Two or more counter modules may be plugged together with the 6-pin sockets & harness provided. Uses a single-unit 3-digit LED display and is built around the 14553 & 14511 chips. Box & battery are provided. The separate COUNTER MODULE shows how to use the Kit as a counter. Has COUNT & RESET switches with debounce circuit built in to eliminate problems from noisy switches. 9V battery operation.

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Introduces 3 1/2 digit LCD and the very popular 7106 IC. This IC has been used in low-cost multimeters for over 13 years. We use it to measure temperature using a ordinary signal transistor as the sensor. Data sheets are provided as is a breadboard area so you can extend the circuit to build your own voltmeter, ammeter, resistance meter or extended-range temperature meter. Takes away the mystery of how multimeters work. Box provided. 9V battery operation.

LCD data sheet. VI302-DP-RC pdf file for Kits 2 and 34.

7106 Data Sheet.

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A kit to introduce you to electronics and circuit analysis. Seven LEDs arranged like a real dice face. Push the switch and the dice rolls then slows down. Ingenious circuit design used to minimise components. Uses 14017 & 555. Box included. 9V battery operation.

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A game of skill to turn on the Stairway of 6 LEDs as the bi- colour LED flashes. Introduces you to several electronics basic circuits with a surprisingly difficult game to play. Box included. Good introduction to electronics. 9V battery.

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Electronic game. Ten LEDs in a circle. One LED is turned on at a time to simulate the spinning of a roulette ball around the wheel. Uses voltage controlled oscillator circuit. 'Ball' gradually slows down and stops on a number. 'Ball' speed can be adjusted. Uses 9V battery.

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The most powerful 'bug' available for its size, 3V supply and number of components. Guaranteed to transmit over 100 meters within buildings and to 500 meters in the open. Easily tunable in the FM band. Greater range at higher voltage and better aerial.

For an excellent introduction to the theory of 'simple' 2 stage transmitters download FM Transmitter Theory 1.2MB

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Detects very small amounts of light and sounds the piezo alarm. Put it in your cash box or cupboard. Uses Darlington photo transistor MAL12 (replaced the MEL12 in mid-1998) and 14011 IC. Educational kit.

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A learning module. Build and experiment with astable, monostable and SR flip-flop multivibrators on the one PCB. 6 LED's & 9V battery-powered. See and understand exactly how each works. Good introduction to electronics.

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Both types of switch are built onto the one PCB so you can see and explore how each type works. A battery can power the touch switch (2 contacts) but a power supply (like Kit 4) must be used for the touch plate (1 terminal) to work. High quality 12V relay rated at switching 240V/3A supplied. Uses 14011 IC.

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Introduces the Optocoupler-triac MOC3021 and triac. Complete electrical isolation between input audio signal (low voltage circuit) and output light modulation (mains supply voltage levels) is achieved.

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Can be adjusted to turn on your tape recorder through its REMOTE plug. Has feedback and delay circuit for robust operation. Very sensitive. Proven circuit. Needs 6V plug pack for most stable operation.

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Kit contains Xenon Flashtube as found on aircraft, camera flash units, signal beacons and disco lights. Adjust to flash from 1 every three seconds to 3 flashes per second.

CAUTION: Connects directly to mains power supply. Must be put in a suitable enclosed box before using. Two PCBs for different mains voltage.

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Powerful 6V to 12V piezo alarm. Uses 556, auto-transformer and two piezo alarm elements. Circuit will deliver over 110dB at 1 meter. Uses sweep circuit so there is no need to trim the circuit to match the cavity resonant frequency. We supply a plastic box with two piezo elements (35mm diameter) already mounted in their own resonant cavity. This is part of a commercial alarm unit but it uses our (better!) drive circuit. Ideal alarm unit for Kit 53 (Codepad/Burglar Alarm).

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Miniature transmitter which attaches in series with one of the two lines to your telephone. Transmits over 200 meters to an ordinary FM receiver. Transmits further if the FM receiver is near the phone line. Tune with ceramic trim cap. Uses the phone line as an aerial and power source.

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More powerful FM transmitter 'bug' than Kit 7. Tank oscillator coil built into the circuit board. Can be tuned anywhere in FM band. 9V battery operation. Over 400m range in the open depending on aerial used.

For an excellent introduction to the theory of 'simple' 2 stage transmitters download FM Transmitter Theory 1.2MB

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K18 PCB now has 5 pairs of SM pads for SM resistors to be supplied later.

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Matched 40 kHz transmitter/receiver pair of transducers detects movement at over 7 metres. Separate PCB for mounting the active units. Latch/reset PCB-mounted switch on board. Sensitivity control. 9V battery operation. Transmitter is crystal- locked at 40kHz for maximum efficiency.

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Picture of ultrasonic transducers & 40kHz crystal.

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Simple two wire intercom. Each unit with its own speaker, microphone and amplifier (LM386.) Can be modified to a hard wired 'bug'. With 4 strand ribbon cable the power can be sent to the remote 'bug' unit from the receiving unit.

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9V battery powered xenon tube flasher. Transformer supplied. Wire is pre-wound on the bobbin but you must do the final winding of two outer coils. Full instructions provided. Trimpot to vary flash rate. Useful and educational.

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Good value-for money & simple circuit to generate square, (pseudo) sine and triangle waveforms in the audio range. Uses quad opamp LM348.

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This is the most important piece of equipment for testing and measuring digital equipment. It is usually used in fault finding and testing but can also assist in design work and to find out how digital equipment works. Switch for either TTL or CMOS. Our own modern design using a PUT. Includes detection circuit for very fast pulses. Gives visual (3 LEDs) and audio (piezo buzzer) response.

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Allows you to send sound through plastic 1mm fibre optic cable. Matched transmitter/receiver pair from Motorola. Two circuit boards with a microphone at one end and a speaker at the other. 14 feet fibre optic cable supplied. Will work over 200 meters.

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A sound activated switch and an FM transmitter joined together to make a voice activated FM transmitter. Set the level of sound that it will respond to. Two stage transmitter needs tuning to get best results. Tuning Kit and instructions enclosed. Transmits up to 1 km in the open depending on the aerial used.

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ZTX320 transistor specification

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An introduction to a basic but fully working combination lock. Separate touch pad with 9 pads. Lock is reset if an incorrect digit is pressed. Relay is capable of switching 250V. 12V operation. Robust and versatile.

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Circuit designed around a recently developed movement IC the KC778B. Circuit utilizes PIR detector and a light dependent resistor (LDR) to provide an optimized circuit that will detect motion up to 6 metres away. Operates on 9-12 VDC. Note that the PIR sensor & the PCB-mounted fresnel lens fit on the other side of the PCB; the solder side. This is to allow the unit to be mounted inside a container with the detecting lens poking out and the controls facing inside the box.

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Movement IC Specs - page 1

Movement IC Specs - page 2

RE200B PIR Sensor used in Kit 30.

Essential specs on RE200B sensor.

CdS Cell Specification Sheet

Fresnel Lens Data Sheet

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A surprisingly loud siren for such a simple circuit. Uses voltage controlled oscillator. 1/2 Watt, 8 ohm speaker supplied. 9V operation. Ideal to attach to an alarm system which needs an sound module.

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Our most powerful FM 'bug' to date. A two stage FM transmitter with an RF transistor (ZTX320) in the output stage. 9V operation. On/off switch mounted on the PCB.

See Kit 32 Report for independent test results on this Kit by Web-surf. For an excellent introduction to the theory of 'simple' 2 and 3 stage transmitters download FM Transmitter Theory 1.2MB

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ZTX320 transistor specification

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This kit uses a FET to switch on a tape recorder when the phone is picked up. It will work with low voltage tape recorders as low as 1.5V. It requires the REMOTE & MIC jacks of the tape recorder to be available. Plugs are provided.

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Make this general purpose 3 1/2 digit LCD panel meter into your own voltage or current meter or custom-make it to measure voltage input from a transducer. Full details are given in the documentation. Uses the very popular 7106 IC. The LCD section of the PCB may be cut off and mounted separately.

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LCD data sheet. VI302-DP-RC pdf file for Kits 2 and 34.

7106 Data Sheet.

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This general purpose 4 1/2 digit LCD counter is built around the 7224 IC. All the 7224 pins are brought out. You can custom design it for your own counter application.

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Kit 37M. Five red LED's flash in seven patterns. The modes can be cycled through using an on-board SPDT switch. When the desired flashing pattern is found just leave the switch there and the pattern will remain flashing as long as power goes to the board & the switch remains set. COB PCB measuring 3cm x 1.5 cm. October 2000. Now with trimpot to vary flash rate.

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Binary/hexadecimal/decimal/2's complement converter using a K1 uC. Eight LEDs are in a row. Step turns them on in turn by counting up using binary arithmetic. The 3-digit display shows the decimal equivalent (between 0 & 255) of the binary pattern. Press mode and the equivalent hexadecimal value (between 0 & FF) of the binary pattern is displayed. Mode and step pressed together will count backwards. If step is kept depressed the LEDs will rapidly count through the complete binary cycle in about 9 seconds.

But that is only half the capability of the Kit. Pressing mode again will show the 2's complement binary pattern of the previously displayed binary number. The equivalent hex and decimal values of the 2's comp number are also shown on the 3-digit display. Double-sided small PCB, 49mm x 79mm, 1.95" x 3.1". Supplied with box. 9V battery required. Display turns off after 1 minute with no keypress. Complete annotated program code supplied on floppy disk. Reviewed in Electronics Australia, 9/94, p82 - 86.

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Number System Decoder 115K

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No description.

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Quite often the hobbyist needs to use a relay. The output of some device like a PIR has output pads for the alarm signal which must be connected to a remote switching device. Or sometimes we have a Kit to test which needs a relay connected to it. To fill these needs we have made two Kits which are just a relay, PCB and terminal blocks for the input/output signals. There are many relay pin-outs & drive voltages to select from. We have standardized on two 12V relays from Goodsky. Kit 43 uses a large electro-mechanical relay designed to switch 240VAC/10A. Kit 45 uses two miniature 1A relays.

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New kit which flashes 30 super-bright, red LEDs in a variety of different patterns. The patterns are read from a lookup table in a micro-controller. Electrically the same as Kit 136; it is only the lookup table and the physical layout of the LEDs which are different between them. These circuits would be impossible using normal ICs. Both circuits are used with permission from the designer, Les Grant. All source code is provided.

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Our first ultrasonic movement detector - Kit 20 - has been very popular. This is another circuit design which we believe is more sensitive with fewer components. The transducers are mounted on the same PCB as the circuit.

Manufacturers data on ultrasonic transducers

Ultrasonic transducers & 40kHz crystal.

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No description.

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Five Ultra Bright LED's flashing in random or in sequence. Uses a COB (Chip-on-board) PCB measuring 3cm x 1.5 cm. The flashing frequency is set by a single external resistor between 300K and 1M ohm. A pad connected high determines the random or sequential flash pattern. A second pad connected low determines whether the flashing is continuous or set by a toggle switch.

Excellent project for schools since the project is very safe - uses 2 x 1.5V batteries, can be easily put together within 30 minutes, teaches the latest electronic technology as found in games and toys and give an strong visual result when it is finished. Comes with a motherboard to aid attaching the components to the COB PCB.

Assembled Kit

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This Kit continues the pattern demonstrated in earlier K1 micro-controller (uC) Kits (#38, #40, #42) where a uC more than replaces a cluster of logic IC's. In this Kit we have incorporated seven different types of timing operations all in one Kit. The Kit basically only contains 3 IC's. This is less than some timers which only time a single operation! A 4.096 MHz crystal attached to the K1 gives accurate timing. We have included two opto-isolators in the design to allow for a full range of signal inputs ranging from simple push buttons to electrically isolated voltage switching sources.

Time can be counted in steps of 0.1 seconds between 0.1 & 6553.6 sec. (1h 49m 13.6s), or in 1 seconds steps between 1 sec. & 65536 sec. (18h 12m 16s.) On-board DIP switches select start/stop times & timing modes.

Three flowcharts and 4 pages of written explanations are given in the documentation. Double sided PCB 56mm x 97mm mounted on box. On-board 12V relay rated at 5A/240V.

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Software Universal Timer 24K

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Uses a suction cup to attach to your telephone handset. Picks up the magnetic field produced in the earpiece by both sides of a telephone conversation. Using op-amps is still a bit of a black art & good layout is essential. Feeds into an 8 ohm speaker after amplification. Volume control trimpot built in. Uses an LM358 & LM386 on a single sided PCB.

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93LC46A EEPROM. Note must use 'A' 8 bit version for Kit 53, NOT the 'B' 16 bit version.

Codepad software 47K

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This kit connects to the phoneline and records the number dialled (tone dialling) and the duration of the call on a 2x16 LCD. It also accepts audio input from an microphone, tape recorder or magnetic pickup. Uses 68HC705K1 microcontroller. On-board phone & audio jacks.

kit56v1.zip. Source code.7K

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Ion generator powered by 110-240V mains supply. It uses the standard Cockroft-Walton multiplier circuit - a ladder of diodes and capacitors to pump the output voltage up to the level required. Fuse built into the PCB. Uses ordinary needle work pins as the ion emitters. Neon indicator to show when the power is on. Reversing the 1N4007 diodes makes it a positive ion generator. The user must supply a suitable box for this project.

CAUTION: This is a high-voltage, mains supply project. The user must take extreme caution.

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A very useful kit. Everybody has Infra Red transmitters at home - TV remote, video remote, CD remote, etc. Use ANY Infra Red remote to toggle this switch on or off. Relay output rated at 12VDC/10A or 240VAC/5A.

CAUTION: This is a high-voltage, mains supply project. The user must take extreme caution.

Specification sheet for the IR Receiver Module.

Specification sheet for the IR LED.

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Make this general design 3 1/2 digit LED panel meter into your own voltage or current meter. Or customize it to measure input from a transducer. Full details given in the documentation. Separate display PCB.

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7107 Data Sheet.

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This kit contains all the hard to get parts for a PIR motion detector. Includes the IR sensor, detector IC the KC778B and a PCB-mounted plastic Fresnel lens. Includes data on IC & Sensor.

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Movement IC Specs - page 1

Movement IC Specs - page 2

RE200B PIR Sensor.

Essential specs on RE200B sensor.

Fresnel Lens #8002, pcb-mounted. Photo.Note the four mounting lugs which fit into holes in the PCB.

Lens Specification sheet.

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Complete AM radio on a PCB. Tuned radio frequency front-end, single chip RF amplifier & detector and two stages of amplification of the audio signal into a speaker. All components supplied. Coil prewound. Excellent for schools. Uses MK484 radio IC.

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Record as many messages as you can in this modern, non- volatile, combined audio processing & memory chip from Information Storage Devices (ISD25120). One button to START/PAUSE & a second button to RESET.

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ISD25120 chip

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We are selling one type of module 4cm x 4cm, (1.6" x 1.6") with 127 p-n couples. When current passes through two different conductors, heat is produced in one and absorbed in the other. Peltier first described this in 1834. Modern semiconductor materials can make p-n junctions which produce large temperature differences. This 4cm x 4cm x 4mm thick module contains 127 p-n junctions connected electrically in series but thermally in parallel. Maximum temperature difference = 59 deg C at 30 deg C ambient with no heat load. Maximum ratings = 13.5V, 4.4A, 36W. Production code TEC1-12704.

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ISD25120 chip

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Control the speed of any common DC motor rated up to 100V (5A). Operates on 5V to 15V. Uses NE556 to pulse-width modulate a high current switching power transistor, TIP122. In this way motor torque is maintained. Adjustable speed control. Box mounted.

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One of the most popular electronic kits ever is an electronic dice. Now we have used a microcontroller to contain all the electronics. Only those items which cannot be put into software - like the display - are still in hardware. All the code is on floppy disk. PCB size 1.4"x2.6".

Software Single Dice 10K

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The code in Kit 69 is extended to roll two dice. PCB size 1.4"x2.6".

Software Dual Dice 14K

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Control 8 relays using this IR Remote Control Unit. Over 20 meters in sunlight. Uses 2 high-powered IR LED's & latest IR detector/decoder from Kodenshi. Transmitter case, 8 miniature relays & all components provided. Uses paired encoder/decoder IC pair. Full instructions included. Four ranges set by jumpers.

NOTE: Nov 96. We have found that the latest batches of the SM5032B receiver decoder IC (date coded 9620 & 9630) do NOT work as the previous chips did. The problem has been traced to a change by the chip manufacturer. The two jumper-on option does not work. No jumpers on or only one jumper on still works OK. So this is now a 3 x 8 Channel IR Tx/Rx. The manufacturer says they will not be changing the chip at the moment.

Specification sheet for the IR Receiver Module.

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This is a big digital clock using 2.3" LED displays for the hours and minutes. It can operate in 12-hour or 24-hour mode. The software program including a time adjustment mode can control the clock to a few seconds a year. This project was originally published in the Australian electronics magazine Silicon Chip , march 2001. The fully annotated software for the kit is available here.

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Do you have an old PC lying around the house which absolutely no one wants? Then you can convert it into a dedicated controller. Communicate with the real world via the parallel printer port on your PC. Simply connect printer cable from computer to Centronics connector on relay board. There are 8 relays each capable of switching 12VDC/10A or 240VAC/5A. Each relay has an LED to indicate when it is operated. We provide two sets of complete, stand-alone software to control the relays: one works under DOS so you can write your own batch files to control individual relays, the other under Windows 3.1.

Linux software for Kit 74 has been written by James Cameron. You may get it at Quozl's Open Source Work.

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Three plug-in modules and a motherboard measure & display temperature (both C & F) and humidity, Counter & timer in seconds, and 4 AD conversions. Excellent practical as well as a learning tool.

3/2000. The 16C71 PIC has been discontinued. We are now using the 16C711 with the required slight code modification.

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Download annotated source code 16K.

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