Permanent Data Saving via Hard Drive
Anyone connect their robots /devices to a hard drive type device that can save, edit·and retrieve large amounts of information?
I'm interested in a way to log data permanently to·either a flash drive or a hard drive via the BS2, and have the BS2 retrieve information from the drive, and based on the previously saved values from the drives, behave accordingly.
Say for example one were developing a simple medical treatment device. Depending on an inputed user code, the BS2 would pull up different historical treatment profiles, and depending on the data in these historical files, the BS2 would run a different phase of treatment.
Any Thoughts? Suggestions?
Thanks!
-leiji81
I'm interested in a way to log data permanently to·either a flash drive or a hard drive via the BS2, and have the BS2 retrieve information from the drive, and based on the previously saved values from the drives, behave accordingly.
Say for example one were developing a simple medical treatment device. Depending on an inputed user code, the BS2 would pull up different historical treatment profiles, and depending on the data in these historical files, the BS2 would run a different phase of treatment.
Any Thoughts? Suggestions?
Thanks!
-leiji81
Comments
"Selecting and running a phase of treatment" seems beyond the BS2 -- you would need a PC for that, no? Though the BS2 could be a 'slave' processor in that configuration, providing an interface between the PC and the patient.
I mean, the BS2 only has 26 bytes of RAM in it. That kind of limits the "decide" part of the project if the BS2 has to do it.
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·1+1=10
Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 1/31/2006 6:14:57 PM GMT
Going one step further, if speed is not of the utmost importance, there is always the wireless solution. Transmit the data serially, across a wireless link (BlueTooth, cell phone, ordinary RF or via IR/IrDA) to a PC based reciever which actually stores the data, on any mass media device you might choose to use.
Simplex, and half-duplex communication is reasonably trivial with most of the Stamp platforms, presuming appropriate data integrity checking is done, and data retry or data correction facilities are provided. Just thinking quickly about it, full-duplex IrDA might be reasonably easy to do as well.
Full-duplex (FD) RF is possible, but would require a GOOD DEAL more planning, and much more expensive equipment. With FD the Stamp would only be responsible for filling and emptying an off-Stamp buffer (e.g. UART). The actual data blocking (packetizing) and Tx/Rx would also be done by off-Stamp processes. The Stamp associated element would essentially be acting like a terminal node controller (TNC) driver.
Regards,
Bruce Bates
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"When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.' - Walter Lippmann (1889-1974)
······································································ Warm regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan
But unfortunatley, The motor that runs the drive arm was jammed against the motor that spins the disc, and left us with
one bit binary storage (The magnetic arm was still able to read and write where it stood)
But, since we never got it to work, we destroyed all documentation regaurding this information.
Sorry, but...
You could try to replicate it.
Just ask us if you need help, and mabe we can start configuring it again.
Do you just create your own primative Read/write system without concern for other standards?
Or do you only read data generated elsewhere?
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"When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.' - Walter Lippmann (1889-1974)
······································································ Warm regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan
From the looks of this unit, it looks like it has a uC with enough guts to do a proper job of running the reader. The only problem that I see is with the prices of the cards themselves, if you can get them cheap enough this would be the way to go. The only other problem is the serial interface, the BS2 may be on the slow side for super fast data transfers.
Ray
If the link below is the Com-File device that you're speaking of, it appears to run on a PC, thus it really needs no microcontroller or processor of its own. SD and MMC cards can be handled as removable media (at least) in most versions of Microsoft Windows (98, 98SE, ME, 2000, and XP). Unless I'm mistaken all the software basically does is permit the PC to have many more serial ports than may be present natively; thus more sources of input data. Here is the device I found based on your prior message:
http://www.taltech.com/products/comfile.html
There are two stand-alone SD/MMC card-writers that I'm aware of, either of which will work with the PBASIC Stamp, which·are GHI Electronics uALFAT, and Rogue Robotics uMMC. The uALFAT processor uses synchronous serial access (SHIFTIN/SHIFTOUT), I2C (I2CIN/I2COUT) or asynschrous serial acccess (SERIN/SEROUT) and the uMMC uses asynschronous serial access (SERIN/SEROUT). Here are links to both devices:
uALFAT - http://www.ghielectronics.com/uALFAT-SD.htm
uMMC - http://www.roguerobotics.com/products/electronics/ummc
Parentheticaly, SD and MMC readers for a PC can be had for around $15.00-$30.00 US these days, depending on the type and capabilities, without searching too hard. Two sources I know of are Tiger Direct, and Cyberguys:
Tiger Direct - http://www.tigerdirect.com/
Cyberguys - http://www.cyberguys.com/
Just for the record, I have no affiliation with either company, but have been very satisfied with products I've ordered from both of them in the past.
Lastly, there was an attempt some time ago to interface an IDE device using a PBASIC Stamp as the original prototype processor. Here is the documentation for that project, provided by Barry Michaels. Later efforts were made using a Microchip PIC Microprocessor:
http://barrymichels.com/ide/
Regards,
Bruce Bates
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Post Edited (Bruce Bates) : 2/20/2006 5:04:14 PM GMT
I am well aware of the $14 dollar readers, but they do not have FAT16 installed, in some cases I am for easy access. I·do not have any vested interest in any of the·companies that I mention here. I try to deal with products that will effeciently solve my problems, and also have the ...biggest bang for the buck. If Parallax had a card reader that fit my needs then I would be mentioning that bit of info. Of course price is always a consideration.
Ray
It may be there is some element that I'm not aware of, but FAT 16 is nothing more or less than the format style of the disk, and in turn part of an access method, regardless of the specific type of disk media. You can certainly format any standard and supported disk media using any (Windows or other) ordinary disk formatting program. Perhaps you're suggesting that the card reader you mentioned contains offline FAT 16 formatting capability embedded in the onboard microprocessor, the same as my digital camera has?
I also suspect you're speaking of more than just a "card reader" here. More likely you're speaking of a complete, and stand alone SD/MMC disk media I/O device. Simple card readers (per se) are intended to be not much more than that.
Sorry for the confusion.
Regards,
Bruce Bates
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Do you have any pointers on getting started? How did you communicated with the hardware?
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·on····· plane··········································, when catching ducks
"In this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics!"
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http://profiles.yahoo.com/jsmasterking
Post Edited (jsmasterking) : 6/21/2006 12:45:31 PM GMT
Do you just create your own primative Read/write system without concern for other standards?
Or do you only read data generated elsewhere?"
Actually, we didn't.
We were able to gain acess to one floppy, but the motor would not spin.
But becasue the read/write arm was extended and the disc cover on the floppy was open, we were able to read/write one thing: a byte. So, considering it could only write a 1 or 0, we renderded it hopeless.
We have been developing a DOS system that will allow any data received from a COM port to be written to a floppy disc or other removable device. We would like to share it with you, but becasue of the pain of using the DEBUG command and different file formats, Windows was unable to read the boot file from the disc.
Using this, you could use a DEBUG or SEROUT command to communicate between a computer to read/write data.
Post Edited (JKL Tech) : 2/25/2006 1:20:22 PM GMT
It seems like you had one bit for a whole track. [noparse][[/noparse]There are 40 or 80 tracks].
To really write to a floppy, you would have to accurately write sectors and clusters. It is quite a bit of math. And the electronics on board needs to buffer your input into appropriate reads and writes.
Then we get back to the question of files and a File Allocation Table. Those are done in software and likely would take up more memory than a BS has.
I had a CPM computer and several 'pre-IBM' devices that required you buy Pre-Formated Floppy Disks for huge sums of money. With MS-DOS, that whole industry of propretary floppies disappeared.
I had a RadioShack Color Basic computer that wrote programs to a generic cassette recorder. I think that you could do that more easily as there is no file management, just a steam of bytes in sequence.
Still, when you look at what is a Hard disk or Floppy disk as compared to a memory stick, it seems that you have to work extremely hard to get these devices to interface with a BasicStamp. For about $30USD,you can just get a memory stick interface and not have to go back to the 1960s and 1970s to comprehend that technology.
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"When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.' - Walter Lippmann (1889-1974)
······································································ Warm regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
csavage@parallax.com
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·on····· plane··········································, when catching ducks
"In this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics!"
··············································································^
http://profiles.yahoo.com/jsmasterking
Post Edited (jsmasterking) : 6/21/2006 12:45:24 PM GMT
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
csavage@parallax.com