PostFrontal Forum
PostFrontal Forum
LK8000_Support_Forum | Profile | Register | Active Topics | Members | Search | FAQ
Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

 All Forums
 LK8000 International Support
 Change requests and new features list
 Alarm Events for Flarm Targets (OBSOLETE)
 New Topic  Reply to Topic
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  

andydasmith
Pulcino

United Kingdom
59 Posts

Posted - 06/06/2019 :  16:36:34  Show Profile  Visit andydasmith's Homepage  Reply with Quote
The T-beam SoftRF board is a very cost-effective replacement for failed Flarm devices. It does not have an audio output to alert pilots that a new target is close. I have added speech synthesis to the Cotswold Club vario to produce a low-cost Kobo/LK8000 navigation system for our club gliders.
See https://www.postfrontal.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8961
The system correctly announces airspace alerts but it would be helpful if Flarm targets could be announced to increase safety.
The Cotswold Club Vario is an open-source project and can be built for 20-30 euros.
It is currently configured to output data to LK8000 in Bluefly format.
I can supply a board to developers if it is decided to implement the alarms.
I have over 6000 gliding hours.

Edited by - AlphaLima on 26/07/2019 13:36:06

andydasmith
Pulcino

United Kingdom
59 Posts

Posted - 10/07/2019 :  16:51:31  Show Profile  Visit andydasmith's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Hoping for a response, I assume this is a simple change to allow existing events in the XCSoar code to be output.
Go to Top of Page

brunotl
Pterodattilo

France
1090 Posts

Posted - 10/07/2019 :  17:38:58  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
sorry Andy for the late answer, your project is very interesting,
i'm very busy and i already have lot of work pending but we can think about.

question : what events trigger flarm alarm ?

Go to Top of Page

AlphaLima
Moderator

Germany
1978 Posts

Posted - 10/07/2019 :  20:15:07  Show Profile  Visit AlphaLima's Homepage  Reply with Quote
As said before why don't you use the FLARM NMEA alarm sentences?
LK8000 does not have any FLARM Alarm, it would be 100% the same events comming from flarm, but with a propagation delay.
You can forward the NMEA data "through" LK8000 to your device.
Go to Top of Page

andydasmith
Pulcino

United Kingdom
59 Posts

Posted - 11/07/2019 :  16:57:52  Show Profile  Visit andydasmith's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Thanks for the replies, maybe I'm missing something here. I originally asked a forum question asking if there are already Flarm alarms accessible in SOUND_TABLE.TXT https://www.postfrontal.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8961. There are currently 112 alarms and most have the prefix LK_, but not all....maybe some of these are forwarded? I've modified SOUND_TABLE.TXT to output strings that are recognized by my vario which then announces events such as AIRSPACE warnings, GPS signal lost etc. I can do this because my vario is connected to my Kobo in the same way as other varios (I use the Bluefly protocol).
Is it possible to modify LK8000 code or configuration so that the original FLARM alarms are forwarded or will it be necessary to add another serial interface and parse the NMEA stream from the T-Beam? My device is low cost and the poor little Arduino Nano will struggle.
Maybe its possible to configure LK8000 get the Kobo to immediately echo the received Flarm data stream to my vario?
Go to Top of Page

AlphaLima
Moderator

Germany
1978 Posts

Posted - 11/07/2019 :  21:59:13  Show Profile  Visit AlphaLima's Homepage  Reply with Quote
and again...
LK does not generate nor handle the the FLARM Alarms! Flarm Alarms are in the NMEA Datastream of FLARM ($PFLAU, $PFLAA)
http://delta-omega.com/download/EDIA/FLARM_DataportManual_v3.02E.pdf
You can forward the incomming NMEA stream using the LK8EX1 driver, but not on the same port.
Maybe your device is able to receive the FLARM data on a second input.

Edited by - AlphaLima on 11/07/2019 22:19:38
Go to Top of Page

andydasmith
Pulcino

United Kingdom
59 Posts

Posted - 12/07/2019 :  00:22:18  Show Profile  Visit andydasmith's Homepage  Reply with Quote
So I can finally conclude that the answer is no. As I say above, the Nano is not capable of parsing the NMEA data stream, tracking multiple targets, calculating possible collision conflicts and setting off a buzzer.....as well as carrying on its vario task.

I assumed as FLARM targets were displayed that the information was readily available. We obviously have a different understanding of the meaning of "forwarding". I've searched the manual to find how FLARM data can be included in the LK8EX1 sentence https://github.com/LK8000/LK8000/blob/master/Docs/LK8EX1.txt without success. But as this appears to require an additional serial interface as well as the coding described above it is not attractive.

I wont waste any more of your time trying to go down this route. It's easier for users to add the LED ring and buzzer to the T-beam.
Go to Top of Page

brunotl
Pterodattilo

France
1090 Posts

Posted - 12/07/2019 :  13:03:41  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
why don't just connect your board to team through GPIO and use custom SoftRF firmware for set pulse to this GPIO ?
Go to Top of Page

AlphaLima
Moderator

Germany
1978 Posts

Posted - 13/07/2019 :  00:34:54  Show Profile  Visit AlphaLima's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Sorry I mean NMEAout (not LK8EX1).
But I still don't understand what you're trying to achieve, the SoftRF already has a Buzzer, LED and Alarm NMEA output. Why must LK8000 generate an alarm for you that already exists and what do you want do do with it?

Edited by - AlphaLima on 13/07/2019 09:49:18
Go to Top of Page

andydasmith
Pulcino

United Kingdom
59 Posts

Posted - 17/07/2019 :  00:32:32  Show Profile  Visit andydasmith's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I was just trying to create a low cost system for Kobo/LK8000 users. The vario I've built has a speaker and the Kobo doesn't. The T-beam doesn't come with an on-board buzzer but one can be added to the pcb. Unfortunately there is no code written yet to make sounds when a target is close.
I've been flying with the system for about 150hrs and I'm certain that a FLARM sound alert is needed to warn the pilot.
I started testing the system using XCSoar and found that the FLARM radar appearing on the main screen when a glider was close got my attention. As this trigger was in the existing code I thought it was trivial to add an alarm to the existing SOUND_TABLE.TXT structure. I'm flying with LK8000 now and can see the FLARM targets on the map display but need a sound alarm for safety.
The creator of SoftRF has designed a display and audio unit, SkyView EZ, but it will take panel space which most pilots don't have.
What I want to do with an LK8000 traffic alarm is to use it to trigger voice traffic alerts.
Go to Top of Page

andydasmith
Pulcino

United Kingdom
59 Posts

Posted - 16/09/2019 :  15:33:55  Show Profile  Visit andydasmith's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I used NMEAout and managed to trigger Flarm speech alarms. Thanks for the tip
Go to Top of Page
  Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
 New Topic  Reply to Topic
Jump To:
PostFrontal Forum © PostFrontal - La community del Volo a Vela Go To Top Of Page
This page was generated in 0.13 seconds. Snitz Forums 2000

Since 2006, owned and maintained by PostFrontal S.A.S. di Giuliano Golfieri & c. - VAT ID: IT05264240960
THIS WEBSITE ONLY USES FUNCTIONAL COOKIES
Privacy & Cookie Policy