Open Source Scoring Software?
09-23-2004, 06:01 AM
#18
Tech Adept
dr_hfuhuhurr:
I would be interested in helping out. I work as a software engineer and in a past life I did embedded software.
I have also been playing around with RFID which could potentially be used as an AMB replacement provided AMB does not have patents for vaporware just so that nobody would ever try the RFID route.
I would suggest starting a project on SourceForge to keep it open and maybe draw interest from non-RC fanatics. I would also think we would need to have a public spec. Because outside of lap counting, what is needed is a whole race/club/event management system that would even handle race forms and keep track of local/regional/national points series races and could generate good looking web site for organizers
Just my 32bits
I would be interested in helping out. I work as a software engineer and in a past life I did embedded software.
I have also been playing around with RFID which could potentially be used as an AMB replacement provided AMB does not have patents for vaporware just so that nobody would ever try the RFID route.
I would suggest starting a project on SourceForge to keep it open and maybe draw interest from non-RC fanatics. I would also think we would need to have a public spec. Because outside of lap counting, what is needed is a whole race/club/event management system that would even handle race forms and keep track of local/regional/national points series races and could generate good looking web site for organizers
Just my 32bits
09-25-2004, 02:49 PM
#20
I talked to AMB at the Chicago show a few years ago and they made it sound like getting the API required nothing more than a non-disclosure and non-compete agreement regarding the hardware. I'd suggesting contacting them directly.
09-26-2004, 06:46 PM
#23
Hey doc, thats cool.
I submitted a project to SF last night (sunday night in aust) called rc score (inventive name i know
) because I wasnt sure what you were up to with this. It should get approved, generally I have not had any problems in the past so long as you follow thier directions.
It should get approved in the next 24 hours or so I would think.
Let me know your SF username and I'll add you as a project administrator, same goes for anyone else who would like to be involved in this
Cheers
James
I submitted a project to SF last night (sunday night in aust) called rc score (inventive name i know
) because I wasnt sure what you were up to with this. It should get approved, generally I have not had any problems in the past so long as you follow thier directions.It should get approved in the next 24 hours or so I would think.
Let me know your SF username and I'll add you as a project administrator, same goes for anyone else who would like to be involved in this
Cheers
James
09-26-2004, 06:50 PM
#24
James...its the same as here...
dr_hfuhuhurr
Tres - How will that e-mail go? Uh Yeah, I'm working with a group of RC Junkies who also happen to be software engineers to build an open source product to do exaclty what your product does except without the cost...<long pause> "Click" LMAO
Thanks,
Blake
dr_hfuhuhurr
Tres - How will that e-mail go? Uh Yeah, I'm working with a group of RC Junkies who also happen to be software engineers to build an open source product to do exaclty what your product does except without the cost...<long pause> "Click" LMAO
Thanks,
Blake
09-27-2004, 04:04 AM
#25
Tech Apprentice
Intresting.. I have already been working with this kind of project for couple months now here in Finland.
What I have is one RFID reader and multiple passive RFID tags for cars. Reader is connected to PC using serial connection and I have written Java "server" that handles all events from the reader. Then I have separate Java application that creates an instance from this server component and by this way it has all access to all RFID events. When reader reads some value from a tag (car passes by), it calls a method which by default does nothing, but can be replaced with custom method that can then do anything you want basically.
So far I have just worked with this one reader and focused into this server component, but plans are to create smooth desktop application too after I have finished working with that server component. I just have "dummy" desktop application that doesn't do anything fance, just makes it possible to check that everything is working like it should.
To get the system accurate I needed to open the reader's casing, take out the antenna wire and put it as a line on the track .. This way I was able to get a lot more accurate times than placing the whole device on the trackside.
Probably this same kind of design could be used with AMB devices..
What I have is one RFID reader and multiple passive RFID tags for cars. Reader is connected to PC using serial connection and I have written Java "server" that handles all events from the reader. Then I have separate Java application that creates an instance from this server component and by this way it has all access to all RFID events. When reader reads some value from a tag (car passes by), it calls a method which by default does nothing, but can be replaced with custom method that can then do anything you want basically.
So far I have just worked with this one reader and focused into this server component, but plans are to create smooth desktop application too after I have finished working with that server component. I just have "dummy" desktop application that doesn't do anything fance, just makes it possible to check that everything is working like it should.
To get the system accurate I needed to open the reader's casing, take out the antenna wire and put it as a line on the track .. This way I was able to get a lot more accurate times than placing the whole device on the trackside.
Probably this same kind of design could be used with AMB devices..
09-27-2004, 05:50 AM
#26
Tech Adept
copter:
Where did you get the RFID equipment? I was thinking about doing the same thing you have but right now I borrow the equipment from work because it is too expensive to purchase on my own.
I have not tried running the line on the track, but I have used a bridge to same effect.
dr_hfuhuhurr: They don't care too much about the software. They seem to care about the hardware. If your software (free or otherwise) will help them sell more transponder and units, they don't really care. A long while ago I also contacted AMB and they sent me a non-disclosure.
From an open source POV, if we sign the non-disclosure then we can't make it open source. However, if you had one team work off of the NDA and write a wrappable component, then the rest would be open source, I believe you would be Ok. One person or team would have to be 100% clean room of the other team.
Otherwise, you would have to make it proprietary.
I believe if we can start with some Use Cases, Sequence Diagrams, ER diagrams and GUI sketches and build some consensus we can worry about other hurdles as we go along. There is a lot that we can do before we get to the API and we should be able to stub out an AMB simulator in the short term
Where did you get the RFID equipment? I was thinking about doing the same thing you have but right now I borrow the equipment from work because it is too expensive to purchase on my own.
I have not tried running the line on the track, but I have used a bridge to same effect.
dr_hfuhuhurr: They don't care too much about the software. They seem to care about the hardware. If your software (free or otherwise) will help them sell more transponder and units, they don't really care. A long while ago I also contacted AMB and they sent me a non-disclosure.
From an open source POV, if we sign the non-disclosure then we can't make it open source. However, if you had one team work off of the NDA and write a wrappable component, then the rest would be open source, I believe you would be Ok. One person or team would have to be 100% clean room of the other team.
Otherwise, you would have to make it proprietary.
I believe if we can start with some Use Cases, Sequence Diagrams, ER diagrams and GUI sketches and build some consensus we can worry about other hurdles as we go along. There is a lot that we can do before we get to the API and we should be able to stub out an AMB simulator in the short term
09-27-2004, 06:00 AM
#27
I see your ideas LeadFoot, but I think going down the NDA path would ideally be worth avoiding if at all possible. I am sure the protocol the system uses would not be too hard to decypher given use of the correct equipment.
Heaps of the drivers that are open source for various PC hardware have been because of reverse engineering etc, if they can write a driver for an intel nic (for example) decyphering and debugging a serial protocol like the AMB system would put out should be a walk in the park.
Heaps of the drivers that are open source for various PC hardware have been because of reverse engineering etc, if they can write a driver for an intel nic (for example) decyphering and debugging a serial protocol like the AMB system would put out should be a walk in the park.
09-27-2004, 06:42 AM
#29
dr_hfuhuhurr: sorry for the confusion in my post...
I meant his issues with USB & AMB.....
The serial side will be VERY easy....
I have a serial analyzer or you can just trap on the serial port from the PC.
There are some USB line analyzers also...
I meant his issues with USB & AMB.....
The serial side will be VERY easy....
I have a serial analyzer or you can just trap on the serial port from the PC.
There are some USB line analyzers also...
