Thursday 31 August 2017

Hugo awards - Best sci fi novel 2000's

This is a list of the best novel award for the first decade of the 20th century
The Hugos have been awarded since the 1950s.

The official Hugo Awards website is:
http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/ 


My personal favourites from this decade:
Powers - Ursula Le Guin ( Nebula award)
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold  .... world of the 5 god series.
+ Old Mans War by John Scalzi (nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2006). 
+ Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood (2003)


2000
A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge [Tor, 1999]

Published1999 (Tor Books)
Media typePrint (Hardback, Paperback)

 ISBN0-312-85683-0 (Hardback 1st edition),
 ISBN 0-8125-3635-5 (Paperback)













2001
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling [Bloomsbury, 2000; Scholastic, 2000]

Publisher: Bloomsbury (UK)

Publication date: 8 July 2000

 ISBN0-7475-4624-X










2002
American Gods by Neil Gaiman [Morrow, 2001]

 Publisher: William Morrow, Headline
US first edition : Hardcover, 465 pages

Publication date 19th June 2001

The UK edition was also published in 2001
Hardcover, 504 pages .
Published by Headline, London
 

This book was made into a 3 season TV series.







2003
Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer [Analog Jan,Feb,Mar,Apr 2002; Tor, 2002]
















2004
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold [Eos, 2003]



 Publisher: Eos (HarperCollins)
Publication date : September 23, 2003


 ISBN0-380-97902-0










2005
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke [Bloomsbury, 2004]


Publication date
  • 8 September 2004 (US)
  • 30 September 2004 (UK)



ISBN0-7475-7055-8





2006
Spin by Robert Charles Wilson [Tor, 2005]


 Publisher    Tor Books
Publication date
    March 10, 2005
Media type    Print (Hardcover)
Pages    364
ISBN    0-7653-0938-6









Old Mans War by John Scalzi (nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2006.
This is really easy to read.

2007
Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge [Tor, 2006]


 Publisher    Tor Books
Publication date
    16 May 2006
Media type    Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages    368 pp. (first edition, hardback)











2008
The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins, Fourth Estate)

Publisher    HarperCollins
Publication date
    May 1, 2007
Media type    Print (hardcover)
Pages    414 (first edition, hardcover)

 ISBN 978-0-00-714982-7 (first edition, hardcover)









2009
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins; Bloomsbury UK)

Publisher   

    Harper Collins (US)
    Bloomsbury (UK)

Publication date
    30 September 2008 (US)
Media type    Print, e-book, audiobook
Pages    312 (first edition)
ISBN    978-0-06-053092-1





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Sci Fi Links
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels of the 1950's
+ Hugo Awards Best sci fi novels of the 1960's
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels of the 1970's
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi Novels of the 1980's
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels of the 1990's
+ Hugo awards Best sci fi novel of the 2000's (2000 - 2009)
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels for the decade 2010-2019
+ Foundation - Isaac Asimov's
+ Dune - The Chronological order of the novels
+ Dune Universe Timeline
+ I, Robot - Isaac Asimov - novels & Magazines
+ Star Wars 
+ vorkoisgan saga reading order - Lois McMaster Bujold

--------------------------------------------

sci Fi Index

----------------------------------------------

 

TTL - Index and notes

There seem to be three common families of ICs that I regularly come across when building synths.
1. CMOS (digital)
2. Linear (mainly analog)
3. TTL (Digital)

Linear ICs are solid-state analog devices characterized by a theoretically infinite number of possible operating states. They operate over a continuous range of input levels. In contrast, digital ICs have a finite number of discrete input and output states.

I've already started a page on CMOS. You can see it here.
(I'll do a Linear page later)
TTL and CMOS contain digital devices such as logic gates, flip flops, counters, decoders, etc.
Linear ICs are mostly analog and you will see them in amps, oscillators, regulators, etc etc
TTL stands for Transistor-Transistor Logic. They are built from bipolar junction transistors and resistors.
The ICs are mostly 4 or 5 digits and usually start with a 74 or 54. (eg: 7400 or 5404).
They are less sensitive to static electricity (unlike CMOS),
 but have a narrow operational voltage range (5 to 5.25V).
Inputs should always go somewhere. That is not be left floating.

TTL ICs use much more current that CMOS but are faster.
TTL have a low input impedance in comparison to CMOS .

Common ICs
7400 - quad 2 input NAND  eg74HC00 (LZX Castle Multi Gate)
7402 - quad 2 input NOR gate
7404 - Hex inverter
7408 - quad 2 input AND eg:74HC08
7410 - triple 3 input NAND
74100 - Dual 4-bit Latch (Texas Instruments)
7411 - triple 3 input AND
74174 - Flip Flop  LZX Flip Flop Hex w/ Clear  (74HC174)
74191 - four bit counter (LZX castle counter 74HC191N)
7420 - dual 4-input NAND
7421 - Dual 4-input AND
7427 - triple 3 input NOR
74LS273 - CMOS Latch (Ken Stone's CGS11 - D/A converter)
74284 - 4-bit Binary Multiplier, low byte - Texas Instruments
74285 - 4-bit binary multiplier , high byte - Texas Instruments
7432 - quad 2-input OR
74HC393 - flop flop (Hyve Synth)
744002 - dual 4-input NOR
744075 - triple 3-input OR
747266 - quad 2-input XNOR
7486 - quad 2-input XOR
74C922 -  CMOS key encoders with all the necessary logic to encode an array of SPST switches.
                 (Ken Stones CGS 10 pedal)

The history and identification of the TTL chip family
TTL was invented in 1961 by James L. Buie. The first commercial integrated-circuit TTL devices were manufactured by Sylvania in 1963. TTL became popular with electronic systems designers after Texas Instruments introduced the 5400 series of ICs, in 1964 and the later 7400 series in 1966.
The Texas Instruments 7400 family became an industry standard. Compatible parts were made by Motorola, AMD, Fairchild, Intel,and many other manufacturers around the world.

* 74xx - old original chips. Now obsolete
* 74Sxx - Higher speed Schottky. (1969). Also obsolete
* 74LSxx - Low power Schottky
* 74ASxx - Advanced Schottky (1985) 
* 74HCxx - High speed using CMOS circuitry
* 74HCT - High speed,low power using  CMOS circuitry. The devices are pin compatible with             existing devices such as the 74TTL, 74STTL,  4000 series and the 74LS family.
 * 74xx - that have other letters after the 74. These are usually modern, fast surface mount

TTL devices are usually packaged in dual in-line packages (DIPs), usually with 14 to 24 pins.
Today, many TTL-compatible devices are available in surface-mount packages, which are available in a wider array of types than through-hole packages.

Most manufacturers offer commercial and extended temperature ranges: for example Texas Instruments 7400 series parts are rated from 0 to 70 °C, and 5400 series devices over the military-specification temperature range of −55 to +125 °C.

Links
+ Ken Stone Digitally controlled oscillator
+ List of 7400 series ICs
+Transistor-Transistor Logic

 Please let me know if there are any mistakes or omissions.

Wednesday 30 August 2017

Morocco - Casablanca

Some pics of the city of Casablanca , but mainly the mosque (Hassan II).










A post shared by jono (@dj_jondent) on

The video above was modified using a 3trins video synth.

The Hassan II mosque is the 13th largest in the world. I think it's minaret is the tallest at 210m


the mosque complex was designed by French architect Michel Pinseau, took six years to build and was completed in 1993. 







A team of over 6000 master craftspeople was assembled to work on the mosque, delicately carving intricate patterns and designs






For more travel postcards click here:

Sunday 27 August 2017

Red, Blue & Green Mars - Kim Stanley Robinson


Red Mars is the first book in the Mars Trilogy.

 US Publisher    Spectra/Bantam Dell/Random House,
ISBN   0-553-09204-9 
 UK Publisher    HarperCollins Publishers, London 
ISBN 0 246 13881 5

Printing identification statement for this book:
"Published by HarperCollinsPublishers 1992 / 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2" on copyright page.


Publication date
    September 1992
Media type    Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages    501 (hardcover)

Illustrator : Mel Grant

Red Mars won the British Science Fiction Award in 1992 and the Nebula in 1993.




 Green Mars
US Publisher    Spectra/Bantam Dell/Random House
ISBN    0-553-09640-0 
UK Publisher  Harper Collins
ISBN 0 246 13882 3

Publication date
    October 1993



The UK editions are the true firsts, and the first printings were (reportedly) only 3000 copies

Pages    571 (hardcover)
Awards    Hugo Award for Best Novel (1994), Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1994)






Blue Mars 
US Publisher    Spectra/Bantam Dell/Random House
UK Publisher  Harper Collins London (Voyager)

Publication date
    April 1996
Media type    Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages    616 (hardcover)
Awards    Hugo Award for Best Novel (1997), Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1997)










Printing identification statement for this book:


"Published by Voyager 1996 / 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2" on copyright page.












 

Wednesday 23 August 2017

Giant Bono - NLC build notes.

This Eurorack module is related to two earlier Nonlinearcircuit modules I've built.
The Vactrol PiLL and the DelayNoMore.
The Vactrol Pill used the famous phase locked loop IC - the CMOS 4046
The delay, uses the PT2399 chip.

Andrew describes it as such:
"Mostly, as the name implies, this module will make a lot of crappy noise and is only controllable in the sense of how crappy it sounds".

Awesome  If you love noise & distortion like I do, this should be a cool module.

Andrew's build notes are here:
http://www.sdiy.org/pinky/data/giant%20B0N0%20build%20and%20BOM.pdf

The 4046 has a linear voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and two different phase comparators (PC1 & PC2). They have a common signal-input amplifier and a common comparator input.


"The mixoutput (of the Giant Bono) is comprised of the PLL VCO signal and the delay chip’s main output. VCO output is the raw PLL VCO.
The PC1 (phase comparator) is a 0-6V square wave, usually at audio rates.
PC2 is a lot more sporadic and is best used as a burst generator."

--------
I'm building version 6 of the PCB
I think these have the earlier errors mentioned in the build notes fixed.
---------------

The virgin PCB & faceplate.

Hot Hot Hot....




I like to get the surface mount ICs on first. then the rest of the SMds


This is where the vactrol goes




K= cathode.
Marked with a white dot on the vactrol

Headers, caps, rest of the thru hole stuff.

 Jacks and knobs. All 100k B



Links
NLC Blog
NLC build notes

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Sunday 20 August 2017

Divine CMOS - NLC - Build notes

Some build notes for the nonlinearcircuit divine CMOS.


I first encountered this circuit in 4U.  Its a great module.

Now I have the fortune to build this in Eurorack format and see how it works.
There are 2 CMOS chips. A CD4520 & a CD4070.
Both are surface mount.
The CD4520 is a CMOS Dual Binary Up-counter.
It consists of 2 identical 4 stage counters.


The CD4070 is a Quad 2-input Exclusive - OR gate (XOR)
You can also use in its place a 4011 (NAND), 4001(OR), 4071(0R) 4077(XNOR), 4081(AND).

The Divine CMOS is a divider & mixer. Can be used with both audio and CV/LFO inputs to either divide and mix up audio level harmonics or get interesting patterns to drive other modules.

Andrew's Build notes are here:
http://www.sdiy.org/pinky/data/DivineCMOS%20Euro%20Build%20notes.pdf

 The virgin PCBs & faceplate.

I don't have all the components yet .. on back order.

The S1JL rectifier is still on back order so I'm using replacements.
Mouser Part No: 583-FM4005-T for the recitfier.
The rectifier is polarized. The cathode end is marked with a band. 


This replacement is slightly too big for the PCB. so i had to solder it on its side.
The trannies are all 847s


I used a standard 3mm LED instead of a bipolar.





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