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By SOI_Sentinel
#3089
Hey all,

I've always had far more ambition than I've had time, so I'm putting down a list of stuff that I'd LIKE to do, and if anyone's seen any other links on the internet:
  • R/C Core: Create a basic single board reciever and controller pair based on the Nordic chipset and able to driveat least 4 servos (currently planning 8 ), a brushed motor controller of moderate power, and several digital I/O for random doodads. I'll probably substitute a Aerocomm 1W 900Mhz module later for the Nordic/Laipac board of the prototype.
    R/C Net: Same as above, but also implementing a CAN based network. Useful for adding brushless controllers, guidance systems, or anything that just doesn't work as a normal RC system.
    Camera Commander: A unit that accepts NTSC video and can at least track, if not ID various points of interest and track. The CMUCam is very similar to what I'd like to do, but I'd like to use an NTSC capture/pass through and have access to the software. Hopefully I can do this on something less than a PC/104 or Analog DSP. A dsPIC would be ok, though.
    SensorNet: As much as I'd like to go with Nordic, this will be Zigbee based, basically motion and vibration sensitive nodes that can be dropped about. I'd prefer to retrieve them and reuse them if I can. Decent idea for search and rescue or surveilance.
The R/C stuff is the current project. It's based on the PIC 18F458 due to ICProg support and CAN interface. I plan on looking into implementing a brushless controller, a dedicated R/C servo card, and an IMU/GPS guidance unit, too.

I know I can find code for the IMU on Sourceforge. I mostly find masters and doctoral theses on the camera capture stuff. The R/C core is just one of my more achievable projects. Same with sensornet. As much as I'd like the nodes to be able to figure out where they are, it's just not feasible using low cost COTS hardware. Anyone have any good place to point my towards for the camera capture stuff especially?
By Guest
#3120
Hi,

Are you a member of rcgroups.com? If so, you may not be aware of the existense of a DIY electronics forum there...

I am interested in your r/c core, but I would go for a Brushless controller since these motors are getting cheaper and cheaper... even more because people have started building these from cd-rom motor parts.

Good luck!

Jan-Dirk
By MJ
#3179
SOI-

I'm curious about your SensorNet thoughts; I'm playing with the 24g's with that in mind, so I'm wondering why you'd shy away from Nordic; isn't Zigbee just a standard (i.e. many types of hardware can implement it--like CAN)? I've been able to find some algorithms that describe how they set themselves ad hoc. Seems like a developing area, so things are still being defined..

Jeff[/i]
By SOI_Sentinel
#3196
The Nordic chips are nice, but they approach data transfer from a fixed frequency perspective. In terms of throughput and theoretical range, they're equivalent, and Nordics might even be lower power (have to compare) for the bandwidth.

Zigbee, however, is a full application stack. The base is 802.15. The base hardware layers are a digital spread spectrum radio and data is message based, so as long as a unit is in range and looking for the right coding, it'll get the data.

Here's a good primer:

http://www.circuitcellar.com/library/pr ... /index.htm

Nordic, like Bluetooth, is good for point to point and "known node" situations. However, if you have no clue of how many and what type of sensors that might be deployed, I'd see an 802.15 based network being a lot more useful. Zigbee is just higher layers (including 128 bit encryption).