ARTICLES

BOTBASH ’99 - Dan Danknick
This yearly event held in Phoenix is an excellent venue for both those just starting out in robot combat events, and seasoned vets.

A+ CERTIFICATION — WHAT CAN IT DO FOR YOU? - Larry Ball
You’ve probably heard of the A+ certification for computer technicians. But what can it do for you? Read on ...

A HEADSET JUNCTION BOX - Gerald Roylance
Have the convenience of a headset on your computer without the inconvenience of having to constantly plug and unplug the speakers and microphone at the back of your computer.

USING LOW-COST MELODY AND SOUND-EFFECTS GENERATOR ICs - Ray Marston
Create a festive holiday atmosphere with these melody ICs. And, with a wide variety of songs and sound effects to choose from, you can personalize gifts or cards.

A SIMPLE CONTROLLER FOR STEPPER MOTORS TO USE WITH MICROPROCESSORS - James Lyman
Construct this controller for use with unipolar motors. It’s perfect for use with microprocessors since it has just two control lines: one to control the stepping of the motor and the other to control the direction of the motor’s rotation.

ORBITAL E-MAIL — AN AFFORDABLE SOLUTION - Gordon West
Have access to E-Mail anywhere you go, with the help of Magellan’s GSC-100 handheld and the Orbcomm satellite service.

COLUMNS

AMATEUR ROBOTICS NOTEBOOK - Robert Nansel
Bit-level routines that make the master pay attention to what the slave is doing, a nifty new PWM part, and some suggestions for good winter reading.

OPEN CHANNEL - Joe Carr
Electrostatic discharge (ESD).

STAMP APPLICATIONS - Lon Glazner
STAMP Net: A multi-drop Stamp-based network — Part 2.

THE COMPUTER-CONTROLLED WORLD - Ryan Sheldon
Advanced RS-232 Control of Relays: January will mark the release of the largest and most powerful relay controller yet, and begin a whole new way of thinking ...