Normally when we see an R/C transmitter used in a build we’re prepared for robots, quadcopters, or UAVs. [Alex] found a new use for his Futaba radio – hooking it up to his Super Nintendo.

We’ve seen a lot of builds using game controllers as interfaces to other hardware. The N64 media remote comes to mind, as does the NES iPod dock. Outside of a few builds to automatically win in-game currency for you, we haven’t seen much of anything to control a video game with additional electronics. [Alex]‘s build happily bucks that trend, and technically gives the SNES an analog controller.

The build uses an mBed microcontroller to capture the radio’s button and stick positions. This is sent through a two shift registers to produce the 16-bit packet required of the SNES controller protocol. [Alex] posted all the software for his build, and from the looks of it the code seems pretty portable. [Alex] says he’s working on getting his Sega Saturn running with his Futaba, so we can’t wait to see some Panzer Dragoon action. Check out [Alex] demoing his controller with Gradius III after the break.

[Didier Stevens] wrote in to tell us about a little piece of PC security software he put together recently. His application, LockIfNotHot, works in conjunction with your PC as well as an IR temperature sensor in order to lock your computer the moment you step away.

The theory behind the system is pretty simple. Basically, the IR temp sensor monitors when you are at your desk, sensing your presence by the heat your body gives off. As soon as you step away however, it locks the computer since the temperature of the surrounding area immediately drops. It’s pretty simple, but as you can see in the video below, it works quite well.

The software has configurable set points and timeout values, which make it flexible enough to adapt to your specific situation. He happens to use an off-the-shelf IR sensor, but we assume any USB temperature module will do the trick. If you happen to work with sensitive information but often forget to lock your workstation, this is the program for you!

Continue reading to see a quick demonstration of his software in action.

[FightCube] wrote in recommending a very helpful piece of circuit simulation software for those of you still constructing entries for the 555 design contest.   LTSpiceIV, available from Linear Technology, allows you to construct moderately complex 555 driven circuits including common components such as capacitors, resistors, diodes, FETs, and more.  Once you have constructed your circuit, you can view the results in an easy to use visualization window, without ever having to touch your soldering iron or a breadboard.  According to [FightCube], the software is fairly easy to use, and best of all, it’s free.

He has shared one basic circuit he built as a demonstration of the software’s capabilities, and promises to share more in order to motivate others to enter the contest.

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" package="com.gregjacobs.enhancedquotes" >

<android:versionCode=”1” android:versionName=”1.0” >

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" package="com.gregjacobs.enhancedquotes" android:versionCode=”1” android:versionName=”1.0”>

<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="3" />

APK File

For those living under a rock, the latest ‘greatest’ news to hit hacking front page is the the Copyright Office granting Six Exemptions Regarding the Circumvention of Access-Control Technologies. Of the six the one of the two regarding iPhones is as follows,

“(2) Computer programs that enable wireless telephone handsets to execute software applications, where circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of such applications, when they have been lawfully obtained, with computer programs on the telephone handset.”

Which (along with section 3) really just means that you can unlock and crack cellphones and companies can no longer fine you $2,500. Not that many ever have but the threat was there. Apple however, can and still will void your warranty if you jailbreak.

The 4 other areas not involving phones are the ability to circumvent DVDs for portions of video, video games in order to better the security of said game, computer programs that require dongles but dongles are no longer available, and literary works that prevent read-aloud or rendering to a specialized format.

One tidbit I keep hearing about in these exemptions is the ability to now break DRM on music, as much as I wish this were true, I can’t seem to find any sources on it, sorry pirates.

Regardless, now that the world is one step closer to an open framework, whats changed? For me, I’ve been jailbroken for years so sadly nothing. If you agree with the ruling, disagree, or just want to tell about your now legal jailbreaking joys, please leave a comment.

Additional Sources: FOXNews and CNNMoney thanks to [Voyagerfan99], [Ryan Knight], and [Steve S.] respectively.

[Image credit: Fr3d.org]

In this tutorial, we will be continuing from where we left off with the “hello world” application.  This time adding a graphical user interface (GUI) and a “toast”. The GUI will consist of a button, textbox and a label. The “toast” will be issued onto the screen when the button is pressed.

Some may wonder what a toast is.  Well, for non-programmers, a toast is a text notification that for the most part is used only to display an error on the screen (I am a big fan of using toasts instead of an alert on the screen as its less intrusive).  For this article we will use a toast to display a message on the screen that will take the text in the textbox and issue a “Hello Greg” onto the bottom of the screen.  After this article completed you will be able to successfully make toast commands, design the layout of the hello world program, and pull text from a textbox.

We are going to start off by copy our existing Hello World project so that we can use the original in every way but have two separate projects to show the difference and both can be used as references.  To do this we will right click on the root of our HelloWorld project in the right hand pane (Navigation Explorer), navigate to copy (not Copy Qualified Name) and click it.  Then find a blank space in the Navigation Explorer, right click again and click paste.  You will be asked to supply a new name for this project and whether to use the default location.  We will name the new project ImprovedHelloWorld and we will leave the checkbox checked that says “use default location”.  Press OK and the new project will be generated from the old one.

The first thing we are going to accomplish is changing the strings.xml file to add another node under app_name.  We will do this by copying the node above it and pasting the copied material directly under the last </string> element.  Then we will change the name of the string to press and in between we will write Press Me!.  Next we will alter the hello node and change the text to say Enter Your Name Here: instead of Hello Android, Hello World!. This being accomplished we now need to design the GUI (Graphical User Interface).

To do this navigate to main.xml and we are going to go over what everything does up to this point.  We first off have a node called LinearLayout which essentially creates a space for adding objects such as textboxes, buttons and the like and will format the layout for us.  So LinearLayout will organize one thing right after the other in a one column and one row type of deal.  Next we have a TextView which in any other label we could call a label.  Now to go over what all of the parameters are in the nodes we just mentioned.  android:layout_width & android:layout_height are used to determine what will happen to an object when it is used within a layout.  There are two options when using this and they are fill_parent or wrap_content.  fill_parent will do exactly as it states, it will size the object so that it will fill the screen either vertically or horizontally.  wrap_content will format the object to expand or shrink to the size of the content displayed within.  Both of these variables can be used in many different objects including but not limited to Layouts, Text Views, Text Boxes, and Buttons.  android:text is used in certain objects like TextViews and TextBoxes to display text to the user.  As of right now, we are presenting the user with text but calling it from strings.xml instead of entering the text right in the node itself.  To reference strings.xml all that is needed is to put @string/press, where press is the name of your variable, inside the quotations.

Now that we are familiar with the terms, we will need to modify this to first house a label, textbox and finally a button.  To do this we will simply add a textbox and button since we already took care of the label in the string.xml.  To add a Textbox we will start on a new line under ending of the <TextView /> node.  Just to be clear I will add code inline and explain why we are adding it afterwards. <EditText android:id=”@+id/helloName” android:layout_width=”fill_parent” android:layout_height=”wrap_content” />.  EditText will be our textbox in this instance.  Also when giving items an ID it is best to follow these practises of adding @+id/ before your variable name which makes it possible to tie into your .java file later.  Next we will add <Button android:id=”@+id/go” android:layout_width=”fill_parent” android:layout_height=”wrap_content” android:text=”@string/press” /> directly underneath the ending of our EditText node.  Notice we are referencing the string.xml and calling the node that says Press Me! which will appear on our button now.  If you were to run this project now you would be able to see the layout of the program we just made but we are unable to get it to do anything except enter text in the textbox.

This next section will contain a lot of code and I will provide most of the screenshots of the code to help you through.  First, it is good to realize every time you would like to reference an object in your layout we need to import it.  We will need to add imports for our button and textbox.  We can do that bu adding these lines of code to the imports section at the top:

import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;

After that we will need to include four more imports, the first being for event listen to add to our button, the second will be for the toast that we will call when the event handler runs, the third being the context of the application and the fourth to get the view of the application and handle the layout and interaction.  These imports can be added under the previous ones and will look like this:

import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.widget.Toast;
import android.content.Context;
import android.view.View;

After these are added to your imports we are ready to get into coding the event handler for our button and the onCreate functions, which is called when the program is started.  To make things easier and to complement the screenshot, I will post the rest of the code and explain what the important lines are doing and why we are using them.

public class HelloMain extends Activity {
EditText helloName;

We are creating a reference to our textbox above any function so that it only has to be declared once but instantiated many times if need be.

/** Called when the activity is first created. */
@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
{
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
// Capture our button from layout
Button button = (Button)findViewById(R.id.go);
// Register the onClick listener with the implementation above
button.setOnClickListener(mAddListener);
}

Above we capture the button from the layout using a variable.  With this variable we are going to assign it an onClick Event Handler as shown on the last line above.  Below we are creating the Event Handler for it to be hooked in above.  After creating this function it will be able to pull the text from the TextBox and display it with static text.

// Create an anonymous implementation of OnClickListener
private OnClickListener mAddListener = new OnClickListener()
{
public void onClick(View v)
{
long id = 0;
// do something when the button is clicked
try
{
helloName = (EditText)findViewById(R.id.helloName);

Here we instantiate the TextBox we declared earlier and capture the Textbox in the layout by finding it by the ID that we gave it.

Context context = getApplicationContext();
CharSequence text = "Hello " + helloName.getText() + "!";
int duration = Toast.LENGTH_LONG;
Toast toast = Toast.makeText(context, text, duration);
toast.show();

The above code will take Context (the facet to our applications enviroment) and and add it to our Toast along with our dynamic CharSequence text and the length the Toast will appear onscreen, which in this case we want it to be longer.  It is key to note how to make a Toast as it is more efficient that popping up textboxes to the user as well as it is less distracting.

}
catch (Exception ex)
{
Context context = getApplicationContext();
CharSequence text = ex.toString() + "ID = " + id;
int duration = Toast.LENGTH_LONG;
Toast toast = Toast.makeText(context, text, duration);
toast.show();
}
}
};
}

The last thing we are doing for this function is putting all the important stuff mentioned above into a try catch statement which will try our important code and if there is an error it will display a Toast letting us know there was an error and a message about that error.  For functions such as these is it crucial to have precautions in place to catch errors and not have a program force close.  It is important to put the user first in thinking about UI and any error messages that might occur.  If an error somehow sneaks into your program try catch statements will catch the error and make it “cute and fuzzy” for the user.

Top half of code:

Bottom half of code, elapsed by previous view of code:

After we have coded the main content for our .java file, we can now proceed to run the application and view our completed Improved Hello World program.  Notice that when you press the button and your textbox has not text in it that the program will still function correctly.  This is a good feature to have so that you don’t start seeing Toasts containing error messages.  The completed product should look like this when the button is pressed:

This would conclude our Improved Hello World example but the learning is far from over.  Next post we will examine Databases and a look into some simple queries as well as building a database from the ground up.  As always, if you have any problems with coding this article, feel free to leave a comment and I will assist in any way possible! If you can’t wait for the next post you can read up on databases before the next posting.  Until next time, Happy Hacking!

Continue on to Part3: Introduction to Databases

Filed under: android hacks, Software Development ]]> http://hackaday.com/2010/07/19/android-development-101-part-2improved-hello-world/feed/ 73 43.002684 -81.214990 43.002684 -81.214990 greggers120588 Strings main IHW-1 IHW-2 http://hackaday.com/2010/07/09/get-started-with-speech-recognition/ http://hackaday.com/2010/07/09/get-started-with-speech-recognition/#comments Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:14:24 +0000 Rachel Fee http://hackaday.com/?p=25721 ]]>

Speech recognition makes it easier for us to be lazy with our devices – or perhaps set up the coolest voice-controlled project around. After the voice controlled home automation post, we received a lot of emails asking “how can I make it recognize my voice?”. Whether your project involves a PC or an Android phone, a high-budget, or no budget at all, there is a solution out there.  Join us after the break for a complete set of instructions on setting up speech recognition, and some of the best software options out there to meet your needs.

Got a Microphone?

Using a microphone is the only way to get your voice commands to the computer for interpretation. If you’ve got a laptop, you’re probably set to go, as most laptops come with microphones already built in. Not sure? Look for a small hole around the screen or keyboard. It may be labeled, but not always. You can also try checking the list of features in your computer’s manual, or head to your control panel and select “Sound”. In this pop-up window, you’ll find a tab titled “Recording”. If you’ve got a mic installed, it will be listed here.

If you’re using a desktop, you’ll likely have to buy an external microphone. Many webcams include a built-in mic – check the package to make sure. Some newer media keyboards also include a microphone. If this is the case for you, you may have to reposition your keyboard out of confined space to reduce echo. If you’re a PC or Xbox 360 gamer, you might have a headset used to communicate with other players live. This can double as a mic for voice recognition. Don’t have any of these? Head to your nearest store which sells computer accessories – try Best Buy, Future Shop, RadioShack, or your favorite locally-owned retailer. A basic, usable microphone can range from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. While a six hundred dollar microphone is unnecessary unless you plan to record a studio album with your computer, it might be a good idea to stay away from the cheapest of the cheap – these can often have a choppy and uneven sound of which your computer can not interpret. Generally a headset mic (or gaming headset) is the best way to go, as it sits close to your mouth for minimal interference. Make sure the mic you choose is compatible with your computer’s operating system and has an input your computer uses, and buy away!

Flickr: [Yoppy] [Link]

Set Up Your Voice Recognition Software

Window 7 or Windows Vista

Voice recognition on either of these operating systems is as easy as a few clicks. With these operating systems, voice commands are thorough and simplistic, allowing you to control everything from form navigation, menu navigation, Office programs, and more. For almost anything you need to do, there is a voice command. To get started, head to the control panel and select “Speech Recognition”.

From here, you can test your microphone, train your computer to understand your individual style of speech, or view and print a reference card containing the commands your computer will understand.

You can also take a tutorial which teaches you the ins and outs of speech recognition in one simple lesson. Select the “Start Speech Recognition” option when you’re ready to get started. This leads you through optimizing your computer’s sound input with positioning tips and speech tests, and guides you through the rest of the configuration in a very user-friendly manner. When you finish the wizard, you’ll be ready to go!

You can refer back to the speech recognition reference card as often as you need to review the commands your computer will understand.

Windows XP

Voice recognition in XP is as easy to set up as it is with the newer Windows operating systems, however, it lacks the vast array of features that Vista and 7 offer. Speech recognition is supported by all Microsoft Office programs, however, only 2002 and 2003 versions are supported. With a version earlier that 2002, or with 2007 or 2010 versions in XP, you’re out of luck, as built in speech recognition is not supported. Otherwise, basic commands are not always supported, and speech recognition cannot be used with all programs. In general, you will have to enable speech recognition specifically for each program with which you wish to use it, and it will not be available in all programs.

Windows XP uses a speech recognition engine which comes with Office XP, though is not always installed by default. Open control panel, and from classic display, select the “speech” option. If you’re using the newer, categorical menu in XP, you’ll have to first select the “Sounds, speech, and audio devices” option.

Youtube: [mickmoose429992] [Link]

If you see a “speech recognition” tab in “speech properties”, you’re ready to go, as the engine has already been installed.

Youtube: [mickmoose429992] [Link]

If this option is missing, you’ll need to install it. From the control panel, select the “add or remove programs” option.

Youtube: [mickmoose429992] [Link]

Find Microsoft Office XP, and select the “change” option. Be careful not to uninstall!

Youtube: [mickmoose429992] [Link]

Find “features to install”, select the “alternative user input” option, followed by the “speech” option. Select “run from my computer” and click update. This automatically includes speech recognition in all Office programs, and makes the feature available to other programs.

Youtube: [mickmoose429992] [Link]

Mac OS X

Apple was one of the first to come out with speech recognition – a crazy idea at the time. This was back in 1993. We’ve come a long way since then, from more fluid, user-friendly controls to the ability to perform almost any action without ever touching your keyboard. Setting up speech recognition in OS X is a breeze. Once you’ve got you mic ready, select “system preferences” from the Apple drop-down menu. From this menu, select the “speech” option.

Youtube: [fifedjdomo] [Link]

Enabling “Speakable Items” will turn on the default commands, allowing you to perform most basic tasks.

Youtube: [fifedjdomo] [Link]

Through available options, you can set up your microphone and further customize the use of the program. The set of commands used to control your computer is fully customizable. Pair this with VoiceOver, a program designed for the blind, and you’ll hardly need to touch your computer in order to use it.

Linux Ubuntu

Linux does not currently have a complete solution for speech recognition. Though several projects have been started, none have been finished. There are several pieces of software that can perform some of the speech recognition tasks that Windows or Mac can accomplish, but nowhere near as thoroughly or easily. There is also no proprietary software for speech recognition with Linux, however, there are some partially-completed open source solutions for Ubuntu. Julius Speech Recognition engine is one of these utilities – a program used to interpret and execute a set of pre-determined voice commands. Detailed instructions for installation can be found [here].

Youtube: [jgraves1141] [Link]

Documentation on the installation and use of Julius is very limited due to the fact that the program is not completely finished, so you may not want to attempt an install unless you are completely comfortable with the use of Linux. The Julius package available for download contains two parts – an installer, and the program. First run the installer which will take you through the installation of Julius.

Another great solution is to use a Windows-based program such as Dragon NatuallySpeaking in combination WineHQ, however, there are lapses in fluidity that often have to be worked-around. For example, in some cases, a basic paragraph must be narrated to Dragon’s text editor and then copy-pasted into the appropriate location rather than transcribed directly to the appropriate program.

WineHQ: [Link]

Top Third Party Proprietary Software

If you have an older operating system, or simply don’t like the speech recognition software included with your operating system, a third party program may be what you need. There are dozens of free and paid speech recognitions out there, customizable, non-customizable, open source, for business, for personal use, and more. With so many options, you’re sure to find exactly what you want at a cost you can afford. Some of the most popular:

Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Dragon is a name that pops up over and over when searching for speech recognition software. Made for PC, it’s highly regarded for its speed, accuracy, ease of use, and large number of commands. The basic version of Dragon for home use is around $100 US, though many versions are available with more specific features, such as packages for medical or legal offices. These packages can cost over a $1000 US, though are unnecessary for the basic user. Dragon NaturallySpeaking software packages also include a mic, so you won’t have to try and find your own.  In addition to Windows, many users have claimed great success with Dragon in combination with WineHQ for Ubuntu.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking: [Link]

MacSpeech Dictate

MacSpeech is produced by the same makers as Dragon NaturallySpeaking. It was built from the ground up, rather than being ported, so it is free of the bugs that typically come with adapted software. Similar to Dragon, MacSpeech offers not only dictation recognition, but customizable speech commands as well, and includes a mic in the package. Also following the Dragon theme, medical and legal versions are available, as well as an international edition which supports Italian, French, and German in addition to English. These speech recognition tools for Mac range from $150 US to $600 US.

MacSpeech Dictate: [Link]

IBM ViaVoice

IBM’s ViaVoice recognition software is designed primarily for use with small mobile devices and vehicle automation systems, though it’s quite highly regarded amongst computer users as well. ViaVoice offers text-to-speech in addition to voice recognition. The command library is intuitive, and the user does not need to stick to a standard set of commands to make use of all the features – the program can interpret most commands as they are given. The speech library contains over 200 thousand words; far more than the average person’s vocabulary. Supported by IBM ViaVoice, in addition to many mobile OS’s, are standard Windows and Mac operating systems.

Third Party Open Source and Free Software

Open source or free voice recognition software that works well is extremely difficult to find – there is really no winner in the open source race for free voice software. In fact, there is hardly a race at all. Numerous open source Linux projects have been started, but due to the extreme scale, none have been finished. Below is a project you can contribute to in order to get the ball rolling on some great open source speech recognition software, as well as a toolkit for your own uses.

VoxForge

VoxForge is a project working to compile a collection of transcribed speech for use with both open source and free voice recognition engines. Upon the completion of this project, free open source speech recognition programs should be given the jumpstart to increase significantly. If you’d like to help the project, you can visit the VoxForge website [here].

VoxForge: [link]

CMUSphinx

Sphinx is now on version 4 (Sphinx 4). Perhaps the most (or only) popular open source speech recognition tool, Sphinx is licensed under BSD and is written in Java. Sphinx also offers a mobile version called “PocketSphinx”. This may be more useful for developers than the average user, but it’s one of the only solutions available, not to mention a versatile and thorough one. It does not come ready to go out of the box, but rather is a tool that can be utilized by developers. It certainly needs some work before it’s ready to go.

CMUSphinx: [Link]

How to Install CMUSphinx

Setting up CMUSphinx is not the easiest task, but it is likely to pay off with a great product. This install needs to be done manually.

Before you get started, you’ll need a few things – Perl, in order to run the scripts, and a C complier for the source code. Perl is free, and included with most Linux distributions. GCC (GNU Compiler Collection) is a good tool for the C portion of the source code. A word alignment program is also necessary – CMU suggests “Sclite”, a tool specifically used for speech recognition programs.

The databases you will need are available [here] . You’ll need either AN4 or RM1. Next, you’ll need to set up the trainer. A trainer helps your computer interpret your commands. Set up the tutorial – this will include copying the scripts to the proper area. The decoder is next. Though you can pick any decoder you choose, CMU describes the installation with Sphinx 3, and encourages you to perform your testing with Sphinx 3. Once you have all of the appropriate files in the correct directory, it’s time to compile, and set up the tutorial. Perform a training run, and finally, perform a decode. This set-up is extremely complicated, as is likely best left to the professionals – certainly not something for most average users.

Full instructions can be found on the Carnegie Mellon University’s Sphinx website [here].

This demo shows Sphinx in action:

You’re Ready To Go!

Once you’ve got your mic functional and in-place, as your speech software set up and configured, you’ll be ready to get started! Sit back and get talkin’!

If you’re more of a code monkey than artist, it may be tough to transform your ideas into the 3D models necessary for fabbing. The folks working on openSCAD apparently feel our pain.

openSCAD uses a language somewhat reminiscent of C for creating models. A preview of the model is rendered alongside your code. Fully cross-platform, it runs on Linux, OS X, and Windows. Much like SketchUp, openSCAD can also extrude 2D outlines into models. This feature comes in very useful if one already has a set of technical drawings for a part. With no price tag, it’s pretty affordable during this costly season.

While “Software to discover equations and mathematical relationships in data” isn’t at the top of our christmas wish list, we have to admit that Eureqa is pretty cool. Developed at Cornell University, Eureqa uses machine learning algorithms to determine the underlying math behind data sets. It derived Newton’s second law of motion in a few hours on a standard desktop computer, which isn’t bad at all for a cold unfeeling robot mind. There probably aren’t many applications for this in most hacks, but what hacker wouldn’t want Sir Issac Newton’s brain in their toolbox? The software can be downloaded for free from their website.

[Via Wired]

[Sprite_tm] has whipped up yet another interesting tutorial – software-based this time. He basically describes how he connected his Wiimotes to an HTPC. A USB Bluetooth receiver, and a little bit of Linux scripting,  was all that was necessary to get the system up and running. To add to the fun, [Sprite_tm] configured a the controllers to work with MAME (an arcade machine emulator), allowing one to play Duck Hunt on a computer in its full glory!

Have you heard the latest track by gzip? Maybe it’ll end up on a “Greatest Hits” album alongside Philip Glass.

Visualization techniques such as animated algorithms can help programmers better grasp the abstract theories that make software work. Could auralization, the sound equivalent of visualization, provide similar insights? Postgrad student (and J. S. Bach fan) [Cessu] developed a program to do just that. By carefully mapping registers to notes, and slowing the tempo to a human timescale, the result is a cacophonous machine that offers a glimpse into the operation of various programs. You might find the resulting minimalist “music” insightful, entertaining…or maybe just incredibly grating.

[thanks Shadikka]

Fritzing is an open source project designed to help you move from a prototype to a finished project. Aimed at those basing their projects around Arduino, you start by building your physical prototype, then recreate it with Fritzing software’s graphical editor. From there you can generate a schematic, PCB artwork, and PCB production files.

[thanks CH]

Everybody hates it when they have to rename a fileset to fit a new naming scheme. Instead of doing it the hard way and writing a one-time script to go through and rename everything, check out Bulk Rename Utility from [Jim Willsher]. It provides you with a multitude of methods to take care of business and allows you do pick your favorite method, be it regular expressions, simple finding and replacing, prefix/suffix modification, or a combination of many more.

However, if the sheer amount of options available overwhelms you or if you just want an easier way to do things, check out A.F.5 from [Alex Fauland]. A.F.5 offers features like adding a counter to your filenames, change file attributes, and save your rename settings out to a file for repeat use.

[Kyle McDonald] sent in his latest project, a software keylogger that twitters what you type. He wrote it using C++ and OpenFrameworks. It logs each keystroke, then it posts to twitter 140 characters at a time. To protect himself, he set up a whitelist of private strings like passwords and credit card numbers that would be stripped before posting. If the twypewriter followed him, his keystrokes could be recreated.

[thanks Kyle]

Firmware v0g for all Bus Pirate revisions is now available. Updates in this release include a bootloader, frequency generator/pulse-width modulator, SPI bus sniffer, MIDI library, configuration reports, improved user interface, and bug fixes. v0g is also the first firmware to fully support the v2 hardware branch.

We’re really proud of this release as it brings a much more consistent structure to the internal operation of the Bus Pirate. It lays the foundation for future CAN, LIN, and OBDII libraries, and it supports localization and translations.  Install and upgrade instructions are included with the firmware. Report bugs on the project issue tracker.

We document the new features after the break.

Bootloader

Firmware v0g includes a bootloader. After the bootloader is installed, firmware updates can be done over the serial or USB connection, instead of using a proper ICSP programmer. Install and update instructions are included in the firmware archive.

Frequency generator/pulse-width modulator

1-WIRE>g <–frequency generator/PWM setup command
1KHz-4,000KHz frequency generator/PWM (beta)
FREQUENCY in KHz (50) >50 <–enter frequency in KHz
PRESCALE:8 <–calculated prescaler
PR2:39 <–calculated PR2 value
DUTY CYCLE in % (50) >50 <–enter percent duty cycle
PWM ACTIVE
1-WIRE>f <–frequency measurement command
PWM ACTIVE: DISABLE PWM <–not available when PWM is active
1-WIRE>g <–g again to disable PWM
PWM DISABLED
1-WIRE>

A 1Hz-4MHz frequency generator/pulse-width modulator function is available on the auxiliary pin using menu option ‘g’. This feature is still in development, but v0g has the essential functionality.  The frequency generator and frequency measurement features can not be used at the same time. We also squashed a small bug in the frequency measurement code for hardware v1+.

SPI bus sniffer

SPI>(1) <–sniffer macro
Sniff when:
1. CS low
2. CS high
3. All traffic
(1) >3 <–when to sniff bus
SPI BUS SNIFFER, PRESS ANY KEY TO EXIT
0×10(0×00) 0xC6(0×00) <–displays data as MOSI(MISO)
SPI>

The PIC24F’s SPI slave mode made it easy to add an SPI bus sniffer. It works fine on slow or intermittent data transmissions, but it needs additional output buffering for better performance at high speeds. For the best performance, change the Bus Pirate display mode to ‘raw output’.

MIDI library

MIDI, a popular interface for musical instruments, is simply a 33.2K baud/8/N/1 UART. The MIDI library has the same functions as the asynchronous serial port library, with the settings fixed for MIDI communications. MIDI devices require an isolated transceiver, we’re working on one but need a MIDI connector footprint and part number.

Bus Pirate status report

RAW3WIRE>i <– status report command
Hack a Day Bus Pirate v2g0

http://www.buspirate.com

Firmware v0g
*———-*
POWER SUPPLIES ON
VOLTAGE MONITOR: 5V: 5.0 | 3.3V: 3.3 | VPULLUP: 5.0 |
AUX: DEFAULT SETTING (AUX PIN)
High-Z outputs (H=input, L=GND)
PULLUP RESISTORS OFF
MSB SET: MOST SIG BIT FIRST
*———-*
RAW3WIRE>

A new in-terminal status report lists the features available in the active protocol library, and the current settings.

User prompts with defaults

HiZ>m
1. HiZ
2. 1-WIRE
3. UART
4. I2C
5. SPI
6. JTAG
7. RAW2WIRE
8. RAW3WIRE
9. PC KEYBOARD
10. MIDI
(1) > <–press enter for default option (1/HiZ)
MODE SET
HiZ>

The user prompt has been updated to accept multiple-digit values. Enter without any input selects the default value shown in parentheses before the prompt. All user input is now handled by this single user prompt function.

User value input format

SPI>r:0×02 <–repeat in hex format
BULK READ 0×02 BYTES:
0×00 0×00
SPI>(0b0) <–macro command in binary format
0.Macro menu
1.SPI bus sniffer
SPI>

All user prompts now support input values in binary, hexadecimal, or decimal. Previously, menu and macro prompts only supported decimal formatted input.

Localization, translations

A lot of the text used in the program has been moved to a translation file, which is defined in base.h.

If you make a translation, please share it with us. We’ll host the translation in SVN and compile a localized firmware for anyone that might be interested.

Test the v0h beta

If you like to live on the edge, try the v0h nightlies. These features are already implemented in v0h nightlies:

• I2C sniffer,
• HD44780 character LCD test library.
• Keyboard library I/O timeout.
• Improved syntax parser.
• Software reset command.

Check the issue tracker for future features, or to make feature requests.