A cheap and cheerful data logger

I had need of a portable serial data logger for proof of concept of a supplementary data logger for an APRS tracker.

The requirement is to capture RS232-TTL data at 4800bps, 8N1 to a data file for later extraction. The logger needs to restart automatically and append new records to the existing file.

A spare Raspberry Pi2 was applied to the job as a headless data logger.

cclogger01

 

Above is the RPi2 with an inexpensive FTDI USB/RS232-TTL adapter. Only the ground and RD wires attach to the modified TinyTrak. Continue reading A cheap and cheerful data logger

On-air testing of APRS digipeater with a crafted suite of test records

It is one thing to read code, and perform traces of live traffic to test proper function of a digipeater. This is a more valid technique than injecting test records directly into the software as for instance, viscous digi depends on the neighbour digis. Continue reading On-air testing of APRS digipeater with a crafted suite of test records

RPi headless aprx server using soundmodem

I have posted several articles on headless APRS servers based on RPi. This article describes one based on RPi, AX25 soundmodem using a $2 USB sound card, and aprx v2.09.

aprx-sm00

Above is the server hardware. It uses the Sailer sound modem and kernel AX.25 support. This is currently configured as a RX only iGate for 30m, hence no tx audio path and no PTT (though on HF, PTT can be done simply using transceiver VOX). The small black USB module is a Belkin WLAN adapter. Continue reading RPi headless aprx server using soundmodem

Cron configuration improvements for Raspberry Pi

One of the shortcomings or RPi for (m)any serious applications is that it lacks a hardware clock so when it starts, the clock is not set correctly.

This deficiency can be overcome to some extent for some applications with the fake-hwclock module and SNTP where the RPi is always connected to a network.

The standard scheduling daemon cron does not run tasks that were missed because the system was not running at the time they were scheduled. It is a significant shortcoming that has been overcome by adding another element, anacron, which wraps the cron tasks and is scheduled by cron and at startup. All of this is very dependent on correct clock time, and for RPi systems that lack a hardware clock (the out of the box hardware), the system time can be quite wrong at the time anacron is scheduled as part of the startup procedure.
Continue reading Cron configuration improvements for Raspberry Pi

Real time clock for Raspberry Pi

One of the shortcomings or RPi for (m)any serious applications is that it lacks a hardware clock so when it starts, the clock is not set correctly.

This deficiency can be overcome to some extent for some applications with the fake-hwclock module and SNTP, but this is not a solution if the RPi is not always connected to a network time reference.

One solution is a real time clock module such as the DS1307, or better still the DS3231. The latter has an internal crystal with 2ppm (5s/month) accuracy from 0-40° which is much better than typically achieved with a DS1307 (which is dependent on the external crystal). Continue reading Real time clock for Raspberry Pi

Headless aprx APRS server – RPi packages

In earlier articles I documented a trial of aprx v2.08r593:

Encouraged by Kenneth Finnegan who merged some fixes by WB4XO (which still didn’t work properly), I set about resolving some problems.

Further fixes and some enhancements have been pushed to the source fork at owenduffy/aprx. This was forked from PhirePhly/aprx which in time may pull the changes.

You can browse owenduffy/aprx for brief descriptions of the changes.

Recent Debian packages for RPi based on my fork have been uploaded to https://owenduffy.net/files/aprx/ .

Headless aprx APRS server

In earlier articles I documented a trial of aprx v2.08r593:

Encouraged by Kenneth Finnegan who merged some fixes by WB4XO (which still didn’t work properly), I set about resolving some problems.

HeadlessJavaprssrvrAbove is the RPi sitting on a TNC-X KISS TNC connected to the TNC’s USB port. In this case, aprx uses the supplied KISS interface, it does not use Linux kernel support for AX.25. Continue reading Headless aprx APRS server