What are you doing right now..?

[mbeals 74]

I picked up one of those on Amazon a few weeks back as well. Unfortunately I get crap reception from my apartment window.  Still a lot of fun though.  I'm thinking about picking up a second one to do trunk-tracking

[petertux 40]

I don't mind minicom, but I need something a bit more special-purpose.  I suspect it will want to have a GUI someday, but since the meat of it is POSIX C, all the GUI needs to be is the GUI.  That is the only way, I've found, to allow a good degree of independence of platform, independence of library version (I'm looking at you, Qt), and independence from having a damn terminal app that is a 36MB application and eats 100MB RAM.

 

not sure what you try to do there, but I found that it's easy to talk to /dev/tty{S,USB}[0-9] once you ready the port with stty. see this for an example [1].

 

also you remind me of the best terminal I have ever used: terminate v5. it had ALL the features for ALL your fidonet needs

otherwise I find minicom is great. have you tried compiling it statically for slightly better 'platform independence'?

 

[1] https://github.com/rodan/solar-sensor/blob/master/server/ss_daemon.c

[petertux 40]

I am trying to design a smallish gps + gprs tracker [1]. as usual because I'm unhappy with the one I bought on the internets.

 

writing the software for this will take forever tho. also I have no idea how to properly route the RF traces toward the antennas. a lot of reading has to be done ...

 

[1] https://github.com/rodan/tracy

[jpnorair 340]

writing the software for this will take forever tho. also I have no idea how to properly route the RF traces toward the antennas. a lot of reading has to be done ...

 

[1] https://github.com/rodan/tracy

 

If you do these things, the reference design should work as advertised.

1. Do what you can to copy the reference circuit layout, that will simplify things.

1b. Don't put inductors parallel to each other.  Put them in a straight axial line, or perpendicular.  Otherwise you get transformer behavior.

2. Use a 4 layer board.  Just do it.  Ground layer right under RF filtering components.

3. vias connecting ground layers... all over the place, but particularly at edges.  You do not have nearly enough in that image.

 

How are you connecting to the antenna?  That is another list of considerations.

[bluehash 1,578]

Bumpity bump.

[enl 227]

Grading papers and having a beer (or, more accurately, distracting myself from grading papers. Students are doing pretty good, but decoding vector calculus proofs takes a mental toll...)

 

Oh, in general....

 

Working on an articulated tail, neck, and head. Too many servos! If I ever get anywhere with it, I will post. Right now, still mocking up test system. I can't wait for next haloween......

[dubnet 238]

Calculus....arghhhh

[mbeals 74]

Still writing firmware for the radio telemetry boards.  I have the UART buffers built and added AT command support to let the MCU command the radio.  Now I just need to formally decide how I want to handle the start up handshaking with the base station.

[enl 227]

@dubnet: Calculus if fun! Algebra if the pain. Hardest part by far.

[dubnet 238]

@enl  When first exposed to calculus I had it pegged as esoteric and questionably relevent. Then again I was a university freshman, what did I know?

[cubeberg 540]

Working on code for my secret project  Had a busy weekend introducing my kids to Mythbusters and Cosmos as well.

[Druzyek 36]

Testing how random numbers generated with a 555 fed to the Timer 0 clock are for my next project. Also, trying to hack walkie talkies to transmit text for the same project. I'm trying to glue a small bolt to copper clad so I don't have to drill holes but the epoxy that I got is not very strong.

[enl 227]

@Druzyek: Have fun with the epoxy. Keys are clean, tooth, and proper mix. Light scuff both parts where attachment to occur, clean -- denatured alcohol is good preclean for most epoxies -- then work proper mix epoxy onto both surfaces with applicator stick before joining to insure good coverage. If mix is off, strength is off. Copper side will regrow oxide very quickly that  will inhibit bond. Scuff, clean, bond one after the other. No rush, but a few minutes is best time frame. Don't forget to build a small fillet around the bolt head. More surface area and out of plane both improve strength (out of plane makes it tougher for a separation from the material to run). Then give plenty of time for full strength. Usually at least 12 hours, 24 is better.

[RobG 1,891]

@@Druzyek, you should try edge holding supports

https://www.adafruit.com/products/1116

http://www.essentracomponents.co.uk/locking-corner-edge-circuit-board-support

http://www.essentracomponents.co.uk/specialist-spacers

http://www.richco-inc.com/products/circuit-board-hardware.html

[zeke 692]

I am getting ready to send two new board designs to a board fab house.

 

It is a dev board for the synapse wireless rf200 radio module and a daughter board to prototype on.

 

I used the sick of beige 100mm x 62mm for this design. Cases are only $3.20 CAD from seeedstudio.