John Becker addresses some of the general points readers have raised.
Have
you anything interesting to say? Email us at editor@epemag.com!
WIN A DIGITAL
MULTIMETER
A 3 1/2 digit pocket-sized
LCD multimeter, which mea-
sures AC and DC voltage,
DC current, and resistance.
It can also test diodes and
bipolar transistors. Every
month we will give a Digital
Multimeter to the author of
the best Readout letter.
* LETTER OF THE
MONTH *
DRAFTING STRIP-
BOARDS
Dear EPE,
This suggestion describes a
method of using a PCB design
package to generate a stripboard
layout with the security of
schematic capture (using a
netlist):
1. Use your PCB Library Edi-
tor to make up the various
lengths of resistors (from vertical
to stretched) as used on strip-
board layouts. I gave them
names such as VERORES2
(vertical) to VERORES7
(stretched). make an X using a
non-copper layer to mark track
cuts. Make sure the origin of the
X object is at the center of the X.
2. Use your PCB Library Edi-
tor to make up any component
outlines not already in your li-
Copyright © 1999 Wimborne Publishing Ltd and
Maxfield & Montrose Interactive Inc
brary.
3. Open both Schematic
and PCB packages and make
new files with appropriate file-
names. In the PCB package se-
lect a 0.1-inch visible and elec-
trical grid. Mark the outline of
your maximum board size on a
non-copper layer. Set the Via
size to small but visible (e.g. a
few mil) as these join the top
layer (vertical wire links) to the
bottom layer (horizontal strip-
board tracks).
4. Draw out the circuit in the
schematic package filling in ap-
propriate PCB outlines (some
may be changed later). Gener-
ate a netlist.
5. Load the netlist and out-
lines into the PCB package and
place them roughly. If one vari-
ant of an outline does not fit the
layout then return to step 4 and
change the component’s outline
to a more suitable one (e.g.
make a resistor vertical) then
repeat this step.
6. Join up the components
using bottom layer copper as
stripboard horizontal tracks, top
layer copper as vertical “wire
links”, joined with Vias (to allow
the PCB package to check the
layout matches the schematic).
Also, mark track breaks with the
library outline you created for
this purpose.
7. When the layout is fin-
ished, make the PCB package
check that the connections in
the stripboard layout match
those of the schematic.
8. When the stripboard lay-
out is finished, mark the outline
EPE Online, November 1999 - www.epemag.com - 1081
of the used board space with a
non-copper layer and then mark
it with small pads (one per 0.1-
inch step of the outline). This
can be done quickly by using
the Copy command. These
pads will be useful for showing
the 0.1-inch grid on the layout
printout.
9. Now printout the strip-
board layout. Using the outline
pads as reference, number the
rows and columns. Check that
all necessary track breaks have
been included. Drawing a verti-
cal and/or horizontal 0.1-inch
grid in pencil may help make
the layout more readable.
10. Finished. Build the lay-
out.
Alan Bradley
Belfast, Northern Ireland
It certainly sounds like a
very viable method for strip-
board designing without using a
commercial package. Thanks
Alan, we are very pleased to
give your suggestion Letter of
the Month status – hope you get
good use of your new meter!
BYTING HISTORY
Dear EPE,
Having taken early retire-
ment I resolved to renew my old
hobby and was pleased to see
your PIC Toolkit Mk2 (May-Jun
'99) which I built. Having only
the EPE copies since March this
year, and therefore not having
details of the PIC Tutorial
(March-May '98), I used the
spare space on the Mk2 board
to fit eight LEDs with 1k drop-

ping resistors. These were con-
nected to the Port B outputs and
I fitted a 2-way DIL switch in the
common feed from the LEDs to
the negative supply so that they
can be switched off in banks of
four if the port is configured for
inputs.
The unit works fine, but I did
find that the output from my PC
on the Centronics socket pins
was around 3 8V rather than 5V.
¬
Also, it was necessary to switch
off the LEDs connected to PIC
pins RB6 and RB7 to get pro-
gramming to work.
I also find that I cannot use
the first few program memory
addresses (0 to 3) for holding
program data.
If you can give me any
guidance as to the cause of
these problems I would be
grateful.
I am really enjoying your
magazine and am very im-
pressed with the way you share
the programs you create so
freely. I do wonder a bit at who
all your contributors are? I no-
tice you admit to struggling with
the values of tiny components
(and I sympathize) and I too re-
member red spot transistors at
10 bob a time, so I am curious
about your backgrounds. Have
you given a potted history of
each of your contributors re-
cently and maybe a small photo
(recent of course!) at the head
of each article would give a bit
more detail.
Bruce Beattie
via the Net
On the Port problem, you
should not connect external
components directly to RB6 and
RB7 because of the 1k buffer
resistors (R9 and R10) that are
Copyright © 1999 Wimborne Publishing Ltd and
Maxfield & Montrose Interactive Inc
in circuit during programming.
Doing so may, as you appear to
have found, attenuate the pro-
gramming logic levels received
by the Port. External connec-
tions for RB6 and RB7 should
only be made at the allocated
positions on the PCB, which are
via the Y0 and Z0 paths of iso-
lating gate IC6.
The PIC16x84 does not al-
low the use of the first five bytes
(0 to 4) of program memory
space for actual programming
purposes. All five bytes are re-
served for Interrupt and Jump
Vector data, plus program iden-
tity coding. Toolkit Mk2 (and
previous EPE '16x84 program-
mers) automatically places vec-
tor data at these locations prior
to sending the body of the pro-
gram itself. All program data
should, therefore, commence at
address byte 5.
History-wise you can find a
byte or two about us via our
website
(www.epemag.wimborne.co.u
k) – you’ll find the click-link ac-
cess address on the “title page”
of this site. Pictorially, though,
we are not prepared to expose
ourselves! Suffice to say that
we have been compared to
Greek gods (but how favorably
remains our secret)!
TV AND VIDEO
COURSES
Dear EPE,
Firstly let me congratulate
you, your staff, and all the con-
tributors to your magazine on
producing one of the best and
most informative magazines
relating to electronics and tech-
nology of that kind for both the
novice and the professional.
I am a lecturer in audio,
EPE Online, November 1999 - www.epemag.com - 1082
5HDGRXW
video and electronic engineer-
ing at Cardonald College in
Glasgow, which has offered
courses in TV, video, and elec-
tronic engineering for many
years to the service industry in
Scotland.
In the September issue of
your magazine an article ap-
peared in the News section
from the College of North West
London, stating that they were
the only FE college in the UK to
provide digital TV training
courses in the servicing of these
types of system. I’m afraid that
is not quite accurate as we offer
an HNC course in HNC Televi-
sion and Audio Visual Media
Engineering, which includes
both satellite and digital TV de-
coder servicing.
To cover many of the
changes that have taken place
in technology over the last few
years we have written three new
HNC Units titled: Satellite and
Digital Television Principles, Au-
dio Home Entertainment Sys-
tems: Principles and Testing,
and lastly Video Displays and
Video Recorder Servicing.
These units were created in
consultation with service organi-
zations such as Granada and
Scottish Power whose contribu-
tions, as well as those from
other companies and firms, en-
abled us to make the content as
up-to-date as possible.
The college offers the HNC
in HNC Television and Audio
Visual Media Engineering as a
one year full-time course or day
release involving one day’s at-
tendance at college per week
over two years. For further in-
formation on the above course
contact Karen Byrne, Cardonald
College, 690 Mosspark Drive,
Glasgow G52 3AY, Scotland.
Tel: +44 (0) 141-272-3223, Fax:

+44 (0) 141-272-3444, or phone
our information center on +44 (0)
141-272-3332.
Tom Connelly
Lecturer, Division of Technol-
ogy
Cardonald College, Glasgow
The vast majority of our News
stories (except those with Barry
Fox’s byline) are based on mate-
rial supplied to us by the organi-
zations concerned. It was the Col-
lege of North West London who
advised us of the uniqueness of
their courses. We are pleased to
learn that such courses are avail-
able more widely.
CAP THAT!
Dear EPE,
Keep up the pointless pro-
jects please – sundials should be
electronic! How about an electric
milk-bottle decapper?
R.A. Evans
Hastings, Sussex, UK
And that was that! – just a
simple postcard with a happy
smiling face outline on the front.
But it’s arrival was much appreci-
ated, we like to be told from time
to time that we are doing things
right (in this instance by publish-
ing my Musical Sundial of June
'99). Thanks, RAE (we don’t know
your first name).
Does anyone else have a
pointless idea that might actually
have an electronic application –
wind chimes have been sug-
gested?
LEAPING CALENDARS (1)
Dear EPE,
Re the letter from R.L.A.
Latham, in Readout Sept '99, who
correctly proved that the calendar
Copyright © 1999 Wimborne Publishing Ltd and
Maxfield & Montrose Interactive Inc
days of the year 2000 exactly
match up to those of 1972. As-
suming a leap year comes
round once every four years,
the time for a complete cycle
(the weekdays advance by one
on each non-leap year) is the
lowest common multiple of four
and seven – 28. So altering the
date to 1972, 1944, etc. pro-
duces an identical calendar to
2000.
However, there is another
rule, commonly overlooked, that
every century year (1800, 1900,
etc.) is not a leap year. There is
yet another exception that every
fourth century is a leap year,
that is why 2K is a leap year
and 2400 will be too. This all
comes from the fact that, as the
Penguin Dictionary of Science
1993 puts it: “The civil year has
an average value of 365 2425
¬ to achieve the required result. If
mean solar days” – unlike
365 25 as many believe.
¬
So the overall period for the
leap year pattern is 400 years.
The lowest common multiple of
400 and 7 gives the total period
of the date cycle, which turns
out to be 2800 years! To be
sure of the correct date and
weekday, you have to advance
or rewind the date by 2800
years, which is only possible
with Y2K compliant computers –
defeating the object. (Don’t try
setting the Sinclair to 800BC!)
For now, †28 years will work,
but only until 2099!
Thanks for such a great
magazine, I have especially en-
joyed the PIC Tutorial series of
Mar-May '98, and have now de-
veloped a few projects of my
own. It can be very challenging
but also rewarding. I shall also
be studying the PIC16F87x Mini
Tutorial of Oct '99, and hope to
make use of the serial commu-
nications that the PIC16F87x
devices offer.
EPE Online, November 1999 - www.epemag.com - 1083
5HDGRXW
David Thompson
Sutton Coldfield
West Midlands, UK
Thanks David for a great
response. It’s ironic that despite
all our abilities to rationalize so
many matters into neat well-
ordered mathematical struc-
tures, our calendar can never be
revised into a perfectly uniform
table of equal-length months
and years.
Whilst in everyday life we
take the calendar’s idiosyn-
crasies in our stride, when writ-
ing programs (e.g. for PIC pro-
jects) that require time and date
info to be used or displayed, an
awful lot of valuable memory
space is taken up by all the vari-
ables and sub-routines involved
only it all could be uniformly
decimalized or “binary-ized”!
Think also about the prob-
lems that will ultimately be ex-
perienced by our descendents
when the planets of this and
other solar systems are colo-
nized. Each will have its own
very specific calendar and clock
requirements. On our planet the
various time zones have to be
taken into account when com-
municating globally. There will
be even greater time zone fac-
tors to be considered for inter-
planetary communication, in-
cluding of course, transmission
time-lags.
LEAPING CALENDARS
(2)
Dear EPE,
Following up on Readout
Sep '99, the Gregorian calendar
(used in England since 1752)
does a complete cycle in 400
years, and a sub-cycle in 28
years which is “disturbed” by the
century leap year rule. There

are 14 types of year, according to
the day of the week on which they
start and the day on which they
end (same weekday in non-leap
years and obviously one day later
in leap years).
If you keep your calendars
you can recycle them, but the
non-leap year ones come round
every five or six years, whereas
the leap-year ones have to be
kept for 28 years. 1999 is “Fri-Fri”
and I am re-re-recycling a 1982
calendar at present! 2000 is a
“Sat-Sun” year, and as I don’t
have one of these from 1978, I
guess I will buy one!
Chris Finn
Beverley
East Yorkshire, UK
Thanks Chris. Shame about
1978 – what an unnecessary ex-
pense you’re going to have!
DREAM MACHINE
Dear EPE,
As far back as I can remem-
ber, I have been unable to sleep.
(I go back to the old Practical
Wireless and, dare I mention
them, valves!)
This condition of insomnia is
miserable and for more than 20
years I have used music tapes,
self-hypnosis tapes and books.
When biofeedback was devel-
oped, I built and used all elec-
tronic devices that I saw pub-
lished in magazines such as
yours. Biofeedback teaches the
control of autonomic functions,
such as the rate of heartbeat or
breathing. They attempt to mea-
sure the brain waves produced
when relaxed. With all this time
and effort I managed to some-
times get one, two, or possibly
three nights reasonable sleep.
After that, something seemed to
stop that particular thing working
Copyright © 1999 Wimborne Publishing Ltd and
Maxfield & Montrose Interactive Inc
for me.
So I read Andy Flind’s Mood
PICker article (July '99) with ex-
tra interest. This approaches the
problem from the other end,
generating the requisite brain
frequency that hopefully the
brain can imitate, thus giving
relaxation or whatever.
Having built the design, I
have been using it for about two
months. I don’t yet sleep all
through the night but what sleep
I do get is, for me, of a high or-
der. I have just begun to dream.
I awoke suddenly from one
dream that seemed so real that
it took some minutes to estab-
lish that it had been a dream.
I have to thank you and
Andy Flind. This is a tribute to
your magazine for keeping at
the cutting edge of technology.
It shows the value in research
and development for the hobby-
ist.
I hope that you will print this
letter. This may not be the an-
swer for all electronic insomni-
acs but perhaps encourage
some. I am persuaded that
there are many of us out here.
Michael D. Walker,
Northfield, Birmingham, UK
We are delighted that
Andy’s project has helped you,
as it has other readers. Andy is,
I should praisingly comment, our
expert on matters to do with
electronic control and sensing of
the brain’s activities. We have
sent a copy of your letter to him.
ONLINE PCBS
Dear EPE,
I’m about to make Andy
Flind’s Mind PICkler (Dec '98,
Jan '99) from the information I
downloaded via EPE Online,
EPE Online, November 1999 - www.epemag.com - 1084
5HDGRXW
and for that purpose I redrew
the complete PCB layout in
WinCircuit. May I comment that
it would be a great practice for
you to put postscript files of
PCB layouts on your home
page for everyone to access!
Incidentally, I am a Mac
user who asked you about alter-
native means of accessing your
Online issues. As a result of
your helpful reply I plan to in-
stall a complete Windows emu-
lator on my Mac just to be able
to read your magazine!
Tomislav Ribicic
via the Net
We hope we have now
solved both of your problems,
our new system can be down-
loaded on Macs and other com-
puters – see last month's News.
We have also managed to crack
the PCB problem and Postscript
files are now downloadable for
our PCBs from the October '99
issue onwards.
It’s great to know we have
inspired you!
HIGH LEVEL LOGGING
Dear EPE,
Thank you very much for
your Data Logger (Aug-Sep '99)
and the explanation of how to
convert data into graphs, some-
thing which I have been trying
to find the answer to for some
months. I have now ordered a
kit from one of your advertisers.
There is one thing that I
now need to find out, how can I
extract a suitable signal from
my PIC Altimeter (Sep '98), so
that I can plot barometric
changes?
Pat Darragh
via the Net

Thanks Chris, and the an-
swer’s simple – connect one of
the Logger’s input channels to the
Altimeter’s IC1d pin 7.
CONGRATS ONLINE –
FREELY!
Dear EPE,
Congratulations for two jobs
well done.
First, for Raymond Haigh’s
Practical Oscillator Designs series
of articles currently being pub-
lished since July '99. In the
course of building a Theremin, I
did a lot of research into oscilla-
tors. These articles are by far the
most thorough I have seen any-
where. I hope he is planning to
cover electronic tuning of oscilla-
tors.
Second, for the Online ver-
sion of the magazine. Even in a
city as big as Dallas, Texas, this
“foreign” magazine is hard to find.
My regular source recently went
out of business. I was able to find
one more source but it is probably
the only source in the entire city.
The Online version solves that
problem. The fact that it costs
less than 1/5th the price of the
hardcopy version makes it a clear
winner.
I have downloaded my first
issue and am very pleased with it.
For better international use, the
page size is the smaller American
8 5 x 11 inches instead of the
¬ fault browser.
larger European A4. The table of
contents allows easy browsing of
the entire issue, and the print
quality is excellent; even the very
fine print in schematic diagrams
is readable.
I am a little surprised that the
advertisements were not in-
cluded. Folks in “well-developed”
countries and cities probably
would buy locally, but people in
less fortunate locations might buy
from your advertisers, especially
Copyright © 1999 Wimborne Publishing Ltd and
Maxfield & Montrose Interactive Inc
5HDGRXW
since the Shoptalk feature only finance?! We expect to add
lists those companies. I was ex- banner adverts with links to ad-
pecting your revenue from the vertisers' web sites soon.
advertisers who wanted the in-
creased international coverage DR DOS
to be one of the reasons the
price is so low. Apparently, Dear EPE,
eliminating the need for paper R.A. Hooper’s problem
publication and mailing is the (Readout Oct '99) might be
major cost reduction. solved by looking at the prob-
As a side note, in the lem another way. Assuming his
Shoptalk feature, the www ad- “editor” program is in the C:\
DRDOS directory, he could try
dresses of the companies are
adding a one-line batch file
PDF links, but generate an error
called EDIT.BAT, something
when clicked on. If there is no
like as follows:
way to make Acrobat open the
browser, there is no use taking C:\ DRDOS\ EDITOR
the trouble to make the URLs
This would cause Toolkit to
links.
run the batch file running the
Glenn Manuel, program. At the termination of
Richardson the program the batch file would
Texas, USA similarly terminate so the action
would appear almost seamless.
If he opens his editor pro-
Glenn sent his E-mail to our
gram normally, types the above
EPE Online Editors, Max and
line substituting “DRDOS” for
Alvin, in the States, who reply:
the right directory and saves it
as EDIT.BAT in the C:\ PIC di-
The hyperlinks in the PDF rectory, all might work.
documents should launch
David Geary
Glenn’s browser – they certainly
via the Net
launch other people’s browsers.
One point is that he has to have
an Internet connection open for Thanks David, your sugges-
the browser to work. Another tion has been sent to R.A.
point is that his system has to Hooper, who will hopefully let us
be set up to have the default know the effect it has.
action on clicking a hyperlink (in
any document) to launch his de-
The reason the Online mag
can be so cheap is not that we
cut out the paper, print costs,
and distribution … it’s that EPE
HQ provides the material for
free and we do all the work
without getting paid :-)
Max and Alvin
But you do get the pleasure
of it all – why sully matters with
EPE Online, November 1999 - www.epemag.com - 1085