Need help with designing 700m-range telemetry system

[IanP]

Re: 700m telemetry

LabView package is not a cheap one ..
To create executable application you will not only need LabView, but also so called "application builder"..
What I can do for you is I can write this simple application with LabView Run-Time Engine included, so it can run on any PC ..
Take a look at the picture below: it is an example of how the front panel may look like .. Any comments or suggestions are welcome ..

Regards,
IanP

 

[DrWhoF]

Re: 700m telemetry

Numbers in Turns and Pressure can be bigger and I need to have another 2 spare buttons. How to zero the number of turns?
Can the colour of panel be different? Blue-Gray?

 

[IanP]

Re: 700m telemetry

Have a look at this version ..
STOP ==> EXIT
ZERO will have a dialog box with YES - Cancel ..

Regards,
IanP

 

[IanP]

Re: 700m telemetry

And another version of the same ..

Regards,
IanP

 

[DrWhoF]

Re: 700m telemetry

Wow!!!
Thanks very much. The "yellow" panel has all what I need!!!
As far as communication is concerned I have now RS-232 interface at both ends. Data will be transmitted via optical fiber (100% isolation) and it is not my problem any more.
Do yo have any suggestions about data format? How will one end understand the other end?

 

[IanP]

Re: 700m telemetry

Data between "top" and "bottom" can be sent using ASCII strings .. see examples below ..
Here are some explenations:
< left delimiter, beginning of a string, ASCII 3Ch ..
> right delimiter, end of string, ASCII 3Eh ..
F force, ASCII 46h ..
T turns, ASCII 54h ..
XXXX decimal or hex value sent as ASCII, for example 30h 30h 30h 30h is 0000 ..
DIOs 8 bits reflecting state of switches od digital inputs, for example 00001100b indicates that switches 2 and 3 are ON, others OFF ..
PPPP 4 digits pressure set on the front panel, for example 2700 will be sent as 32h, 37h, 30h and 30h ..
XOR is standard XOR function of all bytes including start character up to itself ..

<N> command used periodically to get current results from PICAXE (force) ..

At this stage anything can be changed ..

Regards,
IanP

 

[IanP]

Re: 700m telemetry

One other thing, when you start this application you will be prompt to set up the serial port: baud rate, flow control etc. etc ..
The sub-panel will look like at the attached picture ..

Regards,
IanP

 

[DrWhoF]

Re: 700m telemetry

Thank you very much.
I still have a problem: if one PIC counts turns and the other PIC reads/writes inputs and outputs how are they going to share one serial port? They will be working at the same time.

 

[IanP]

Re: 700m telemetry

Frankly, I don't see problems there ..

Just imagine this: the readings from PICAXE(lets call it "force", the other PICAXE can be called "turns") - "force" will be polled at the rate between 3-5 per second, and as soon as the communication between "force" and PC is done PICAXE "force" will set (or clear) an input pin of PICAXE "turns" and it can send its data (number of turns and direction) to the PC using the same RS-232 driver as it is not used at that time by PICAXE "force" ..

Remeber, 1ms in computers world is like an eternity ..

Regards,
IanP

 

[DrWhoF]

Re: 700m telemetry

Thak you very much for your help I'll keep in touch and let you know of the progress (or lack of)+.