The gateway to online resources and design support for engineers issUe 1

TeCHnOLOgies sOFTWaRe & TOOLs PROJeCTs

• Arduino Uno starter Kit
• BeagleBone
• Teledyne lecroy oscilloscope
Vertical Resolution
• mbed Application Board
• new Products
• DesignsPARK PCB version 4
• Modelsource
• Renesas gadget Board
• energy Monitor by elektor
• Raspberry Pi Media centre
• stepper Motor by elektor
• software-defined Radio
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UniQUe
ResOURCes
BY Rs COMPOnenTs
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in This issUe

TeCHnOLOgies
Arduino Uno starter Kit

sOFTWaRe & TOOLs

DesignsPARK PCB version 4

Basic Instruments
TM

PROJeCTs
Raspberry Pi Media centre

TeCHnOLOgies sOFTWaRe & TOOLs PROJeCTs

• Arduino Uno starter Kit • DesignsPARK PCB version 4 • Renesas gadget Board

• BeagleBone • Modelsource • energy Monitor by elektor

• Teledyne lecroy oscilloscope • Raspberry Pi Media centre

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RS Components Ltd 2013. RS are trademarks of RS Components Limited. An Electrocomponents Company.
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Technologies

The Arduino Uno starter Kit

BeagleBone Revisited

Teledyne lecroy oscilloscope Vertical Resolution

mbed Application Board

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DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1

Technologies

The Arduino Uno

Starter Kit
Aimed at all ages and abilities
Arduino ’s Uno board can make a strong claim
to be the pioneering platform in low-cost
open-source development. Initially aimed at the
hobbyist market, the Arduino platform has been
a great success in reaching out to engineers
at many levels of experience.

A imed at professional embedded system engineers, students and

enthusiasts alike, the new Arduino Uno Starter Kit has hit the market.

Many years ago now, the maker of Arduino devised a platform standard in
terms of connectors, allowing a series of peripheral boards called ‘Shields’
to be mounted on top of the main Arduino PCB, providing an interface to
components for a gamut of applications, including the Motor Shield, which
enables the control of DC motors and read encoders, and the Ethernet
Shield for connectivity. Many companies also now make
Arduino-compatible boards including the same connector layout,
allowing the plug-in of Shields. Also Arduino is now supported
by its users and via forums, available at arduino.cc.

Now, based on the well-known Arduino low-cost and open-source

electronics prototyping board, the Arduino Uno Starter Kit has
been developed along with a series of ten video tutorials hosted
by Arduino co-founder Massimo Banzi, which can be viewed at
www.rs-components.com/arduino. The kit, along with the practical and
instructive video series, is likely to enthuse and inform a whole raft of
users – from qualified engineers to those just embarking on their first
taste of electronics design.

Ideally used in conjunction with the videos, the kit provides an open-source
electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware
and software. It contains all of the essential components required to start

DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1

Initially aimed at the
hobbyist market, the
Arduino platform
has been a success
in reaching out to
engineers at many
levels of experience

1/3
Technologies

...the arduino Uno

starter Kit has been
developed along with
a series of ten video
tutorials hosted by
arduino co-founder
Massimo Banzi

programming with the Arduino Uno

board, and a guidebook featuring
15 different projects, which are
designed to evolve the user from
beginner to professional level.
Comprising a motor, servomotor
and driver, the kit also offers
particular benefits to users wishing
to apply mechatronics to their
designs. The Arduino Uno is based
on the Atmel ATmega328 8-bit
microcontroller, with 32KB of Flash
memory, 2KB of SRAM and 1KB of
EEPROM. The Uno has: 14 digital
input/output pins (six of which
can be used as PWM outputs);
six analog inputs; 16MHz crystal
oscillator; USB connection; power
jack; ICSP header; and reset button.
There are three different options to
power the board, via USB cable, AC-
DC adapter or battery.
The open-source starter kit
Integrated Development
Environment (IDE) software can be
downloaded free-of-charge and runs
under Windows, Macintosh OS X
and Linux operating systems.
Projects included in the Arduino Uno starter Kit
Get to Know the Tools
An introduction to the concepts
needed to use the kit.
Spaceship Interface
A control panel for your ‘startship’.
Love-O-Meter
Measuring how hot-blooded
you are.
Colour Mixing Lamp
Produce any color with a lamp that
uses light as an input.
Mood Clue
Clue people in on how
you're doing.
Light Theremin
Creating a musical instrument you
play by waving your hands.
Keyboard Instrument
Play music and make some
noise with this keyboard.
Digital Hourglass
A light-up hourglass that can stop
you from working too much.
Motorised Pinwheel
A colour wheel that will have
your head spinning.
Zoetrope
Create a mechanical animation
you can play forward or in reverse.
Crystal Ball
A mystical tour to answer
all of your tough questions.
Knock Lock
Tap out the secret code
to open the door.

DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1

 Arduino Uno Board – summary
Touchy-Feel Lamp Microcontroller ATmega328
A lamp that responds
to touch. Operating Voltage 5V

Tweak the Arduino Logo Input Voltage (recommended) 7-12V

Controlling a personal computer
from the Arduino. Input Voltage (limits) 6-20V

Hacking Buttons 14
Creating a master control Digital I/O Pins (of which 6 provide
for all your devices. PWM output)

Analog Input Pins 6

DC Current per I/O Pin 40mA

DC Current for 3.3V Pin 50mA

32KB (ATmega328)
Flash Memory
(0.5KB used by bootloader)

SRAM 2KB (ATmega328)

EEPROM 1KB (ATmega328)

Clock Speed 16MHz

2/3
Technologies
Related Products
Arduino Video Tutorials
The new Arduino Uno Starter Kit has been developed together Arduino Uno Starter Kit
with a series of ten video tutorials hosted by Arduino co-founder
Massimo Banzi.

Video 1 Video 6
learning the Tool Motorised Pinwheel
Beginner Intermediate
Building a basic circuit with the Getting the Arduino to spin a
Arduino board and learning colourful pinwheel using a motor.
how to use each of the basic Buy Now
components, such as LEDs, Video 7
switches and resistors. crystal Ball
Advanced Arduino Uno
Video 2 Creating a crystal ball.
Buy Now
spaceship interface
Beginner Video 8
Creating a circuit that shows how Touch sensor lamp
easy it is to connect LEDs and Intermediate/Advanced Ethernet Shield
buttons to the Arduino board, Using a third-party library
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and how the Arduino software to create a lamp that turns a light
can interact with various other on and off via some conductive
components. material.
Motor Shield
Video 3 Video 9
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love-o-Meter Tweak the
Beginner Arduino logo
Using an analog input to turn the Advanced
system into a thermometer. Controlling a computer Box for Arduino
with the Arduino.
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light Theremin Video 10
Intermediate/Advanced Twitter-controlled
Using photoresistors to judge Mood lamp Arduino Mega Atmel
distance and making a musical Advanced Atmega2560 MCU Board
light theremin. Building a circuit, Using Arduino, a WIFI shield,
calibrating the system and an RGB LED and three 220-ohm Buy Now
configuring the program. resistors, learning to parse twitter
looking for #arduinoRGB and a hex
Video 5 of the LED’s colour. Arduino Leonardo
Keyboard with headers
Intermediate/Advanced
Making musical sounds with the Buy Now
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and a mini piezo speaker; and
defining different frequencies ViEw ThE ViDEoS hERE
within the code for each note. Take a look...
at the arduino Design Centre

DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1 3 /3

Industrial Products
Panasonic Industrial Devices Sales Europe GmbH
Check our Distributors Stock under http://www.rs-components.com/panasonic
Technologies

Beaglebone
Revisited
By andrew Back, principle, aB Open Ltd

As the BeagleBone approaches one year old a

look at how it compares with its slightly younger,
not-so-distant but arguably more glamorous
relative, Raspberry Pi.

introduction to BeagleBone

source: beagleboard.org, CC BY SA3.0

DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1


BeagleBone ports annotated
(source: beagleboard.org, CC BY SA3.0)
W hen the BeagleBone was announced it caused quite a stir with its
combination of a reasonably powerful ARM-based SoC, hacker-
friendly nature and low price point. However, it wasn’t long before it was
eclipsed by the similar but even lower cost Raspberry Pi, which in the UK
received much coverage in the mainstream media and quickly went on to
become a household name.
Since the Raspberry Pi has become so well known it serves as an excellent
benchmark for other embedded platforms, and a closer comparison of the
Pi and BeagleBone is useful as it brings to light their respective strengths.
What follows is a comparison of just some of the major differences and for
comprehensive details consult the official documentation.
Base system
The Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone both use SoCs with an ARM processor
clocked at around 700MHz and each have 256MB RAM. However, the
AM3359 SoC used by the BeagleBone employs an ARMv7 core whereas the
Pi uses an older ARMv6, with the BeagleBone therefore benefitting from a
dual-issue superscalar architecture and NEON SIMD extensions. In terms of
execution speed the BeagleBone comes in at 1440 DMIPS compared to
the Pi’s 965 DMIPS.
Both boards include Ethernet and USB, but the BeagleBone’s Ethernet MAC
is provided by the SoC whereas the Pi provides Ethernet via another chip
which hangs off USB, meaning that the aggregate I/O throughput of the
BeagleBone is going to be higher than the Pi.
Other I/O related considerations include that the mini-USB socket on the
BeagleBone is connected to a dual port USB hub, which is in turn routed
to the SoC USB and an FTDI USB-serial converter that can be used for
console access and JTAG debugging. The SoC USB accessed via this
port can be configured to either present the SD card as a storage
device or provide Ethernet-over-USB. In contrast the Pi’s mini-USB
is used only to supply power to the board.
1/2
Technologies
Where the Raspberry Pi clearly beats
the BeagleBone is in its graphics
capabilities, as while the former
provides both HDMI and composite
video the BeagleBone requires
additional hardware to provide
DVI-D. In addition to which the
Raspberry Pi also provides audio via
a 3.5mm jack and includes two USB
host ports compared
to the BeagleBone’s one.
DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1
The BeagleBone Breadboard Cape
(© CircuitCo, GFDL v1.3)
hardware expansion
With 65 pins of GPIO the
BeagleBone offers more scope for
expansion than the Raspberry Pi
with its 17 pins, and it uses two 46
pin headers to provide support for
stackable expansion boards similar
to Arduino shields, albeit named
capes so as to avoid confusion.
The BeagleBone also provides 7
analogue inputs with a resolution of
12 bits, whereas the Pi has no on-
board ADC.
BeagleBoard slides served from
the default httpd configuration
operating systems
The Raspberry Pi is supplied
without an operating system
although it does have an official
Linux distribution in the form of
the Debian-based Raspbian. The
BeagleBone on the other hand ships
with a microSD card with Ångström
Linux pre-installed and configured
with a httpd and development tools.
Alternative Linux distros for the
Raspberry Pi include the Debian
armel port and ArchLinux, with
FreeBSD support possibly on
the horizon.
All of these are supported
on the BeagleBone hardware,
which also has images available
for Ubuntu, Gentoo, Fedora
and Android.
 The browser-based Cloud9 IDE
with an example project loaded
software development
Given that both boards run Linux
and there are drivers and libraries
for things such as GPIO, I2C and
SPI, development can be done
using any one of a wide number of
programming languages.
However, Python is the “educational
language” supported by the
Raspberry Pi Foundation, whereas
the BeagleBone is supplied with
the Cloud9 IDE configured and can
be programmed in JavaScript
via the browser.
Note that this is achieved via a
httpd and the node.js server-side
running on the BeagleBone itself
and does not rely on a remote
Internet-based service.
Detail from the BeagleBone schematic
(source: beagleboard.org, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Prototyping
The Raspberry Pi is designed as a When the BeagleBone
tool to promote the teaching was announced it
of computer science in education
and the Broadcom SoC used and caused quite a stir
its documentation is, at the time with its combination
of writing, only available to high
volume customers.
of a reasonably
powerful aRM-based
In contrast the BeagleBone
is better suited to prototyping
soC, hacker-friendly
as the hardware design is provided nature and low
under a liberal licence, “clones”
price point.
are encouraged and the AM3359
SoC can be secured in smaller
quantities and detailed technical However, it wasn’t
documentation is available online.
long before it was
eclipsed by the similar
but even lower cost
Raspberry Pi.
2/3
Technologies

Conclusion
Where learning and basic experimentation is
the objective the Raspberry Pi and its sizeable
community of enthusiasts wins out, and if
you want a compact and reasonably powerful
embedded Linux platform with video support,
the Pi is hard to beat on cost.

The BeagleBone may be more expensive than

the Raspberry Pi but it still represents excellent
value for money and there are uses where it has
a clear edge over the Pi, such as in prototyping
hardware and with projects that require more
processing power, greater I/O throughput or
more GPIO.

In addition to which, its turnkey development

environment may appeal to those with a
web development background and
experience of JavaScript.

Share your views...

...on www.designspark.com

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DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1 3/3

 No matter what the industry
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Technologies
Oscilloscope
Vertical Resolution
By Tony Minchell, Applications Engineer, Teledyne LeCroy.
Discussion document
of recent advances in
oscilloscope vertical
resolution with the
introduction of 12 bit
A/D converters, high
signal-to-noise ratio
amplifiers and low noise
system architecture.
DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1
T raditional all-analogue oscilloscope architecture has given way to digital
oscilloscope architecture for a number of years now. The latest digital
oscilloscope developments in high-definition technology consists of high
sample rate 12-bit ADCs, high signal-to-noise ratio amplifiers and a low-
noise system architecture, looks set to revolutionise digital oscilloscopes
and take their performance to a new level.
History of the Oscilloscope
The first oscilloscopes started to show up in laboratories in the early 1900s
and consisted of vertical voltage scaling with a horizontal timebase but
without many of the later refinements. In 1946, oscilloscope technology
took a leap forward with the addition of triggering circuitry starting the
development of the modern day analogue oscilloscope. Then in the early
1980s, the first digital oscilloscopes started to appear, and have become
the dominant technology with analogue oscilloscopes now virtually extinct.

Advantages of
Digital Oscilloscopes
The development of the digital
oscilloscope has brought many
advantages over the now obsolete
analogue oscilloscope technology.
Initial advantages of digital
oscilloscope technology include:
• Real time acquisition
• No fading or blooming of
on­screen waveform traces
• Improved horizontal
measurement accuracy
• Pre­trigger waveform viewing
• Waveforms can be saved
as a data file
• Screen images can be printed or
saved as JPG files
• Possability of remote control
However, the ongoing development
of the digital oscilloscope since the
1980s has brought a continuous
stream of new and more
advanced features:
• Sophisticated triggering
• Automatic measurements
• Deeper memory
• Higher acquisition bandwidths
• Advanced Math and real-time
Math on waveforms
• Trigger and decoding of high
speed and low speed serial buses
• Pass / fail testing
• Jitter analysis
• Probe de­embedding
Sophisticated Triggering Options
In A Modern Digital Oscilloscope
Digital Oscilloscope
Horizontal Accuracy
The digital oscilloscope brought a
vast improvement in the horizontal
axis accuracy, and with it, a
dramatic improvement in horizontal
based measurement accuracy such
as frequency, width, duty cycle,
phase, delay, skew etc. and enabling
more sophisticated measurements
such as jitter.
The typical analogue oscilloscope
would have a horizontal accuracy
of +/- 3% (or +/- 5% on magnified
waveforms). This was very good
performance in the days before the
digital oscilloscope revolution, but
the digital oscilloscope brought
with it horizontal accuracies in
the region of +/- 0.01%, a vast
improvement of 300 times better
than the analogue oscilloscope’s
3%, which is reflected in the digital
oscilloscope’s vastly improved
horizontal measurement accuracy.
Many modern oscilloscopes now
have horizontal accuracies in the
region of +/- 0.0005% or better.
1/4
Technologies
Digital Oscilloscope
Vertical Accuracy
The first digital oscilloscopes came
out with 6 bit A/D converters. This
equates to 2^6 = 64 distinct voltage
levels. Within a couple of years all
digital oscilloscope architecture had
moved to 8 bit A/D converters, which
yields 256 distinct voltage levels
(2^8 = 256). The 8 bit A/D converter
has been used in oscilloscopes for
the past 30 years with much of the
performance improvements coming
The first in higher sampling speed enabling
higher speed real time acquisition.
oscilloscopes
started to Whilst 8 bit A/D converters produce
very good performance for general
show up in purpose applications it has always
laboratories in been the case that post acquisition
viewing of fine detail has often left
the early 1900s something to be desired.
The traditional workarounds to
improve vertical resolution have
involved either multiple acquisition
averaging or a post acquisition
enhanced resolution math filter.
Multiple Acquisition Averaging
The multiple acquisition averaging
involves acquiring multiple
waveform traces and averaging
each point over the acquisition
with the same point in the previous
acquisition. The rationale for this
is that uncorrelated noise will
be averaged out, yielding
more accurate vertical voltage
measurements along with more
effective vertical ‘bits’.
DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1
Example of Averaging
A Continuous Square
Wave Waveform
The averaging image on the
previous page clearly produced
improved results as we can see
in the comparison of the single
shot yellow trace compared to the
16 times averaged red trace. The
lower zoom window shows this
improvement.
Unfortunately everything is not
always this simple. For example
some scopes will not zoom on an
averaged trace, so when one tries
to zoom the averaged trace the last
single acquisition is actually shown.
Another drawback with averaging
is that it is not possible to average
non-repetitive waveforms, for
example circuit startup or shut
down waveforms, a PRBS (Pseudo
Random Binary Sequence)
waveform or even a serial
data waveform.
Any waveform that is not repetitive
in nature simply cannot
be averaged without producing
a meaningless display.
Example of Averaging
A Serial Data Bus
In the diagram above we can clearly
see the serial bus data states in
the yellow trace, but the 16 times
averaged serial data bus in the
red trace is meaningless as the
averaging has actually removed any
useful or meaningful information.
Clearly, averaging should not be
used for serial bus analysis
or analysis of any other
non-repetitive waveform.
The yellow trace is relatively ‘thick’
due to the noise on the digital serial
bus. You can easily see this
by comparing the yellow trace
above with that on page 2.
Oscilloscope set to 10GS/s Sample Rate
Additional Bits
0 (None)
+1 Bit
+2 Bits
+3 Bits
Digital Oscilloscope
Enhanced Resolution or
High Resolution Mode
This mode is a post process
math filter which uses adjacent
waveform acquisition samples
to mathematically produce a
waveform display with an
enhanced vertical resolution.
The advantage of this is that an
8 bit oscilloscope can effectively
become an 11 or 12 bit oscilloscope,
with all that extra accuracy. 11 bits
equalling 2048 and 12 bits equalling
4096 distinct voltage levels, a far
cry from the 256 levels of the
8 bit A/D converter.
Unfortunately Enhance Resolution
or High Resolution Oscilloscope
modes also have a disadvantage,
and that is a bandwidth trade-off
against the extra vertical resolution.
Even worse, the bandwidth trade-
off of the Enhanced Resolution
or High Resolution mode is not
Oscilloscope set to 2.5GS/s Sample Rate
- 3dB point Additional Bits
Full Bandwidth 0 (None)
1.205 GHz +1 Bit
290 MHz +2 Bits
80 MHz +3 Bits
straight forward since it depends
on the actual acquired waveform
sample rate. This sample rate may
depend on other factors such as the
acquisition memory depth available
and the required timebase setting.
As the timebase changes so may the
sample rate if there is insufficient
memory for the A/D to run at its
fastest rate.
See example tables below
comparing the bandwidth of
two oscilloscopes at different
maximum sample rates.
- 3dB point
Full Bandwidth
301.2 MHz
72.5 MHz
20 MHz
2/4
Technologies

4GHz Analogue Bandwidth Oscilloscope with 40GS/s A/D Converter showing -3dB bandwidth frequency
point at various Enhanced Resolution / High Resolution Settings at different sample rates.

1GS/s -
40GS/s - 3dB 20GS/s - 3dB 10GS/s - 3dB 5GS/s - 3dB 2.5GS/s - 3dB
3dB

+1 Bit 4.82 GHz 2.41 GHz 1.205 GHz 602.5 MHz 301.2 MHz 120.5 MHz

+2 Bits 1.16 GHz 580 MHz 290 MHz 145 MHz 72.5 MHz 29 MHz

+3 Bits 320 MHz 160 MHz 80 MHz 40 MHz 20 MHz 8 MHz

Both previous oscilloscopes
appear to have ample performance
on paper, but when we look
at the oscilloscope bandwidth
performance with the Enhanced
Resolution or High Resolution
filter turned on, we clearly see the
trade off of bandwidth for vertical
resolution with the different
sample rates available.
This idea has been expanded in
the table above to show how the
bandwidth is changing depending
upon the digitising rate and number
of additional vertical resolution bits.
We also need to keep in mind that
the digitising rate of an oscilloscope
will change depending on the
available acquisition memory
depth and timebase setting. As
the timebase is set to a slower
value so more memory is required
to maintain the high sample
rate. There comes a point where
no more memory is available,
therefore the sample rate is changed
automatically by the oscilloscope.
This ‘dynamically’ changes the
oscilloscope -3dB bandwidth.
Some oscilloscopes will give a read
out of the bandwidth when these
Enhanced Resolution and High
Resolution filters are used, as below,
whereas others do not.

Example of different -3dB bandwidth readouts at different

oscilloscope Enhanced Resolution / High Resolution settings

DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1

 True 12 Bit Oscilloscope
Technology
8 Bit oscilloscopes have been with
us now for 30 years and have
delivered excellent performance
over this time, but it is clear from
the need for averaging or Enhanced
Resolution / High Resolution
mode that real higher resolution
is required. At present, most
oscilloscope manufacturers are
trying to mathematically turn 256
discrete levels into 4096 discrete
Figure 1 levels. This is hard to do and fraught
with limitations brought on by
different applications as we have seen.
Teledyne LeCroy has a range of true
12 bit oscilloscopes which allow
users to make these more detailed
measurements without needing to
resort to the limitations of averaging
and Enhanced Resolution / High
Resolution mode.
Figure 2
In Figure 1 we can see the capture
of a circuit power off event. The
upper acquisition is on an 8 bit
oscilloscope whereas the lower
acquisition is on a true 12
bit oscilloscope.
It is clear to see the additional
benefit of the 12 bit technology
over the 8 bit technology: cleaner,
clearer waveforms without the need
for averaging or a mathematically
extracted High Resolution mode.
In another example (Figure 2) once
again shows the benefits of the
12 bit architecture over the 8 bit
architecture, where the fine detail
at the top of the squarewave is
far clearer with the additional
resolution that a real 12 bit A/D
converter provides.
3/4
Technologies
In conclusion, it is clear to see that
the 16 times vertical resolution
increase that real 12 bit technology
brings over 8 bit technology
contributes significantly to the
accuracy and clarity of modern day
oscilloscope measurements. Many
8 bit oscilloscope manufacturers
will recommend using averaging or
high resolution modes to achieve
the same ends, but this is not the
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DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1
same as we have seen. Besides this,
if averaging and high resolution
modes can be used to ‘clean up’ a
signal then this option can be used
on top of Teledyne LeCroy’s 12 bit
architecture to push the limit further
out to 13,14 or 15 effective bits.
It is paramount to start with the
best acquired waveform possible
before measurements or further
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mathematical manipulation. This is
achieved by the 16 times vertical
accuracy improvements that 12 bit
acquisition technology brings over 8
bit acquisition technology.
Share your views...
...on www.designspark.com
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4/4
Mixed-Signal MCU with
DSP and FPU Cortex-M4 core
with a rich analog peripheral set

STM32 F3

Get 43% more performance for critical routines

using CCM-SRAM
With the STM32 F3 series, STMicroelectronics innovates in embedded
digital signal control (DSC) design by combining a Cortex-M4 core with
rich analog peripheral set plus core coupled memory (CCM-SRAM)
to optimize code execution time. Critical routines loaded in the safe
8-Kbyte CCM-SRAM at startup can be completed at full speed with zero
wait states, achieving 90 Dhrystone MIPS at 72 MHz.
This compares with 63 DMIPS when executing from Flash or SRAM;
equivalent to a 43% performance increase for critical routines.

www.st.com/stm32

www.rs-components.com/stmicroelectronics
Technologies

expanding the
Universe of Possibilities
with the mbed Application Board
By Mark Cundle, Global Head of Technical Marketing, rS Components

DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1

 mbed is well known as a
small and cost-effective
P ositioned to meet the needs of
those who may be exploring
embedded development for the first
developer platform time – from professional embedded
engineers to students and hobbyists
designed for rapid
– there is now a new option in
McU prototyping that the mbed universe: the mbed
application board…
enables a quick and easy
introduction to ARM Platform
The mbed platform is designed
core processing.
and continually supported by ARM.
The basic mbed board is based on
an NXP LPC1768, which integrates
the powerful ARM Cortex-M3 MCU
core and includes interfaces such
as Ethernet, USB, CAN, SPI and I2C.
Available in a 40-pin DIP module,
the board size is only 54mm x 26mm
and can be optionally powered via
the USB port. The module itself does
not offer much, or anything in fact,
in the way of peripheral interfacing
capability. Fundamentally, it is a
processor with a USB interface to
a PC. According to mbed, this was
very much a conscious choice of
the developer to make a system
component and not an all-inclusive
evaluation platform stuffed full of
peripherals at a certain price point.
The thinking was this: there is an
infinite design space, but a user
is working towards one solution,
so there will never be a platform
with exactly the right components
and peripherals. And all-inclusive
platforms have a form factor to
match. So if a developer is trying to
make a product the size of a credit
card, it becomes difficult with an
outsized board full of unnecessary
components or peripherals. Hence,
the decision was made to deliver an
absolute minimum set of features, so
that the user could add only what was
needed to make their prototype.
Application Board
All of which brings us very neatly
to the new mbed Application Board,
which is almost exactly a credit-card
sized device that has been specifically
designed for use with the LPC1768
Cortex-M3 processor board. The new
application board has been designed
to enable the maximum number
of potential electronic engineering
experiments and projects, but with
board footprint at a minimum.
Although there are two 20-way
headers for the mbed for jumper
wiring pins off the board, it is a highly
condensed platform that offers an
impressive host of features including
a 128 x 32 graphics LCD; a 3-axis
accelerometer for motion control;
temperature sensor; socket for
ZigBee or Wi-Fi wireless connectivity;
Ethernet and USB connectors; and a
speaker and I/O audio jacks.
connectivity
According to mbed the primary joy of
this new board is connectivity, which
brings the ‘Internet-of-Things’ (IoT)
into play. IoT is the talk of the town
right now and is a general descriptor
term whereby any physical object
or device such as home appliances,
medical devices, or even light bulbs
have their own communications
capability, enabling them to stream
data and be controlled via
web-based applications.
1/3
Technologies

Full specifications of the

board (shown in figures 1
and 2) are :
15
1. 128 x 32 pixel graphics
LCD, with SPI interface
(C12832A1Z)

2. 5-way joystick
6
3. Two potentiometers
1
4. 3.5mm audio jack (analog
out)

5. Speaker (PWM connected) 5

6. 3-axis ±1.5g accelerometer,
with I2C interface (MMA7660)

7. 3.5mm audio jack (analog in)

8. Two servo-motor headers 4 7

9. RGB LED (PWM connected)
10. USB-B connector
11. Temperature sensor (LM75B)
12. Socket for ZigBee (Xbee)
or Wi-Fi (RN-XV)
13. RJ45 Ethernet connector
14. USB-A connector
15. 1.3mm DC jack input
2
3
Figure 1: The mbed application board
The platform has onboard Ethernet,
a USB host socket that can connect
to a USB Flash drive or even a
3G modem, and the ‘xbee’ socket
which can host ZigBee, Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth modules. In addition to
this abundance of connectivity, the
board also offers temperature and
acceleration sensing, servo-motor
control (PWM), PWM controlled
LEDs, a sounder, graphics LCD, plus
potentiometers and buttons. So, in
some ways, the experiments that
users can conduct are probably only
limited by their own imagination.
Of course, like any other evaluation
or development board, it will rarely
meet exact requirements for an
actual prototype, but the onboard
dual-row headers make it easy to
add on other goodies.
USB Modem Library
One new and exciting mbed
application now available is
enabling users to connect the
mbed microcontroller to a mobile
network using a cheap off-the-shelf
USB 3G modem, and fully indulge
the possibilities of the Internet-
of-Things. mbed has recently
announced the release of a

DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1


14
13
12
11
10
8 9
3
library for the Vodafone
USB Modem, available via the
mbed.org developer website
( http://goo.gl/9OQlx ).
The library has been developed in
collaboration with Vodafone and
mbed beta testers and works with
the new mbed application board,
allowing users to simply plug in
the mbed module and USB modem
to get a fully functional development
platform.
Also worth pointing out is that mbed
is also replicating this USB modem
library ( http://goo.gl/moLgG ) effort
in the US, but with Sprint.
Perhaps the most
unique element
about the mbed
development
environment is that
the tools are based
Figure 2: The reverse of the entirely in the ‘cloud’,
mbed application board with user code being
written and compiled
The application extends the in an online-
networking capabilities supported based integrated
by the mbed NXP LPC1768 to cover
the full range of Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Development
3G, so mbed will be even better environment (iDe).
for rapid prototyping of M2M and
IoT devices, whatever the Internet
connection. Available functionality
includes: SMS send/receive; TCP/
IP Sockets interface; NTP Client;
HTTP Client; and Web Socket client,
although other protocols can be
supported. The library uses the
same networking architecture as the
mbed Wi-Fi and Ethernet libraries,
so switching any prototype between
the different transport types can be
as simple as changing a few lines of
code. For some further ideas on the
Internet-of-Things, there is also a
video demo available at
http://goo.gl/b4ppH
2/3
Technologies
The mbed
microcontrollers
are supported by
the www.mbed.org
developer website,
where users can
also store their
own programs.
DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1
Tools …And some further reading
Finally, it is also worth touching And really, finally this time, also
upon the mbed development tools. available for the mbed platform is a
Perhaps the most unique element textbook and a set of lecture course
about the mbed development notes, published by Dr. Rob Toulson
environment is that the tools of Anglia Ruskin University. These
are based entirely in the ‘cloud’, are available at: http://goo.gl/C4WP4
with user code being written and http://goo.gl/cCqsP respectively.
and compiled in an online-
based Integrated Development
Environment (IDE), running on
Windows, Linux or Mac OS X. The
mbed compiler allows a designer
to write programs in C++ and then Share your views...
compile and download them to ...on www.designspark.com
run on the NXP LPC1768 with no
requirement to run an install or
setup program, as the compiler Related Products
runs online. The online compiler
mbed Application Board
uses the ARM RealView compile
engine, which produces clean and
efficient code that can even be
used in commercial production.
Existing ARM application code and
middleware can also be ported
to the mbed microcontroller and
the mbed tools can be used
alongside other professional
production-level tools. Buy Now
The mbed microcontrollers are mbed NXP LPC1768
supported by the www.mbed.org Microcontroller
developer website, where users
can also store their own programs.
The mbed site also includes blogs,
forums, user-contributed program
libraries and other development
resources such as a C/C++ SDK for
productive high-level programming
of peripherals, combined with
a wealth of libraries and code
examples being published by Buy Now
the mbed community.
3/3
Innovative Components for the
Modern World

Omron
relays and switches
Omron develops electronic components using innovative proprietary technologies
which ensure that they meet the high-tech demands of today’s modern world.
Relays
Omron offers a truly comprehensive range including:
Power – switching capacity of up to 30A in a variety of contact configurations
Signal & High Frequency Relays – One of the widest ranges in Europe
Solid State – suitable for applications that demand long life and high reliability
MOSFET – a variety of construction technologies within the areas of LED, PDA and MOSFET chips
General Purpose Relays – Multi-pole, PCB terminal, as well as mechanical indicators and push-to-test buttons

Switches
Omron’s range of switches includes:
Microswitches – standard, low torque sealed and a number of industry specific models
DIP – suit most production methods and include fully sealed types
Rocker – Panel, Pushbutton, Reset and LED types
PCB Mount – miniature pushbutton, toggle and slide
Omron designs operability, user-friendliness into all of its relays and switches – visit www.omron-rs.eu for more information

www.rs-components.com/omron
Technologies

neW Products
Teledyne LeCroy WaveAce 2004 Bourns® Transient Current
LeCroy’s WaveAce models are small affordable oscilloscopes offering a big Suppressor (TCS™) Devices
combination of attributes including long memory, colour display and The Bourns® TCS™ DL series high-speed
extensive measurement capabilities. protector products contain dual, well-
matched, low resistance, bidirectional, very
high-speed Transient Current Suppressors.

Buy Now Buy Now

More new electronics products can be foun

Agilent Technologies U1273AX OLED Recom RBD-12-0.35 Atmel AT91SAM9N12 MCU

handheld digital multimeter
The latest addition to the U1270 series
comes with an OLED display that has
outstanding contrast levels and high
brightness levels. The display also allows
wider viewing angles up to 160 degrees.
The RBD-12 series is a Buck-Boost constant Evaluation Kit
current source designed for driving high The SAM9N12-EK Evaluation Kit
power LED applications. enables rapid evaluation and code
development of applications running
on a SAM9N12 device.

Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now

DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1

 Panasonic ETQO series
Power Choke Coils
(Metal Composite Technology)
The Panasonic Power Choke Coils ETQP
series offer high heat resistance, excellent
DC bias characteristic, Hi-BS with ferrous
alloy magnetic material and great reliability
at high temperatures with a high
tolerance for vibration.
Buy Now
nd at www.rs-components.com/electronics
Weller WR 3000M ER
The Weller WR 3000M ER is a more
powerful version of the WR 3000 series.
The repair station allows the connection
of all tools, including micro tools WMRP
pencil and WMRT desoldering.
Buy Now
Available in UK/Europe only
TE Connectivity Mini-USB
and Industrial Ethernet
Robust I/O connectors
for use in harsh environment where
secure connection is needed.
Buy Now
Souriau 8STA series
Souriau 8STA series, size 10 plug
connectors are derived from MIL-DTL-38999
specifications and developed primarily for
the motorsport market.
Buy Now
Hirose DF40 PCB 0.4mm
pitch 30-way socket
An extremely small board mounting
pattern and low above-the-board profile
makes the connectors ideally suited for
small device applications.
Buy Now
Schurter MSM CS series
The MSM CS metal switch from SCHURTER
is equipped with an actuator made of
highly durable ceramic. Ceramic is a new
technology employed in the production of
an electro-mechanical switch.
Buy Now
1/1
soFTwARe & Tools

DesignsPARK PCB Version 4

Modelsource - Addressing a bottleneck in hardware design

WE-WPC - Wireless Power Charging Coils

A shining new technology. Würth Elektronik is in the game. Qi compliant

The wireless power charging coil series WE-WPC includes two different components. One in
size 3737 and one in size 5555. Both are Qi compliant and evaluated and released by several
IC manufacturers. Characteristics are low DCR, litzwire and highest Q value on the market.

www.rs-components.com/wurth-elektronik

DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1

soFTwARe & Tools

FRee POWeRFUL
ResOURCes FOR
FasTeR Designs
FRee.
DesignSpark PCB VeRsiOn 4
COMpreHeNSIVe NeW LIBrarIeS.
eaSIer COMpONeNT SeLeCTION & QuOTaTION.
NeW pCB prOTOTYpING SuppOrT.

FRee.
MODeLSOurCe
OVer 80,000 Free SCHeMaTIC aND pCB SYMBOLS
IN MOre THaN 20 FOrMaTS, INCLuDING paDS,
OrCaD, aLTIuM aND CaDSTar.

TURn THe Page TO

DisCOVeR MORe
Software & tools

DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1

FRee
DesignSpark
PCB VeRsiOn 4
By Mike Brojak, Marketing engineer - DesignSpark pCB Specialist,
rS Components

Almost two and a half years ago, in july 2010,

Designspark.com was born into the world offering
free online resources and design support to
professional designers, hobbyists and students.

O ne of the driving forces behind its success has been DesignSpark PCB,
the completely free, unrestricted professional grade schematic capture
and PCB design software. Since the release of version 1.0, the application
has won multiple awards, with its global user-base praising its ease of
use. This intuitiveness enables rapid project design amongst professional
designers, and has elevated DesignSpark PCB to its position as hardware
tool of choice amongst hobbyists, students and educators.

RS has made a strong commitment to maintaining and improving what

is rapidly becoming one of the most important engineering resources
to engineers in more than 200 countries across the globe. Developed by
RS, in conjunction with Number One Systems, over 160,000 users have
downloaded DesignSpark PCB since its launch, and thousands of them
have contributed suggestions toward its continued development.

Toward the end of last year, Version 3.0 of the tool was launched
improving the user experience in key areas including simulation interfaces,
enhancements such as component and circuit element grouping, and
design calculators that model circuit performance characteristics. However,
customer requests for further augmentation have continued to arrive,
specifically tying together PCB-prototyping capabilities with the supply
of components, making the flow from design to purchase considerably
quicker and easier.

1/4
Software & tools
A Step Function in Capability
Working closely with an increasingly
large and diverse user-base has lead
to the next great leap forward in
functionality: launched in October
2012, the third major upgrade of
DesignSpark PCB, Version 4.0 is
now available for download at
www.designspark.com/pcb .
Remaining totally free of
charge with no limitations
or locked features – it
is perfectly suited to
commercial use, which is
not always the case with
some free tools. Version
4.0 offers a significant
step up in the capabilities
of DesignSpark PCB. The
software has evolved into
a complete engineering
solution or design
ecosystem. Functionality
now includes an enhanced
library manager and new
tools to obtain quotes
for the Bill-of-Materials (BOM)
and production quotes from
PCB manufacturing and
assembly subcontractors.
DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1
Integration with ModelSource
ModelSource is a new component
model library, containing over
80,000 PCB schematics and
footprints available in more than
20 different formats compliant
with the most popular PCB design
software packages. It also features
access to over 30,000 2D and 3D
models available in 24 formats for
the most popular mechanical CAD
software. Users of ModelSource
can search by manufacturer or
RS part number where a specific
part has been chosen for a design.
When the choice of device is open,
an attribute-driven search can be
used to quickly identify components
before downloading the model for
use in the design tool. DesignSpark
PCB Version 4 enhances the
functionality of the existing library
by integrating with ModelSource,
giving users immediate access to a
vast extended library of schematics
and footprints of components that
are available from RS Components.
PCB and BOM Quote Tools
Based on attributes taken directly
from the PCB design software, such
as board size, copper layer count,
manufacturing limits such as track
width, copper gap and drill size, the
PCB Quote tool provides a quick
and easy referral service for a
choice of bare-board PCB
manufacturers serving your
location. Engineers can then
proceed with a direct quote from
the selected PCB subcontractor.
The BOM Quote tool is integrated
with the RS website to provide
an instant quotation for the
components in the design. The tool
automatically generates a BOM
that has been ‘scrubbed’ to match
the components gathered from the
design – with options to either save
a copy of the BOM, request a quote,
or to automatically populate the
shopping basket on the RS website.
Milestone
The release of DesignSpark PCB
Version 4.0 and the substantial
extension of the software’s
capabilities is another significant
milestone in the evolution of this
award winning and highly functional
design software. It strongly
reaffirms the commitment from
RS to its vision of delivering the
best possible design experience Developed by RS,
to electronic engineers.
in conjunction with
• Integrated ModelSource offering Number One Systems,
a new component library over 160,000 users
• PCB Quote providing a referral have downloaded
service for PCB subcontractors DesignSpark PCB
• BOM Quote integrating with
since it’s launch.
the eCommerce site at RS
Components and providing an
instant quote for components in
the target design
• And it’s FREE!!
DOWNLOAD FOR FREE Now
2/4
soFTwARe & Tools

FRee
MODeLSOurCe
ADDRessing A BoTTlenecK
in hARDwARe Design
By Martin keenan, Head of applications Strategy, rS Components

if there is one pressure that is perhaps above any

other in today’s electronic design environment,
it is the time-to-market factor. engineers face
growing pressure to bring products to market
that offer increasing amounts of functionality and
performance in ever-shorter timeframes.

T he total cost of ownership (TCO) of a project is being increasingly

scrutinised with the actual component BOM becoming much less of
an issue than the costs involved in overall length of the design cycle. This
growing time-to-market pressure, in conjunction with the requirement for
higher levels of design support, opens up a significant opportunity for global
distribution companies such as RS to help engineers move from concept to
creation as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Design challenges
Engineers need more and more support for the design and development
of new products, which means not just component availability from
distributors, but also the easy availability of design resources such as
hardware-proven reference designs and application notes. However, one
highly important element that would significantly help ease the design
bottleneck is the availability of a wide-ranging and comprehensive
component library offering schematic symbols and PCB component
footprints. Clearly, a component library is a core functional element in a
PCB design tool. But the question is: who is responsible for producing the
library? In the past at least, the answer mostly appears to be the end user,
and this appears to have been the case ever since the development and
introduction of electronic design tools.

DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1

3/4
Software & tools

Estimates are not easy to make,

but certainly the cost is high in
the industry overall if PCB design
teams worldwide are recreating
parts libraries for their specific CAD
tools, duplicating much of the same
work. Each time a manufacturer
introduces a new component, it gets
built into libraries at hundreds or
thousands of different companies
and in many different ways.

Competitive advantage is crucial,

for sure, but the question is: does
a proprietary component data
library really create that much-
needed competitive edge, especially
when combined with all the other
differentiators offered in a
creative design?

A Difference of Interests
It is clear that the design tools
community, the component
manufacturers and companies
involved in PCB design will all have
different interests. Component
manufacturers regularly change
package types and also have
a tendency to opt for unique
packaging for many products,
hoping to eliminate competition
with the aim of achieving single-
source supply. And generally,
manufacturers have not found
the motivation to provide their
data in the different available
CAD tool formats. CAD vendors,
also perhaps, have insufficient
motivation to support a standard
library format; internally developed
extensive libraries are product
differentiators. Additionally, many
of the larger global design and
manufacturing companies also
consider it a differentiator and
library management to be a cost
worth swallowing. However, there is

DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1

a great deal of motivation from
end users, generally, which RS
has recognised.
Over the years there have been
standards proposed and introduced,
such as IPC-SM-782 (Surface Mount
Design and Land Pattern Standard),
developed by the IPC in the 1980s
and early 1990s.
The IPC ( www.IPC.org ) is a
global trade association that
represents around 3000 electronics
companies involved in PCB design,
manufacturing, assembly and
test. The latest incarnation of the
successor to IPC-SM-782 is IPC-
7351B (Generic Requirements
for Surface Mount Design and
Land Pattern Standard). Based on
this standard, software tools are
available from many vendors that
offer land pattern calculators and
generators for the creation of
new part libraries.
ModelSource - A New Hope
Despite all the challenges, a
new hope to reduce the design
time cycle for engineers, and
especially those looking to do
rapid prototyping and small-batch
production, is now here in the form
of ModelSource. Recently launched
by RS, ModelSource is the industry’s
largest free component library
supporting all major schematic
capture and PCB design tools. RS
has learned from it’s experience
over the past few years with its
initial foray into this area with the
development of it’s vast library of
2D and 3D CAD models, which are
a highly valuable resource in the
mechanical design environment. The
RS library of CAD models numbers
more than 30,000 parts from more
than 40 suppliers and is available
in CAD formats for widely used
software tools in 3D mechanical
design. ModelSource is the natural
extension of this endeavour to bring
valuable and easily downloadable
component information for use in
the world of electronics design.
ModelSource is a unique new
component library that contains
more than 80,000 component
schematics and PCB footprints
of semiconductors, passives and
electromechanical components
from leading manufacturers. RS
employed a complex mix of market
intelligence in the component
selection for ModelSource, including
the most demanded and enquired-
after devices and suppliers, in
addition to the inclusion of many
new components being launched
and heavily promoted by key
suppliers this year.
At the time of launch in October
2012, more than 100 suppliers were
represented within the library,
and RS has seen huge interest
from some major component
manufacturers to contribute
further to the library.
Available for free to any engineer via
www.designspark.com , the online
community for engineers from RS
Components, ModelSource offers
component data that is available
in more than 20 different formats
for use with popular PCB design
software packages. ModelSource
has also been integrated into
DesignSpark PCB, via a new and
enhanced library manager that
features an easy-to-use attribute and
part-number-driven interface in the
latest version (v4) of the free design
software. Although ModelSource
can be used with DesignSpark PCB,
it is designed to be a stand-alone
tool for use with all of the industry’s
most prevalent design tools.
RS has created ModelSource
in conjunction with third-party
company Accelerated Designs,
in compliance with the IPC-7351
specification. Engineers can
use ModelSource to search by
manufacturer or RS part number
where a specific part has been
chosen for a design. When the
choice of device is open, an
attribute-driven search can be used
to quickly identify components
before downloading the model for
use in the design tool.
In consultation with its customers,
suppliers and other partners,
RS expects the ModelSource
component library to evolve over
time with new resources and
functionalities. However, once a
problem is solved, the goalposts
always move. And the next step
is to address the next big design
bottleneck – which is usually a
highly subjective matter.
Take a look...
at ModelSource
4/4
PRojecTs

Renesas gadget Board

energy Monitor by elektor

Raspberry Pi Media centre

stepper Motor by elektor

software-defined Radio on a shoestring

Industrial Products
Capacitors Resistors Inductors Wireless EMC

Multifunctional
Power Tool
For the smallest SMD solutions
with high efficiency!
The combination of
conductive polymer with
aluminium electrolyte
technology in the ZA- and
ZC-Series allows components with
excellent performance comparable with
an all-in-one pocket knife.

Characteristics:
www.renoarde.com

Capacitance 10µF to 330µF

Voltage 25V to 80V – NEW!
Lifetime 5000h at 105°C

Panasonic Industrial Devices Sales Europe GmbH Check our Distributors Stock under http://www.rs-components.com/panasonic

DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1

PRojecTs

All about gR
(gadget Renesas)
Make fun electric toys!
Do you like to make electronic projects
or perhaps you are into gadgets?
Are you a budding artist, hobbyist,
or fan of all things cute? we welcome
all who love to fidget with electronics,
no matter where your interests lie.
That’s what gadget Renesas is
all about!

G R-SAKURA, produced by Gadget Renesas, is a

compact board embedding a tiny but powerful
microchip made by Renesas. Connect input and output
devices to create your own original electronic gadget.

By input devices, we mean sensors that check out

the surroundings, detecting things like light, sound,
and distance. Output devices, such as LEDs, speakers and
motors, create action or sound. GR-SAKURA, combined
with your own design and program, orchestrates the output
devices in response to input, creating a unique gadget.

Things for input … Things for output…

Light, sound, tilt, switches, odor, temperature, + LED, LCD screen, speakers, oscillator,
humidity, distance, acceleration, radiation, GSP etc. motor, memory card, network etc.

1/4
PRojecTs
You may think fiddling with
electronics is too difficult. Well,
it’s not exactly easy, but you can Make a piano with
a speaker and a
make a simple demo using only
your PC and the GR-SAKURA board.
Connect switches and maybe a
sensor for input and a speaker
for output. Voila! few switches
You have a very cool gadget. Just Now that you have made a few Component List
make sure the components are LEDs blink, let’s create some
connected in the right direction! sound. You can make a simple • Bread board x 1
Plus, GR offers a variety of piano by connecting a speaker
development environments, and a few switches. First gather • Jumper wire x a few
including simple programming all the components listed below,
using a smartphone, making it then get started. • Piezo speaker x 1
easy for just about anyone to
create a program. • Tact switch x 3

have fun! Be creative!

GR-SAKURA can be used to create
nearly anything. Try integrating the
possibilities into a work of art for 543210
VIN
GND
GND
+5V
+3.3V
Reset
interactive communication with Analog In
the outside world, or into a stuffed
animal to create a warmth-emitting
lucky charm! Electronics are no
longer reserved for engineers with
specialised knowledge. Use this to
express your artistic tendencies.
A bit of inspiration can open the
door to a whole new world...let
GR-SAKURA be your companion Digital I/O
GND

in creating cool gadgets!

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1

 why is gR-sAKURA pink?
1 2

Line up 3 tact switches on Connect the switches with 2 jumper

the breadboard. wires as shown here.

3 4

There is a good reason for

Connect a piezo speaker to
gRsaKURa headers.
5 6
Connect the gR-saKURa and
breadboard gnDs with a wire.
GR-SAKURA’s fancy pink color
and handicraft style. The GR-
Connect the switches to
SAKURA project was initiated to
gR-saKURa headers.
help not just gadget hobbyists,
but artists and other creative
people integrate electronics into
their crafts. The project team
contacted a university electronic
crafts club for ideas appealing
to the younger generation,
finally deciding on pink as
an inspirational, creativity-
enhancing colour! The team
also made software development
easy enough for just about
Copy and paste the program shown
anybody to challenge.
here http://goo.gl/yPeDY to the
Web Compiler.

7 8

now it’s your turn...

Build and download the program Done! Push the switches to add more switches...Flash LeDs
to gR-saKURa. hear Do-Re-Me. and beep at the same time.

2/4
PRojecTs

Make a fuzzy creature

with felt and leDs
Here we combined the piezo
speaker from the simple piano
Component List
1
for input, creating a cute creature • Bread board x 1
that responds to sound. We’re
• Jumper wire x a few
not quite sure what he is, but the
name Fuzzball fits perfectly!
• Piezo speaker x 1

• Zener diode 2.5V x 1

• Resister 100 Ω x 3 Place zener diode, resisters, and

jumper on the board, as above.

543210 4
VIN
GND
GND
+5V
+3.3V
Reset

Analog In

Digital I/O
insert 2 LeDs for the eyes and make
GND

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 sure they stay by bending their leads.

Confirm the
direction

- + - + Cover the boards with the felt skin

The longer leg should and connect the wires.
be on the right.

DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1


2 3
Put the bread board on top
of gR-saKURa.
5 6
Copy and paste the program shown
here http://goo.gl/yPeDY to the
Web Compiler.
8 Omron’s range of switches includes:
Done! give Fuzzball a nice pet on his
back. His eyes should blink...happily.
Innovative Eng 79 x 317_Innovative Eng 79 x 317 20/11/2012 10:54
Form a fuzzy body with felt and
implant a speaker in the skin.
Build and download the program
to gR-saKURa.
now it’s your turn...
Try changing the LeD blinking speed.
Try connecting other sensors.
Innovative Components
for the Modern World
Omron relays and switches
Relays
Omron offers a truly comprehensive range including:
Power – switching capacity up to 30A; variety of
contact configurations
Signal & High Frequency Relays – One of the
widest ranges in Europe
Solid State – for applications that demand long life
and high reliability
MOSFET – variety of construction technologies within
the areas of LED, PDA and MOSFET chips
General Purpose Relays – Multi-pole, PCB terminal,
as well as mechanical indicators and push-to-test
buttons
Switches
Microswitches – standard, low torque sealed and a
number of industry specific models
DIP – suit most production methods and include fully
sealed types
Rocker – Panel, Pushbutton, Reset and LED types
PCB Mount – miniature pushbutton, toggle and slide
Omron designs operability, user-friendliness into all of
its relays and switches – visit www.omron-rs.eu for
more information
www.rs-components.com/omron
3/4
PRojecTs

handheld game
Machine
This movie shows a handheld game
machine with rolling board (Gadget
Renesas) created by a hobbyist.

share your views... Have a look...

...on www.designspark.com at the full range www.rs-components.com/renesas

DesignSpark MaGZINe
available on ipad, iphone and android Tablet

DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1 4/4

 Discover our exclusive stock - Motorsport 8STA series.
Guaranteed next day delivery.

Motorsport 8STA series connectors

At the leading edge of technology in
terms of contact density, packaging and
weight, SOURIAU 8STA series connectors
are designed to reliably withstand the
harshest environments, including extreme
temperature, severe vibration and highly
corrosive fluids. Connectors from the 8STA
series include chassis mounted receptacles
with integrated nuts, lightweight cable
receptacles, hermetic size 02 connectors
and High Density 8STA with pin counts.
On average, a race car has approximately
120 connectors; using compact connectors
can lead to a 500g to 1kg saving in weight.
This is important because it gives car
designers an opportunity to improve the
handling performance of the car through
more effective weight distribution.

SOURIAU 8STA connector range, created

for motorsport, is trusted by race and rally
engineers globally.

www.rs-components.com/souriau
PRojecTs

energy Monitor
luminous Ac current indicator
By Ton Giesberts (elektor Labs)

The energy consumption at home is difficult to

check because of the ever increasing number
of electrical devices. so it is about time to do
something about this! with this energy monitor
you can judge how much energy an electrical
load is using, even from a distance.

DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1

F ortunately more and more people
are beginning to realise that we
have to use energy sparingly. This is
not only true for large companies, but
at home it is also sensible to ‘watch the
small things’. So do not leave mains
power adapters plugged in when not
in use and actually turn electronic
appliances off, instead of using the
standby button. It is also good to get
an idea as to how much energy each
appliance uses. The intention is that
this leads to more sensible use of
these appliances at home.
For this purpose we designed
an indicator which changes
colour depending on the
current consumption.
operation and dimensioning
The operating principle of the circuit
is very simple. By connecting a
shunt in series with the load we can
measure the current consumption.
The parallel connection of R1
and R2 is suitable for measuring
currents up to 14 A. Two standard
0.1 Ω/5 W resistors are used for this,
so that there is no need to search
for difficult shunts. The dissipation
at 10A is not all that high at 5 W.
This shunt can also be made from
other resistor values, of course,
and the exact resistance value is
not important (because there is the
opportunity to calibrate the circuit).
A full-wave rectifier is built around
IC1A. During the positive half cycle
of the current through shunt R1/
R2, D1 blocks and the input current
passes via R3 and R4 to filter R5/
C1. During the negative half cycle,
IC1A amplifies the input signal
such that the cathode of D1 has the
same amplitude as the input. The
voltage across C1 is a measure of
the average value of the measured
current.
As thresholds for the indicator we
chose 25 W, 75 W and 150 W. The
corresponding voltages across C1
are about 4.9 mV, 15 mV and 29 mV.
This means that quite a bit of gain
is required before the 3 rows of
LEDs can be driven with the
aid of transistors.
The base-emitter junction of the
transistor for the first indicator (T3)
determines how much the voltage
across C1 has to be amplified so that
it will start to conduct. If we assume
a value of about 0.65 V, then the first
switching threshold of 5 mV has to
be amplified 130 times. This is what
IC1B does. With P1 in the centre
position the voltage across C1 is

TR1 V+ IC1 = TLC272 V+

N IC2
K1 T1...T3 = BC547B
1 3 D1...D4 = BAT85
B1
D5 D8 D11
L C4 8 C3
2

2x6V IC1
0VA35 B80C1500 220u 4 100n D6 D9 D12
40V

D7 D10 D13
C2
L K2 47n
R4 R7 P1
10k 470R
10k R8 R10 R12
N 6 D3
5k6

2k7

R3
1k

2 7 T1 T2 T3
10k D1 R5 IC1B D2
1 5
R1 R2 IC1A 220k
3 D4
C1
0R1

0R1

39R

1k2

1k2

5W 5W 1u R6 R9 R11
63V

080415 - 11

Figure 1. Three sets of white LeDs with colour filters show how much energy the appliance is using.

1/2
PRojecTs
amplified a little more than
130 times. R12 limits the base
current to T3.
The transistors for the other 2 rows
of LEDs, T2 and T1, have to be driven
via voltage dividers. It is not difficult
to calculate these: at 75 W the output
of IC1B is at 1.9 V and at 150 W it is
3.8 V. In order to obtain a defined
switching threshold it is necessary
that the current through the divider
is a little more than what is required
for the base current. We selected a
value of 0.5 mA. R11 and R9
then become 1k2. R10 and R8 then
become 2k7 and 5k6 respectively.
To ensure that only one row at a
time lights up, T3 is switched off by
T1 and T2, and T2 by T1. This is done
with the aid of Schottky diodes type
BAT85 (D2/D3/D4). The simplicity
of this drive mechanism gives the
circuit a nice touch. Just before D5
through D7 are fully illuminated,
D8 through D13 will just start to
turn on (at exactly the correct load,
of course). This is because at the
transition from T2 to T1 neither
The energy
consumption
at home is
difficult to check
because of the
ever increasing
number of
electrical devices.
so it is about
time to do
something
about this!
DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1
transistor is conducting sufficiently
to ensure that T3 is fully turned off
via D3 and D4. However, once the
current increases a little more only
D5 through D7 remain lit.
Three rows of white LEDs with
colour filters are used for the
colour indication.
The reason that only white LEDs
are used is to ensure that each of
the branches are all identical in
brightness, assuming that the filters
do not influence the brightness too
much. The advantage of this is that
you can choose your own colours.
Instead of the standard colours
green/yellow/red, you could, for
instance, use blue/lilac/purple. For
the filters you could, for example,
use discarded filters for PAR56 spot
lights or something similar and
cut these to the required size (such
filters are also available separately
from Conrad, among others).
To drive three white LEDs in series a
voltage of nearly 10 V is required to
make sure that LEDs draw sufficient
current. By powering the circuit from
a 0.35 VA transformer only a limited
amount of current is available, about
30 mA. This corresponds with the
maximum value for the white LEDs
that we used here (HLMP-CW24-
TW000, 24º).
So make sure you do not substitute
a bigger transformer otherwise the
current through the LEDs will be too
high. More power is permitted only
when the LEDs can handle that.
But it is of course the intention that
the circuit itself uses as little power
as possible. In this way there is no
need for a current limiting resistor.
The 3 series connected LEDs
actually function as a kind of
zener diode, so the output voltage
cannot drop below about 9.5 V
(this depends on the exact forward
voltage of the diodes, of course). In
this way the power supply voltage
for the opamp is always sufficient.
The 78L08 regulator is mainly to
limit the power supply voltage to
the TLC272 and the regulator will
stop regulating when a row of LEDs
is fully illuminated. When none of
the LEDs are turned on, the voltage
across the filter capacitor C4 can
increase to nearly 30 V when a 15-V
transformer is used (2 x 6 V can also
be used, and incidentally, this type
is also easier to obtain).
construction and safety
The most obvious enclosure for
this circuit is to build it into a case
with integrated plug and socket.
Unfortunately we were unable
to find a transparent version.
You can of course cut a hole in the Component List
enclosure and fit it with a window People | Power | Partnership

made from acrylic sheet of a Semiconductors

sufficient thickness. • IC1 = TLC272 Han-Yellock®
Contact Bridging
Another idea is to buy a remote • IC2 = 78L08
control switch that comes with
• T1,2,3 = BC547
a plug-and-socket enclosure and
Fast assembly
remove the electronics inside it. • D1,2,3,4 = BAT85 without tools

This is often cheaper than buying

a separate case. • D5-13 = white LED Integrated bridging
adapter

• B1 = B80C1500G
For safety considerations the
LEDs may not protrude through Resistors
the enclosure. The entire circuit
• R1,2 = 0.1Ω 5W
is connected to the mains the
the LEDs are not specified for • R3,4 = 10kΩ 0.5W
class-II isolation!
• R5 = 220kΩ 0.5W
The remainder of the construction Wiring with male
• R6 = 39Ω 0.5W contacts only
we leave to your own imagination.
• R7 = 470Ω 0.5W

• R8 = 1kΩ 0.5W

• R9,11 = 1.2kΩ 0.5W

• R10 = 2.7kΩ 0.5W Snap-in functionality

from mating and
termination side
share your views... • R12 = 5.6kΩ 0.5W
...on www.designspark.com
• P1 = 10kΩ 0.5W

Capacitors
www.Han-Yellock.com

• C1 = 1uF 63V

• C2 = 47nF 100V Possibilities

• C3 = 100nF 100V Multiplied
Han-Yellock® taking contact bridging from the
• C4 = 100uF 63V control cabinet to the connector.
Bridging contacts can be integrated easily in the
Transformer Han-Yellock®. Snap-in the 20 A modules without
the need of tooling into the casing system, as
required, choose and fit the adapter as 2, 3, 4 or
• TR1 = 2x6V 0.35VA 5-way links – finished! The advantages for users
are quick assembly, space saving for control cabi-
Miscellaneous nets or machines, as well as reduced wiring costs.
HARTING: Pushing Performance to innovative solutions.

• K1,2 = 2 way terminal

DowNLoAD ThE
CoMPoNENTS LiST www.rs-components.com/harting

2/2
Projects

Raspberry Pi
TM

media player
By Chris Swan

The System On Chip (SOC)

used by the Raspberry Pi looks
like it was designed for set-top
boxes, and it certainly delivers
impressive video performance.
The first thing I wanted to
achieve with my Pi was to see
if it could replace a venerable
Kiss DP-600 as my living room
media player.

DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1

 Raspberry Pi
TM

1/3
Projects
T here are now two projects
available that turn the RPi into
a media appliance:
- Raspbmc ( www.raspbmc.com )
- OpenELEC ( www.openelec.tv )
Both are vehicles for XBMC
( www.goo.gl/JSwPb ), an
application for playing video, music
files and viewing pictures.
Raspbmc
This package is all about simple
installation. There is a Windows
installer ( www.goo.gl/b6qgD )
and the system pretty much self
assembles. It took a while to
download the required parts and
set itself up, but overall it was
really easy.
OpenELEC
It also supports I tried OpenELEC first with
my own RPi. The approach
Airplay, so it is is to have a minimal
Linux operating system
possible to stream capable of running XBMC,
music and video all bundled together for
convenience. Raspberry Pi
from an iPhone support has been merged
or iPad. with the main development
branch (following a short
OpenELEC time when it was kept
separate), but there has not yet
been a stable release.
So, some versions can offer features
that do not always work. Overall
though, the performance is good
enough – and my children quickly
found their way around its menus
and are happy using it for videos. I
started off by following the vendor
instructions for" building from
DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1
source ( www.goo.gl/Lbafp ),
but before the build finished I
discovered that it was easier to
use images created elsewhere.
Since then, I have set up my
own automated build server[1],
where you can find (unofficial[2]) 
( www.goo.gl/ll6lA ) release bundles
and images cut to fit onto 1GB SD
cards or larger.
Installing OpenELEC
Putting an OpenELEC image onto
an SD card is the same as any other
image for the RPi. Firstly, the RPi's
is very fussy about SD cards, there
is a list of those known to work
and known to fail and a program
is required to copy the image to
the SD card – WinDiskImager for
Windows or dd for Mac and
Linux users.
Anatomy of OpenELEC
Like other builds, OpenELEC
has a FAT partition from which
the RPi boots. This contains the
following files:
• kernel.img
the Linux kernel
• SYSTEM
the OpenELEC components,
including XBMC, are packed
in here and unpacked to
the ext2 partition that takes
up the remaining space on
the SD card
• bootcode.bin,
loader.bin, start.elf
these files are the used
to startup the RPi
• cmdline.txt
the command line used
for startup
• openelec.ico
the OpenELEC icon
• README.md
information about OpenELEC
and the licensing of components
within it
Configuring the Raspberry Pi
When the RPi starts, it reads
an optional config.txt file
( www.goo.gl/8ZjA9 ) in the boot
partition (mounted as /flash when
using OpenELEC). This file can
be used to set the resolution of
the attached TV/monitor (and
a bunch of other stuff like
overclocking the CPU).
Serving up media
To be useful, the Raspberry Pi
needs to be able to connect over
the network to some media files.
The source can be anything from
a desktop PC to a large network
attached storage (NAS) box. XBMC
can happily use Windows shares
(CIFS) or Unix NFS. For simplicity,
I automated the mounting of my
media (on a Synology NAS) with a
script .config/autostart.sh like this:
#! /bin/sh
(sleep 30; \
mount -t nfs nas_ip:/volume1/video /
storage/videos -r; \
mount -t nfs nas_ip:/volume1/music
/storage/music -r; \
mount -t nfs nas_ip:/volume1/photo /
storage/pictures -r \
)&
In use
I have found OpenELEC is reliable
at playing everything in my media
library, including DivX (.avi and
.divx), Xvid, MP4 and 3GP video
files and mp3 audio. It also supports
Airplay, so it is possible to stream
music and video from an iPhone
or iPad.

It can also hold an MPEG2 license

( www.goo.gl/J74Fc ), if you want to
be able to play videos encoded
with that codec.

Remotes
In anticipation of getting my RPi,
I obtained a cheap WinMCE clone
remote, which is ideal for basic
control in the living room.

Subsequently I acquired XBMC

Commander ( www.goo.gl/Xn3pV )
for my iPad and iPhone; in addtion
to trying the official XBMC remote
on Android ( www.goo.gl/1QYdm ).
The smartphone/tablet remotes
are significantly better than a
regular controller, as they provide
a great way to navigate a large
media library.

2/3
PRojecTs
see the XBMC Media Centre in action
notes
[1] If you'd like to make your own
automated build server in the cloud,
then here's a guide:
www.goo.gl/hmsZC

[2]  www.goo.gl/P4GPD
Official release bundles seem to
be less frequent, and there are no
official images, but I have been
making images from the official
release bundle, which you can find:
www.goo.gl/uEsUg

Have a look...
at the Raspberry Pi Design Centre

Related Products

Raspberry Pi Raspberry Pi Type B Case, 4GB SD Card,

Type B Clear Raspberry Pi OS installed

Buy Now Buy Now

Micro USB power supply Micro USB power supply

adapter, UK,1.2A adapter,Euro,1.2A

Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now

DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1 3/3

 Raychem spin Lock Variable
angle Backshell
enables straight, 45˚ and 90˚ cable terminations with the same part.
compatible with a range of Military circular connector styles and platings.

Raychem spin lock variable angle backshell’s swivel body rotates around
the axis of the cable bundle, minimising stress on the wire termination
and providing improved strain relief compared with other
termination systems.

Raychem spin lock variable angle backshell provides:

• Robust strain relief for cable bundles
• Reliable shield termination using proven Te Tinel-lock ring
and bandstrap methods
• Rugged sealed termination utilizing Te’s proven heat-shrinkable
molded shape and adhesive systems
• Reduced inventory costs — one part replaces 3 parts in service today
• Design flexibility enabling excellent cable termination

For more information, visit:

www.rs-components.com/teconnectivity

©2012 Tyco electronics Corporation. all rights reserved.

raychem, Tinel-Lock, Te Connectivity and Te connectivity (logo) are trademarks of the Te Connectivity Ltd. family
of companies. Other logos, product and/or company names might be trademarks of their respective owners.
PRojecTs

Flexible stepper
Motor Driver
with electrically
isolated interface
By Chris Vossen (elektor Labs)

To enable the control of a

stepper motor from, say, a
parallel port of a Pc, elektor
labs have designed a
compact driver PcB using
the A3979 chip made by
Allegro Microsystems.

T his chip has been specifically

designed to control bipolar
stepper motors in full-, half-,
quarter- and sixteenth-step modes
at currents of up to 2.5 A. The circuit
is provided with optocouplers
for electrical separation between
the control inputs and the driver
module.
Stepper motors are used in many
mechatronics projects to implement
some kind of motion. Applications
such as robots, scanners, milling
machines and 3D printers come to
mind. There is often the desire to
keep the accompanying electronics
as simple as possible. In particular
with hobby projects, the legacy
Centronics port of a PC is still
frequently used to control a few
motors by way of power drivers.
For all those enthusiasts unable or
unwilling to develop such a driver
themselves, the guys at Elektor Labs
have developed a universal board
based on a special stepper motor
driver IC and featuring full electrical
isolation for the control signals. The
supply voltage for the electronics
is derived from the stepper motor’s
power supply using a small switch-
mode power supply regulator, which
ensures that the power dissipation is
kept to a minimum.
The A3979
Allegro Microsystems’ type A3979
is a so-called microstepping motor
driver with integrated DMOS bridge
and level shifter. This tiny IC (it
measures only 6.5 x 10 mm in size)
can control stepper motors in full-,
half-, quarter- and sixteenth-step

DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1

 0.22 µF
0.22 µF

VREG CP2 CP1

Logic
Supply 2V
VDD UVLO and Charge
Regulator
Fault Pump
Bandgap
VCP

Reference 0.22 µF
Supply Load
Supply
REF
DAC DMOS Full Bridge
VBB1

RC1 >47 µF

STEP 4 OUT1A

RT1 CT1 DIR OUT1B

RESET PWM Timer:

PWM Latch
MS1 Translator Blanking SENSE1
Mixed Decay
MS2 RS1 CS1
Gate
HOME Drive
modes with the aid 4
SLEEP
of an integrated SR
Control
Logic
DMOS Full Bridge
VBB2

PWM controller. ENABLE

OUT2A
VPFD
The internal FET OUT2B
PFD PWM Timer:
bridge can supply 0.1 µF
RC2
PWM Latch
Blanking
Mixed Decay SENSE2
a maximum
current of 2.5 A RT2 CT2
DAC RS2 CS2

at voltages up to
35 V. Thanks to the
built-in ‘translator’
all manner of AGND PGND
Exposed Thermal Pad

controlling a (Required) 110018 - 12

stepper motor
with this IC is easy.
After establishing
the mode in which
the motor is to be
controlled, using
inputs MS1 and MS2, a
pulse at the STEP input is sufficient
to make the attached motor rotate
a full-step, half-step, etc. Figure 1
shows the block diagram of the
A3979, together with the necessary
external components. The datasheet
for the A3979 is available from [1].
Figure 1. Block diagram of the a3979 from allegro Microsystems.
Technical characteristics
• Suitable for most small bipolar • PWM control for
stepper motors minimal dissipation
• Integrated DMOS-bridges, • Built-in translator for controlling
maximum voltage/current: the motor
30 V / 2.5 A
• Built-in blanking function for
• Default current limit: 1.5 A the DMOS bridges

Apart from the selection of a few
of these external components,
which we will return to shortly,
there are very few things you need
to consider. There are only three
signals that need to be supplied
for the control of the motor:
step pulses, direction signal
and enable signal.
• Electrically isolated control lines • Various protection features built
using optocouplers in (current and temperature,
among others)
• Full-, half-, quarter- and
sixteenth-step mode settable
using solder bridges

1/3
Projects

VCC +30V +VIN

K1 K2
R2 R3 R4 R5 C3 C4 C5

3k3

10

28

15
1k

1k

1k
220n 100u 100n
R6 R7 R8

VDD

VBB1

VBB2
27 22
IC1 SLEEP VCP
1k

1k

1k

17 23 GND
RESET CP1
1 16 2 C1
GND HOME
D1 3
DIR 220n
19 24
STEP CP2
K3 2 15
M
+5V
3 14 IC2 K4
D2 12 18
DIR MS2 OUT2B
13 25
STEP MS1 OUT1B
4 13 4
ENABLE OUT1A
5 12 26 11
ENABLE OUT2A
D3
VCC A3979SLP-T +VIN
8
REF GND
6 11 R9
7 10 6 1
RC1 SENSE1
22k

9 14
D1...D3 = LL4148 RC2 SENSE2
5
P1 PFD
8 9 R1 R12 R13 16 20
C8 C9 C10 SR VREG
+VIN R10 R11
12k

12k

2k2
C13 C6 C7

AGND
ACPL-847-30GE

PGND
100n

GND

0R1

0R1
PMEG6030EP 10k 470p 470p
VCC 220n 100n 100n

21

29

7
D6 GND
IC3 R14
4

L1
+30V
FB

7 8 GND
1k

VIN OUTPUT
100uH
LM2594M-5.0 D5 C12 C14 D4
110018 - 11
5
ON/OFF
GND

47u 100n
1
2
3
6

PMEG6030EP
GND

Figure 2. The complete schematic for the circuit, optocouplers provide

full electrical isolation of the control signals.

Optical drive separation as possible between The driver circuit is completed

In the complete schematic shown the controlling part (PC or a with a small switching power
in Figure 2 you can see that the microcontroller board) and driver supply, which is designed around
A3979 is connected according to the board, a four-way optocoupler an LM2594M-5.0. This step-down
design already encountered in the is added in the form of an ACPL- regulator derives a regulated 5 V rail
block diagram. The windings of the 847 made by Avago Technologies from the motor supply voltage. The
stepper motor and the power supply (IC1). When one of the inputs DIR, input voltage can be between 5 V
voltage for the motor are connected STEP or ENABLE is set to a Low and 30 V. LED D4 functions as the
to connector K4. The inputs MS1 level, the corresponding LED in the power-on indicator.
and MS2, which are used to set optocoupler will turn on and as a
the size of the microsteps of the consequence the accompanying Component sizing
motor, are connected to K1 and K2 transistor will conduct. When Parts R10 and R11 are the current
in the schematic. In reality these changing the level at the DIR sensing resistors for the two motor
‘connectors’ are solder pads on the input the direction of rotation of windings. They define the maximum
circuit board. The user can decide the attached motor will change. current that is permitted to flow
with two drops of solder across With every rising edge at the STEP through the stepper motor coils.
the appropriate pads which type input the motor will perform one These resistors must have a very
of microsteps will be used. Table 1 microstep. Finally, the motor driver small self inductance. Any additional
shows the different options that is activated when the ENABLE signal inductance in the measuring resistor
are available. is set to a low level. The A3979 will effectively appear in series
checks this level at every rising with the winding of the motor.
To allow as much electrical edge of the STEP input. This increases the reactance (AC

DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1

 Table 1. Microstepping configuration.
K1 K2 K1 K2
full step half step
resistance) of the total circuit and
results in a measuring error of the
pulsewidth modulated signal.
According to the datasheet, Rsense
has to satisfy the condition
Rsense < 0.5 / Itrip
where Itrip is the maximum
permissible current for each coil in
the motor. Here we set this to 1.5 A,
which is an excellent value
for the commonly used Nema-17
type of motors.
When we enter this value into
the formula we arrive at a value
for Rsense of < 0.33 Ω.
The datasheet for the A3979 gives
a second requirement that needs
to be satisfied: Vref has to be equal
to, or less than, 4 V. This voltage is
determined by using the formula
Vref = 8 × Itrip × Rsense ≤ 4 V.
Here a value of 1.5 A was chosen
for Itrip, and a resistance of 0.1 Ω
for Rsense. This results in a
maximum Vref of 1.2 V. The motor
current through each sense resistor
results in a relatively high power
dissipation. This power dissipation
amounts to
P = I2 × Rsense = 0.225 W.
K1 K2 K1 K2
quarter step sixteenth step
The combinations of R12/C9 and
R1/C8 determine the duration of
the off-time for the one-shot timer
in the PWM generator, which sets
the amount of time when the
internal MOSFETs are switched off.
According to the datasheet these
need to have a value somewhere For all those
between 12 kΩ and 100 kΩ for RT enthusiasts unable
and between 470 pF and 1500 pF
for CT. Bipolar stepper motors have or unwilling to
a relatively low self-inductance, develop such a
which means that the blanking
time for the comparator does not
driver themselves,
have to be very long. That is why the guys at Elektor
capacitors of 470 pF and resistors
of 12 kΩ were selected. The purpose
Labs have developed
of the blanking function is to avoid a universal board
incorrect measurements across the
based on a special
current sense resistors at the instant
that the outputs are switching. stepper motor driver
IC and featuring full
When a step results in a lower
current than the previous step, the electrical isolation for
circuit will change to decay mode. the control signals
This can be a slow, fast or mixed
decay. The voltage across the PFD
pin determines the decay-mode of
the circuit. If the voltage at PFD is
greater than 0.6 VDD, then slow-
decay-mode is used. When the
voltage is smaller than 0.21 VDD,
fast-decay mode is used. In this
circuit we chose for mixed-decay-
mode because this provides optimal
performance for most stepper
motors. The voltage at pin 5 is set to
2 V (0.4 VDD) here using R5 and R13.
2/3
PRojecTs
Miniature circuit board
The entire circuit is accommodated
on a circuit board measuring only
43 x 47 mm (Figure 3), thanks to the
use of SMD components. This does
however require a certain amount
of SMD soldering experience or
a small SMD oven. The A3979 is
provided with an ‘exposed thermal
pad’ to help dissipate the heat. This
has been taken into account when
designing the circuit board.
Underneath the IC is a solder
pad with a number of vias that
ensure sufficient conduction to
the underside of the board, which
contains a large copper plane. The
thermal pad of the IC therefore has
to be soldered to this solder pad
at the same time as soldering the
other connection pins. To be able to
do this properly, the use of a hot-air
M
+VIN
GND
+5V
DIR
STEP
ENABLE
Figure 3. Thanks to the use of sMa
components the dimensions of the
board are only 43 x 47 mm.
DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1
solder station or SMD oven
is recommended.
To be on the safe side, the top
of the IC is also provided with
a small heatsink with the aid of
thermally conductive double-sided
adhesive tape.
The only two through-hole
components are the connectors K3
and K4. The types shown in the parts
list are suitable for larger currents
of several amps; in addition, the
corresponding plugs are provided
with screw connections to terminate
the wires.
current limiting
The maximum current that will flow
through the windings of the stepper
motor can be set with the aid of
trimpot P1. This is done as follows:
Using a multimeter measure the
reference voltage (Vref) at the
test point next to the trimpot
on the board.
The voltage that is set determines
approximately what the maximum
current will be:
Vref (V) Itrip (A)
0.4 0.5
0.6 0.75
0.8 1
1 1.25
1.2 1.5
Note that the maximum input
voltage is not allowed to be higher
than 30 V.
With this the universal stepper Component List
motor driver is ready for use. Thanks
to the small dimensions several of Resistors (SMD 0603)
these boards can easily be mounted
• R1,R12 = 12kΩ (SMD 0603)
inside a printer or robot frame.
• R2,R3,R4,R6,R7,R8,R14 = 1kΩ
(SMD 0603)
• R5 = 3.3kΩ (SMD 0603)
• R9 = 22kΩ (SMD 0603)
• R10,R11 = 0.100Ω (SMD2512,
e.g. Bourns
• CRA2512-FZ-R100ELF)
• R13 = 2.2kΩ (SMD 0603)
• P1 = 10kΩ trimpot (e.g. Vishay
TS53YJ103MR10)
Capacitors
• C1,C13 = 220nF (SMD0603)
• C3 = 220nF (SMD0805)
• C4 = 100μF (case F, e.g.
Panasonic EEEFK1H101P)
• C5,C6,C7 = 100nF (SMD0805)
• C8,C9 = 470pF (SMD0603)
• C10,C14 = 100nF (SMD0603)
• C12 = 47μF (SMD 6032, e.g.
Vishay593D476X9010C2TE3)
Inductor
• L1 = 100μH (SMD5750, e.g.
Epcos B82442H1104K)
Internet Links
[1] www.allegromicro.com/Products/Motor-Driver-And-
Interface-ICs/Bipolar-Stepper-Motor-Drivers/~/media/Files/
Datasheets/A3979-Datasheet.ashx
Share your views...
...on www.designspark.com Download The COMPONENTS list
Semiconductors
• D1,D2,D3 = LL4148 (SOD80)
• D4 = LED, green, 20 mA
(SMD 0603)
• D5,D6 = PMEG6030EP Schottky
diode (SOD128)
• IC1 = ACPL-847-30GE (SOP16)
• IC2 = A3979SLP-T
• IC3 = LM2594M-5.0 (SO8)
Miscellaneous
• K1,K2 = solder jumper on board
• K3 = 4-pin plug, right angled,
8A, 3.5mm
• pitch (e.g. Phoenix Contact
1844236 MC1.5/4-G-3.5)
• Mating 4-way socket
with screw terminals
• K4 = 6-pin plug, right angled,
8A, 3.5mm
• pitch (e.g. Phoenix Contact
1844252 MC1.5/6-G-3.5)
• Mating 6-way socket
with screw terminals
• Heatsink for IC2
(Fischer ICK SMD A 13 SA)
• Matching double-side
adhesive tape 6x10
• mm (Thermally Conductive)
• PCB # 110018-1
(see www.elektor.com/110018 )
3/3
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PRojecTs
software-defined
Radio on a shoestring
By andrew Back, principle, aB Open Ltd
software-defined radio
(sDR) holds incredible
H owever, most hardware that
supports SDR experimentation
is expensive, but thanks to a neat
promise for the future hack it’s now possible to re-purpose
a DVB-T receiver that can be had for
of communications: less than £20 to provide digital radio
from reducing the bill of hardware that can be tuned from
64-1700 MHz. Firstly, it’s important
materials and enabling
to note that if you require a system
software upgrade of with better than 8-bit resolution
equipment, to cognitive ADCs or one that supports transmit
as well as receive, this may not be
radio systems that what you’re looking for. However,
bring unprecedented if you have basic Linux skills
and would like to gain hands-on
efficiency in managing experience with SDR for minimal
access to scarce outlay the hardware described
here provides incredible value for
spectrum resource. money. Which is not to say that it
cannot be put to use in some pretty
impressive applications, as it’s been
used to receive everything from
DesignSpark Magazine ISSue 1
FM broadcast, TETRA and GSM, to
satellite and aircraft Mode
S transmissions.
rtl-sdr
Over the years there has been
much talk among the open source
community of re-purposing
commodity television receiver
hardware for PCs for use with SDR,
but with very limited actual success.
That changed early 2012 when a
Linux developer reported that a
particular DVB-T demodulator IC
could be configured to provide raw
samples instead of a demodulated
signal. Two days later and another
member of the community had
managed to demodulate an FM
broadcast from a file captured with
a DVB receiver that used the IC.
This was back in February 2012
1/2
Projects
...it’s now possible to
re-purpose a DVB-T
receiver that can be
had for less than £20
to provide digital
radio hardware that
can be tuned from
64-1700 MHz
DesignSpark Magazine Issue 1
and since then the open source rtl-
sdr software has been created to
support using the device with SDR.
A Generic RTL2832U-based
USB DVB-T Receiver
Drivers for RTL2832U-based DVB-T
hardware are already present in
the Linux kernel, and what the
rtl-sdr software does is provide a
library and two simple command
line tools that support SDR usage.
The rtl_sdr command can be used
to tune a receiver to a particular
frequency and to set the gain and
sample rate while specifying a file to
capture samples to. Whereas rtl_tcp
performs a similar function but
provides a TCP server that makes
samples available over the network.
Installing rtl-sdr takes no time at all
and just requires following a few
simple steps. If you wanted to write
your own SDR applications from
scratch you could then proceed by
studying the rtl-sdr source code, but
for a far friendlier approach we’ll
look at using the GNU Radio SDR
framework.
GNU Radio
GNU Radio is an open source toolkit
for creating SDR applications that
provides signal processing blocks
written in C++ that are connected
together to create flow graphs
using Python scripts. This can
either be done by hand or by using
the graphical editor, GNU Radio
Companion (GRC).
The software has quite a few open
source dependencies, and by far the
easiest way to get up and running
with GNU Radio is to use the build
script provided by Marcus D. Leech.
When using this it should be
noted that you may have to
unpick problems with installing
dependencies if the script fails, and
the build can take quite some time
if your machine has limited
resources. Should you already
have a recent version of GNU Radio
installed, all that needs to be done
is to install rtl-sdr along with the
gr-osmosdr software that provides
GNU Radio integration.
A Multimode Receiver
With GNU Radio, rtl-sdr and gr-
osmosdr installed we are now ready
to run SDR applications, and a good
starting place is the Multimode
receiver that is available from the
Comprehensive GNU Radio Archive
Network (CGRAN). The files for this
can be checked out from CGRAN
Subversion with the command:
$svn co https://www.cgran.org/svn/
projects/multimode
Following which the receiver can
be started either by executing
multimode.py from the command
line, or by running gnuradio-
companion and from within this
selecting to open the file called
multimode.grc.

As can be seen GRC provides a
powerful editing environment where
GNU Radio blocks can quickly be
browsed and assembled to create
signal processing graphs.
With the application loaded in
GRC we now select to Execute
the flow graph.
The Multimode application
tuned to FM broadcast station
BBC Radio 4.
Creating GNU Radio
Applications
Although the rtl-sdr breakthrough
is quite recent GNU Radio has been
around for many years, and there
exists an excellent selection of open
source applications which can be
used to learn from and as the basis
for new projects. For example,
GNU Radio is supplied with
applications for a variety of modes
and these get installed to /usr/
local/share/gnuradio/examples, the
aforementioned CGRAN provides
hosting for third party GNU Radio
applications, and others can be
Now, buy
found around the Web.
GRC provides the perfect learning
tool for those that are just starting
out, and since the underlying any power
supply from
flow graphs being manipulated
are Python scripts these can be
viewed to see what’s happening
the E3600
under the bonnet. The GNU
Radio documentation is fairly
comprehensive, the project provides
tutorials and further support is
available via the mailing lists. Series
Providing A Platform
for Experimentation
The availability of SDR hardware
at such a price point has created
immense excitement among
the open source, ham radio and
electronics hobbyist communities,
and there are now numerous
projects doing work based around
the rtl-sdr hardware. One notable
example being a fork of the GHPSDR
project, which provides Android
software that can connect over And get a
complimentary
the Internet to remotely control
a system that is fitted with an
U1272A
RTL2832U-based receiver.
Industrial HH
DMM!
Share your views...
...on www.designspark.com
2/2
Han-Yellock® Contact Bridging

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2
 SPOTLIGHT
Handheld digital multimeters:
Safely and easily extend your
reach with wireless connectivity
With the simple and inexpensive addition
of Bluetooth connectivity to Agilent handheld
DMMs, you can accelerate troubleshooting,
boost the productivity of field personnel, and
enable safe measurements in dangerous or
inaccessible locations.
The Agilent U1177A Infrared (IR)-to-
Bluetooth Adaptor attaches to the IR port of
any Agilent HHDMM and includes free Mobile
Meter and Mobile Logger apps for Android
devices. You can then use a smartphone or
tablet to control live measurements on up to
three HHDMMs from within the 10-meter
Bluetooth range—or leave the device in
place as a remote data logger and transmitter,
complete with alarms and updates via email or
SMS.
Here are two measurement examples that
highlight the benefits of wireless connectivity
and suggest the range of potential uses.
1. Troubleshooting load cells
Troubleshooting the electronic load cells
in commercial and industrial scales typically
involves a technician standing at various points
on the weighing platform while measuring the
output voltage from each load cell. On smaller
scales, one person can often perform these tests
efficiently, thanks to the short distance between
the load cells and the measurement points on
the display unit.
However, on large truck and rail scales,
or situations where the display is physically
separate from the platform, the work can
require two people or require one person to
spend a lot of time walking back and forth
between measurement points. In harsh weather
or dangerous locations, the task becomes that
much more demanding.
By adding wireless connectivity to one or
more HHDMMs and stationing them at the
measurement access point, a single technician
can stay on the weighing platform and check
multiple load cells while monitoring the load cell
output voltages remotely on a smartphone or
tablet.
2. Identifying electrical circuits
Troubleshooting electrical circuits in
commercial environments is sometimes a
difficult or even hazardous process. Simply
finding the correct circuit breaker and
identifying all the loads attached to it can be
slow and frustrating. Traditional methods are
often too disruptive, too slow, impossible to
use under the circumstances, or vulnerable to
ambiguous answers. Figure 1
Wireless remote monitoring lets you
install an AC current clamp insider a
With Bluetooth capability added to Agilent breaker panel and monitor the circuit
meters paired with U1583B AC current clamps, from the outside.
technicians can remotely monitor up to three
circuits from a single Android device, even on
breaker panels with safety lockouts that need
to be closed in order to power up.
These are just two of the many ways
Bluetooth connectivity can make
troubleshooting and monitoring U1177A Blue-
tooth adapter
easier and safer in a wide variety
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is to turn your Android device into
a remote measurement, control,
and reporting solution, visit
www.agilent.com/find/hhgowireless
To learn more, visit:
www.rs-components.com/agilent 3
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4
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 FREQUENCY COUNTERS DATA ACQUISITION/SWITCH UNITS
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frequency ments
34970A/72A data • 34972A offers: LAN built-in web interface for
counters • Histograms, trending, data logging, and built- acquisition switch easy control and interface
in math and statistics functions give greater unit, 6½ digit • 3 slot mainframe, built-in signal conditioning for
insights into system behavior 11 types of input signals
• Frequency, frequency ratio, time interval, rise/ • Free BenchLink Data Logger software eases
fall time, phase, and much more setup and documentation, 34830A BenchLink
• Continuous, gap-free measurements, with time Data Logger Pro software also available
stamps on signal edges (53230A only); pulse/ • GPIB and RS-232 connectivity (34970A), USB
burst microwave measurements (53230A only) and LAN (LXI-C) connectivity (34972A)
• Optional 6 GHz or 15 GHz RF Channel
• USB, GPIB and LAN (LXI-C) connectivity
34970A/72A plug-in modules
Model Key specifications
Model Description 34901A/02A/08A multiplexers Up to 300 V, 16, 20, or 40 channel
53210A 350 MHz RF Frequency Counter, 10 digits/s 34903A GP switch 300 V, 20 actuator channel
53220A 350 MHz Universal Frequency Counter/Timer, 12 digits/s, 100 ps
34904A matrix 4x8 matrix – 300 V
53230A 350 MHz Universal Frequency Counter/Timer, 12 digits/s, 20 ps
34905A/06A RF switches 2 GHz dual, 50 and 75 Ω
Validate your most challenging designs with realistic 34907A multi-function DIO, DAC, totalizer
test signals using exclusive Trueform technology.
82350B PCI high- • Easily control instruments and exchange data
33500B Series • Exclusive new Trueform waveform technology with performance GPIB with maximum throughput
Waveform lowest jitter and harmonic distortion and highest interface • Built-in buffering for speeds up to 900 KB/s
generators signal fidelity
• IEEE-488 interface connects up to 14 instru-
• Arb models include 1 M (16 M optional) memory and ments
embedded editor; non-arb models upgradable to arb
capability
• Sine waves, square, ramp, triangle, noise, pulse
generation with variable edge, DC waveforms, AM, 82357B USB/GPIB • High-speed USB 2.0 with fast, easy, plug-and-
FM, and more interface play connection and auto configuration
• GPIB transfer rate of up to 1.15 MB/s
Model Description Connectivity
• Direct PC (USB) to GPIB instrument connec-
tion
33500B Series: 16-bits, 250 MSa/s, 1 M point
(optional arb), 20 and 30 MHz pulse, less than 40
ps jitter
33509B 20 MHz, 1-Channel (optional arb)
33510B 20 MHz, 2-Channel (optional arb) The cost-effective way to accelerate production line
33511B 20 MHz, 1-Channel, built-in arb USB, GPIB, and LCR testing and improve component evaluation
33512B 20 MHz, 2-Channel, built-in arb LAN (LXI-C)
• 100 Hz to 100 kHz
33519B 30 MHz, 1-Channel (optional arb) 4263B LCR meter
• 0.1% basic accuracy
33520B 30 MHz, 2-Channel (optional arb)
33521B 30 MHz, 1-Channel, built-in arb • High-speed measurement: 25 ms
33522B 30 MHz, 2-Channel, built-in arb • 6 test frequencies: 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 1 kHz,
10 kHz, 20 kHz, 100 kHz
33210A 10 MHz, 14-bits, 50 MSa/s, 8 K points with
option 002 USB,GPIB, and
LAN (LXI-C) Peace of mind and absolute confidencei n your test
33220A 20 MHz, 50 MSa/s, 64 K points with 5 MHz pulse
33250A 80 MHz, 12-bits, 200 MSa/s, 64 K points with 50 GPIB, RS-232 measurements
MHz pulse
Agilent Advantage • Comprehensive Service Coverage
33502A Isolated amplifier, dual channel, 50 Vpp --- Service Pack* • Upgrades the factory warranty to Premium and
33503A BenchLink Waveform Builder Pro Software --- extends its duration for 2 additional years
• Premium means Priority Service - faster turn-
around times
• Lower overall cost of ownership
• Savings - No administrative hassles for out of
cycle PO’s
• Physical Confirmation of warranty purchase
• Minimised Downtime = Increased Productivity
• Full calibration included after any repair
* Advantage Pack is available in the United States, Canada and the 27 member states of the European Union.
6
 OSCILLOSCOPES
Engineered to give you more scope than you thought
you could afford
1000B Series
oscilloscopes
Breakthrough scope technology lets you see more,
do more and get more for your money
InfiniiVision
2000 X-Series
oscilloscopes
InfiniiVision
3000 X-Series os-
cilloscopes
Now
le
availab z
to 1 GH th
bandwid
Gain greater insight with powerful applications
Description
Mask/waveform limit testing
Segmented memory
WaveGen function generator
WaveGen arb/function generator
Integrated 3-digit voltmeter
Education training kit
DSO to MSO upgrade kit
I2C/SPI trigger and decode
RS232/UART trigger and decode
CAN/LIN trigger and decode
I2S trigger and decode
Mil Std 1553 trigger and decode
1553/429 trigger and decode
FlexRay trigger and decode
Advanced Math
HDTV video analysis
Power measurement and analysis
Xilinx FPGA dynamic probe
Altera FPGA dynamic probe
Get a FREE 14-Day Trial License for any of the above!
For details see www.agilent.com/find/14daytrial
• 50 to 150 MHz bandwidth, 2 channel models
• 5.7-inch color QVGA display
• Up to 16 kpts memory
• Up to 1 GSa/s sample rate
• 23 automatic measurements, mask testing,
digital filters, sequential acquisition of 1000
trigger events
• 8.5-inch WVGA display offers 2x the
viewing area and 5x the resolution of
competitive scopes
• 70 to 200 MHz bandwidth, 100 kpts
memory, DSO and MSO models
• Up to 50,000 waveform updates/second
• Fully upgradable—bandwidth, MSO,
measurement applications, WaveGen
built-in 20 MHz function generator, and
integrated digital voltmeter
• 8.5-inch WVGA display is 50% larger and
3x the resolution of competitive scopes
• 100 MHz to 1 GHz bandwidth, up to 4 Mpts
memory, DSO and MSO models
• Hardware-based measurement applications
including serial decode
• Up to 1,000,000 waveform updates/second
• Fully upgradable—bandwidth, MSO,
memory, measurement applications,
WaveGen built-in 20 MHz arb/function
generator, and integrated digital voltmeter
2000 X-Series 3000 X-Series
DSOX2MASK DSOX3MASK
DSOX2SGM DSOX3SGM
DSOX2WAVEGEN
DSOX3WAVEGEN
DSOXDVM DSOXDVM
DSOXEDK DSOXEDK
DSOX2MSO DSOX3MSO
DSOX3EMBD
DSOX3COMP
DSOX3AUTO
DSOX3AUDIO
DSOX3AERO
DSOX3FLEX
DSOX3ADVMATH
DSOX3VID
DSOX3PWR
HANDHELD OSCILLOSCOPES
MODULAR INSTRUMENTS
Maximum versatility to troubleshoot today’s
challenges and anticipate tomorrow’s needs
U1600 Series • 5.7-inch VGA TFT LCD display with indoor,
Handheld Scopes outdoor, and night-vision viewing modes
• 3-in-1 instrument: scope, DMM,
and data logger
• Two independent, isolated channels
(100 MHz - U1610A or 200 MHz - U1620A)
• Up to 2 GSa/s sample rate and up to 2 Mpts
deep memory to zoom in on critical details
• Benchtop-like dual window zoom for more
detailed waveform ananlysis
Anticipate every new challenge with
reconfigurable portable test systems
USB modular • Mix and match the USB modular instruments,
instruments DAQ modules or switching I/O units to meet
your measurement needs
• Instrument and DAQ modules can be used
standalone or integrated together in the
USB modular chassis
• Hi-speed USB 2.0 interfaces for easy setup,
plug-and-play, and hot swappable connectivity
• U2781A USB modular product chassis can
host up to six modules and synchronize
multiple instruments
• Bundled Agilent Measurement Manager
lets you configure and control a system with
no programming
USB modular instruments
U2701A/02A 100/200 MHz oscilloscope
U2722A/23A 3-channel source measure unit
U2741A 5½ digit digital multimeter (DMM)
U2751A 4x8 switch matrix
U2761A 20 MHz function generator
U2781A Modular chassis
USB modular data acquisition
U2300A Series USB modular multi-function
DAQ devices
U2500A Series USB modular simultaneous-
sampling multi-function DAQ devices
U2100A Series USB digital I/O devices
U2600A Series USB modular isolated
digital I/O devices
U2121A-based RF switch driver
U2802A 31-channel thermocouple
input module
To learn more, visit:
www.rs-components.com/agilent 7
Choosing an oscilloscope: Can you meet today’s budget requirements
while anticipating tomorrow’s bandwidth requirements?
Balancing short-term financial constraints with long-term technical needs is a never-
ending challenge. Whether your work keeps you at the bench or on the go, Agilent
oscilloscopes give you the flexibility to solve today’s measurement problems while
anticipating tomorrow’s.

InfiniiVision 2000 and 3000 X-Series scopes–fully upgradable as your needs

evolve:
• Increased bandwidth
• Mixed-signal capabilities
• Waveform memory up to 4 Mpts
• Versatile measurement applications
• WaveGen built-in 20 MHz function/arbitrary waveform generator
• Integrated digital voltmeter

U1600 Series handheld scopes–accelerate troubleshooting and achieve confident See page 7
results:
• Bandwidths up to 200 MHz
• 5.7-inch display with indoor, outdoor, and night-vision modes, a world’s first
Integrated scope, DMM, and data logger
• Up to 2 GSa/s sample rate and up to 2 Mpts deep memory

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owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed to
Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Technical data and pricing subject to change without

notice.

To learn more, visit: © Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2012

www.rs-components.com/agilent Publication number 5991-0543EEE