First YAPP in production - mini Seatalk repeater

[nigelmercier]

I've just found out from RS that the display is on back order and won't be back in stock until 4th April. Bummocks! Sorry to everyone waiting for the delay.

Have you tried eBay? I've bought several LCDs there, all good.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_n...=0&_odkw=lcd+16x4&_sop=15&_osacat=0&_from=R40

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Have you tried eBay? I've bought several LCDs there, all good.

I have as well, and all have been fine, including the one used in the first version of this project. The problem is repeatability. When I asked the Ebay supplier if he could supply 10, he said he only had 2 left and wasn't going to get any more. RS cost a bit more, but are more consistent.

 

[TSB240]

RS cost a bit more, but are more consistent.

You obviously have not been buying much from them recently.


It was acceptable to pay a premium to RS as next day delivery was typical.

We have been taking up their offer of special pricing and their discounts to trade are now nearly competitive.

However their supply performance which used to be their forte is carp.

Recent example

Order 4 0ff large 40-60kW inverters quoted as next day delivery

Had 2 delivered next day and 2 on back order for 29th of april!

Lot of use when customer expects his machine to be up and running by the end of march!

Alternative supplier says 60 of one item and 70 of other are in manufacturers stock in germany and available in 24 hours...

Is it possible that suppliers are restricting sales to RS because they havent paid their bills.



I bet if you do a bit of research you can find the manufacturer of the display and get a better price and delivery direct!

 

[AngusMcDoon]

You obviously have not been buying much from them recently.

I bet if you do a bit of research you can find the manufacturer of the display and get a better price and delivery direct!

I'm mostly a software nerd. We don't buy much. I also have limited time to search everywhere, but would be interested if anyone has any contacts to try. These are some prices I found...

EBay 599p, but could not supply 10
AliExpress 610p, but no specification so don't know exactly what's on offer
RS 735p
Rapid 828p
Farnell 1021p

The manufacturer will sell them to me cheaply in lots of 10,000.

 

[lw395]

my suggestion for a YAPP experiment revolves around
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360563811184?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
basically the solid state gubbbins of an electronic compass.
Dinghy sailing is pretty much dominated by the Tacktick at £230 or so, if the solid state sensor could be satisfactory, there could be money to be made?
I think the issue will be getting a monotonic scale with increments of 2 degrees or better. Absolute acuracy matters not, we just want to see wind shifts and bends.

Personally, I might consider mounting the display separate from the sensor, as the TacKtick lump is always either in the shade, behind the crew, and/or prone to catching ropes.
Or maybe epoxy the bugger to the mast, I spend too much time fretting about the tacktick getting pinched.

Any thoughts?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I've looked into compass sensors before but never did anything about it. I seem to remember that to get the sort of absolute accuracy required for a boat compass you need to spend a bit more than that. However, I don't know much about them. Someone else might know more.

 

[nigelmercier]

I'm mostly a software nerd. We don't buy much. I also have limited time to search everywhere, but would be interested if anyone has any contacts to try. These are some prices I found...

Have you tried these guys: http://www.lcd-module.com/products/dotmatrix/tables.html#04x16

 

[lw395]

I've looked into compass sensors before but never did anything about it. I seem to remember that to get the sort of absolute accuracy required for a boat compass you need to spend a bit more than that. However, I don't know much about them. Someone else might know more.

I guess cruising sailors who are trying to hit a particular bit of France care more about absolute accuracy, but for racing you only need to spot lifts and headers.
For along time, there was a dinghy compass (mag) that only read arbitrary 0-9 scales with no NESW info.
I've ordered a couple of those sensors, no idea when I'll get around to doing anything with them.
Also considering how good a compass you could achieve by putting a GPS at each end of a boat.....

 

[prv]

Also considering how good a compass you could achieve by putting a GPS at each end of a boat.....

GPS compasses exist, usually a bar about a metre long with a sensor at each end.

Pete

 

[rgarside]

I've looked into compass sensors before but never did anything about it. I seem to remember that to get the sort of absolute accuracy required for a boat compass you need to spend a bit more than that. However, I don't know much about them. Someone else might know more.

Most of the magnetometer sensors seem to be either Honeywell or Freescale. Freescale have published quite a few documents on implementing compasses using their magnetometer and accelerometer sensors, and they have code that is free to use with their sensors to implement the compass including calibration and correction routines for both hard and soft iron corrections. Honeywell also say they have code available, but I haven't found any way to find their code. Haven't looked into this very much. The development seems to have been driven by compass apps for mobile phones, and seems pretty complete.

Ideally a breakout board with magnetometer and accelerometer packages would be used so they share the same axis system.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

The first batch of the mini-Seatalk repeaters are now all allocated. If there's further interest I will get some more PCB's made, but they take 3 weeks to arrive.

 

[nigelmercier]

The first batch of the mini-Seatalk repeaters are now all allocated. If there's further interest I will get some more PCB's made, but they take 3 weeks to arrive.

Definitely interested if you can do a wireless one. Did you see my link in #27?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I had a look but couldn't see any datasheets, prices or minimum order numbers. Do they sell in small numbers, as most specialist suppliers don't. Although RS has come in for some criticism, generally they sell things in single units which is useful for YAPPing purposes.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Definitely interested if you can do a wireless one.

Next YAPPP (YAPP, Production version) is the Seatalk to USB project. I've had oodles of requests for that one. I might even put it in a box.

 

[prv]

If there's further interest I will get some more PCB's made, but they take 3 weeks to arrive.

I haven't sat down to debug my veroboard prototype one yet, but if I can't get it working then I'd definitely be after a production copy. It's an integral part of my new chart table design.

Cheers,

Pete

 

[nigelmercier]

Have you tried these guys: http://www.lcd-module.com/products/dotmatrix/tables.html#04x16

I had a look but couldn't see any datasheets, prices or minimum order numbers. Do they sell in small numbers, as most specialist suppliers don't...

They will send datasheets for any products you are interested in, but there are links for most items. Yes they sell in small numbers, I even managed to wangle a freebie of a GLCD module.

If you need a business email address, I can probably help; I've got a rudimentary web site for my electronics dealings: www.seabug.co.uk

[Later] Just looked at the site, I really need to update it a bit. If I added a forum, would it be a good place for discussing the technicalities of such projects?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Progress. Done all the small components. Just waiting for the displays now.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Well I can't believe how pants RS are being. First they delayed my order for the display modules to beginning of April, then again to mid April, now they say I can have 4 of the 10 in mid May with no date for the remaining 6! So I have cancelled the order and found somewhere else. It's a different manufacturer but is basically the same. I got them to send me 1 which I tested for compatibility, which was fine, so now I am waiting for delivery of the next 9 which they have dispatched.

I have also reduced the processor speed by a factor of 4 which brings the power consumption down to 10 mA with the backlight switched off. I'll do some backlight calibration and current consumption when it gets dark later.

 

[ianj99]

Well I can't believe how pants RS are being. First they delayed my order for the display modules to beginning of April, then again to mid April, now they say I can have 4 of the 10 in mid May with no date for the remaining 6! So I have cancelled the order and found somewhere else. It's a different manufacturer but is basically the same. I got them to send me 1 which I tested for compatibility, which was fine, so now I am waiting for delivery of the next 9 which they have dispatched.

I have also reduced the processor speed by a factor of 4 which brings the power consumption down to 10 mA with no backlight.

If you think RS are bad, try Rapid Electronics . Hopefully things will improve when Conrad buys them (Rapid) out, though Conrad's service is pretty bad even where things are in stock.