Roadmap for Communications Engineering I

• A History of Computing and Microcontrollers
• Serial Communications
• Multiplexing
• Simplex, Half-Duplex, and Full Duplex Transmission
• Three methods of communication: Unicast Broadcast and Multicast

• Asynchronous Transmission
• Transmission Signals (e.g., EIA-232)
• Unbalanced transmission with ground reference
• Signalling bauds - Mark and Space
• Data bits sent in slots (e.g., 8 bits/slot)
• LSB Transmission Order (See p72 of DMX512 Recommendations)
• The ASCII Character Set

• The Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART)
• Baud rates and baud rate generator
• Slot/character framing using start and stop bauds
• Framing errors when received baud rate differs to transmit

• [Video] Demonstration of EIA-432 (A 10V version of 232)

• Transmit voltage (e.g. +12V or -12V)
• Receiver voltage thresholds +3V to +15V and -3V to -15V
• Hysteresis at the receiver

• [Video] Scope Probes
• [Video] Scope Timebases
• [Video] Scope Autoscale

• Integrity Checks to protect data bits
• Parity bauds to detect bit errors
• Checksums to detect frame errors
• Interface to the Global Positioning System (GPS)
• GPS NMEA Physical Interface
• GPS Sentences
• Longitudinal Parity

• Scope Serial Decoding

• Differential transmission over balanced cables
• Common mode noise rejection

• Line Drivers
• Driver Slew Rate

• [Video] Scope Probes
• [Video] Scope Timebases
• [Video] Scope Autoscale Function

• [Video] The DMX Guidelines

• A History of DMX
• Multi-point Bus
• DMX Guidelines

• The Digital Multiplex (DMX) Specification
• Frames and framing
• Use of slots to transmit control information

• Bus Termination
• See p22 of DMX512 Recommendations
• [YouTube Video] The DMX 512 Terminator
• [Video] Demo of Bus Termination

• DMX Physical Layer & Cable
• Data sheet for DS75176B-Transceiver
• EIA-485 Notes
• The EIA-485 Design Guide (Texas Instruments)

• [Video] Example: Connecting Equipment to a DMX 512 Bus

• [Video] Demo of Start of Frame
• [Video]Measurement of Frame Rate

• DMX Frames and Frame Synchronisation
• DMX Break, and MAB (See p68-69 of DMX512 Recommendations)

• Receiver Base Address
• Base Address Configuration
• DIP Switches (See p54-56, p84ff of the DMX512 Recommendations)

• Digital Control using a MicroController
• Grounding (See p33ff of the DMX512 Recommendations)

• Implementation of DMX Receivers
• Example: Milford Instruments Receiver Board Application Note

• Interpretation of DMX Slot Values
• DMX Output
• Stepper Motor Control

Lab D: DMX Frame Transmission

• Scope Serial Decoding
• Scope Triggering

DMX 512 Control

• [Video] Example: The VARIAC
• [Video] TRIAC Power Control
• [Video] Example: A Domestic Dimmer

• Power Control
• Crydom Solid State Relays Application Note
• [ Video ] Example: The PAR-64

• DMX Output

• Example of A Remarkable Robotic LED Light: The Clay A.Leda Paky BeeEye
  • Fun Promotion Video and Full Product Video

Lab E: DMX Control

• Multi-Point Bus and Repeaters

• DMX over Ethernet (See p49.ff of the DMX512 Recommendations)

Lab F: TRIAC Power Control

Lab G: TDM Output via DMX

• The Remote Device Management (RDM) Specification

• RDM Physical Layer:
• Bias, and Termination
• RDM (See p22ff of DMX512 Recommendations)

• Half-Duplex
• RDM Packets
• Repeaters and RDM
• UID Discovery
• Controlling Devices via RDM

• [ video ] Using CAN to check a car ECU

• The Controller Area Network (CAN)
• Protocols Based on CAN
• Introduction to CAN (TI)

• Synchronous Transmission
• The CAN Waveform
• Bit Stuffing

• Bus access and arbitration

• The CRC