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PRODUCT SHOWCASE Highly flexible nicad charger New adaptors are released weekly to meet the demands of users and as new equipment comes into operation. Many adaptors are custom manufactured in Australia to customers’ requirements without additional cost. Availability from design to manufacture is less than one week. For further information, contact Premier Batteries Pty Ltd, 9/15 Childs Road, Chipping Norton, NSW 2170. Phone (02) 9755 1845; fax (02) 9755 1354. Power supply and case With the release of the latest range of adaptors, the System 90 from Premier Batteries can now charge, discharge, analyse or condition over 600 battery types. These can be Nickel Cadmium or Nickel Metal Hydride and up to six Tiny video surveillance camera Available from Allthings Sales & Services is this tiny CCD video surveillance camera. It has a metal case, is fitted with a 3.6mm board or 5.5mm pinhole lens and is supplied with a metal wall mounting bracket. The dimensions are 36mm (W) x 36mm (H) x 27mm (D) with board lens or 17mm (D) with pinhole lens and weight is just 100 grams. Main specifications are 380 lines horizontal resolution, 0.2 lux sensitivity for low light and infrared use, 1/50 to 1/100 000 second linear automatic electronic shut72  Silicon Chip different batteries can be charged at one time. The simple plug in adaptors can be changed in seconds, making the System 90 very flexible and elimi­ nating the need for other dedicated charges or analysers. This neat computer case measures 363mm wide, 280mm deep and just 55mm high. Inside it has a switchmode power supply providing 5V <at> 6A, 12V <at> 2A and -12V <at> 0.5A. On the rear panel is a switched and fused 240VAC IEC socket and female IEC socket. There are also a number of cutouts on the rear panel. What would you use it for? We dunno. Perhaps a computer peripheral ter, 12VDC input via a 2.1mm DC socket and standard 75Ω composite video output via a BNC socket. Options and accessories include 14 lenses from 2.1mm to 12mm focal length, an infrared filter to enhance resolution, sharpen focus and improve colour to grey conversion, polarising and infrared long pass filters for glare, focus and exposure control, infrared illuminators and IR light emitting diodes. The price, including tax, with 3.6mm or 5.5mm lens is $99.00. For full details and specifications, contact Allthings Sales & Services. Phone (08) 9349 9413; fax (08) 9344 5905. 500MHz logarithmic amplifier IC or two? Or it could be ideal for the multimedia sound amplifier system described in the October 1966 issue of SILICON CHIP. Even if you throw away the case, keep the power supply and the IEC sockets it will still be a bargain at $20 plus $6 for freight. Where do you get it? From Oatley Electronics, PO Box 89, Oatley, NSW 2223. Phone (02) 9584 3563; fax (02) 9584 3561. Analog Devices has released a new device which allows de­ signers to measure signal strength at intermediate frequencies (IF) up to 500MHz. Previous lower speed log amplifiers required one or more expensive mixing/filter stages prior to the log amplifier. The AD8307’s exceptional speed (up to 500MHz), dynamic range (86dB), accuracy (±1.0dB), small package (industry’s first 8-pin SOIC log amp) and ease-of-use allow system designers to achieve consistent performance while reducing subsystem cost by 50%. A logarithmic amplifier is a key building block in a wide range of radio-frequency (RF) applications/ systems. Most RF systems require two mix-down stages, one to intermediate frequen­ cy (IF) and the other to base­band. Since the AD8307 eliminates the need to mix down to baseband, the last mixing stage can be eliminated, significantly reducing subsystem cost. The AD8307 uses a single supply of 2.7-5.5V and draws 8mA. This AUDIO MODULES broadcast quality Manufactured in Australia Harbuch Electronics Pty Ltd 9/40 Leighton Pl. HORNSBY 2077 Ph (02) 9476-5854 Fx (02) 9476-3231 results in very low power consumption of 24mW while operating on 3V. A power-down control pin allows further power saving by putting the device into a standby mode where it draws only 750µA. For further information, contact Hartec, 205A Middleborough Road, Box Hill, Vic 3128. Phone 1800 33 5623. December 1997  73 Varistors for automobiles Sensitive electronic circuitry in cars needs dependable protection against dangerous voltage surges. Two new series of varistor are now available from Siemens Matsushita Components: radially leaded D1 disc varistors and E2 surface-mount variants. The D1 varistors have a maximum operat­ ing temperature of +125°C with full DC and load-dump capability. Typical applications include use in motor controllers or protection of high-voltage gas-discharge lamps. Diamet­ers range from 5-14mm, the latter being able to absorb up to 50J load-dump energy. The E2 SMD varistor has a 25J load-dump energy absorption capability and can withstand a maximum current surge of 1200A. A protection level of 40V at 10A plus Bubble etcher for PC boards a temperature range to +125°C make it a practical alternative to earlier 10mm disc varistors. For further information contact ing. The bubbles are provided by a 240V fishtank air pump. Available from all Dick Smith Electronics stores, the bubble etching tank is priced at $49.95 while the air pump is $10. Ad­vanced Information Pro­ducts, Siemens Ltd. Phone (03) 9420 7716; fax (03) 9420 7275. Email: passive.comp<at>siemens.com.au Stanton Australia Pty Ltd, PO Box 4760, North Rocks, NSW 2151. Phone (02)9894 2377; fax (02) 9894 2386. Laser engine for satellite destruction Baby robot – not just a toy Want to speed up the etching of your prototype PC boards? We’re sure you will if you are using the old-fashioned flat tray method. With this bubble etcher, the copper literally falls off the laminate while you are looking at it. It can take boards up to 250mm long and 200mm wide and requires up to 1.5 litres of etchant to do the job. A number of plastic clips are included to support the board while it is etch74  Silicon Chip Eshed Robotec have released a new Scorbot ER-1 robot which is the baby of the family. The intelligence of this robot lies in the controller and the software. The controller is based on the Intel 8031 CPU and has eight TTL inputs/outputs for connecting external circuitry. The software assists the programmer by pre­venting syntax problems and missing parameters for commands. No previous programming experience is necessary. A Teach Pendant is available for teaching positions, chart­ ing movements and running programs with a push of a button. For more information contact OK, OK, this laser engine might not have sufficient ergs to penetrate the full height of the planet’s atmosphere and then have enough left over to disable an unwanted satellite but you might have fun trying. Actually, these laser engines have come out of standard laser printers. They have a polygon scanner with a crystal controlled driver board, a 5mW 780nm laser diode in a collimated housing, mirrors and lenses. These are priced at just $35 plus $6 freight from Oatley Electronics, PO Box 89, Oatley, NSW 2223. Phone (02) SC 9584 3563; fax (02) 9584 3561.