01 March 2008

Perhaps you are blissfully unaware of it - but the Australian Government plans to progressively switch off all analog TV transmitters, starting in less than two years time. And High Definition digital TV programs are now being shown on "free to air" commercial, ABC and SBS TV. Those programs are not available via Standard Definition digital tuners or set-top boxes. So what do you need to do?

01 March 2008

If you currently have an analog TV set or a digital projector and don't want to change it, you will need a high definition set top box to watch HD TV broadcasts - now and more importantly in the future.

01 March 2008

Tracking down problems in circuits which are programmed via an I2C bus can be tricky and time-consuming, unless you take advantage of a debugging program running on a PC. Here's a low-cost, easy-to-build printer port to I2C interface designed to work with the Philips/NXP debugging program URD312.exe.

01 March 2008

This simple add-on module for the GPS-Based Frequency Reference is designed to drive the escapement coil of a low-cost quartz clock movement. It uses the 1Hz GPS pulses available at the rear of the Frequency Reference so that the clock can display local time with GPS-based accuracy.

01 March 2008

Many electronics enthusiasts hesitate to build projects involving surface-mount devices (SMDs) because they're daunted by the prospect of soldering such tiny parts to a PC board. But it can be done. Jim Rowe shows us how...

01 March 2008

Battery-powered aircraft creates aviation and technology history

01 March 2008

In the third part of our PICAXE VSM tutorials Clive Seager talks us through using some of the 'virtual instrumentation' included with the software - from a simple voltmeter to an advanced I²C protocol debugger!

01 March 2008

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.

01 March 2008

Developed by Philips over 25 years ago, the I2C bus is now a well-established standard for low to medium-speed data communication between ICs. However, its basic operation still isn't well understood, except by people in the chip design business. Here's a quick primer to bring you up to speed.

01 March 2008

This 12V or 24V high-current DC Motor Speed Controller is rated at up to 40A (continuous) and is suitable for heavy-duty motor applications. All control tasks are monitored by a microcontroller and as a result, the list of features is extensive.