In Part One of this project I developed a test circuit that proved that it would all work. In Part II, I actually redesign the bread boarded prototype into the final product.

Ok, time to go for a walk and a drive...

I checked out my last lot of GPS code from the SWASC subversion repository and uploaded it to the MARK I mini-ITX PC. I then went for a walk around the park at the back of the house. The PC and GPS where running from a common 12V 7A Sealed Lead Acid (SLA), battery. The first walk lasted 1 hour 40 minutes. I noted the voltage drop over this period:

13:40 12.28V (on load)

14:00 12.14V

14:40 11.96V

15:00 11.88V

15:05 12.00V (no load)

I knew FreeBSD 6.0 was going to be released while I was away, however, it turned out it was released the day I left  :-)

Just after I got back I downloaded Disk 1, and did a fresh install on to the 512MB CF card.  I then extracted the config files from the Subversion repository, and uploaded them.  A quick partition ghost, and I am now happily running 6.0

I am heading off on a conference soon, so I thought it was about time I had a go at Ghosting up the 512MB CF card. Using Barts Network boot disk, I made a ghost of the drive. This all went well, with no errors reported. As a safe guard, I also modified my 'config backup' script so it used scp instead of rsync. After backing up all the config files to my main server, I then uploaded them to the subversion repository for safe keeping.

I woke one morning with a thought about having a solar powered autonomous boat putting about on the Ocean.  Hey, program in the way points, and have it go around the world.  With a Satellite data phone on there, it could 'phone home' once a day, with record of where it has been, air-sea temperatures, photos, water depth, microsope photos of filtered sea water (I have an Intel QX3 USB microscope ).

It's called "on the job training".  While updating the Subversion repository with the latest files, I managed to switch two directories around.  Oops.  Had to export one of them, revert back, and add it back in.  The beauty of a Content Management System like Subversion is that nothing is really lost :-)

Anyway, it's all up too date with the latest files etc.  Mainly my MyGPS, servo and gps code files and some PICAXE pdf's. 

Might have to order a PICAXE-28X tomorrow!

As of the 14th August 2005, there is approximetly 317MB of files available. Mainly PDF's of other peoples projects, devices like GPS's, Digital Compasses, PC's etc. This is being added to when new items are found. There is a mailing list email sent out showing the new changes as files are added, modified or deleted etc. The repository is only available on request to people with fixed IP addresses, due to firewall considerations, and the limited bandwidth available.