Cow PI

[Dutchie]

I've been fine tuning the software. I am trying to do some "Bit Blasting" to make the menu's fast.
I'm still trying to figure out which mode the SPI should run in. I think mode 0 or 3.

I disassembled 4 old cell phones today to see if I could salvage a display or keyboard for this
project but it doesn't look too promising. The connectors are tiny and the keyboards don't even
have a visible connector...

The display has a SD card reader built in so I thought we might be able to use it for bit map data
and possibly fonts. I don't want to write a complete file system handler but might try some sort of
raw data storage. Not much info out there on implementing that. Most people go straight to C and
a huge library. There has got to be a way to write the raw data as if you were formatting the card...

Hi Silver Dollar,

I know I replay to a 3 year old post so it may not be relevant anymore for this project.
why not using the cellphones (or small size tablets) as they are : adressing them through USB, bluetooth or WIFI. Using them as nice color screen, touch screen and data storage, use GPS and sound from the phone
Many early versions of the android phone are discarded nowadays and can be bought for low price if one has no discarded phone oneself.

These devices have very powerful processors. But I do not know if they can be directly adressed without physically hacking into the phone.
Most of these devices can be rooted to get more access than usual.

I am thinking like Galaxy S2. It may be possible to create an app to use the old phone as controller.

One could even think of using ones present day phone with the app - not having to buy anything new...

Dutchie

[6666]

In the latest release .005 there is data missing from the chip file for a 18f14K22 (recycled picaxe chip)
to make it work on int osc @ 32 or 64 Mhz you need to modify data file with this line
IntOsc=64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2
and save it, just my luck I'm useing a chip with faulty data file.
This missing data is what was causing the problem with the pulseout command.

[6666]

There is a newer release of GCB its v.0.95.005.

[6666]

WARNING be aware that the new version .95 has bugs in it at least with the pulseout command, it you have compiled something in .95 and it did not work recompile in version .94 and try it.

[6666]

There is a new command ReadAD12 for pics with 12bit ADC

The PICs that support Differential and 12-bit A/D are listed below. Dated December 2015.

16f1782 16lf1782
16f1783 16lf1783
16f1784 16lf1784
16f1786 16lf1786
16f1787 16lf1787
16f1788 16lf1788
16f1789 16lf1789


18f65k22
18f66k22
18f67k22
18f85k22
18f86k22
18f86k22


18f25k80 18lf25k80
18f26k80 18lf26k80
18f45k80 18lf45k80
18f46k80 18lf46k80
18f65k80 18lf65k80
18f66k80 18lf66k80


18f65k90
18f66k90
18f67k90
18f85k90
18f86k90
18f87k22

18f87k90

[6666]

There is a new release of GCB available has some new features.

[6666]

Been having a bit more of a play with GCGB, been able to get some PI GB codes to run.

[6666]

This is not funny, I just downloaded their new great cow HOT RELEASE and unzipped it
and ran the IDE, after it opened, AVG my antivirus software immediately said it was a threat so hit the delete the threat button.

[6666]

Hi Silver Dollar
I have tried your GC graphical basic program , but I get a problem when I try to compile.
I down loaded the main program then the update
When trying the examples or just making a new program AND selecting a chip in the hardware menu

when hitting the compile button I get a error message box come up saying no chip selected
according to the help file when this error message pops up another box should open
to let you select a chip, but that does not happen
ANY clues would be helpfull thanks.

[6666]

OK thanks SD

[Silver Dollar]

Yes I have all my stuff packed up as we are moving to sunny Florida (The land of infinite treasure!)
so will be working in earnest on some different PI's once we are there. It might not be until the end
of April...

[6666]

Silver dollar is your cow pi still on back burner ?
I tried to experiment with Picaxe but they are way too slow.

[mohandes]

I wanted to make a PI detector for the beach (though my modified TGSL can be used there now);

http://www.geotech1.com/forums/showt...-Quad-Sampling

I have a Hammerhead I board half built up so will using that for initial development. I searched around checking out various PIC's and software's to use on this project and came up with this;

I don't know C and it will take a long time to learn so assembler or Basic would be better. I found the Great Cow Basic compiler;

http://gcbasic.sourceforge.net/index.html

It will allow faster development and outputs assembler with Basic commands and comments in it so you could then optimize the assembly or work totally in assembler once the framework is written.

Thus the name "Cow PI".

I will use the 18F4550 as it's newer and has lots of features. Carl had already designed a board. See the attachment for Carl's schematic and and ExpressSCH schematic I drew with some mods. We won't be using USB yet as the software is difficult unless your using C.

No display on this one either as it adds complexity and cost and uses more battery.

I envision a couple of push buttons and some LED's to set it up. I need to figure out what a typical PI timing might be for shallow/deep and small large targets.

One mode might be a button and a pot. Press the button and adjust the pot and the PIC will widen the sample pulses and move them apart to set the working pulse pattern.

Another might continuously vary the pulses from shallow to deep then stop when a target is found.

Later we might add wide and narrow pulses like the big guys use or other fun things.

Most of these projects die quickly or progress to high end hardware and go commercial.
I hope to keep this one as a hobby detector and just use it for my own personal use.

I will be using Microchip's MPLAB IDE and the Great Cow Basic. I have a IDC3 programmer and can program the PIC in circuit (most PIC programmers can do the same). The 40 pin 18F4550 might be easier to work with but these schematics are based on the 44 pin TQFP as I obtained a board already designed for this. The programming pins attach differently on the 40 pin (see 40 pin version). You can use the same pins on the 44 pin but the alternate ones free up some pins for circuit use...

I could use some input on typical timing for a beach PI for small/shallow and large/deep targets and any other suggestions for capabilities or implementation help.

I'll be back in my lab in a few days to start working on the hardware.

hi
i see this project now.can you say me which version is ok .and work complete?
and if possible say me which one i make.(have many version )
regards

[6666]

Any updates SD ?

[6666]

Ok SD, that happens to us all too many projects, will keep watching , cheers.