Robot Guy's Technology Journal

I've been doing more research into building my own IRLP node, and have widened that research to also include AllStarLink and maybe even EchoLink. I do enjoy being well connected, so it would be really cool to have all three on the same node even though only one of them can be used at any given time.  I have my AllStarLink node number now, but nothing for IRLP or EchoLink at present. Getting a real IRLP node number requires purchase of an IRLP board from VE7LTD, so I am hoping the other two can be made to work with that also. IRLP seems to have a bit more strict standards for hardware interfacing to a radio, than the others do, but I am still looking into this.

Purchasing an IRLP board is NOT an option to getting an IRLP node number and PGP key, nor is paying a required $40.00 so called donation. This is listed as a donation, but is NOT an option, so can't rightfully be called a donation. It is more of a membership fee to join IRLP as a node operator. I don't have a problem with the extra $40.00 being required, only with what it is being called. It should just be called a one time membership or support fee. Remember, donations are 100% voluntary, and this fee is not voluntary. There is no way to change the amout of this so called donation.

It seems reasonable that all three should be able to work using the same radio interface. Right now, I just need to get a radio interface and a radio for the node. I just need to get a power supply for the other computer and I should be good to go as far as that goes. I will be free to experiment with the various VoIP radio linking methods without having to upset my main PC use.

My current plan is to purchase a node radio first, and then get a radio interface to connect the computer to the radio. It may take me two months to do this due to limited funds, but I will get there.

I did have a rather disconcerting experience when I was installing the AllStarLink software from the current ACID installation CD.  I know it was going to wipe my first hard drive, which I still think is extremely unreasonable to do, but I did not expect it to also wipe everything from my second attached hard drive.  I lost 160 GB of files and documents because of this. It looks like the AllStarLink folks may be making some unreasonable assumptions for their installation. The way I look at it, there should NEVER be ANY reason to wipe an entire hard drive (primary or secondary) unless that is specifically selected by a user. The way I do things is I always leave at least one 12 GB partition open for experimental stuff, becuase I regularly am looking at all kinds of software and many different Linux and/or UNIX distributions. It's OK that the first hard drive was wiped because I knew this would happen.  It is definitely NOT OK that my second hard drive was completely wiped.

73, Dale, N7PKT

I've been enjoying using my little Yaesu VX-2R handheld more since I got an external mag mount antenna which I have positioned as close to my living room window as I can get it. That has improved my signal into several repeaters, so the money was well spent. I've decided to get a new radio sometime before May, and that will be a Yaesu VX-8R. It's also a hand held radio, but puts out a full 5 watts on the 6M, 2M, 220 Mhz (1.25M) and 440 Mhz (23cm) bands. I'm looking foreward to having access to the 6M and 1.25M bands in addition to 2M and 23cm. The VX-8R also has a DTMF keypad for control functions, which I want.

The other project I really want to do is to setup my own simplex IRLP node, which will allow me to make direct connections to other nodes via the internet. I already have an older 733 MHz Pentium 3 motherboard with 192 MB RAM (not upgradable) to use for the IRLP computer. I just have to get a small case and possibly an external sound for it.  The onboard sound on this board is not good at all and I want to have the best possible audio for my node. Other than that, the only other things I need to do is order the IRLP board set and get a radio and antenna for the radio. The Alinco radios have been suggested for good node radios, so I think I will probably get a DR-135 2M radio for this project and another mag mount external antenna for the radio.

I'm also in the process of studying to upgrade to General class. I do have some interest in the HF bands, especially 20M, 15M, and 10M. I don't anticipate having an HF radio soon, but want to go ahead and get upgraded. I'm using Gordon West's (WB6NOA) study books, which have been working out great for me. I can't recommend these books enough to anyone wanting to get their first Ham license or upgrade to a higher class. These books have the entire question pools for the given class, great explanations, and pointers to additional resources. These books are far from just being a reference for the question pools - the explanations and highlighted keywords make brushing up on theory for each class a breeze.

73, from N7PKT (formerly KE7YUT)

I have applied for a new callsign. This will be a shorter 1x3 callsign that will go over the air much nicer than my current callsign (KE7YUT, 2x3 format). I find it difficult to say a callsign that transitions from one vowel sound (Y) to another vowel (U). The phonetics are not bad for KE7YUT, but I don't care for the vowel issue. Hopefully I will get my first choice, which is listed as immediately available.  It will have all consonants for the letters and indicate a major interest of mine.

8-Dale

73 from KE7YUT (soon to be changed)

I have been collecting gadgets over the past few weeks and am starting to look for ways I can put them to use. For instance, I have a spare Nunchuk controller as well as a complete Wiimote plus Nunchuk. I want to be able to use the Wiimote/Nunchuk for remote robot control at some point. I've located various code for the Arduino to do stuff controlled by the Arduino, and am getting ready to cut the cable of the spare Nunchuk and connect it to my Arduino. I have code to control a single servo using the Nunchuk, so this is where I will start. From there, I hope to move onto controlling the five jointed (DOF, Degrees Of Freedom) robot leg I have built.

I also have two of the BlinkM LEDs which I will incorporate into some sort of project with the Arduino, perhaps even into a small robot. The BlinkMs are controlled via I2C/TWI, so several of them can be handled by a single controller, including the Arduino. In fact, the main way to program BlinkMs is to use an Arduino! I just wish I didn't have to give up two analog input pins in order to use I2C.

8-Dale. 73 from KE7YUT

I've been doing some research into mapping for APRS, so I can create maps to display APRS data. I have been tinkering a bit with Google Maps, and found a conversion site that makes it real easy to convert latitude and longitude between decimal degrees and degrees, minutes, seconds formats. Now, I need to figure out how to properly place the upper left corner and lower right corners of the map image(s) I want to use with UI-View32, which is the APRS software HRO has running on the PC at the store.

I had a chance to talk to Marty (W7MSO) at HRO today and found out what I need to do to create maps for use with UI-View32, which I did not have a clue about before. The key to making user created maps work with UI-View32 and APRS data is to properly place the coordinates of the upper left and lower right coordinates in the .info file.  For instance, if I created a map image from Google Maps that I call OR-WA-001.GIF.  Now I need to create OR-WA-001.INF, which has the corner latitude/longitude coordinates and the name of the map.

This file is formatted with the Upper Left corner coordinates on the first line, the Lower Right coordinates on the second line, and the Map Name on the third line, as shown here.

<Upper Left Corner Latitude, Longitude>

<Lower Right Corner Latitude, Longitude>

<Map Name>

The map image needs to be a .GIF, so it's necessary to convert any other format to GIF.

My OR-WA-001.INF file has:

45°45'58.76"N, 123°10'54.44"W
45°11'8.87"N, 122°16'14.98"W
OR-WA-001

The map file and the inf file needs to be put in the UI-View32 MAPS directory.

I also have the APRS-SA software installed and actually have it working with data obtained from a server on the internet.  However, I do not like the maps that come with the software and want to see if I can create maps for use with this also.

8-Dale

We are fortunate to have a local Ham Radio Outlet in Portland. I've been spending a bit of time there recently, tinkering with the various radios they have on display. I've narrowed my VHF/UHF radio down to three candidates now - the Kenwood TH-F6A (Handheld), Yaesu VX-8R/E (new handheld, not yet stocked, with TNC for APRS and optional Bluetooth), and the Kenwood TM-D710A dual band (2 M/70 cm) mobile with internal TNC for stuff like APRS and Packet Radio. Of course, being a regular mobile rig, the TM-D710A also has higher power output, as well as a remote mountable control head (mount the radio anywhere and the control head anywhere else you want where it will be easy accessible). The TH-F6A would require a separate TNC to do packet/APRS, so I am probably not going to get it. APRS and GPS connectivity are major requirements for me since I will be taking the radio out and about on my power chair.

I've also chosen an external dual band antenna - The Comet SSB25. This works for the 2M (144 Mhz) and 70 cm (440 Mhz) bands and would be a great antenna for a TM-D710A. I am hoping to mount the antenna on a mast attached to my chair and have it raise (for operation) and lower (for riding mass transit buses and trains) using a single motor.

There are advantages to going with the VX-8R/E also though, such as having a completely portable quad band station I can just clip to my belt and take anywhere. This radio is also water proof, which is good since I live in Oregon. I could use the external mic and attach the GPS reciever right to that. This radio also has the 6M (50 Mhz) and 1.25 M (220 Mhz) in addition to a complete general coverage reciever that covers 500 kHz all the way up to 13 cm (1300 MHz).

Having APRS capability will mean my current position will always be updated on APRS maps. This will come in handy if I ever need help, like if I get my chair stuck and can't get unstuck myself. Maybe I can call for help without having to bother rescue services and any Ham with APRS capability can tell right where I am. With the right tracking capability in their GPS and radio, another Ham could even get exact directions on how to get to me without me without having to figure all that out.

8-Dale

I've been saying I am going to get back into Amateur Radio for sometime now. I was planning to be relicensed much sooner than now, but have been dragging my feet and doing other stuff. Well, I am finally going to do it! A very nice Ham, Rich (KD7GIE) I met at Shari's Restaurant here in Beaverton bought me a copy of the Gordon West Technician Class study guide.

I've been studying it and am now ready to take the test this coming month, hopefully before November 10th. I've also been practicing using the sample tests at QRZ.COM. I've been completing the tests with no more than 1 or 2 questions missed, usually due to either not reading the question all the way through or other silly mistakes, so I feel like I am very ready.

I was first licensed as WA6WJB when I was in High School, and later as WB7UEF when I moved to Oregon. Back then, I had to start as a Novice and the Novice license was not renewable and it expired. Another friend gave me a 1000 channel hand held scanner sometime ago, and I've reprogrammed it for many of the local 2M (144 - 148 MHz) and 70cm (420 - 450 MHz) repeaters. Then I discovered there is also local activity on the 900 MHz band, so am planning to add those frequencies. This scanner can also scan the 23cm (1240 - 1300 MHz) band, but I have not checked for local activity there yet.

Right now, I am primarily interested in VHF, UHF, and above - especially digital modes such as packet radio. If all goes well, I will eventually be able to add packet radio to W.A.L.T.E.R. for longer range control and telemetry. Using Amateur Radio on the appropriate band, possibly 23 cm, I would like to experiment with high bandwidth digital modes. There are also Amateur bands near the 2.4 GHz (think WiFi), 3.0 GHz, 5 GHz (also wireless networking), 10 GHz, and higher frequencies. One of the first books I want to get will be the 2009 ARRL Radio Amateur's Handbook and the books I can find for VHF and above operations and construction, especially digital modes.

I am so excited to finally be doing this again!

8-Dale

Finally, it looks like I have the blog working properly, with all data intact! I found a place where there was a hard coded path in the .sql file, changed that to match the current installation on the VPS, and now everything seems to be working.  I couldn't make new entries before I made the path change and imported the database again.

I've been considering my direction with embedded computing these past few weeks since I have not got internet at home right now. While I really want to stay with embedded Linux, I seem to have a lot of problems keeping my development system working. I've been looking more into the Luminary Micro Cortex 32 bit micocontrollers - I really like the LM3S6965 (development board is $69.00), which seems to have exactly the features I need for W.A.L.T.E.R.  The down side is I would have to do everything in C/C++, which I am not really thrilled about, but can do. I really need true multitasking for W.A.L.T.E.T., which Linux would provide nicely, as well as allowing me to choose which language (currently Python) to use for the software. Python has so many plusses going for it and so many different add-ons available it is really hard to let that go. However, I just want to get to a point where I can actually start writing and testing the new software for W.A.L.T.E.R., regardless which direction I end up going for development. It's been almost a full year since I had W.A.L.T.E.R. operational, and I have all the hardware and electronic components I need, if I stay with embedded Linux. I really like Gentoo Embedded and the selection of software it gives me to use in my development for W.A.L.T.E.R. and will give it one more good go once I get internet at home again.

I am also looking forward to a new Atmega128 board that is being designed now.  This new board will be completely compatible with the Arduino environment and software, allow use of existing shields as well as extended function shields that can use the added features of the Atmega128. This is exactly the board I have been looking for to get into working with the AVRs. There are many possiblities for this board in robotics, process control, and just general tinkering with new things. Being able to program it using the Arduino environment will be a fantastic feature and will make more computing power available to current Arduino users! I hope to be able to write some of the libraries and code to make the Atmega128 features fully available for everyone. I am thinking seriously about taking a break from embedded Linux just to really get into this new board, writing software for it, and helping document it. I really enjoy helping make new hardware and software accessible to as many people as possible.

I am also pretty sure my main PC is going bad on me, probably the hard drives, since stuff seems to mysteriously disappear and/or just stop working. I do not trust this PC right now at all for any development or other uses. I don't really know if I want to spend more money fixing this PC or save up and build a brand new system.  I'd really like to get a nice laptop, but the ones I would want are pretty far outside my budget ($1500.00 and up). I would really like to have a development system I can carry around where ever I go. Of course, it would have to be fully Linux compatible as well as be able to run Windows well. Having a portable development system would make it much easier to demonstrate hardware and software when I take things with me as I often do. I love showing off new stuff!

Yes, there are still things I absolutely need Windows for, such as running Alibre Design Expert for 3D CAD, and development for some microcontrollers such as Microchip's PICs/dsPICs, the Parallax Propeller, etc. There is also free FPGA deveopment software that I can only get for Windows, and I really want to get into learning and using FPGAs.

I just recently found my Parallax Propeller, and just need to get a new development board for it.  I'm not sure I can salvage the one I tried to build several months ago when my building skills were not as good as they are now. I haven't really paid much attention to the Propeller until recently, and I would like to see what I can do with it for robotics, since it has eight separate COGs to work with. This has some interesting potential for multitasking without an OS.

8-Dale

8-Dale

I've been digging deeper into the Arduino (based on the Atmega168), Sanguino (based on the Atmega644P), and AVRs in general lately. I can write software for these using free Linux based tools, which is a gigantic plus. While I do know there are ways to do this for Microchip PICs also, there are AVRs in DIP form factor that do not multiplex needed functions such as I2C and SPI with other functions such as PWM and analog inputs that I want to be able to use at the same time. To get this with PICs, I would have to use the larger ones, which, are not available in the DIP form factor, such as the 18F87J50 (which I do like). With PICs, in the smaller ones, SPI and I2C pins are multiplex, which I believe is a bad design choice.

I've also been looking at the new XMEGA chips from Atmel, and really like how these are laid out - especially the A1 series. These chips have five to eight UARTs, with one having IrDA capability. The memory on the XMEGAs go from 16k to 384k of Flash and at least some of them, like the A1's, have up to a 16 MB address space. These seem to be somewhat of a hybrid, in that they have 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit functions. I am hoping Spark Fun comes out with some boards that use the XMEGA chips soon.

Yes, I definitely like the Atmel chips!

8-Dale

I'm taking a bit of a sidetrip to tinker with a new toy - an Arduino Decimilia USB board and Proto Shield Kit. I've assembled the Proto Shield and it fits properly on top of the Arduino. I've also layed out some components and headers for the Proto Board. I am soldering to my Proto Shield because I didn't buy the small breadboard, and because I wouldn't be able to get this much stuff onto a small breadboard anyway.

I have soldered socket headers for my compass and 3-axis accelerometer to the Proto Shield, which will be easy to move around and see changes in readings when it is attached to the Arduino board.  There is a wealth of information, tutorials, and other stuff about Arduino all over the internet, which makes it ideal for tinkering with and learning electronics.

I've made a body for ArduinoBot from a media package CDs or DVDs come in, after removing the center spindle. This is the perfect size for what I want to do right now. I've also made provision for two front (or side) mounted sensors and one front center mounted sensor.

ArduinoBot - Front:

Sensors will be mounted on the front backets, pointing forward and to each side.

ArduinoBot - Bottom:

You can aksi see the upside down SSC-32 here.

ArduinoBot - Servos Mounted:

ArduinoBot - Top:

That's the tray CD or DVD media comes on, with the center spindle removed.

That's all for now! There will be more as I progress.

8-Dale