The June issue of Circuit Cellar is coming next week! What’s coming up next week in June Circuit Cellar? Industrial IoT, LoRa, sensors, AC-DC power supplies, soil-measurement with ADCs, a robotic s’more maker project, a 4-20mA test board design more!!—this 84-page magazine ramps up a production line full of high-quality embedded technology articles for your reading pleasure.
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Here’s a sneak preview of June 2020 Circuit Cellar:
IoT CONTINUUM: SENSORS, NETWORKS AND THE CLOUD
Systems Focus Tops Industrial IoT Trends
By Jeff Child
On a factory floor, hundreds of sensors and actuators gather data and implement machine operations. These sensors must be able to communicate over the installation’s IP network. A variety of products and platforms have emerged to smooth these efforts. In this article, Circuit Cellar’s Editor-in-Chief, Jeff Child, looks at these technology and product trends.
LoRa (Part 5): A MachineQ Example
By Bob Japenga
Bob continues his article series on LoRa. Previously in the series he introduced MachineQ. In Part 4, he explores putting two LoRa devices on the MachineQ network. He looks at two different types of LoRa installations: one using off-the-shelf hardware and one using one of MachineQ’s two starter kits.
Sensor Advances Push Performance Barriers
By Jeff Child
Although sensors have always played a key role in embedded systems, the IoT phenomenon has pushed sensor technology to the forefront. Sensor vendors are meeting the demand for ever greater performance and precision. Circuit Cellar Chief Editor Jeff Child dives into the latest technology trends and product developments in sensors.
Retro-Computing Takes to the Cloud
By Todd Wade
Ever leave the house and forget to close your garage door? To address that problem, Todd set out to design and build a cloud-connected solution that checks the door after he’s driven away. To add to the fun, he built it using “retro” electronics including the 80s-era Hitachi HD68P01.
ANALOG & POWER FUN IN ACTION
Datasheet: AC-DC Power Supplies
By Jeff ChildIn recent years, there’s been an increasing trend toward new AC-DC power supply products that have some sort of application or industry focus. The result has been supplies that include either certifications, special performance specs or tailored packaging intended for a specific application area. This Datasheet section updates readers on these trends and provides a product album of representative AC-DC power supply products.
4-20mA Transmitter Test Board Project
By Mandar BagulThe 4-20mA transmitter has become entrenched as a popular method for interfacing between control systems and I/O. In this article, Mandar provides in-depth look at 4-20mA transmitter technologies, including a deep dive into his 4-20mA transmitter test board project.
A Look at Homemade TCXOs
By Robert LacosteRobert has covered crystal oscillators (XOs) before in his column. In this article, he returns to the topic, this time exploring temperature compensated XOs with a look at not only how they’re made, but how you can build one yourself at a low cost.
PROJECT ARTICLES WITH ALL THE DETAILS
Build a Multi-Purpose GPS Tracker
By Carlo Tauraso
It’s easy to share your location using your phone. But what if you could add that location-sharing functionally to a GPS tracker? In this article, Carlo designs and builds a device with a GPS module, capable of notifying your position to an Android App in real-time and sending GPS data via SMS. It uses Nordic Semi’s nRF51822 BLE MCU.
Measuring Soil Moisture with ADCs
By Jeff BachiochiHow does capacitance relate to gardening? Here, Jeff steps through the math and science of capacitance, with insights on how capacitor functionality plays a role in successive approximation ADCs. He then applies MCU-based ADC tech to measure the amount of moisture in his garden’s soil.
Build a Robotic S’more Maker
By Katie Bradford and Jared GallinaDoing any kind of real-time machine vision once required expensive, complex computing systems. Today, low-cost, widely available resources have changed that game. Demonstrating just that, these Cornell graduates used Raspberry Pi hardware, Python programming and a robotic arm to make the perfect S’more.
