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Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Leo Simpson, B.Bus., FAICD Editor Greg Swain, B.Sc.(Hons.) Technical Staff John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.) Robert Flynn Rick Walters Reader Services Ann Jenkinson Advertising Manager Christopher Wilson Phone (02) 9979 5644 Mobile 0419 23 9375 Regular Contributors Brendan Akhurst Garry Cratt, VK2YBX Julian Edgar, Dip.T.(Sec.), B.Ed John Hill Mike Sheriff, B.Sc, VK2YFK Philip Watson, MIREE, VK2ZPW Bob Young Photography Stuart Bryce SILICON CHIP is published 12 times a year by Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd. A.C.N. 003 205 490. All material copyright ©. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Printing: Macquarie Print, Dubbo, NSW. Distribution: Network Distribution Company. Subscription rates: $54 per year in Australia. For overseas rates, see the subscription page in this issue. Editorial & advertising offices: Unit 34, 1-3 Jubilee Avenue, Warrie­ wood, NSW 2102. Postal address: PO Box 139, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097. Phone (02) 9979 5644. Fax (02) 9979 6503. PUBLISHER'S LETTER New technology marches on This month we have a number of articles which help signpost the relentless march of technology. The first of these is the article entitled “Electronics on the Internet” starting on page 4. This gives a glimpse of the huge amount of information per­taining to electronics which is now available on the Internet. Some people are very wary of the hyperbole surrounding the “net” but there is no denying that large numbers of companies, organi­sations and individuals are becoming involved in it. Somewhat more prosaic perhaps, is the article on the Elec­tronic Starter for fluorescent lamps, beginning on page 14. The notable point about this circuit is not so much that the in­tegrated circuit at its heart is a clever chip but that it is only available in surface-mount form. Increasingly, many new ICs are only available in this format, so if you don’t already have a set of prescription close-up spectacles, it is only a matter of time before you will need them. Interestingly, if the starter IC had been a conventional 8-pin DIL package it would have been too big. You can expect to see this circuit as a commercial product within a year or so. On page 30, we are featuring a new high power amplifier module using plastic power Mosfets from England. The point of interest is not that they come from England but that we have probably now seen the last of power transistors or Mosfets in metal TO-3 cans; plastic rules supreme. On page 64, we have the second article on our VGA Oscillo­scope and this highlights the fact that VGA monitors for personal computers, the latest and the greatest in display technology only a few years ago, are now being discarded in large numbers as people upgrade their computers. While the oscilloscope project is a good application for these otherwise unused and unloved computer monitors, it seems to us that many people are rushing headlong into the purchase of new computers without ever having fully come to grips with the cap­abilities of their older machines. Finally, on page 76, we feature an article on IGBTs. These hybrid devices, a marriage between Mosfets and bipolar transis­tors, first appeared about 10 years ago but have been largely confined to heavy power tasks such as traction motor control. They are gradually making their way into more general use and indeed they were featured in the SILICON CHIP 2kW sinewave in­verter in 1992. In the future, you can expect to see them in car ignition systems, in audio amplifiers and in most general power applications. Leo Simpson ISSN 1030-2662 WARNING! SILICON CHIP magazine regularly describes projects which employ a mains power supply or produce high voltage. All such projects should be considered dangerous or even lethal if not used safely. Readers are warned that high voltage wiring should be carried out according to the instructions in the articles. When working on these projects use extreme care to ensure that you do not accidentally come into contact with mains AC voltages or high voltage DC. If you are not confident about working with projects employing mains voltages or other high voltages, you are advised not to attempt work on them. Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd disclaims any liability for damages should anyone be killed or injured while working on a project or circuit described in any issue of SILICON CHIP magazine. Devices or circuits described in SILICON CHIP may be covered by patents. SILICON CHIP disclaims any liability for the infringement of such patents by the manufacturing or selling of any such equipment. SILICON CHIP also disclaims any liability for projects which are used in such a way as to infringe relevant government regulations and by-laws. Advertisers are warned that they are responsible for the content of all advertisements and that they must conform to the Trade Practices Act 1974 or as subsequently amended and to any governmental regulations which are applicable. 2  Silicon Chip