07 February 2010

You may not know it but your late-model car has an astonishing array of sensors to make sure that its engine and electronic systems all run at peak efficiency, while keeping emissions to a minimum. This increasing use of electronics in vehicles has also lead to improvements in the way a vehicle can be maintained. With On Board Diagnostics (OBD), the performance of critical engine components can be easily monitored.

05 February 2010

If you have a laptop PC you can build your own OBDII interface so you can access all the information available to a dedicated hand-held scan tool but at a much lower cost. Not only can you access all the fault codes in your car's ECU but you can then store them in your laptop for future reference.

03 February 2010

Agilent Technologies has just released a new addition to its range of affordable handheld test and measuring instruments: the U1732A handheld Digital LCR meter. Designed for testing and measuring almost any kind of passive component (L, C or R) quickly, easily and accurately - on the bench or in the field, it is priced at a level much lower than Agilent's existing LCR meters.

24 January 2010

This Temperature Logger & Controller is based on the Dick Smith Electronics Q1437 digital thermometer. It records & displays two temperature channels once a second on a PC over a period of up to 12 hours. With appropriate thermocouples, temperatures from -200°C to +1300°C can be recorded, with the display range, resolution, and temperature program adjustable in real time while the data is being logged.

23 January 2010

In Pt.2 last month, we showed you how to connect the WIB to a network and gave the step-by-step setting-up details. Most constructors will settle for the website provided but for those with special needs, this third article is for advanced users who want to customise the WIB to their requirements.

17 January 2010

This add-on board is designed to provide a pair of balanced audio outputs for the High-Quality Stereo DAC (Sept-Nov 2009). Two 3-pin male XLR connectors are used for the new outputs and they can either replace or augment the existing unbalanced outputs without affecting their performance.

15 January 2010

Interesting circuit ideas which we have checked but not built and tested. Contributions from readers are welcome and will be paid for at standard rates.

13 January 2010

I first noticed this giant "golf ball" last year, sitting high on its "tee", right next to the Terrey Hills golf driving range in Sydney's north. "Surely," I thought, "that's not just an advert for the driving range . . ." No it's not (although I bet they are very grateful!) – it's much more interesting than that – it's the latest in the Bureau of Meteorology weather radar upgrades! And the best part: you can view its images via the 'net.

08 January 2010

This project was inspired by requests from a number of readers. Essentially they said that the GPS module was great for obtaining a precise time . . . but could we produce a project that used its full capabilities for use in a vehicle?

04 January 2010

Regular SILICON CHIP readers will recall Stan Swan's AIS article in August 2009. It's not stretching the truth to say it has stirred an enormous amount of interest. But we bemoaned the fact that there appeared to be very little coverage in Australia's north west.