ADVANCED STOCK CONTROL AND KITTING PROGRAM
For the first time in a market
dominated by large expnsive ac-
counts-oriented packages, Num-
ber One Systems have launched
Stockit, a simple uncomplicated
stockconh.ol program for the real
world.
Drawing on the explience of en-
.
electronic CAD programs. Stock-
it is designed to help smaller
manufacturem and R&D depart-
ments with the day-to-day prob-
lems of managing stock
Stockit is specifically tailored for
a <mallto medium sired pradur-
tion or development environ-
ment - it i4 not an adaptation of
a program originally aimed at
large-scale manufacturers, ar-
countants or retailers.
Stockit holds complete records of
parts lists, stork levels and com-
ponent suppliers, automatically
allocating stock w h m a new p r n
duction batch is requipd. A valu-
able trial kitting facility allows
different production scenarios to
be evaluated before a definitive
DOUBLE-SPEED CD-ROM DOUBLES AS PERSONAL AUDIO CD PLAYER
Portable Add-ons recently inho-
duced the launch of CD-Mobile,
an external doublc-speed CD-
ROM drive and Type-I1 PC Card
Interface designed for notebook
computers. With four unique
pawer options (computer, mains.
standard, or rechargeable A4 bat-
teries) the CD Mobile gives total
flexibility of USE Since the
CD-Mobile can be batt~ry-pow-
ered, it can be used anywhere,
making it a huly portable solu-
tion.
At a retail price of £299, CD-M*
bile is a n inexpensive way of
adding CD-ROM functionality to
existing notehroks. The few note-
books with a CD-ROM drive
built-in tend to be prohibitively
eqwnsive for most u r n . Sincean
internal drive always draws cur-
rent, it will place a load on the
machine's battery; in addition, a
built-in CD-ROM drive adds to n
notebook's bulk As the C D M n
bile is a separate unit it can be un-
plugged and the PC Card Inter-
face removed when not in use, rr-
dudng both power consumption
and weight. The CD-Mobile can
production plan is adopted. The
ahilip to handle fractional quan-
tities allows cable lengths, con-
sumable~and labour to be in-
cludpd in the calculations. Stack-
it even prints enquiry sheets to
be sent to suppliers for quota-
tions.
ing ~yrtemcgraduall~.
one assembly at a
time. The benefits of
Stockit can be rea1ist.d
quickly without wait-
ing for every single
part to he entered.
By maintaining a n
up-to-date cost for
each part, Stackit
makes it simple to de-
termine product man-
ufacturing C 0 5 t 5 and
order values. Stackit
can calculate n cur-
rent stack valuation
in a matter of sec-
onds.
While designed with
the elechonics indus-
try in mind, Stockit is equally ap-
plicable to batch manufacture in
many other indushies.
Priced at iust f145.00, Stockit is
far easier to use 1s and cheaper
1s than many accounts-based
stock control programs intended
for large-scalr manufacture.
Elektor Electronics
Number One Systems, U
Harding Way, Somersham
Road, St. Ives, Huntingdon,
Cambs PE17 4WR. Tel.
(01480) 461778, faX (01480)
494042.
ysily be shared amongst a p u p
of useE. The IDE-based interface
is, as with all good PC Cards, fully
host-swappable.
The CD-Mobile's CD-ROM drive
is htlly MPCZ compliant. I t also
supports Video-CD and CD-i in
addition to CD-ROM modes-l
and 2, audio CDs, multi-session
Photo-CD, and CD-XA.
The beautifully styled CD-Mo-
bile has a full control panel and a
multi-function LCD screen. The
unit can be used as a superh-
quality personal CD player, al-
lowing you to listen to your
favourite album while compiling
a spread-sheet on the hain. The
CD-Mobile may also he used
with recent in-car stereo systems
that feature a line input, or any
cassettelradio if a commonly
available adaptor is used.
Portable Add-Ons (UK) Ltd., 4
Surrey Technology Centre,
40 Occam Road, Guildford
GU2 5YH. Tel. (01483)
440777, fax (01483) 452304,
e-mail:
cbrooks@portable.co.uk.
3196
 New Books
Battery Reference Book
2nd Edition
by T.R. Crompton
ISBN 0 7506 2567 8
Price E 50.00
This second edition of a very useful refer-
ence book is now in paperback and costs
less than half the original hardback issue.
As before, the book guides the reader
through the subiect in a logical sequence
and covers electrochemical theory as it
applies to batteries: battery selection:
theory, design, electrical and perfor-
mance characteristics: applications of
various types of battery: theory nd prac-
tice of battery charging. The book pro-
vides comprehensive information from
battery manufacturers about the perfor-
mance characteristics of the batteries
they supply. There are a number of useful
appendices, including a glossary, bibliog-
raphy and details on battery standards.
Like its predecessor, battery
Reference Book should prove a godsend
for designers of all types of battery-oper-
ated equipment, battery manufacturers,
and electrical and electronics engineers
and technicians whose use batteries in
their work. It should also prove useful to
research organizations.
Electronics for Student Engineers
by Bruce Newby
ISBN 0 7506 2144 3
Price E 12-99paperback
For many 'non-electrical'engineering stu-
dents. electronics and electrical princi-
ples can be difficult to grasp. Also, most
engineering students coming new to the
subiect need a clear introduction to elec-
tronics which will help them master the
key concepts at the outset of their stud-
ies.
This book will provide an introduction
to electronics and electrical principles
suited to a wide range of courses, includ-
ing GNVQ Engineering (Intermediateand
Advanced). BTEC National, HNC General
Engineering, and BTECICity and Guilds
electrical and electronic craft and techni-
cian courses, including NVQs.
These Bunerworth-Heinemann books
are available from Reed Book Ser-
vices, P 0 Box 5, Rushden NNlO 9YX.
-
Wireless for the Warrior Volume 1
by Louis Meulstee
ISBN 1898 805 08 3
Price E 27-50 paperback
This is the first volume in a projected
ELEKTOR ELECTRONICS MARCH 1996
series of book - subtitled 'A technical his-
tory of Radio Communication Equipment
in the British Army' w h i c h it is planned
will eventually cover transmitters and
receivers from the First World War up to
the 'Larkspur' system.
Louis Meulstee is well known to col-
lectors of historic military radio equipment
world-wide. having written more than a
hundred magazine articles. He is widely
respected for the depth and thorough-
ness of his research.
Volume t of Wireless for the Warrior is
devoted to Wireless Sets No. 1 to No. 88.
and contains over 150 photographs. 320
drawings and 130 tables. It is based on
more than fifteen years of research in a
number of official and private archives in
the UK and elsewhere.
An explanation of the Various Type
Nomenclature systems used for army
radio equipment from W I to the present
day is followed by descriptions of the sets
themselves. The aim in each case has
been to describe the history, technical
details and the aerials and accessories
The natural equation solving and graphing tool
MathPlus , a software program pro-
duced by Waterloo Maple of Canada
and available from Robinson
Marshall, is a teaching and learning
mathematical tool for secondary
school, college and university educa-
tion. It also has many extensive uses
in the industrial arena and particular
attention to engineering fields with its
graphical capabilities and array of
mathematical functions.
MathPlus is available for Windows
and NT, and Macintosh and Power-
Mac It will also soon be available on
Unix systems and the CO ROM for-
mat. It is an improved version of
Theorist, a computer-algebra pack-
age that has been available for the
Macintosh for several years. It differs
from packages such as MathType in
that it is primarily a teaching aid.
MathPlus enables the user to
manipulate equations, perform sub-
stitutions, expand expressions, and
carry out a number of other functions.
In addition, there is a wealth of
graphing options, including three-
dimensional plotting and animation.
which is very easy to set up.
All expressions are displayed
" a
used with each set, together with spares
schedules. Where the set was used in
more than one application a s mobile or
ground station. for example - details of
the variations are described..
The descriptions of the sets are fol-
lowed by a series of appendices:
Glossary of Terms; Condensed Data of
Equipment; Accessories List: Army
Valves Designation and Equivalents;
Table of Frequency coverage.
In his foreword to the book. Dr P J
Thwaites, Deputy Director of the Royal
Signals Museum at Blandford. Dorset,
has welcomed it as forming a valuable
reference source for all those interested
in historical military radios.
he book is published by G C Arnold
Partners, who also publish Bygones and
Morsum Magnificaf magazines, as well as
a number of other books for the vintage
radio and telegraphy enthusiasts.
G C Arnold Partners, 9 Wetherby Close.
Broadstone, Dorset. England BHl8 8JB.
Phonelfax 01202 658 474.
mathematically in standard math
notation. All results are indented in
the MathPlus built-in outliner in such
a way that the succession of ideas is
immediately apparent to the user. It
also allows the user to select sec-
tions of an equation, clicking and
dragging only desired sections for
further manipulation. Intermediate
answers are displayed as expres-
sions which can subsequently be
used again in later derivations.
There are no programming lan-
guages to learn and no syntax errors
to puule with. MathPlus is intuitive
from the beginning.
If you are looking for a software
package for teaching or learning
mathematics. MafhPlus is for you.
MathPlus is available from
Robinson Marshall (Europe) PLC, at a
single user price of f 199 excl. VAT
and UK postage at f 5-99. This
includes free unlimited technical sup-
port. There is a secondary school
unlimited slte licence at f 995.
Nadella Building, Progress Close.
Leofric Business Park, Coventry,
Great Britain CV3 2TF.