PIC microcontrollers are great choice but there is always a problem when choosing compiler. The weak side of PIC is lack of open source C compiler. What if you aren’t doing commercial projects and down want pay a penny just for trying things out. The best choice is to use trial or limited version like CCS. Anyway there is a bit change here with PIC32 microcontrollers. Microchip has announced a free version of MPLAB XC32++ compiler with no time or code size limitations.

Compiler supports all 32-bit PIC microcontrollers for C++ or mixed C/C++ projects. Free version has no best-in-class optimization or server license, but for most hobby and even commercial projects works fine.

Earth, our lovely homeland, is a very beautiful and mystery place. It covers with assorted natural resources and elements. Most of the elements can only be traced, if you’re having a hypersensitive equipment, such as the Radioisotope Analyzer.

The radioisotope analyzer is a handheld instrument, which is used for identifying and studying sources of ionizing radiation. Basically, it processes the signal from a sensor named, “scintillation probe”.

The scintillation probe is often being used to analyze, store the data and produce a graphic output known as an “energy spectrum”. The users can identify the radioisotope, based on the location and amplitude of peaks within the spectrum of one component.

Frankly, this radioisotope analyzer can allow the complete system to be built in a handheld device. It includes the latest data analysis tools, the back-propagation neural network. This feature is for modeling unknown samples and comparing the measured samples!

In addition, the system equipped with the following components, such as:

• A graphical display (graphics PICtail),

• Buttons for the user interface,

• An SD flash card socket (It responsible for storage of spectrum data).

The design is based on a high-voltage low-current power supply. It main purpose is to drive the probe and control by the PIC32 via PWM.

You might have encountered various types of spectrum analyzers in your life. As you know, the common spectrum analyzer is limited with several functions, where you can use it for examining the spectral composition in electrical, acoustic or optical waveform!

If you’re suggesting to buy a brand new spectrum analyzer, it’s the right time to have a peek on this multi-core spectrum analyzer.

For your information, this project is fully based on the PIC32. It utilizes the processing power of three additional dsPIC33 processors. In this case, the inherent speed of the dsPIC33s will be used to perform repetitive FFT computations and provide the parallel interface with the high speed A/Ds. With the multiple cores, the processing of multiple analog input signals would become extremely fast and efficient than before!

Different from other spectrum analyzer, this multi-core spectrum analyzer is going to provide a user with a low cost system, which is able to perform the following tasks:

• Sampling multiple channels of analog data,
• Computing the spectral content, and
• Displaying the result on a color graphical display.

Beside that, the user have his/her own touch screen interface. This feature is allowing them to control the sampling, display, manipulation and storage of the data.

If you’ve watched the Disney animated movies, “Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa”, then you must have entertained by the Hippopotamus inside the movie! I bet you also very familiar with this slogan, “I like to move it, move it” too, isn’t it?

By the way, are you interested to develop a smart and interactive toy here? Well, have a closer look on this iHippo, as it’s an artificial intelligent toy.

This iHippo is an amazing toy that based on the Pic32. Beside that, it contains a 223-unique and original soundbites. The five original full-length songs can be used to help your children go to sleep while the random blurbs will keep you laughing all the time.

There are other interesting features about this iHippo:

A smart Parental Control Interface – It provides a “block-out” window and allows the parent to program into the iHippo, by simply using a standard RS-232 interface.

Wake-up alarm – It can be a useful alarm to get your children wake up in the morning.

Smart light sensor – It equipped with an automatic volume control based on ambient light levels. Hence, the light can be controlled according to the darkness of the environment.

Magnetic Proximity sensor – It might sounds bizarre, but this iHippo is able to eat refrigerator magnets!

What are you staring at? Let’s start the project right now! Please make sure that you’re “move it, move it” during the project!