Max - I've recently run across a couple of universities that are offering online versions of selected classes at no charge. I think Harvard was offering intro to computer science (which I don't need) but maybe I could find something like that covering FPGAs.
OK everyone -- I have t orun -- all sorts of things happening here
Remember that it's Thanksgiving next week ... so NO CHAT next week
@Duane- Online classes can be very efficient. Skip over what you know and dig into what you dont.
@Duane - -wait on th etubes until after I've met up with Rick tomorrow -- it may be he has some already
@Duane: "The biggest problem would be the time."
But now you've wrapped your brain around th efundamental concepts, yo uwoudl race ahead, and then think of how much time you woudl SAVE :-)
Max - I'll look through the tubes. Most of them are spares for the old radio, but if any of them aren't, I could send them over.
Max, re class - I've been thinking about trying to find on at my local community college here. The biggest problem would be the time.
@Crusty: Bye Crusty -- thanks for joining us -- I hope you found it interesting (at least stuff you hadn; tthought of / worried about before :-)
@Dunne: "I really need to be making more progress into the depths of FPGA programming."
Would you like to go to a class?
Good night all great meting with you all again
@Duane: "I've got some old tubes from the late 1920's / 1930's"
Oooooooohhhhh .... would you be willing to part with them?
Sorry -- my computer crashed
@Duane I afraid I still want to get an inch off the launch pad.
I really need to be making more progress into the depths of FPGA programming. There are so many things to do with them. I feel like I'm still stuck in low earth orbit.
@Duane plenty of all these modules on the net most with SPI or I2C
@Duane I am playing with Gyroscope (solid state to warn of snaking on the caravan) but way behind on implementing them
Crusty - I hadn't thought of magnetometers, but that makes sense
Max - I've got some old tubes from the late 1920's / 1930's - and a 1929 Atwater Kent radio to go along with them.
@Dunae Have done some work with 3 axis Accelerometers to level a caravan and found that it is a good thing to team them with 3 axis magnetometers.
I'm also planning on having some vacuum tubes on top....
.... I like vacuum tubes....
Max - I like that idea. Almost a little steampunkish
One thihng he's suggested is including som emovement like a centrefugal ball govenor
Sparkfun Electronics has a number of gyros, accelerometers and complete inertial measurement units for sale. So does DIY Drones. I've looked into those but would rather build the electroncis myself, ideally,based on an FPGA.
I can't wait to see the stuff that Rick comes up with tomorrow
@Ronin: I love the geasture recognition idea -- in th efirst incarnation of our propeller beanies, we're going to include an accelerometer so that you can control things with a nod (or nods) of the head
@Duane, always wanted to, but didn't have money until I became an engineer. Then I didn't have time :-)
Does anyone here dabble in R/C airplanes or helicopters?
@Crusty: the switches coudl be radio linked -- I haven;t gotten that far yet
I don't know if I'll be able to get more than a simple motorized beanie fo this show, but I have been researching options for making it fly. I did find a number of R/C motors with contra-rotating propellers, but allmost all of them are way too big and way over powered. I did find one pancake style morto that might just work.
How about a hat with a 'Leap Motion' in the bill, for all kinds of gesture recognition...
@max how about the virtual presence gloves to control?
@Max would the switches be radio linked, that way no need for a wiring harness?
You could also put push-buttons under your toes in your shoes. That would give even more control options.
@crusty: We could make them "moisture activated" :-)
@Max We did nasty things with hands and armpits in my callow youth, I do not like the idea of switches in these areas
@Robin: "I think it must be a cheap Empire knockoff."
That might explain it -- I have one -- it made my brains leak out of my ears trying to use it
Back to the armpit switches -- the idea is that you close your eyyes in concentration -- then when you clench your arms close to your body the switches close and cause the hat to start generating sparks and smoke...
@Max, " You;ve seen that Jedi Mind Trainer on Amazon, right?"
I think it must be a cheap Empire knockoff. Wasn't rated very well :-)
@Max I would like a hat that said the things I would not, or was ready with that quick fire answer I always think of after the conversation
@Robin: You;ve seen that Jedi Mind Trainer on Amazon, right? (Click Here)
@Crusty -- re the hats talking -- we are looking into that for th ewireless mesh propeller beanies -- when their owners get close th ehats start talking to each other...
Hmm... that 'orb' copter makes me think of the Jedi training orb in Star Wars IV
My chum Rick has a GREAT Idea involving two armpit switches (you woud lhave to activate both simultaneously to prefent false alarms)
The idea is....
@Max Could the hat have a voice and be able too hold a conversation of it's own.
@Warren: "How about this as a starting point"\
Ooooohhhhh -- that is SO COOL!!!!!
Warren - That's pretty much the hardware I would need. Except in hat form instead of orb form.
@Max Ceramic plates might be better in a charged environment
@Max,
>>@Robin: "I'd like to see a Design West navigation hat...."
>>Maybe next year...
It's somewhat surprising there's not at least a Design West nav app for phones/tablets. Hmm... I'll have to look into that.
Do you remembe those "tin cans" my friend made out of ceramic -- the ones that looked like metal (click here to see them)
This is the sort of look I'll be going for
I'm also making the spark plugs out of ceramic
How about this as a starting point:http://uncrate.com/stuff/puzzlebox-brain-controlled-helicopter/
rfindley - I would be handy in the even that I get cornered by an over aggtressive sales person or a non-stop talker.
@Duane, "A taser could be a handy tradeshow accessory."
What trade shows have you been going to??
@Crusty: "A metal Wagner hat, with Horns?"
6 spark plugs instead of horns
A taser could be a handy tradeshow accessory.
Max - I don't think it would be overly difficult. The control system wouldn't be much different than a quad copter, except with steering vanes instead of four props. The part that I'm really not sure about is how to keep it a specific distance from me.
@ Max A metal Wagner hat, with Horns?
@Robin: "I'd like to see a Design West navigation hat...."
Maybe next year...
How about a floating hat with an inflatable engineer hanging below it. Could attend the whole conference for you.
My engineer friend Rick Curl is coming up to Huntsville on a business trip tomorrow -- he's bringing a grab-bag of goodies from his spare parts treasure chest -- including a Taser (to generate sparks) and a smke generator thingy
I'd like to see a Design West navigation hat, with location-tracking and heads-up display to help you get to your next scheduled event, or direct you to the vendor booths you want to see.
Now I'm thinking about making my hat out of ceramic in my kiln -- I'm going to glaze it t omake it look like it's made out of sheet metal riveted together
@Duane -- WAY COOL .... I WANT ONE :-)
I was originally planning on using thin brass sheets and riveting them together (I used to be a dab-hand at riveting)
Max - If my skills, time and funds matched my imagination, I'd have contra rotating propellsers with small stearing vanes on the hat. It would have GPS and 306 degree cameras. It could stay on my head, hover a given distance above my head and ramain there regardless of how or where I moved, or it could go off searching to see how long the food lines are at the other side of the show hall.
@Warren -- re the hat printing itself -- LOL
For my entry I'm using that Steve Carell hat as a starting point (click here to see the image)
Hi all I hope my track pad behaves this week
Max- Ultimate Geek hat would be a hat that was also a 3D printer that could print copies of itself.
I've been readin up on the available R/C helecopter options with the idea of adding some oompf to my beanie, but I'm kind of afraid of scalping someone - like myself.
Does anyone have any thoughts on the Ultimate Geek Hat?
Re the Geek Hat Competition -- but I'm hoping we (those of us attending Design West) will all be creating our own original entries also...
Re the Geek Hat Competition -- it goes without saying that we will be entering our Wireless Propeller Beanies
I would LOVE to get one of thoise old Radio hats
Max- Is this your way of previewing your new announcement on a time travel breakthru?
@Warren: "Hope you have more exciting news 4 us Max!"
I know we talked about the Propeller Beanie Hat Wireless Mesh Network last week -- but did we also talk about the Geek Hat Competition they are going to be holding at Design West? (Click Here to see my blog on this)
Max, oho, that i didnt know
Now I've read it. That hat's just an early version of the "wearable computing" that you hear about these days
Max- Looked like a good 'retro' style for when we need to travel back in time wearing our beanines...
@Myplanet: The clocks moved back 1 hour recently
I saw it but hadn't read it yet
Hi Max, i think the show is one hour late than previous one
Hope you have more exciting news 4 us Max!
Hi Robin -- Hi Warren -- Hi Duane
It is a public holiday friday here...
THE MIGHTY HAMSTER (all hail!!!)
It is Thursday for Everyone still?
Did the books arrive yet?
Hi Myplanet -- how are things?
Our weekly chat will commence at 12:00 p.m. my time (Central USA Time), which is 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and 6:00 p.m. UTC/GMT (you'll have to work out your local time from these clues).
As always, we will be following our usual practice of leaping from topic to topic with the agility of young, fearless mountain goats, so make sure you're wearing appropriate clothing!
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This week's live online chat takes place on Thursday, May 23, 2013, at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Duane has decided that the time is ripe to get his ZedBoard bolted onto his robot with a Linux distribution up and running. That was the ultimate plan anyway, so why wait?
Would you class these as adages, aphorisms, axioms, dictums, epigrams, maxims, precepts, saws, truisms, or... well, what?
Here we discover how to use the XADC (Xilinx Analog-to-Digital Convertor) in the Zynq All Programmable SoC to read the chip's internal temperature and voltage parameters and output them over an RS-232 link.
When extreme thermal cycling causes circuit boards and chip packages and the silicon die in the packages to expand and contract at different rates, problems may ensue.
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