IpsonLab usermanual

IpSonComPact UserManual version 1.2 (13-04-2007)

Building the IpSonCompact	[ explanation how to build the Printed Circuit Board]
Testing the IpSonComPact	[ connecting the power and checking if it works]
Connecting the IpSonCompact to the net	[ what to configure?]
Configuring the IpSonCompact (web browser)	[ how to configure with a web browser]
Configuring the IpSonCompact (telnet)	[ how to configure with telnet]
IpSonCompact connections	[ how to connect the in's and out's]
Max/Msp patch examples	[ osc data format within Max/Msp; patches explained]
IpSonCompact Photo page	[ slide show show of the building proces]

Download this manual in PDF format

Building the IpSonComPact (back to the top)

The IpSonComPact is a very easy to build device. The package consists of the PCB (Printed Circuit Board), the components and the processor itself. Just follow the right order and place the components on the right place on the PCB. Be aware of the polarity of some components. If you are NOT sure the component is in the right place, do NOT solder, but first check (ask) again. It's a very nasty job to remove soldered components!

For finding the right place and direction of the components, you have to carefully check the layout, as given as example below. The layout (clear, good to read pdf format) can be downloaded here

Resistors:
R1	0 Ohm
R2	220 Ohm
R5	27 kOhm
R6	27 kOhm
RN1	Resistor array; sil9; 100k (BE AWARE of PIN 1! .. black dot)
RN2	Resistor array; sil6; 100k (BE AWARE of PIN 1! .. black dot)
RN3	Resistor array; sil5; 100k (BE AWARE of PIN 1! .. black dot)

Semiconductors:
IC1	IC socket 40 pins PIC18F4420
IC2	7805 (mounted on the ALU heatsink underneath the board) (check the photo's)
IC3	LF33 (mounted on the ALU heatsink underneath the board) (check the photo's)
D1	1N4001

Capacitors:
C1, C2	33pF
C3	470uF / 16V**	Polarity!
C4, C7, C8, C9, C14	100nF
C5, C6, C10, C11	2u2F	Polarity!
C13	10uF	Polarity!

Miscellaneous:
Q1	Crystal 7,3728 MHz
DC1	Dc adapter pcb mount
SV1-SV11	female headers
JP1	jumper (0E)
sw	Reset switch mcdtsa6
LED	red/yellow/green	connect with the long leg facing the dc adapter

Check the photo page for some visual feedback on how to build the IpSonCompact.

Testing the IpSonCompact (back to the top)

When all components are on the right spot (check the directions, the polarity), you can connect the power for the first time. I'll advise you to do this check without the processor in place. Connect the power with an adapter set to 9V-12V, with the plus in the middle. Take a look at the figure below.

On the left side of the board, the 12-9V DC is connected to the PCB (+ in the middle!). You can measure the values +3.3V and +5V with a multimeter on the upperside of the board. When the values are not as written below, turn off the power and check the connections. If the values are ok, turn off the power and insert the processor (IC1). Be aware of pin 1. Turn on the power again. Your IpSonCompact is ready to go!

Connecting the IpSonCompact to the net (back to the top)

When connecting the IpSonCompact to the net for the first time, there are some configurations to be made before your computer and the IpSonCompact can exchange highspeed data.

The onboard server (xport) can be configured with a normal web browser or with telnet (terminal software). What is there to be configured? The IpSonCompact needs to know which IP-address the remote computer (=the IP-address of your computer) has and which port on that IP-address will be available. As soon as this has been configured, the IpSonCompact can exchange data with the remote computer (is your computer).

At the Electronical Workshop of the Royal Conservatory, we already initialized the IpSonCompact, so it has a default IP-address and a default local port. The ip-address of the IpSonLab is written on the PCB (Printed Circuit Board). The local port will be 10001.

Configuring the IpSonCompact (xport) with a Web browser (back to the top)

There are two ways to connect the IpSonLab to your computer:
- direct connection with the IpSonCompact and your computer (both cross- and normal ethernetcable can be used)
- connection through a switch or hub.

Configure the IpSonCompact with a webbrowser:
Start a web browser (Firefox, Netscape, Explorer, Safari) and fill in the ip-address of the IpSonLab (Xport). If the login window pops up, just hit enter. You can protect your xport by setting a password. Default the name and password are empty. The loading of the pages will take a short while, so be patient. It will load a Java applet. Select channel , connections and fill in your IP-address at remote host and remote-port. When the changes are made, make sure you save the new settings, with ‘apply ’. Tak e closer look at the screendumps below.

In the given example, the Ip address of the IpSonCompact is 10.1.60.37

Screendumps:
- network settings (setting IP address IpSonCompact)
- Server settings (setting the High speed option)
- serial settings (setting internal communication of the IpSonCompact)
- connection settings (remote host settings)

xport_main

server

Configuring the IpSonCompact with telnet (back to the top)

Telnet example (screenshot):

Explanation:

Configure the IpSonCompact with telnet: (port 9999 only!)
Make sure the IpSonCompact is connected and the power is on. Open the terminal on your computer (both Mac and PC) and type telnet at the prompt:
telnet <enter> Then open the connection with the IpSonLab (example ip-address 10.1.60.1):
Open 10.1.60.1 9999 <enter>
The number 9999 is the telnet port number. Within five seconds you have to hit enter again. At this time you are connected with the IpSonCompact and you are able to configure all kind of settings. Be aware that the general settings are already made and the only thing that has to be changed is the remote IP-address and the remote port number** (default on 10001).

Check the figure on the left.

Select an option on the menu by entering the number of the option in the Your
choice ? field and pressing Enter.
To enter a value for a parameter, type the value and press Enter, or to confirm a
current value, just press Enter.
When you are finished, save the new configurations (option 9). The unit reboots.

** You can choose your own port number (number between 1000-10000). Be aware of the fact that some numbers are already in use (for example port number 80 for http, port number 23 for telnet)
When you are sure the values are right, press 9 to save the new settings and exit or press 8 if you are not sure you filled it in the right way. Your IpSonCompact is ready to go!

IpSonCompact connections (back to the top)

In the figure left you can checkout the location of the inputs and outputs. As shown in the figure, the IpSonCompact has 13 analog- (0-12) and 4 digital inputs and 14 outputs. The ICPS input is used to program the processor while it is 'in-circuit' This is not a feature for the user; only for the developer.

All inputs and outputs do have the same configuration:
3 connections consisting of +5V, sensor in (or out) and ground (0V).

In case of connecting active sensors, the polarity should be checked carefully.

To drive external processes (e.a. 64 relays, 16 12 bit da convertors, 8 x dc engines, steppermotors, servo's) these connections can be used. Unlike the IpSonLab, the IpSonCompact doesn't have a second processor onboard, but makes it possible to connect as much processors you want, all connected to the same Xport.

(back to the top)

Max/Msp patch explained (back to the top)

Now your IpSonCompact is connected to your computer and able to exchange data, you can start with Max/Msp (or any other software that can exchange Open Sound Control packages, ea SuperCollider). Within Max/Msp you can read the data from, and send data to the IpSonlab with the ‘udp-read’ and udp-write objects for PC and ‘otudp read’ and ‘otudp write’ objects for Macintosh. For further information about these objects I refer to this website: http://www.cnmat.berkeley.edu/OpenSoundControl/Max

Important: Within the ‘osc-route’ object at the receiving part, you have to fill in the /ic route for sensor info. All packages sent by the IpSonCompact do have, so called, header information. You can download an example Max/Msp patch.

As explained in the software versions, the data communication between IpSonLab and Max/Msp, is quiet a lot of data. We are bussy to reduce and finetune these settings, so more speed can be achieved and the resolution will be high (10-12 bit). (check also the the dev.log page)

Max/Msp is receiving:
The first version of the IpSonLab (ipson1SHS) sends out lot's of OSC data per changes on the input. There's no data reduction of any kind. This means that within the osc-route object, the data can be read out directly (with the unpack-object)
The next version of the IpSonLab (ipson2SHS) sends out less OSC data; for 32 sensor inputs, it sends 8 times 32 bits integers. This means the data is 'compressed, or stuffed'' by the IpSonLab and that the 'de-compression, or unstuffing, has to be done by Max/Msp

An example of the "unstuff" patch (written by Johan van Kreij):
		In this case the unstuffing is actually bit-shifting (place the bits in the right position). Incoming data (osc integer) is been triggered four times (t i i i i). The outputs are bitshifted. The outlets generate four independent 8 bit numbers.

For sending 10bits data, the 32 bit OSC string is devided into two times 16 bit. Incoming data is been triggerd twice (t i i). The MSB is shifted 16 positions to the right. Anding (&) with 1023 generates a nice 10 bits number.

Max/Msp is sending:

When data is send from Max/Msp to the IpsonCompact, the same process takes place, only inverted.

An example of the stuff_4_1 patch:For sending OSC data to the IpSonCompact (the configuration string for example) the data also has to be 'stuffed or packed. For sending 8 bits information, this has to be done like the sample patch on the left.

Icoming values are first shifted into the right position and then put togehter (bondo) into the expression that's logical AND's the for numbers into on 32 bit integer.

(back to the top)