[aprssig] Tiny Telemetry

Tue Aug 31 11:27:09 EDT 2004

This is from an OpenTracker that was deployed in my backyard over the
weekend with a 1-wire station and a solar panel:

Sun Aug 29 21:52:36 2004  N1VG-4>APOT01:>1-wire weather station test 12.7V
24C
Sun Aug 29 21:52:36 2004
N1VG-4>APOT01:!3457.55N/12025.44W_270/000g002t060OD1w

Note that the temperature in the status packet is the board temperature, not
the station temperature.  The voltage indication is handy for tracking how
well the solar panel is keeping it charged.

It's almost ready to go, but it's got a couple of deficiencies.  First, the
only way to properly set the wind direction indicator is to rotate the
entire unit or unscrew the wind vane and reposition it.  I'm planning to add
an offset field to the configuration program, but it doesn't lend itself
well to a live calibration like the uWeather, since the config program and
bootloader don't actually talk to the sensors.  Second, the config program
is really ugly at the moment, doesn't handle dual profiles, and isn't smart
enough to switch between the tracker config screen and the weather config
screen when you load the firmware.

I'm not really sure if the dual config option is necessary, but it'd let you
do stuff like reduce the beacon rate when the weather is calm, or maybe go
into an alert mode when the wind gets above a certain threshold.

Anyway, I'll probably be showing this in the demo room at DCC next week if
anyone's interested.  But this isn't what I meant by 1-wire sensors for
telemetry... I'm talking about a firmware version that'd talk to current
loop sensors or 1-wire sensors and report their values in APRS telemetry
format (or OpenTRAC, of course.)

Scott
N1VG

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Drew Baxter" <droobie at maine.rr.com>
To: <scott at opentrac.org>; "'TAPR APRS Mailing List'"
<aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 7:40 AM
Subject: RE: [aprssig] Tiny Telemetry

> I have a 1-wire from AAG.  I have yet to use the thing but hopefully once
> my tower goes up (Which was delayed, but I do have 48 feet of Trylon T300
> sitting here, so it's gonna happen somehow).  I do think that it's
probably
> one of the cheapest weather solutions though for APRS, so support would
> definitely be something of interest to someone, if not me in the
> not-so-distant future.  Remote weather stations don't need to be
> multi-hundred dollar Ultimeter or Dallas rigs.
>
> Byon's device doesn't do 1-Wire but it supposedly will 'in a future
> version'.  I think that the only thing that does 1-Wire is the old TAPR
> kit.  I think that means there's no 1-wire converter for APRS, correct me
> if I'm wrong.
>
> --Droo, K1XVM
>
> At 10:13 AM 8/31/2004, scott at opentrac.org wrote:
> >At the risk of restarting some old arguments on what's considered
> >appropriate use of 144.39 and the APRS message formats, let me say that
that
> >sounds like a bad idea.
> >
> >The OpenTracker has 3 A/D inputs.  4 if you count the one used for energy
> >detect on receive.  One's normally wired to a temperature sensor, another
to
> >the voltage divider, and the third is unused if you're not running in
1-wire
> >weather mode.  Right now, it'll report temperature and/or voltage in the
> >comment field.  I've had a couple of requests to add 4-20ma current loop
> >support to the other input, which I haven't done mostly because I haven't
> >got any sensors on hand to test it with.
> >
> >If I can get a clear description of what people would like to see in a
> >telemetry encoder, I'll work on getting that ready in time for DCC.  I
can't
> >guarantee it'll be able to fit GPS support in the same firmware, but
it'll
> >at least work (like the weather version does) in fixed mode.
> >
> >The new surface mount version is pretty small, and you can get power
> >consumption under 4ma @ 12v.  And it'll be a heck of a lot cheaper than a
> >KPC-3.
> >
> >So, if there's a telemetry feature you want, let me know - e.g., 4-20ma,
> >1-wire sensors, whatever.  I'll see what I can do.
> >
> >Scott
> >N1VG
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org
> >[mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org]On Behalf Of Robert Bruninga
> >Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 5:27 AM
> >To: aprssig at lists.tapr.org
> >Subject: [aprssig] Tiny Telemetry
> >
> >
> >Need a small APRS gizmo for remote telemetry?
> >
> >The pocket tracker which combines a TinyTrak
> >and a small 144.39 transmitter and a 9v battery
> >into a shirt pocket device (fits in an Altoids can)
> >is ideal.
> >
> >Of course, it only processes GPS data, but wait!
> >
> >For other purposes, remember that GPS data is
> >just numbers and there is nothing that says it
> >has to mean LAT/LONG.  So if you want to have
> >a quick way to get a unique telemetry system on
> >the air, just have your little project output a GPS
> >NMEA string but let the 13 or more digits mean
> >whatever you want.  THen decode them on the
> >other end...
> >
> >Anyway, just a quick way to get some unique
> >telemetry on the air in a small off-the-shelf package...
> >
> >de WB4APR, Bob
> >
> >
> >
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> >
> >
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