Topic: Savannah Georgia

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

New Station Coming On-Line! Yah!
http://forum.blitzortung.org/showthread.php?tid=591

[JonathanW]

I wasn't sure if he was saying he had firmware 6.8 (system red), or PCB version 6.8 (system green).

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

Pretty sure he had older firmware... not 'Green'...

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

Pretty sure he had older firmware... not 'Green'...

Arrrgh... he did say PCB 6.8 didn't he?  either way we need the station!

[avogodro]

I am that guy.  Unfortunately it is PCB 6 ver 8.  I have been sitting on it unbuilt for a year and a half.  I kept putting off the build because i never had time to complete it.  So i finally made time but they came out with a cooler board since i bought mine.  Can the firmware be upgraded on this version?

Thanks
Nick Bacich

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

I am that guy.  Unfortunately it is PCB 6 ver 8.  I have been sitting on it unbuilt for a year and a half.  I kept putting off the build because i never had time to complete it.  So i finally made time but they came out with a cooler board since i bought mine.  Can the firmware be upgraded on this version?

Thanks
Nick Bacich

Yes, that was my bad... I thought you meant firmware 6.8 for Red.. 

[JonathanW]

I am that guy.  Unfortunately it is PCB 6 ver 8.  I have been sitting on it unbuilt for a year and a half.  I kept putting off the build because i never had time to complete it.  So i finally made time but they came out with a cooler board since i bought mine.  Can the firmware be upgraded on this version?

Thanks
Nick Bacich

I don't think so - the newer firmware is specific to the newer boards.  But Egon/Tobi could answer for certain.

[JonathanW]

I also have an expression of interest for our (potentially) first Virginia station.

[miraculon]

I am that guy.  Unfortunately it is PCB 6 ver 8.  I have been sitting on it unbuilt for a year and a half.  I kept putting off the build because i never had time to complete it.  So i finally made time but they came out with a cooler board since i bought mine.  Can the firmware be upgraded on this version?

Thanks
Nick Bacich

Nick,

I have one of the last "Green" 6.8USB systems built just before the RED came out. To answer your question about the firmware, you probably have the final version.

The Atmel processor needs an AVR development dongle and software to program. It is unlikely that there would be any upgrade to load onto it in the first place, though.

The Atmel processor is nowhere near as capable as the 32-bit STM processor. The functions are pretty rudimentary in the 6.8USB processor. (manage GPS, trigger ADC counts and send data out on the serial interface on the USB daughter card)

I am running my 6.8USB (#668) side-by-side with my RED detector (#706). By all means get it up and running. You can always build up the RED too like I did.

Update: in case you need it, the "green" tracker programs are at http://tracker.blitzortung.org/green/. I am running the XLT3 "ipk" version on a TP-Link MR3020 running open WRT.

Here was a summary of a thread on the Blitzortung forum by Egon.

RE: Latest 6.8 GREEN Firmware
Hi,

all the comments are right. The name "30a" is the name of the Firmware of the ATMega644 controller on your PCB 6.8usb. The name "WT 6.20.2" is the name of the tracker program, it is the "Windows Tracker Version 6.20.2", this is the latest Windows Tracker.

If you want to change the ATMega644 Firmware from 30a to 30e, then you have to reprogramm the ATMega644, I can send you the hex-File of the latest Firmware 30e if you want to reprogramm your controller, the Firmware 30e is still on our server, but I have to search for the pathname.

If you do not have the equipement for programming an AVR processor, may be that someone in your region has an AVR programmer and can reprogramm the controller for you. If this is also not the case, I can send you a new programmed ATMega644 with Firmware 30e. However, it is not necessary to update from 30a to 30e, if you do not have any problems with 30a.

Last year, we thought that Firmware 30a has a bug, because the processor sometimes stopped if there is a thunderstorm nearby. We have implemented several times additional output features to find this bug. The final version with the most output features (and some additional minor changes) was 30e, but the bug was still present. Today I think it was not a firmware bug but a problem with the power supply during nearby thunderstorms. However, we have changed the architecture and gave up searching the final probably existing bug of Firmware 30.

Egon

Greg H

[avogodro]

Thank you for your replys. I didnt really think the firmware was in need of updating, but when i signed up for my ID on blitzortung i got a message saying to update the firmware.  I guess they assumed mine was a system RED board. 
At any rate i am trying to get the station up this weekend.  I am working on soldering the ferrite rod antennas that i got in the kit to the board.  Any suggestions for that.  I tried soldering it and it seems that it has a coating.  I tried sanding the tips of them but still not sticky to the solder i am using.  I am going to use some flux on it when i get the next chance to try working with it.

Thanks
Nick

[JonathanW]

Thank you for your replys. I didnt really think the firmware was in need of updating, but when i signed up for my ID on blitzortung i got a message saying to update the firmware.  I guess they assumed mine was a system RED board. 
At any rate i am trying to get the station up this weekend.  I am working on soldering the ferrite rod antennas that i got in the kit to the board.  Any suggestions for that.  I tried soldering it and it seems that it has a coating.  I tried sanding the tips of them but still not sticky to the solder i am using.  I am going to use some flux on it when i get the next chance to try working with it.

Thanks
Nick

If it's magnet wire, sometimes a lighter/butane torch will burn off the enamel coating.  If that doesn't work, then yeah, some additional sanding or scraping will do the trick.

[miraculon]

There are some heat-strippable (soldering temps) magnet wires out there, but the ones in the kit were not that type.

There are some nasty chemicals that can strip them, but the sandpaper method is what I used.

Greg H.

[DaleReid]

Nick,
I tried acetone (not afraid of it) in the open air and didn't remove my enamel.  A friend who is an avid ham radio enthusiast and does a lot of restoring of older equipment, WWII vintage and such, ends up winding a lot of coils and inductors and antennae himself and said there was an extensive discussion in his internet group on the very subject of how best to remove that pesky enamel. 

Turns out there is no easy way.  I ended up sneaking into the bathroom and spiriting away one of my wife's emery boards, holding the wire firmly on a slightly spongy surface or once a thin towel, and pushing away from my gripping fingers towards the end of the wire, then rotating it slightly and doing so until the enamel was removed and not too much of the underlying copper wire.  I thought I'd have more breaking and cracking of the wire than I actually did.  Turns out the it can be wrapped around a pure brass brad or copper nail and fluxed a lot with liquid flux, and then soldered easily, with the brad being easily big enough to grip firmly in the on-board connector.

Just my two cents worth.
Dale

[avogodro]

So i used a dremel on low speed with a sanding wheel to strip the enamel off.  I got the antennas soldered.  My next problem is that after everything is plugged in the none of the status leds are illuminating except for the power led.  I have everything connected correctly and have rechecked all of the solder points.  Any ideas?

Thanks
Nick

[avogodro]

Thank you for the response. I went back through my board looking at everything measuring voltages with voltmeter. I have an oscilloscope but it doesnt work... I planned on learning how to use one but i never have had a chance to play with one that works.

ANYWAY.... I have found the problem. I never saw anywhere in the guide that said how to arrange the jumpers for the AVR pins. So i had all of the pins jumpered. I removed all of them and now the leds work. Still cannot get the gps led to illuminate. It illuminated at first until i tired to initialize the gps using the windows tracker program. After i initialized the led went off and doesnt even blink. GPS is getting information to the tracker. I can see it in the port monitor.
What i dont understand is the setup for board speed. Do i set this up for the GPS baud or for the USB interface speed? If it is for the USB interface what speed should i use?
The process i used that worked to see data streaming across the port monitor was...
sign in
assign port
select board speed.... I used 115200 at first.
select em406 gps
select gps baud 38400 (pins 1 and 2 jumpered as per instructions for 34800 baud)
initialize GPS

then it gives the error of "no port selected" Then says to reset the board.
changed board speed to 38400 and i see data across the port logger but tracker program says "no data received." and no green led. I have rechecked the wiring of the em406 module and it is correct.
Anyone know what i could have done wrong now?


The PPS led is flashing and the rx led on the usb-ttl board is flashing simultaneously.  the led is blinking on my em406 indicating signal lock.  no flashing of the tx led.  i am attaching a screenshot of the portmonitor log.  Its all gibberish to me.  Is it supposed to look like this?

I hope i didnt screw anything up with the avr jumpers on the board. I also hope i am not being too much of a pain in the rear on this forum.

Thanks for all of your help. It is very much appreciated.
Nick

[avogodro]

sorry everyone.  I figured out my mistake.  It was in the baud for the boardspeed not being set correctly. I didnt have the revision pdf explaining the changes to pcb6 ver 8... no everything is running! waiting on my shielded cat5 cable to come in and it will but up and running!

thank you for your patience with me.

hope to have savannah up within the next week pending usps delivery for the holidays.

Nick

[JonathanW]

Great to hear!  Good resolution.

[avogodro]

Got it working with an unshielded cat5 cable.  getting strikes from assumed nearby storms.  Will i be contacted after a period of time to get a station ID?  Didnt see anyting on this matter in the PDF.

Thanks
Nick

[robo]

Hi Nick,

Got it working with an unshielded cat5 cable.  getting strikes from assumed nearby storms.  Will i be contacted after a period of time to get a station ID?  Didnt see anyting on this matter in the PDF.

Green stations must be added manually to the database.  Please send an e-mail to info (at) blitzortung.org

cu Robo

[avogodro]

thank you.  I searched for 2 hours for that tidbit of info.  I emailed egon but i think he assumes i have a red system.  Told me to connect it to a computer with internet access and search the forum.

Thanks a bunch

Nick Bacich

[avogodro]

I am trying to setup my station and i am having a hard time receiving strikes.  I have not had time to procure 40pin hdd ribbon cable.  I used 22ga solid copper wire to wind around the ferrite rod antennas and soldered the two ends together with a wire that is connected to the ground point on the amplifier board.  Is this something that shields the antennas too much?  I did not get any hits from a very active storm that was less than 50 miles away and a storm that was right overhead practically  i only got about 10 hits.  I have some pics of my setup.

This is my first real big electronics project please be gentle with my little knowledge on ferrite rod antennas I am trying to learn as i go.

Nick Bacich
Savannah GA

see attached images in next post.

[avogodro]

1

[avogodro]

amplifier

[avogodro]

amplifier 2

[avogodro]

antenna