Last week Elektor staffers provided the Circuit Cellar staff with an E-Blocks kit to open and analyze, introduced a new course on Embedded Linux (along with an affordable Linux board), and gave members a behind-the-scenes look at the Elektor Lab. Let’s review.

E-Blocks

Early last week, the Elektor editorial department sent Circuit Cellar staffers an E-Blocks kit to open and review.

E-Blocks: The Elektor Pro PICmicro Starter Kit

So, what are E-Blocks?

E-blocks are small circuit boards. Each contains a block of electronics that you would typically find in an electronic system. The 40 circuit boards in the E-blocks product line use rugged, nine-way, D-type connectors as a connection bus for eight signal lines and earth. Power (5 or 3.3 V) is wired separately. Thus, you can assemble a complete system to be assembled in a matter of minutes.

The system’s functionality can be enhanced further by the addition of more than 40 sensors and accessories.

Systems based on microcontrollers can be programmed using flowcharts, C, or Assembly. Systems based on CPLD/FPGA technologies can be programmed in block diagrams, VHDL or Verilog. A range of CD ROM tutorials, which includes compilers, development tools and manuals, provides support to students who are new to any of these technologies. (Source)

Click here for more information.

Take closer look at the E-Blocks kit. It includes a Microchip Technology PIC16F877A chip, a multiprogrammer board, an LCD board, a switch board, Flowcode, an internal power supply, and documentation.

Embedded Linux Made Easy

Elektor announced last Wednesday an introductory course on Embedded Linux that’s accompanied by a compact circuit board:

In this beginners’ course you will learn where the most important applications and software components, the basis of our Linux system, originate from. You will also learn how the hardware is constructed and how it operates. The next step is to install a suitable Linux development environment on a PC to compile our own source code. By the end of the course you will be able to construct a simple heating controller with a graphical display and data analysis via a browser.

The Linux board features:

• Two-layer board using readily-available components
• No special debugging or programming hardware required
• Fully bootable from an SD memory card
• Linux pre-installed
• 180-MHz ARM9 MCU, 8-MB RAM (32 MB optional), 64 MB swap
• Integrated USB-to-RS-232 converter for console access
• Relay, external power supply, and pushbuttons for quick testing
• Four GPIO pins, 3 A/D channels and a PWM channel
• I²C and SPI buses accessible from Linux
• USB interface for further expansion

More info.

Workspaces

Circuit Cellar has been publishing workspace writes for the past few weeks. Last week, our colleagues at Elektor gave the world some insight about the Elektor Lab:

Developing electronic circuits necessitates measurement equipment, tools and a good place to work. Many electronics engineers, pro or hobbyist, tinkerers, researchers and other refer to this place as their “Lab”. We at Elektor have our Lab where we develop and test the circuits we publish in the magazine. Over the years, we have collected, (mis)used and destroyed quite a lot of gear, soldering irons and components here, and it is only thanks to regular & rigorous ‘clean-up’ campaigns that we keep our lab workable.

Many of our readers have access to their own often substantial labs, with equipment that sometimes even the NASA would be jealous of. So what does your electronics workspace look like? Our colleagues at Circuit Cellar have begun posting write-ups about workspaces, hackspaces, and “circuit cellars” on their website. If you would like to show off your lab, just send them some pictures and descriptions and they will post it on the Circuit Cellar website. Don’t worry about cleaning up first as our lab is probably in a similar state as yours. (Source)

Email pictures and descriptions of your workspaces, hackspaces, and circuit cellars to our editors.

CircuitCellar.com is an Elektor International Media publication.