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PRODUCT SHOWCASE Car power amplifiers from Kenwood Kenwood has just released three new car stereo amplifiers with balanced inputs and power FET technology. Designated the KAC-PS200 (100 watts/channel), KAC-PS150 (75 watts/channel) and the KAC-PS100 (50 watts/channel) they all feature Kenwood's TRI-Mode operation. This allows them to be configured for three modes of operation: standard two channel stereo mode, mono bridged mode or using a passive network such as Kenwood's KPX-T120 for stereo operation plus a subwoofer channel. This series is designed to operate with Kenwood cassette/CD/receivers or control units and can be mounted either horizontally or vertically in the boot. Cooling fans are incorporated in the 100W and 75W units. Audio Lab The two higher power units incorporate a variable low pass filter, the 50 watt unit a fixed 80Hz filter, for use with the subwoofer configuration. The use of balanced inputs allows the units to be placed in the boot without the signal degradation and noise problems which can be experienced with long, unbalanced inputs. All models are covered by 12 months warranty and are available at selected Kenwood car audio dealers. For further information on these or any other Kenwood products contact Kenwood by phoning (02) 764 1888. The Schaffner range of PC mounting filters has been extended with the introduction of the FN402 and FN402B family. The latter series has extremely Complete Audio Lab kit with PCBs, 1% resistors, PTH screened PCBs, IC sockets, boot Eprom, screen printed case, 8K RAM, 8031 processor and all ICs. Includes calibration and Audio Lab V5.1 software $330 inc. tax. Processor test kit $15. Freight $9. Fully assembled & calibrated complete with plugpack (1-year warranty) $450 5 Ludwig Place, Duncraig, Perth WA 6023 86  Silicon Chip Electrolytic capacitor mounts for PC boards PC mount mains filters R.S.K. Electronics Pty. Ltd. 10 VAC 1A plugpack plus socket $18. 2-Metre serial cable $9. low leakage and is mainly intended for medical applications. These units can be used for nominal voltages up to 250VAC, 50Hz or 60Hz, and come in current ratings of 0.5, 1.0, 1.6, 2.5, 4.0 and 6.5A. All filters are suitable for installation in business machines where IEC950 requirements must be met. For further information, contact John Thompson, Westinghouse Industrial Products, 175-189 Normanby Rd, South Melbourne, Vic 3205. Phone (03) 9676-8888 or fax (03) 9676-8777. Phone (09) 448 3787 These plastic mounts provide support for PC mount electrolytic capacitors and come in five standard sizes. Each mount features a slotted cup which supports and insulates the capacitor from surrounding components while allowing venting and proper drainage of fluids or contaminants experienced during board assembly and washing. Each mount raises the capacitor 1.3mm above the board surface. For further information, contact M. Rutty & Co, 1/38 Leighton Place, Hornsby, NSW 2077. Phone (02) 476 4066. FM radio trainer now available We have recently reviewed sample versions of the kit from Dick Smith Electronics for the FM Radio Trainer project featured in the April & May 1995 issues of Silicon Chip. The DSE kit has a well finished screen-printed PC board and comprehensive assembly and alignment instructions. The lab staff at Dick Smith Electronics have made a number of minor changes to the design, to optimise performance with some slightly different components that have been substituted because of availability problems. Having compared their kit versions with our prototype, we are happy to report they perform equally as well. The FM Radio Trainer kit is available from all Dick Smith Electronics stores at $69.95. (Cat K-5026). Surface mount 240V Mosfet Zetex has released surface mount 240V Mosfet for telecommunications equipment. Offering a low threshold voltage and low on-resistance, the ZVP4424G is supplied in an SOT223 package. With a gate-source voltage of 3.5 volts and a drain current of 100mA the device features an on-resistance of 12W. It also exhibits typical rise times of 8ns and fall times of 20ns at currents of 250mA, making it an efficient solution in telephone recall, hook and dialling applications. The ZVP4424G also features a typical input capacitance of 100pF and a gate to source voltage rating of ±40V. The surface mounting version is capable of handling a continuous drain current of 480mA and up to 1A pulsed. Its maximum power dissipation is 2.5W at 25 degrees C. A comprehensive data sheet is available, outlining full Spice model parameters, for computer simulation and testing. For more information, contact GEC Electronics Division,Unit 1, 38 South St, Rydalmere, NSW 2116. Phone (02) 638 1888 or fax (02) 638 1798. High voltage transistor for electronic ballasts Philips Semiconductors have released the BU1706A, a silicon diffused NPN power transistor which they claim is a practical low cost alternative to power Mosfets in electronic lighting ballasts. A peak collector emitter voltage of 1750V and low switching losses allow this new transistor to be used in applications where power Mosfets are prone to failure, for example, in mains voltage switching. Fall times as low as 0.2µs with inductive loads and a Vce(sat) of 1.0V at 1.5A allow the BU1706A to operate with little or no heatsinking in high frequency switching circuits. The transistor is available in the standard TO220 package or the fully isolated SOT186A pack. For more information, contact Karen August 1995  87 PCB POWER TRANSFORMERS 1VA to 25VA Programmable laser scanning system Rack mounting work station has touchscreen For concert and live music applications, the model XYP-1000 Beamscan system is a complete, self-contained, microprocessor controlled laser scanning system. It is capable of producing a very wide variety of patterns, automatic pattern sequences and beam effects. The system consists of a digital controller, scanner head and connecting cable. The controller uses a 20-key membrane keypad for programming and recalling patterns and sequences. A backlit two line by 16 character display is used for verification. Its 8K EEPROM will store 100 user created patterns and up to 360 sequence frames. The system comes programmed with 80 patterns and 20 beam effect sequences. The scanner head contains an open loop X/Y scanner pair, a high speed beam shutter, a diffraction grating with actuator and a connector for the control cable. The head has IN and OUT beam ports 90 degrees apart. Programmed sequences are played back much like a slide show, displaying each frame at a programmed position, for a preset time. Frames can also be advanced by a music trigger using an external sound source to one of the three line level inputs. For further information, contact Spectrum Laser Systems, PO Box 384, Bentleigh, Vic 3204. Phone (03) 9532 1981 or fax (03) 9555 7449. Click Electronics have recently released a rack mounting workstation with a built-in touchscreen. The touchscreen is supplied with drivers for DOS or Windows 3. For use with software that does not have a touch screen interface, it can emulate a mouse. The workstation has a sealed front panel, with an integral 83 key membrane keypad which includes 24 function keys. The unit can accommodate one 3.5" floppy drive, as well as two 3.5" half height, hard disc drives. The built-in 14" 0.26mm dot pitch VGA colour monitor offers a screen resolution of 1024 X 768. A seven slot AT-ISA passive backplane is mounted, along with the disc drives, in a drawer, which slides out from the rear of the work station, for easy access. The card bay is fitted with an anti-vibration clamp. The station offers a range of single board computers, from the low cost 486DLC to the high performance 486DX4-100. A 250W power supply is provided to support any configuration. For more information, contact Click Electronics, PO Box 25, Bangor, NSW 2234. Phone (02) 649 6011 or fax (02) 649 6887. ised data collection system. Each Aspnet terminal has a keypad, liquid crystal data display and an inbuilt battery (in case of external power failure.) Operators can be prompted to enter information or can be given instructions on what to do. Information collected by the system is stored with time and date stamp. Data can easily be transferred to a spreadsheet, database or customised analysis software as required. For larger operations, the system can be extended by the use of a "workblock" which allows the program to collect data from a larger number of sources. For more information, contact Carli Barnes, ASP Microcomputers, 456 North Road, Ormond, Vic 3204. Phone (03) 9578 7600 or fax (03) 9578 7727. Manufactured in Australia Harbuch Electronics Pty Ltd 9/40 Leighton Pl. HORNSBY 2077 Ph (02) 476-5854 Fx (02) 476-3231 Hillerman, Philips Components, 34 Waterloo Rd, North Ryde, NSW 2113. Phone (02) 805 4479 or fax (02) 805 4466. Low-cost production tracking system A new low cost system has been released by ASP Microcomputers, to allow business to gain the advantages of real time production tracking and time costing. The Aspnet hardware consists of miniature readers which accept information from barcodes or magnetic stripes. These readers are connected via a network to a host computer which analyses incoming data as it is received. In addition, the system incorporates an easy to use computer language, Aspnet Basic, which allows users to create their own fully custom88  Silicon Chip Interface boards for connecting Windows PCs to serial devices National Instruments has announced two new interface boards that connect windows PCs to serial devices. The AT485 and AT-232 connect the PC to RS-485 and RS-232 instruments respectively, giving the PC additional serial ports with data transfer rates up to 115.2KB/s. Both boards are available in two and four port configurations. These are the first National boards to use the jumperless "Plug and Play" ISA architecture. For users of Windows 3.1, which does not offer this facility, a board configuration utility is supplied. The AT-485 can connect up to 31 multi-dropped devices to a single PC port. It also includes a special automatic transceiver mode that can communicate with two wire serial devices. The AT-232 can connect laboratory or electronic test instruments, such as oscilloscopes and multimeters, to a PC. Users can communicate with the boards using National Instruments' LAB software or any other industry standard programming languages. For more information, contact Tony O'Donnell, National Instruments Australia, PO Box 466, Ringwood, Vic 3134. Phone (03) 9879 9422 or fax (03) 9879 9179. KITS-R-US PO Box 314 Blackwood SA 5051 Ph 018 806794 TRANSMITTER KITS $49: a simple to build 2.5 watt free running CD level input, FM band runs from 12-24VDC. •• FMTX1 FMTX2B $49: the best transmitter on the market, FM-Band XTAL locked on 100MHz. CD level input 3 stage design, very stable up to 30mW RF output. $49: a universal digital stereo encoder for use on either of our transmitters. XTAL locked. •• FMTX2A FMTX5 $99: both FMTX2A & FMTX2B on one PCB. FMTX10 $599: a complete FMTX5 built and tested, enclosed in a quality case with plugpack, DIN input •connector for audio and a 1/2mtr internal antenna, also available in 1U rack mount with balanced cannon input sockets, dual VU meter and BNC RF $1299. Ideal for cable FM or broadcast transmission over distances of up to 300 mtrs, i.e. drive-in theatres, sports arenas, football grounds up to 50mW RF out. FMTX10B $2599: same as rack mount version but also includes dual SCA coder with 67 & 92KHz subcarriers. • AUDIO Audio Power Amp: this has been the most popular kit of all time with some 24,000 PCBs being •soldDIGI-125 since 1987. Easy to build, small in size, high power, clever design, uses KISS principle. Manufacturing rights available with full technical support and PCB CAD artwork available to companies for a small royalty. 200 Watt Kit $29, PCB only $4.95. AEM 35 Watt Single Chip Audio Power Amp $19.95: this is an ideal amp for the beginner to construct; uses an LM1875 chip and a few parts on a 1 inch square PCB. Low Distortion Balanced Line Audio Oscillator Kit $69: designed to pump out line up tone around studio complexes at 400Hz or any other audio frequency you wish to us. Maximum output +21dBm. MONO Audio DA Amp Kit, 15 splits: $69. Universal BALUN Balanced Line Converter Kit $69: converts what you have to what you want, unbalanced to balanced or vice versa. Adjustable gain. Stereo. • • •• COMPUTERS I/O Card for PCs Kit $169: originally published in Silicon Chip, this is a real low cost way to interface •to Max the outside world from your PC, 7 relays, 8 TTL inputs, ADC & DAC, stepper motor drive/open collector 1 amp outputs. Sample software in basic supplied on disk. PC 8255 24 Line I/O Card Kit $69, PCB $39: described in ETI, this board is easy to construct with •onlyIBM3 chips and a double sided plated through hole PCB. Any of the 24 lines can be used as an input or output. Good value. 19" Rack Mount PC Case: $999. •• Professional All-In-One 486SLC-33 CPU Board $799: includes dual serial, games, printer floppy & IDE hard disk drive interface, up to 4mb RAM 1/2 size card. PC104 486SLC CPU Board with 2Mb RAM included: 2 serial, printer, floppy & IDE hard disk $999; VGA •PC104 card $399. KIT WARRANTY – CHECK THIS OUT!!! If your kit does not work, provided good workmanship has been applied in assembly and all original parts have been correctly assembled, we will repair your kit FREE if returned within 14 days of purchase. Your only cost is postage both ways. Now, that’s a WARRANTY! KITS-R-US sell the entire range of designs by Graham Dicker. The designer has not extended his agreement with the previous distributor, PC Computers, in Adelaide. All products can be purchased with Visa/Bankcard by phone and shipped overnight via Australia EXPRESS POST for $6.80 per order. You can speak to the designer Mon-Fri direct from 6-7pm or place orders 24 hours a day on: PH 018 80 6794; FAX 08 270 3175. August 1995  89