Messages

436

General Discussion / Re: Regulator board & ARF Board

« on: October 14, 2015, 05:21:28 pm »

OK, I've got the first of these boards up and running. Anyone who happens to be committing aviation over sunny Cumbria is welcome to listen out for ident 406178 (on the ground)!

Here's how I put the AFF/regulator board together. There'll be other ways that may be just as good or even better but this worked for me.

1. Using the two small header strips, "dry" assemble the ARF and regulator boards. The ARF component side faces away from the regulator board.

Well that had me worried, in this first pic the ARF is on the wrong way round! 

437

General Discussion / Re: Transmit power and range

« on: October 13, 2015, 08:17:59 pm »

3.2nm (5k) away at 1750ft.  .

I'd be MORE that happy with those numbers providing I can have the antenna in the cockpit.

Well mine was sitting in an upstairs window, not sure where it was in the aircraft.

438

General Discussion / Re: Transmit power and range

« on: October 13, 2015, 07:52:57 pm »

The only "real" tests are air to air, which is after all the intended environment.

Recently I was picking up a flyby on my ground test unit and based on the lat/long reported the transmitter was about 3.2nm (5k) away at 1750ft. 
I think I had the power turned down on my unit at the time as I was tinkering with some stuff so I wasn't detected.

439

General Discussion / Re: Regulator board & ARF Board

« on: October 12, 2015, 07:12:49 pm »

Jerramy,
   Are you still awaiting parts to complete some orders? Did you get my email about soldering the board and launch?

I've just had the shipment notification for the PCB's, so should be with me tomorrow.  Depending on when they arrive I might get some out tomorrow, I hope to have all backorders shipped by Wednesday.

Now, remind me what needed to change.... if you can let me know which order it relates to and what need altering via e-mail.  There have been a number of tweaks to orders, and there is more than one Richard!

Note to others, if you have sent me an e-mail via the forum it *may* not have arrived, so if you did and I haven't replied please e-mail direct...

jeremy.curtis at harkwood.co.uk

Or reply to your order acknowledgement and I'll get it.

440

General Discussion / Re: Regulator board & ARF Board

« on: October 08, 2015, 09:21:01 pm »

Thanks Jeremy,

I'll probably change the order.

Can you PM me your email address please?

Hugh

jeremy.curtis at harkwood.co.uk

Or hit reply to the order acknowledgement.

441

General Discussion / Re: Regulator board & ARF Board

« on: October 08, 2015, 09:12:16 pm »

Jeremy,

I ordered a couple of ARF boards a few ago (awaiting re-stock), but I've noticed that I requested the MCA connectors attached and soldered; what I meant to order was the ARF board soldered and the antenna pigtail as normal (allows for more flexibility when drilling the hole for the connector).

Any chance of changing the order?

Hugh

If you ordered the board, with ARF soldered on and the SMA connector that would normally be soldered on too.  The pig tail is still available for use, it doesn't get removed, you get that and the antenna as part of the ARF kit.  So you end up with both options available, downside is the SMA will stick out the end of the case even if you don't use it.

Happy to change it if you drop me an e-mail with the order number and what you would like.

442

General Discussion / Re: Kits or ready-made device

« on: October 08, 2015, 04:48:59 pm »

I'm a pilot that is fascinated by PA but I know I don't have the skills/knowledge to make up a unit and debug it.

Is anyone prepared to make a unit for me to buy?

Or is anyone working on a kit that follows the KISS principle?

I was thinking about this walking to a meeting today.  It would save issues with "fake" Chinese parts causing issues and enable correctly tuned aerials to be used etc. With the possibility of adding in a GPS module too it might be worth the time to look at it.

I made the ARF Shield to remove the need to solder anything, so with the right bits it is then plug and play.

443

General Discussion / Re: Regulator board & ARF Board

« on: October 08, 2015, 04:44:53 pm »

As I was short delivered the 2x10 headers, next window for purchase will be tomorrow once the balance of them arrive - the ARF's will be here by then too.  Then it will be early next week when some more PCBs arrive.

Would it be possible to order a couple of the basic boards without the headers soldered to them? - I'd like to use the longer pin style of headers with a view to stacking an I2C GPS prototype HAT on top of the ARF regulator board.

Yes, in the additional notes bit in the shopping cart put that you don't want the 2x10 headers on.  Then as a backup when it sends you the confirmation send it to me to ensure I don't miss the note!  More boards are expected early next week.

I would not put anything between the ARF and Pi CPU - it's tight in there and warm with lots of RF plus it's hard to get the connector out.

Note do not add any pull up resistors for the I2C bus, the Pi has them already on board.

Thanks - will order now with the note.  The plan is to stack the I2C GPS HAT on top of the ARF board, hence putting the long-pin header on the ARF board.  Interesting point about cooling - once I have the boards set up will whip together a suitable 3D printed enclosure with additional venting both for a Pi with your board and also with the GPS board on top and post up the .py/.scad/.stl files.

If you go...

My Shield
ARF
GPS

Then things are tight space wise and you will sandwich the GPS between the Pi CPU and ARF

If you mean...

GPS
My Shield
ARF

That would be better, but you need a taller case...

The 3.3v regulator I use is rated for 950ma constant with a max of 1.3A, so should be OK.

444

General Discussion / Re: Regulator board & ARF Board

« on: October 08, 2015, 03:20:58 pm »

As I was short delivered the 2x10 headers, next window for purchase will be tomorrow once the balance of them arrive - the ARF's will be here by then too.  Then it will be early next week when some more PCBs arrive.

Would it be possible to order a couple of the basic boards without the headers soldered to them? - I'd like to use the longer pin style of headers with a view to stacking an I2C GPS prototype HAT on top of the ARF regulator board.

Yes, in the additional notes bit in the shopping cart put that you don't want the 2x10 headers on.  Then as a backup when it sends you the confirmation send it to me to ensure I don't miss the note!  More boards are expected early next week.

I would not put anything between the ARF and Pi CPU - it's tight in there and warm with lots of RF plus it's hard to get the connector out.

Note do not add any pull up resistors for the I2C bus, the Pi has them already on board.

445

General Discussion / Re: Regulator board & ARF Board

« on: October 08, 2015, 02:01:09 pm »

Hi Jeremy,

Looking at the pictures of the shield, it seems there's physical room to add another hardware function. How about adding space to put a u-Blox GPS module next to the ARF? The u-Blox NEO modules support USB, UART, I2C and SPI connectivity. The UART pins on the GPIO port are already taken, and I2C is probably used for the pressure sensor? I2C could be shared, or you could use SPI if the kernel supports it. Add another SMA connector and the whole thing is plug-and-play. Would that be possible?

Rob

Technically anything is possible...
It isn't something I'd looked at but could do going forward, it would depend on Lee adding in the software to support it.   Interesting though I have a uBlox dev kit around here somewhere...

446

General Discussion / Re: Dead ARF

« on: October 08, 2015, 01:39:44 pm »

If you have an LED and a resistor (100 to 1K would be OK) and connect onto pin 6 of the ARF you can see if it heartbeats.

Pin6 -> LED -> Resistor -> GND

It flashes rapidly when it boots (1 or 2 seconds) then gives a 1Hz on/off if it has booted and it happy.  It will do this without being connected to anything, just power will do.  You might be able to just measure it with a multimeter if it's quick enough or one of the old analogue ones.

If it heartbeats, I'd suspect a wiring/comms problem.  If it doesn't heartbeat and does get 3.3v in then it may be terminal.

Pin six is on the same side as the power in, just the 6th one count the 3.3v in a number 1.

447

General Discussion / Re: Do not Forget the HEX Code

« on: October 07, 2015, 11:45:02 pm »

Each iPad connected to a different PAW access point? By default I think they connect to them in alphabetical order if there is a choice of known APs, so if one of the iPads has been connected to both after a PAW reboot both might be on the same PAW box? Worth checking.

448

General Discussion / Re: Regulator board & ARF Board

« on: October 07, 2015, 01:47:32 pm »

My hardware arrived today with arf and sma. ....very nice!

 

449

General Discussion / Re: Regulator board & ARF Board

« on: October 06, 2015, 05:38:31 pm »

As some have already seen I've opened up the on-line cart even though some items are on order to me.  I have enough items on order to cover all orders placed at the current time, with everything due to me by Tuesday 13th (most more PCBs as they take a week).

I have ordered enough to create a buffer stock from then onwards.

Please be aware for orders placed at the moment they won't be shipped until middle of next week.

I didn't realise just ho many units were being built out there...

450

General Discussion / Re: Regulator board & ARF Board

« on: October 06, 2015, 05:05:24 pm »

Hi,

A question for JCurtis - I just bought an ARF from Wirelessthings when I saw that you now offer the combination of ARF with shield and SMA soldered on.

Now I have had a look at the ARF, I am wondering if my soldering skills are up to the job!

Is it possible I could send you my ARF for you to add the shield and SMA and I pay the difference?

Thanks

Jim

Probably can work something out, drop me an e-mail jeremy.curtis at harkwood.co.uk