Silicon ChipThe Fox Report - January 2025 SILICON CHIP
  1. Contents
  2. Publisher's Letter: Two new series for the magazine
  3. Feature: The Fox Report by Barry Fox
  4. Feature: Net Work by Alan Winstanley
  5. Feature: Max’s Cool Beans by Max the Magnificent
  6. Project: High-quality Microphone Preamplifier by Phil Prosser
  7. Feature: The History of Electronics, part one by Dr David Maddison
  8. Feature: Circuit Surgery by Ian Bell
  9. Feature: Techno Talk by Max the Magnificent
  10. Feature: The Quason VL6180X laser rangefinder module by Jim Rowe
  11. Project: USB to PS/2 Keyboard & Mouse Adaptors by Tim Blythman
  12. Project: Raspberry Pi-based Clock Radio, part two by Stefan Keller-Tuberg
  13. Subscriptions
  14. Feature: Precision Electronics, part one by Andrew Levido
  15. Project: Secure Remote Mains Switch, part two by John Clarke
  16. PartShop
  17. Market Centre
  18. Advertising Index
  19. Back Issues

This is only a preview of the January 2025 issue of Practical Electronics.

You can view 0 of the 80 pages in the full issue.

Articles in this series:
  • The Fox Report (July 2024)
  • The Fox Report (September 2024)
  • The Fox Report (October 2024)
  • The Fox Report (November 2024)
  • The Fox Report (December 2024)
  • The Fox Report (January 2025)
  • The Fox Report (February 2025)
  • The Fox Report (March 2025)
  • The Fox Report (April 2025)
  • The Fox Report (May 2025)
Articles in this series:
  • Win a Microchip Explorer 8 Development Kit (April 2024)
  • Net Work (May 2024)
  • Net Work (June 2024)
  • Net Work (July 2024)
  • Net Work (August 2024)
  • Net Work (September 2024)
  • Net Work (October 2024)
  • Net Work (November 2024)
  • Net Work (December 2024)
  • Net Work (January 2025)
  • Net Work (February 2025)
  • Net Work (March 2025)
  • Net Work (April 2025)
Articles in this series:
  • Max’s Cool Beans (January 2025)
  • Max’s Cool Beans (February 2025)
  • Max’s Cool Beans (March 2025)
  • Max’s Cool Beans (April 2025)
  • Max’s Cool Beans (May 2025)
  • Max’s Cool Beans (June 2025)
Articles in this series:
  • The History of Electronics, Pt1 (October 2023)
  • The History of Electronics, Pt2 (November 2023)
  • The History of Electronics, Pt3 (December 2023)
  • The History of Electronics, part one (January 2025)
  • The History of Electronics, part two (February 2025)
  • The History of Electronics, part three (March 2025)
  • The History of Electronics, part four (April 2025)
  • The History of Electronics, part five (May 2025)
  • The History of Electronics, part six (June 2025)
Articles in this series:
  • Circuit Surgery (April 2024)
  • STEWART OF READING (April 2024)
  • Circuit Surgery (May 2024)
  • Circuit Surgery (June 2024)
  • Circuit Surgery (July 2024)
  • Circuit Surgery (August 2024)
  • Circuit Surgery (September 2024)
  • Circuit Surgery (October 2024)
  • Circuit Surgery (November 2024)
  • Circuit Surgery (December 2024)
  • Circuit Surgery (January 2025)
  • Circuit Surgery (February 2025)
  • Circuit Surgery (March 2025)
  • Circuit Surgery (April 2025)
  • Circuit Surgery (May 2025)
  • Circuit Surgery (June 2025)
Articles in this series:
  • (November 2020)
  • Techno Talk (December 2020)
  • Techno Talk (January 2021)
  • Techno Talk (February 2021)
  • Techno Talk (March 2021)
  • Techno Talk (April 2021)
  • Techno Talk (May 2021)
  • Techno Talk (June 2021)
  • Techno Talk (July 2021)
  • Techno Talk (August 2021)
  • Techno Talk (September 2021)
  • Techno Talk (October 2021)
  • Techno Talk (November 2021)
  • Techno Talk (December 2021)
  • Communing with nature (January 2022)
  • Should we be worried? (February 2022)
  • How resilient is your lifeline? (March 2022)
  • Go eco, get ethical! (April 2022)
  • From nano to bio (May 2022)
  • Positivity follows the gloom (June 2022)
  • Mixed menu (July 2022)
  • Time for a total rethink? (August 2022)
  • What’s in a name? (September 2022)
  • Forget leaves on the line! (October 2022)
  • Giant Boost for Batteries (December 2022)
  • Raudive Voices Revisited (January 2023)
  • A thousand words (February 2023)
  • It’s handover time (March 2023)
  • AI, Robots, Horticulture and Agriculture (April 2023)
  • Prophecy can be perplexing (May 2023)
  • Technology comes in different shapes and sizes (June 2023)
  • AI and robots – what could possibly go wrong? (July 2023)
  • How long until we’re all out of work? (August 2023)
  • We both have truths, are mine the same as yours? (September 2023)
  • Holy Spheres, Batman! (October 2023)
  • Where’s my pneumatic car? (November 2023)
  • Good grief! (December 2023)
  • Cheeky chiplets (January 2024)
  • Cheeky chiplets (February 2024)
  • The Wibbly-Wobbly World of Quantum (March 2024)
  • Techno Talk - Wait! What? Really? (April 2024)
  • Techno Talk - One step closer to a dystopian abyss? (May 2024)
  • Techno Talk - Program that! (June 2024)
  • Techno Talk (July 2024)
  • Techno Talk - That makes so much sense! (August 2024)
  • Techno Talk - I don’t want to be a Norbert... (September 2024)
  • Techno Talk - Sticking the landing (October 2024)
  • Techno Talk (November 2024)
  • Techno Talk (December 2024)
  • Techno Talk (January 2025)
  • Techno Talk (February 2025)
  • Techno Talk (March 2025)
  • Techno Talk (April 2025)
  • Techno Talk (May 2025)
  • Techno Talk (June 2025)
Articles in this series:
  • El Cheapo Modules From Asia - Part 1 (October 2016)
  • El Cheapo Modules From Asia - Part 2 (December 2016)
  • El Cheapo Modules From Asia - Part 3 (January 2017)
  • El Cheapo Modules from Asia - Part 4 (February 2017)
  • El Cheapo Modules, Part 5: LCD module with I²C (March 2017)
  • El Cheapo Modules, Part 6: Direct Digital Synthesiser (April 2017)
  • El Cheapo Modules, Part 7: LED Matrix displays (June 2017)
  • El Cheapo Modules: Li-ion & LiPo Chargers (August 2017)
  • El Cheapo modules Part 9: AD9850 DDS module (September 2017)
  • El Cheapo Modules Part 10: GPS receivers (October 2017)
  • El Cheapo Modules 11: Pressure/Temperature Sensors (December 2017)
  • El Cheapo Modules 12: 2.4GHz Wireless Data Modules (January 2018)
  • El Cheapo Modules 13: sensing motion and moisture (February 2018)
  • El Cheapo Modules 14: Logarithmic RF Detector (March 2018)
  • El Cheapo Modules 16: 35-4400MHz frequency generator (May 2018)
  • El Cheapo Modules 17: 4GHz digital attenuator (June 2018)
  • El Cheapo: 500MHz frequency counter and preamp (July 2018)
  • El Cheapo modules Part 19 – Arduino NFC Shield (September 2018)
  • El cheapo modules, part 20: two tiny compass modules (November 2018)
  • El cheapo modules, part 21: stamp-sized audio player (December 2018)
  • El Cheapo Modules 22: Stepper Motor Drivers (February 2019)
  • El Cheapo Modules 23: Galvanic Skin Response (March 2019)
  • El Cheapo Modules: Class D amplifier modules (May 2019)
  • El Cheapo Modules: Long Range (LoRa) Transceivers (June 2019)
  • El Cheapo Modules: AD584 Precision Voltage References (July 2019)
  • Three I-O Expanders to give you more control! (November 2019)
  • El Cheapo modules: “Intelligent” 8x8 RGB LED Matrix (January 2020)
  • El Cheapo modules: 8-channel USB Logic Analyser (February 2020)
  • New w-i-d-e-b-a-n-d RTL-SDR modules (May 2020)
  • New w-i-d-e-b-a-n-d RTL-SDR modules, Part 2 (June 2020)
  • El Cheapo Modules: Mini Digital Volt/Amp Panel Meters (December 2020)
  • El Cheapo Modules: Mini Digital AC Panel Meters (January 2021)
  • El Cheapo Modules: LCR-T4 Digital Multi-Tester (February 2021)
  • El Cheapo Modules: USB-PD chargers (July 2021)
  • El Cheapo Modules: USB-PD Triggers (August 2021)
  • El Cheapo Modules: 3.8GHz Digital Attenuator (October 2021)
  • El Cheapo Modules: 6GHz Digital Attenuator (November 2021)
  • El Cheapo Modules: 35MHz-4.4GHz Signal Generator (December 2021)
  • El Cheapo Modules: LTDZ Spectrum Analyser (January 2022)
  • Low-noise HF-UHF Amplifiers (February 2022)
  • A Gesture Recognition Module (March 2022)
  • Air Quality Sensors (May 2022)
  • MOS Air Quality Sensors (June 2022)
  • PAS CO2 Air Quality Sensor (July 2022)
  • Particulate Matter (PM) Sensors (November 2022)
  • Heart Rate Sensor Module (February 2023)
  • UVM-30A UV Light Sensor (May 2023)
  • VL6180X Rangefinding Module (July 2023)
  • pH Meter Module (September 2023)
  • 1.3in Monochrome OLED Display (October 2023)
  • 16-bit precision 4-input ADC (November 2023)
  • 1-24V USB Power Supply (October 2024)
  • 14-segment, 4-digit LED Display Modules (November 2024)
  • 0.91-inch OLED Screen (November 2024)
  • The Quason VL6180X laser rangefinder module (January 2025)
  • TCS230 Colour Sensor (January 2025)
  • Using Electronic Modules: 1-24V Adjustable USB Power Supply (February 2025)
Items relevant to "Raspberry Pi-based Clock Radio, part two":
  • Raspberry Pi Clock Radio main PCB [19101241] (AUD $12.50)
  • Raspberry Pi Clock Radio display PCB [19101242] (AUD $7.50)
  • Software for the Raspberry Pi based Clock Radio (Free)
  • Raspberry Pi Clock Radio PCB patterns (PDF download) [19101241-2] (Free)
Articles in this series:
  • Raspberry Pi Clock Radio, Pt1 (January 2024)
  • Raspberry Pi Clock Radio, Pt2 (February 2024)
  • Raspberry Pi-based Clock Radio, part two (January 2025)
Articles in this series:
  • Precision Electronics, Part 1 (November 2024)
  • Precision Electronics, Part 2 (December 2024)
  • Precision Electronics, part one (January 2025)
  • Precision Electronics, Part 3 (January 2025)
  • Precision Electronics, part two (February 2025)
  • Precision Electronics, Part 4 (February 2025)
  • Precision Electronics, Part 5 (March 2025)
  • Precision Electronics, part three (March 2025)
  • Precision Electronics, part four (April 2025)
  • Precision Electronics, Part 6 (April 2025)
  • Precision Electronics, Part 7: ADCs (May 2025)
  • Precision Electronics, part five (May 2025)
  • Precision Electronics, part six (June 2025)
Items relevant to "Secure Remote Mains Switch, part two":
  • Secure Remote Mains Switch receiver PCB [10109211] (AUD $7.50)
  • Secure Remote Mains Switch transmitter PCB [10109212] (AUD $2.50)
  • PIC16F1459-I/P programmed for the Secure Remote Mains Switch receiver (1010921R.HEX) (Programmed Microcontroller, AUD $10.00)
  • PIC16LF15323-I/SL programmed for the Secure Remote Mains Switch transmitter (1010921A.HEX) (Programmed Microcontroller, AUD $10.00)
  • Firmware and ASM source code for the Secure Remote Mains Switch [1010921A/R] (Software, Free)
  • Secure Remote Mains Switch PCB patterns (PDF download) [10109211/2] (Free)
  • Front panel label and drilling diagrams for the Secure Remote Mains Switch (Panel Artwork, Free)
Articles in this series:
  • Secure Remote Mains Switch, Part 1 (July 2022)
  • Secure Remote Mains Switch, Part 2 (August 2022)
  • Secure Remote Switch, Part 1 (December 2024)
  • Secure Remote Mains Switch, part two (January 2025)
The Fox Report Barry Fox’s technology column How to avoid being fobbed off by an AI bot E very day, it seems we get a new Artificial Intelligence system such as ChatGPT from OpenAI, Copilot from Microsoft, Gemini from Google or Meta AI from the owner of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. Each variant is hailed as the currently best or upcoming solution. AI used to be all about the Large Language Models (LLMs), on which tools like ChatGPT depend. Now we also have Small Language Models (SLMs), which are, err, smaller that LLMs. LLMs are computer machines (in the way Alan Turing used the word, rather than mechanical engines) that can understand and create human language text. They are ‘trained’ by analysing vast amounts of raw data (text, images, calculations) and then use what they have learned to handle a wide range of ‘mental’ tasks. LLMs understand questions in any language and concoct answers based on past information. They can translate to and from foreign languages, summarise big documents in a few words and write essays and reports. They are also increasingly used to replace humans in customer care roles. Sometimes the service system makes it clear that callers are dealing with a chatbot (they are given ‘friendly’ robot names like Cora or Clara). However, other times, the service tries to fool callers into thinking that they are talking to a human. SLMs are smaller because they are more specialised and trained to do specific jobs. They can, for instance, focus on healthcare or specialist technical help. For example, telling a patient what pills to take, or advising an engineer on what screw to turn and how far to tighten it. That can be much easier and quicker than poring through complex manuals, trying to decipher the prose and figure out what to do in this particular situation. Nvidia (who became huge on the back of making 3D rendering engines for gaming) is getting richer by the minute. That’s because it invested in the design of chips that all forms of AI depend on. The new ‘Blackwell’ chips are expected to cost around US$40k (~£30,000) each. Practical Electronics | January | 2025 Meanwhile, more than 13,000 householdname authors, musicians, and actors have signed a joint statement on AI training which declares, “The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted” (https://pemag. au/link/ac27). The gist of the complaint is that AI model-building needs raw data to train the system, which is obtained by ‘scraping’ it from the Internet, and no-one is yet paying a fair price for that data. Bodies behind the complaint, such as Fairly Trained, the non-profit group set up by UK composer Ed Newton-Rex, want world-wide agreement on a way to get payment for the scraped data. They also want to block the scraping of data unless payments are made. That will not be easy, and it will be even less easy to control the future use of data that has already been scraped and has already been used to train all the AI systems that are already available. Still, surely it is possible to implement such a system. Google is already offering a watermarking system that lets exam boards and business employers check for text that has been generated by Gemini AI. For what it’s worth, I have now temporarily given up on trying every new AI system that clever friends tell me is definitely now the best. I don’t yet trust any of them not to try to be helpful (or save machine face) by making up what they don’t really know. For now, I just stick with basic Google searching, which is essentially using a sorted index of the Internet. I give Google a few carefully chosen keywords and ignore all the obvious paid-for results and clickbait, while sifting through the mixed bag of what’s left, judging its relevance to me based on my personal experience and doing some separate searches for cross-checking. This takes longer than asking an AI system a complicated question, but I don’t want any ‘thing’ making my relevance judgements. Next year, perhaps. Likewise, I try to avoid company chatbot helplines because they are usually a pain. But avoidance gets harder all the time. So far, it is typically still possible to deal with such bots by carefully drafting a detailed question off-line and then copy-and-pasting it into the query box. Sometimes, that alone may produce a useful reply. More often, it’s necessary to go on pasting the same pre-prepared question in every box space offered until the bot gives up and passes the query to a human. We then only have to hope that the human can help (if they’re only allowed to work from scripts, they’re about as much use as a bot…). This AI-avoidance tactic is the modern equivalent of repeatedly keying star or hash codes into an automated phone line until an operator jumps in. It is obviously time-wasting. Here’s a challenge for readers: how best to draft an online query or email that an AI help bot immediately knows it can’t handle and needs to refer to a human? Here’s my early attempt at bypassing AI – successfully tested recently during correspondence with a supermarket about rotten food. Attach or embed an image that contains a key fact of the matter. For instance, refer in the text body to a scanned image of a receipt. The worse the scan quality the better, as long as it is legible to the human eye. Then refer in the text body to key information contained only in the receipt, such as amount paid, product description and date of payment – without including that information as text. Of course, it is possible to extract text from an image, but optical character recognition (OCR) needs to be initiated, and the result interpreted and correlated with the main body text. OCR can fail with low-quality images (one of the facts those incredibly annoying “Captchas” rely on). For the time being, at least, it will be easier just to get a human to read the text and look at the image. This is another good reason for sometimes putting complaints to a company in a snail mail letter (now that faxing is no longer the easier option). Enclose a hard-copy of a receipt with the letter and refer to it in the text. To automate a reply, the company will have to scan and OCR both the letter and receipt, and correlate the two. It will very likely just be easier for a real, live PE human to read and reply. 3