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This USB to CAN adapter is based on a 16-bit MB90F532 microcontroller sporting 128 kBytes internal Flash memory and 4 kB RAM. The controller is accessible through open-source software that can be extended as you wish using plugins. The software is suitable for Windows as well as Linux. The USB controller is the familiar FT232 from FTDI. CAN data may be read from the adapter using Tiny-CAN View or other CAN programs like CANopen Device Monitor and CAN-Report.

Digital Command Control (DCC) is an increasingly popular open standard for model railway systems. In the September 2008 issue we describe a home-built DCC control based on the Elektor ARMee board (March & April 2005 issues) extended with a dedicated I/O board. The project is compatible with different DCC train control programs and the combination of software and hardware allows an extensive model train layout to be controlled.

Commercial levitation devices that cause a small piece of metal to hover in the air have been available for many years. Many of these devices are more expensive than need be. In this article we take a slightly different approach. Instead of a light barrier, we use a Hall sensor to detect the position of the levitated object.