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Here under a couple of the projects I've spent time on before launching Alciom, meaning 5 to 20 years ago... 

A home-made, Renesas based, reflow oven controller ! Ideal to build your own SMT circuit boards. This project won the Grand Prize of the last 2004 « H8 Design contest » International contest organized by Renesas and Ciruit Cellar . See the contest web site for full entry documentation and software. If you are interested in more "practical" tips on own to do home-reflow then read Circuit Cellar : A detailled article is in preparation !
Vector'Soc : a 0-1GHz PC-based vectorial network analyzer

Vector'Soc is a simple but effective RF network analyzer, able to plot gain and phase shift of any circuit from DC to 1GHz, with a 35-40dB dynamic range. This project just won the 3rd international price in the Circuit Cellar / Cypress 2002 design contest !  

Resources : Detailled abstractCypress / Circuit Cellar PsoC'02 contest info, Cypress application note, published article

I do have in mind to transform this project into a full-featured commercial product... If you are interested send me a mail and I will keep you informed !

PIC'SPECTRUM

A very low cost autonomous audio spectrum analyzer, displaying the spectrum on a VGA display. A PIC processor (17C756) take care of the audio signal acquisition, the FFT calculation, and the video signal generation 100% in software. This project won the 1st international price in the Design'98 contest organized by Microchip and Circuit Cellar Ink. 

Resources : On-line article - Published article - Design contest - IP Products

STICK'SX

A Simmstick compatible processor board built around a Scenix processor. This project won the 1st international price in the SimmStick'99 contest organized by SimmStick & Dontronics. 

Resources : Online documentation - Design contest info

UPSC4

An high-end universal counter, built using an ATMEL FPSLIC chip (FPGA/microcontroller combo in one chip). This project won the 2nd international price in the "Driven to Design" contest organized in 2001 by Atmel and Circuit Cellar Ink.

Resources : (none yet)

DDSGEN

A high frequency generator (0 to 110MHz) built around an AD9852 DDS chip and a couple of microcontrollers. This project won the 1st International Price in the "Design’2K" contest organized in 2000 by Philips Semiconductors & Circuit Cellar Ink. 

Resources : Detailled abstract - SchematicsDesign contest info - Published article - IP Products

EZ'STUNT

An experimental system-control development platform using a modified low cost RC car. This project won the 2nd internation price in the "Driven to Design" contest organized in 2001 by Zilog Semiconductor & Circuit Cellar Ink

Resources : Detailled abstract - Press release - Design contest info - Schematics

UPS'Meteo : A talking weather station

Quite a funny device, able to awake you with an artificial voice "saying" the current weather parameters (temperature, min/max of the night, humidity, pressure, etc).

Ressources : none yet on-line.

SCAN3D

An ultrasonic 3D telemeter, that could be used either alone (as a standard ultrasonic telemeter) or connected to a PC (giving a real 3D view thanks to two servo-motors). The ultrasonic ranging circuitry is designed with two low cost transmitter/receivers, a Lattice IspLSI1016 EPLD and a couple of analog chips to get a 3-4m detection range with a 1cm resolution. This project won the 2nd internation price in the COP8 contest organized in 2000 by National Semiconductors & the Elektor magazine.

Resources : Schematics - Firmware download - PC software download - Download EDPLD files - Published article

NEURAL'STAMP

An embedded neural network macrochip and its development tools. This project won the first international price in the "Design’99" contest organized in 1999 by Motorola & Circuit Cellar Ink.

Firmware download - Design contest info - Published article

Tilty'Mouse : a mouse for the disabled people

Tilty'Mouse is built using a Memsic MEX232 evaluation board, hosting a 2-D accelerometer chip. Mounted on a cap, this captor allows the user to move the mouse cursor up/down and left/right with tilts of the head, and allows to click with a quick "yes" sign of the head, thanks to a windows-based software. 

Resources : none yet online but should not be long, contact me if you're interested !

UPS0104 power supply

A very compact power supply, 3 identical outputs 0-20V/0-3A completly uncoupled for maximum flexibility, and a track mode for serial/parallel coupling if needed, using a Texas Instruments ISO122 isolation amplifier.

Resources : Full schematics - Published Article

17C756PG

An home-made simple programmer for the PIC 17C756 microcontrollers

Resources : see the freeware section

Weller soldering base controller

An home-made power supply and controller for a Weller LR20 soldering iron (not the magnastat ones but the ones with a thermocouple), using a PID regulation.

Resources : Schematics (some french in this one...). If you don't have a DjVu viewer please visit www.lizardtech.com.

UPS'BF2

A low frequency generator built around an old but reliable XR2206 chip (may be obsolete ?), but extended with wobulation, pulse generator, salve generator, etc

Resources : Schematics (some french in this one...). If you don't have a DjVu viewer please visit www.lizardtech.com.

50HZ REFERENCE

A crystal-stabilized 50Hz sine reference to drive a high-power standalone power supply

Resources : (none yet)

PENPHONE

A 87C51 based device allowing to quickly read phone numbers printed as bar-codes and to automatically compose the corresponding phone number. The bar-code reading firmaware may be reused for other designs (code-39 standard)

Resources : (none yet)

TVCOP

A gadget that allows to restrict TV watching time to children ! Each child has an EEPROM based key, loaded with a fixed watching time. The key allows to switch on the TV... but is decremented every minut... Using a 68HC705 processor. This project won the 1st national price in a design contest organized in 1995 by Elektor

Resources : Published article, firmware

KIVAOU

A PIC16C84 based cable checker : A transmitter inject a signal in up to 16 lines while a detector is able to find out which line is which, even with short-circuits or without a ground connection. This project won the 2nd national price in a design contest organized in 1997 by Elektor. An improved version, built around a Motorola 68HC908QY4 chip, has won the First European Prize in a design contest organized by Circuit Cellar and Motorola in 2003.

Resources : Complete description (in french...), schematics on the sender and prober, firmware for the sender and for the prober microcontrollers. See also the  published article or the improved version

SCOPEMETER LINK

An home-made optoisolated PC connection cable for the Philips/Fluke ScopeMeter 97 digital scopes. 

Resources : Full project documentation

Discrete events logger

A device that allows to monitor up to four contacts (relays, contactors, etc) and store the time of any state change. Built using only one 68HC11 and one LCD display, using the 512 bytes of the 'HC11 internal EEPROM for the firmware. Very useful to track pumps start/stop times, door openings, etc

Resources : (none yet)

 

Disclaim : Thanks to understand that these designs are and stay my property under the relevant intellectual property laws. They are described in these pages only for your private information and should not be used, even in part, in any commercial application without my written authorization (which may include royalties negociation...). Moreover I assume of course no responsibility in any case for direct or indirect damages or injuries that may occur by the use of these informations. 

 

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