ones from IC4d which reset the The timing period is easily set by changing
to the inverting gate ICI a, to generate a counter to zero each time. When 1C4c pin the value of resistor RII , which gives
brief pulse at the Pulsed Output for each 8 returns to the low state with a low also about a minute for each 33 kilohms of
further input pulse from ,the detector after set on pin 9, the Reset input to IC5 resistance. Timing begins from the end of
the counter has operated. becomes low which allows its internal the last input pulse. so it will not "time-
This "pulsed" output is the one that is clock to run and counting commences. out" whilst the intruder remains within
normally used for triggering the timer to If there are no further input pulses, range of an associated P1R detector.
sound the alarm. A Direct Output that following a period set by the values of The Disarm inputs always override the
goes high for each pulse from the detec- the clock components C6 and R11, the signal input so TR2 is always "off' whilst
tor is also available for readers wishing to output from IC5 pin 3 goes high. This one of these is active. Capacitor C5
monitor the system or experiment with it. resets the flip-flop, which then turns off ensures that it will time-out if a fault

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 563

results in apermanently high input. In the circuits, although the current available is The value of 33 kilohms (33k) shown
"standby" condition it draws no current at limited by resistor R14. Multiple Disarm for resistor R11 gives the timer aperiod of
all, so prolonged use from battery supplies connections can be connected to points D about a minute but this may easily be al-
is possible (unless it is triggered very or E, though this is not really advisable as tered. For example, 330k will give about
frequently!) one of them might inadvertently be left 10 minutes.
Although the complete board can be active. The switches SI to S5 are described as
used to make an effective alarm with a "sub-miniature s.p.d.t. dual-in-line", and
single PIR input, additional inputs are CONSTRUCTION are available in banks of 1, 2 or 4. For
provided for building up a more complex Despite the many features and the flexi- this circuit, a bank of four is used for SI
system where this is required. Extra con- bility of this circuit, it is compact and to S4 and a single one is used for S5.
trol board(s) are needed for this, but simple to construct. As with the p.PIR Be warned, the minimum spacing between
usually only part of the circuit will be Detector, care should be taken to avoid banks is 0.15in. so two "2's" cannot be
needed for the additional features. contamination of the p.c.b. from excessive used to replace the "4", they won't fit on
As triggering is effected by positive handling as some of the impedances used the board!
pulses through diode D4 with the "pull- are fairly high. This applies especially Internally they consist of two switches
down" resistor R7, multiple inputs can be around components R5 and C2. physically coupled together and closing in
connected so long as they consist of pulses Precautions to prevent damage by static opposite directions. In this design, the
applied through diodes to point F. For electricity should also be observed as all lower one of each pair is on and so
a second PIR detector only the counter the i.c.s are CMOS types. The use of d.i.l. "active" when moved towards IC2. Each
would be required, and the output from D4 sockets is advised for these. switch is marked with two dots to indicate
of this could be connected to this input to All components for the p.PIR Control which is "on" for the current slider
use the existing timer and power stage. System are mounted on a single-sided position.
To add a second timer with a longer printed circuit board (p.c.b.) and the It is, of course, possible to omit the
period, perhaps for use with adoorswitch or component layout and full size copper foil switches and fit wire links instead, but this
aglass-break detector, only the timer part of master are shown in Fig.2. This board is would reduce the ease of adjustment.
the circuit is required as the arrangement of available from the EPE PCB Service, code
D5 and R13 allows the second timer to use 163. The usual construction procedure of
the output stage of the first, simply by
connecting the points G in parallel.
fitting resistors and diodes, followed by the
smaller capacitors, then the i.c. sock-
COMPONENTS
The circuit power supply is available ets, d.i.l. switches and the electrolytic
from points C and H for use by external capacitor C9 should be followed. p.PIR Controller

Resistors ee
R1. R13 10k (2 off) Hop
R2 100k
R3. R4. R7 22k (3 off) TALK
R5 om
R6, R8, R9, R1 0
im (4 off) Pa ge
R11 33k (see text)
R12. R14 100i2 (2 off)

Capacitors
Cl. C3, to C7 100n resin-dipped
ceramic (6 off)
02 14 polyester layer
08 10004/16V radial
lead electrolytic

Semiconductors
D1 to D5 1N4148 silicon signal
diode (5 off)
D6, D7 1N4003 silicon rectifier
diode (2 off)
TR1 BC184L npn silicon
transistor
TR2 BUZ11 power MOSFET
IC1 4093B CMOS quad
Schmitt NAND gate
IC2 4024B CMOS 7-stage
ripple counter
IC3 4068B CMOS 8-input
NAND gate
IC4 4001B CMOS quad NOR
gate
IC5 4060B CMOS 14-stage
ripple counter with internal
oscillator

Miscellaneous
S1 to S4 sub-miniature s.p.d.t.
dual-in-line switch, p.c.b.
mounting, quad
S5 sub-miniature s.p.d.t.
dual-in-line switch, p.c.b.
mounting, single.
Printed circuit board available from
EPE PCB Service, code 163; optional
case, size and style to choice — see
text; 14-pin d.i.l. socket (4 off); 16-pin
d.i.l. socket; strip of aluminium for heat-
sink, see text; multistrand connecting
wire; solder pins; solder etc.

Fig.2. Printed circuit board component layout and full size copper foil track master
Approx Cost
Guidance Only £19
excluding case
pattern for the µPower PIR controller.

564 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

 6 VOLT + SIREN
PIP SENSOR BATTERY BEACON
0 A
SUPPLY ETC
+ - o
o
O SELECT CAPACITOR VALUE TO
0 B ALARM CONTROL SUIT SIREN ETC
pPIR 22000 6V SHOULD SUIT MOST
SYSTEM BOARD
DETECTOR APPLICATIONS
BOARD 0 F
0 D
—••—O E
4- 12 VOLT
0 H 1/
4 BATTERY

I
SUPPLY
DISARM 0 G
SWITCH

Fig.3. Basic system connections.

In the prototype MOSFET TR2 was fitted For testing, a microswitch can be con- inputs to IC3 should be high, so output
with a small heatsink made from an L- nected between points A and B, this being pin 13 should be low and pin 10 of ICI
shaped piece of aluminium. However, sub- preferable to a pushbutton as it will should be high. If the input is then left
sequent tests have shown that this is not normally have less contact "bounce". open, ICI pins 11, 4and 3should be low.
really necessary as the "on" resistance of Switches SI to S5 can be set for a low If the input is taken low, pins 11 and 4
the BUZI 1 is so low that even when count of, say. "5". They have a binary should go high.
passing acouple of amps it is unlikely to weighting of I, 2. 4, 8 and 16, so "5" Testing of the Timer section can be
dissipate more than a couple of hundred means d.i.l. switches SI and S3 on. all carried out by inserting IC4 and ICS and
milliwatts. Most sirens use much less than others off. applying brief positive inputs to "F"
this, the one used by the prototype draws Various points can be checked as the (Start) and "D" (Stop). Once again, a
around 300mA. microswitch is operated. Each time it is logic tester is the best tool for locating
closed the Direct Output should go high. problems around the Timer circuit.
TESTING On releasing it for the fifth time (if this Operation of the Clock in IC5 can be
Providing construction is carried out value has been set) the Continuous Output checked at pin 9 of this i.c. This oscil-
with reasonable care, it is unlikely that should go high and remain high for about lates at arelatively high frequency whilst
problems ,will be experienced with this seven seconds. timing is taking place, around 130Hz for
circuit. However, if it does malfunction, a The Pulsed Output may be difficult to aone minute output period, and remains
logic tester is the best instrument for see as the pulses are brief, but pin 4 of low at other times.
investigating the circuit, though a meter ICI can be easily observed. It should be It should be remembered that when the
could be used instead. high until the preset number of pulses is timer is triggered by the pulse counter
The pulse counter stages should be reached, then go low each time the in- through diode D4, about seven seconds
checked first by inserting ICI, IC2 and IC3 put switch is released. Following the final will have to elapse before the full count
in their respective sockets and the circuit pulse it will remain low until capacitor C3 can take place again. Until this time has
powered-up. It will operate from any volt- charges sufficiently to reset IC2. passed, if the timer is reset, it will be
age between 6V and about 15V, although it An additional check that may be useful triggered by just one input pulse to the
is really intended for use with aI2V supply. is that if SI to S5 are all "off", all the counter.

CASE DETAILS
Like the laPIR Detector, this board can
be fitted into any case of the constructor's
choice, though afairly large one contain-
ing a pack of eight "C" or "D" cells
and perhaps even the alarm siren itself
may be the best arrangement. The less
external wiring there is. the less chance
of an intruder managing to disable the
system by damaging it.
The siren used by the author is a
"Miniature Piezo Siren" which takes
300mA of supply current and is quite
loud enough for most applications. Con-
nections to make a simple and effective
system are shown in Fig.3.
The Disarm switch could be concealed
in some way, and may be an ordinary
s.p.s.t. switch of any type, or perhaps
a reed switch. The only difficulty is
making it inconspicuous enough whilst
still accessible from outside the protected
premises.
If it is inside, it may be difficult to
unlock and enter before the pulse counter
triggers the alarm. There is also the minor
difficulty of resetting the system into
the "Ready" state without setting it off
whilst locking up and leaving.
Next month, the concluding article in
this series will present a neat solution
to these problems when we discuss the
Left to right: µPR Detector. Control Board and Disarm Reset Board. Disarm/Reset system.

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 565

 INGENUITY -21.tü

UNLIMITED
mek,..14 .111

-431
'0041!
Our regular round-up of readers own circuits. We pay
between £10 and £50 for all material published, depending 't3,3
on length and technical merit. We're looking for novel
applications and circuit tips. not simply mechanical or
electrical ideas. Ideas must be the reader's own work and
WIN A PICO PC BASED
not have been submitted for publication elsewhere. The OSCILLOSCOPE
circuits shown have NOT been proven by us. Ingenuity •50MSPS Dual Channel Storage
Oscilloscope *25MHz Spectrum Analyser
Unlimited is open to ALL abilities, but items for
consideration in this column should preferably be typed or •multimeter •Frequency Meter
•Signal Generator
word-processed. with abrief circuit description (between
If you have anovel circuit idea which would be
100 and 500 words) and full circuit diagram showing all
of use to other readers then aPico Technology
relevant component values. Please draw all circuit
PC based oscilloscope could be yours.
schematics as clearly as possible. Every six months. Pico Technology will be
Send your circuit ideas to: Alan Winstanley. Ingenuity awarding an ADC200-50 digital storage
Unlimited, Wimborne Publishing Ltd., Allen House, East oscilloscope for the best IU submission. In
Borough, Wimborne. Dorset BH21 1PF. They could earn addition, two single channel ADC-40s will be
you some real cash and aprize! presented to the runners up.

The transmitter is based around ICI, a (i.e, when the IR beam is broken by the bird
IR Camera Shutter 7555 listable driving an IR emitter led. DI. in flight).
It has a 114.i.s "on time' and 200p.s "off In order to provide a consistent shutter
Trigger - time — at afrequency of about 4.8kHz. triggering signal. the comparator's output is
The receiver is formed around IC2. coupled by C5 to IC-1, a 7555 monostable
I\spiRED by professionals' photographs of a Sharp IS IU60 IR remote control which is triggered when IC3 output goes
birds in night. I decided to have a go receker (available from RS Components or los .and which times for a period of about
myself and attempt to take dynamic photos Flectromail. Code 577-K97 — .-1.13'.1 in a 300ms.
of the same subject. The resultant circuit of 3-pin housing. Received IR pulses appear at The output of IC4 drives a solenoid
Fig.l is an interrupted beam type of trigger the output of IC2 and, being negative-going. ILI), or alternatively tires the camera's
design which operates the shutter of motor- are rectified and smoothed by D2. R5 and remote release directly, via the MOSFET
driven cameras at the appropriate moment to C3. power transistor TR2. The solenoid must be
photograph the bird. The resulting d.c. voltage is then com- mechanically linked to a remote manual
The system comprises an infra-red trans- pared against areference voltage of half the shutter release, and may need to he adapted to
mitter and a receiver which drives the supply rail, derived by . R6 and R7. A 7611 suit.
camera shutter mechanism for a short op-amp (IC31 acts as a comparator whose When IC4 times out, a negative-going
trigger period. output is low whenever there is no signal trigger signal is sent via C7 to IC5. another

0 +5V

RECEIVER 815
10M
C4 + RIO
Ra 1001) 10k
63V R13
1
,15 R6
plI 8 100k
10M
39C`k 1M •Vcc RST •Ved

-1
VV`- TRIG Cl TRIG

02
IC4 10n
IC5 3
7555 OUT
IN4148 6 OUT
••••• THRES
7555

THRES
IC2 (
OU
— T•ei.«.

IS1U60 __J DIS RST

814 7
DIS 814
RS 577-89 V IS ,U60 1M
R9 OV 14
OV
1M
TR1
01
) 130549 + C8
-
C3 D3

T
R7
mM IV .
11 11 22n
IM C6 LE
OUT oy •5V
VIEW
22, -W-
FRONT
OV
+Ve
TR2 CONNECTIONS
TRANSMITTER +17V
18F830
O +5V Li

e
BI I2V SUPPLY
TAB. DRAIN
SOLENOID LEAD-ACID TO FLASH
12V 6000mAh

coo
UNITS
RI (SEE TEXT)
270k 9 d
TR2 -Ve
Vriss .500V O k
IRF830
Rds(on) • 150
TRI. D4
CONNECTIONS
Id 45A 1N40011
+5V
IBC549)
82 B2-85
15k 4a12V
600mAh
NICAD CELLS

CI
ALTERNATIVE REMOTE
In
CAMERA RELEASE
OV

Circuit diagram for an IR Camera Shutter Trigger.

566 Everyday Practical Electronics. August 1997

7555 monostable with a period of approxi-
mately 50 seconds. IC5 drives transistor
TRI and this holds IC4's reset pin at OV.
disabling it from timing in the interim
period.
The purpose of this is to provide a delay
timer which prevents any further operation
of the shutter solenoid/trigger (and wasting
film) when the flash gun is recharging; led.
D3 illuminates to indicate that resetting is in
progress. After 50 seconds or so, the system
is ready to take another photo.
A split rail supply voltage is derived from
aseries of batteries, as also shown in Fig. I. A
I2V 6Ah lead acid battery, B1, powers the
flash units. A 5V rail for the transmitter and
receiver is provided by four 1.2V 600mA Ni -
Cad cells (B2 to B5) in series. These are also
placed in series with BI as shown, and the
resulting 17V d.c. supply was found to be
sufficient to power the solenoid.
The circuit could, perhaps, be adapted with
more ingenuity to provide amethod of time-
lapse photography for other applications.
Stephen Browne,
Carrickfergus,
Northern Ireland. Fig.2. Camper's Night-Light controller

Camper's Night-Light -Muz conufilemblle tùpiïu

G OING on a camping holiday with very

young children often means some form
of night-light is required. However, it's
the lamp can be switched on again by making
asound, such as achild's cry or the clicking
of fingers — much more convenient than fum-
monostable, with R4 and C3 providing a 12
minute delay. Via DI and R5. its output
charges C4, turning on the transistors TR2
impractical to leave a lamp switched on bling around for an on/off switch in the dark. and TR3. This completes the circuit to LP1. a
throughout the night. and so Idesigned the A miniature electret microphone. MIC1. 6V bulb, which illuminates.
circuit of Fig.2, which is a sound-operated with integral f.e.t. amplifier, is used to When the 555 times out, C4 maintains the
night-light that gradually fades in brightness monitor sound. Transistor TRI amplifies any base current but slowly discharges through
to save batteries. sounds, and the relatively low values of the transistors to OV and gradually dims the
This circuit will cause a low voltage bulb coupling capacitors make the circuit quite bulb. DI prevents the capacitor from dis-
to shine at full brightness for approximately insensitive to low frequencies. e.g. quiet charging back into the 555 output pin. The
12 minutes, and then cause it to gradually talking after "lights out", but responsive to overall current consumption is approximately
fade out. A dimming lamp is also less likely high-pitched sounds (a clicking of the fingers 5mA when the bulb is not illuminated.
to wake adozing child than being suddenly up to two metres away!). Peter Bush,
being plunged into total darkness. However, The amplifier's output triggers ICI, a 555 Colchester, Essex.

DESIGN
Car Electrics Tester -
Till shown in Fig.3 was evolved to enable some basic tests to
I be made on acar's electrical system, producing an audio tone when
in use. It has two basic functions:
RING BINDERS
I. With two test leads plugged into SKI and SK3, a"go/no-go" test
for the presence of voltage may be made, e.g. at the pins of a bulb
holder or afuseholder.
FOR EPE
2. If SKI and SK2 are used, acontinuity tester is formed to aid the This ring binder uses a special system to allow the
testing of bulbs, fuses, wiring, etc. issues to be easily removed and reinserted without any
The circuit is simply an audio oscillator form around a 555 astable. damage. A nylon strip slips over each issue and this
its frequency set by RI. R2 and Cl. The oscillator drives a small
passes over the four rings in the binder, thus holding the
loudspeaker (LS1) having an impedance of 35 ohms or more. Four
diodes, DI to D4, are used as a bridge rectifier on the input supply,
magazine in place.
making the circuit immune to reverse voltages. The binders are finished in hard wearing royal blue
All sockets are standard 4mm types for use with ordinary test leads. p.v.c. with the magazine logo in gold on the spine. They
Power is supplied by aminiature I2V "No.23A" cigarette lighter bat- will keep your issues neat and tidy but allow you to
tery (Maplin JG91 Y). remove them for use easily.
David Allen, The price is £5.95 plus £3.50 post and packing. If you
Cheltenham, Glos. order more than one binder add £1 postage for each
binder after the initial £3.50 postage charge (overseas
readers the postage is £6.00 each to everywhere except
Australia and Papua New Guinea which costs £10.50
each).
Send your payment in £'s sterling cheque or PO
(Overseas readers send £sterling bank draft, or cheque
drawn on a UK bank or pay by credit card), to Everyday
Practical Electronics, Allen House, East Borough,
Wimborne, Dorset BH21 1PF. Tel: 01202 881749. Fax:
01202 841692. (We cannot reply to queries or confirm
orders by Fax due to the cost.)
We also accept credit card payments. Mastercard
(Access) or Visa (minimum credit card order £5.) Send
your card number and card expiry date plus cardholders
address (if different to the delivery address).
Fig. 3. Car Electrics Tester circuit.

Everyday Practical Electronics. August /997 • 567

Special Feature -

THE GREAT
EXPERIMENTFP
A short history -Part Four
STEVE KNIGHT
Although poorly educated, -

Faraday began to solve the EARLY YEARS

mysteries of magnetic When he was thirteen. Michael was
apprenticed to a book seller and book
induction and capacitance, binder, initially as an errand boy. This work
brought him into contact with books and he
laying firm foundations for wasted no time in studying some of these as
they passed through his hands.
future theoreticians. Among the hooks he read in this way
were a number on chemistry and the sec-
tion on Electricity which he discovered in

T
ills moN -ru we turn to the man who So this was the atmosphere in which
Michael Faraday spent his childhood and the Encyclopedia Britannica. This period
was arguably the greatest experimen-
early adolescence. He did not show any sparked his interest in science.
tal physicist of them all, Michael
particularly ability for, or promise of a In 1812, when he was twenty-one and
Faraday. Like many of those before him,
scientific career: he seemed just an average completing his apprenticeship with the book
and many of those contemporaneous with
kind of lad, and as he himself said later: binder, his slender resources prevented him
him, he came from apoor family and had a
"My education at a common day-school from gaining more information and instruc-
meagre upbringing along with three other
was of the most ordinary kind, consisting of tion than he could obtain simply by reading
children, of which he was the third.
little more than the rudiments of reading. books. He soon grew tired of the humdrum
His father, a Yorkshireman of frugal
writing and arithmetic. My time otherwise routine of the work he now found himself
parentage, was askilled blacksmith by trade
was passed at home and in the streets". doing for a new employer, as most of us
having at that time what might be called an
The extraordinary thing about the do at one time or another, particularly as
elementary education, followed by an ap-
achievements of his later career was that he he now had an ill-tempered boss and long
prenticeship. His mother was without any
knew practically no mathematics beyond hours.
form of education, but what she lacked in
the arithmetic he had picked up at the At this stage he had the temerity (as
literacy she made up for in love and care for
common day-school. He once remarked that it no doubt was) to write a letter to Sir
her offspring so that, in spite of their poor
he was not amathematician in any shape or Humphrey Davy of the miners' safety lamp
circumstances, the children were as well
form and had never made a mathematical fame, who had been seen by Michael at
looked after as their straitened situation
allowed. calculation in his life, except for one
occasion when he had cranked the handle of
aprimitive calculating machine.
It may have been that his self-confessed
ignorance of mathematics made him the
great practical experimenter that he became:
we can only surmise. Experimenters there
have been who, applying their mathematics
for the meaning of atheory. have success-
fully reached their goal by the test of ex-
periment to that theory: the works of Am-
pere and Ohm are examples of this.
Faraday, however, did not have this
approach: he had an instinctive feel for what
was aplain physical truth, and rarely did he
fail to hit the nail squarely on the head. This
inhate ability he applied to the testing
ground of his laboratory work, nearly
always with remarkable success. The math-
ematical foundations of his discoveries were
left to later workers, particularly James
Clerk Maxwell of electro-magnetic wave
theory. who produced a treatise on the
electrical achievements of Faraday a few
years after the latter died in 1867.
Michael Faraday (1791-1867) Sir Humphrey Davy (1778-1829)

568 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

a series of lectures at the Royal Institu- rooms at the Royal Institution. It turned out
tion through the kindness of a bookshop to be along and happy union.
customer who appreciated the embryonic
physicist's enthusiasm for science. With his ELECTRO-DYNAMICS
letter, Michael also included the notes he Out of all the literature Faraday produced
had made of Davy's lectures. over the period we have covered above, his
Davy showed some immediate interest greatest work was the series of "Ex-
in the letter's appeal and the ability that perimental Researches into Electricity",
Michael had displayed in the taking of the where he described his many discoveries,
lecture notes and the observations he had among which were the principles of
appended to them. He (Davy) asked one of electromagnetic induction in 1831, the laws
the former managers of the London Institu- of electrolysis in 1833 and the effect of a
tion (who was a descendent of the great magnetic field on the rotation of polarized
diarist, Samuel Pepys) what he should do light in 1845.
about Faraday's appeal. Our main interest in this short series will
"What should you do?", replied Pepys. lie in the first of these headings, though we
"Put him to wash bottles and keep the will first have a look at an experiment in
Fig.2. The magnetic field lines sur-
laboratory tidy. If he is good for anything electro-dynamics which is the fundamental rounding a current-carrying conductor.
he will do these jobs straightaway; if he feature of the electric motor.
declines he is good for nothing". The study of electro-dynamics is, along Then if iron filings are sprinkled on the
But Davy felt that Michael deserved with his work on electromagnetic induc- card and the edges gently tapped, the filings
something better than being amere handy- tion, accepted as being Faraday's greatest will arrange themselves in concentric circles
man, and he sent Faraday aletter explaining contribution to electrical science. We have which indicate the direction in which the
that he would do the best he could to find already looked at the work of Christian magnetic force is acting at any point. An
him aworthwhile job somewhere within the Oersted in which the magnetic effect of an isolated pole, placed in this field, would
scientific establishment. electric current was discovered, so leading move around one of the circles if free to do
to the knowledge that there was a close so.
LUCKY APPOINTMENT relationship between these two phenomena; Now Faraday argued that since an action
A particular piece of luck now came and to that of Andre Ampere's extension of and areaction are equal and opposite, then
Faraday's way. The position of alaboratory the Oersted effect, culminating in the dis- if an isolated pole tends to move around a
assistance happened to fall vacant shortly covery of the electromagnet. current-carrying wire, there must be a ten-
after, and at the Royal Institution, to boot. Faraday, from about 1830, effectually dency for the wire to rotate around amag-
Davy put Faraday's name forward for the took over the study of electromagnetism netic pole; it was simply amatter of relative
position and as a result Michael was ap- from Ampere and was successful in making motion, depending upon which element was
pointed to the job at a meeting of the an experiment which had previously been free to move and which was fixed and un-
managers of the Royal Institution held on attempted, without success, by a colleague able to move. Faraday's experiment to see if
the first day of March, 1813. So Faraday at the Royal Institution and which his argument was sound is shown in Fig.3.
began his famous career. foreshadowed the electric motor.
His main work at the early stages of his Oersted's experiments had demonstrated
new employment was to assist the lecturers that a magnetic needle in the vicinity of a
and to maintain the apparatus in good current-carrying conductor tends to move so
condition, which probably included the that it is at right-angles to the conductor.
washing of a few bottles! Faraday quickly This, as we now know, is due to the fact
established himself to the full satisfaction of that an isolated north pole tends to move
the Institution members, and it was not long along the "lines of force" (as Faraday
before he was assisting with minor experi- visualized in his field theory of magnetism)
ments, initially in chemistry, and in acting of a magnetic field in which the pole is
as anote copyist for Davy himself. placed. This is illustrated in Fig. I.
When Davy set out in October 1813
on an eighteen month European tour, he
invited Faraday to accompany him as a
general assistant; this tour gave Faraday an
irregular but valuable scientific education.
together with the privilege of meeting many
of the great names of European physicists
who were in later years to become his own
close and admiring friends.
Fig.3. Faraday's experiment on the
mutual rotation of a wire carrying
Over the next ten years, Faraday estab-
current and a magnet.
lished himself as aphysicist of avery high
order, performing experiments on the alloys He arranged acontainer of mercury A so
Fig. 1. The movement of an isolated N
of steel (of which "he was accustomed in that it formed a part of an electric circuit
pole at points such as P1 P2 etc. will be
later years to present his friends with razors made up of battery B and the connecting
along a line of magnetic force.
made from them"), followed by researches wires. A magnet M was fixed centrally and
into the liquefaction of gases. It is important to realise here that the vertical in the mercury container, and apor-
He was made a Fellow of the Royal lines of force do not have an identity as tion of the wire, a-b, forming the circuit was
Society, and in 1825 was promoted to the such; they do not "flow" in any way such pivoted at a so that it was free to move in
position of Director of the Laboratories. as an electric current (of electrons) flows in any direction about the pivot point. Hence
One of his first acts in this new capacity a conducting medium. It is simply that an the apparatus formed apractical test of the
was to organise Friday evening meetings isolated pole (if we could get one) would surmised rotation of a free conductor a-b
of those members who were interested in move along a particular route to the op- round afixed pole which existed at the up-
science, and these meetings soon developed positely signed pole. per end of the magnet and acted effectually
into those weekly discourses which became It was general knowledge at the time, and as an isolated pole.
ahallmark in the activities of the Institution, Faraday was aware of it, that the magnetic The experiment was a complete success
and do so to this day as television entertain- field surrounding acurrent-carrying conduc- and astory goes that on seeing his apparatus
ment round about Christmas time. tor took the form of concentric circles; you work. Faraday danced about in childlike ex-
Faraday married aMiss Sarah Barnard in have probably illustrated this for yourself citement exclaiming "There it goes, there
1821, in aceremony which was, by his own by arranging awire to be vertical and pass- it goes". He later repeated the experiment
wish, aquiet and simple affair. So he just ing through the centre of ahorizontal piece with the wire fixed and the magnet move-
married the lady and took her home to his of card, see Fig.2. able, with similar results.

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 569

 first wire carried acurrent, and the other he vanometer G. On pressing the switch,
connected to agalvanometer (G) so that he Faraday observed that the galvanometer
could detect the presence of acurrent flow- needle swung completely around anumber
ing in this second wire. of times before coming to rest in its
He obtained no result in spite of anum- initial position. On releasing the switch, the
ber of changes in the disposition of the deflection of the needle was repeated but in
wires and the strength of the current. He the opposite direction.
abandoned this line of enquiry for anumber Although what he had actually done was
of years because much of his time was then to invent the toroidal transformer, we must
taken up with research into the properties forgive Faraday for not immediately ap-
of optical glass; when he returned to the preciating the significance of what his ex-
problem again in 1828 he still failed to get periment was saying to him: it appeared that
any sort of result. It was aclassical case of the magnetism set up by the battery current
being so near and yet so far. in coil P was the cause of the momentary
It was not until 1831 that Faraday met current which appeared in coil Q. but why
with success, and what followed was prob- did it flow only at the moments when the
ably the most outstanding achievement of current in coil P was started or stopped?
his entire career. We recall that Ampere had He wrote in his notes "I think Ihave got
shown that asolenoid carrying acurrent be- hold of agood thing, but cannot say. After
haved exactly as abar magnet, and that if a all my labours it may be aweed that Ipull
rod of iron was placed in the solenoid, the up instead of afish".
rod became magnetized. To verify that it was indeed the mag-
Faraday's rotation apparatus. Building on this foundation, Faraday netism of the iron core which produced the
made an important change in the form that electricity, Faraday repeated the experiment
ELECTROMAGNETIC the solenoid took. He obtained a soft iron using a non-magnetic material in-place of
INDUCTION ring or toroid, about 150mm in diameter, the iron. The galvanometer deflection again
Faraday's must far reaching discovery and around each half of the ring he wound occurred but the movement of the needle
coils P and Q, as Fig.5 depicts. was greatly reduced. This satisfied him
happened in about 1831 when he
Coil P was connected to abattery B and that the magnetization was the responsible
demonstrated that electricity could be
switch S: coil Q was connected to gal- agent and that the greater the magnetic
produced from magnetism: we know this
field strength, the greater was the induced
effect today as electromagnetic induction.
current, and consequently the magnetism
Although the American physicist Joseph
produced the electricity.
Henry discovered electrical induction inde-
He wrote about this experiment: "When
pendently of Michael Faraday and con-
structed the first electromagnetic motor, the the contact was made, there was a sudden
achievements of Faraday are in no way and very slight effect at the galvanometer
and there was also a similar slight effect
diminished. The unit of inductance, the
when the contact with the battery was
Henry, was named after the American.
broken. But while the voltaic current was
What was the general nature of the inves-
continually passing through the one helix,
tigation as Faraday would most probably
consider it? From the work of earlier ex- no galvanometer appearance nor any effect
like induction upon the other helix could be
perimenters he would know that acurrent-
perceived, although the active power of the
carrying wire is surrounded by a magnetic
battery was very great".
field; he had already made use of this fact in
Fig.5. The experiment from which Faraday now did a number of experi-
the construction of his electric "motor".
Faraday discovered electro-magnetic ments replacing the magnetism that he had
Additionally, he knew that Ampere had
induction. so far derived from a battery supply of
shown that two conductors placed side by
side and each carrying a current, would
attract or repel one another. Why should
it not be possible, then, for a current of
electricity to set up (or induce) acurrent in
another conductor brought into its vicinity?
What Faraday was in effect asking was
why it should not be possible to produce
a current from magnetism, seeing that
Oersted and Ampere had demonstrated the
opposite effect.
At the beginning of his research into this
possibility, he arranged two wires in close
proximity to each other, as Fig.4 shows; one
wire he connected to abattery B so that this

Fig.4. Faraday's first attempt at

producing an induced current. Loadstone used by Faraday with a coil and iron bar.

571) Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

 current flow due to arelative change in the
magnetic conditions, the direction of the
induced flow is always such that it tends to
oppose Me change in the conditions which
are bringing it about.
When we consider Lenz's Law, we have
to realise that what is actually induced in a
solenoid directly or in awinding adjacent to
the field (what we now call the "secon-
dary" winding in transformer action) by the
change in conditions somewhere in the sys-
tem, is an e.m.f. (electromotive force); this
e.m.f. causes acurrent to flow in the wind-
Fig.6. A further demonstration of ing if the circuit is completed through agal-
electro-magnetic induction. vanometer or whatever.
Lenz's Law therefore applies only to in-
current with apermanent magnet. In one of duced currents and these can only flow in a
these he wound acoil around ashort rod of closed circuit. If you push amagnet into a
Fig. 7. Electrical force field between
soft iron and connected its ends to a gal- solenoid, you have to provide a little more
vanometer as we see in Fig.6. oppositely signed charges.
muscle power when agalvanometer is con-
He then took two bar magnets and placed nected to the solenoid than you do when the between the charges (which he called the
them so that opposite poles were in con- solenoid is unconnected. "dielectric') did have an influence on the
tact with the ends of the iron rod. When Faraday also discovered for himself how force. Action at a distance implied that
the contacting ends of the magnets were to determine the directions of induced volt- the mutual attraction between charges took
brought together (or separated) at point A, ages and currents, but he did not express his place along a straight line, but his own
the galvanometer needle was deflected, the results so neatly as Len,. experiments had shown him that the force
effect being as in the earlier experiments, lines were curved, after the fashion of Fig.7.
not permanent but a momentary "kick" FARADAY'S LAW This sketch reminds us of the field
each time the bar magnets were separated or Faraday had the insight to see that the around a bar magnet where charges are
brought together. induced e.m.f. appears no matter whether replaced by poles, but with the important
From this, Faraday had thus the change in the magnetic field strength is difference that the electrostatic lines of
demonstrated the converse of Oersted's provided by moving the coil or by moving force terminate on the surfaces of charged
effect: Oersted had found that amagnet was the magnet relative to each other. Although bodies whereas magnetic lines form closed
influenced by an electric current; Faraday much of the required mathematical treat- loops. Electric force is taken to act from the
that an electric current could be generated ment of Faraday's work was carried out by positive charge to the negative, so that if an
by amagnet. Clerk Maxwell, the resulting law is known isolated positive charge is placed in the field
In another experiment, Faraday plunged as Faraday's Law of Magnetic Induction. It it will tend to move towards the negative
a bar magnet directly into a solenoid and can be expressed as: charge.
found that the galvanometer deflected as the Faraday experimented with concentric
Induced e.m.f.
magnet entered the coil and again when he metal spheres and parallel plates in search
withdrew it, but again there was no deflec- _change in the field density (or flux) of averification of his suggestion about the
tion when the magnet was stationary. time the change takes place effect of the dielectric medium on the
It now became clear to him that the vital force between electric charges, and of the
=the rate of change of the field density
factor for the production of an induced cur- mechanism of the charge induced in an
rent in any given conductor was that there So the faster a magnet is plunged into a
insulated uncharged body by the presence
had to be a relative change of conditions coil, for instance, the greater is the induced
of anear-by charged body.
between the inducing field and the current e.m.f.
In his own words: "The question may be
generating circuit and that any change in A negative sign is usually given to this given thus: suppose an electrified plate of
conditions followed from a movement of expression as aconsequence of Lenz's law
metal (A) is suspended in air, and 8 and C
one part relative to another. which indicates that the induced e.m.f. acts
two exactly similar plates are placed paral-
This fact had to follow, of course, from against the direction of the inducing agent.
lel to and on each side of A at equal distance
the principle of the conservation of energy. and insulated, A will then induce equally
No induced current could be obtained from
FURTHER towards 8 and C, that is, equal charges .will
astationary field or astationary magnet; it RESEARCHES appear on these plates". His experiment is
doesn't matter whether the magnet moves Not all of Faraday's achievements illustrated in Fig.8.
relative to the coil, or the coil to the magnet. were associated with electromag-
If things were otherwise and an electric netism. After some years investigating
current (and hence electrical energy) could electrolysis and the analysis of
be generated by simply placing amagnet at compounds by use of an electric current
the centre of asolenoid, then sitting back to (with which many of us are no doubt
enjoy the free output, all the trials and familiar), he turned to electrostatics and
tribulations of the "perpetual motion" ad- demonstrated that the electricity derived
dicts would be over, and electricity bills from friction (on various machines) was
would have never been invented. identical with that obtained from the
To get energy out of a system (in the voltaic cell, and from this he turned his
case of the induced current here) energy has attention to electrostatic induction.
to be supplied to the system. This supplied Charles Coulomb, the French physicist,
energy comes from the work done in estab- had in 1777 shown that Newton's law of
lishing the exciting field or from the muscle inverse squares for gravitation was as true
Fig.8. Faraday's capacitor experiment.
power in pushing amagnet into or pulling it for electric and magnetic attractions and
out of asolenoid. We do not get any "free' repulsions, something that Ampere also The induced charges appear on B and C
energy. demonstrated for the force acting between because the lines of force from A terminate
parallel wires. Coulomb had assumed from on their surfaces, in just the same way as a
LENZ'S LAW ' his experiments that the force acting be- magnet will induce magnetism in anear-by
A Russian born physicist, Heinrich Lenz, tween two charges was also, as Newton piece of iron. Faraday goes on: "If in this
besides being credited with the effect of believed for gravity, acase of "action at a position of the plates some other dielectric
temperature on electrical resistance, supple- distance" and that the intervening medium than air, such as shellac, be introduced be-
mented in 1834 the work of Faraday by had no effect on this. tween A and C, will the induction between
pointing out what is now known as Lenz's Faraday did not see eye to eye with them remain the same?"
Law; that is, in every case of induced this argument, saying that the medium He answered this question by

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 571

constructing two identical plate arrange-
ments (what we now call a capacitor), in
one of which he placed a dielectric, the
other containing air only, as shown in Fig.9. SOLID
DIELECTRIC
When both systems were charged by the
+++ + + +
same potential difference, Faraday found by
experiment that the charge on the one
AIR DIELECTRIC
containing the dielectric was greater than
that on the other, that is, the field between
the plates was increased by afactor k(k > I)
by the introduction of adielectric.
In this way Faraday discovered the
property which he termed the "dielectric
constant" of the medium and which we
now call the permittivity; the ability of a
conductor to hold acharge is, increased by
the presence of a solid dielectric, hence it Fig.9. The effect of a solid dielectric is to increase the electric field by a factor k.
exhibits a greater "capacity". So did
Faraday's work lead us to the capacitor. central glow and motive power of life, in- look at the work of William Thomson
Faraday died on August 25th 1867 at the stead of permitting it to waste itself in use- whose pioneering researches led to the
age of 76. John Tyndall, who was the friend less passion." advent of wireless telegraphy.
and biographer of the great experimenter, in Faraday is remembered in the unit of
his book Faraday as a Discoverer said of capacitance, the Farad. You will find his ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
him: "Underneath his gentleness was the portrait on the back of a£20 note. /he II/wit -
alums ii ,ed in this article
heat of a volcano. He was a man of ex- have been kindly supplied by
citable and fiery nature; but through high PART FIVE The Science Museum. London
discipline he had converted the fire into a In next month's concluding article, we

Ohm sweet ohm

Max Fidling 10-year-old nephew (swine), I had per-
severed, and eventually I managed to
make progress with this word-processing
Mouse Trouble malarkey.
Flicking through some of the many colour At my command, the printer churned out
prints which were on sale in alocal picture- all sorts of colourful invitations, adverts
framing gallery, up popped — lo and behold for the local Women's Institute meetings.
— "Mouse Trouble" — acartoon print from not to mention more stuff for the local
the 1944 Tom & Jerry movie of the same vicar and his fund-raising activities, notably
name! This immediately struck achord with the Reverend's awe-inspiring Church Bells
my latest death-defying attempts at electronic Mobile Disco. Great things. computers.
maintenance, back at the shack.
You see, readers, over the last few Rogue Rodent
months, far from retiring into my At least they were until one day, the mouse
workshop never to be heard of again, I started to behave in a most unrodent-like
have in fact been tussling with tech- way. Try as Imight. Icould not get the Blasted Mouse!
nology. What with Pentiums, RAMs, pointer to move on the television screen. It This left me with the problem of how
ROMs, floppies, mice, software, hardware, was stuck firmly at the bottom. No amount of to dry out the soggy mouse, as Itwirled
firmware, liveware, and all that jazz, Ifear cajoling, muttering, threatening it with the cat the rotating innards freely, waiting for in-
I have joined the ranks of my babbling or anything would free the dam thing. The spiration. No problem! Itold Piddles. who
computer friends. pointer would not point. was munching a rubbery marshmallow (our
Even the most resistant of my friends There was nothing in the "Help" screens favourite candy) on the floor. Ispotted my
seem to have got this computer bug too, so about Pointers. Sticking. There was noth- can of Air Duster, which was used mainly for
eventually Ihad no choice but to relent and ing for it. Iwould have to operate on the knocking bluebottles and wasps senseless and
purchase a personal computer. So far, the deceased mouse using my trusty multi-pur- splatting them on the window during these
main benefit has been that Ican now print pose colour coded screwdriver set, which summer months.
the Boss's shopping lists at 600 dots per was always poised above the bench in the Igrabbed the can, and gave the mouse a
inch, in a variety of those typeface things. shack, ready for action. So Piddles the cat quick blast. The innards rotated gratifyingly,
Somehow, the list is longer, too. and Iskittered down the garden path and as Isquirted the opto-isolator slotted wheels a
into the workshop. accompanied by the said bit more. They whizzed round at a dizzy-
Royal Command Sticking Mouse. ing speed, though Piddles, who'd seen it all
The past few months have seen intense ac- On the underside of the dead mouse were before, was duly unimpressed. One more
tivity Chez Fidling because it isn't easy to get some screws -nothing high-tech about that. blast for luck. Ithought. and Ijabbed the
to grips with these things if all you've ever I thought! — and so these were off in a button hard down!
known has been a 1947 "Royal" typewriter twirl. Typically, one of them rolled onto the This produced an awe-inspiring jet of gas
with sticking letters (or missing altogether — floor and under the bench never to be seen of supersonic proportions which obviously
the letter "P" flew off one day) and aribbon again, but there was nothing wrong that abig caught the electronic rodent unawares — as it
which was permanently stuck at half mast. self-tapping screw wouldn't cure. Itold the blasted the mouse clean out of my hand and
printing half red, half black as aconsequence. cat. as Iproceeded to dissect the electronic. smacked it against the wall behind the bench!
Always one to keep up with the elite, how- decidely-dead mouse. The mouse fell to the bench with aclatter.
ever. the Boss had decided that the Fidlings The fault soon became apparent. be- looking decidedly the worse for wear. Hold-
would join the computer age, and all Ihad to cause the innards were glued solid with ing it up by its cable, 1tutted as Ipicked over
do was pay for it. The dining room table was what resembled dried marmalade, probably a its broken circuit board with my screwdriver.
thus buried under half a hundredweight of souvenir from the breakfast table! A quick So much for computer technology! Now.
menacing machinery. polish with a soggy rag soon removed the where's my hot melt glue gun and 100W
Aided by my know-all computer-literate desiccated condiment. soldering iron?

572 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

 e 00,
B0 Ofre C? Lein
Musilm* Ce CUP@
O Easy to Use Graphical Interface under
both DOS and Windows.
O Netlist, Parts List &ERC reports.
O Hierarchical Design.
O Extensive component/model libraries.
C) Advanced Property Management.
n Seamless integration with simulation and
PCB design.

SImulatior
e Non-Linear &Linear Analogue Simulation.
Event driven Digital Simulation with
modelling language.
Partitioned simulation of large designs
with multiple analogue &digital sections.
O Graphs displayed directly on the
schematic.

PCS De:
O32 bit high resolution database.
0 Multi-Layer and SMT support.
O Full DRC and Connectivity Checking.
O RIP-UP &RETRY Autorouter.
O Shape based gridless power planes.
O Output to printers, plotters, Postscript,
Gerber, DXF and clipboard.
Gerber and DXF Import capability.

Call now for your free demo disk

or ask about the full evaluation kit.
Tel: 01756 753440. Fax: 01756 752857.
Electronics 53-55 Main St, Grassington. BD23 5AA.

Fully interactive demo versions available for download from our WWW site.
Call for educational, multi-user and dealer pricing -new dealers always wanted. EMAIL: info@labcenterco.uk
Prices exclude VAT and delivery. All manufacturer's trademarks acknowledged.
WWW: http://www.labcenterco.uk
573
 VIDEOS ON
ELECTRONICS
A range of videos selected by EPE and designed to provide
instruction on electronics theory. Each video gives a sound
introduction and grounding in a specialised area of the
subject. The tapes make learning both easier and more
enjoyable than pure textbook or magazine study They have
proved particularly useful in schools, colleges, training
departments and electronics clubs as well as to general
hobbyists and those following distance learning courses etc.

BASICS VCR MAINTENANCE RADIO

VT201 to VT206 is a basic electronics
course and is designed to be used as a
vrio2 84 minutes: Introduction to VCR VT401 61 minutes. A.M. Radio Theory. The most
Repair. Warning, not for the beginner. complete video ever produced on a.m. radio.
complete series, if required. Through the use of block diagrams this Begins with the basics of a.m. transmission and
/T201 54 minutes. Part One; D.C. Circuits. This video will take you through the various proceeds to the five major stages of a.m. recep-
video is an absolute must for the beginner. circuits found in the NTSC VHS system. tion. Learn how the signal is detected, converted
You will follow the signal from the input and reproduced. Also covers the Motorola C-
Series circuits, parallel circuits, Ohms law,
how to use the digital multimeter and much to the audio/video heads then from the QUAM a.m, stereo system. Order Code VT401
heads back to the output. VT402 58 minutes. FM. Radio Part 1. EM. basics
more. Order Code VT201 Order Code VT102
VT202 62 minutes. Part Two; A.C. Circuits. This including the functional blocks of a receiver.
VT103 35 minutes: A step-by-step easy to
is your next step in understanding the basics of Plus r.f. amplifier, mixer oscillator, i.f, amplifier,
follow procedure for professionally clean-
electronics. You will learn about how coils, limiter and f.m. decoder stages of atypical f.m.
ing the tape path and replacing many of
transformers, capacitors, etc are used in com- receiver. Order Code VT402
the belts in most VHS VCR's. The viewer
mon circuits. Order Code V1202 will also become familiar with the various
VT203 57 minutes. Part Three; Semiconductors. parts found in the tape path.
Gives you an exciting look into the world Order Code VT103
of semiconductors. With basic semiconduc-
tor theory. Plus 15 different semiconductor
devices explained. Order Code VT203 DIGITAL
Now for the digital series of six videos.
This series is designed to provide a
good grounding in digital and computer
technology.
15.000 VT301 54 minutes. Digital One: Gates begins
an with the basics as you learn about seven
h•dt / -^.- of the most common gates which are used

f on in almost every digital circuit, plus Binary

notation. Order Code VT301
VW. sr- --sr
...J..
VT302 55 minutes. Digital Two; Flip Flops will
: :.., .- further enhance your knowledge of digi-
tal basics. You will learn about Octal Vf403 58 minutes. F.M. Radio Part 2. A con-
• and Hexadecimal notation groups. flip-flops, tinuation of f.m. technology from Part 1.
counters, etc. Order Code V1302 Begins with the detector stage output, proceeds
VT303 54 minutes. Digital Three; Registers and to the 19kHz amplifier, frequency doubler,
Vf204 56 minutes. Part Four: Power Supplies. stereo demultiplexer and audio amplifier stages.
Dispktys is your next step in obtaining a solid
Guides you step-by-step through different sec- Also 'covers RDS digital data encoding and
tions of apower supply. Order Code VT204 understanding of the basic circuits found in
today's digital designs. Gets into multiplexers, decoding. Order Code VT403
VT205 57 minutes. Part Five; Amplifiers. Shows
registers, display devices, etc.
you how amplifiers work as you have never MISCELLANEOUS
Order Code VT303
seen them before. Class A, class B, class C. VT501 58 minutes. Fare Optics. From the fun-
VT304 59 minutes. Digital Four; DAC and ADC
op.amps. etc. Order Code VT205 damentals of fibre optic technology through
shows you how the computer is able to com-
V1206 54 minutes. Part Six: Oscillators. Oscil- cable manufacture to connectors, transmitters
municate with the real world. You will learn
lators are found in both linear and digital cir- and receivers. Order Code VT501
about digital-to-analogue and analogue-to-digi-
cuits. Gives a good basic background in oscil- VT502 57 minutes. Laser Tedutology A basic in-
lator circuits. Order Code V1206 tal converter circuits. Order Code VT304
VT305 56 minutes. Digital Five: Memory Devices troduction covering some of the common uses of
introduces you to the technology used in many laser devices, plus the operation of the Ruby

£34•95
of today's memory devices. You will learn all Rod laser, HeNe laser, CO 2 gas laser and semi-
about ROM devices and then proceed into conductor laser devices. Also covers the basics
PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, SRAM, DRAM, and of CD and bar code scanning.
each Order Code VT502
MBM devices. Order Code VT305
inc. VAT & postage V1'306 56 minutes. Digital Six; The CPU gives
Order 8or more get one extra FREE you a thorough understanding in the basics of
the central processing unit and the input/output
Order 16 get two extra FREE circuits used to make the system work.
Order Code VT306

ORDERING: Price includes postage to anywhere in the world.

OVERSEAS ORDERS: We use the VAT portion of the price to pay for
airmail postage and packing, wherever you live in the world. Just send
£34.95 per tape. All payments in £ sterling only (send cheque or money
order drawn on a UK bank).
Visa and Mastercard orders accepted -please give card number, card expiry date and
cardholder's address if different from the delivery address.
Orders are normally sent within seven days but please allow a maximum of 28 days -
• longer for overseas orders. Each video uses a mixture of animated
Send your order to: Direct Book Service, 33 Gravel Hill, Merley, Wimborne, current flow in circuits plus text, plus
Dorset BH21 1RW (Mail Order Only) cartoon instruction etc., and a very full
Direct Book Service is a division of Wimborne Publishing Ltd., Publishers of EPE commentary to get the points across. The
Tel: 01202 881749. Fax: 01202 841692 tapes are imported by us and originate
from VCR Educational Products Co, an
Due to the cost we cannot reply to overseas orders or queries by Fax.
American supplier. (All videos are to the
E-mail: editorial@ epemag.wimborne.co.uk UK PAL standard on VHS tapes)

Everyday Practical Electronics. August 1997

 AND VIBRATION DETECTOR PLANS Ultresensibve clette power hanceng, microphone induded. f17 Ref 1014
DIFFERENTIAL THERMOSTAT KIT Perfect for heat 4 WATT FM TRANSMITTER KIT Smag but powerful FIA
=every, solar systems. boar effciency etc Two sensors all operate melees one to heir •whole new world of sounds. Later through wale,
windows, floors etc. Marty applications shown, from law enactment. tranerdeer. 3RF stages, microphone andaudiopreempinduded. £24
Medaysteen •ternp Memos (adjustais) Is detected. Al ComPonerds
nature listening. mace heartbeat, to mechanize devices Mast Ref Ref 1028
and pcb E29 ref L0193 STROBE LIGHT KIT Adjustable from lao riz io foster than
F/HGA 7
MAGNETIC RUBBER TAPE Sedledhesee 10 metre refi 8mm
conventional strobes) Mains operated. £17 Ref 1037
vide perfect for al sorts d applications! £15 ref LOT87 WOLVERHAMPTON ELECTRONICS COMBINATION LOCK KIT gkey, programmable. complete vith
MAINS POWER SAVER UK aide plug nuna eta inseconds
STORE NOW OPEN IN treed - »lie 2A rnains. 9v dc operation E13 ref 1114
can reduce your energy consumption by 15% Works with fndges.
soldieng irons, conventional bulbe etc Max 2A rang£9 each ref PHONE BUG DETECTOR KIT This device el warn you f
WORCESTER ST TEL 01902 22039 somebody is etweadroppeng on your line £9 ref 1130
L0771. pack of 10 f69 ref LOT72
YUASHA SEALED LEAD ACID seseniss, ex equipment be ok ROBOT VOICE KIT Interesting cede that distorts your vosoel
ANTI DOG FORCE FIELD PLANS Nighty effective circus
adjustable. answerthe phone with adders« voice! 12vdc f9ref 1131
bargain ace just £5.99 each ref YAI 100 or more £3 50 each. produces time variable pukes of acoustical energy that dogs cannot
tolerate fleet Ref FiDOG2 TELEPHONE BUG KIT Smal bug powered by the 'phone line,
DC TO DC CONVERTERS
starts transmitting as soon as the phone is picked up! £12 Ref 1135.
DRM513 input 10-40vdc output 5v SA Et 5ORM128 input 17-40vdc LASER BOUNCEUSTENER SYSTEM PLANS Mows you
to hew sounds horn •premises ethout geeing access E12/se4Ref Fr 3 CHANNEL LIGHT CHASER KIT 800 watts per channel,
output 12v M £18 DRM158 input 20-40vdc output 15v 8A £18
DRM248 input 29-40vdc output 24v 8A £12DRS123 input 17-40vdc speed and direction controtssuppbed with 12 LEDS (you can fit Macs
LLIST1
output 12y 3A £10 DRSI 53 input 20-40vdc output 15v 3A £20 instead to make kit mains. not supplied) 9-12v0C £11 ref 1026.
LASER LIGHT SHOW PLANS Do It yourese dans show three 12V FLOURESCENT LAMP DRIVER KIT Lighted foot
DRS243 input 29-40vdc output 24v 3A f8 methods Ea Ref F/LLS1 tubes from your car battery ,9v 25 transformer also required. ref
HITACHI LM225XLCD SCREENS 270415Ornm, standard 12 PHASOR BLAST WAVE PISTOL SERIES PLANS
way connector, 640x200 dots, leo spec sheet £15 each ref LM2 1069
Handheld, hue large transducer and battery capacity we external HELPING HANDS Perfect for those Oddly jobs that need sur
VARIABLE CAPACITORS Dual gang, 60433445mm. reducbon controls. f8/set Ref F/PSP4
gearing, unknown capacity but probably good quality (mditary spec) rends, 6ball and socket joints, magnifier E7 99 ref Y057A
INFINITY TRANSMITTER PLANS Tear-one Ine grabber/ VOX SWITCH KIT Sound salvaged retch ideal for making
generai purpose radio tuner £9 ref VC I room monitor The ufbrnate em home/office secunty and safetyl saes
ELECTRONIC FLASH PCB Smell pcb fitted with components bugging tape recorders etc, adjustable sensMity. EIO ref 1073.
to use! CM your home or orrice phone. push asecret tone on your
including aflash tube, Just connect I2vdc meridian's anode PREAMP MIXER KIT 3input mono mixer. sep bees and treble
ieisonons to access ether A) On premises sound arid aide or 8)
speed potentiometer £6 ref FLS1 Existing converaitoneth break-in sapidity for emergency messages controls plus indrvid ual level controls, 18vdc. Input sens 100mA £15
THIEF PROOF PENI Amazing new bed point pen fitted with • ref 1052.
£7 Ref FITELEGRAB
SOUND EFFECTS GENERATOR KIT Produces sounds
combnabon lock on the end that oner you know' £2 49 ref TP2 BUG DETECTOR PLANS is that lemmas getting the goods on
you? Easy to construct device locates any hidden source of redo ranging from bled chips to sirens Complete with speaker. add bound
JUMBO 8! COLOUR LEDS PCB with 15 reed siso 5gent effects to your protecke for just f9ref 1045.
energy! Sniffs out and finds bugs and other sources of bothersome
seven segment displays (55mm) £8 ref JUM1 15 WATT FM TRANSMITTER (BUILT) 4stage nigh power.
interference Detects low, high and UHF frequencies £5/set Ref Fr
HOME DECK CLEARANCE Them units must te dusted! preemp required 12-18vdc. can use ground pens, yaw or open depots
leads an infra red remote meaty keyboard and receiver, »standard BD1
ELECTROMAGNETIC GUN PLANS Projects •mete obtect £39 ref 1021
UHF matador astandard 1200/75 BT approved modern and loads HUMIDITY METER KIT Builds into a precision LCD humidity
aconsiderable distance-requires adal supervision £5 ref F/EIAL2.
of chips, capacitors, diodes. resistors etc at for tust £10 tel BAR33 meter, 9ic dean, pcb, kxt display and al components included £29
ELECTRIC MAN PLANS ,SHOCK PEOPLE WITH THE
6.13MW HELIUM NEON LASERS New units, £85 ref L0133 PC TIMER KIT Four channel output controlled by your PC, we
TOUCH OF YOUR HANOI £5/set Ref F/EMA1
COINSLOT TOKENS You may have ause for these/ mixed bag retch high current mains with rays (supplied) Software supplied so
PARABOUC DISH MICROPHONE PLANS Listen to distant youran pogramthe channels to dowhalyouwent wheneveryou want.
d 100 tokens £5 ref LOT20 eounds and voices open windows sound sources m'hard to gal' or
PORTABLE X RAY MACHINE PLANS Easy to construct Miarnum seem configerabon e268, VGA. 4.1,640k, Mani port hard
hostile prernrses Uses seats technology to gather distant sounds Orhe wilh min 100k free. £24.99
plans on •simple and cheap way to build ahome X-ray rnachine! and focus them to our ultra sensitive electronics Pens also show an
Effeclivedivice,X-rmiediedeasembles can ta iteedfor axpertnentod MAGNETIC MARBLES They have been around for •number of
optional viretess link system E8/set ref F/P115
purposes Not •boy or for minors' feast Ref FiXP1. years but la OVID nowt° woody and amazement Apeck of 12 is iust
2FOR 1MULTIFUNCTIONAL HIGH FREQUENCY AND £3 99 re GUR20
TELEKINETIC ENHANCER PLANS Mystify and amaze your
HIGH DC VOLTAGE,SOLID STATE TESLA COIL AND NICKEL PLATING KIT Proffesional eat:ageing kit the va
Mince by dealing motion with no known apparent means or cause.
VARIABLE 100,000 VDC OUTPUT GENERATOR PLANS transform rustong parts into showpieces ri 3aural WI plate onto
Uses no electitcal or mechanical connections no specie ommicks
yet peaces positive motion undefiled. Excellent for sconce protects Operates on 9-12ydc, many possible expenments £10 Ref Ffi-hrm7r steal anemia, gunmetalcopper.welded.semeolderedor brazed
magicahows, party demonstrations or serkxis rouser:1i &development TCL4. joints Kit includes enough Opiate 1.000 a «has You we also need
dew strange and amazing phyche phenomenon MEGA LED DISPLAYS PCB eta with 5seven segment deploys •12v supply. acontester and 212v ION bulbs [45 ref NIK39
C4/set Ref FfTKE1. each measunng 55 x38rnm £5 ref LEDS. Mlnature adjustable timers, 4pole do output 3A 240v,
ELECTRONIC HYPNOSIS PLANS & DATA This asta MOD TRANSMITTING VALVES 5 J 180E £80 ref LOT112 HY1230S, 12vDC adjustable from 0-30 secs. £4.99
shows several ways to pul subjects under yourcontrol Included rsatull SWITCHED MODE PSU' S 244 watt, .5 32A, 412 6A, -5 0.2A. - HY1260M, 12vDC adjustable from 0-60 mins. £4.99
volume tsference text and several construction piano thet after 120 2A There is also an optioned 3.3v 25A rel amiable. 120/240v V HY2405S, 240v adjustable from 0-5 secs. £4.99
assembled can produce highly eflediye stimuli The materiel must be P. Cased, 1754904145mm. IEC iniet Suitable for PC use (6 &drive
used cautiously fi is for use as entertainment et parties etc only. by connedon 1miboard). £15 ref LOT135 HY24060m, 240v adjustable from 0-60 mins. £6.99
those experienced In Rs use f15/set Ref F/EFf2 HYDROGEN FUEL CELL PLANS There eagle of interest en BUGGING TAPE RECORDER Sinai voice loafed recorder,
GRAVITY GENERATOR PLANS This unique plan using Hyrogen m the fuel of the future. Hydnigen is may to produce ulles MiCrOCeSeele =MOM with headphones f:28.90 ref MAR29P1.
demonstntes •simple electrice phenomena mat produces en anti- using chemoads and surplus solar generated electricity It is also easy POWER SUPPLY fully cased with rnains and ap leads 17v DC
gravity effect You cenactually add •smal mock spaceship out of to store van latte or no losa Hyrogen fue °Ms are designed to store 900mA output Bargain ace £599 ref NIAG6P9
simple materials and without any visible means- cause ato entire hydrogen and weight for weight wit hoed twice as much energy matte COMPOSITE VIDEO KIT. Converts composite video into sepa-
Meet Ref F/GRA1 petrol tank. Our plans wee you loads d inforrnallon on Hyrogen rate Hsync, Vsync, and video. 12v DC. £12 00 REF: StAGSP2.
WORLDS SMALLEST TESLA COIULIGHTENING producbon. storage and practical pens to build your can Hydrogen fuel FUTURE PC POWER SUPPUES These are 295x13548Ornm.
DISPLAY GLOBE PLANS Produces up to 750,000 volts of oall! you we need access to eased woikshop for this but full 4drive connectors 1mother board connector 150watt, 12y fan sic
discharge, =moment eth extraordinary FN effects, 'Peen. ease. consbucten deeds and drangs are induded. FtioelplansE9rsftffI inlet and on/off retch. £12 Re EF6.
St Elintra fee. Caine. salient science project or conversation VIDEO PROCESSOR UNI”?/11v 10AH BATTS/24V SA VENUS FLY TRAP KIT Grow your own carnivorous pea with this
place. f5/set Ref F/EITC1/LG5 TX Not too sure what the function of these teats se but they certainty emcee Id £3 ref EF34
COPPER VAPOUR LASER PLANS Produces 10Orrm cd treks good «meet's! Measures 390X320X120an, on the front are 6"X12" AMORPHOUS SOLAR PANEL 12v 155431Ornm
visible green bale. High coherency and spectral quality eirndarto Argon controbefor scan speed, scan delay, scan mode, loaded connections 130mA Bargain pnoe just E5. 99 ea REF MAG6PI2
laser but easier and less costly to build yet far more eflicient. This on the rear. Inside 246v 10AH seated eel acid bets, pcirsand tlA? FIBRE OPTIC CABLE BUMPER PACK 1 omores for £4 99
particular design was developed at the Atomic Energy Commeron of 24v torroidie transformer (madmen) sold as seen, may have one or two ref MAG5P13 deed for experimenters ,30 mfor E12.99 ref MAGI 3P1
NEGEV nIsrael E10/set Ref FfCVL 1 broken knobs etc due to poor 'brags £15.99 ref VP2
ROCK LIGHTS Unusual trangs these, hio pieces of rock that glow
VOICE SCRAMBLER PLANS meature sad stale system RETRON NIGHT SIGHT Recogindion of •standing man at 300m when rubbed together! Mimed to cause rainlf3 apea Ref EF29.
tumsspeschsounchnendeopherable mimed oannot be understood n 1(4 moonlight, hermetically sealed, tuns on 2AA batteries, °Oran 3' by 1' AMORPHOUS SOLAR PANELS 14 5v, 700mA 10
without macond matching unit Use on telephone to prevent third patty F1.5 lens, 20mw infrared laser included £325 ref RETRON. watts, atumnium frame, *crew tontines. £55 ref MAG45
keening and bugging. f6/set Ref FNS9 MAKE YOUR OWN CHEWING GUM KIT Everything you need ELECTRONIC ACCUPUNCTURE KIT Builds nto an electron•c
PULSED TV JOKER PLANS Uttle hand held device aka« so miasmal earns gum even the bowlaretreesapamthe Satiate version maid of needles! good to experiment With £9 ref 7P30
pule techniques that vel complefey disrupt 1V picture and 'and! tree£7 99 ref SC190
works on FM too! DISCRETION ADVISED. f8/ast Ref F/TJ5. SHOCKING COIL KIT Budd the little battery operated deem into
MINI FM TRANSMITTER KIT Very high gain tamp. supplied all sorts of things, also gets worms out dthe ground! £9 ref 7P36
BODYHEAT TELESCOPE PLANS Highly direcbonal long complete with FE'?' Motet microphone. Designed locover 88-108 Mhz
range device uses recent Mchnology to detect the amend of living HIGH POWER CATAPULTS Hinged aim brace for stabile/ .
but eaady changed to cover 63-130 Mhz Works wee •common 9v tempered steel yoke, super strength latex power bands. Departure
bodies, warm and hot spots, heat leeks etc Intended for security, law (PP3) battery. 02W RF CaRel 1001
enforcement researchand development. etc Exosientsectelydevte speed of ammunition en excess 01200 miles per hour! Range of over
3-30V POWER SUPPLY YJT Weals. stabilized power supply 200 metres' Ed 99 ref R/9
or very rnteresting science project Efilset Ref FiEttfT1
for lab use Short circuit protected. 'Matelot protestant or amateur COMPAQ POWER SUPPUES WITH 12V DC FANS Ex
BURNING ,CUTTING CO2 LASER PLANS Projects an use 24v 3A tranefomnar is needed to compels the kit £14 Ref 1007
invisible beam of nee capable of burning and rneeng Maeda oar a equipment psu's, some ok some not but worth ffor the fan aorta!
1WATT FM TRANSMITTER KIT Suable with Pm° sladnC probably about 300 watt PC unit with IEC input f350 each ref CO1
considerableckatance The lambs one dense moat elecient.converbng
10% input poser erdo meta output. Not only Isthis deal •warhorse
mic. 8-30vdc. At 25-30y you we get nearly 2wens' £15 ref 1009 BALLON MANUFACTURING KIT Breen made. tuna blob
ir weideng cutting and heal processing materials bulge also alikely FIA/ AM SCANNER KIT Wed not qude, you teve to turn the knob blows triloa large longlastng balcon. hour's:Stunt £3 99 ref GI/E99R
candidate as an effective directed energy beam weapon against your sed but aura hew thence on this rackothat you would not hear on 9-0-9V 4A TRANSFORMERS. chases mount £7 ref LOT19A.
missies aircraft. ground-to-ground. etc. Particle beans may very wee an ordinary radio (even TV) Covers 50-160mhz on both AM and FIA.
Bur in 5watt amplifier. ,nc speaker E18 ref 1013 MEGA LED DISPLAYS Bekt your see adock or something with
eke alaser of thetypeto best achannel in the anospherefora high these mega 7sag displays 55rnm high, 38mm vide 5on •editor just
energy stream of neutrons or other partite' The device es easily 3CHANNEL SOUND TO UGHT KIT WW•10111 system, mains
£4 99 ref LOT16 or •bumper pack of 50 displays for just £29 ref
amicable to burning and etceng med. cutting. plastics. termites etc oPereted, separate sensitive, /adjustment for each channel. 1.200 ef
LOT17
E12/set Ref F/LC7
SOLID STATE RELAYS
MYSTERY ANTI GRAVITY DEVICE PLANS uses simple
concept Obtecia float ai air and move to the touch. Defies gravity BULL ELECTRICAL CMP-DC-200P 3-32vdc operation, 0-200vdc lA £2 50
SMT20000/3 3-24vcic operation. 28-280vac 3A £4 50
amazing ge,convenuation pece magetak or @dace project Etviet 250 PORTLAND ROAD, HOVE, SUSSEX.
Ref F/ANTIK
FRUIT POWERED CLOCK Just &Marmon orange, tomato BN3 5QT. (ESTABLISHED 50 YEARS).
banana or any otterfrud plug in the probes and the dock works ,£9 95 MAIL ORDER TERMS: CASH, PO OR CHEQUE
ref SC154
DYNAMO FLASHLIGHT Interesting concept, no bettenes needed
WITH ORDER PLUS £3.51 P&P PLUS VAT.
FREE COLOUR CATALOGUE
just squeeze the trigger for instant light apparently even works under 24 HOUR SERVICE £4.50 PLUS VAT.
water in an ernerpency aithough we haven't tried dyet! £6 99 ref SC152 OVERSEAS ORDERS AT MST PLUSES- At WITH EVERY ORDER
ULTRASONIC BLASTER PLANS Laboratory source of sonic (ACCESS,VISA, SWITCH. AMERICAN EXPRESS)
shock waves Blow holes in metal, produce 'cc« 'teem. atomize
equidesMany doming uses for PC boarde. ye-eery. cons anvil parts 'phone orders :01273 203500 WE BUY SURPLUS STOCK
etc E6/set Ref F/ULBI
ULTRA HIGH GAIN AMPISTETHOSCOPIC ' MIKE/ FAX 01273 323077 FOR CASH
SOUND
E-mail bull@,pavilion.co.uk SURPLUS STOCK LINE 0802 660335
 DIREC
INTRODUCING MICROPROCESSORS
00K RVICE
Mike Today B.A. (published by Everyday Practical
Electronics)
The books listed have been selected by Everyday Practical
A complete course that can lead successful readers to
the award of a City and Guilds Certificate in Introductory
Electronics editorial staff as being of special interest to
Microprocessors 17261031. The book contains everything everyone involved in electronics and computing. They are
you need to know including full details on registering for
assessment, etc. supplied by mail order to your door. Full ordering details are
Sections cover Microcomputer Systems, Microproces-
sors, Memories, Input/Output, Interfacing and Program- given on the last book page.
ming. There are various practical assignments and eight
Data Pages covering popular microprocessors. FOR ANOTHER SELECTION OF BOOKS SEE NEXT
And excellent introduction to the subject even for those
who do not wish to take the City and Guilds assessment. MONTH'S ISSUE.
80 pages Order code 71-88 89 £2.45
Note our UK postage costs just £1.50 no matter how
ELECTRONICS TEACH-IN No.6
many books you order!
DESIGN YOUR OWN CIRCUITS
(published by Everyday Practical Electronics)
Mike Tooley B.A. TEACH-IN No. 7. plus FREE SOFTWARE interesting way: you will both see and hear the electron
This book is designed for the beginner and experienced ANALOGUE AND DIGITAL ELECTRONICS COURSE in action! The Micro Lab microprocessor add-on system
reader alike, and aims to dispel some of the mystique (published by Everyday Practical Electronics) will appeal to higher level students and those develop-
associated with the design of electronic circuits. It shows Alan Winstanley and Keith Dye B.Eng(TechIAMIEE ing microprocessor projects.
how even the relative newcomer to electronics can, with This highly acclaimed EPE Teach-In series, which included 160 pages Order code 717 £3.95
the right approach, design and realise quite complex the construction and use of the Mini Lab and Micro Lab
circuits. test and development units, has been put together in
Fourteen individual p.c.b. modules are described which, book form. Additionally, EPT Educational Software have ELECTRONIC PROJECTS BOOK 1
with various detailed modifications, should allow anyone developed a GCSE Electronics software program to com- (published by Everyday Practical Electronics in
to design and construct a very wide range of different pliment the course and a FREE DISKC covering the first association with Magenta Electronics)
projects. Nine "hands-on" complete DIY projects have two parts of the course is included with the book. Contains twenty projects from previous issues of EE
also been included so readers can follow the think- An interesting and thorough tutorial series aimed speci- each backed with a kit of components. The projects
ing behind design, assembly, construction, testing and fically at the novice or complete beginner in electronics. are: Seashell Sea Synthesizer, EE Treasure Hunter,
evaluation, together with suggested "mods" to meet The series is designed to support those undertaking either Mini Strobe. Digital Capacitance Meter, Three-Channel
individual needs. GCSE Electronics or GCE Advanced Levels, and starts Sound to Light, BBC 16K sideways RAM, Simple Short
The subjects covered in each chapter of the book are: with fundamental principles. Wave Radio, Insulation Tester, Stepper Motor Interface,
Introduction and Power Supplies; Small Signal Amplifiers; If you are taking electronics or technology at school Eprom Eraser, 200MHz Digital Frequency Meter, Infra
Power Amplifiers; Oscillators; Logic Circuits; Timers; or college, this book is for you. If you just want to Red Alarm, EE Equaliser, Ioniser, Bat Detector, Acoustic
Radio; Power Control; Optoelectronics. learn the basics of electronics or technology you must Probe. Mainstester and Fuse Finder, Light Rider -(Lapel
The nine complete constructional projects are: Ver- make sure you see it. Teach-In No. 7will be invaluable Badge, Disco Lights, Chaser Light), Musical Doorbell,
satile Bench Power Supply; Simple Intercom; Bench if you are considering a career in electronics or even Function Generator, Tilt Alarm, 10W Audio Amplifier, EE
Amplifier/Signal Tracer; Waveform Generator; Electronic if you are already training in one. The Mini Lab and Buccaneer Induction Balance Metal Detector, BBC Midi
Die; Pulse Generator; Radio Receiver; Disco Lights software enable the construction and testing of both Interface, Variable Bench Power Supply, Pet Scarer,
Controller; Optical Communications Link. demonstration and development circuits. These learn- Audio Signal Generator.
136 pages £3.45 ing aids bring electronics to life in an enjoyable and 128 pages IMEIMÉG11 £2.45

PROJECT
COSTRUCTION
TEST EQUIPMENT CONSTRUCTION
R. A. Penfold
This book describes in detail how to construct some
simple and inexpensive but extremely useful, pieces of
test equipment. Stripboard layouts are provided for
all designs, together with wiring diagrams where ap-
propriate, plus notes on construction and use.
The following designs are included:-
AF Generator, Capacitance Meter, Test Bench Amplifier,
AF 'Frequency Meter, Audio Mullivoltmeter, Analogue
Probe, High Resistance Voltmeter, CMOS Probe, Transis-
tor Tester, TTL Probe.
The designs are suitable for both newcomers and more
experienced hobbyists.
104 pages Order code BP248 £3.99

A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO MODERN ELECTRONIC

COMPONENTS
R. A. Penfold
The purpose of this book is to provide practical informa-

RADIO /TV /VIDEO

tion to help the reader sort out the bewildering array of
components currently on offer. An advanced knowledge
of the theory of electronics is not needed, and this book is
not intended to be acourse in electronic theory. The main
aim is to explain the differences between components of
ELECTRONIC PROJECTS FOR VIDEO EXPERIMENTAL ANTENNA TOPICS the same basic type (e.g. carbon, carbon film, metal film,
ENTHUSIASTS H. C. Wright and wire-wound resistors) so that the right component for
R. A. Penfold Although nearly acentury has passed since Marconi's first agiven application can be slected. A wide range of corn-
This book provides a number of practical designs for demonstration or radio communication, there is still re- ponents are included, with the emphasis firmly on those
video accessories that will help you get the best results search and experiment to be carried out in the field of components that are used agreat deal in projects for the
from your camcorder and VCR. All the projects use antenna design and behaviour. home constructor.
inexpensive components that are readily available, and The aim of the experimenter will be to make a 166 pages Order code BP285 £4.99
they are easy to construct. Full construction details are measurement or confirm aprinciple, and this can be done
provided, including stripboard layouts and wiring dia- with relatively fragile, short-life apparatus. Because of this,
HOW TO DESIGN AND MAKE YOUR OWN PC.B.s
grams. Where appropriate, simple setting up procedures devices described in this book make liberal use of
cardboard, cooking foil, plastic bottles, cat food tins, etc. R. A. Penfold
are described in detail; no test equipment is needed. Deals with the simple methods of copying printed circuit
The projects covered in this book include: Four channel These materials are, in general, cheap to obtain and easily
worked with simple tools, encouraging the trial-and-error board designs from magazines and books, and covers
audio mixer, Four channel stereo mixer, Dynamic noise
philosophy which leads to innovation and discovery. all aspects of simple p.c.b. construction including photo-
limiter (DNL), Automatic audio fader, Video faders, Video graphic methods and designing your own p.c.b.s.
wipers, Video crispener, Mains power supply unit. Although primarily a practical book with text closely
supported by diagrams, some formulae which can be 80 pages order code BP121 £2.50
109 pages Order code BP356 £4.95
used by straightforward substitution and some simple
graphs 'lave also been included. AUDIO AMPLIFIER CONSTRUCTION
72 pages Order code BP278 £3.50 R. A. Penfold
The purpose of this book is to provide the reader with a
SETTING UP AN AMATEUR RADIO STATION 25 SIMPLE INDOOR AND WINDOW AERIALS wide range of preamplifier and power amplifier designs
I. D. Poole E. M. Noll that will, it is hoped, cover most normal requirements.
The aim of this book is to give guidance on the decisions Many people live in flats and apartments or other types of The preamplifier circuits include low noise microphone
which have to be made when setting up any amateur accommodation where outdoor aerials are prohibited, or and RIAA types, a tape head preamplifier, a guitar
radio or short wave listening, station. Often the ex- a lack of garden space etc. prevents aerials from being preamplifier and various tone controls. The power
perience which is needed is learned by one's mistakes, erected. This does not mean you have to forgo shortwave amplifier designs range from low power battery operation
however, this can be expensive. To help overcome this, listening, for even a 20-foot length of wire stretched out to 100W MOSFET types and also include a 12 volt bridge
guidance is given on many aspects of setting up and along the skirting board of a room can produce accept- amplifier capable of giving up to 18W output.
running an efficient station. It then proceeds to the able results. However, with some additional effort and ex- All the circuits are relatively easy to construct using the
steps that need to be taken in gaining afull transmitting perimentation one may well be able to improve perfor- p.c.b. or stripboard designs given. Where necessary any
licence. mance further. setting-up procedures are described, but in most cases no
Topics covered include: The equipment that is This concise book tells the story, and shows the reader setting-up or test gear is required in order to successfully
needed; Setting up the shack; Which aerials to use; how to construct and use 25 indoor and window aerials that complete the project.
Methods of construction; Preparing for the licence. the author has proven to be sure performers. 100 pages Temporarily out of print
An essential addition to the library of all those taking Much information is also given on shortwave bands, aerial
their first steps in amateur radio. directivity, time zones, dimensions etc. DESIGN YOUR OWN CIRCUITS
86 pages Order code BP300 £3.95 50 pages Order code BP136 £1.75 See ELECTRONICS TEACH IN No. 6above left

576 Everyday Practical Electronics. August 1997

 CIRCUITS AIN D DESIGN
PRACTICAL ELECTRONICS HANDBOOK -

SPECIAL
engineer, technician, and the experimenter, as well as
Fourth Edition. Ian Sinclair the electronics student and amateur. It deals with the
Contains all of the everyday information that anyone subject in an easy-to-read, down-to-earth, and non-
working in electronics will need.
SUMMER '97 It provides a practical and comprehensive collection
mathematical yet comprehensive manner, explaining
the basic principles and characteristics of the best

OFFER
of circuits, rules of thumb and design data for profes- known devices, and presenting the reader with many
sional engineers, students and enthusaists, and there- practical applications and over 200 circuits. Most of
fore enough background to allow the understanding and the i.c.s and other devices used are inexpensive and
development of arange of basic circuits. readily available types, with universally recognised type
Contents: Passive components, Active discrete numbers.

0 °/cog-F
der:
F
components, Discrete component circuits, Sensing
components, Linear I.C.s, Digital I.C.s, Microprocessors
and microprocessor systems, Transferring digital data,
182 pages ISECEMÉM £14.99

OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIER USER'S HANDBOOK

Posted before Digital-analogue conversions, Computer aids in elec-
tronics, Hardware components and practical work,
R. A. Penfold
The first part of this book covers standard operational
Sept. 30 '97 Standard metric wire table, Bibliography, The HEX
scale, Index.
amplifer based "building blocks" (integrator, precision
rectifier, function generator, amplifiers, etc), and con-
440 pages ( EIMEEZIEI £12.99 siders the ways in which modern devices can be used
to give superior performance in each one. The second
AUDIO IC CIRCUITS MANUAL part describes a number of practical circuits that exploit
R. M. Marston modern operational amplifiers, such as high slew-rate,
PRACTICAL OSCILLATOR CIRCUITS A vast range of audio and audio-associated i.c.s are
A. Flind NEW readily available for use by amateur and professional
ultra low noise, and low input offset devices. The projects
include: Low noise tape preamplifier, low noise RIAA
Extensive coverage is given to circuits using capacitors design engineers and technicians. This manual is a
and resistors to control frequency. Designs using preamplifier, audio power amplifiers, d.c. power con-
guide to the most popular and useful of these devices, trollers, opto-isolator audio link, audio millivolt meter,
CMOS, timer i.c.s and op.amps are all described in with over 240 diagrams. It deals with i.c.s such as low
detail, with a special chapter on "waveform generator" temperature monitor, low distortion audio signal gener-
frequency linear amplifiers, dual pre-amplifiers, audio ator, simple video fader, and many more
i.c.s. Reliable "white" and "pink" noise generator power amplifiers, charge coupled device delay lines,
circuits are also included. 120 pages Order code BP335 £4.95
bar-graph display drivers, and power supply regulators,
Various circuits using inductors and capacitors are and shows how to use these devices in circuits ranging A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO CMOS DIGITAL ICs
covered, with emphasis on stable low frequency gener- from simple signal conditioners and filters to com- R. A. Penfold
ation. Some of these are amazingly simple, but are still plex graphic equalizers, stereo amplifier systems, and Getting started with logic circuits can be difficult, since
very useful signal sources. echo/reverb delay lines etc many of the fundamental concepts of digital design tend
Crystal oscillators have their own chapter. Many of 168 pages Order code NE13 £13.95 to seem rather abstract, and remote from obviously useful
the circuits shown are readily available special i.c.s for
simplicity and reliability, and offer several output fre- applications. This book covers the basic theory of digital
50 CIRCUITS USING GERMANIUM. SILICON AND electronics and the use of CMOS integrated circuits, but
quencies. Finally, complete constructional details are ZENER DIODES
given for an audio sinewaye generator. does not lose sight of the fact that digital electronics has
R. N. Soar numerous "real world" applications.
133 pages Order code BP393 £4.99 Contains 50 interesting and useful circuits and applications, The topics covered in this book include: the basic con-
covering many different branches of electronics, using one cepts of logic circuits; the functions of gates, inverters and
PRACTICAL ELECTRONIC CONTROL PROJECTS of the most simple and inexpensive of components -the other logic "building blocks"; CMOS logic i.c. characteris-
Owen Bishop diode. Includes the use of germanium and silicon signal
Explains electronic control theory in simple, non- tics, and their advantages in practical circuit design; oscil-
diodes, silicon rectifier diodes and Zener diodes, etc. lators and monostables (timers); flipllops, binary dividers
mathematical terms and is illustrated by 30 practical
64 pages Order code BP36 £1.95 and binary counters; decade counters and display drivers.
designs suitable for the student or hobbyist to build.
The emphasis is on apractical treatment of the subject,
Shows how to use sensors as input to the control OPTOELECTRONICS CIRCUITS MANUAL and all the circuits are based on "real" CMOS devices. A
system, and how to provide output to lamps, heaters, R. M. Marston
solenoids, relays and motors. number of the circuits demonstrate the use of CMOS logic
A useful single-volume guide to the optoelectronics i.c.s in practical applications
Computer based control is explained by practical device user, specifically aimed at the practical design 119 pages Order code BP333£4.95
examples that can be run on a PC. For stand-
alone systems, the projects use microcontrollers, such
as the inexpensive and easy-to-use Stamp BASIC
microcontroller. These projects are chosen to introduce

AUDIO AND MUSIC

and demonstrate as many aspects as possible of the
programming language and techniques.
198 pages ISZEZEJEKB £5.99

COIL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTIONAL MANUAL INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL AUDIO explains how the electronic functions of the instrument
B. B. Babani (Second Edition) work together, and includes information on the various
A complete book for the home constructor on "how to Ian Sinclair pickups and transducers that can be fitted. There are com-
make" RF, IF, audio and power coils, chokes and trans. Digital recording methods have existed for many years plete circuit diagrams for the major types of instrument,
formers. Practically every possible type is discussed and and have become familiar to the professional recording as well as aselection of wiring modifications and pickup
calculations necessary are given and explained in detail. engineer, but the compact disc (CD) was the first device to switching circuits. These can be used to help you create
Although this book is now twenty years old, with the bring audio methods into the home. The next step is the your own custom wiring.
exception of toroids and pulse transformers little has appearance of digital audio tape (DAT) equipment. Along with the electric guitar, sections are also in.
changed in coil design since it was written. All this development has involved methods and circuits cluded relating to acoustic instruments. The function of
96 pages Order code 160 £3.95 that are totally alien to the technician or keen amateur specialised, piezoelectric pickups is explained and there
who has previously worked with audio circuits. The prin- are detailed instructions on how to make your own
ciples and practices of digital audio owe little or nothing contact and bridge transducers. The projects range from
SPECIAL OFFER to the traditional linear circuits of the past, and are much
more comprehensible to today's computer engineer than
simple preamps and tone boosters, to complete active
controls and equaliser units.
If your order is posted before Sep- the older generation of audio engineers.
92 pages Order corle BP358 £4.95
This book is intended to bridge the gap of understand-
tember 30th 1997 you can deduct ing for the technician and enthusiast. The principles and MIDI SURVIVAL GUIDE
10% from the total amount. Note: methods are explained, but the mathematical background Vic Lennard
and theory is avoided, other than to state the end product. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, the MIDI
Orders posted after September 30th 128 pages Order code PC102 £7.95 Survival Guide shows you the way. No maths. no MIDI
will be returned if the full amount theory, just practical advice on starting up, setting up
and ending up with aworking MIDI system.
has not been included. PROJECTS FOR THE ELECTRIC GUITAR Over 40 cabling diagrams. Connect synths, sound
J. Chatwin modules, sequencers, drum machines and multitracks.
This book is for anyone interested in the electric guitar. It How to budget and buy secondhand. Using switch,
thru and merger boxes. Transfer songs between
different sequencers. Get the best out of General MIDI.

DIRECT BOOK SERVICE Understand MIDI implementation charts. No MIDI

theory.
104 pages •rder code P 111 £6.95

ORDERING DETAILS PRACTICAL ELECTRONIC MUSICAL

EFFECTS UNITS
Please state the title and order code clearly, print your name and address and add the R. A. Penfold
required postage to the total order. This book provides practical circuits for a number of
electronic musical effects units. All can be built at rela-
Our postage price is the same no matter how many books you order, just add £1.50
tively low cost, and use standard, readily available com-
to your total order for postage and packing (overseas readers add £3 for countries ponents. The projects covered include: Waa-Waa Units;
in the EEC, or add £6 for all countries outside the EEC, surface mail postage) and Distortion Units; Phaser; Guitar Envelope Shaper;
Compressor; Tremolo Unit; Metal Effects Unit; Bass
send a PO, cheque, international money order (£ sterling only) made payable to Di- and Treble Boosters; Graphic Equaliser; Parametric
rect Book Service or credit card details (including card expiry date), Visa or Master- Equaliser. The projects cover a range of complexities,
but most are well within the capabilities of the average
card - minimum credit card order is £5 - quoting your name and address, the order electronics hobbyist. None of them require the use of
code and quantities required to DIRECT BOOK SERVICE, '33 GRAVEL HILL, MERLEY, test equipment and several are suitable for near
beginners.
WIMBORNE, DORSET BH21 1RW (mail order only).
102 pages Order code BP368 £4.95
Although books are normally sent within seven days of receipt of your order, please
allow a maximum of 28 days for delivery. Overseas readers allow extra time for surface LOUDSPEAKERS FOR MUSICIANS
Vivan Capel
mail post. This book contains all that aworking musician needs to
Please check price and availability (see latest issue of Everyday Practical Electronics) know about loudspeakers; the different types, how they
before ordering from old lists. work, the most suitable for different instruments, for
cabaret work, and for vocals. It gives tips on construct-
For afurther selection of books see next month's issue. ing cabinets, wiring up, when and where to use wad-
ding, and when not to, what fittings are available, finish-
DIRECT BOOK SERVICE IS A DIVISION OF WIMBORNE PUBLISHING LTD, ing, how to ensure they travel well, how to connect
Tel 01202 881749 Fax 01202 841692 multi-speaker arrays and much more.
Ten practical enclosure designs with plans and com-
Due to the cost we cannot reply to overseas orders or queries by Fax. ments are given in the last chapter, but by the time
E-mail:editorial@epemag.wimborne.co.uk you've read that far you should be able to design your
I
a own!
164 pages Order code BP297 £3.95

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 577

 PROJECT TITLE Order Code Cost

•Earth Resistivity Meter JAN 97

Current Gen. -Amp Rect. 131.132 (pr) £12.70
Theremin MIDI CV Interface (double-sided p.t.h.) 130 (set) £40.00
Mains Failure Warning 126 £6.77
Printed circuit boards for certain EPE constructional projects are available from the Theremin MIDI 'CV Interface FEB 97
PCB Service, see list. These are fabricated in glass fibre, and are fully drilled and (double-sided p.t.h.) 130 (set) £40.00
roller tinned. All prices include VAT and postage and packing. Add £1 per board £9.00
Pacific Waves 136
for airmail outside of Europe. Remittances should be sent to The PCB Service.
PsiCom Experimental Controller 137 £6.78
Everyday Practical Electronics, Allen House, East Borough, Wimbome, Dorset
BH21 1PF. Tel: 01202 881749; Fax 01202 841692 (NOTE, we cannot reply to 125 £7.16
Oil Check Reminder MAR 97
orders or queries by Fax); E-mail: editorial@epemag.wimbome.co.uk .Cheques
should be crossed and made payable to Everyday Practical Electronics (Payment in Video Negative Viewer 135 £6.75
£sterling only). Tri -Colour NiCad Checker 138 £6.45
NOTE: While 95% of our boards are held in stock and are dispatched within Dual-Output TENS Unit (plus Free TENS info.) 139 £7.20
seven days of receipt of order, please allow a maximum of 28 days for
•PIC -Agoras APRIL'97 141 £6.90
delivery -overseas readers allow extra if ordered by surface mail.
418MHz Remote Control -Transmitter 142 £5.36
Back numbers or photostats of articles are available if required - see the
Back Issues page for details. -Receiver 143 £6.04
Please check price and availability in the latest issue. Puppy Puddle Probe 145 £6.10
Boards can only be supplied on apayment with order basis. MIDI Matrix -PSU 147 £5.42
-Interface 148 £5.91
PROJECT TITLE Order Code Cost
Quasi-Bell Door Alert MAY 97 133 £6.59
*EPE Met Office - JAN'96 144 £7.69
£7.69 2M F.M. Receiver
Computer Interface (double-sided) 964
•PIC -A-Tuner 149 £7.83
Audio Signal Generator 969 £6.58
970/971 (pr) £9.09 Window Closer -Trigger 150 £4.91
Mains Signalling Unit, Transmitter and Receiver
Automatic Camera Panning (Teach-In '96) 972 £6.63 -Closer 151 £4.47
Printer Sharer 973 £9.93
Child Minder Protection Zone JUN'97
Analogue Frequency Meter FEW96 957 £6.70
-Transmitter 153 £6.58
Van-Speed Dice (Teach-In '96) 974 £5.69
-Receiver 154 £6.42
Mains Signalling Unit -2
975 £6.07 Pyrotechnic Controller 155 £6.93
12V Capacitive PSU
•PIC -Electric Meter -Sensor/PSU- =PIC Digilogue Clock 156 £7.39
Control/Display 977/978 (pr) £9.90 Narrow Range Thermometer 158 £6.37
Multi-Purpose Mini Amplifier 976 £6.12 152 £6.69
Micropower PIR Detector - 1 JULY 97
•pIC-Electric -Sensor/PSU -Controil l splay 977.'978 (pr) £9.90
£6.62 (nfra-Red Remote Control Repeater
High Current Stabilised Power Supply 979
(Multi-project P.C.B.) 932 £3.00
Mind Machine Mk Ill -Sound and Lights 980 £7.39
Karaoke Echo Unit -Echo Board 159 £6.40
Infra-Zapper Transmitter/Receiver
(Teach-In '96) 981/982 (pr) £8.01 -Mixer Board 160 £6.75
£7.36 Computer Dual User Interface 161 £6.70
Mind Machine Mk Ill -Programmer APR 96 983
984at £5.80 •PEsT Scarer 162 £6.60
Bat Band Converter/B.F.O.
Hearing Tester 985 £6.87 £3.00
Variable Bench Power Supply AUG'97 932
Event Counter (Teach-In '96) 986 £8.39
Universal Input Amplifier 146 £6.55
B.F.O. and Bat Band Converter MAY*96 984a'b £5.80 Micropower PIR Detector -2Controller 163 £6.72
Versatile PIR Detector Alarm 988 £6.76 £7.02
•PIC-olo 164
Mind machine Mk III -Tape Controller 989 £6.70
Midi Analyser 992 £6.74
Countdown Timer (Teach-In '96) 993 £9.44
Sarah's Light JUNE 96 996 £7.17
997 (pr) £10.72 Software programs for the EPE projects marked above with an asterisk
Home Telephone Link
*PulStar 998 £6.60 (•)are available altogether on a single 3.5 inch PC-compatible disk, or
VU Display and Alarm 999 £7.02 as needed via our Internet site. The same disk also contains the
following additional software.: Simple PIC16C84 Programmer (Feb'96)•
Ultra-Fast Frequency Generator JULY 96
and Counter -Oscillator/L.C.D. Driver 994/995 (pr) £12.72 The disk (order as "PIC -disk -) is available from the EPE PCB
Timed NiCad Charger 100 £6.99 Service at £2.75 (UK) to cover our admin costs (the software it-
Single-Station Radio 4Tuner 101 £7.02 self is free). Overseas £3.35 surface mail. £4.35 airmail. Alterna-
Twin-Beam Infra-Red Alarm - tively, the files can be downloaded free from our Internet FTP site:
Transmitter/Receiver 102/103 (pr) £10.50 flp://ftp.epemag.wimborne.co.uk.
*Games Compendium 104 £6.09
Mono "Cordless" Headphones AUG'96
-Transmitter/Receiver 990/991 (pr) £10.16 r I
Component Analyser (double-sided p.t.h.)
Garden Mole-Ester
105
106
£12.18
£6.07
: EPE PRINTED CIRCUIT 1
i
Mobile Miser 107 £6.36
1 BOARD SERVICE i
Bike Speedo 108 £6.61
1
jOrder Code Project Quantity Price
1
i
•PIC-Tock Pendulum Clock SEPT•96 109 £6.31
Power Check 110 £6.42 I I
Analogue Delay/Flanger 111 £7.95 I I
Draught Detector 112 £6.22
113 £6.63
IName I
Simple Exposure Timer I I
Video Fade-to-White OCT'96 114 £6.98 IAddress I
Direct Conversion 80m Receiver 116 £7.52
Vehicle Alert 117 £6.55 I I
10MHz Function Generator I I
- Main Board 118 £7 33
I I
- PSU 119 £5.39
I Ienclose payment of £ (cheque/PO in £sterling only) to I
Tuneable Scratch Filter NOV'96 115 £7 83 I I
*Central Heating Controller -120 £7.85
I
I Everyday
D.C. to D.C. Converters = V Practical Electronics I
122 £5.96 I I
-Negative Supply Generator MasterCard or Visa No. I
-Step-Down Regulator. 123 £6.01 Minimum order for credit cards £5
- Step-Up Regulator 124 £6.12 i 1
I I
EPE Elysian Theremin DEC 96
(double-sided p.t.h.) 121 £22.00 I I
*PIC Digital/Analogue Tachometer 127 £7.23 I I
Stereo Cassette Recorder ISignature Card Exp. Date
Playback/PSU 128 £7 94
Record/Erase 129 £9.04 L. Please supply name and address of cardholder If different from the address shown •

57) Evervdav Practical Electronics. August /997

 WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT CHOICE OF QUALITY
FULLY GUARANTEED USED TEST EQUIPMENT
OSCILLOSCOPES POWER SUPPLIES
TEKTRONIX 465 Real-Time Scope £300 BRANDENBURG 5kV Supply £300
TEKTRONIX 475Real-Time Scope £425 VARECO 2A 30v Variable PSU £40
TEKTRONIX 475A Real-Time Scope £475
HP. 1735A 275MHz Real Time Scope .... £450
C.3
MEGURO MO 1254A 50MHz Real Time TEST BRIDGES
Scope £200 MARCONI Un versa ,Br.doe T12700 £100 1,5" CTX-eGA
HAMEG HM605 60MHz Real Time Scope £250 EX DEMO STOCK
(12 MONTHS GUARANTEED)
MoNrrott
(Kruk OSCILLOSCOPES dDSO ADAPTORS EXCELLENT CONDITION ACTIVE PROBES
IN OUR EASY ro MTN
HP. 54501A 100MHz Digitising Scope £1 400 COMPITTION
YOKOGAWA DL1200 4Channel 100MHz
Digitising Scope £1.000 ARMEX FSP 500 500MHz Switchable
THURLSY Digital Storage Adapter DSA524 ...£250 (x1 x10) £350
ARMEX FP 500 500MHz (010( £250
SIGNAL GENERATORS
TEKTRONIX SG503 Levelled Sine Wave BRAND NEW AND BOXED DIFFERENTIAL
Generator £700
PROBES WITH 12 MONTHS GUARANTEE(
TEKTRONIX PG506 Calibration Generator £850
FARNELL Lrma sme square Wave £50
GOULD PB57 100MHz 400v. x10 x100 £450
GENERAL TESTERS GOULD PB54 300MHz 6v. x1 410 £450
POLAR TONEOHM -00 £40
BARGAIN BASEMENT
MULTIMETERS SANGAMO S82 Current Meter £20 £25 WoRno
SELECT TEST AVO £35 Vouelmug *Uwe
TAYLOR AVO TEKTRONIX 106 Square Wave
£35 1005 New pRoDucTs
AVO Fet Tester 11167 Signal Generator £50
£85
TEKTRONIX 191 Constant Amplitude.
Includes 40 page colour
OSCILLOSCOPE CALIBRATORS Signal Generator £50
£400 COMPUTER CATALOGUE
BRADLEY 192 Volts Time Pulse Edge VARIOUS DVMs £25

Summer 97CI5ue
Please call for stock availability and details. Carriage for units over £200 is £12.
Carriage for units under £200 is £8. VAT to be added to the total value of the order.
User manuals are supplied it possible. Used equipment guaranteed.

RMEX ELECTRONICS LTD. Includes 40 page full colour

TELEPHONE: 01492 580080. FAX:
Design and ,%lanufacturing Engineers
01492 580081 Computer Equipment Catalogue
7
541
19 FFORDD SAM PARI.
CONWY MORFA INDUSTRIAL ESTATE,
CONWY. N. WALES LL32 8HH VISA
The Summer '97 Edition brings you:

Even further additions to the Computer section

Sphere Electronics extending our range of PC components and
l.nit 13 Stream Park accessories at unbeatable prices.
Kingsm inked. West Midlands DY6 8HU • WIN , . a 15" CTX SVGA Monitor in our easy
Tel/Fax 01384 357526
to enter competition.
E-mail: sphere@hardline.demon.co.uk
P. 100's of new products including: Books,
Microchip Pie's Connectors, Entertainment, Test Equipment,
16C54 XT/P £2.00 16C55 XT/P £2.50 Security, Speakers, Satellite Equipment and
16C71 04/P £3.00 I6C84 XT £3.50 Tools.
I7C42 16/P £4.50 16C64 JW £15.00
16C74 JW £15.00 93LC46 £0.50 111> A full range of Aver Multimedia
Pie Shareware Disk £5.00 products for PC and Mac. £2.20
+30p p&p

All Orders plus £1.00 P&P £25 worth discount vouchers.

Programming Available
11110> 232 Page main Catalogue, plus 40 Page full
Colour Computer Catalogue. incorporating 24
Sections and over 4000 Products from some of
N. R. BARDWELL LTD (EPE) the Worlds Finest Manufacturers.
100 Signal dedes 1184148 £1 00 80 Asstd capacitors electrolytic El 00
eo
75
50
Rectifier Diodes 1184001
Rectifier Diodes 154007
01 00
£1 00 200
AssId capacitors inF to 1uF
Asstd disc ceramic capacitors
f100
£1 00
Available at WH Smith, John Menzies and most
10 WO1 Budge Reenters OC 50 Asstd Skel Presets Ism stand cerrnet) £1 00
5 5E555 Timer IC s £1 00 50 Asstd PF chokes Unductorst av large newsagents, or directly from Cirkit.
4 741 Op Amps £1 00 price 48p each £1 00
50 Assorted Zener Diodes 400mW £1 00 so Assld grornmels £1 00
12
25
Assorted 7segment Displays
5rnrn Ied s red green or yellow
£1 00
£1 00
ao
10
Asstd solder lags pconns terminals
Asstd crystals -plug in
£1 00
Li 00
• Get your copy today!
25 3min le0s. red green or yellow £1 00 24 kstri cod formers El 00
.
50 Axial iecl s. 2incd red Diode Package

Cirkit
8 Asstd clii switches £1 00
wide angle £1 00 20 Miniature side switches so co f100
25 Asstd High Brightness Iens var cols £1 00 10 Standard slide switches dio st El 00
20 BC182L Transistors £1 00 30 Assid il transformers Cl 00
25 BC212L Transistors £1 00 100 Asstd beads iceramic tenon fish spine) £1 00
30 BC237 Transistors £1 00 80 Asstd small stand oils I Ihroughs etc £' ,
VISA
20 BC327 Transistors f100 30 Asstd di sockets up to 40 way £•
30 BC328 Transistors f100 10 TV coax plugs plastic £•
30 BC547 Transistors • £1 00 20 Small spring loaded terminals
30 BC548 Transistors Cl 00 oo metres very thin tlemble insulated connecting

Cirkit Distribution Ltd

30 80549 Transistors f100 wee red iUSAI £1 00
25 BC557 Transistors El 00 20 lin glass reed svolcheS £1 00
30 80558 Transistors El 00 20 Magnetic ear pas with lead and plug £1 00
30 80559 Transistors f100 100 Any one value .W 5.. Cr resistors range
20
100
2183904 Transistors
50v vino Axial Capacitors lot
f100
£1 00
111 to 1010 Sr,4, Park Lane •Broxbourne •Hertfordshire •EN10 7NQ
100 50v wkg Axial Capacitors 457 £1 OC.
100 50v wkg sub-miniature Capacitors 33n1 £i00 Tel: 01992 448899 •Fax: 01992 471314
100 Radial Film Capacitor 2201 f100
12 tut 250s encapsulated radial plastic cased Email: mailorder@cirkit.co.uk
capacaors f100

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 579

SURFING THE INTERNET

NET WORK
ALAN WINSTANLEY
Junk mail then starts to drift in from nowhere (nowhere.com,
FTP Et Al! anyway) —often along the subject lines of "Earn $$$$! Not MLM!"
EPE Net Work is our monthly column which updates readers
(Multi Level Marketing); "Teach Your Baby To Swim with Our
having Internet access with 'the latest news about our World Wide
New Video!"; "Sell Cosmetics from home!"; "Cut $$$ from your
Web site (http://www.epernag.wimborne.co.uk) and our FTP site
AT&T Phone Bill!"; "Hi! End all your money worries instantly!!";
(ftp://ftp.epemagm imborne.co.uk ). This month's PIC-olo project is
and it goes on.
at ftp://ftp.epemag.wimborne.co.uk/pulePICS/PIColo.
Some Internet Service Providers will suspend the account of any
Regular readers will recall last month's large addition to our site in
customers who send UCE —Unsolicited Commercial E-mail or bulk
the form of the fully fledged demonstration version of the CD-ROM
E-mail — like this, so the so-called "spammers" who "spam" this
Parts Gallery + Electronic Circuits & Components —An Introduction.
garbage across the planet hide behind strange E-mail addresses such
Follow the link on our Home Page, or FTP (file transfer
as anybody@nowhere.com.
protocol) it directly from our FTP site at /pub/softwardeccdemo.exe
It is an American menace, it can be intensely annoying when
(4-2Mb). The demo will be there until the end of August, after
you're busy dealing with your E-mail, it is likely to get worse, and it
which you can fetch it from the site of Matrix Multimedia
costs you connection time and money.
(http://www.matrixmultimedia.co.uk).
Replying with an expression of your annoyance may be fruitless
With large FTP transfers like this. Iprefer the full control of
because of the dummy E-mail address set up by the spammer. In fact,
"proper" FTP software as found in my favourite Procomm for
if anything, it just proves that they've hit the target and that your
Windows. The transfer is intelligently handled, in that you can specify a
address is indeed active!
variety of configuration options to cope with any crashes which happen
The same may be said if you send the standard "Remove" (me from
during the transfer.
your mailing list) message: you're likely to attract even more junk. The
If, for example, the line drops during an FTP download using
most irritating junk mail is probably that which has ameaningless but
Netscape, you have to start again from scratch and overwrite the
intriguing subject — such as "Hi!" or "Hello again!". Some E-mail
existing file; however, decent FTP software will enable you to carry on
has been received which is of adeeply offensive and disturbing nature,
where you left off, instead.
but this is, thankfully, extremely rare.
The Net Work page is the most popular of all our web site pages and
Junk mail presently defeats the most refined of kill-file rules, so .
something new is the Net Work A-Z Index (../netwkaz.htm) of all the
it's seemingly impossible to block it, though Idid notice quite a
Net Worked links I've provided in the past year. Through the miracle of reduction when Istopped posting to Usenet for atime. Interestingly.
Windows Cut and Paste, all the URLs to which I've linked are now
Usenet users are increasingly fighting back by forging their own
also available in strict alphabetical order — enough to keep even the
E-mail addresses too: it is not uncommon these days to see aposting
most ardent surfer occupied for ages! Remember that Iwelcome details
by, say, bob@no.spam.mycompany.com. thus frustrating any at-
of any URLs you find interesting yourself.
tempt for amail -bot to send him some junk mail.
Junk, and More Junk Human beings know to remove the "no.spam" from the address if
replying by E-mail. Unfortunately. my own version of this ruse is
You know the feeling as alarge window envelope crashes onto your
door mat —six lucky numbers visible through an opening, and your name in currently unprintable.
big letters? Yes. "junk" mail has been afact of life for many decades, as a
myriad of paper passes over your breakfast table en route to the waste paper Hot Links
Here are this month's selection of notable links —and ready-made for
bin.
Mailing lists are now much more refined and "intelligent" these days. you to click on the Net Work page of our web site. Do share any
though, and in the UK, one way of cutting down on the latest offers from worthwhile electronics sites with us and you'll receive amention on
the Reader's Digest and others is to contact the Mailing Preference our web pages.
Service (Freepost 22, London W I E7EZ. incidentally). To tie in with this month's Circuit Surgery, don't forget tô visit
The service is there more to stop direct mailers from wasting their the excellent Varia Batteries site at http://www.varta.com.
resources sending unwanted mail, rather than trying to preserve your More battery-related info is at Duracell New Products &
sanity. Technology Division http://www.duracellnpt.com/techref.d and
While we're on the subject, junk phone calls are also abane, so try http://www.car-go.com (Car-Go Inc.)
the Telephone Preference Service, 6 Reef House, Plantation Wharf, An on-line US version of the Mailing Preference Service anti-junk
London, SW II3UF. Both services will help reduce unsolicited contact E-mail site —which costs US $19-95 to subscribe to —is maintained by
from firms you've never dealt with. Donna Troy Enterprises at http://www.spnt.comP-d_troy/page2.html
If only such a free service were available for Internet users! An E-Lab Digital Engineering Inc. manufacture several highly-func-
interesting comparison: up to 75 per cent of my incoming E-mail at any tional i.c.s. (they say here) for use by the "electronics design
one time can be unsolicited junk mail. However, my colleagues back at community". More news on http://www.netins.net/showcase/elab,
HQ in Wimbome never receive any at all! How so, Iwonder? Well, the worth checking for the Java applet moving I.e.d. display alone!
answer seems to be Usenet or News. Information on educational software for teaching electricity and
There are some 25,000 newsgroups available to anyone having the electronics (at $395 per licence), with downloadable demos, can
software (an off-line newsreader) capable of "subscribing" to them. be checked out at http://etcai.pair.com. A comprehensive
News, in spite of its name, has nothing to do with cuitent affairs, Emulator Page for Spectrum. Commodore CM, BBC, Atari
bulletins or news flashes. Each newsgroup is atopical chat area and 2600, NES, Sega etc. is at Legion's Emulator Page on
in theory relates to one particular subject which is defined in the http://www.tcp.co.ukMegion/emul.htm whilst an Amiga emulator
newsgroup's charter. page is also under construction at Crasher's Home Page
When you think about. the millions of E-mail messages openly http://www.tcp.co.uk/-marios.
circulating within newsgroups (and news archives), each message Sinclair's name pops up again: to find out what a Sinclair
contains something which is a prized commodity in the junk- ZX80/8 I looked like and how to build one out of standard com-
mailing community — your active E-mail address! Your address is ponents, you just must go to the ZX80/81 Hardware Page at
contained in the header of the message, and it may be in the http://www.babytalk.demon.co.uk/zx80/zx80.html.
signature (.sig) too. Usenet is scoured by "bots" which are Join me next month for more Net Work. My E-mail
specially trained to sniff out E-mail addresses in news messages address is alan@epemag.demon.co.uk. My Home Page is
circulating the globe. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homePages/alan_winstanley.

580 Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

 TRANSMITTERS
WE HAVE THE WIDEST CHOICE OF USED €4ee
£15
OSCILLOSCOPES IN THE COUNTRY lini ,:T`• .4,:co ,',-ck?ii... LOcri - -.:-.: LcLV-: (220
klAPC3,4243CA ''redrenor CCurte, 1CeiBOLtio £115
1750 RACAL 1996 rrerüenCy :peel Me • ((SC
£1503 RACAL 1991 »anal CCulter toner warm 9me
y«.t,z,nç 50énz £760 tack 9916 Regertni 0317e' 1)0.52081(0
(45C
£l5C Fully comprehensive
.•".ritit 2445 401 150ate Dear firm (1503 reet 99064 teems Coiter Timer tOrtr-2Cfsike
TAS46S Dua Trace ICOUre Dee, neon £900 VAPCOIV 26101rue PUS votnetente 0915
£100
aso guide to building and using
•,vtt 475 De Trre 20011Kr Deter SAM IWO 50AFTRON 7150 AT Opt RUS IEEE ire riude , cos short/medium range radio transmitters
415 Dta Trie100.4H2De'a, Sreec
•• 2215 DA 'trace 60.44: ›ei Siteee
ace 'E 99406 %0 tkitooter 5, az Tu 6Y5 poo
i099 9.1 cm Due
MOO
DM
FidE t2i-enfeic
AKA: MOM T^.e
tieineter3 *X
idoometer 10t-z- 154z
Me
MS and receivers. Includes detailed and
7255 2.1 Ch 5CARKt Dual TELDetlx
PU3217 1
race 501.11+2 Dee 5wee0
6900
MN
RALPS PU5716 Pkise (el lig.sedke ,...205
Pee 5152 Steer ;,PC :en 0IHri2UllSneSCITnett
£45C
MC
practical information on all aspects of
715110ehl 0.6 hace 501lie
9S500 Dual Trace 204,442
ØN
ON
HP 33124 FAA :en Clie- Mee IMAM Seem Tngreate
ca£ 158 Steno* stout" too. lox/
tux
CISC
construction, from simple FM room
5530656 Trit255»41
.13Z0604.0 ,1:e1511,1
0590 PAAKELL LP1 Seel° Du 10e-1A¢
TE(TPON3 ,489 toketorm likbnOOr
115
£400
transmitters to more sophisticated and
, 0300
.209124'ra-82064 Van513aten
4897561100e 5068hzSccoren Dçita Stowe
MN Flk.P5 5567 Vedersccee en,5565 117ieronT tecney
LEADER 3C.2 ,6Cereasimt uSteer.,
0000
liso
powerful audio and data transceivers.
COO
tekmeter P*Ao5 TneRUSA&AidOravang ON 'exec. 3BA AAA Frter 0li0-1Diitt MC
.CC100 CeArSCOFF 200htz 3QU SCOlge LCD ON BRAID 192 Scow DeratOr
*PIE ERR 4225 liernatiCtCR %eel:125%
£500
£450
Manual includes:
-60(1106540 XitaStaletOCSati 500 lieça Sew 01110
*ArNE EA SC24 Des Co-Deere *ter iCR MC
• 22(C rnto Storage 100108 C
ou 221C Diata Storage 50iiitiz Cases
LAYS ON
ON RACY. 9(08 kitcroze wax«. ueter 151.1tui2Gie BCC • AM, FM and UHF Transmitters from micro power up
•'dl 46056 Ilyp 100eit Ciata ..8ftge
•• 46011 Ow TICE 40keig09G0 CiraSe
DO SArPOS4 252 Auttmat(143, 3,67,Or Meter
RACALtehl 9101 RF Poser 'deter tUre-104 time-500N
(150
£25 to 3Watts. Covers simple 'bugs' as well as circuits
MN
9502 Diie Tare 201.1nz Dora Snrage
1425).a Trace 25360 pea stake CuRCeletC
IMO HP Y518A WM manse,I Sob. 500g LED eeaddut
AP 84054 ieriY ,Oe'eter 'Y-.7-':-:
(600
CSOO
operating on 27MHz and 418MHz etc.
MN
60466 Oka Trace ,0010•12 Deler '
18561,00e 10004zreatgie SlOrage
,woe Storage IMO
MN rft16 ,
050
£25 1> TRACKING AND SIGNALLING. How to build micro
tr. 7.2 "'re Cr,Vn: kna00.e See ON £7C
circuits for finding animals, cars etc.
Tki5 lI ner ASAME -UAW OWNS MAIRAIR4 POWER SUPPLIES
-562939 2- z £1000 I> CRYSTAL CONTROLLED TRANSMITTERS.
Fe,. £100
. , 6622(081-240nz IMO
lINII
£000 High stability circuits.
PANEL TS1/101A 27: £10/
2017 Den 100Q-102-tie (1110
1,20196 Synthesized ROM 519 ten 801(tei104Okee WWI
Fitittiai. 30 50-50% :
PARNELL J30-2 D-501,
(150 • RADIO PAGER AND RADIO CONTROL. How to
(160
201910 Cr 800(2-134091le 11110
t.8 Rose Lon SentreSzed Cer 5CCent-5125141 DO
FilArEu. t12-10C 0-12 ,10-104 ueterea
o0D0o TsP3222 Prograrnrnatie !2,
(175 build coded radio keys, multi-channel remote controls.
(500
1181v W Sra Can 500eir-1024viu
•.6565205in Cr 12iiee-520iiint
£630
tsso
(150 radio alarms etc.
• -2hr (000
55C 5205e 61461.1 Sig Ce 1CUitz.5201ke £375
*1552C ,rarvinete TeR Set 1360
litalff0MOROOMO PJelltIS 160115811 • RECEIVER CIRCUITS. Wide range of
112561Am Generator 1-3001Prz
0•IF S9 Fen 18Cre-4 Kitt
(700
(260
NEW AND HARDLY USED receiver projects for building high security audio
£750 TEST E•UIPMENT links and transceivers.
SPECTRUM ANALYSERS 20 ./ZSCOPt 1Kcel "1330251244e 23.t- [180 k:
(3500
IANISCAK v1•8177A Rt AV Sig Ceo '
[1150 -use
I> EXTENSIVE assembly information. Includes
£2000
•.• 'Su 1a56
. - 29 .
100i1 7 Cr4
- tragormg t' £1700
Peed( 0763'A Se Cr PreSet *nor. -
Ell11090 H18211 MO* Hire; UETEe -
3030 rtor sections on construction, testing, mics, aerials, coils and
a2 rth 85568 10£41.4.15COUit
1411 eV 85554 695528 10uni-190-ii
£1507
£1500
£400 miniaturisation.
ovt 41 pal clam it (81
;1411 etn 8554B 885528 50:4i0-125041,42
1411 or 85558 &85520 Intl- ,1C1.1kz £400 -0 cum e000 tOotçdtCl5ne;51%,
4101
Over 100 detailed PCB, strip-board and point to point
',;1CrillT.257C tirtn '(2573 1>c-1 250h f1750
0%1Tr2370 30Kzi 1 13A1K, (700
LLCPC(013C kneed COPter 17:'.'
£60 CEO
£99
designs. Manual comes with FREE micro transmitter PCB.
35fro4 Snri500.17 fACe
XLPRO woo ,93010 teem
25erz £2000 (Some of the circuits Included o the manual may not be used legally o the 1.le
=I:Pt :ffeata ,Canter £255 (115
moo •"."..EIMITICHI1X08 KCIEMCCOC Vote 3
-4040 ' K. r;:eneriter
- moo It•fot (XI nut. Sure '
,retry /cite,etc (IS Make cheques/POs payable to
Used Equipment -Guaranteed. Manuals supplied II possible.
This ,s aVERY SMALL SAMPLE OF STOCK SAE or telephone ror lists Please check avanapley before
ordering CARRIAGE all units £16 AT lo be added lo Total of Goods and Carnage
JCG ELECTRONICS
P.O. Box 73, YORK YO2 1YJ.
Cep STEWART OF READING VLSA E-Mail: jrc115e .york.ac.uk
110 WYKEHAM ROAD, READING, BERKS RO6 1PL
Tel: 0118 9268041 Fes: 0118 9351696 +income 9am to 30cn,VON ‘- Wide range of Audio/Radio kits available. Send stamp for list. Mail order only.

5 KVA ISOLATION TRANSFORMER

VARIABLE VOLTAGE As New E.-EgLnprnent icily shrouded L.ne Noise
NEW MM CAMERA and SPECIAL OFFERS
NEW - 6Waterproof TV 40 x40 15mm
Hour Counter used 7diçu 240V ac 50Hz
MERU keyboard. 56key good Quality
£1.45
Suppression. Ultra Isolation Transformer with
TRANSFORMERS terminal covers and knock out cable entries
'noires 10V to I6V all20mA see composite video
output (to feed el° aVideo or aTV with aSCART olugi
switches new
Mapes 082903 .0 large stepping motor 14V 75 step
moo

INPUT 220V/240V AC 50/60 OUTPUT 0V-260V Primary 320V 240V. Secondary 120V 240V It has ahigh resolution 01 450 TV lines verteal and 380 27 ohm 68min cha body 63min shaft C8.95 or (200
50 601-1z 0.005pF Capacitance Size. L 37crn• W Tv lines horizontal electronic auto Ins lar nearly dark lot aboo of 30
PANEL MOUNTINGP&P Price I9cm o H 16crn Weight 42 kilos Price £120 -
1LUX) to bogni sunlight operation and apinhole lens Penmen capacitors, box type 22 5min lead pitch
05KVA 25 amp ma> £33.00 VAT Ex -warehouse Carriage on request
vole a92 degree field 01 view it focuses clown to afew 09kF 250Vdc telp each 14p 100. 9p 1000 •
(£45 83 no VAT) 24V DC SIEMENS CONTACTOR Cr,, It is fitted with a3-wire lead 112V in gnd and video 1,iF 250Vdc 20p each 15p 100 • 10p IWO.
1KVA 5amp max £45.25 f7.00 Type 3111802208 2 xNO and 2 xNC 230V AC 10A out) £93 57 •vAT £109.95 or 10 •f89 32 •VAT uF50V Ceotar eiectrotes axial leads. 15p each 7.5p

SHROUDED 1(61 39 inc VAT ) Contacts Screen or Din Rai fixing Size H 120 oW 45 £104.95. 1000 •
o(OVA 2.5 amp max £34.00 £6.00 D 75mm Brand New Price £7.63 me' P&P and VAT High quality
, Stepping Motor Kits a. ,including sle00.9 0-22i•F 250V Posyesler asill leads. 15p each. 100. 71p each
(047 00 inc VAT) motors, Connie independent ddntrol of two stepping Polypropylene le 400V dz. (Worm MKPI 0) 27.5mrn pech.
240V AC WESTOOL SOLENIODS
1KVA 5amp max £46.25 £7.00 TT2 Mod 1Rat 1Max stroke sin Base mounting -. ,s by PC (via the Parallel Pon :with two motors and 32mm x29rom x17mm case.7»each. 60p 100 •
(062 57 Inc VAT) von stroke Sibs pull appro., 116 Mod IRat tMao .,,,re 0137.00 BO [99.00 Phips 123 seres sold aluminium are leans.
2KvA 10 amp max £65.00 £8.50 Stroke 1 in Base mounting 'wn stroke I5nos pull Sot ?ware support and 4-cligital inputs Int £27.00 33uF 10V and 2.24d 40V Women. 25p 103.
(£86 36 Inc VAT) approx SERIES 400 Mod. 1 Ral 2 Max stroke Power Intedace: 4A kit £.00. 8A kit. £46.00.
3KVA 15 amp max £86.50 £3.50 'ein Front mounting 'on stroke 1555 pull appro.
,
Stepper .14 Imanual control) includes 200 sup Ste0Cm3 " din inen tifp 1000.
(0111 63 inc VAT) Price incl p&p & VAT TT5 £5.08, 176 f8VI. and COrdral Girard £23.00 laulkiryer AV Xceramic ceplacieors. al 5rern MM. I COV
5KVA 25 arnp max £150.00 (• Carnage it VAT) SERIES 400 £7.64. Hand Held Transistor Analyser. It tells you which lead to 100pF, 150pF, 220e. 10.003pF (10,1)10p each.
ICKVA 45 amp max £300.00 I• Carnage d VAT) the base, the collector and wetter and it it is NPN or 5p Kg •. dip 1000 •
AXIAL COOLING FAN pNp or faulty £3145 Spare 6V battery £1.20 300PF =women Ammer meow. • eflp
6KVA 3PHASE Star £205.00 f• Carnage d VAT,
230V AC 120mm square v 38mm 3 blade 10 wa, LE:Ds Irnin Or 5rforn Red or Green 7p each Yellow Ilp each 40LLF 370V acmolo, Stan repector Iclialedmi type
Buy direct horn the Inherters Keenest prices in the country
Low Noise Ian Price £7.29 inci P&P and VAT Cabie Tles Ipeach £5.95 per 1000 £49.50 Per 10 000 containing no pc si. [5.95 or 0.46.50 la 10
NOVA ISOLATION TRANSFORMER Other voltages and sizes available from stock Solid carbon maislors, very low ncluccance deal !
New rnanuf surplus C Core tropealised voth lop plate RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES
Please telepne your enquires circuits 27 ohm 2W. 68 ohrn 2W 25p each
and seder connections 0-240V AC 5-0.100110120V & AA (HP7) 500mAH £0.99
15p eacn 100 •
Screen Wt 10 5K INSTRUMENT CASE AA 70OrnAH £1.75
Size H 195o 155x 135m,, Brand new Manufactured by Imhof L 31 x H 1r. • C2Aki with solder tags £3.60 We nave arange of 025W. 05W IW and 2W sad carbon
Price £35 00 Carr f750 1049 94 eel 19crn Deep Removable front and rear panel for easy D4Art with odder tags £4.05 resistors -please send SAE tor e
assembly of your components Grey textured finish I2AA vat!" solder tags £I.55 P.C. 400W PSU lime pan 201035-001) iwth standard
COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF complete ale case feet Price £16,45 not P&P and AAA (HP161 180mAH £1.75 motherboard and hve Ask drive connectors. fan and maxis
TRANSFORMERS-LT-ISO(.ATION AUTO VAT 2oft C26.20 mclusive AA 500mAH Ath roder lags £155 noon Mote connectors on back and switch on ere see
110V 240V Ave transfer ether case rah American socket ancl C HP11 12AH £2.20
DIE CAST ALUMINIUM BOX to, lb, tower case ,dens 2121ron o149rnm •149mrn
mare had or open frame 'ype Available for immediate delivery mP2 2AH £2.60
Mt, eternal PCB guides internal size 265 o 185 exOu walch £26.00 each. £138.00 tor 6
PP3 8.4V110mAir £4.95 MX180 DllaIMuir** 17 ranges, ICO3V dc
ULTRA VIOLET BLACK LIGHT BLUE 50mm deep Price f9 93 loci p&p & VAT 2oil f17 80
Sub Cverth solder tags £2.50 750V acMager, zoom owlet°, Flte 9V art 15V
FLUORESCENT TUBES old
13 /Arm, tags,PnfkosCTV. £1 .
85 battery lest [9.95
4tt 40 wall £14.00 callers only) 1(76 45 inc VATI 230V AC SYNCHRONOUS GEARED MOTORS Standard Charger. charges 4AA ces in 5hours or 4Cs MID 27256-3 EPROlas MOO each. £1.25 100 •
2ft 20 watt £9.00 ¡callers only) 1(10 58 inc VAT) Brand new Nord C.earbox Crouzet type mot, • or Ds in 12 to 14 noes plus 1 oPP3 :I 2 3a 4cells may DM match 3PCO 12-pin fERG SOC.3023i
12in 8wan £4.80 •75E p&p 006 52 Inc VAT) 65mrn W 55m oD 35rnm 4rnm clia shaft x Ortn- be charged at aerne, £5.95 60p eacn 40p 100 •
906 watt £3.96 •50p p&p tf 524 inc VAT) 6RPM ant, cc ES 99 Ind p&p & VAT High Power Charger, as above out charges be Cs and Ds or
6io 4wan £3.96 •50p p&p i(5 24 etc VAT) 20 RPM are cw. Depth 40min. Ell 16 eel p&p & VAT Disk Drive Roue tor a5.25 cask *we. rah room lor apower
5hours Ms Cs and Ds inuebe charged sr twos or suely tighl-grey CUM 67mm e268mrn a247rorn £7.95 or
230V AC BALLAST KIT lours [10.95 f49.50 lor 10
SOLID STATE EHT UNIT Nickel (MM Ilyckyde AA cob high capaoty me no memory e
For ether 6,n 9in or 12in tubes £6.05 •£140 p&p Hauxiheld Ultrasonic Remote Control £3.95
Input 230V/240V AC. Output mayor 150V charged at 'OCknA arvl clischargut at 250mA or less 1100mAH
1(8 75 no VAT) CV2486 Ges Rein 30m,, e10/11,11 do ins, Irma terminals.
The ion Toes are 350:14000 angst 1350400ot cleat to Producing 10mm spark Built-in 10 sec capar..rto levier racanty or NM discharge rates: wel also work as aneon light 20p each
Men seurity mature ethic/stem &Chencal macaws timer. Easily modified lot 20 sec. 30 sec SPECIAL OFFERS - or f7.50 oef 100
Other Wavelengths 08 UV TUBE available la Genocide &Pub to continuous. Designed for boiler ignition PLEASE DECK FOR AVAILABILITY Verbatim R3001•1 Streamer Upe commonly used on nc
Weave AZIKancrts Please telesecne your expires Dozens of uses in the field of physes and Stick oi 4, 42mm 16rnrn NrCac banenes I 7irnm 16rnm "%agues and presng presses etc 4looks like anormal
electronics. eg Superymg nn or argon dia with red and blach leads 46V £5.95 cassette ive, aslot cut out of re top
400 WATT BLACK LIGHT
tubes etc. Price less case £8..W. £2.40 p&p Ride button cell, 6V 280mAH battery wrffr wens [435 each. C3.75 100 •
BLUE UV LAMP Fleatsink Compound Tubs 95p
GE SMercury Vapour lane Sultdruir lam (£12 81 Mc VAT) NMS 'Vane 5o2500Ki £2.45
uSe min a400W PF Ballast snanedpon motor. 240V ac 5rten 2Ornin shaft FIV3-2405-E5 5V 24V 5OrriA Regulator mc 18V-264V ac
EPROM ERASURE KIT 80mm •60mrn •55rnm ead.ong Me shaft £4.95 Inc‘it i8pin OIL package £3.49 each. 100 •£2.25
Only £39.95 mcl pap &VAT
Said you, own EPROM ERASURE for a tractem of 115V al. HIV dc. motor Onini. env,' shaft. 50norn Aax UASS5 timer Lo, lip Spin Dk socket, tp
RANGE OF XENON FLASHTUBES the price of a made up unit Krt of pans iess caso,
inCirrtles 12e 8wan 2537 Angst Tube Ballast ont ciao
60,nm long bogy err:hotting the shaft) it has arepaceabée All procucts advemsed aie new and unused
Wrote Phone your enquiries donna' luse and brushes C4.91eae. £395 100 • unless ortenese sLatect
of thee ;toads near indicator on off switch Satois 7•Sereent common anode led deolay. 12rnrn Asp
SUPER HT-LIGHT STROBE KIT mierosmich and circuit £15.00 •£2 00 p&p L1,13.37K, 103 case Variable regulator £1.95, 100 •£1.44 Woe range of CMOS TTL 7414C74F Linear. Transistors kris
Designer' for Disco, Theatrical use etc. '019 98 inc VAT rechargeable bananas. capaotors to* et »nays in seck
GaAs F.E.T. low leakage current 08073
Nero, 16 maJles Adiustatie speed £50.00 •03 00 p&p WASHING MACHINE WATER PUMP £12.95 each £9.95 10 • £7.95 100. Please ad:1[1.95 Kmards POP VAT included n al prices
1(62 28 inc VAT) Brand new 240V AC fan cooed Can be used to, a 13S250 pchannel MOSFET 45p
Case and reflector £24.00 -0300 P&p 1031 73 inc VAT) vanelY 01 PurPOSes Inlet I' on outlet 1in dia Prie
SAE for further details inckehng Hy Light and includes p&p & VAT £11.20 each or 2 tor £20.50
BC559 transistor
BC547A transistor
£3315 per 100
20 for MOO
JPG ELECTRONICS
Industrial Strobe trilS inclusive 74LSOS Hei inverter 276-278 Chatsworth Road
Used 6744 lacrocontroller C10.00 per 100

Ole
£3.50 Chesterfield S40 2E3H
SERVICE TRADING CO WSA
51952 UHF Limiting ampifier. LC 16 surface mounting
package with data sheet El .95
Access Visa Orders
57 BRIDGMAN ROAD, CHI SWICK, LONDON W4 586 DC-DC Convener. Reliability model VI2P5 12V in 5V Tel. (01246) 211202 Fax. (01246)550959
Oden TEL: 0181-995 1560 FAX: 0181-995 0549 Ample 200mA Out 300V input to-output Gowen with data Callers welcome 930am to 530pm
Monday F, Clily ACCOUNT CUSTOME RS MIN ORDER £10 Panting Space £4.95 each or pack ol 10 (39.50 Monday to Saturday
 EVERYDAY CLASSIFIED Everyday Practical Electronics reaches nearly twice
as many UK readers as any other independent
PRACTICAL monthly hobby electronics magazine, our audited
sales figures prove it. We have been the leading

ELECTRONICS independent monthly magazine in this market for the

last twelve years.

If you want your advertisements to be seen by the largest readership at the most economical price our classified and semi-display
pages offer the best value. The prepaid rate for semi-display space is £8 (-VAT) per single column centimetre (minimum 2.5cm).
The prepaid rate for classified adverts is 30p (-r-VAT) per word (minimum 12 words).
All cheques, postal orders, etc., to be made payable to Everyday Practical Electronics. VAT must be added. Advertisements, together
with remittance, should be sent to Everyday Practical Electronics Advertisements, Holland Wood House, Church Lane, Great Holland,
Essex C013 OJS. Phone/Fax (01255) 850596.
For rates and information on display and classified advertising please contact our Advertisement Manager, Peter Mew as above.

RCS VARIABLE VOLTAGE D.C. BENCH POWER SUPPLY LIGHT ENGINEERING

Up to 38 volts dc at 6 amps continous. 10 amps peak SERVICES (PRECISION) Miscellaneous
fully variable from 1to 38 volts. Twin
Machining, Sheet metalwork,
Voltage and
- iris • • £7A instrument/toolmaking etc -most engineering
current meters Inc.
processes in most materials. One o s, parts, PROTOTYPE PRINTED CIRCUIT
for easy read- %.• VAT
out 240 volt a.0 carriage £6 prototypes. panels. mods, jigs, repairs, anything BOARDS one offs and quantities, for details
input. Fully smoothed, size 14 .5x11 x41
2 inches.
/ -no lob too small -trade or private -for quick send s.a.e. to B. M. Ansbro, 38 Poynings Drive.
213 volt 1amp model £44. post £4. friendly service contact Richard: Hove. Sussex BN3 8GR, or phone Brighton
RADIO COMPONENT SPECIALISTS Tel Fax: 01954 260804 883871, fax 01273 706670.
337 WHITEHORSE ROAD, CROYDON VALVE ENTHUSIASTS: Capacitors and
VISA SURREY, CRO 2HS. Tel: 0181-684 1665 other parts in stock. For free advice/lists please
Lois of transit:frown he wit caw, vexes speakers. In stock B.G. PROCYON ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS ring, Geoff Davies (Radio). Tel. 01788 574774.
Phone or send your wants lut lo quote orper ony 0 anywhere ,,the woo,
SPECIAL OFFERS. UNBEATABLE PRICES G.C.S.E. ELECTRONIC KITS, at pocket
OSCILLOSCOPES ALLL PRICES INCLUDE VAT AT 17.5%
Large stock (flail popular components in stock, also parts and
money prices. S.A.E. for FREE catalogue.
SIR-KIT Electronics. 70 Oxford Road. Clacton,
aCCesscoes If you need it, we have it Order ytoday
FREQUENCY COUNTERS. 24flour answering service avelable AP for latest price list C015 3TE.
Ring now on 013655 22125 atxt ease name and adf)ess. or post today
PSU'S for latest free catalogue enclosing large sae to C Gilroy 16 Nelson
Park. Fwenkletown. County Tyrone. Northern Ireland BT75 000
PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS - QUICK
Ex Major Service Co. All components in stock Transistors transtorrners. video spares repair SERVICE. Prototype and Production. Artwork
kris test equfpment computer accessories satellite spares reference raised from magazines or draft designs at low
e.g. Hitachi 30MHz scopes pooks ofhce staponeny, Dail Barro telephone hocks TV remote control
handsets for every TV. Imes. corrneCtOrS. Pfurreng accessories, TV cost. PCBs also designed from schematics.
from £125. magrirlier screens electrical accessories secar uy alarm systems. Production assembly also undertaken. For
banenes head cleaners car °roc/yes etc
GRID 01922 31411 EVERYTHNG YOU NEED IN YOUR WORKSHOP FROM 63 PROCYON details send to P. Agar, Unit 5, East Belfast
Enterprise Park. 308 Albenbridge Road, Belfast.
BTEC ELECTRONICS BT5 4GX. or phone/fax 01232 738897.
EPROM PROGRAMMER ART-epp2
TECHNICIAN TRAINING Professional
(Maplin's Catalogue £170), boxed, as new, plus
GNVQ ADVANCED ENGINEERING AUDIO TRANSFORMERS eraser. £95 ono. 0181 691 0833.
(ELECTRONIC) -PART-TIME FREE 16 PAGE CATALOG AVAILABLE
METAL DETECTOR WANTED: PE-
Fax Toll-Free 0800 -96 -7106
HND ELECTRONICS -FULL-TIME SESCOM, INC. sescomeanv.net 'Magnum' project. August 1980, built, unbuilt

cE3
B.Eng FOUNDATION -FULL -
TIME e 2100 WARD DR., HENDERSON, NV a9015 or PCBs. Mark Evans 01926 512264.
Teca Une M2-565-3993 (weekdays 8am -4pm PST)
Next course commences Office 702-565-3403 Fax 702.5654828
Monday 15th September 1997
FULL PROSPECTUS FROM
This 3cm space in

LONDON ELECTRONICS COLLEGE

SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENTS
Resistors phone leads.compresston trimmers, tag strips.
Everyday with
(Dept EPE) 20 PENYWERN ROAD
opto -Couplers large 7-segment red displays. 12V fans, sold
state relays. slider pots. voltage converters, crystal Practical Electronics
oscillators. 4-pin. Molex connectors, rotary switches, mains
EARLS COURT. LONDON SW5 9SU
TEL: 0171-373 8721
voltage converters, Vero boxes, heat sinks, all types of caps
Prom t.c sand other
will ONLY cost you
£24 + VAT
Please send lst class stamp for list to
Mr. R. Willard,15 Bishops Lane, Robertsbridge
East Sussex, TN32 5BA
BRAND NEW SINCLAIR SPECTRUM Postal Only ,
tt QL PARTS
ZX M1CRODRIVES £15 INTERFACE ONE £20,
CARTRIDGES 10 FOR £15, 50 FOR ESO

SAVE OVER £7 Subscribe Now

OL BOARDS 5, 657, POPULATED WITH
1S ROMS, £0; UNPOPULATED, E12; MICRODRIVES
£10 EACH. TOP fr BOTTOM CASES £15,

03
MEMBRANES £15

THE P.C., MAC and C1L's "Little Friend"

MAC LINK £10 - P.C. LINK £25 -OL LINK £12 EVERYDAY PRACTICAL ELECTRONICS
CAMBRIDGE Z88 A4 NOTEBOOK
COMPUTER AVAILABLE AGAIN £99, ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES
N
RECONDMONED £80
ONLY 1' THICK, 4vAA BATTS 20 HOURS WORK UK £24.00.
LCD SCREEN, 72 Crs, 6 LINES, 32K RAM, EXTRA
RAMS Er EPROMS, 9pin D SERIAL PORT, ROM HAS
BBC BASIC, W/PROCESSOR, SPREADSHEET. DATA OVERSEAS £30.00 STANDARD AIR SERVICE,
BASE, IMP/EXPORT TO PC etc, V52 TERMINAL
W.N. RICHARDSON Et ca £47.50 EXPRESS AIRMAIL.
PHONE ,FAX 01494 871319
6 RAVENSMEAD, CHAL FONT ST PETER,
BUCKS, SL9 ONB. RATES MUST GO UP ON SEPT. 1ST. SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR AGREAT SAVING.
POST ES ACCESS, VISA, ETC SAE

Send your name and address with £sterling cheque, bank draft or credit
THE BRITISH AMATEUR card number and card expiry date to:
ELECTRONICS CLUB
exists to help electronics EVERYDAY PRACTICAL ELECTRONICS
enthusiasts by personal contact and ALLEN HOUSE. EAST BOROUGH. WIMBORNE.
through a quarterly Newsletter. DORSET BH21 1PF
For membership details, write to the TEL: 01202 881749
Secretary: FAX: 01202 841692 VISA
Mr. J. F. Davies, 70 Ash Road, Cuddington,
Web Site: http: www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk
Northwich, Cheshire CW8 2PB.
E-mail: editorial@epemag.wimborne.co.uk
Space donated by Everyday Practical Electronics

\ Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997

 TRAIN TODAY FOR A BETTER FUTURE
Now you can get the skills and qualifications you need for
career success with an ICS Home Study Course Learn in
the comfort of your own home at the pace and times that
Electrical Contracting 8 Installation
Electrical Engineenng SERVICE MANUALS
& Technical Books
C&G Basic Electronic Engineering
suit you. ics
is the workrs largest, most experienced C&G Basic Mechanical Engineering
home study school. Over the past 100 years ICS have TV and Video Servicing
helped nearly 10 million people to improve their job Radio arid Hi-Fi Servicing
prospects. Find out how we can help YOU Post or phone Reingeration Heating &Air Conditioning
Available for most equipment, any make, age or model.
today for FREE INFORMATION on the course of your Motorcycle Maintenance Technical Book and Manual Compilations now on CD-ROM

FREEPHONE 0500 581 557 MAIJRITRON TECHNICAL SERVICES (EPE)

Or write to: International Correspondence Schools, FREEPOST 882, 8Elliot Place,
gie 8Cherry Tree Road, Chinnor, Oxon, OX9 4QY.
CeewâmiSkjurk. Glasgow. G3 8BR. Tel 0500 581 557 or TeVFax: Ireland 01 285 2533. Tel:- 01844-351694. Fax:- 01844 352554.
Please send me my Free Information on your Electronics Courses. Email: -sales@mauritron.co.uk Web site at:- http://www.mauritron.co.uk
Mulars ,MsdAiss Please forward your latest catalogue for which Ienclose 2 x 1st Class Stamps.
(BLOCK CAPITALS PLEASE) Date of Birth / or £4.11 for the complete Service Manuals Index on PC Disc plus catalogue.
Address NAME
ADDRESS
Postcode

Occupation Tel. No.

‘ F
tie rcen
sine to biTa, we pure caw carefuly screensa nands:ons tcenen ya attar
mesas aid meet tyou would sneer rot to hear fro, Dept ZEEE0307:iii POSTCODE
Photocopy that camel dyou do not veldt. cut the otaitutne

88-108MHz FM
VISA

Cooke International TRANSMITTERS

NI II-14 01 QI ‘I Ill I I) 1151 IRI \ll\ Is
ANALYSERS, BRIDGES, CALIBRATORS, VOLTMETERS, GENERATORS,
Professional PLL transmitter, Stereo Coder, and
OSCILLOSCOPES. POWER METERS, ETC. ALWAYS AVAILABLE Compressor/Limiter kits licensable in the UK.
019111\ SI %IS% It I \ \\ \ IOR \I I Also very stable VFO transmitter kits.
•••I .15 If I /I sir /5 \II /Ill I
Prices from under £10 and a'Ready Built'
EXPORT, TRADE AND U.K. ENQUIRIES WELCOME
SEND FOR LISTS OF EQUIPMENT & MANUALS
service is available.
ALL PRICES EXCLUDE VAT AND CARRIAGE Contact us for afree brochure including prices
DISCOUNT FOR BULK ORDERS SHIPPING ARRANGED
and more detailed information.
OPEN MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9AM-5PM
Unit Four, Fordingbridge Site, Main Road, Barnham, Bognor Regis, 18 Victoria St., Clueensbury, IDD
West Sussex, P022 OHD. U.K. BRADFORD, BD13 1AR
Tel (+ 44) 01243 545111/2 Fax (+ 44) 01243 542457 Tel 01274 816200 Email veronica@legend.co.uk
EQUIPMENT & ACCESSORIES PURCHASED Website: http://vnvw.legend.co.uk/-veronica/

MODERN ELECTRONIC COMPONENT PACKS FOR THE CONSTRUCTOR

Please add £125 per peek postage Printed Circuits in Minutes
250 Mixed VIM») .25 watt metal/carbon film

Direct from loserPrint!

30 22ttF 16V Rachel Caps f1
feedlots El 20 100µF 100V Axel Caps f
100 Mixed ceremec platerdsc cape £1 25 22gF 50V Radial Caps or
10 470 1.F 50V Radial Caps £1
ELECTROLYTIC:8 12 330 i.F 10V Radial Caps
8 1/2" x11" 1. LoserPrint*
f1
30 10eF 50V Radial Caps £1 25 4.7 11F 63V Radial caps or
20 4-7i.F 40V Radial Cape £1 25 Assorted values Honzontal Preset
20 220ie 16V Radial Caps 91 Resistors or *Or Photocopy A 2. Press On**
32.32e ell )30V
VALVE AND VINTAGE COMPONENTS **Use standard !
r 3. Peel Off
8713 valve holders skirled
Hunts dectrolytics. Can type £4 each 2tor £7
post tree
4for £2 post free
1Watt carbon resistors
household iron '
j
1 4. Etch

liVin
50u.14-50uF 300V Useful values. Pack of 50 mixed. C2.95 including
Can type. TCC electfolyhos. £3.25 each. 2tor £6
Post fro•
Octal valve holders
ealgal bulbs
tt'.k tt‘.
6.3V. 3amp. Box of 10. C2.95.434 pap
80p each 5tor i280 post free 2gang 04008 tuning caps standard sus. 7, I
,.. _
1,,.. •..".
-le+.
88A valve holders Made by Jeer:Ins.
5tor £2.00 post free £3. each £1 25
BOOKS Use Standard Copper Clad Board
Valve Contatundelke Flectelver Iletsdaset Cretans croas ard dolma second« tor date corniTunceen dossers
bon commerce and ol meaty one 1940s-1980s Incorporate asurplusicorninsmal aoss-releterod add gude Lame
toned Amex 100 pops £16.50 pap f2 50
PRESS-N-PEEL 5 sheets £12.50
16108 Veld Equivalent Oats. WC, useful neenaten 68 pm« £ 7-50nvuangpomaos 1 1 10 sheets £25
ETCHING SUPPLIES Plus VRT & Postage
(Dept. E) CHEVET SUPPLIES LTD.
4110157 Dickson Road. BLACKPOOL FYI 2EU Tel (01253) 751858. Fax. ( 0125-3) 3029 79 3C 18 STAPLETON ROAD •PETERBOROUGH PE2 6TD
Telephone orders accepted TEL: 01733 233043 FAX: 01733 231096

On TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICES ZE THE CR SUPPLY CO

76 Church St, Larkhall, Lanarks, ML9 1HE RESISTORS
v. Watt Carbon film resistors 5% E24 series
DI008111 (P1V/ainpa)
7&l5OrnA 144148 -2p: 800/1A 1N4006 -5p; 4001A
1ohm to 10 Megohm 1p IN5404 -lip, 115elmA 0A91 -18p; 100/1A
Tel: 01698 883334/884585 Fax: 01698 884825 100 off per value -85p even hundreds
per value totalling 1000 £7.50
1N4002 -4p; 1000/1A 1N4007- 5p. 60/1.5A SIMI
-7p;100(1 Abridge -28p, 4001 A 144004 -4p;
12.60riA BY 127-14p.
PHONE NOW FOR YOUR FREE QUOTE % Watt Metal film resrstors 5% £l2 series
onm to 1Meg - 1% E24 series 2p Zen« diodes EN anon 3V3 to 33V 400mW -8p, 1
NEW Resistor development Puts, % Watt C/Film watt-15gLLD.%
We have the World's Largest Collection of 5x78 different values from 1ohm to 10 Megohm,
cornes in storage drawer veth pnnted colour code
3mm. and 5mm. Red, Green, Yellow -14p; Grom-
mets to suit 3rnrn - 5rntn -3p; 5mm Tncolour
on outside, ideal for laboratones, education.

SERVICE MANUALS
Elio:hour - Red 5WIngLE.D.'s racy-ire 9V-12V
service depts.. repairers and h.:CI:yeas. etC..£6.95
CAPACITORS suPee"neY. 5mm IllaLANCOUll
Radial Aluminium Electrolytic. (InIcl/Voitig He speed PCB drII bee Olt 1.0, 1.3. 1.5, 2.0rnrn -
47p: 12V mini chit 3taw chuck - £14.75
Why not join Europe's fastest growing 1/63, 2.2/63, 4.7/100, 10t25, 10/63 -Sp;
100/16. 100/25 - 100/63 -13p: 22/16, Ore reed wallchee nth single-pole make
contacts -12p: Magnets -28p
"Information Library Service" 22/25, 22/50, 33/16, 47/16, 47/35, 47/50 -7p;
220/16 -89k 220/25, 220/50 -11p; 470/16, Or Shipboard 21 /". 1" 9rows 25 holes -28p.
2
3l- 2ve 24 raw 37 holes -80p.
470/25 -13p; 1000/25 -23p; 2200/25 -42p:
Buy ANY Service Manual for £10.00 and return any 4700/25 -74p. Jack plugs 2.5 83.5m -lip; Socked Panel Mtg.
258 35m -11p.
TRANSISTORS
manual no longer needed for a£5.00 credit BC107/8/9 -18p; BC547/8/9 -7p; BG557/8/9
741 Op Arne -24p; 555 Timer -25p; 5551 Low
Power -30p: 556 Dual Timer -40p: 556L Low
CALL/WRITE NOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS (mug. 182L, BC183, 1831_ BC184, 184L. Power -74p. 358 Dual Op Amp -22p.
BC212, 2I2L -10p; BC327, 337, 337L -8p;
Large SAE for lists P&P Ct 00 No VAT
Initial joining fee of £65 :Thereafter £20 Yearly BC727, 737 -12p; BDI 35/6/7/8/9 -27p;
BCY70 -28p, BFY50/51/52 -32p; BFX88 44 Chapelfield Way, Rotherham,

Join Now: Get your first Manual FREE! 38p: 2N3055 -55p: TIP31, 32 -40p, TIP41. 42
-40p; BU208A -£1.50, ElF1 95, 197 -12p.
South Yorkshire S61 2TL.
Tel Fax: 0114 2468049

Everyday Practical Electronics, August 1997 583

DREIVIEL X-ACTO THE ONLY CHOICE for the Millions of quality components
Best Names in the Business!
MINICRAFT E&Ot at lowest ever prices!
DREMEL
D-3950 Multi-Tool Set w/ 40 Accs. £84.75 Plus anything from bankruptcy -theft recovery
D-1371 Precision Scroll Saw
D-751 Mini Mite Cordless Tool Kit
£139.95
£36.50
e -frustrated orders -over production etc.
MINICRAFT NO VAT to add on.
MB1012 High Precision Drill £42.99
MB750 Univ Variable Speed Trans. £64.99
premed 3950 Kt
Send 45p stamped self addressed label or
MB450 Bench Sander £44.99
envelope for clearance lists.
ANTEX
GasCat Torch With Si Fine Tip £21.99 Brian J Reed
GasCat Butane Torch Kit £34.99
6 Queensmead Avenue, East Ewell
X-ACTO Epsom, Surrey KT17 3EQ
Dlx Knife Set & Free A4 Cutting Mat £41.95
Tel: 0181-393 9055 Mail order UK only.
:111: F711 Drerne, 1371 Scts Sa.
Lists are updated and only 40 are sent out every 2 weeks. This
• FREE UK Postage! (orders over £10)
• Fully Illustrated Catalogue - £1.50
ENTL .R normally ensures that orders can be fulfilled where only a few
thousand of an item is available. (Payment is returned if sold out. Ido
134 CROSSLET VALE, LONDON, SE10 8DL II II It It 1
TEL 0181-694 9913 FAX 0181-691 4399 not deal in credit notes). This will sometimes entail a delay of up to
e-mail: Ventura.Hobbe compuserve com eight weeks - but the prices will be worth the wait!

3lb mixed component pack £4.95 6V d.c. motor. 1.200 r.p.m 600rtIA
Jumbo component pack
250 off mixed capacitors
£10
£4.95
£1 each. 10 for £8
9V d.c. motor, 13.000 r.pm. 460mA COVERT VIDEO CAMERAS
250 off i.c. sockets £3.n £1 each. 10 for £8
1000 off mixed ceramic caps £7.50 10-5V cit. motor. 9.000 r.p.m.. Black and White Pin Hole Board Cameras
220mA £1 each. 10 for £8
20 off mixed crystals/filters
25 off mixed relays
£4.95
£3.59 S.M. PS U.. mains input. 5-2V 6A. with Audio. Cameras in P.I.R., Radios,
100 off phono plugs
10 off mixed displays
£2.95
£3.75 *
+24V 0-5A. +24V 5-5A outputs
£6 each
Clocks, Briefcases etc. Transmitting
50 off d.i.l. switches £3.75 *
QUANTITY DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE Cameras with Receivers (Wireless).
30 off mixed heatsinks £3.75 *
30 off mixed switches £3.75 *
PLEASE RING.
We also buy all forms of electronic Cameras as above with colour.
Brand new 360k 5v." floppy drive...£4.50
5' ." to 31
/"floppy drive
2
components. p.s.u's. disk drives etc
Lists to below address
Audio Surveillance Kits and Ready Built
converter leads £1.50*
1-2MB 5'." floppy drive £10 ALL PRICES INCLUDE VA T Units, Bug Detector etc.
PLEASE ADD £2 00 p&p EXCEPT
200MB 31 /"E.S.D.I. hard drive
2 £28 ITEMS MARKED • WHICH ARE SOP

A.L. ELECTRONICS
12V d.c. 200 r.p.m geared motor SAE FOR BULK BUYING LIST
£1.50 each. 10 for £12 PAYMENT WITH ORDER TO
220V 1500 r.p.m geared motor Dept EE. COMPELEC.
£6 each, 10 for £50
14 Constable Road.
Please phone 0181 201 5359 for free catalogue.
7V-12V d.c. motor. 4/6000 r.p.m.
700mA- 1450mA £4 each. 10 for £30 St Ives. Huntingdon. Fax 0181 203 0161
12V d.c. motor. 13 000 r.p.m. Cambs PE17 6E0
180mA... £1 each. 10 for £8 Tel Fax: 01480 300819
Callers by appointment only.

SHERWOOD ELECTRONICS ADVERTISERS INDEX

FREE COMPONENTS ARMEX ELECTRONICS 579
A L ELECTRONICS 584
Buy 10 x£1 Special Packs and choose another one FREE N R BARDWELL
BETA LAYOUT
SPI 15 x 5mm Red Leds SP135 6 X Min slide switches B K ELECTRONICS Cover 11111
SP2 12 x 5mm Green Leds SP136 3 x BFY50 transistors BRIAN J REED
SP3 12 x 5mm Yellow Leds SP137 4 x W005 bridge rectifiers BULL ELECTRICAL Cover (1)/575
583
SP11 30 x 1N4001 diodes SP138 20 x 2.2 50V radial elect. caps CHEVET SUPPLIES
579
SP12 30 x 1N4002 diodes SP139 12 x 100010V rad elect. caps. CIRKIT DISTRIBUTION
COMPELEC 584
SP18 20 x BC182 transistors SP142 2 x Cmos 4017
COOKE INTERNATIONAL 583
SP20 20 x BC184 transistors SP144 3 x TIP31A transistors 583
CR SUPPLY CO
SP21 20 x BC212 transistors SP145 6 x ZTX300 transistors 514
DISPLAY ELECTRONICS
SP22 20 x BC214 transistors SP147 5 x Stripboard 9strips EPT EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE 515
SP23 20 x BC549 transistors 25 holes ESR ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS 522
SP24 4 x Cmos 4001 SP148 6 x 2mm lighthouse Leds-Red GREENWELD ELECTRONICS 517
SP25 4 x 555 timers SP15i 4 x 8mm Red Leds ICS 583
SP26 4 x 741 Op amps SP152 4 x 8mm Green Leds JCG ELECTRONICS 581
SP27 4 x Cmos 4002 SP154 15 x BC548 transistors J8N FACTORS , 518
SP156 3 x Stripboard. 14 strips 581
SP28 4 x Cmos 4011 JPG ELECTRONICS
27 holes 573
SP29 4 x Cmos 4013 LABCENTER ELECTRONICS
520/521
SP36 25 x 10/25V radial elect. caps. SP157 5 x BCY70 transistors MAGENTA ELECTRONICS
MAPLIN ELECTRONICS Cover (iv)
SP37 15 x 100/35V radial elect. caps. SP160 10 x 2N3904 transistors 5
10 x 2N3906 transistors MAURITRON
SP39 10 x 470,16V radial elect. caps. SP161 519
NATIONAL COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
SP41 20 x Mixed transistors SP164 2 x C106D thyristors 537
PC SOLUTIONS
SP42 200 x Mixed 0.25W C.F. resistors SP165 2 x LF351 Op amps 555
PICO TECHNOLOGY
SP47 5 x Min. pushbutton switches SP167 6 x BC107 transistors 583
PRESS-N-PEEL
SP102 20 x 8-pin DIL sockets SP168 6 x BC108 transistors QUASAR ELECTRONICS 519
SP103 15 x 14-pin DIL sockets SP170 2 x LM339 OUICKROUTE SYSTEMS 529
SP104 15 x 16-pin DIL sockets SP173 10 x 220:25V rad elect. caps. RADIO-TECH. 519
SP105 5 x 74LSOO SP175 20 x 1163V radial elect. caps. ROBOTICA., 551
SP106 5 x 74LSO2 SP176 4 x 20mm PCB fuse holders SERVICE TRADING 581
plus covers 584
SP112 4 x Cmos 4093 SHERWOOD ELECTRONICS
SP182 20 x 4.7'50V rad elect. caps. 579
SP115 3 x 10mm Red Leds SPHERE ELECTRONICS
551
Spi ¡6 3 x 10mm Green Leds SP183 20 x BC547 transistors SQUIRES
581
spi 17 15 x BC556 transistors SP187 15 x BC239 transistors STEWART OF READING
SUMA DESIGNS 516
SP118 2 x Cmos 4047 SP192 3 x Cmos 4066 583
TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICES
SP119 4 x Cmos 4072 SP194 10 x 0A90 diodés 517
TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION INDEX
SP130 100 x Mixed 0.5W C.F. resistors SP195 3 x lOmm Yellow Leds 584
VENTURA HOBBY
SP131 2 x TL071 Op.amps SP197 6 x 20 pin DIL sockets 583
VERONICA KITS
SP132 2 x TL082 Op.amps SP198 5 x 24 pin DIL sockets VISIBLE SOUND 517
SP133 20 x 1N4004 diodes
1997 Catalogue £1 inc. P&P or ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER: PETER J MEW
RESISTOR PACKS - FREE with first order. ADVERTISEMENT OFFICES:
EVERYDAY PRACTICAL ELECTRONICS. ADVERTISEMENTS.
RP3 5each value -total 365 0.25W £2 75 P&P £1.25 per order. NO VAT. HOLLAND WOOD HOUSE. CHURCH LANE. GREAT HOLLAND.
RP7 10 each value -total 730 0.25W £395 Orders to: ESSEX 0013 OJS
APIO 1000 popular values 0.25W £5.75
Sherwood Electronics, Phone. Fax: 101255) 850596
RP4 5each value-total 365 0.5W £3.70
RP8 10 each value-total 730 0.5W £6.30 7 Williamson St., Mansfield,
Notts. NG19 6TD. For Editorial address and phone numbers see page 523.
RP11 1000 popular values 0-5W £8.00
Published on apprimmatel> the first Friday of each month by Wimhorne Publishing Ltd.. Allen IOil,. Last II gh, Wimborne. Dorset BI I2 I IPr Printed in England by (Bristol/ Printers
Ltd.. Bristol. BS20 9XP. Distributed by Seymour. Windsor House. 12711 London Road. Norhurs. Londim SW II 11)11 Subscriptions INLAND f.2-1 and OVERSEAS 31i 1t4 iiairmail) pamble io
"Fser>da> Practical Electronics". Subs Dept. Allen House, East Borough. Wimhorne. Dorset . ill2 Iii EVERYDAY PRAC -LICAL ELE('TRONICS is si+Id suhject to the billtiwing conditions.
name's that it shall not, without the written consent ut the Publishers first has mg been gls en. he ent. resold, hired oui or otherwise disposed 01 h> was of Trade at more than the recommended selling
price shown on the coser. and that it shall not he lent, resold. hired out or otherwise dispose,' .it in a mutilated conaltnon or in an> unauthorised co‘er h> was it Trade or attised lii ir as part of any
publication Or adserfising. literary or pictorial matter whatsoeser
 • t I. • • -•• • • • • • Ie •
POWER AMPLIFIER MODULES-TURNTABLES-DIMMERS-
SERVICE •LARGE (A141313.A.E., 60 STAMPED FOP CATALOGUE
LOUDSPEAKERS-19 INCH STEREO RACK AMPLIFIERS

OMP MOS-FET POWER AMPLIFIERS THOUSANDS PURCHASED ▪ Ibiza à1 11..01 .1J.V .1 .1.111Z1 SUPPLIED READY BUILT AND TESTED.
HIGH POWER TWO CHANNEL19INCH RACK BY PROFESSIONAL USERS These modules now enjoy a world-wide reputation tor quality. reliability and performance al a realistic price Four
modals are available to suit the needs of Me professional and hobby market e Industry. Leisure. Instrumental and Ni -F1
etc When comparing prices. NOTE that all models include toroidal power supply integral heat sink glass libre PC.8 and
drive circuits to power acompatible Vu meter All models are open and short circuit proof
THOUSANDS OF MODULES PURCHASED BY PROFESSIONAL USERS

OMP/MF 100 Mos-Fet Output power 110 watts

• R.M.S. into 4 ohms, frequency response 1Hz -100KHz
-3dB, Damping Factor 300, Slew Rate 45V/uS.
T.H.D. typical 0.002%. Input Sensitivity 500mV. S.N.R.
-110 dB. Size 300 x 123 x60mm.
PRICE £40.85 - £3.50 P&P

OMP/MF 200 Nos-Fat Output power 200 watts

R.M.S. into 4 ohms, frequency response 1Hz -100KHz
THE RENOWNED MXF SERIES OF POWER AMPLIFIERS -3dB. Damping Factor 300. Slew Rate 50V/uS.
FOUR MODELS:- MXF200 (100W 100W) MXF400 (200W • 200W) T.H.D. typical 0.001%. Input Sensitivity 500mV. S.N.R.
MXF600 (300W 300W) MXF900 (450W 450W) -110 dB. Size 300 x 155 x 100mm.

ALL POWER RATINGS R.M.S. INTO 4 OHMS, BOTH CHANNELS DRIVEN PRICE £64.35 £4.00 P&P

FEATURES: *Independent power supplies with two toroidal transformers • Twin L.E.D. Vu meters *
Level controls * Illuminated onion switch * XLR connectors * Standard 775mV inputs * Open and short circuit OMP/MF 300 Nos-Fat Output power 300 watts
proof * Latest Mos-Fets for stress free power delivery into virtually any load * High slew rate * Very low R.M.S. Into 4 ohms, frequency response 1Hz -100KHz
distortion • Aluminium cases * MXF600 & MXF900 Ian cooled with D.C. loudspeaker and thermal protection -3dB, Damping Factor 300, Slew Rate 60V/uS.

USEDTHE WORLD OVER IN CLUBS, PUBS, CINEMAS, DISCOS ETC. T.H.D. typical 0.001%, Input Sensitivity 500mV. S.N.R.
110 dB. Size 330 x 175x100mm.
SIZES:- MXF200 W19 vH3' (20)1,011"
MXF400 W19 x145' e" (3U)e01 2" PRICE £81.75 - £5.00 P&P
MXF600 W19 "Met" (3U)x013"
MXF900 W19 x145' (3U)x1314'•" OMP/MF 450 Nos-FeO Output power .450 watts
PRICES:-MXF200 £175.00 MXF400 £233.85 R.M.S. into 4 ohms, frequency response 1Hz -100KHz
MXF600 £329.00 MXF900 £449.15 -3dB. Damping Factor •300. Slew Rate 75V/uS.
SPECIALIST CARRIER DEL. £12.50 EACH T.H.D. typical 0.001%, Input Sensitivity 500mV. S.N.R.
-116 dB. Fan Cooled. D.C. Loudspeaker Protection, 2
;•imetoceit14:{ 4 ele re,7 V/ Tel ilY14teizize•VI4:.
Second Anti-Thump Delay. Size 385 x 210 x 105mm.
PRICE C132.85 C5.00 P&P

OMP/MF 1000 Nos-Fat Output power 1000 watts

R.M.S. Into 2 ohms, 725 watts R.M.S. Into 4 ohms,
frequency response 1Hz - 100KHz -3dB, Damping
Factor 300. Slew Rate 75V/uS, T.H.D. typical
0.002%, Input Sensitivity 500mV, S.N.R. -110 dB, Fan
Advanced 3-Way Stereo Active Cross-Over, housed in a 19" sIU case. Each channel has three level controls Cooled, D.C. Loudspeaker Protection. 2 Second
bass. mid S top The removable front fascia allows access to the programmable OIL switches to adjust the
Anti-Thump Delay. Size 422 x 300 x 125mm.
cross-over frequency, Bass-Mid 250/500400Hz. Mid-Top 1.8/3/5KHz. all at 24dB per octave Sass invert switches
on each bass channel. Nominal 775mV input/output. Fully compatible with 01AP rack amplaler and modules PRICE C259.00 - C12.00 P&P

Price £117.44 + £5.00 P&P

NOTE: 140S-FCT NODULES ARE AVAILABLE IN TWO VERSIONS:
STANDARD -INPUT SENS 500mV, BAND WIDTH 1001(Ha.
ECHO& SOUND EFFECTS* PEC (PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT COMPATIBLE) -INPUT SENS
775rna, BAND WIDTH 50101x. ORDER STANDARD OR PEC.
STEREO DISCO MIXER with 2 e 7 band
L & R graphic equalisers with bar graph
LED Vu meters. MANY OUTSTANDING LARGE SELECTION OF SPECIALIST LOUDSPEAKERS
FEATURES:- including Echo with repeat & AVAILABLE, INCLUDING CABINET FITTINGS, SPEAKER
speed control, DJ Mic with talk-over GRILLES, CROSS-OVERS AND HIGH POWER, HIGH
switch, 6 Channels with individual faders
FREQUENCY BULLETS AND HORNS, LARGE (A4) S.A.E.
plus cross fade, Cue Headphone Monitor. 8
Sound Effects. Useful combination of the (60p STAMPED) FOR COMPLETE LIST.
following inputs> 3 turntables (mug), 3
McKenzie and Fane Loudspeakers are also available.
miss, 5Line for CD, Tape, Video etc.

Price £144.99 • £5.00 P&P SIZE: 482 x240 x 120mm 771777•1-251'WfITITT-

effigellli,

(11-3till711-7 -
4FTr4- TTF4- T -
413"Trareirr.1111
ALL EMINENCE UNITS 8 OHMS IMPEDANCE
8 100 WATT R.M.S. MES -100 GEN. PURPOSE. LEAD GUITAR. EXCELLENT MID, DISCO.
Join the Piezo revolution: The low dynamic mass (no voice coil) of a Piezo tweeter produces an improved
RES. FREO. 72Hz, FREO. RESP TO «Hz. SENS 97dB. PRICE £32.71 • £2.00 P&P
transient response with alower distortion level than ordinary dynamic tweeters. As acrossover is not required
10' 100 WATT R.M.S. ME10-100 GUITAR. VOCAL. KEYBOARD, DISCO, EXCELLENT MID.
these units can be added to existing speaker systems of up to 100 watts more if two are pul in series FREE
RES. FREQ. 71Hz, FREO. RESP. TO 7KHz, SENS97dB. PRICE £33.74 •£2.50 P&P
EXPLANATORY LEAFLETS ARE SUPPLIED WITH EACH TWEETER.
10" 200 WATT R.M.S. ME10-200 GUITAR. KEYBI), DISCO. VOCAL, EXCELLENT HIGH POWER MID.
, .„ TYPE 'A' (KSN1036A) 3 round with protective wire mesh. Ideal for RES. FREO. 65Hz. FREQ. RESP. TO 3.5KHz. SENS 99dB. PRICE £43.47 £2.50 P&P
bookshelf and medium sized Hi -Fi apeakers. Price £4.90 50p P&P. 12" 100 WATT R.M.S. MEI 2-100LE GEN. PURPOSE. LEAD GUITAR. DISCO, STAGE MONITOR.
TYPE '8' (KSN1005A) 3' super horn for general purpose speakers, RES.FREO. 49Hz, FREO. RESP. TO 6KHz, SENS 100dB. PRICE £35.64 - £3.50 P&P
TY 7*)..'. TYPE 8 disco and P.A. systems etc. Price £5.99 - 50p P&P. 12" 100 WATT R.M.S. ME12-100LT (TWIN CONE) WIDE RESPONSE, P.A., VOCAL. STAGE
TYPE 'C' (KSN1016A) 2 x5 wide dispersion horn for quality Hi -Fi sys- MONITOR. RES. FREO 42Hz, FREO. RESP. TO 10KHz. SENS 98413. PRICE £36.67 - £3.50 P&P
12" 200 WATT MILS. ME12-200 GEN. PURPOSE, GUITAR, DISCO, VOCAL, EXCELLENT MID.
tems and quality discos etc. Price £6.99 • 50p P&P.
,........... RES. FREO. 58Hz. FREO. RESP. TO 6KHz, SENS 98cIB. PRICE £45.71 • £3.50 P&P
TYPE '0' (KSN1025A) 2 x6 wide dispersion horn. Upper frequency 12 300 WATT MILS ME12-3000P HIGH POWER BASS, LEAD GUITAR, KEYBOARD, DISCO ETC.
response retained extending down to mid-range (2KHz). Suitable for high RES. FREO. 47Hz. FREQ. RESP. TO 5KHz, SENS 103dB. PRICE £70.19 £3.50 P&P
TYPE C-....\..,,
quality Hi -Fi systems and quality discos. Price £9.99 50p P&P. 15 200 WATT MILS. ME15-200 GEN. PURPOSE BASS. INCLUDING BASS GUITAR
TYPE 'E' (KSN1038A) 3u. horn tweeter with attractive silver finish trim. RES. FREO. 46Hz. FREO. RESP. TO 5KHz. SENS 99dB. PRICE £50.72 •£4.00 P&P
Suitable for Hi -Fi monitor systems etc. Price £5.99 50p P&P. 15 300 WATT R.M.S. ME15-300 HIGH POWER BASS. INCLUDING BASS GUITAR.
RES. FREQ. 39Hz. FRED. RESP. TO 3KHz. SENS 103dB. PRICE £73.34 - £4.0011111,
LEVEL CONTROL Combines, on a recessed mounting plate, level control
and cabinet input jack socket. 85x85mm. Price £4.10 50p P&P. lI1I1I BSF/I 1W
TYPE D
ALL 'AMENDER UNITS 8 OHMS (Except E138.50 &EBI0.50 which are dual 'mood.ca tapped a 4II 8ohm)
BASS, SINGLE CONE, HIGH COMPLIANCE, ROLLED SURROUND
• • •
8" 50watt ED8-50 DUAL IMPEDENCE. TAPPED 4/8 OHM BASS, HI-Fl. IN-CAR.
RES. FREQ. 40Hz. FREO. RESP. TO 7KHz SENS 97dB. PRICE £8.90 £2.00 P&P
A new range of quality loudspeakers designed to take advantage of the latest 10" 50WATT EB10-50 DUAL IMPEDENCE. TAPPED 4/8 OHM BASS. HI-FI IN-CAR
speaker technology and enclosure designs Both models utilize studio quality RES. FREQ, 40Hz. FREO, RESP. TO 5KHz, SENS. 9941B. PRICE £13.65 £2.50 P&P
12 cast aluminium loudspeakers with factory fitted grilles wide dispersion 10" 100WATT 5510-100 BASS, HI-FI, STUDIO.
constant directivity horns extruded aluminium corner protection and steel RES. FREO. 35Hz, FREQ. RESP. TO 3KHz. SENS 96dB. PRICE £30.39 £3.50 P&P
ball corners complimented with heavy duty black covering The enclosures 12" 100WATT EB12-100 BASS, STUDIO. HI-Fl. EXCELLENT DISCO.
are fitted as standard with top hats for optional loudspeaker stands RES. FREO. 26Hz, FREO. RESP. TO 3KHz. SENS 93dB. PRICE £42.12 £3.50 P&P
FULL RANGE TWIN CONE, NIGH COMPLIANCE, ROLLED SURROUND
POWER RATINGS OUOTED IN WATTS RMS FOR EACH CABINET 5' a" 60WATT EBS-60TC (TWIN CONE) HI-Fl. MULTI-ARRAY DISCO ETC
FREQUENCY RESPONSE FULL RANGE 45% -20KHz RES. FREQ, 63Hz, FREO. RESP. TO 20KHz, SENS 92dB. PRICE £9.99 C1.50 P&P
ibl FC 12-100WATTS (100dB) PRICE C159.00 PER PAIR • 60WATT EB6-60TC (TWIN CONE) HI-Fl. MULTI-ARRAY DISCO ETC
(fa FC 12-200WATTS (100dB) PRICE £175.00 PER PAIR RES. FREQ. 38Hz, FREO. RESP. TO 20KHz, SENS 94dB. PRICE £10.99 1.50 P&P
8" 60WATT EBB-60TC (TWIN CONE) HI-FI, MILTI-ARRAY DISCO ETC.
I SPECIALIST CARRIER DEL. £12.50 PER PAIR RES. FREQ. 40Hz. FREO. RESP. TO 18KHz, SENS 89dB. PRICE £12.99 £1.50 P&P
OPTIONAL STANDS PRICE PER PAIR £49.00 10" 60WATT E810-60TC (TWIN CONE) HI-FI, MULTI ARRAY DISCO ETC
Delivery £6.00 per pair RES. FREO, 3SHz, FREQ. RESP. TO 12KHz, SENS 98dB. PRICE £16.49 £2.00 P&P

1:r*? I;Uili111401*I.rt i¡if 1 THREE SUPERB HIGH POWER 11;f1:1-1',Iliad4:1,1•1-1-1IASÉ-4

CAR STEREO BOOSTER AMPLIFIERS
150 WATTS (75 75) Stereo, 150W PROVEN TRANSMITTER DESIGNS INCLUDING GLASS FIBRE
Bridged Mono PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD AND HIGH QUALITY COMPONENTS
250 WATTS (125 125) Stereo. 250W COMPLETE WITH CIRCUIT AND INSTRUCTIONS
Bridged Mono 3W TRANSMITTER 60-108MHz. VARICAP CONTROLLED PROFESSIONAL
400 WATTS (200 200) Stereo. 400W PERFORMANCE RANGE UP TO 3MILES. SIZE 34.123rfun. SUPPLY 12V of D5AMP
Bridged Mono PRICE C14.85 •C1.00 P&P
ALL POWERS INTO 4 OHMS FM MICRO TRANSMITTER 100-108MHz. VARICAP TUNED. COMPLETE WITH
Features: VERY SENS PET INC. RANGE 100-300m. SIZE 56146mm SUPPLY 90 BATTERY.
* Stereo. bridgable mono * Choice of • 3W Fla IRA TIER

B.K. ELECTRONICS
high 8 low level inputs * L I R level
PRICES: 150W £49.99 250W (99.99
controls * Remote on-off * Speaker 8
400W t109.95 P&P £2.00 EACH Bum
POSTAL CHARGES PER ORDER £1.00 MINIMUM OFFICIAL
ORDERS FROM SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, GOVT BODIES, PLC. ETC. UNITS 1 151, 5 COMET WAY, SOUTHEND-ON-SEA,
PRICES INCLUSIVE OF V.A T. SALES COUNTER. VISA AND 1,4 ESSEX. 5E12 STR.
ACCESS ACCEPTED BY POST, PHONE OR FAX
Tel.: 0702-527572 Fax.: 0702 - 420243
19 1 New Project Kits from Maplin
ELECTRONIC DICE IV
AUDIO LEAD CHECKER KIT FEATURES:
>a- Easy to build - ideal beginners'
-.Vo home or professional studio should be without one! project
FEATURES: 71.- Auto power-off for long battery life
Easily and clearly identifies )11-- Low quiescent current (typically 1pA)
interconnections on most types )18.- 3V supply voltage (2 x1.5V cells ideal)
of audio cable
)1.- Touch, switch contact or digital
Battery powered and portable input to 'roll' dice
Easy to build 'Rolling dice' sound effect
PROJECT dirk
)11.- No setting up required )1.- Dice can be interlinked for games
RATING!_7
EMC /CE Compliant Simple requiring more than one dice
IDEAL FOR: EMC /CE Compliant
PA/sound engineers Kit includes all components, PCB, LEDs. piezo sounder and full instructions.
)1... Gigging Bands Enclosure, fixing hardware, switch/touch pads, battery, etc., are dependant on
user's intended application and therefore not included in the kit.
)11. Home & professional studios
ELECTRONIC DICE KIT LU78K £7.99
Audio/Hi-Fi
Construction details: Electronic Dice Leaflet XZ43W 50p
Kit includes all components. PCB, box, box label. Issue 112 /April 1997 Electronics & Beyond XD12N £2.25
sockets, wire, etc.. and full instructions. Requires
Alkaline PP3 battery (not included in kit).

AUDIO LEAD CHECKER KIT LU26D £1.9.99 VIDEO DISTRIBUTION

Construction details: Audio Lead Checker Leaflet XZ2OW 80p
Issue 114 /June 1997 Electronics & Beyond XD14Q £2.25 AMPLIFIER KIT
FEATURES:

1.5A VARIABLE VOLTAGE

)11.- Composite video input/output
)11.- Four outputs as standard

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE Units can be cascaded

for multiple outputs

REGULATED PSU KITS »-

X.-
Easy to build and use
Compact dimensions 4i084.
FEATURES:
Output reverse polarity and ». Video gain (OdB to 8dB) control
IDEAL FOR'
back-voltage protection HF boost (OdB to 8dB) controls
Video signal distribution
Output voltage range: 1.25V to )1.- Wide bandwidth: 20Hz to 50MHz ». Video dubbing/duplication
37V (depending on input)
• 75S2 or high impedance input ›ir- CCTV/Security
LED power-on indication
)11.- 75i1 outputs Kit includes all components, PCB,
Variable output voltage potentiometers and full instructions.
)1,- Single -
-12V DC
, 50mA Enclosure, knobs, coaxial cable,
Low noise
Supply connectors, etc.. are dependant on
Compact dimensions
• EMCi CE Compliant user's intended application and
Easy to build therefore not included in the kit.
Can be used with single. split
and twin secondary transformers VIDEO DISTRIBUTION AMPLIFIER KIT LU79L £.1.4.99
Construction details. Video Distribution Amplifier Leaflet XZ38R 50p
EMC /CE compliant
Issue 111 /March 1997 Electronics & Beyond XD11M £2.25
Kit includes all components, PCB, heatsink and full instructions. Mains
transformer, other mains-side components and enclosure are dependant on users
intended application and therefore not included in the kit.

VARIABLE POSITIVE PSU KIT 1U867 £1.0.99

CONTINUITY TESTER KIT
VARIABLE NEGATIVE PSU KIT LU87U £10.99 FEATURES:
Construction details: Positive and Negative Variable PSU Leaflet XZ4OT 50p
Easy to build - ideal beginners' project
Issue 113 /May 1997 Electronics & Beyond XD13P £2.25
)1.- Audible continuity indication

SIREN SOUND )1.- Can discriminate between semiconductor

junctions and 'true short-circuits'

GENERATOR KITS )11..

X,-
Compact, lightweight and portable
Battery powered
FEATURES: IDEAL FOR:
)11.- No setting up required
)1.-- Easy to build - ideal Audible warning devices
EMC /CE Compliant PROJECT dick
beginners project Sirens and alarms
IDEAL FOR: RATINGV
Three versions available Children's toys
Tracing faults on PCBs Simple
Auto power-off for long
battery life PROJECT ink Y.- Checking components
RATING!...7 >r»- Tracing wiring
Low quiescent current
Simple
(typically 1./../A @ 3V) Kit includes all components. PCB. box, box label, sockets.
wire, speaker, test leads, etc., and full instructions.
Wide supply voltage range: Requires Alkaline PP3 battery (not included in kit).
2.4V to 24V
CONTINUITY TESTER KIT JA13P £19.99
)1.- Speaker or buzzer output drive
Construction details: Continuity Tester Leaflet XZ39N 50p
)11.- Touch, switch contact or Issue 111 /March 1997 Electronics & Beyond XD11M £2.25
digital input to trigger siren Kit includes all components. PCB, LED, piezo
Pulsed LED output sounder and full instructions. Enclosure.
Compact PCB
loudspeaker, switchtouch pads, battery. etc..
are dependant on user's intended application
ORDER NOW!
EMC /CE Compliant and therefore not included in the kit. Tel: 01702 554000. Fax: 01702 554001, E-mail: Sales@maplin.co.uk
CAR ALARM SIREN KIT W85G £7.99 USA POLICE SIREN KIT W88V £7.99 Or write to Maplin MPS, P.O. Box 777, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 8LU
WAILING POLICE SIREN KIT LU89W £7.99 Or Tel: 01702 554002 for details of your nearest Maplin or Mondo store.
Construction details: Siren Sound Generator Leaflet XZ42V 50p Please quote Priority Reference Code MA034 When ordering.
Issue 112 /April 1997 Electronics & Beyond XD12N £2.25
AcC

These kits are: VISA' CONNECT

SWITCH
Supplied with high-quality fibre-glass PCBs -pre-tinned. with printed
legend and solder resist

IN
For orders over £30.00 inc VAT goods are
▪ Supplied with comprehensive instructions and aconstructors' guide dispatched free of handling charges. Asmall
Covered by the Maplin Get-You-Working Service and 12-month warranty order charge of £2.95 inc VAT is applied to
Kits do not include tools or test equipment. Kits may require additional components or orders less than £30.00 Inc VAT. All items
products, depending on application, please refer to construction details or contact the subject to availability. All prices are inclusive
Maplin Technical Support Helpline (Tel: 01702 5560011 if in doubt. of VAT and are subject to change. E&OE. Internet Web Site: Irttp:/h.nvw.maplin.co.uk