Silicon ChipContents - March 2021 SILICON CHIP
  1. Outer Front Cover
  2. Contents
  3. Publisher's Letter: Older devices involved creative engineering
  4. Mailbag
  5. Feature: Hoarding: Urban Electronic Archaeology by Dr David Maddison
  6. Project: High-Current Four Battery/Cell Balancer by Duraid Madina
  7. Feature: Fetrons, and the All-Fetron Radio by Dr Hugo Holden
  8. Circuit Notebook: Low-noise microphone preamp by Petre Petrov
  9. Circuit Notebook: Two quartz crystal oscillators using a flip-flop by Ariel G. Benvenuto
  10. Circuit Notebook: Displaying digits using single RGB LEDs by Benabadji Mohammed Salim
  11. Circuit Notebook: The Omnidetector by Rev. Thomas Scarborough
  12. Feature: The History of Videotape – Quadruplex by Ian Batty, Andrew Switzer & Rod Humphris
  13. Serviceman's Log: If it isn't one thing, it's another by Dave Thompson
  14. Project: Mini Isolated Serial Link by Tim Blythman
  15. Feature: All About Capacitors by Nicholas Vinen
  16. Project: Battery Multi Logger - Part 2 by Tim Blythman
  17. Project: Electronic Wind Chimes - Part 2 by John Clarke
  18. PartShop
  19. Vintage Radio: Kriesler Triplex 41-21 portable transistor radio by Ian Batty
  20. Subscriptions
  21. Product Showcase
  22. Ask Silicon Chip
  23. Market Centre
  24. Advertising Index
  25. Notes & Errata: USB SuperCodec, August-October 2020; Car Altimeter, May 2020; 6GHz Touchscreen Frequency Counter, October-December 2017
  26. Outer Back Cover

This is only a preview of the March 2021 issue of Silicon Chip.

You can view 0 of the 112 pages in the full issue.

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Items relevant to "High-Current Four Battery/Cell Balancer":
  • High Current Battery Balancer PCB [14102211] (AUD $12.50)
  • ATSAML10E16A-AUT programmed for the High-Current Battery Balancer [1410221A.HEX] (Programmed Microcontroller, AUD $15.00)
  • Firmware for the High-Current Battery Balancer [1410221A.HEX] (not yet available) (Software, Free)
  • High Current Battery Balancer PCB pattern (PDF download) [14102211] (Free)
Articles in this series:
  • High-Current Four Battery/Cell Balancer (March 2021)
  • High-Current Four Battery/Cell Balancer - Part 2 (April 2021)
Items relevant to "Displaying digits using single RGB LEDs":
  • Firmware for the Digit display with single RGB LEDs (Software, Free)
Articles in this series:
  • The History of Videotape – Quadruplex (March 2021)
  • The History of Videotape - Helical Scan (April 2021)
Items relevant to "Mini Isolated Serial Link":
  • Mini Isolated Serial Link PCB [24102211] (AUD $2.50)
  • Complete kit for the Mini Isolated Serial Link (Component, AUD $10.00)
  • Mini Isolated Serial Link PCB pattern (PDF download) [24102211] (Free)
Items relevant to "Battery Multi Logger - Part 2":
  • Battery Multi Logger PCB [11106201] (AUD $5.00)
  • Matte/Gloss Black UB3 Lid for 2.8-inch Micromite LCD BackPack (PCB, AUD $5.00)
  • PIC32MX170F256B-50I/SO programmed for the Battery Multi Logger [1110620A.hex] (Programmed Microcontroller, AUD $15.00)
  • PIC16F1455-I/SL programmed for the Microbridge [2410417A.HEX] (Programmed Microcontroller, AUD $10.00)
  • SMD resistor - 15mΩ ±1% M6332/2512 3W (CRA2512-FZ-R015ELF or similar) (Source component, AUD $2.00)
  • DS3231MZ real-time clock IC (SOIC-8) (Component, AUD $4.00)
  • DS3231 real-time clock IC (SOIC-16) (Component, AUD $3.00)
  • 2.8-inch TFT Touchscreen LCD module with SD card socket (Component, AUD $22.50)
  • Battery Multi Logger software [1110620A.hex] (Free)
  • Battery Multi Logger PCB pattern (PDF download) [11106201] (Free)
Articles in this series:
  • Battery Multi Logger (February 2021)
  • Battery Multi Logger - Part 2 (March 2021)
Items relevant to "Electronic Wind Chimes - Part 2":
  • Electronic Wind Chimes PCB [23011201] (AUD $10.00)
  • PIC16F1459-I/P programmed for the Electronic Wind Chimes [2301120A.HEX] (Programmed Microcontroller, AUD $10.00)
  • Pair of CSD18534KCS logic-level Mosfets (Component, AUD $6.00)
  • Electronic Wind Chimes software [2301120A.hex] (Free)
  • Electronic Wind Chimes PCB pattern (PDF download) [23011201] (Free)
Articles in this series:
  • Electronic Wind Chimes (February 2021)
  • Electronic Wind Chimes - Part 2 (March 2021)

Purchase a printed copy of this issue for $7.00.

Contents Vol.34, No.3 March 2021 SILICON CHIP www.siliconchip.com.au Features & Reviews 10 Hoarding: Urban Electronic Archaeology Sorting through an extensive collection of electronic items is a task not too dissimilar to working on an archaeological dig site. It’s why it’s important to have items properly recorded to help sort the ‘rubbish’ from the ‘gems’ – by Dr David Maddison 30 Fetrons, and the All-Fetron Radio Fetrons are a solid-state replacement (typically drop-in) for pentode (sometimes triode) valves. I was so fascinated by them I decided to design a radio using only Fetrons – by Dr Hugo Holden 44 The History of Videotape – Quadruplex Our Battery Balancer can handle up to four series-connected batteries per unit, and suits most common battery types. It can handle batteries or cells from 2.5-15V, with a charging current up to 50A – Page 21 The first article in a series of four detailing the history of tape-based recording, starting with Ampex’s quadruplex recorder and ending with the move to digital video – by Ian Batty, Andrew Switzer & Rod Humphris 72 All About Capacitors There’s a lot to consider when choosing what capacitors to use for a design, due to the huge variety of them. This article explains how most capacitors are made, how each type differs and what performance you can expect – by Nicholas Vinen Constructional Projects 21 High-Current Four Battery/Cell Balancer – Part 1 Many battery balancers are inefficient due to dumping excess charge for a given cell. But our new Battery Balancer redirects that extra charge into other cells, charging faster with little heat or waste – by Duraid Madina 68 Mini Isolated Serial Link A look at the beginnings of videotape recording, starting with systems like the BBC’s Vera and Ampex’s quadruplex VR-1000A – Page 44 This postage-stamp sized module provides isolated, bi-directional, full-duplex serial communications. It can easily be used with our new Battery Balancer to charge even more batteries or cells – by Tim Blythman 84 Battery Multi Logger – Part 2 Following on from last month, we will go over the construction, setup, testing and calibration required to finish your Battery Multi Logger – by Tim Blythman 92 Electronic Wind Chimes – Part 2 In the final part of this series, we cover how to modify the wind chime itself so that it can be driven by a series of solenoids. You can then play your own tunes without relying on the wind – by John Clarke Your Favourite Columns This Mini Isolated Serial Link can be used with our Battery Balancer to manage even more batteries or cells. But it’s also useful any time you need to send isolated signals between two boards – Page 68 39 Circuit Notebook (1) Low-noise mic preamp (2) Two quartz crystal oscillators using a flip-flop (3) Displaying digits using single RGB LEDs (4) The Omnidetector 61 Serviceman’s Log If it isn’t one thing, it’s another – by Dave Thompson 100 Vintage Radio Kriesler Triplex 41-21 portable transistor radio – by Ian Batty Everything Else 2 Editorial Viewpoint 4 Mailbag – Your Feedback siliconchip.com.au 98 Silicon Chip Online Shop 106 Product Showcase 107 Ask Silicon Chip 111 Market Centre Australia’s magazine 112 Noteselectronics and Errata 112 Advertising Index Capacitors come in all shapes and sizes, and because of this it is confusing trying to pick one. So we’ve detailed some of the important aspects of capacitors, such as dielectrics etc – Page 72 March 2021  1 www.facebook.com/siliconchipmagazine