Wireless DRO

[Admiral_dk]

Admiral,

The "Android" is a "smart phone"...and it has full internet access like your computer, phone, GPS, texting, SKYPE which is video conferencing, and about 1000 other applications or APPS that turn it into pretty much anything you can think of.

I never would have gone that way..but it is nice to have one!

Sorry Dave (Steamer) - But as far as I can tell (and remember) I hadn't chimed in on this one yet and the two things I could have called has been mentioned already (all the wires needed anyway and the operating system).

[ths]

I think it's the thin edge of the wedge, the infancy of something that will get much bigger. The digital age has a long way to go (it's like evolution on amphetamines), and it makes me wonder where well be even in 5 years from now. And no matter how hands off it all gets, a bad master will always produce bad work.

Hugh.

[steamer]

[...]The "Android" is a "smart phone[...]

[Hair splitting mode ON]

Technically, Android is the operating system. It is based on GNU/Linux. Because it is basically a free operating system, it has become popular on cell phones and tablets.

[Hair splitting mode OFF]

A DRO for your smart phone! What in the heck will they think of next? Cell phone CNC, or would that be CCNC?

Fair enough Russel...like I said...I wouldn't have gone with the Smart Phone...till I got one...now I wouldn't do with out one...very useful!

Technology marches on doesn't it?

Check this link out...interesting...at least from the perspective of all the new uses being dreamed up for these devices

http://traxxas.com/products/models/electric/6407xo1

Now you say....what the hell is this toy car?....well....it's no joke!

This "toy" car ...out of the box ...will go 100 MPH....real 100 mph...not scale.

Impressive at that!...but there is more!

Part of this "system"...is an app for a smart phone...being used integral with the Control system to provide "dashboard" information on the various metrics of the car....yes I know...cute....but think about this for a minute...this is being done at a pretty low price point!...comparatively speaking that not only displays data like speed, motor temp, ect...but logs it also!....

Now I won't say that this will be the end all and be all and promote world peace, and cheap beer.....but

But Just imagine what they'll think of next!

Change is never ending....so the best you can do is embrace it and run!

Dave

[steamer]

And another link to what I was speaking about.

http://traxxas.com/products/models/electric/6407xo1-details#traxxaslinkapp

http://traxxas.com/products/models/electric/6407xo1-traxxaslinkapp

Dave

[ths]

Exactly Dave, what will they think of next. I think it's good, those of us who wish to, can stick to what has always been done, most of us will embrace the future. I like a bit of both in my life. I do get excited by what I can do on my ipad.

[steamer]

I don't know...I like aspects of both!....why on gods green earth would a person build a steamboat, rebuild a 62 year old lathe and at the same time wax poetic about a smartphone!.....

Kinda funny if you think about it....

Dave

[ths]

Perhaps that gentleman is a man for all seasons?

[steamer]

Perhaps that gentleman is a man for all seasons?

Or perhaps a bit loopy...either way I'm good with that!

[ths]

Excellent.

[Ian S C]

Someone near the beginning of the thread was suggesting a transmitter from each read out, this should be very simple.  I'v got a Bluetooth 3.0  Tiny USB Adapter (think it's called a Dongle), it's an interface with all standard Bluetooth devices, has a range of 10 m. The size including the USB plug is 20 mm long x 12 mm wide x 5 mm thick, a transmitter/ receiver device similar to this would be the thing, probably wired in, it cost $NZ 25 (found I didn't actually need it, well not yet anyway).         Ian S C

[ycroosh]

Gentlemen,
I've been watching this thread with great interest and couldn't restrain myself from chiming in
I'd like to straighten a few things out about the DRO project... First of all, the fact that is wireless is a "side effect". I ended up going with Bluetooth because that was the easiest way to connect a micro controller to a tablet. The two main features of the project are: decoupling of the low-level position decoding from the user interface and "easy for a geek to do". The former is useful because over time I (or someone else) can create a number of simple controllers that can interface with all sorts of scales (caliper, glass scales, iGaging, rotary encoders, etc.) without any changes to the application. The latter makes having a usable "hobby DRO" much more accessible. Since a LOT of people now have Android tablets, the rest of the hardware (including the scales) can be had for well under $200. Granted, it's not a "turn-key" solution, uses rather cheap scales and involves some basic soldering skills...

As far as the reliability of the wireless link goes, there is nothing to worry about. Bluetooth uses frequencies in the 2.4 GHz range (same as most wireless routers, cordless phones etc.) and I'd be surprised if you have a device in your garage that can interfere with it. A LOT of Bluetooth devices is sued in much noisier environments (your car being one of them...). The weakest link in the whole setup are the cables, ironically. The scales use a low-frequency serial protocol and my Allen Brady VFD (on the lathe) created mayhem until I grounded/shielded it properly. 

Finally the thing about the "apps"... if you look into a good commercial DRO you will find that it uses "guts" very similar to an Android tablet, and runs an operating system etc. A tablet or a phone is in reality an "embedded device" that just happens to have a touch screen. It uses a variant of an ARM microprocessor (likely more powerful than a dedicated DRO, but the architecture is pretty similar. Chances are the tables it MUCH better shielded inside than an inexpensive DRO, though. Android operating system is rock solid (as is mostly any modern OS at this point) so the "app" will be as good as the person writing it, regardless of it being an Android app or an embedded "firmware". In practice an "average programmer" has a better chance of making a better app on Android because the underlying "linux" takes care of the difficult stuff...
The screen is more brittle (although better ones use Corning "Gorilla" glass that is pretty close to "bullet proof"). A $20 case and a piece of screen protector can do wonders for scratches etc.

With that said, the project wasn't intended to compete with commercial DROs. If you can afford a good unit, by all means get it. It will be better in many regards. In my case my limited hobby budget is much shorter on money that it is on time

Hope this makes sense
Thank you
Yuriy

[steamer]

Thanks Yuriy!

I am intriqued with all this.   I would love to see it in action....got video?

Dave

[Arbalest]

Thanks for chiming in Yuriy!  and welcome to the forum, hope you hang around.

[Tennessee Whiskey]

This is fascinating stuff and says multitudes about what is available and where we are headed. But, don't y'all find it ironic that we are using this kind of technology to recreate machinery built before even electricity. They did it with line shafts, steam, files, chisels, and a lot of pride. Now I'm all for spending a little extra to make a set up or op easier. However, I look at someone like our own Marinus and think ; Am I missing something? Then again it sure would be nice to just program a RT like Chuck Fellows does his homemade job and cut this next gear. Just one of those things that make you go; "Hmmmmm"

Eric

[ycroosh]

Eric,
Frankly I have made this same argument many times to my friends
Unfortunately the reality is that I have a VERY little time to play in the garage and I want to spend that time doing "fun" things... Even with the DRO I still use the dials, but at least when I need to drill two holes exactly 4" apart I'm not afraid that instead of 80 turns of the handle I make 79 o 81. Granted, I could pay more attention, etc. Similarly, I used a calculator to calculate the location of the holes on my latest "project" (PM Research 1B Steam engine, ironically) but that din't make the job more fun or rewarding, it just took more time.
With that said, my coworker's brother restores old machinery. I watched him scrape the ways on an OLD lathe one time and you can't believe what one can do with some blue dye, skill and a lot of patience. Unfortunately I'm nowhere near that skill level, so I have to rely on gizmos and gadgets to avoid screwing up too many parts

Regards
Yuriy