Over the years I have worked on numerous embedded microprocessor projects. These range from a few hundred bytes of code written in assembler for a PIC micro to 256K of compiled C for an 80515 based touchscreen data handling terminal. In recent times work has also been done on code hosted on 16-bit microprocessors.

This work has required an understanding of the underlying hardware, including interfacing to various I/O devices including AD, DA, Flash, serial EEPROM, serial temperature sensors etc. etc.

Some specific projects are:

Hand-held gas leak detection

A series of hand-held products based upon the Dallas 80C530 variant of the 8051 family. The work here included designing a monitor to reside in the internal PROM on the chip and a loader to load the main firmware to an external flash chip. Interface to a PC was achieved over a custom infra-red link. Data handling of the raw AD data and processing the signal to meaningful scientific units, calibration and data logging all formed part of the firmware.

Visit the Ion Science web site


Touchscreen data terminal

A custom 1/4 VGA size touchscreen unit with an 80515 processor. Paged ROM gave 256K of code space. Paged RAM giving 128K of data. A complete sector based filing system was implemented to handle storage of variable length data files. Data is collected from UV/Visible Spectrophotometers and processed in various ways before storage and/or display in graphical format. Two serial ports allow interface to the Spectrophotometer and a PC. A parallel port allows direct printing of data, both text and graph. Latest version, the M400, to communicate with fibre-optic Spectrophotometer developed in 2000.

Visit the Camspec web site

Pictures

Stepper motor Rugby controlled clock

Simple PIC processor based controller which decodes the Rugby time signal and uses it to control a stepper motor driving a clock movement.

In-vehicle data logging

Various instruments based around the same theme of data logging in vehicles. Data includes journey information, speed data and driver activity. Software was written in FORTH to run on 8051 based hardware. One version included sophisticated real-time processing of driver activity to check compliance with road transport driving hours restrictions (for New Zealand).

Precision tension controlled reel to reel inspection machine

Using an off-the-shelf 80515 based processor board to control inspection machine. A delicate ribbon material is transferred from one reel to another under controlled tension and speed. Material transfer is stopped as each length passes through an inspection area so that the whole reel of material is checked.

Visit GB Innomech web site


Flexible controller/monitor

A configurable controller/monitor based on the 16-bit 80C166 processor. Design required interface to AD, DA, serial devices, RS485, Modbus communciation protocol, graphics LCD and keypad. A Windows hosted application was also written to allow configuration of the controller and loading of the firmware via a bootstrap loader

Visit Mektronika Systems web site


Flue gas analyser

System for montoring gas content of industrial flues and chimneys using spectrophotometry. A scanned diode array sensor produced 1024 analog data points. Software was based on a 16-bit M37700 processor written in C. High speed data aquisition was required along with data processing and modbus communications over RS485 to a host PC.

Visit the Procal Analytics web site