Silicon ChipAutomatic hand sanitiser dispenser - November 2020 SILICON CHIP
  1. Outer Front Cover
  2. Contents
  3. Publisher's Letter: Why is electronics male-dominated?
  4. Mailbag
  5. Feature: MEMS (Micro-Electromechanical Systems) by Dr David Maddison
  6. Project: Eight Small LED Christmas Ornaments by Tim Blythman
  7. PartShop
  8. Project: Two Large LED Christmas Stars by Barry Cullen & Tim Blythman
  9. Project: Balanced Input Attenuator for the USB SuperCodec by Phil Prosser
  10. Circuit Notebook: Automatic hand sanitiser dispenser by Bera Somnath
  11. Circuit Notebook: Wellbeing monitor by Phillip Webb
  12. Circuit Notebook: Boat Computer modified for 4WDs by Greg Hoyes
  13. Circuit Notebook: More modified Boat Computer software by Ray Saegenschnitter
  14. Serviceman's Log: One repair leads to another by Dave Thompson
  15. Vintage Radio: RCA BP-10 "miniature" valve portable radio by Ian Batty
  16. Feature: A Rundown on New 8-pin PIC Microcontrollers by Tim Blythman
  17. Feature: The Vintage Matrox ALT-512 Graphics Card by Hugo Holden
  18. Project: Flexible Digital Lighting Controller, part 2 by Tim Blythman
  19. Feature: Electronic ‘Wearables’ and the Jaycar Sparkle Stitch by Tim Blythman & Nicholas Vinen
  20. Ask Silicon Chip
  21. Market Centre
  22. Advertising Index
  23. Notes & Errata: USB SuperCodec, August-October 2020; History of the Australian GPO, September 2020; Shirt Pocket Oscillator, September 2020; Frequency Reference Signal Distributor, April 2020; 45V 8A Linear Bench Supply, October-December 2019
  24. Outer Back Cover

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Items relevant to "Eight Small LED Christmas Ornaments":
  • Tiny LED Cap PCB [16111193] (AUD $3.00)
  • Tiny LED Stocking PCB [16111194] (AUD $3.00)
  • Tiny LED Reindeer PCB [16111195] (AUD $3.00)
  • Tiny LED Bauble PCB [16111196] (AUD $3.00)
  • Tiny LED Sleigh PCB [16111197] (AUD $3.00)
  • Tiny LED Star PCB [16111198] (AUD $3.00)
  • Tiny LED Candy Cane PCB [16111199] (AUD $3.00)
  • PIC12F1572-I/SN programmed for the Tiny LED Christmas Ornaments (Programmed Microcontroller, AUD $10.00)
  • Tiny LED Christmas Ornament complete kit (Component, AUD $14.00)
  • Firmware for the LED Christmas Ornaments (Software, Free)
  • Eight Tiny LED Xmas Ornament PCB patterns (PDF download) [16111191-16111199] (Free)
Items relevant to "Two Large LED Christmas Stars":
  • Stackable LED Star PCB [16109201] (AUD $12.50)
  • RGB Stackable LED Star PCB [16209202] (AUD $12.50)
  • ATmega328P-AUR programmed for the RGB Stackable LED Star [1620920A.HEX] (Programmed Microcontroller, AUD $10.00)
  • Kit for the RGB Stackable LED Christmas Star (Component, AUD $38.50)
  • Firmware for the 30 RGB LED Xmas Star (Software, Free)
  • RGB Stackable LED Star PCB pattern (PDF download) [16209202] (Free)
  • Stackable LED Star PCB pattern (PDF download) [16109201] (Free)
Items relevant to "Balanced Input Attenuator for the USB SuperCodec":
  • USB SuperCodec PCB [01106201] (AUD $12.50)
  • USB SuperCodec Balanced Input Attenuator add-on PCB [01106202] (AUD $7.50)
  • Parts source grid for the USB SuperCodec (Software, Free)
  • USB SuperCodec PCB pattern (PDF download) [01106201] (Free)
  • USB SuperCodec Balanced Input Attenuator add-on PCB pattern (PDF download) [01106202] (Free)
  • USB SuperCodec front panel artwork (PDF download) (Free)
  • Drilling and cutting diagrams for the USB SuperCodec Balanced Input Attenuator (PDF download) (Panel Artwork, Free)
Articles in this series:
  • USB SuperCodec (August 2020)
  • USB SuperCodec – part two (September 2020)
  • USB SuperCodec – part three (October 2020)
  • Balanced Input Attenuator for the USB SuperCodec (November 2020)
  • Balanced Input Attenuator for the USB SuperCodec, Part 2 (December 2020)
Items relevant to "Automatic hand sanitiser dispenser":
  • Arduino sketch for the Automatic Hand Sanitiser Dispenser (Software, Free)
Items relevant to "Wellbeing monitor":
  • Arduino sketch for the Welfare Monitor (Software, Free)
Items relevant to "Boat Computer modified for 4WDs":
  • Modified software for the Micromite Boat Computer (Free)
Items relevant to "More modified Boat Computer software":
  • Modified software for the Micromite Boat Computer (Free)
Articles in this series:
  • The Matrox ALT-256 Graphics Card (October 2020)
  • The Vintage Matrox ALT-512 Graphics Card (November 2020)
Items relevant to "Flexible Digital Lighting Controller, part 2":
  • Flexible Digital Lighting Controller main PCB [16110202] (AUD $20.00)
  • Flexible Digital Lighting Controller front panel PCB [16110203] (AUD $20.00)
  • Flexible Digital Lighting Controller Micromite Master PCB [16110201] (AUD $5.00)
  • Flexible Digital Lighting Controller CP2102 Adaptor [16110204] (PCB, AUD $2.50)
  • Flexible Digital Lighting Controller LED slave PCB [16110205] (AUD $5.00)
  • PIC16F1705-I/P programmed for the Flexible Digital Lighting Controller [1611020A.HEX] (Programmed Microcontroller, AUD $10.00)
  • PIC32MX170F256B-50I/SP programmed for the Flexible Digital Lighting Controller Micromite master [1611020B.hex] (Programmed Microcontroller, AUD $15.00)
  • Hard-to-get parts for the Flexible Digital Lighting Controller (Component, AUD $100.00)
  • Micromite LCD BackPack V3 complete kit (Component, AUD $75.00)
  • Si8751AB 2.5kV isolated Mosfet driver with integral power supply (Component, AUD $5.00)
  • Firmware and software for the Fiexible Digital Lighting Controller (Free)
  • Firmware and PC software for the Digital Lighting Controller [1611010A.HEX] (Free)
  • Flexible Digital Lighting Controller mains slave PCB patterns (PDF download) [16110202-3] (Free)
  • Flexible Digital Lighting Controller Master PCB patterns (PDF download) [16110201, 16110204] (Free)
  • Flexible Digital Lighting Controller LED slave PCB pattern (PDF download) [16110205] (Free)
  • Drilling and cutting diagrams for the Flexible Digital Lighting Controller Micromite master (PDF download) (Panel Artwork, Free)
  • Cutting diagram for the Flexible Digital Lighting Controller mains slave rear panel (PDF download) (Panel Artwork, Free)
  • Cutting diagrams and front panel artwork for the Flexible Digital Lighting Controller LED slave (PDF download) (Free)
  • Matte/Gloss Black UB3 Lid for Micromite LCD BackPack V3 with 3.5in screen (PCB, AUD $5.00)
Articles in this series:
  • Flexible Digital Lighting Controller, part 1 (October 2020)
  • Flexible Digital Lighting Controller, part 2 (November 2020)
  • Flexible Digital Lighting Controller, part 3 (December 2020)

Purchase a printed copy of this issue for $10.00.

CIRCUIT NOTEBOOK Interesting circuit ideas which we have checked but not built and tested. Contributions will be paid for at standard rates. All submissions should include full name, address & phone number. Automatic hand sanitiser dispenser We wanted an automatic sanitiser dispenser as it is not ideal to press down on the dispenser with possibly contaminated hands. While we were able to source some sanitiser (with difficulty!), we could not find an automatic dispenser, so I decided to make one. The basic parts were mostly salvaged from empty hand wash bottles – pipes, spray nozzles and a big plastic bottle. To make it automatic, we used a small DC-powered submersible liquid pump. After making a small hole in the cover of the bottle, we inserted the spray nozzle which we salvaged from a liquid hand wash dispenser. Next, we attached the pump and rolled up the rubber pipe up to the shoulder of the nozzle. The pump is submerged into the liquid sanitising agent. The nozzle mouth is connected to the pump discharge. The nozzle mouth may be plugged slightly with small objects to reduce the rate at which the liquid is dispensed. The goal is to run the pump for a short period when somebody brings their hands within 15cm of the nozzle. We choose the HC-SR04 based siliconchip.com.au ultrasonic distance-measuring sensor because I had quite a few of them on hand. Instead of using a full Arduino board, I deployed just the ATmega328 chip. This has a 16MHz crystal and load caps connected so it can be programmed directly with the code from an Arduino board. It’s powered from a 5V supply derived from a 12V battery. The Arduino code constantly triggers the ultrasonic sensor; if it detects an object nearby, it brings its digital outputs at pins 18 and 19 high until the object moves away. When pin 18 goes high, it forwardbiases the base-emitter junction of NPN transistor Q1 via a 150W current-limiting resistor. This sinks current from the negative terminal of the motor, which also runs from the 5V supply. Diode D1 absorbs the motor’s back-EMF spikes. If you use a pump that needs more voltage, you can use the same arrangement but just connect its positive terminal straight to the 12V battery (or use a 9V battery, if you have a 9V pump). The BD139 can supply at least 1A in the configuration shown here, so should be adequate to drive any small pump. Australia’s electronics magazine The proximity limit of 15cm can be adjusted in the sketch code, which can be downloaded from siliconchip. com.au/Shop/6/5679, along with the required Arduino libraries. You can program the chip on an Arduino Uno board and then transfer it over to a socket on the project circuit board. Bera Somnath, Vindhyanagar, India. ($100) November 2020  61