Re: [Flexradio] TSVN cache service?
At 04:12 PM 7/17/2006, Sami Aintila wrote: On 7/18/06, Jim Lux [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Those of you Tortoiseing.. how do you prevent tsvncache from running? You probably need to disable the entire Tortoise shell extension. You can use ShellExView to do this without having to uninstall Tortoise. Download from here: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html In theory, you shouldn't need to shut down the whole extension. the cacheing service is apparently a separate part. James Lux, P.E. Spacecraft Radio Frequency Subsystems Group Flight Communications Systems Section Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mail Stop 161-213 4800 Oak Grove Drive Pasadena CA 91109 tel: (818)354-2075 fax: (818)393-6875 ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] TSVN cache service?
I did some googling and it appears that this is a common issue. They have apparently added the ability to specify which folders this process will crawl to reduce the overhead. This is in the 1.4.x version nightly builds though. I'm not sure, but I don't think a 1.3.x server will work with 1.4.x clients. I could be wrong though. You can try disabling recursive icons and/or using the include/exclude paths in the TortoiseSVN Settings (right click a file/folder - TortoiseSVN - Settings). See the attached screenshot. Registry key to show an icon when tsvncache is running http://www.nabble.com/Disable-TSVNCache.exe-to-minimize-disk-IO--t920019.htm l Eric Wachsmann FlexRadio Systems -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] radio.biz] On Behalf Of Jim Lux Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 8:57 AM To: Sami Aintila Cc: flexRadio Subject: Re: [Flexradio] TSVN cache service? At 04:12 PM 7/17/2006, Sami Aintila wrote: On 7/18/06, Jim Lux [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Those of you Tortoiseing.. how do you prevent tsvncache from running? You probably need to disable the entire Tortoise shell extension. You can use ShellExView to do this without having to uninstall Tortoise. Download from here: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html In theory, you shouldn't need to shut down the whole extension. the cacheing service is apparently a separate part. James Lux, P.E. Spacecraft Radio Frequency Subsystems Group Flight Communications Systems Section Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mail Stop 161-213 4800 Oak Grove Drive Pasadena CA 91109 tel: (818)354-2075 fax: (818)393-6875 ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com -- next part -- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Image1.png Type: image/png Size: 39984 bytes Desc: not available Url : /pipermail/flexradio_flex-radio.biz/attachments/20060718/9c753972/attachment.png ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] SDR1000 Damaged. Make sure you turn it OFF when you walk away. Update
On 7/17/06, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: At 7:00 AM I jumped out of bed to the crack of a nearby lightening strike. Yep, you guessed it, the SDR1000 was once again knock out. Although, it was nice to have it back for a while. I have learned by experience to never leave on any of my solid state gear when I'm away from them for an extended period of time. My hollow state equipment is much more resistant, but I still turn them off overnight, even if I hear there will be no storms pass through the area. I live on a high ridge and lightning seems to be attracted by my QTH. I've had a hot water tank, dishwasher, a TV, satellite rcvr, and solid state audio gear die from this, just by being left ON. The SS stuff that was turned off did not get affected. My SDR1K is stable enough for anything I'll ever do to just turn on when I'm ready to operate, and in 10 minutes or so, it's like a rock for my purposes. I agree 100% ! Turn off your SDR1k or any other SS device when you are not around. Brian .. w5ami ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] Delta 44 Driver Version ???
I have finally heard back from M-Audio tech support via email They state that, indeed, the revision number issue is a typo on their end. Additionally I asked about any available workaround to the fact that the M-Audio driver installer overwrites previous configuration files. If you install a new driver then YOU MUST go back into the control panel and re-configure all your previous settings from the factory defaults as installed by the M-Audio driver installation routine. They state there is no workaround. -Dan K6KDK - Original Message - From: Dudley Hurry [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; flexradio@flex-radio.biz Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 7:07 PM Subject: Re: [Flexradio] Delta 44 Driver Version ??? Dan, I have not updated mine yet and it shows 5.10.00.0051. So the first number must have been a typo.. 73, Dudley WA5QPZ At 06:23 PM 7/16/2006 -0700, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Maybe someone can save me the trouble of a phone call to M-Audio Tech Support. On June 22, 2006 M-Audio issued a Driver update for XP . According to the download site it is revision : 5.10.00.5052, but when I loaded it the revision number in the About Panel came up as: 5.10.00.0052. Anyone know what's up with this ?? -Dan K6KDK ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] Dual Core Optimization
Larry, please forgive me, but I strongly disagree with the throw more hardware at the problem to fix it. There is a three letter mega-company who has made 50+ successful years by following that schematic :-) and correspondingly cost it's customers mega-bucks!. I can build, pretty much from scratch, a perfectly fast, fine, usable SDR computer system for 200 dollars, probably including case but not including the D44 card. Toss in another 90 bucks, max, for a copy of Windows and you're there. Last time I did this was: CPU 80 Motherboard 50 Memory 50 Salvage keyboard, mouse, case, hardfile, graphics card (surely, everyone can do this much), and I was done for a Linux box. Everyone else add Windows and stir. Case and power supply is 50 or less, by the way. An adequate hardfile, another 50. But, odds are, you won't need some of this, so about 200 is right. We've been on ATX so long, it's exceedingly unlikely that you'd have to get a new case and power supply, not with an ordinary desktop at least, nor would you have to get a hardfile (I presume everyone reading these words has one). It wouldn't be a Pentium IV at 2.4 GHz, or the absolute spiffiest available box, but it would be AMD at the same basic performance level that I use today for my SDR. The chips and boards to do this at these kinds of prices have been around for a while, now. I did this last maybe two or four years ago, but surely, prices haven't gone up in the interim, have they? Many of us have been more than willing to throw that much money at sound cards (some of us, more than once). I'm Mr. Solder Phobe and I can do this much. How many on this list can't do this? **You DO NOT need to REMEMBER what to turn ON or OFF** but rather use the method suggested by Cecil KD5NWA called Profiles. You missed the part of my critique when I actually wanted to run a full, integrated, internet-connected system with my SDR, not some sort of crippled SDR-only thing. That renders the Profile argument irrelevant. I agree the Profile thing would be a nice way to go if you want to run that way, but I don't. Some of us, probably many/most of us, want to run everything. That's what I want to do for sure. So, for my money, you upgrade or you add. Because, I, at least, want it all. This whole thing reminds me of dual booting. Sure, people actually do it. But, most don't because they want all the function all the time. Larry WO0Z ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] Dual Core Optimization
I noticed that Larry did not tell you which big blueish three letter company he works for. ;-). Bob [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Larry, please forgive me, but I strongly disagree with the throw more hardware at the problem to fix it. There is a three letter mega-company who has made 50+ successful years by following that schematic :-) and correspondingly cost it's customers mega-bucks!. -- AMSAT VP Engineering. Member: ARRL, AMSAT-DL, TAPR, Packrats, NJQRP/AMQRP, QRP ARCI, QCWA, FRC. ARRL SDR Wrk Grp Chairman An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made in a very narrow field. Niels Bohr ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] Dual Core Optimization
On 07/18/06 05:19 pm [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Larry, please forgive me, but I strongly disagree with the throw more hardware at the problem to fix it. There is a three letter mega-company who has made 50+ successful years by following that schematic :-) and correspondingly cost it's customers mega-bucks!. I can build, pretty much from scratch, a perfectly fast, fine, usable SDR computer system for 200 dollars, probably including case but not including the D44 card. Toss in another 90 bucks, max, for a copy of Windows and you're there. Last time I did this was: CPU 80 Motherboard 50 Memory 50 Salvage keyboard, mouse, case, hardfile, graphics card (surely, everyone can do this much), and I was done for a Linux box. Everyone else add Windows and stir. Case and power supply is 50 or less, by the way. An adequate hardfile, another 50. But, odds are, you won't need some of this, so about 200 is right. We've been on ATX so long, it's exceedingly unlikely that you'd have to get a new case and power supply, not with an ordinary desktop at least, nor would you have to get a hardfile (I presume everyone reading these words has one). It wouldn't be a Pentium IV at 2.4 GHz, or the absolute spiffiest available box, but it would be AMD at the same basic performance level that I use today for my SDR. The chips and boards to do this at these kinds of prices have been around for a while, now. I did this last maybe two or four years ago, but surely, prices haven't gone up in the interim, have they? So what do you make of the second QST review, where the author expressed regrets that they had settled for the Celeron (2.4GHz??) rather than going for the P4 (2.8GHz to 3.2GHz??)? He found the performance with only a 2.xGHz Celeron disappointing. Alan NV8A ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] Dual Core Optimization
[snip] So what do you make of the second QST review, where the author expressed regrets that they had settled for the Celeron (2.4GHz??) rather than going for the P4 (2.8GHz to 3.2GHz??)? He found the performance with only a 2.xGHz Celeron disappointing. Alan NV8A MHz isn't everything, especially these days. I had hypothesized before (based on my sample size of two) that Celeron's crippled cache hurt more than the MHz issues. I still suspect that to be true, until my betters, correct me (or maybe recorrect me -- getting to be a while since I mentioned this). My 1.3 GHz lappy is a Celeron and, at double the recommended MHz it ought, by all precedent, to be plenty fast enough. It mostly is, but there are the odd glitches that my 2.4 GHz P IV never sees. But, on modern CPUs, cache can matter and Intel has used it (or, the lack of it) to differentiate models. It would not surprise me to find our code is sensitive to cache -- not hard to do with the state of today's art -- my unscientific observations sure seem to suggest it. It could be my USB Creative Sound Card too, somehow, but I'd bet first on the cache unless/until I or someone else measures it and correct In any case, my rather ordinary, aging (at least 2 year old) P IV 2.4 GHZ is totally, totally solid with the D44 and I'd expect the corresponding AMD to be solid also. Larry WO0Z ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
[Flexradio] Delta 44 mineature Interface Kits again available.
Hi Folks! Tony and I have been barraged with questions about an earlier offering we made for a small interface kit which interfaces the Delta-44 sound card to the SDR-1000 and provides filtering and single point of ground as well as bypass caps. In any event it is SMALL compared to the breakout box which comes with the D-44 soundcard, and really handy if you are taking the SDR-1000 out of the shack for mobile or portable operation, as we did in Belize during the CQWW phone dxpedition! Tony has consented to run another round of these kits, and depending on interest, they will be less expensive than the kits I shipped earlier this year. The price (depending on interest) will probably be 15 to 20 dollars. To see the first round files and information for this Tony - KB9YIG original, check out: http://www.hamsdr.com/dnld.aspx?id=40 Delta 44 Interface Kit preliminary assembly instructions. http://www.hamsdr.com/dnld.aspx?id=42 Picture from Kurt - KC9FOL showing top side of D-44 interface with spkr ground connected. Other details will use this pict in messages. Thanks Kurt! http://www.hamsdr.com/dnld.aspx?id=43 D-44 Interface kit mounted in simple plastic box http://www.hamsdr.com/dnld.aspx?id=38 Delta 44 Interface Kit Schematic V 1.1 for Kit assembly reference. Tony will accept orders via his e-mail at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Can ANYONE go wrong with a KB9YIG original. Look at your SoftRock(XX)! Frame it, if ya don't use it! This is history in the making and the 'future of radio!' Eric2 - AA4SW - V31(S)oftware (R)adio! -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/flexradio_flex-radio.biz/attachments/20060718/3e488603/attachment.html ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] FW: Forwarded a second time! D-44 round ? Important forthe Reflector!
A double reflection? -Tim --- Tim Ellison ( [EMAIL PROTECTED] ) Integrated Technical Services ( http://www.itsco.com ) -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Eric Ellison Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 10:14 PM To: FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz Subject: [Flexradio] FW: Forwarded a second time! D-44 round ? Important forthe Reflector! Tim Second time! (smile)! Redirecting back to to Flex Reflector! Eric2 -Original Message- From: Eric Ellison [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 10:04 PM To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' Cc: 'Tony Parks' Subject: Forwarded a second time! D-44 round ? Important for the Reflector! Tim I thought this important to re-direct back to the Reflector. If Tony does not respond directly, I will. Eric2 -Original Message- From: Eric Ellison [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 9:51 PM To: 'Tim Ellison' Cc: 'Tony Parks' Subject: RE: [Flexradio] Delta 44 miniature Interface Kits again available. Hi Tim! Although I can't speak for Tony, YES! This would be a very valuable modification to the kit, and very simple to accomplish. I am copying Tony on this message. We did find that various configuration's of grounding worked well and differently in different computer-D44 hardware configurations. Thanks for being diligent and keeping up. (*as always!*) Eric2 -Original Message- From: Tim Ellison [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 9:24 PM To: Eric Ellison Subject: RE: [Flexradio] Delta 44 miniature Interface Kits again available. Eric, I am stealing a reply you made to the reflector regarding the Interface kit and grounding when some folks had to use multiple ground connections to get it to work Also I think in the configuration that you are using you must also complete the mic ground as well as the speakers as some have reported. If we do another board which allows options such as these, I'll definitely go with Berg connectors and removable jumpers. Will the new run of the board have the Berg connectors? It would be a great improvement for a little cost since I think there is a size that will fit the board without modification. Just wondering. If you do, I'll get another one just for the jumper option. -Tim --- Tim Ellison ( [EMAIL PROTECTED] ) Integrated Technical Services ( http://www.itsco.com ) -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Eric Ellison Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 9:05 PM To: FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz Subject: [Flexradio] Delta 44 mineature Interface Kits again available. Hi Folks! Tony and I have been barraged with questions about an earlier offering we made for a small interface kit which interfaces the Delta-44 sound card to the SDR-1000 and provides filtering and single point of ground as well as bypass caps. In any event it is SMALL compared to the breakout box which comes with the D-44 soundcard, and really handy if you are taking the SDR-1000 out of the shack for mobile or portable operation, as we did in Belize during the CQWW phone dxpedition! Tony has consented to run another round of these kits, and depending on interest, they will be less expensive than the kits I shipped earlier this year. The price (depending on interest) will probably be 15 to 20 dollars. To see the first round files and information for this Tony - KB9YIG original, check out: http://www.hamsdr.com/dnld.aspx?id=40 Delta 44 Interface Kit preliminary assembly instructions. http://www.hamsdr.com/dnld.aspx?id=42 Picture from Kurt - KC9FOL showing top side of D-44 interface with spkr ground connected. Other details will use this pict in messages. Thanks Kurt! http://www.hamsdr.com/dnld.aspx?id=43 D-44 Interface kit mounted in simple plastic box http://www.hamsdr.com/dnld.aspx?id=38 Delta 44 Interface Kit Schematic V 1.1 for Kit assembly reference. Tony will accept orders via his e-mail at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Can ANYONE go wrong with a KB9YIG original. Look at your SoftRock(XX)! Frame it, if ya don't use it! This is history in the making and the 'future of radio!' Eric2 - AA4SW - V31(S)oftware (R)adio! -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/flexradio_flex-radio.biz/attachments/20060718/3e488603/attach ment.html ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
[Flexradio] Simple Watchdog circuit for the SDR in case of power line failure
Sweet and simple. I was thinking of putting it on the 110VAC side and connecting other things in the shack to it also. Unfortunately, it still doesn't solve the root problem. If the PC goes out to lunch for any reason(op crash, component failer, virus,...) and the SDR is connected to it, the SDR will end up in an indeterminate state. What I think I'll do is use either the serial or a USB port to ping a relay driver from a small piece of code. If the ping stops, the juice goes off. Hm, maybe use one of the X2 control lines and put the code in PowerSDR. 73, k2ox ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] Simple Watchdog circuit for the SDR in case of power line failure
At 07:50 PM 7/18/2006, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Sweet and simple. I was thinking of putting it on the 110VAC side and connecting other things in the shack to it also. Unfortunately, it still doesn't solve the root problem. If the PC goes out to lunch for any reason(op crash, component failer, virus,...) and the SDR is connected to it, the SDR will end up in an indeterminate state. This is sort of a generic problem with dumb peripherals connected to the PC parallel port where some configurations are dangerous. I've had the same trouble with a PWM motor controller. The end solution is to actually put a dedicated supervisory processor in the peripheral that can manage stuff, and provide a safe interface. However, the parallel port is just so convenient. Maybe the idea would be to have a ethernet/USB to parallel interface widget that has deterministic safe behavior. Jim ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] Simple Watchdog circuit for the SDR in case of power line failure
At 07:50 PM 7/18/2006, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The end solution is to actually put a dedicated supervisory processor in the peripheral that can manage stuff, and provide a safe interface. However, the parallel port is just so convenient. Maybe the idea would be to have a ethernet/USB to parallel interface widget that has deterministic safe behavior. Jim This is one reason, amongst many, I have long wished for Flex to put out a SDR 497 controller product. 497 is just a made up number, but it was in a PDF I sent out once upon a time. It would have USB in (not TCP/IP -- overkill and not really needed -- USB is easy to secure via the regular PC and a PC is needed anyway) and then the output would be (for existing SDR owners) short audio cables plus the parallel port. The hypothetical new, 1497, dedicated version of this same product would dispense with that and integrate it into a revised whole so we'd have maybe a slightly larger box that was simpler (just USB in) and most of the remaining plugs would be the same ones ever rig has had since Drake separates. This would also take care of problems like which sound card to use (it would be built-in or else replaced with effective D/A A/D) and anomolies like having the PA amplifier values stored in the PowerSDR console DB instead of out in NVRAM outboard where it really belongs. The USB side would simply be binary bytes in and out (e.g. floating point numbers for the audio in both directions with an easy to deal with CAT style interface so the controller could be as simple as possible. I think USB 2.0 has an ample data rate -- if not, then firewire. The controller could manage the state, potentially resetting everything via some sort of non maskable interrrupt as power was in the process of being removed (there might be time for that). A specified reset if you don't hear from me would also be easy to add to the CAT style command interface. Larry WO0Z ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] Simple Watchdog circuit for the SDR in case of power line failure
Some level of fail safe functionality is in the works for the Janus+Ozy soundcard and controller gizmo some of the HPSDR.org folks are working on. The board and the PC communicate via USB using a protocol that includes (among other things) a sync sequence every 512 bytes. Current thought is to have the code in the FPGA set everything to a safe state if it does not see the sync sequence from the PC for a few frames. USB 2.0 has more than enough data rate -- we're currently doing 192 khz 24 bit sampling on the prototypes. Cheers, Bill (kd5tfd) ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
[Flexradio] SDR1000 Damaged. Make sure you turn it OFF when you walk away. Update
Just a bit on my philosophy about turning things off and on. Ages ago I worked for a company that made computer peripherals. An account I was dealing with had hundreds of Smart CRT terminals. Any time a storm was in the area we would cringe because we knew if the power went out some(a lot) of those terminals wouldn't come back on line. We might have to zig zag across the state to repair them. The failures were always attributed lightning or surges on the power or data lines. The customer then instituted a program to power down and disconnect the terminals when they felt there was a good chance that a thunder storm was nearby. Guess what? Same number of failures! Customers also noticed that when the techs would come in to do scheduled preventive maintenance there was good chance they were going to 'break' the terminal. Often the only action was to power it down, lift the top, do a visual inspection, and power it back up. How many times have you heard It was working fine when I turned it off? Have you ever noticed that light bulbs very rarely burn out after they've been on a while? But, you walk into a dark room, flip the switch on and all you get is a brief flash. (Kinda sounds like Andy Rooney. Huh). I always felt the main culprit was repeated expansion/contraction due to the thermal change when powering up/down the device. A few years ago while working in a wafer fab I asked the QC guy, whose job was to determine failure modes of returned devices, what were the biggest reasons for failures. Number one, overheating. Due either to poor heat sinking, poor ventilation or excess current. Number two, stresses. Due to manufacturing processes or thermal cycling. So that's why I leave the things that I want least to fail- turned on. That would be my HF rig and my work computer. My philosophy about lightening protection: Yous pays yous money and yous take yous chances. On the air since 1971 this is my first damage from lightening. $1.50 for the part from Digikey. If it happens again I reserve the right to change my philosophy. :) Mileage Does Vary, k2ox ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] Simple Watchdog circuit for the SDR in case of power line failure
To be fair. I'm sure when Gerald was setting at his kitchen table designing his little 'homebrew radio' for himself if he had the faintest idea we would all want/own one he would have done some things differently. This is a great opportunity for someone to do a little homebrewing and/or marketing of a useful SDR accessory. Eric E, can you hear me now? :) 73, John -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 11:31 PM To: Jim Lux Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; flexradio@flex-radio.biz Subject: Re: [Flexradio] Simple Watchdog circuit for the SDR in case of power line failure At 07:50 PM 7/18/2006, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The end solution is to actually put a dedicated supervisory processor in the peripheral that can manage stuff, and provide a safe interface. However, the parallel port is just so convenient. Maybe the idea would be to have a ethernet/USB to parallel interface widget that has deterministic safe behavior. Jim This is one reason, amongst many, I have long wished for Flex to put out a SDR 497 controller product. 497 is just a made up number, but it was in a PDF I sent out once upon a time. It would have USB in (not TCP/IP -- overkill and not really needed -- USB is easy to secure via the regular PC and a PC is needed anyway) and then the output would be (for existing SDR owners) short audio cables plus the parallel port. The hypothetical new, 1497, dedicated version of this same product would dispense with that and integrate it into a revised whole so we'd have maybe a slightly larger box that was simpler (just USB in) and most of the remaining plugs would be the same ones ever rig has had since Drake separates. This would also take care of problems like which sound card to use (it would be built-in or else replaced with effective D/A A/D) and anomolies like having the PA amplifier values stored in the PowerSDR console DB instead of out in NVRAM outboard where it really belongs. The USB side would simply be binary bytes in and out (e.g. floating point numbers for the audio in both directions with an easy to deal with CAT style interface so the controller could be as simple as possible. I think USB 2.0 has an ample data rate -- if not, then firewire. The controller could manage the state, potentially resetting everything via some sort of non maskable interrrupt as power was in the process of being removed (there might be time for that). A specified reset if you don't hear from me would also be easy to add to the CAT style command interface. Larry WO0Z ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
