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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 |
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