High Precision Operational Amplifiers Technical Sessions from Avnet

30. October 2009 by admin.

From: http://www.em.avnet.com/evs/home/0,1707,RID%253D%2526CID%253D50625%2526CAT%253DOTR%2526CCD%253DUSA%2526SID%253D32214%2526DID%253DDF2%2526LID%253D32233%2526PRT%253D0%2526PVW%253D%2526PNT%253D%2526BID%253DDF2%2526CTP%253DEVS,00.html 

Microchip has added new and improved solutions for your operational amplifier designs, and Avnet Memec Field Application Engineers (FAEs) are factory-trained to discuss the technical benefits of the various product families.

This On-Ramp Technical Session will introduce three new operational amplifiers and will allow attendees to ask questions specific to your current projects. The hands-on demonstration will provide a complete example of Microchip’s control of the analog signal chain.

Agenda

• High Precision Trimmed Operational Amplifier Family (MCP605x, 6x, 7x)
  – Family overview, technology and applications
• Auto-zero Operational Amplifier Family (MCP6V0x)
  – Family overview, technology and applications
• Operational Amplifiers with mCal (MCP65x)
  – Family overview, technology and applications
• MCP6V01 Reference Design Board demonstration
  – Thermocouple – Operational Amplifier – ADC – PIC18 – USB – SW on Laptop

Posted in Avnet Memec, Op Amps, Training & Education | Print | 1 Comment »

Another cool Halloween Contest

28. October 2009 by admin.

Show us your Halloween Project Contest from Hacked Gadgets.

Halloween is a great time to whip out the soldering iron to make some cool and frightening projects. We have featured tons of cool DIY Halloween projects over the years like the Halloween prop shown above, they are all inspirational! This season we want to see your creations.

Enter Contest Here

To enter you will need to post your project in the Hacked Gadgets Forum, if you don’t have an account you will need a password during the sign-up process, it’s joinhgforum. We needed to implement this to prevent the smart spammers that seem to be everywhere.

Here is what you need to do to enter:

• Make a Halloween project that has some electronic components, it doesn’t need to be anything complex, for example some red LED eyes on a ghost would be enough.
• Post at least one picture of the project in this thread on the Hacked Gadgets Forum. Additional pictures and a link to some video would be welcome though.
• List the materials that were used and a short description of the project build. The description don’t need to be very detailed but more detail than the bare minimum is appreciated.
• You can enter as many times as you want, place each new project in a seperate forum entry. You can only receive one of the loupe magnifiers though even if multiple projects are in the first 10 entries.
• All projects need to be your own work. The Halloween project doesn’t need to be something that was made this year, you are welcome to post a project that you have built in the past.
• Enter before November 11th, 2009.

The winner of the contest will get a cell phone jammer, this device should disable most cell phones in your direct area. If you win this device and it is illegal in your country please only use it for research. The winner will be selected by a vote based on all the valid entries. The first 10 entries will get a loupe magnifier which is great for building or repairing circuit boards.

 

Posted in Hacked Gadgets, Contest | Print | 1 Comment »

Free Eval of Realizer from Actum

27. October 2009 by admin.

Get it here: http://www.actum.com/Evaluation.390.0.html

There are three Realizer models: Gold, Silver and Bronze. The Bronze model was specially created for evaluation purposes, and may be downloaded for free, through this page. A separate table compares the three models.A Realizer license actually consist of a general part (the schematic editor, simulator and analyzer) and a code generating part, which we call the Target Module. 

Realizer is a unique tool than enables you to design and develop software for micro-controllers without any knowledge of assembly language. You can concentrate on what you want to do, rather than how to do it. A Realizer design process is quite simple:

1. Draw a functional schematic (i.e., logical flow chart) using a rich set of predefined symbols.
2. Select a target micro-controller.
3. Connect the I/O.
4. Generate the code and its associated documentation.

Before generating the program code, the schematic is thoroughly checked for design errors. The result is highly-optimized, error-free code that can directly be loaded into the target micro-controller.

Posted in Actum Solutions, Evaluation Version | Print | 1 Comment »

Dwarf Boards - the clever microcontroller building blocks

24. October 2009 by admin.

Dwarf Boards is a set of boards that can be combined in very flexible way to create the hardware for your project. Dwarf Boards are cheaper and more flexible than evaluation boards, and much easier than building custom hardware. Check them out at http://www.voti.nl/dwarf/index.html.

Posted in Van Ooijen Technische Informatica, Development Tool | Print | 1 Comment »

24-hr Microchip Technology giveaway zeta - GO!

21. October 2009 by admin.

from http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/24-hr_microchip_technology_giveaway_3.html

• Interview with MakerBot owner Andrew Plumb
• Main
• Skiing robot caught in steady decline

24-hr Microchip Technology giveaway zeta - GO!

Closing at noon PDT today, we will be accepting comments, below, describing the Halloween-y use (or uses) to which you would put the prize bundle consisting of one Microchip Technology PIC10F Cap Touch Demo Board and one MCP1650 Multiple White LED Demo Board.

For this giveaway, the prompt is: “How would you use the prize bundle in a Halloween costume?”

The winner will be announced this afternoon at the bottom of the comment thread. Be sure to include a valid e-mail address.

Posted in Make Magazine, Contest | Print | 1 Comment »

Free Samples are Back - NO more shipping charges!

19. October 2009 by admin.

Looks like Microchip brought back free samples in the US, UK, Germany & Italy. No more $7.50 shipping and handling fee.  We like that!

Posted in Free Shipping, Samples, Free Stuff, Microchip | Print | 1 Comment »

Semtech Offers RF Development Platform

14. October 2009 by admin.

From: http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2546828/

Semtech, a supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, announced the SX1211 Development Kit for PIC MCUs, a plug-and-play RF daughter board for use with development tools from Microchip Technology, a provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors. Semtech said the new kit speeds time to market for low power wireless alarm, security, sensor network, automatic meter reading and monitoring and control products that use the SX1211 wireless transceiver with Microchip’s PIC microcontrollers (MCUs).  

Semtech reported that the new plug-and-play RF daughter board contains all of the hardware required to connect to Microchip’s PIC18 Explorer board, which is used for development with PIC18 high-end 8-bit MCUs, and the Explorer 16 board, which is used for development with 16-bit PIC24 MCUs, 32-bit PIC32 MCUs and dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs). This compatibility is maintained by providing connectors for Microchip’s standard PICtail and PICtail Plus daughter board interfaces. Semtech explained that many SX1211 designs use these PIC MCUs because they offer great performance and very low power consumption, some with sleep currents as low as 20 nA via Microchip’s nanoWatt XLP extreme low power technology.  

The SX1211 is part of Semtech’s complete platform of ISM-band transceivers. The SX1211 is optimized for asynchronous sensor network designs in the unlicensed industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) frequency bands (868-870 MHz and 902-928 MHz) where low RX power consumption is critical to battery life as the receiver is constantly waking up to sniff for signals.  

The plug-and-play RF daughter board includes the SX1211 RF transceiver, an antenna, a 28-pin PICtail connector for the PIC18 Explorer board and a 100-pin PICtail Plus connector for the Explorer 16 board. This daughter board also includes jumpers to help in configuring MCU-to-RF connection options. Also available on Semtech’s website is Semtech’s Wireless Star Network software, which can be run on the PIC MCUs (drivers available).  

“The SX1211 and PIC MCUs are increasingly being used together in designs that need great RF performance and low power consumption,” said Marc Pegulu, Industrial Analog Product Line Manager for Semtech. “We are committed to working with Microchip to deliver tools that help our customers make the most of their development resources.”  

“Designers developing wireless applications with our PIC MCUs and Semtech’s transceivers can now seamlessly integrate both solutions using Microchip’s established tool chain,” said Stephen Caldwell, director of Microchip’s RF Products Division. “This integration of Semtech’s low-power transceivers with our low-power PIC MCUs enables designers to lower development costs and speed time to market while increasing the battery life of their applications.”

Posted in Semtech, RF, Development Tool | Print | 1 Comment »

All Dontronics SimmSticks and Connectors: 50% - 75% off

12. October 2009 by admin.

From http://www.dontronics-shop.com/

 4DSystems,manufacturers of Micro OLED’s,LCD’s,and VGA modules, has recently adjusted prices due to global exchange rates. As the only dealer for many years, and up against so much competition these days, we are now offering a price guarantee for Dontronics customers. Show us a web advertised lower price, and we will refund you the difference. Please read 4D Systems Price Guarantee Conditions.

All Dontronics SimmSticks and Connectors: 50% - 75% off.

All orders must be placed via the Shopping Cart, unless prior arrangements have been made for special orders. 
This includes Government, and Educational orders.

Prices given are for Internet Shopping Cart Orders only.Sorry, we do not accept phone, fax, or mail orders.

Prices are default set for customers living outside of Australia,and postage is shown for all destinations. Once you register and log in, GST Tax will be displayed for Australians, and postage rates will be selected for your country.

If you wish to pay by credit card, we don’t accept free emails addresses such as Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo, unless you have been a Dontronics customer for a minimum of 6 months. Please see Payment Options for alternatives available.

Posted in Dontronics | Print | 1 Comment »

Win a PIC10F Cap Touch Demo Board and one MCP1650 Multiple White LED Demo Board

8. October 2009 by admin.

From http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/24-hr_microchip_technology_giveaway.html:

The sponsors of this year’s Halloween contest have sent us a bundle of, er, bundles to give away in the weeks leading up to the 31st, and we’re gonna start chucking ‘em up in the air pretty fast now. Beginning at noon PST today, and closing at noon PST tomorrow, we will be accepting comments, below, describing the Halloween-y use (or uses) to which you would put the prize bundle consisting of one Microchip Technology PIC10F Cap Touch Demo Board and one MCP1650 Multiple White LED Demo Board. The winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon at the bottom of the comment thread.

Posted in Make Magazine, LED, Touch Sensing, Free Stuff, Microchip, Sweepstakes, Development Tool | Print | 1 Comment »

First Microchip Technology Halloween promo giveaway

5. October 2009 by admin.

As part of  this year’s MAKE Halloween contest, Microchip  will be providing us with a number of product samples to give away throughout October. First up for grabs is a PIC32 Starter Kit, shown above, with a retail value of $50, together with a PIC32 I/O Expansion Board, shown below, which sells for $72. To enter, leave a comment describing what cool Halloween-themed project you’d make with it. The winner will be announced next Friday, October 9.

Posted in Sweepstakes, Make Magazine, Contest, 32-bit, Microchip, Development Tool | Print | 2 Comments »