Power FLARM question

On Mar 21, 5:29*pm, Chris wrote:
Hello Kimmo,

Kimmo Hytoenen wrote:
We are developing a simple and low cost device (we named it
SoarTronic to add Bluetooth communication of FLARM traffic
information into European version of FLARM units. It also allows
task declaration and log file download. It is connected into RJ45
connector, and it draws operating voltage (40mA) from 3.3 V that
FLARM provides for external displays.

This is a nonprofit project we started to get FLARM traffic
information available in our club gliders. Since club members have
many types of flight computers, Bluetooth was chosen as
communication method. Price for this device is 30 EUR + delivery
from Finland.

Just curious, are you using a module like this:http://www.brunwinkel.de/elektronik/ics/btm400_6b/

I just build a device at my own design that meets your description. As I am
working nonprofit too, there is no competition. If interested, we can share
information. I have a dealer in Hong Kong who sells the modules for ~8,- ?
with free shipping. With a MAX3232 for the RS232, printed circuit board and
casing, I think your price is realistic.

Nice featu as the module is programmable, I set it up with the
registration of the glider as Bluetooth name.

Regards
Chris

Will either one work with a VW1150 Canbus and transmit info two ways
between a Streak and Canbus that contains Powerflarm and smart vario
data?

Thanks,

Mike

Mike C wrote:

On Mar 21, 5:29 pm, Chris wrote:
I just build a device at my own design that meets your description. As I
am working nonprofit too, there is no competition. If interested, we can
share information. I have a dealer in Hong Kong who sells the modules for
~8,- ? with free shipping. With a MAX3232 for the RS232, printed circuit
board and casing, I think your price is realistic.

Nice featu as the module is programmable, I set it up with the
registration of the glider as Bluetooth name.

Will either one work with a VW1150 Canbus and transmit info two ways
between a Streak and Canbus that contains Powerflarm and smart vario
data?

I cannot speak for the device offered by Kimmo, but it seems it works
similar as my design. As Kimmo mentioned, it should work with any device
that supports Bluetooth and can communicate with Flarm via the RJ45. The
Bluetooth is just a wireless extension of the serial data channel via RJ45.
Regards
Chris

Kimo,

F2 and my email is smfidlerATgmailDOTcom

How is the SoarTronic different from the K6 bt? The only thing I can see is
that it uses the 3V connection of the FLARM RJ-45 jack instead of the jack's
12V connection.
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/k6.htm

I have tested a K6 bt with my iPAQ hx 4700 running LK8000 and my Android
Atrix running XCSoar. It works great in both cases.

Wayne
http://www.soaridaho.com/

"Kimmo Hytoenen" wrote in message
. com...

We are developing a simple and low cost device (we named it
SoarTronic to add Bluetooth communication of FLARM traffic
information into European version of FLARM units. It also allows
task declaration and log file download. It is connected into RJ45
connector, and it draws operating voltage (40mA) from 3.3 V that
FLARM provides for external displays.

This is a nonprofit project we started to get FLARM traffic
information available in our club gliders. Since club members have
many types of flight computers, Bluetooth was chosen as
communication method. Price for this device is 30 EUR + delivery
from Finland.

If you think that this unit is useful with Power FLARM please let me
know. We hope to get 30 orders to cover the cost. Enclosed couple
links showing how to connect and use SoarTronic. These videos
show XCSoar runnig in Android phone, but it should work with any
device with BT, and with any flight computer SW.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7EkWwQhQzU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJPz65ePozo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WLD0td0pMo

At 23:53 21 March 2012, Chris wrote:
Mike C wrote:

On Mar 21, 5:29 pm, Chris wrote:
I just build a device at my own design that meets your
description. As I
am working nonprofit too, there is no competition. If
interested, we can
share information. I have a dealer in Hong Kong who sells
the modules
for
~8,- ? with free shipping. With a MAX3232 for the RS232,
printed circuit
board and casing, I think your price is realistic.

Nice featu as the module is programmable, I set it up
with the
registration of the glider as Bluetooth name.

Will either one work with a VW1150 Canbus and transmit
info two ways
between a Streak and Canbus that contains Powerflarm and
smart vario
data?

I cannot speak for the device offered by Kimmo, but it seems
it works
similar as my design. As Kimmo mentioned, it should work with
any device
that supports Bluetooth and can communicate with Flarm via
the RJ45. The
Bluetooth is just a wireless extension of the serial data channel
via RJ45.
Regards
Chris


Chris,

You are right, in this device all components are well known, and
you can build a similar system out from Bluetooth module and
RS232/TTL level sifter. I actually did so, but the result did not
look like something that I would trust. Also other club members
told me that "nice, but who will maintain those if you are not
here?". So I decided to look for more professional solution. What
was on the market was quite expensive compared to technology
needed.

There is one technical improvement in this device compared
what has been on the market. If you have an external display
connected into your FLARM unit and you want to connect
SoarTronic type device into the same RS232 line with it, you
normally either disconnect the external display's TX line, or add
a switch to select if you what to declare tasks over Bluetooth
device (i.e. RS232 in not multidrop bus). With this "SoarTronic"
you do not need that switch, and these two animals can live
together in RS232 line - as long as they do not speak
simultaneously. This is idea of Simon. I also think that if you
have your FLARM connected to Variometer or VW1150, you can
add this device into the FLARM RS232/power cable. This device
does not have CanBus build in it, but you can connect any
RS232/bluetooth module in the RS232 connector of VW1150.

We have had many gliderpilots involved in this project. It
actually started as a spinn-off. We were (and still are)
developing an interface board to Sparkfun IOIO board, that
connects 4 RS232 lines to Android phone over USB, and
provides 12V/5V conversion for charging the Android device. But
that is an another story.

On Wednesday, March 21, 2012 10:11:17 PM UTC-7, Wayne wrote:
How is the SoarTronic different from the K6 bt? The only thing I can see is
that it uses the 3V connection of the FLARM RJ-45 jack instead of the jack's
12V connection.
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/k6.htm

I have tested a K6 bt with my iPAQ hx 4700 running LK8000 and my Android
Atrix running XCSoar. It works great in both cases.

Wayne
http://www.soaridaho.com/

"Kimmo Hytoenen" wrote in message
. com...

We are developing a simple and low cost device (we named it
SoarTronic to add Bluetooth communication of FLARM traffic
information into European version of FLARM units. It also allows
task declaration and log file download. It is connected into RJ45
connector, and it draws operating voltage (40mA) from 3.3 V that
FLARM provides for external displays.

This is a nonprofit project we started to get FLARM traffic
information available in our club gliders. Since club members have
many types of flight computers, Bluetooth was chosen as
communication method. Price for this device is 30 EUR + delivery
from Finland.

If you think that this unit is useful with Power FLARM please let me
know. We hope to get 30 orders to cover the cost. Enclosed couple
links showing how to connect and use SoarTronic. These videos
show XCSoar runnig in Android phone, but it should work with any
device with BT, and with any flight computer SW.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7EkWwQhQzU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJPz65ePozo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WLD0td0pMo

It is like one fifth of the cost of a K6Bt...
But wouldn't commercially available bluetooth adapter provide same functionality for similar low cost, such as http://www.usconverters.com/index.ph...ducts _id=228

I am also looking for a low cost bluetooth adapter once my powerflarm arrives. I already have one K6Bt for my 302 (works perfect), and rather not spending the same amount on another K6Bt.

Ramy

Ramy wrote:

It is like one fifth of the cost of a K6Bt...
But wouldn't commercially available bluetooth adapter provide same
functionality for similar low cost, such as

http://www.usconverters.com/index.ph...ducts _id=228

That would work, but you need to provide some power source. It needs a 5V
power source either via USB cable or external battery. The Flarm provides a
3V output, I guess that would not be enough to power the device. Kimmos and
my device work with the 3V directly, that saves some hardware. I don't know
if the K6-BT works similar.
Chris

At 09:32 22 March 2012, Chris wrote:
Ramy wrote:

It is like one fifth of the cost of a K6Bt...
But wouldn't commercially available bluetooth adapter provide
same
functionality for similar low cost, such as

http://www.usconverters.com/index.php?
main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=228

That would work, but you need to provide some power source. It
needs a 5V
power source either via USB cable or external battery. The Flarm
provides a

3V output, I guess that would not be enough to power the device.
Kimmos and

my device work with the 3V directly, that saves some hardware. I
don't know

if the K6-BT works similar.
Chris


Chris is right, that is the point.
Also, if you use external display, this works nicely with that.
-kimmo

From what I've understood so far, there is one important difference between SoarTronic and the K6BT, which is baudrate switching. The K6BT has a protocol to let the connected software change the baudrate of the adapter and I haven't seen any other devices yet, that are able to do that. XCSoar has recently implemented that protocol which makes it easy to change the baudrate for IGC file downloads for example. The Flarm does not need this feature since it doesn't have to change the baudrate, but my DX50 (similar to LX5000) sends GPS data at 4800 yet the transfer mode for upload/download works at 19200.

Turbo

On Mar 22, 1:09*am, Kimmo Hytoenen wrote:
At 23:53 21 March 2012, Chris wrote:









Mike C wrote:

On Mar 21, 5:29 pm, Chris *wrote:
I just build a device at my own design that meets your
description. As I
am working nonprofit too, there is no competition. If
interested, we can
share information. I have a dealer in Hong Kong who sells
the modules
for
~8,- ? with free shipping. With a MAX3232 for the RS232,
printed circuit
board and casing, I think your price is realistic.

Nice featu as the module is programmable, I set it up
with the
registration of the glider as Bluetooth name.

Will either one work with a VW1150 Canbus and transmit
info two ways
between a Streak and Canbus that contains Powerflarm and
smart vario
data?

I cannot speak for the device offered by Kimmo, but it seems
it works
similar as my design. As Kimmo mentioned, it should work with
any device
that supports Bluetooth and can communicate with Flarm via
the RJ45. The
Bluetooth is just a wireless extension of the serial data channel
via RJ45.
Regards
Chris

Chris,

You are right, in this device all components are well known, and
you can build a similar system out from Bluetooth module and
RS232/TTL level sifter. I actually did so, but the result did not
look like something that I would trust. Also other club members
told me that "nice, but who will maintain those if you are not
here?". So I decided to look for more professional solution. What
was on the market was quite expensive compared to technology
needed.

There is one technical improvement in this device compared
what has been on the market. If you have an external display
connected into your FLARM unit and you want to connect
SoarTronic type device into the same RS232 line with it, you
normally either disconnect the external display's TX line, or add
a switch to select if you what to declare tasks over Bluetooth
device (i.e. RS232 in not multidrop bus). With this "SoarTronic"
you do not need that switch, and these two animals can live
together in RS232 line - as long as they do not speak
simultaneously. This is idea of Simon. I also think that if you
have your FLARM connected to Variometer or VW1150, you can
add this device into the FLARM RS232/power cable. This device
does not have CanBus build in it, but you can connect any
RS232/bluetooth module in the RS232 connector of VW1150.

We have had many gliderpilots involved in this project. It
actually started as a spinn-off. We were (and still are)
developing an interface board to Sparkfun IOIO board, that
connects 4 RS232 lines to Android phone over USB, and
provides 12V/5V conversion for charging the Android device. But
that is an another story.

Still in for the IOIO board Kimmo.

Mike