Hack

Retro engineering on a pager, Tatoo Hack

24 avril 2013 F4HUY 36 commentaires

This hack, backward me in 1996/1998 during my college years, the pager system was at its peak, there was 3 commercial services and networks here, in France:

TamTam, the Cegetel/SFR paging services, stopped in 1999, using ERMES protocol.

KOBBY, from Bouygue Telecom, stopped during 2005, using ERMES/FLEX protocol.

TATOO, from FT/Orange, using POCSAG, the only still functioning, right now, since 2000, exploited by a Deutsch company, E-Message.

The Kobby and TamTam use VHF frequency band (Update 18/03/14 – 169,425-169,800 Mhz), and the TATOO receiver use UHF band (466.025 MHz – 466.05 MHz – 466.075 MHz – 466.175 MHz – 466.20625 MHz – 466.23125 MHz.). POCSAG protocol is basically easy to decode, with software like POC32 or PDW Continuer la lecture de Retro engineering on a pager, Tatoo Hack →

Embedded

Teensy GPS Logger

16 avril 2013 F4HUY 26 commentaires

Update 28/08/15, New version more light:

*The last and final design, the Teensy and GPS is directly powered from 3.7v li-on batt, 20 hours 5hz logging, 39g heights with IP4 box.

Update 23/07/15, New firmware, feature added:

*Logging data only when the speed is above 3 km/h
*Using var usb_configuration; to detect and enable charging automatically when the board is plugged on a computer (only pc, not Ac adapter).

Update 12/02/15, I have rewrite the sketch:

– The sketch is more clear, light and compact, 3.76ko from 5.07ko comparing old sketch.
– Use TinyGPS lib, so you can select what we want to log.
– Create a .CSV file directly, you can use import function from GoogleEarth PRO (good news, Google has released it for FREE right now).

The goal
In the past two years, i have released two version of GPS logger, with a lot of default like, poor autonomy, need to take off the sdcard to get the log, no function to upgrade the code easily, by the way, i have redesigned a new version with a lot of news feature, see bellow.

– Better autonomy.
– Be lightweight and wearable.
– Be rechargeable easily.
– Got log directly from USB.
– Upgrade code via IDE Arduino through USB.
– Future options implemented for improvement.
– Water Resistant IP4.

Continuer la lecture de Teensy GPS Logger →

MCU-µC

Burn a Arduino bootloader to a blank Atmega 328 with optiLoader

11 avril 2013 F4HUY Un commentaire

Optiloader is a sketch designed for bulk upgrading of Arduino board
bootloaders using another Arduino as a device programmer. It stores
multiple copies of the optiboot bootloader in program flash memory. When
run (ie by hitting reset), it probes the target device, figures out the type
of CPU (ATmega8, ATmega168, ATmega328, ATmega328P) and initiates upload of
the bootloader and appropriate fuse programming. Since optiLoader runs
entirely with the Arduino and there is no communications with a host PC
required, this can procede very rapidly, and is not subject to interference
of (for example) avrdude with auto-reset.

The internal copies of the bootloader are prepare manually from the .hex
files compiled in the bootloader directories. (There’s an easy editor macro
process, but it is manual.)

While communication with a host PC is not required, the sketch does send
status information to the serial port at 19200bps.
Continuer la lecture de Burn a Arduino bootloader to a blank Atmega 328 with optiLoader →

Gadgets

Arduino Countdown

11 avril 2013 F4HUY Laisser un commentaire

I have recently made a PCB of Arduino Countdown from http://hacks.ayars.org/2011/08/how-long-until-christmas.html this PCB have a lot of I/O pin headers that you can connect a lot of sensors, or others …

All informations, and code are available here:
http://hacks.ayars.org/2011/08/how-long-until-christmas.html