Hardware - Saturday April 26, 2008, Room SSB-131
10:15 am to 11:10 am
Controlling the World with PICs in 2008
Paul Bergsman, Author and Independent Consultant
Abstract :
Microchip markets a line of embedded controllers that make it easy for students and engineers to design and construct computer controlled projects. The program editor, compiler, and circuit simulator are provided free from Microchip. Paul Bergsman will detail how to construct circuits including a DTMF generator, stepping and servo motor controllers, LCD and LED displays, ADCs and DACs, a frequency counter, a Tachometer, a Matrix Keypad input, plus other applications. The talk also includes a description of commercial freeware useful for drawing and simulating a circuit, and for creating PC-board artwork.
Bio :
Paul Bergsman has taught Electronics in the Philadelphia Public Schools for 25 years. He chaired the PACS Engineering SIG for over 10 years, and is author of "Controlling the World with Your PC", which has been in print for 11 years! Paul has been and active supporter of TCF for many years. His interests included Ham Radio (N3PSO), International Folk Dancing, Folk Music, and chess.
11:20 am to 12:15 pm
Rolling Your Own PC-Boards 2008
Paul Bergsman, Author and Independent Consultant
Abstract :
In the old days the amateur or student drew the circuit-board artwork, made a negative, made a positive of the negative, placed the positive over a photo-etch solution covered PC-board, exposed the PC-board to light, and then used a chemical solution to etch the PC-board. This process was later simplified by printing computer generated artwork on a plastic transparency, and then transferring the image to a PC-board for etching. On average, the transparency transfer is successful about one out of every three times. Now there is a simple, and reliable, method for transferring your computer generated artwork to a PC board. This method works every time. This talk will include a description of commercial freeware useful in drawing a circuit (OrCad, Eagle, and Electronic Workbench), testing a circuit (PSpice and Electronic Workbench), and creating the PC board artwork (OrCad and Eagle).
Bio :
Paul Bergsman has taught Electronics in the Philadelphia Public Schools for 25 years. He chaired the PACS Engineering SIG for over 10 years, and is author of "Controlling the World with Your PC", which has been in print for 11 years! Paul has been and active supporter of TCF for many years. His interests included Ham Radio (N3PSO), International Folk Dancing, Folk Music, and chess.
12:25 pm to 2:25 pm
Workshop on Home Automation
Neil Cherry, Author/AT&T Research Lab
Abstract :
A general introduction to the world of Home Automation/Domotics will be presented. What is home automation and an introduction to the protocols, products and services that are available will be discussed. Both low to high end systems will be introduced including Misterhouse (free Open Source software for Windows, Linux and Mac). Commercial software will also be discussed and various products demonstrated during the presentation. Presentation material can be found at http://www.linuxha.com/ha_presentation/Linuxha_Presentation.html/.
Bio :
Neil Cherry is the author of Wiley's "Linux Smart Homes For Dummies". He has been working with computers, computer electronics, and software since 1978. He has been playing with X10 since 1982. He began automating his home in 1992 when a friend gave him an X10 computer interface. He started the Linux Home Automation Web site
3:40 pm to 4:35 pm
How to Make a Gadget
Mark Streitman, Evolutionary Thought,LLC/Microchip Design Partner
Abstract :
Love Gadgets? Most of the Gadgets we love today have microcontrollers at their heart and are in phones, handheld games, MP3 players, keyboards, mice, remote controls, robots, etc. Microcontrollers are little single chip computers that are programmed by their bigger cousins. For less than $50 and your own PC, you can start creating your own gadgets. You will be shown what they are and how you could go about building and programming an embedded microcontroller project. We will also give away some Microchip development kits and answer any questions you might have with your own projects.
Bio :
Mark Streitman have been an microprocessor/microcontroller engineer and programmer for over 25 years. He is an outside Design Partner in association with Microchip and has his own business, Evolutionary Thought, LLC. He designs Microchip based boards on a consulting bases. He also does R&D and created the world's first Portable Foucault Pendulum for the classroom, which is sold in science catalogs.