RCS
Holy Micro Andy!
That’s what I was saying when I first examined the soldering work ahead of me. In the picture is the USB adapter board where I will have to mount one of the XBee modules. This is the one that will be the Base or shore terminal. All I have to do is solder those teeny tiny pins into those equally teeny tiny holes in the board.
Solder flowing across between any of those holes is not allowed. My normal soldering irons look like 10 penny nails up close to those little babies.
Time to break down and order one of those Weller WM -120 12 watt micro irons to do the job. There are some really fancy commercial micro soldering stations units available but they can cost more than these boards. The Weller is in the $40.00 range. Find one cheaper, get it!
It has a grounded cord unlike cheaper (Weller) models I have and the lower wattage is perfect for this size project. The super fine rosin core solder I already have. I figure there will be hundreds of these connections I’ll have to solder on this project. This is some of the smaller components these old eyes have had to work with. I love my magnifying headband.
BS2 Before
This is the Basic Stamp (BS2) micro computer that I have. Lets just say I have had it for a long time. (over ten years) The components you see in this picture have now been removed except for the vertical board in the back which is the BS2. It is simply plugged into the Jameco prototype board.
That is a USB to serial port converter sticking out of the db7 serial port to the left side of the main board.
With this layout I wrote a program that would flash the LEDs is a sequence with little beeps, then when that stopped the computer would play a few bars of one of about five tunes that were held in memory. Each time the button was pressed the sequence would start then play a new tune.
Just an exercise in writing the program but it made a good demo. I am about to give it a new task with communicating using one of the XBee transceivers.
I tested this computer today and it is working like brand new.
The Fun Begins
I received the package from Parallax last night. It contains the XBee 802.15.4 Starter Kit. Sure is a small package of parts for the money. Ha, good things (hopefully) come in small packages.
This will provide the radio link between the boat and shore. Looks like a lot of options so I will be working on this communications link for some time.
I have a Basic Stamp computer to hook up to one of the transceivers and I will purchase a Propeller demo system very soon for the second transceiver. The third transceiver will be used for the master or base computer.
The Stamp computer will not be used in the actual RBB project but it will be a part of the learning process. Also a Stamp or another Propeller could become a part of the system later on.
Up Front, A Terminal Idea
Yesterday I got to thinking about what I need to do for the user computer interface on the shore side of the data link. A common terminal program and the debugger terminal (for the Parallax software) are all that is needed right now for the link communication testing.
For actual operation something more user friendly will be required for the “front end”. I am in the buildings controls business so this is not a great revelation. A control system is only as good as it looks and can be understood by the user.
I built serial terminal programs many years ago for the first MAC computer. I designed a text interface between the computer and the amateur radio teletype I was operating in my ham station (W5EHS). It was a two way text communications system. The software worked so well I had a fellow ham selling the programs for me. I had a lot of fun constantly adding features so I couldn’t freeze the design long enough to sell the program myself. Later on I made a few more changes and it worked very well as a packet radio front end.
So I am fairly certain I can do it again. Yesterday I loaded MS Visual Basic 2010 Express (a part of Visual Studio) and after a couple of hours punched out a fully operational (and professional looking) photo fetch and display program. Yes, it was a tutorial but it helped me realize my plan wasn’t out of reach. It looks like if I wanted to, doing the same in Visual C language would be no harder with the Visual Studio tools available. The Express versions of this software are free, so a no brainer to try.
I have considered a Linux based front end but most people don’t run around with Linux on their laptops. I have to work within something I can share with the most people. I think someday a cell phone could be the front end.
The shore side front end software may therefore be easier to build than the boat software. Total control reaction will have to be calculated in the boat software if there is any chance of autonomous operation. Some feedback into the shore display could be raw data and let the shore computer crunch it to display format. The shore side computer only has to talk and listen to the boat computer. A lazy job.
All these variable scenarios are a part of the decisions to be made. I am actually looking forward to the challenge. Having eight processors available in the boat computer has my mind spinning. I only have four in my home PC…
Why Parallax?
I have not chosen this controls manufacturer on a whim. There is a very huge variety of control microprocessor systems available, suitable for this project. In have no idea if this selection is technically the best product for the job. The truth is I don’t have the time or the money to test everything out there to make that kind of ultimate selection. I don’t think I need to.
I am not buying processors in lots of 1000 and will probably never. That means I need a low volume low cost proven product from a demonstrated successful manufacturer with lots of support for small volume users like myself. Here I am buying direct from the manufacture, not some high volume distributor who may consider me a pesky gnat because of my questions.
I have good experience with one of the Parallax products (the Basic Stamp) so first-hand I have knowledge their peripheral customer support systems and business philosophy. The company president (check his first name) Chip Gracey is a customer level, visual manager. He developed his product knowledge much the same as I did. That is with “hands on” pioneering from the very early years (late 70’s early 80’s) of the micro processor hobby development until the present. His start was back when Timex Sinclair’s and Apple II’s were still fresh off the tree.
Because of their comparably (with say Intel) low volume, their product has to be good to stay and grow in the business. Their market is the enthusiast both professional and hobbyist who want a small low power device with system boards and open I/O that can be totally customized to whatever need. Many times that can develop into OEM large orders, at least at the chip level.
That is all I need to make my initial selection. Check ‘em out for yourself!
Umm, sorry if this reads like a commercial. Just call it an endorsement. 🙂