Package Tracker - In over my head!

Development Boards MicroMod
1

Hope this is the best place to post…

New to programming –

I have purchased the package tracker v1.4 firmware is loaded (I think.)

Ultimate endgoal is to modify the device to log only the temp, humidity, and pressure. Logging 1 time every 30 minutes, and sleeping for the remainder. This should ultimatly lengthen the run time on the 2000mAh LiPo.

Questions/issues I have

  1. Do you have to have the GPS connected? – The firmware seem to hang without it (with current firmware.)

  2. Why does PackageTracker.h not seem to get compiled? Is this the file that gets modified to adjust the logging intervals?

  3. Is there a way to easily drop the GPS ? (seems to be intertwined with everthing.)

  4. Looks like the RTC is set from the GPS – could this be causing an issue?

Thanks in advance for any help

2

I haven’t tested this (I don’t have a package tracker), but the code below “SHOULD” compile all the GPS specific code out.

http://www.codefurnace.com/main_v1-5.c

(Not the real v1.5, just my 1.5).

3

By the way, you need to comment out the line

#define USEGPS

to get rid of the GPS code.

4

Thank you Shifted

I’m still having some issues and I think it has to do with the bootloader and my lack of understanding.

Since I’m new to the process, there are too many unknowns for me to try to flush it out. So I’m hoping that someone can give me a hand.

I suspect that the bootloader is not loading the code into memory from the microSD. I have added a few lines to main.c to turn the LED on and off a few times with a one second delay. I have placed this in several locations in the code but it never seems to get processed (my way of debugging without a debugger.) So here are my questions;

  1. Is there a way to know if the code has been loaded? (currently the charge led is on while connected to USB and the Green led comes on when the board is switched on. If the board is reset the green led is off for the duration of the reset then continues to glow once the reset switch is released. The computer does see the micro SD card as a storage device and the FW.SFE file is there.

  2. What should the card be formatted to? (currently it is FAT and 1.83GB in size)

  3. Would it be beneficial to purchase a programmer? is there one that can do in circuit debugging? What would you recommend

5

The Package Tracker is running. In the end it was the micro SD card and how windows formatted it. I originally formatted in Windows 7 FAT, Then I formatted in Windows XP FAT. I tried multiple different ways and formats for the SD card.

To fix it I placed the card into my Nikon D50 and had the camera format the card. Placed the card back into the logger, and away it went.

I’m all smiles here, now I can get down to making changes to the firmware.

6

IIRC, the FAT driver included with the PackageTracker source will only operate on FAT16 filesystems.

7

So what is your verdict…will the package tracker run without a GPS connected ?

ie will the rest of the data be logged to the uSD ?

Danie

8

Im having the same problem, but I don’t have the camera, I tried using FAT(default) 16 Windows vista format but it doesn’t work any idea and how to solved???

9

I already solved the problem, I dont know why, windows is not avaible to format in good way, but I use my cellphone and works!!!