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Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2006 12:12:31 -0400
From: Ernest Christley <echristley@nc.rr.com>
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To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Re: Possible data-logging solution?
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Tracy Crook wrote:

> *It ain't over yet since this only stores the raw sensor data.  As 
> Rusty points out, I (or a volunteer with some programming/EXCEL 
> chops?) need to write the program to download the data and an EXCEL 
> spreadsheet to display it in a nice chart.*
> ** 
> *BTW,  Congrats Buly!  Now, give us more details on that needed 
> cooling tune-up : )*
> ** 
> *Tracy  (did I mention I was looking for volunteer programmers?)*
> ** 

Buly, very good show.

Tracy, I don't understand the need for programmers.  This is just 
comma-delimited text data, right?  Why would it take anything more that 
importing the data into one of the dozens of freely availble graphing 
programs?

Even bettery may be the solution that Brian Lloyd is discussing on the 
Aerolectrics list.  I've copied his posting below.

Time: 06:56:23 PM PST US
From: Brian Lloyd <brian-yak@lloyd.com>
Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Re: DAS Systems

--> AeroElectric-List message posted by: Brian Lloyd <brian-yak@lloyd.com>

Robert L. Nuckolls, III wrote:


>>     Win/USB is the major market . . . and FTDI's drivers for making
>>     USB masquerade as a serial COM port are getting better all the
>>     time. I have one product right now that's been a real hassle
>>     when customers want to put it on a Win95 or even Windows for
>>     Workgroups! It's a shoo-in on XP and 2000.
>  
>

Well, you are talking to someone who has spent most of his life making 
devices and services universally available over the network. There is a 
reason people have embraced the Internet; it is the universal vehicle 
for communication between devices.


>>     The biggest filter of operating systems will be a GUI we'll
>>     provide which will be crafted for the latest Win OS and how ever
>>     far back as we can make it go without undue labor. However,
>>     the communications architecture will be open and anyone who
>>     want's to craft their own interface. It's usually no big deal
>>     to take a series of streaming data and push it to a hard drive
>>     for later import to spread-sheet-and-graphics of choice. The
>>     DAS will put out ASCII integers in comma de-limited strings.
>  
>

For the GUI, use Java. The reason is, you really will be able to run it 
on windows, Mac, or any of the flavors of Unix/Linux out there. It has 
all the hooks to allow you to communicate over a network connection 
regardless of whether it is serial RS-232 (PPP), ethernet, USB, 
Firewire, Bluetooth, or WiFi (IEEE 802.11[a|b|g]).


>>>> You know, if you give it some intelligence and then put it on the
>>>> network you end up with some seriously cool remote data collection. Now
>>>> with it being on the other side of an IP connection you can write a Java
>>>> front-end that will run on anything.
>>    
>>
>> 
>>     This needs to be a $100 gizmo. My #2 software guy is working
>>     with some I.P. address based hardware and development tools, we'll
>>     see what he comes up with. Obviously, that's the wave of
>>     the future. 
>  
>

Back when I started out building routers and network communications 
devices back in the late '80s it was the wave of the future. Now it is 
the wave of the present.

And to make it easier, go look at the Embedded Java vendors. I was using 
the Dallas Semiconductor "Tini" board. It costs about $50 but is a 
complete network computer for sensor data collection including 
processor, memory, network connection (ethernet), programming language 
(Java), libraries, etc. It has all the basic features to do what you 
want to do including the availability of a web server right on the Tini 
board. Heck, do your data collection right on the board and have it 
available via the net immediately. No muss, no fuss, and no special 
software for the PC that you are using to look at the data.

See: http://www.maxim-ic.com/TINIplatform.cfm

It already has ethernet, serial, CAN2.0b bus, 1-Wire sensor bus, etc. 
This is how I would start.


>>     I'm going to be working with folks in flight
>>     test evaluating some quick-n-dirty installations of DAS systems
>>     where we'll try an 802.11b wireless link. At the moment,
>>     these are much bulkier and more expensive than I'd like to
>>     offer to my target market: OBAM aircraft.
>  
>

I happen to be talking with an aircraft manufacturer on something 
similar, basically data linking data collection in the aircraft to the 
ground using 802.11. It is fairly easy to get ranges of a couple of 
miles using 802.11 but mostly I am setting it up to do an automatic 
data-dump whenever the aircraft comes within range of the base station. 
I would be happy to help you on your project if you like.

-- Brian Lloyd 361 Catterline Way brian-yak at lloyd dot com Folsom, CA 
95630 +1.916.367.2131 (voice) +1.270.912.0788 (fax) I fly because it 
releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . - Antoine de 
Saint-Exupery


-- 
         ,|"|"|,               Ernest Christley     |
----===<{{(oQo)}}>===----     Dyke Delta Builder    |
        o|  d  |o          www.ernest.isa-geek.org  |