Messages

16

Technical Support / Re: Is there a dummy PAW program?

« on: April 05, 2017, 11:08:25 am »

I don't have access to the latest PAW at the moment, I will be purchasing whatever the latest version of it when the time comes (I'm currently building an RV12 and plan to install one in it when done, I'm just looking for something to pass the time on the nights I'm not in the garage building it).

I wanted to play around with creating a custom instrument to display the output (purely for fun as the SkyView system in the RV will be linked to the PAW anyway).

I'm just looking to have a port on my network here putting out PAW style data so I can connect to it as if it was a real PAW device.

The main reason for this is that I'm planning on learning some electronics (currently a software engineer). The equivalent 'hello world' hardware primers for bread boarding simply flash LED's etc but I thought it would be interesting to see if I could process the output of PAW on an embedded chip to and control the LED's or a small display.

This is purely me having a play with electronics and I could easily chose something else (weather data etc) but I'm a big fan of the PAW so thought it might be interesting to use it instead as the data source (and maybe come up with something interesting).
It may also help keep motivation/interest in the electronics learning rather than getting bored with flashing LED's based on temperature or movement on a sensor

Not sure if helps clear up what I'm doing or not. I could write a program myself to push data out of a port on the PC but rather than spend a few days doing that (or weeks given the limited time I have to play with this when not building), I though I would ask to see if anything was already available.

If not I will just look at using one of the online weather apps for the project as it could be up to a year before I start flying again and have access to a PAW with data to playback at home.

17

Technical Support / Is there a dummy PAW program?

« on: April 05, 2017, 02:51:37 am »

Hi,

I've done a few searches but haven't found an answer to this (I guess most people who want to do this already know how to do it so don't ask).

I have a couple of ideas for using the PAW data (just simple processing and display on some home grown electronics) and wanted to ask if anyone had found/created a PC/PI setup to simply spew out dummy data on a port (or knows an easy of a way doing this).

A simply text file of some data (i.e. containing a sample of all the types of packets than the PAW may produce during normal running) that could be played out on IP would be all I was looking for. I'm just trying to avoid having to spend a bunch of time creating this as I guess someone would already have done it.

The idea is to be able to have a IP:PORT that I can connect to on my LAN that is producing valid (but not real world) PAW data (so I can connect to it with SkyDemon etc the same way as the real PAW)

My original PAW never worked very well in my flat so using a real system wouldn't be of much use (a couple of aircraft a day were all I could pick up in the living room )

I still have my original PAW setup (before the bridge and the licence has expired) so that will be getting replaced later this year/early next year when I start flying again, but until then I had a few pet projects I wanted to try out to see if they would work.

If it is too much trouble to get the feed going then I have other projects I can work on but thought it would be interesting to see what I can do with the output.

So does anyone have a PC program/setup or RPi image that can mimic the PAW data that they would be prepared to share?

Jon

18

General Discussion / Re: Release 20151107 Unsupported platform error

« on: November 09, 2015, 07:03:20 pm »

Just to add to the list I also have a reported ARM7 PI (The Pi was a gift so I wasn't sure what version it was). On the previous software it ran but had lots of problems with connections/dropouts and sometimes needed a few boots to get the wifi hotspot working.

On the occasions I could connect it worked ok for short periods before dropping out again.

I had assumed this was a dodgy power supply or wifi dongle as I didn't realise it was the wrong chipset ( I didn't expect it to work at all on the newer version, the intermittent working fooled me into thinking it was something else that was wrong).

I guess I will shelve mine for a while (I'm assuming that once it is working ok on the current hardware it will, at some point in the future, be updated to the later models). I probably won't be flying for a while so there isn't much point in buying another PI at the moment.

Still interested in the project.

19

General Discussion / Re: Power Supply & USB Power Cable

« on: November 08, 2015, 06:59:42 pm »

Hi Guys,

I have just joined the Forum, and am in the process of ordering the bits I need to have a go at building a Unit. Regarding the Power Supply, would this unit be suitable (and possible better as it re-charges itself via solar power as well as DC4.8-5.4V) ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50000mAh-Solar-Battery-Charger-Power-Bank-For-iPhone-iPad-Tablets-Smart-Phones-/321814230008?hash=item4aed9f73f8

Forgive my ignorance, I have a little knowledge (dangerous  ) of things electrical, but I am a dab hand at following instructions, so feel free to use me for idiot testing purposes 

BobD

These arn't 50000 mAk as advertised on ebay (as usual) but are actually only 10000 mAh as tested, even the supplier only lists it as 20000 mAh (MFG Rated).

If you can wait for the slow boat from china you can get them from https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10007810/1683601-solar-power-1-5w-20000mah-external-power-source.

I've used this site a lot (even had to return an item once) and found them very good. The downside is the wait for the goods, the upside is it is where most stuff on ebay appears to come from (so a few quid cheaper).
At the current exchange rate they are about £12 at the moment on Fasttech, interesting that ebay is only £3 more (although as he has sold over 1000 so far that isn't a bad profit lol.)

I might get one just to test with.

20

General Discussion / Re: Airborne set-up

« on: November 08, 2015, 05:51:28 pm »

Hadn't thought about that. I will look at getting one to add to the setup.

21

General Discussion / Download dropbox error - Fixed

« on: November 08, 2015, 05:45:55 pm »

It seems you are getting too popular

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Error (429)
This account's public links are generating too much traffic and have been temporarily disabled!

22

General Discussion / Airborne set-up

« on: November 03, 2015, 07:17:21 pm »

I'm still playing with mine at the moment and have some gps/networking issues but I was thinking on how I would use it in an aircraft.

I'm still learning about the kit and how it fits together but thought it might be useful to hear what peoples setups were.

My endgame plan is (when I finish building the aircraft) is to somehow have this hooked up to the skyview with it mounted somewhere semi-permanently.

Until then I'm only going to have time to play in a rental aircraft (so probably no power supply for the Pi) and SkyDemon on the iPad.

So my shorterm plan is ...
PA with wifi/ADSB dongle (and the updated transmitter when ready) and possibly a GPS module (either skydemon bluetooth or pi dongle but not looked into this yet).
The barometers don't seem to give that much benefit from what I read on here.
Some kind of battery supply that can run the pi for a few hours.
Linked to an iPad with sky Demon

Is anyone regularly using PA in the air yet or do you have a set-up planned, or is it too early to be thinking about day to day use yet?