The Microship Status Reports

Microship Status 2/25/94 by Steven K. Roberts

In This Issue:

Hub Hacks
Subsystem Progress
Random Updates
Technical Report Series

Hub Hacks

I added a few long-awaited features to the Hub processor. The first is the High-impedance detector, which allows the CPU to detect whether a selected node has in fact responded to a BeeLine event by enabling its RS485 driver onto the network. (It's just a 74HC00 gate package with a couple of pullups, feeding both an LED driver and port E, bit 2.) From a hacking perspective, this is nice because it provides instant evidence of a link between Hub and Node -- both participants in a traffic event have a yellow LED on. From a reliability perspective, it will let us detect a failed or non-responsive node and react appropriately.

That appropriate reaction involves the second Hub hack -- Port A bit 3 is now a master reset to the entire network. I had to do this with a MOSFET to prevent an odd ground-loop problem, but otherwise it's great -- Hub code can stop all processes, then selectively restart the taskers and launch applications or even cold-start where required.

Incidentally, I noticed when testing this that there is an error in all editions of the Motorola 68HC11 databook -- the I/O chapter still doesn't document the bits in PACTL that enable the corresponding bits in Port A to be outputs. The unclean-FORTH master reset pulse is generated by:
: NETRESET B026 C@ 08 OR B026 C! B000 C@ DUP 08 OR B000 C! B000 C! ;
(If you're working on the project, please use constants! This is just the test version....)

The Hub now has the standard green and red LEDs for tasker/health status and program-generated flags and alerts -- if nothing else, they'll be useful during development.

By the way, I just got specs on the Linear Technology LTC485, which will hopefully serve as a drop-in replacement for the power-hog 75176 RS-422/485 drivers...

Subsystem Progress

The ECE-190B class is moving ahead at varying rates, with deadline only two weeks away. The AXBAR team (they didn't like "AuXBAR") discovered that output channels C and F (hex) on both boards were inoperative; I compared the schematic to the board and found a netlist error that caused the op amp wiring to be scrambled between two devices in one package (pins 2 and 13 swapped). Dremel and #30 kynar fixed it. Input channels C also fail, but I haven't stared at them yet. Isaac made the 8 bus jumpers to tie the two 16-by-16 boards together, and Jason tested all the code... the audio crossbar is almost done.

The SeXBAR team has finished the wiring of their perfboard, just in time for the beautiful new sponsored Vero Speedwire board of perfect dimensions to arrive (hey, you guys want to re-do it? <ducking>). Testing is about to commence... and software should go smoothly since it is very much like AXBAR.

The video crossbar hardware is underway -- Delon is installing four 88V32 chips directly onto the prototyping area of the New Micros board. A single 96-pin Eurocard connector will handle all video I/O. As I write this, he's in the lab creating the first version of his FORTH code... occasional mutterings and exclamations echoing from the concrete reveal the complex and wondrous joys of programming.

I just fired up the Sharp active-matrix color LCD on the Ampro 286 system. It's beautiful, but at the moment the selected VGA mode is cramming an entire full-screen display onto that 6" space... we need to learn more about how to control it. The color is rich and amazing, however, and we'll test it with video soon.
As to node hardware status, the following chart shows the current configuration of all the 68HC11 FORTH boards...

Microship Network FORTH Node Status 2/24/94 ------------------------------------------- BOARD ---> A B C D E F G L M N P R S V X * STATUS: ID label o o o o o o o Pwr conn o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Decoupling o o o o o o o o o o o o o o PA3 hack o o o o o o o PA3 solder o o o o Standoffs o o o o o o o o Tested o o o o o o o o ID stored o o o o o o o BeeLine OK o o o o o o o Tasker OK o o o o o o o LED cluster o o o o App Hdw o o o o 68HC24 PRU o o A-D RC o Bus conn o o Added RAM R/W pullup

Key:

A - Aft segment processor B - Battery manager C - Communications controller D - Power Distribution E - Environmental data collection F - Forward segment processor G - GPS/Nav/autopilot L - Left solar panel M - Midship segment processor N - Serial crossbar Network P - Port kayak processor R - Right solar panel S - Starboard kayak processor V - Video crosspoint and turret control X - Audio crossbar network * - Hub

We will probably be adding an additional node to the network -- a performance analysis system that monitors load-cell stresses at the mast base and outrigger supports, air pressures in the vicinity of the sails, and other dynamic criteria. In addition to yielding an interesting database, this will provide a critical "redline" function that will let us know when we're pushing the vessel too hard.

One of the engineering projects for next quarter may be the autopilot system -- a group is showing strong interest in taking a fuzzy logic approach, implemented in FORTH. The primitives should be quite publishable, and the results should be interesting...

Random Updates

We had a meeting with Drew of Nelson/Marek a few nights ago, convening at the Seaweed Canyon shop (site of a "field trip" this coming Tuesday at 1:00 for any directly involved individuals who want to see the kayaks). The intent was to stare at the outriggers, contemplate their buoyancy, think about attachment methods, puzzle over deck fixtures and streamlining, and otherwise ponder what to do next with these beautiful Libras. My first CDT is to give him a data point on volume -- we know that the whole boats are 184.4 gallons each, but we need to know how much flotation can be expected BEFORE they are fully submerged. To that end, we just ordered the hardware for the kayak work stands, and will separate one hull/deck pair and fill a hull to the seam with packing peanuts... then measure the amount using a box of known dimensions. We could use water, but the weight would likely break the unsupported hull...

Dan Yang built a lovely wire spool rack for the lab, another step in clutter minimization.

Jeremy Heath is making good progress on the custom antenna mounting clamp for the roof -- all it needs now is a coat of stealth paint and installation.

Luke Abbott and I are continuing to collect video of various events and ongoing work, looking at producing the first of our project documentaries as soon as we work out the complex details of production facilities and duplication.

A netfriend named Tara from New York came to visit last week and we capped her winter respite with a hot air balloon trip. Although this has nothing to do directly with the ship, I feel compelled to report it here because it was one of my most exhilarating breaks from lab frenzy in a long while, and well worth it!

Technical Report Series

I have begun a series of NRL Tech Reports, intended to replace the occasional Nomadness Report journal and the not-yet-off-the-ground BEHEMOTH TECHNICAL MANUAL. These status postings will be available in hardcopy, with much more cogent reports on single systems published as standalone documents replete with schematics, photos, and FORTH listings. Where appropriate, these will carry acknowledgements or shared bylines with those who have contributed significantly to the work.
The publications will be divided into series as follows, with the covers RETMA color-coded for quick recognition:

### COLOR Series Content ---------------------------------------- 100 Brown General Nomadness Topics 200

Red BEHEMOTH Technical Papers 300 Orange Winnebiko/BEHEMOTH adventures 400 Yellow Microship Technical Papers 500 Green Microship Status Notes (Monthly) 600 Blue Standalone Detailed Technical Reports 700 Violet Microship Adventure Tales 800 Gray Miscellaneous Topics
I'm currently working on the logistics of publication, but the first ones out the door will probably be the monthly collections of these progress reports, starting with July 93. I'll let you know when they become available...

Back to it! -- Steve