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chicken

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  1. Like
    chicken reacted to spirilis in Printed TI manuals - underrated IMO   
    I decided "for the hell of it" to print out the MSP430 chip family User's Guide, all 676 pages of it (slau445).  Total cost was ~$70 altogether including the $10 binder from Staples.  I used bestvaluecopy.com for the printing - printed in B&W, with a thicker color cover sheet, 3-hole drilled, shrink-wrapped, and put it in my own binder.
    Reading the more esoteric parts of the book - like the PMM, SVS and CS systems - is actually much nicer in print I found.  Just more comfortable to sit down at the table and *look* at the diagrams and text and hold my left hand under the page with the schematic/diagram while reading the details & refer back and forth.  Underrated way to consume these documents IMO.  I need to get some sticky notes or small sticky tabs (dunno why I didn't think to buy them when I was at Staples) to bookmark the important chapters (eUSCI peripherals, etc).
    The BestValueCopy order was $37.31 for the book (676p double-sided), $19.88 for shipping, then the Staples 400-page binder was ~$12 with tax IIRC.  For the smaller documents like the per-chip datasheet, I might have them do a comb-binding or similar.  Only issue is that shipping cost.  So I need to compare that with local services like staples or fedex kinkos..


  2. Thanks
    chicken reacted to bluehash in Forum flooded with spam   
    Hi All,
    I cleaned up the site last week. This year has not been the greatest for me(and for alot). Pardon the neglect. True that the blog has not been update, but I have not seen much content on the MSP430/432. Also TI's E2E has been vastly popular.
    There was no "commercial" side. I still pay for server and forum licenses out of pocket.
    I've kept it up since there is alot of useful info and people benefit from it.
     
  3. Thanks
    chicken got a reaction from Varnak in [POTM] dAISy - A Simple AIS Receiver   
    Hi Varnak,
    The dAISy software does change the channel every so often. The code for switching between the channels start at line 329 in packet_handler.c
    https://github.com/astuder/dAISy/blob/master/packet_handler.c#L329
    The receiver will switch to the other channel when the state is PH_RESET, which is the case after an error, successful message, or when there is no start of message within PH_SYNC_TIMEOUT (defined in line 27) clock ticks (one tick being 1/9600 second). Statistically, it will miss at least 50% of the message as it can only listen on one channel at a time.
    Regards,
    Adrian
  4. Like
    chicken reacted to Varnak in [POTM] dAISy - A Simple AIS Receiver   
    Hi Adrian! I was in St. Petersburg, recorded the AIS broadcast and was surprised when I played it on the second frequency 162.025 at home ... it works too!))) But WDS is set to 161.975. Do you programmatically switch channels by RSSI level and after what time? If you can tell me where in the program it is. I'm not a programmer at all. Here's a video of how your dAISy looks at me))
    20190428_184322.mp4
  5. Thanks
    chicken got a reaction from Varnak in [POTM] dAISy - A Simple AIS Receiver   
    Hi Varnak,
    I just pushed a configuration file for WDS 3.2.11 that I had laying around. I haven't tested it, so not sure if it works as is.
    https://github.com/astuder/dAISy/blob/master/WDS3211_si4362_revb1_direct_rx.xml
    Best Regards,
    Adrian
  6. Thanks
    chicken got a reaction from Varnak in [POTM] dAISy - A Simple AIS Receiver   
    FYI: dAISy works in Direct RX mode. Unfortunately, the built-in packet handler of the radio IC does not work with AIS.
  7. Thanks
    chicken got a reaction from Varnak in [POTM] dAISy - A Simple AIS Receiver   
    The Si4463 is backward compatible, as long as the chips have the same revision (B1 in this case).
    The pin out depends on the breakout board that you use for your project. I don't have a screenshot as I never updated the dAISy-E10-M4463D project to the new version of WDS. dAISy requires CLK and DATA from the radio, which the 4362 config files map to GPIO2 and GPIO3. If necessary, move them to other pins as they are available on your breakout board.
    But don't change CTS (GPIO1) as this pin is essential for SPI communication!
  8. Like
    chicken got a reaction from rookie in [POTM] dAISy - A Simple AIS Receiver   
    The radio on its own does not much. It needs an MCU to control it and talk to the computer, which is the MSP430 Launchpad in this case. See the first post of this thread and just replace the custom breakout board with the Ebay radio (minus the changes in wiring as documented).
     
    There are several options to program the LaunchPad. For this project I used TI's full IDE Code Composer Studio (CCS).
    http://www.ti.com/ww/en/launchpad/software.html
     
    The repository I published on Github includes the CCS project file.
    https://github.com/astuder/dAISy
    Simply copy the whole tree into your CCS workspace and open it in CCS. From there you can compile the code and program the LaunchPad.
     
    The radio configuration data generated by WDS is in the radio_config.h source file.
     
    dAISy USB is the standalone version of all this, where I designed and built my own PCB that includes radio and MCU on one board.
  9. Thanks
    chicken got a reaction from Fmilburn in [POTM] dAISy - A Simple AIS Receiver   
    Hi Ross,
    The best solution depends on what you want to achieve.
    If you want to build a chartplotter, then OpenPlotter or a standalone setup of OpenCPN would be a viable approach. Both will require a RPI 3 as the GUI of OpenCPN ps
    For OpenPlotter, I recommend the 1.0 image and not their latest alpha, unless you know what you're doing. For standalone OpenCPN, this tutorial worked for me. If you only want to track ships and may report to a website, then AISHub's rPiAIS is the quickest way to get up and running.
    More DIY alternatives are Kplex (which OpenPlotter uses under the hood) or some form of home-brew Python script.
    ais-forwarder to send received AIS messages over the network simpleAIS to decode AIS messages in your Python project You will find more AIS related projects under my Github stars.
    Best Regards,
    Adrian
     
  10. Haha
    chicken got a reaction from rookie in [POTM] dAISy - A Simple AIS Receiver   
    Good news for everyone having difficulties sourcing the Si4362 radio IC.
     
    I verified that the transceiver Si4463 works with dAISy. This probably also applies to Si4460 and Si4461. Besides being more widely available through distributors, more adventurous souls can even find these ICs on Aliexpress.
     
    Even better news for those that want to recreate my project with minimal effort: Si446x based radio modules are sold on eBay and elsewhere.
     
    I bought the E10-M4463D from eBay for $7.99:
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/100mw-433MHz-SI4463-Wireless-Transceiver-Module-With-Antenna-2100m-/151243201316
     
    I chose this module over others because all pins of the radio are broken out to headers.

     
    Unfortunately two pins (GPIO2 and GPIO3) are reserved to control the RF switch that connects the antenna with RX or TX channels. But after a few minor changes to my code I had dAISy working.
    Here's the branch on Github: https://github.com/astuder/dAISy/tree/E10-M4463D
     
    The wiring changed:
    GPIO0 -> P2.0
    NIRQ -> P2.5
    GPIO2, GPIO3 -> no longer connected to the LaunchPad
     
    As the modules are built for 433 MHz and AIS is using 162 MHz, I had to replace antenna and passives on the RX side.

    The new passives from left to right are (ignoring the obvious 0-ohm resistors) 11pF, 150nH, 13pF. As you can see the 0603 components are a very tight fit. I reflowed them with a hot air station instead of using a soldering iron. The clunky thing on the right is a BNC connector, SMA probably would have been a more elegant fit
     
    Technically, it's still not ideal. The traces might be impedance matched to the original frequency. However a quick real-world test demonstrated similar sensitivity as my original breakout boards.
     
    EDIT: added wiring information
    EDIT: added link to Github
  11. Thanks
    chicken got a reaction from Fmilburn in MSP430 Week - Discounts in TI Store   
    In case you need to stock up on MSP430 dev boards, it's MSP430 week in the TI store.
    http://www.ti.com/store/featured/msp430week18.html

     
  12. Thanks
    chicken got a reaction from Rei Vilo in MSP430 Week - Discounts in TI Store   
    In case you need to stock up on MSP430 dev boards, it's MSP430 week in the TI store.
    http://www.ti.com/store/featured/msp430week18.html

     
  13. Like
    chicken got a reaction from bluehash in Congrats for reaching level 430   
    Shouldn’t there be a special badge on 43oh for earning 430 reputation points?
    Well, congrats to my dear friend @Fmilburn for having crossed that line of 43oh awesomeness 

  14. Haha
    chicken got a reaction from Fmilburn in Congrats for reaching level 430   
    Shouldn’t there be a special badge on 43oh for earning 430 reputation points?
    Well, congrats to my dear friend @Fmilburn for having crossed that line of 43oh awesomeness 

  15. Like
    chicken got a reaction from Rei Vilo in Congrats for reaching level 430   
    Shouldn’t there be a special badge on 43oh for earning 430 reputation points?
    Well, congrats to my dear friend @Fmilburn for having crossed that line of 43oh awesomeness 

  16. Like
    chicken got a reaction from Tauronts in MSP430FR2433 LCD16x2   
    I don't have a MSP430FR2433, but a few items come to mind:
    1) Does the LCD display support 3.3V input? Most Arduinos are running at 5V, but the MSP430 family is 3.3V.
    2) Did you check if just wiggling a pin works? E.g. by turning on an LED or measuring with a multimeter? If that doesn't work, some additional GPIO configuration may be needed.
    3) If you have a logic analyzer or oscilloscope, check if the timing of the pin wiggles is as expected. Your code seems to assume, that the clock is running at 750KHz. I don't know if that's the speed at which the FR2433 starts up without any further configuration.
     
     
  17. Like
    chicken reacted to FrankB in Simple "Pop Top" Booster Pack   
    After joining this forum over 3 years ago I thought it overdue that I say hello and contribute something that I hope you will find useful.
    Attached is a picture of simple booster packs that I make. But are they really a "booster pack"? Hmmm. Debatable!
    They are cheap and easy to make and I have made 5 of them. I use them all the time because the whole of each project, including the MSP430, is attached to the booster pack. This means I can switch between projects without re-wiring, I can change the model of MSP430 in seconds and I only need one Launchpad.
    You can see from the picture that I provide two sets of header pins to attach "stuff" to, but provide four header pins for the 3.3V and GND. I also use long-leaded header plugs, partly because I have to solder the strip boards "upside down" (notice the small gap between the strip board and the header sockets) and also because the excess leads are easily accessible test points for things like logic analysers, etc. I keep the strip board to the smallest possible size so that all the Launchpad jumpers remain accessible.
    I've tried different designs, some with LEDs, switches, small breadboards and more besides, but this is the one I use all the time. I call it a "pop top" because you pop the top off a launchpad and swap it for another, then another.
    That's all for now. Hopefully it'll not be another 3 years before my next posting!

  18. Like
    chicken got a reaction from chiase in [POTM] dAISy - A Simple AIS Receiver   
    @nazmibojan your radio IC may be toast by now, so you may have to replace it.
    @longjohn119 thank you for the detailed report. My own knowledge about antennas is very basic.
    It's definitely much noisier around here in suburban Seattle.
    Also always interested how the receivers compare to SDRs, as basically it's a very specialized SDR. For a fairer comparison, you could try to add a bandpass filter in front of the SDRs. My 1-channel dAISy has a discrete LC filter built from SMT components, and it holds up surprisingly well to the SAW filter used on other models. In real world tests the advantage of the SAW was maybe 10% more messages.
    An external filtered preamp can help. I observed better range when adding this one in front of the HAT:
    https://store.uputronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=93
    Adding a preamp on-board is still on my to-do list. I did early experiments which resulted in worse reception. However by now I know that the small dAISy is limited by noise from the USB side. I may give it a try with the HAT, which despite the integrated splitter performs as good as the single-channel dAISy, i.e. the design likely has a lower noise floor.
     
  19. Like
    chicken got a reaction from chiase in BeagleBone DLP Projector Cape   
    Here's something new in the "I would like to play with that" category: A pico-projector in the form factor of a BeagleBone Black cape. At $99, the price isn't too bad either.
    http://www.ti.com/tool/dlpdlcr2000evm#0

     
  20. Like
    chicken got a reaction from Rei Vilo in BeagleBone DLP Projector Cape   
    Here's something new in the "I would like to play with that" category: A pico-projector in the form factor of a BeagleBone Black cape. At $99, the price isn't too bad either.
    http://www.ti.com/tool/dlpdlcr2000evm#0

     
  21. Like
    chicken got a reaction from Fmilburn in BeagleBone DLP Projector Cape   
    Here's something new in the "I would like to play with that" category: A pico-projector in the form factor of a BeagleBone Black cape. At $99, the price isn't too bad either.
    http://www.ti.com/tool/dlpdlcr2000evm#0

     
  22. Like
    chicken reacted to longjohn119 in [POTM] dAISy - A Simple AIS Receiver   
    Initial test results
    dAISy Hat with an FT232 RS232 convert - Half wave vertical dipole at approx 30 ft fed with 80 ft 75 ohm RG-6 quad shield with balun at feed point (The mismatch is largely irrelevant in modern active front end **receivers**, transmitters are a different ballgame altogether)
    Noise, no Antenna = -126 dbm
    Noise with antenna = -123 dbm 
    Results from 800+ messages:
    Minimum received signals = -117 dbm
    Maximum received signal = --67 dbm
    Average received signal = -91 dbm
     
    NOTES:
    (1) The more than acceptable 3db increase in noise from the antenna is mainly due to using quality coax and a vertical dipole with a proper balun which is a balanced antenna and tends to work more with the magnetic portion of the electromagnetic signal. A 1/4 wave vertical ground plane antenna would likely add another 3 - 6 db to the noise levels because it is an unbalanced antenna that works mainly with the electro (voltage) part of the electromagnetic signal and thus is more sensitive to RFI noise. Another engineering term for a vertical ground plane antenna is a Voltage Probe Antenna. However on most vessels a 1/4 to 5/8 wave vertical will be used since they are shorter (1/4) and/or are end fed rather than in the middle making them much easier to mount and feed on most smaller vessels.
    (2) While this could benefit from a 10 db preamp with input and output filters and scaling one of the 2 meter amatuer band designs would be relatively simple, trying to get there with only 5 volts is tough as most are designed for 12-14V. Plus you are going to need to use fairly large air coil or a slug tuned ferrite coils (like in IF circuits) which have a higher Q and thus lower loss. filters using SMT inductors while convenient and small are inherently low Q and lossy and that is why everyone is getting poor results putting a preamp with SMT filters in front of these. No preamp will increase the SNR of a receiver only increase it as they will amplify both the noise and the signal present on the input in equal amounts. The only way to lower noise is by decreasing the input bandwidth and filtering out the noise before it reaches the input to the preamp. 
    (3) My receive range roughly tripled over a RTL dongle and doubled compared to a HackRF SDR. This is most likely due to the poor dynamic range and SNR of the 8 bit ADCs even in the otherwise well designed HackRF
    Now it's off to mate this with my boat's GPS and the output to a RS-422 converter so I can add it and the GPS to my Lowrance Elite 7 Ti NMEA inputs and I can give it on on the water test this weekend .......
  23. Like
    chicken got a reaction from chiase in [POTM] dAISy - A Simple AIS Receiver   
    Hmm, it's a while since I looked at it in detail. Channel spacing is 50KHz. If I remember correctly, bandpass was set to 20 or 15KHz.
    I stay away from building a transponder as there's a real risk of disrupting AIS traffic if done wrong. But if you want to go down that avenue, check out this project:
    https://github.com/peterantypas/ais_transponder
     
  24. Like
    chicken reacted to chiase in [POTM] dAISy - A Simple AIS Receiver   
    Hi Adrian,
    Thanks so much for your reply. I'll try the configuration. I also generate the configure from WDS, but some paramaters I can't know clearly. Is the file that you attached for dAISy HAT?
    Again, thanks so much, Adrian!
    P.s: I also transmitted message AIS successfully. However, I need fix some bugs (such as I only switch from Rx to Tx mode first time. The second switching is failed.) I'll publish it at here when I fix it.
  25. Like
    chicken got a reaction from chiase in [POTM] dAISy - A Simple AIS Receiver   
    I apologize for the slow response.
    Besides configuration, severely limited range can be a noise issue. You may introduce noise to the radios with the wires connecting over to the STM32.
    The radio_config.h for the Si4362 should be a good starting point as the EzRadioPRO chips are compatible. You can generate the radio_config files for the Si4467 with the WDS tool from Silabs:
    https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/wireless-development-suite
    Seems like they changed the file format since the last time I used it. The attached project file can be loaded with the latest version of WDS. I also attached a radio_config.h for the Si4467 that I created with this project file. I haven't tested the results though.
     
    WDS3211_si4362_revb1_direct_rx.xml
    radio_config_Si4467.h
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