Category Archives: Work

Amateur Radio, APRS, Computing, Travel, Work

GAREC 2007

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I’m just back from the 2007 Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC 2007). Where I presented some initial results from the GAISS project (previous entry here). I was also attending on behalf of AREN and the IRTS (who also partially paid for my attendance the conference).

Listening to the presentations from the Amateur Radio operators that worked (some for months) in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Rita to provide communications in and out of the disaster area was most humbling.

The presentations were excellent overall, I learned quite a lot from other participants, and had a great reaction to my own presentation. Which surprised me a bit. I met a fantastic bunch of people, that I will hopefully be able to keep in contact with as time goes on.

What was most interesting to me is the holistic approach taken to Amateur Radio in countries that have experienced disaster, everyone is competent in all areas whether it be Contesting, VHF, Digital modes, whereas in Europe, people tend to have a more polarised view (i.e. some folk specialise in VHF, some in Digital etc). I have much to learn.

Here are some pictures taken before, during and after, GAREC.

All in all it was a fantastic experience (and I got a mention in the ARRL blog, thanks to Khrystyne, K1SFA).

Computing, IPv6, software, Technology, Work

Mobile IPv6 on the N770

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Following up from my earlier post. To save someone the trouble of building MIPL for Linux for the N770, you can find a Linux kernel here and mip6d here.

I’ve been trying the kernel out using the following command to upload the kernel:

flasher -l -b -k zImage-su-18-200730

And powering on the device, the mip6 kernel gets loaded (until the next reboot). Once it boots, its possible to copy mip6d onto the n770, as it appears as a USB storage device. Install X-Term, write a mip6d configure script, and off you go (I’ve not tested with IPsec yet though)!

I remain unconvinced about the usefulness of the n770/n800 type devices. They may be usefule for some remote control applications, although I’m not sure, more testing (using IPv6) is needed ;).


	

	
	




	
	

				

			IPv6, Work
		

			
Nokia N770 build system.

		

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In work I recently had to build a ‘build system’ for some work we are doing in the enable project.  Using the information from here and here, I was able to build a MIPv6 kernel for the N700.  The biggest hurdle was figuring out the build system, so, to make it easier for anyone else.


Using a clean install of Ubuntu 6.06 Desktop edition, the following steps were taken


1) The line:


deb http://scratchbox.org/debian/ stable main


was added to the file:


/etc/apt/sources.list


2) Next the following lines of code were run from a shell prompt:


$ sudo apt-get update


$ sudo apt-get install scratchbox-core scratchbox-libs \ scratchbox-devkit-debian scratchbox-devkit-doctools \ scratchbox-devkit-perl scratchbox-devkit-cputransp \ scratchbox-toolchain-cs2005q3.2-glibc-arm \ scratchbox-toolchain-cs2005q3.2-glibc-i386 \  scratchbox-toolchain-hostgcc


$ sudo /scratchbox/sbin/sbox_adduser $USER


3) After this, I logged out and logged back in.


4) Following this, the file from here  was downloaded to

/scratchbox/users/$USER/home/$USER/


5) To create a target, the following was done:


$sb-menu


6) This will bring up a text interface where you will be guided through creating a target. The target was named SDK2.2_ARMEL (in keeping with the existing documentation). The ARM compiler and not the i386 was selected as compiler. The devkits that were selected were:



cputransp

debian-etch



For CPU Transparency (cputransp) the option that was selected from the list was



qemu-arm-0.8.2-sb2




When asked to select rootstrap the file from step (4) above was selected.

When asked which files to install to target, all EXCEPT gdb were selected.


7) The following was used to log-in


$/scratchbox/login


To test that everything was working I built a kernel with



mkdir ~/kernel-build

apt-get install kernel-source-2.6.16

apt-get source su-18-kernel



cd su-18-kernel-2.6.16 $ dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot -uc -us -sa -d


If that was succesful, your now ready to begin! This worked for me, YMMV!

	

	
	




	
	

				

			Amateur Radio, Computing, Mapping, software, Work
		

			
GAISS progress.

		

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I’ve mentioned before the GAISS project (here and here).  It wasn’t in the original plan, but we are now receiving the MAP27 information from the ‘base’ radio, and making them available for a small conversion appplication that re-transmits them on the National APRS frequency of 144.800Mhz. This allows us to leverage the already existing APRS infrastructure in place to get our ‘position packets’ to go around corners where there is no existing RF path.


Our GAISS GUI will then be able to pluck the relevant data from the APRS data stream and plot the positions of the SEMRA personnel that are out walking for the event.  Delighted as we are to have this much working (and that we will have something to show at the Galtee Walking Festival), we are still a long way of a ‘finished’ prototype.


SEMRA Positions

	

	
	




	
	

				

			Amateur Radio, Technology, Work
		

			
Busy Busy Busy.

		

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Mad busy at the moment, I keep forgetting to post and I keep forgetting to practice Morse (6’s B’s & J’s still bothering me).


We have two weeks to go before our “Field Trial” of the GAISS project. The Field trial is going to be over the weekend of the Galtee Walking Festival, the 2nd and 3rd of June. As well as trying to make sure GAISS works for the weekend, I’m also organising AREN and TARG’s involvement in providing communications for each walk for the weekend.  We are still looking for licensed experimenters (Radio Hams) to help out on the weekend.


In GAISS, at this stage we are able to extract GPS information from the Simoco Radio’s.  Though we haven’t managed to display one in our GUI yet. Our initial plans for a WiFi link from our receive site back to ‘Base’ were scuppered by unhelpful terrain.  Plan b is to turn the received MAP27 GPS information packets into APRS packets, which we can then re-transmit over the existing APRS network.


Kristian and I are in the middle of doing our SRC Modules 1 and 2 (  Which will come in useful, should I ever find the time to get back into An Seabhac Mara), as we need them to operate at the Field Trial.


Pressure is on!

	

	
	






	
	

				

			Amateur Radio, ARGO, Work
		

			
ARGO

		

			 		

	


		

		
While I was flying around west cork doing daft things like putting up portable masts,

All up


getting free food, and enjoying the craic in the Quality Hotel in Clonakilty, my Da had a look at the ARGO.

SEMRA Training Weekend - Galtees


Last few times I had it out, the brakes were giving trouble (right hand wasn’t working very well) and it refused to start a few times. The brake had been dodgy for a while and we had planned to look at it anyway.

It seems that there was no spring on the pin in the carburettor and the pin was sticking closed, Da had an old carburettor lying around so he took the spring and ‘adapted’ it for its new home.  He didn’t find the brake problem exactly, but found evidence that there was some metal embedded in the pad. I took it off the trailer this evening and before putting it into the shed, went it for a quick spin around the ‘block’.  Brakes are much better than before, but there’s still something up with the carb as it completely died at one stage.   Its possible the pin is still sticking, we’ll have to see.


I’m hoping to use it as a ‘mobile’ APRS/Wifi/MAP27 node for the Enterprise Ireland funded GAISS project I’m working on in TSSG, but I don’t think its reliable enough yet, more (off road) testing is required I think ;), and with the IRTS 2m Counties Contest only around the corner (Easter Monday), I’ll have to have it ready for another TARG trip up Slievenamon.

	

	
	




	
	

				

			Amateur Radio, Computing, Mapping, software, Work
		

			
Parallels

		

			 		

	


		

		
Parallels is very very impressive. I’ve been using it since before christmas to boot custom Ubuntu CD’s for the Enable project here in work (on my MacBook Pro).  I recently wanted to try out Radio Mobile for Radio System performance analysis. So the guys in work supplied me with a copy Windows XP and off I went.


It was a pretty simple install, then, once it was up and running, I installed the Parallels Tools as instructed, and then Radio Mobile itself.  The virtual machine takes about 25 seconds to boot and less than 20 to shut down and, in operation, its very responsive. To quote Ronseal, It “Does exactly what it says on the tin”.


rm.png

	

	
	




	
	

				

			Computing, IPv6, software, Work
		

			
Does what it says on the Tin!

		

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I’ve had the pleasure to receive a new MacBook Pro for work, though I wasn’t particularly looking forward to the task of migrating all my data.  I have to say Apple’s Setup Assistant has to be one of the most useful pieces of software ever! So far, the only casualty has been xchat. I remembered Bernard mentioned Babbel a while back, so I’ll give that a whirl instead.  


Back up and running in less than 2 hours, thank you Apple!

	

	
	




	
	

				

			Amateur Radio, Mapping, Work
		

			
SEMRA Training Weekend

		

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As part of the requirements gathering process for the GAISS Project (Geograpically Aware Information Support System), which is an Enterprise Ireland funded, proof of concept phase project. Kristian and I spent last weekend as observers (mostly as observers, though the argo pictured below did get (ab)used for a short time) on an excercise run by the South East Mountain Rescue Association.  


SEMRA Training Weekend - Galtees


This was to allow us to see both in practice and, later on Saturday, on paper, how their processes operate.  To that end, we learned lots, and were completely exhausted by the end of the day.


Remarkably, all SEMRA personnel are volunteers, and give up much of their time in order to hone their search skills in order that you and I have some hope of survival if we get lost or injured on the mountains in the South East of Ireland. What is more remarkable still is how well organised and efficiently they operate given that they are so few in number and are all voluntary.