FreeEMS hardware feature wishlist (your suggestions here!)

[jharvey]

I got to play schematic capture today. I did it with KiCad on a fedora core box, help notes Build Version:
KiCad (2007-07-09) - Unicode version.

I entered (or perhaps re-entered) Fred's power reg circuit as well as the two input protection circuits. I drew a line in the sand when it came to much of the shed color features.

This is my first use of KiCad I was using GEDA, but decided to use KiCad for this because of better portability. Some things that make me scratch my head include the border, R?, C? ect designator usage, auto load custom symbol and the BOM tool.

About the border I setup with a hierarchy structure, but the border only tells me I have three pages, when it should have 12 (lots of blank right now). When it went from 1 pg to 3 pg, I didn't understand what I did to make it update. Perhaps my older version has a bug? Not sure.

I split it up into different sections so that multiple people can work on separate parts with out interfering with each other. Also this schematic structure allows for selective reuse of schematic files in V2.0, ect. However I don't know how it handles multiple uses of R?, C?, ect designators. Should I leave them as ?'s at the lower level? I guess I'll find out in time.

I had to create a symbol for the 50 pin connector in the CPU part of the schematic. For some reason that I don't understand yet, when you open the schematic directly, the symbol doesn't open, and it looks kind of funny. If you open freeEMS_1, then open the sheet, it opens correctly. All other schematics will open OK on their own because they don't use the custom symbol.

I see the .sch files are simple text files. (Editing with a text editor is quite handy for rapid changes that don't really require the gui) The top of the file contains the library, but doesn't seem to load the symbol correctly. Perhaps I need to add something to this text that is in the primary .sch. Not sure yet.

I see the footprint can be auto filtered by the symbol. Any recommendations about parts that match the schematic would be handy. I can enter it as I go if we have it.

Next steps include making schematics for the blank pages, and hearing feed back about the current schematics.

Any how, pending Fred's approval I should probably get him to add this to the CVS under the hard folder, then I should learn how to use the CVS.

[Fred]

Karri has already done a footprint setup for the Adapt card. No need to do a 50 pin setup because the full 100 is already available as a single part to place on your board. He did that work in KiCAD too :

http://www.diyefi.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30

If you want to put the files into SVN on the sourceforge server you will need your own account there. I'll be happy to add you to the project as soon as you have one and I have time to figure out how :-)

As an alternative you could start a second project for FreeEMS hardware and do file releases as I do with the firmware. Or do that on the existing project.

I don't currently use the SVN service on sourceforge. I use a local SVN server of my own that I already had setup for other software projects. At some stage I should keep a copy of both checked out and update the sourceforge SVN more regularly. In the mean time I have a lot on my plate. I was going to do a release today, but a few things have stopped me...

If you want to email your setup so far I can do a file release and a freeems-single-board package setup for it.

Let me know.

Fred.

[Delta]

This is a personal wish list kinda thing and probably not very practical

I'd like to see the software for tuning talk to the board via TCP/IP. Via ethernet port on board...and then you have the ability to plug in a simple ethernet to wifi bridge, and program wirelessly....would be good for racing teams.

[Fred]

You could do it, but you would need special hardware. The software I've started building has a modular back end anyway, so you could just write your own to send the stream over tcp directly and receive it with your other chip and transmit that via serial or eventually CAN to the EMS. Freescale offer s12ne chips with ether support built in that could work as the bridge from serial to eth, there are probably others too.

So :
EMS itself won't/can't have support for that built in
Intermediate module will be required
JEMSTuner has infrastructure for a pluggable back end

However, you could get the same functionality with an on board nano pc running the existing back end directly. It is bulkier though.

Fred.

[jbelanger]

If you want ethernet connectivity, you could use this: http://www.lantronix.com/device-network ... xport.html. It's not too big and not too expensive and it connects to the EMS with a serial connection so no need to change anything on the software.

Jean

[Fred]

An interesting idea from AEM :



I quite like it! it has a LOT of hope for a very generic board with multiple "interface boards" :-)

Fred.

[AbeFM]

This is a personal wish list kinda thing and probably not very practical

I'd like to see the software for tuning talk to the board via TCP/IP. Via ethernet port on board...and then you have the ability to plug in a simple ethernet to wifi bridge, and program wirelessly....would be good for racing teams.

Why not bluetooth or some more direct wifi thing?

Also, while not suggesting it's entirely practical, they make wireless RS-232 boxes.

There's folks who've got bluetooth working on MS, and that seems the nobrainer solution to me.

[AbeFM]

A bit of interesting hardware. If this was for stuff you'd build from the ground up....

http://www.analog.com/en/other/military ... oduct.html

The AD590 is a two-terminal integrated circuit temperature transducer that produces an output current proportional to absolute temperature. For supply voltages between 4 V and 30 V the device acts as a high impedance, constant current regulator passing 1 µA/K. Laser trimming of the chip's thin-film resistors is used to calibrate the device to 298.2 µA output at 298.2K (25°C).

The AD590 should be used in any temperature sensing application below 150°C in which conventional electrical temperature sensors are currently employed. The inherent low cost of a monolithic integrated circuit combined with the elimination of support circuitry makes the AD590 an attractive alternative for many temperature measurement situations. Linearization circuitry, precision voltage amplifiers, resistance measuring circuitry and cold junction compensation are not needed in applying the AD590.

In addition to temperature measurement, applications include temperature compensation or correction of discrete components, biasing proportional to absolute temperature, flow rate measurement, level detection of fluids and anemometry. The AD590 is available in chip form making, it suitable for hybrid circuits and fast temperature measurements in protected environments.

The AD590 is particularly useful in remote sensing applications. The device is insensitive to voltage drops over long lines due to its high impedance current output. Any well insulated twisted pair is sufficient for operation hundreds of feet from the receiving circuitry. The output characteristics also make the AD590 easy to multiplex: the current can be switched by a CMOS multiplexer or the supply voltage can be switched by a logic gate output.

Awesome, eh? My only concern is I don't know just how you'd justify taking out the coolant sensor and replacing it with one of these.

[AbeFM]

I'll have an altenator control circuit to post soon, Jason on MT.net posted it, and it's awesome, and small enough to put in a case.

http://www.msextra.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... 2&start=69

These guys have made some progress with the knock sensing. There's a couple circuits which look like they could work - this one in particular could be vastly simplified by not needing to run a microcontroller, just let our processor talk to it directly. Then it's a one chip solution to OEM-quality knock detection.
-Abe.

[jharvey]

This is the first time I've been happy to see the baracuda blocking content.