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PRODUCT SHOWCASE New mains filters with metallic flange Schaffner has released the FN 9226 series IEC mains filter modules. They are very compact, measuring 30.4 x 22.9mm and have a depth of only 22.9mm, making them suitable for a wide range of applications including computers, office automation equip­ ment and medical apparatus (a class B version caters for low leakage current requirements). The filters have a metal flange, al­ lowing them to be mount­ed directly onto the internal face of equipment panels, eliminat­ing panel pre-assem­ bly operations as needed for most IEC inlet filters. There is a choice of connections: PCB-mount, Fast-On or solder lug. The FN 9226 series filters are IEC 950 compliant. They have a maximum operating voltage of 250VAC, current ratings of 1, 3, 6 or 10A, and an operat­ ing frequency range from DC to 400Hz. For further information, contact Westek Industrial Products Pty Ltd, Unit 2, 6-10 Maria St, Laverton North, Vic 3026. Phone (03) 9369 8802; fax (03) 9369 8006. Low voltage amplifier delivers 1.5W Analog Devices Inc have released the SSM2211 which delivers up to 1.5W RMS into a 4Ω load and 1W into an 8Ω load. It employs a single supply of 2.7V to 5.5V and provides a rail-to-rail differential output. With its 4MHz bandwidth, the SSM2211 provides a flat response across the entire audio spectrum. Nor does it need any external heat­ sink to deliver its 1W output into a 8Ω load. At full power, harmonic distortion is quoted at 0.2% and at 500mW, distortion is less than 0.1%. Quies­ cent current is 8.5mA and in standby mode it consumes less than 100nA. With a 5V supply, the power sup­ ply rejection ratio (PSRR) is better than 65dB (from 4.75V to 5.25V). It comes in an 8-pin DIP or SO-8 surface mount packages. For further information on the SSM2211 low-voltage amplifier, contact Hartec, 205A Middlebor­ ough Road, Box Hill, Vic 3128. Phone 1 800 335 623. New technical standard released by the Australian Communications Authority According to a recent press release, the Australian Commu­ nications Authority has ushered in a major milestone with the release of new technical stand­ ards for customer equipment and cabling. These former Austel standards have been significantly revised and updated to reflect the intentions of the Telecommuni­ cations Act 1997 for a more open and freer marketplace. Unlike before, the new Telecom­ munications Act only empowers the ACA to adopt standards based on four specific criteria: for the protection of personal health and safety, network integrity, and to ensure inter-operability and ac­ cess to emergency services. 70  Silicon Chip As a result, the 30-odd previous Austel technical standards have now been rewritten and reduced to just 21 to reflect this limited scope. In line with the Government’s policy of industry self-regulation, the old Austel technical standards were revised by working groups of the Australian Communica­ tions Industry Forum, in cooper­ ation with Standards Australia. Standards Australia Technical Committee IT/17 was responsible for rewriting the ACA Standard TS008 dealing with cabling. Roger Lyle, Standards Austral­ ia’s Associate Director for Com­ munications Technologies, says the standards had to be revised by 31st December, 1997 otherwise they would have lapsed. “That gave the industry only a few months to actually review and rewrite them.” Mr Lyle said. “It’s a credit to the industry that it was able to respond and get them out within such strict time con­ straints. To ensure compliance with the new regu­latory regime, it’s vital that users of the old Austel Technical Standards now obtain copies of the new ACA Technical Standards”. The new standards can be purchased at Standards Australia sales offices and agencies in all state capitals or by phoning the Customer Service Centre on 1300 654 646. Wooden you like a new TV? German television manufacturer Dual has released a range of luxury TV sets with the rather unusual fea­ ture of genu­ine timber cabinets. This could be a refreshing change from the unremitting charcoal or black plastic cabinets used for virtually all TVs these days. Three models, known as the “Clas­ sique Range”, are available and they are finished in Mahogany or Oak. A matching stand/cabinet, also in mahogany or oak timber finish, is available as an option. Each set features a “Blackline S” picture tube and a digi­ tal chassis to ensure the best possible picture. All signals are processed in the dig­ ital domain, preventing unwanted interference degrading the original signal. A digital chassis also allows many convenience and performance features not possible in analog-only sets. In addition, the sets are mul­ ti-system, allowing the playback of video material from overseas. The model TVM-7050M also fea­ tures picture-in-picture (PIP) which allows the viewer to watch a dif­ ferent TV channel or another video source on a small inset section of the screen while watching their preferred program on the main screen. This requires the use of an external video source such as a video recorder. All three sets have Teletext and the “Joy-Jog” remote con­trol which has only six buttons and a jog dial. An on-screen menu shows the various functions. The Classique range is part of a complete line-up of Dual TV sets ranging in price from $1699 up to the 85cm set at $3499. Dual TV sets are available from selected stores around Australia. For further information, contact Scan Audio Pty Ltd on 1 800 700 708; fax (03) 9429 9309. ACN 073 916 686 NORBITON SYSTEMS NS_PC101 card for XT/AT/PCs allows access to 48 I/O lines. There are 5 groups (0 to 4) available on a de-facto industrial standard 50-way ribbon cable used in STEbus and VMEbus 19" rack mount control systems. The board uses 2 x 8255 ICs. Multiple boards can be used if more I/O lines are required. NS_LED PCB gives visual access to five groups (0 to 4) of the NS_PC1OX. There is a total of 40 status LEDs. The board offers a 25-way “D” type female socket. The lines are driven by 74244 ICs & configured as a parallel printer port. This socket gives access to printer port kits, eg, stepper motors, LCDs, direct digital synthesis. NS_16_8 PCB is a system conditioning card with 16 optically isolated inputs set-up for either 12V or 24V operation. The board provides 8 single pole, double throw relays with 10 Amp contact rating. KITS & CARDS NS_DC_DC is a step down converter with an input range 11 to 35V DC and an output of 5 volts DC at 5 Amps, with an output ripple of approx 150mV. There is an IN/OUT 50-way connector isolating the 5V and 12V+ & 12V- rails of the PC power supply. This segregates PC’s power when working on prototypes. NSDC_DC1 module used with NS_DC_DC & NSDC_DC4 converters is a 5V to 12V(+/-) step- up converter. The board utilises 743 switch mode IC with 2 x 12V regulators, with output ripple of approx 200mV. NS_UTIL1 prototyping board has 1580 bread board holes access to any 3 groups (0 to 4) on the 50-way cable pinout. Power is available from the 50-way cable format 5 volts at 2 Amps & 12V+ 12V- at 1 Amp. There is provision for array resistors with either a ground or positive common connection. For brochure write to: Reply Paid 68, NORBITON SYSTEMS, PO Box 687, Rockingham WA 6968 Email: norbiton<at>bigpond.com embedded computers designed for the real world Put some intelligence in your next project! MC112 - 68HC11 processor, 32k RAM, 32k EPROM, serial, parallel, timers, A/D converters, BUFFALO software with inbuilt assembler / disassembler and bootloader. $220 Postage and handling $10. Available soon - ARM-based RISC, DSP and PIC systems • RISC • DSP • Parallel • Microcontrollers • Ultra low power • High Performance • Data Acquisition • Control Systems • Neuro-fuzzy • 8, 16, 32 and 64 bit WE HAVE THE SOLUTION Embedded Pty Ltd Level 5 371 Queen St Brisbane GPO Box 2603 Brisbane 4001 Phone: Fax: (07) 3236 5977 (07) 3221 0549 March 1998  71 A 68HC11-Based Embedded Computer When most people think of a computer system, they think of a PC. But the most common form of a computer system is the embedded or dedicated computer. Everyone has embedded computers built into their TV, VCR, microwave oven and so on. By JOHN CATSOULIS Embedded Pty Ltd designs and manufactures embedded comput­er systems for industrial, scientific and consumer applications. Their work­ horse is the MC112, which is based on the Motorola 68HC11. It’s easy to program and has lots of features. Embedded Pty Ltd has been approached many times by elec­ tronics hobbyists wanting a simple controller for some project on which they were working. Typically, they were looking for a small, 8-bit mi­ crocontroller with EPROM, static RAM, parallel I/O and often analog inputs as well. Since such systems Multimedia projector does not need a PC Mitsubishi Electric has launched their LVP-X100A Multimedia Data/ Video LCD Projector which can run computer-based presenta­tions with­ out a computer. Its built-in PCMCIA (Flash Memory) card driver means the projector is self-contained. Software is sup­plied to enable pres­ entation contents to be downloaded onto a PC card which slots into the projector. The remote control unit allows full control of the projec­tor as well as providing an IR beam pointer for cursor control of the on-screen menu or for smooth writing and 72  Silicon Chip just aren’t available through the larger electronics retail chains, Embedded have decided to give away the design of their MC112 computer for non-commercial use, so that anyone can build their own embedded microcontroller. The MC112 is a small comput­ er system based on the Motorola 68HC11 microcontroller (MCU). In addition to the “standard features” of the MC6800 family, the 68HC11 has a 16-bit timer with four stage programmable prescaler, a serial communications interface (SCI), an 8-bit pulse-accumulator, real-time drawing. You can enlarge segments of your presentation to show detail during the show, or use the Pic­ ture-in-Picture function to display a second picture (data or video) on screen at the same time. The LVPX100E has six inputs, for two PCs, two video inputs and two PC cards. The picture size is 51cm to 762cm diagonal and contrast ratio is 200:1. Electronically controlled zoom, focus and keystone correction are also available. For further information, contact Mitsubishi Electric Austra­ lia Pty Ltd, 348 Victoria Rd, Rydalmere 2116. Phone (02) 9684 7777; fax (02) 9898 0484. Internet address: www. mitsubishi-electric.com.au inter­rupts, 256 bytes of static RAM, an 8-channel analog-to-digital con­ verter and onboard EEPROM. The MC112 also has a 32K EPROM and a 32K static RAM. 32K may not sound like a lot but in embedded applications, it’s huge. If you were using the MC112 to record 8-bit temperature values from a sensor once every 30 min­ utes, 32K corresponds to 1.8 years worth of data! The MC112 also has an optional MC68HC24 Port Replacement Unit (PRU) for additional parallel I/O. With the MC112, you get up to 32 parallel I/O lines or 16 parallel I/O plus 8 analog input channels and 8 timer channels. The MC112 meas­ ures just 65 x 90 mm (small enough to be included inside an electronics project) and runs from 5V DC. Its block diagram is shown in Fig.1. For those who would rather buy than build, the MC112 will be available as a complete unit from Embedded Pty Ltd. As sup­ plied by Embedded, the MC112 will in­ Register of Year 2000 compliant software Many businesses have done nothing to ensure that their software will have no problems when the clock ticks over to the year 2000. Now at least there is a register of Year 2000 com­-pli­ant products and organisations, launched by Standards Australia and the Aus­ tralian Computer Society. The register of compliant products can be accessed free of charge through Standards Australia’s web site at www. standards.com.au or directly at www. y2kregister.com.au The site provides a comprehensive list of Year 2000 compliant software and hardware products in Australia and New Zealand, as defined by the Standards Australia publication SAA/ clude the public-domain BUFFALO monitor software in its EPROM. This includes an inbuilt assembler which allows you to enter and run machine code and/or assembly language programs directly and to examine the contents of memory and the processor’s registers. BUFFALO also provides a set of software tools to make the program­ mer’s life easier. These subroutines include facilities for printing to the screen, reading from a keyboard, and so forth. The address and data buses of the 68HC11 are multiplexed and demultiplexing is achieved using a 74HCT573 octal latch (U4). The address strobe, ~AS, causes the 74HCT573 to latch and hold the low-order address lines at the start of the memory cycle. The interrupt lines (~IRQ and ~XIRQ) and ~RE­ SNZ MP77:1998, “A Definition of Year 2000 Requirements”. Non-compliant products generally depend on the date being represented by only two digits and when 2000 rolls around, they may interpret the “00” in the “2000” as “1900”, causing anything from wrong data entry to total system failure. Visitors to the web site can obtain further information about the com­ pliance of a product or a vendor by clicking on the name of the organisa­ tions listed on the register. Hyper links then take the visitor to the vendor’s home page. Vendors pay a one-time registration fee for entry into the register and a fee for each product. The register will be updated each week. Note that none of the products in SET have 4.7kΩ pull-up resistors. The MC112 also has a Low Voltage Inhibitor (LVI), MC34064, for gener­ ating a power-on reset. The LVI looks like a transistor and provides an active-low reset whenever power falls below a preset value. Thus, when power is applied to the MC­112, the LVI holds the system reset until it is stabilised. Port D is the serial inter­ face, with bit 0 as the receive data input and bit 1 as the transmit data output. The Tx and Rx lines are converted to RS232 levels by a MAX202 (U2). This is to allow the connection of the MC112 to a sim­ ple terminal or PC. The MC68HC11 has an onboard 8-channel, 8-bit ADC. This is made avail­able to the user through a 16-pin IDC header labelled PORTE on the PC board. This may also be configured as a general-purpose digital I/O port under software control. The MC112 is available as a complete unit, including ROM pre­ programmed with BUFFALO, user’s guide and cables, for $250. Postage and handling is $10. For further information, contact Embedded Pty Ltd, GPO Box 2603, Brisbane, Qld 4001. Phone (07) 3236 5977; fax (07) 3221 0549. the register have been independently tested for year 2000 compliance. The vendors must sign a self-declaration, declaring the products in question are year 2000 compliant, before they can be listed on the register. Low-cost laser diode module Oatley Electronics have a new laser diode module which has automatic power control (APC) circuitry but its PC board is much smaller than previ­ ous modules. The finished assembly is 44mm long and would fit into a tube with an internal diameter of 15mm. It requires 3-5V DC at about 45mA. Its output is 5mW at 650nm. Priced at just $20, it is available from Oatley Electron­ics, PO Box 89, Oatley, STEPDOWN TRANSFORMERS 60VA to 3KVA encased toroids Harbuch Electronics Pty Ltd 9/40 Leighton Pl. HORNSBY 2077 Ph (02) 9476-5854 Fx (02) 9476-3231 NSW 2223. Phone (02) 9584 3563; fax (02) 9584 3561. Large LCD clock is easy to see How many times have you wished for a digital clock that you could see from a rea­ sonable dis­ tance across the room? So many digital clocks have such tiny figures that only the young and those with super acute vision can see them to tell the time. Now here is a clock which you really can see from a good distance. Its digits are no less than 65mm high and even this relatively middle-aged writer has no trouble seeing the time of day from a distance of more than 20 metres away. The clock can be set to display 12 or 24-hour time and has three minor displays, with 18mm high digits, for the date (day and month), day (eg, SAT) and the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit. It runs on two AAA cells and can be wall hung. Its overall dimensions are 210mm wide, 230mm high and maximum depth is 30mm although the fascia is curved so that its apparent thickness is less. Price of this wonder-clock? Just $89.95 from all Jaycar Electronics stores and dealers. (Cat XC-0230). March 1998  73