PIC Based D-Star Comms Chat
I've decided I don't always want to carry a PC with me when I'm using D-Star but I do like to use D-Star Comms by Matt, M0DQW. I've started working on a project which takes the output from a PS/2 style keyboard and formats it to ASCII and sends it out over serial to a D-Star radio. Currently there is a limitation of 19k2 baud which means the E92 radio can't support TX of this yet but it works with my IC-E2820. When initialized, the code askes for the users callsign which is stored and used infront of anything which is transmitted later. As characters are typed on the keyboard they are buffered in EEPROM and sent after the saved callsign in one string when RETURN is pressed, i.e. 'M1BXF> This is a test D-Star Comms PIC message'. I'm just away to start on expanding the code to include a 4 line LCD display so you can see what you are typing and then add RX so the output from a D-Star radio will show it on the display also.
I've struck a problem with the PICAXE here in that it can ony do one 'thing' at a time. This means I am only able to send (check the keyboard inputs) or receive (check the data coming from the radio) at any one time. Both commands in effect 'freeze' the code until an input happens. I guess I could make this a 2 chip project but that again over complicates the design. I might have to learn proper PIC coding to get this one to work. Any advise welcome to gnesbitt <at> orange <dot> net.
Downloads
ExpressPCB Schematic and PCB layout v1.0 (ZIP) | |
File Size: | 29 kb |
File Type: | zip |
PICAXE (TX) Code v1.0 (BAS) | |
File Size: | 5 kb |
File Type: | bas |