Re: [SoftwareControlledHamRadio] T41 Hardware Directions
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All: Obviously I agree since I suggested to Al that Bill take the hardware over, to which he was in total agreement. Same for Oliver on the software track: both were done in consultation. In the future, I, too, would like to remove the Audio Hat and move it to the Main board. I would like to see the ADC/DAC's mounted over a small hole in the PCB, since mounting those has been troublesome in the past. Placing the SPI driver on the board makes sense. I don't know enough about the LT3045's to judge, but while they are relatively expensive (~$9), a quantity 10 purchase, however, drops the price by almost 25%, so some kind of sharing might be possible. The ones I saw are rated at 500mA, so I'm guessing more than one is needed but I don't know. I think most of us would plunk down an extra $20 if it results in a more quiet rig. I have mentioned to Bill and Oliver that I would like to see a small PCB hold the 4 connectors (mic, PTT, headphones, and key) just because the current direct wiring makes the front look like a rat's nest. It's purely aesthetics for me and something most people will never see. On the software side, I would love to take the time to cut down the globals in the code. It will make some things a little slower (noticeable??), but it would address Greg's complaint about the limited stack/heap space. My guess is that it would also make debugging easier, too. It would be super cool if the Arduino people noticed that the newer processors now have some serious code space with significantly faster clocks and that might permit a mini OS kernel that would support a symbolic debugger. Alas, that's probably not going to happen until the Arduino family get a significant boost in memory. Anyway, I think Bill and Oliver will take the T41 Project to even higher performance levels than it enjoys now. And a big thanks to all the members of these groups who have helped along the way! Jack, W8TEE
On Sunday, April 13, 2025 at 12:18:50 PM EDT, K9HZ <bill@...> wrote:
Like Oliver on the Software side, I have graciously been handed the hardware side of the T41 development moving forward. ?(Just my take with this next statement) The software side is easier to experiment with¡ basically because its easier to ¡°roll it back¡± if the experiment fails.? To that end it requires more discussion and engineering calculation on the hardware side to make measurable steps forward. ?I do have a stable of engineers that work for me¡ but they are not here to work on the T41 project (unless they do it off-hours).? ?To that end, I will start permanent ¡°hashtag¡± sub-groups in the AmateurRadioBuilders when there is a growing interest in any aspect of the T41 hardware to address and discuss.? ? There will be some changes to the building process tools I want to announce today.? I will begin to stock solder masks shortly¡ something I have not done in the past.? I originally considered stocking solder masks and ¡°renting them out¡± for reuse.? But after understanding that the SHIPPING for return would cost about the same as purchasing a mask outright¡ I will simply sell them outright.? Then you can share them on a local/ club level. ? I¡¯ve shipped about 50 of the display driver hardware devices.? I have about 150 more in stock and then I will restock.? Eventually, this hardware can be moved to the main board if there is an update. ? Remember, ?there is a difference between the T41 hardware and my K9HZ, and the K9HZ/KI3P hardware projects that we may or may not allow group think due to the fact that there may be external requirements that you are not aware of (e.g. the 100W PA module, the VHF/UHF Module, ETC.). ??? ? Here are a few hardware things I am thinking about for the existing T41 boards.? If we update the main board to a 12.7 at some point, I think we should consider placing the hardware from the audio hat directly on the main board.? I would also put the SPI display driver on the board¡ a pair of ultra-low noise references for the A/D and D/A as needed, and possibly update the linear regulators with ultra noise LT3045 (etc.) devices.? Maybe splitting the A/Ds and D/As to a separate card¡ off the Main board may facilitate more experimentation at that level too¡ making it easier to change.? All of these are small changes¡ but if you are an experimenter, it might be up your alley. ? ? ? ? Dr. William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J68HZ 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ VP2EHZ ? Owner - Operator Big Signal Ranch ¨C K9ZC Staunton, Illinois ? Owner ¨C Operator Villa Grand Piton ¨C J68HZ Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I. Rent it: ? Moderator: North American QRO Group at Groups.IO. Moderator: Amateur Radio Builders Group at Groups.IO. ? email:? bill@... ? ? -- Jack, W8TEE |
Jack, W8TEE