[aprssig] [opentracker] OpenTracker USB released
ray at rayvaughan.com
ray at rayvaughan.com
Thu Dec 16 09:50:15 EST 2010
It sounds like a very exciting platform! Lots of things are going to be
possible in this.
If 3G and 4G continue to come down in cost, it might even become a
node-in-a-box. There are already a lot of cheap hotspots with WiFi on the
market. At a remote site, a phone line with DSL versus a low cost 3G account...
they're getting closer in price.
Ray
On December 15, 2010 at 11:53 PM Scott Miller <scott at opentrac.org> wrote:
> It's on my bench now - just an eval board and a few thousand lines of
> code so far, but a first attempt at a board layout is in the works.
> Anything like a functioning beta version is at least 6 months out.
>
> 512 KB flash, 576 KB SRAM, minimum 4 MB serial flash, USB host/device
> support, SD/MMC slot... it's going to be a lot less confining system to
> program for! =] Also, with a 24 MHz 8-bit MCU already nearly matching
> an MX614 for decode performance, I'm really looking forward to seeing
> what I can do at 76 MIPS with a 32-bit MCU that's got some DSP instructions.
>
> WiFi isn't in the works immediately. I'm trying to design the board
> with expansion modules in mind, though. Until then, you'd have to use a
> WiFi bridge.
>
> It won't be quite as miserly with power as the T2, of course. I think
> the Ethernet section alone draws something like 500 mA @ 3.3v.
>
> POE would be nice, but also might have to wait. Power distribution will
> already be much more complicated than the T2, with more voltages and
> higher currents, and considerations like having to be able to shut down
> some peripherals when in USB bus-powered mode.
>
> Scott
> N1VG
>
> On 12/15/2010 8:25 PM, ray at rayvaughan.com wrote:
> > Any hope for an Ethernet version some day? So much more flexible. The
> > radio could be anywhere in the world with a hardwire or WiFi connection.
> > PoE could even power the device, and a low wattage radio.
> >
> > Ray, KD4BBM
> >
> > On December 15, 2010 at 11:16 PM Scott Miller <scott at opentrac.org> wrote:
> >
> > > The OT1+ has never had particularly strong RX capability. It was
> > > something I managed to add on when I upgraded from the old KX8 processor.
> > >
> > > When I have time, I'm going to see if the OTUSB's demodulator can be
> > > back-ported to the OT1+. It's going to be a bit of a stretch, though -
> > > the OTUSB is clocked 3.25 times faster than the OT1+.
> > >
> > > I've been getting results of over 930 packets decoded on the WA8LMF test
> > > track, compared to about 960 for the MX614-based OT2m and under 900 for
> > > most TNC2 clones. The biggest limitation is dynamic range, since it's
> > > using mostly 8-bit math. You have to make sure the audio level is
> > > adjusted properly, but there's a display in the diagnostic screen for
> > > that. I'm going to add a simple AGC function later on - that helped
> > > with the DTMF decoding on the ADS-SR1. Incidentally, that runs on a
> > > slightly slower version of the same processor, so at some point I'll
> > > probably port the DTMF code over and use it for some non-APRS stuff with
> > > the OTUSB hardware.
> > >
> > > The new MCU also has more RAM available, and part of that's going to go
> > > to KISS buffering.
> > >
> > > I'm really looking forward to doing a few more specialized board layouts
> > > based on the OTUSB. Aside from the voltage regulator there's just one
> > > 44-pin IC that does everything, USB interface included. Some of the
> > > software work was a major pain - getting it to load firmware over the
> > > USB port when a good chunk of that firmware is the USB stack itself, for
> > > example - but it does make the hardware side easier.
> > >
> > > Scott
> > > N1VG
> > >
> > > On 12/15/2010 4:01 PM, Xinhua Rong wrote:
> > > > Scott,
> > > >
> > > > Congratulations on the new product release. Personally, I like MX614
> > > > more. I had poor decoding experience in OpenTracker+ with FT-7800R,
> > > > FT-8800R etc mobile radios with DATA port. Not sure if you had
> > chance to
> > > > test OTUSB with these radios.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks,
> > > > Adam
> > > >
> > > > On 2010-12-16 6:01, Scott Miller wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >> I'm pleased to announce that the new OpenTracker USB is now shipping!
> > > >>
> > > >> https://www.argentdata.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=148
> > > >> http://wiki.argentdata.com/index.php/OpenTracker_USB
> > > >>
> > > >> The new tracker is basically a Tracker2 without the digipeater and
> > > >> Garmin protocol functions, but with a full-speed USB port that can be
> > > >> used for configuration, command prompt access, and KISS mode,
> > > >> independent of the two regular serial ports.
> > > >>
> > > >> This means you get remote control capability, a TNC2-style command
> > > >> prompt, scripting, weather station support, KISS mode, and the ability
> > > >> to do all of this simultaneously without reloading the firmware.
> > > >>
> > > >> There's also space inside for a GT-525 GPS receiver module, and
> > we'll be
> > > >> offering that with the appropriate jumper a little later as an option.
> > > >>
> > > >> Demodulation is software-based, and significantly improved over the
> > > >> OpenTracker+ - in our testing, it's been very close to MX614-based
> > TNCs
> > > >> in decode performance.
> > > >>
> > > >> Because of the surface mount construction we won't be offering
> > this one
> > > >> as a kit. We'll still be offering the OpenTracker+ as a kit as long as
> > > >> we're able to get the parts, but the assembled version will be phased
> > > >> out in favor of the new design.
> > > >>
> > > >> USB support has been tested with Windows 2000/XP, Mac OS X, and Linux.
> > > >> We'll be adding INF files for Vista and Windows 7 shortly, but it
> > shows
> > > >> up as a generic USB CDC device so drivers are included with the
> > > >> operating system.
> > > >>
> > > >> Documentation is still sparse, but the wiki has the critical
> > > >> information. Nearly all of the information in the Tracker2 manual
> > > >> applies, with the exception of the digipeater and Garmin sections. The
> > > >> OTUSB manual should be published by this weekend.
> > > >>
> > > >> We've got units ready to ship now, and more on the way, so there's
> > still
> > > >> time to put it on your Christmas list!
> > > >>
> > > >> 73,
> > > >>
> > > >> Scott
> > > >> N1VG
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------
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