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Contents Vol.39, No.11 November 2026 12 The History of AMD, Part 1 AMD, like Intel, has a long history of making computer CPUs for the consumer market, including the first 64-bit offerings. In this three-part series, we look at what made AMD one of the largest tech companies in the world. By Dr David Maddison, VK3DSM Electronics feature The History of AMD Part 1 Page 12 46 Motor Control, Part 2 This series will cover many of the different motor types in depth, looking at how they work and can be controlled. This month, we will look at brushless DC motors and permanent-magnet synchronous motors. By Andrew Levido Electronics theory 58 Microchip’s VS Code IDE Microchip has released an MPLAB extension for Visual Studio Code, acting as a replacement for their MPLAB IDE. We take a look at what you can do with it, and also some of the new chips Microchip have on offer. Review by Tim Blythman Software development feature 92 Bass Guitar Valve Amplifier Fred Lever decided to design a 1970s style all-in-one bass guitar amplifier but kept it light for easy portability. He also describes building and customising a matching bass guitar from a Pit Bull kit. Br Fred Lever Vintage Electronics 26 NeoPixel RGB LED Analog Clock This updated version of our ‘Analog’ Clock brings in a new white PCB, and some interesting features. It has built-in Wi-Fi and NTP support, can be configured remotely and uses addressable RGB LEDs. Part 1 by Nicholas Vinen Clock project 52 Portable EMF Probe Our EMF Probe uses a single inductor to detect electromagnetic fields (EMF) and converts them into audio. It can be used to troubleshoot faulty switchmode power supplies, or even just as an educational tool. By Tim Blythman Test equipment project 66 Ideal Bridge Rectifiers With four different PCB configurations using SMD or through-hole parts, these bridge rectifiers are ideal for dual-rail power supplies from 5V to 50V AC in and up to 20A continuous load currents, like power amps. By Phil Prosser Power supply project 75 Mighty USB-C Bench Supply By using USB Power Delivery (USD-PD), you can build your own adjustable power supply that can deliver up to 20V at 2A. In this final part we cover the construction details, plus how to set it up and use it. Part 2 by Tim Blythman Power supply project Page 66 Ideal Bridge Rectifier 2 Editorial Viewpoint 4 Mailbag 43 Circuit Notebook 83 Kits 84 Serviceman’s Log 90 Online Shop 101 Ask Silicon Chip 103 Market Centre 104 Advertising Index 104 Notes & Errata 1. Long delay timer 2. Identifying objects using YOLOE 3. Formaldehyde gas monitor 4. Feeding line level audio to a mic input