Card Reader Using Microcontroller

Card Reader Using Microcontroller

This is a simple version of Card Reader. Why? because this Magnetic Card Reader only in read only environment. It only read the information stored in magnetic card. The purpose of the project is used as card debugger. There are three main part in this project :

• A reader to capture digital characters from the card
• A RISC microcontroller to store data and check for errors
• A display to relay the magstripe contents to the viewer

As processor it use microcontroller AVR ATtiny 2313. For Reader it uses Panasonic ZU-M2121S451 Reader. and for display use LCD 16x2.

"The Magstripe (Track 2) Reader project can be used to view numerics stored a magnetic data card. Although there is no writeback ability, the device is very useful as a card debugger. The treatise will use an LCD character display to relay this data to the user. The circuit uses an AVR microcontroller and can modified to work with similar RISC controllers."

Although the card reader can't write back to magnetic card, I guess this is a one of good reference to learn how card reader work. For download the reference clik here (zip file) or visit this link

Thanks to Brady Mayes for great card reader based on microcontroller.

Digital Camera Interface

Digital Camera Interface

How to interface CMOS camera and microcontroller? well, Iñaki Navarro Oiza had made great microcontroller project about it. The camera called c3088 uses a CMOS image sensor OV6620 from Omnivision. To communicate between microcontroller and camera he use I2C protocol. As processor it used Atmel AVR ATmega16.

"The aim of this project is the development and construction of an interface between a CMOS camera and a computer. This interface allows a user to get images from the camera, to change some of the properties of the camera as brightness, luminance, etc from a computer. Also some image process is implemented allowing the camera to track white objects and follow them with a servomotor. The interface was implemented using the Atmel AVR ATmega16 microcontroller."


Download code, schematic, slide and documentation click here

Infrared Remote Control Receiver

Infrared Remote Control Receiver

Here is another project from Seradis Vassilis, Infrared Remote Control Receiver. The idea behind the project is how to control Media Center based on PC to switch it On or Of. This project use ATtiny 13 Microcontroller because of its small size and its RAM in case. He use C language to program it. This remote project use RC5 protocol as he said.
For remote control receiver that it could handle both On/Off and windows or program commands you cand use Girder 3.2.9 or PC remote control v4.213. This receiver use RS232 port to communicate with PC at 2400bps.

For more detail about source, schematic and more, you can download here

Robotic Arm Project

The main objective of this project is to create the virtual representation of a robot’s working environment. This virtual space gives user the ability to test the physical system without ever having to set up the physical environment and also user can practice without having to be on site. Another benefit of using a virtual space is that we can create any representation needed for the user. To control the robot in the real world, as well as the virtual world, we use MATLAB/Simulink to numerically analyze the inverse dynamics of the system. This allows us to specify the robot’s position that we want and then calculate the joint angles that will move the robot to that desired position. The robot will be used to manipulate a set number of objects with known positions within the system, real world or virtual.

Electronic Speed Controller based on PIC microcontroller

This microcontroller project built by Chris Spurlock. He try to make a cheap electronic speed controller for brushed DC motors. All cost for this project only take about $15 and a little more brain power and programming on PIC microcontroller.

I though it's a suitable project for people that want to make a simple electronic project based on PIC microcontroller. Here is the schematic for the project and For more detail information.

AVR Digital Counter

Another cool microcontroller project from jesper. Counter measurer using microcontroller AT 90S2313, you can use ATtiny 2313 to replace it. It could be a simple digital counter count up at 35-40Mhz. The software written in C code.

"It uses only 4 chips - 3 HC TTL's and an Atmel At90S2313 microcontroller. It has a 5 digit LED display plus one used as a band indicator. Even with the LED display, the current consumption is less than 50 mA. It counts up to at least 52 MHz. I couldn't find any signal source in the lab that could supply more than 52 MHz, so it may go a bit higher, but the fClock(typ) for the HC590 is about 35-40 MHz, so you shouldn't really count (no pun intended) on more."

Graphical LCD Display:

An accurate and simple graphical oscilloscope using a PIC18F2550 microcontroller and an AGM1264F graphical LCD has been constructed using the PIC18F2550 GLCD Text Test as basis. It has the capability of measuring the maximum voltage, peak-to-peak voltage, average voltage, minimum voltage, and the zero-crossing frequency for a DC signal over 100 samples. To capture on rise or fall, the oscilloscope has a built-in edge trigger function that can be set.

Using the change Time Division function, the time scale for the display is variable and can be easily redefined while the voltage range can be changed to 0-5V, 0-2.5V, and 0-1.25V. The relatively slow acquisition time and sampling rate is the main limitations of this oscilloscope due to the fact that the inputs are limited by the constraints of the internal ADC.
A 9V battery is used as the power supply along with a high-accuracy low drop-out linear voltage regulator to provide a stable 5V supply for the microcontroller and the graphical LCD. The power spikes/ripples are prevented by capacitor.