Combro USB revisited

[robinghewitt]

After Gravitysucks caught our Nigel actually answering the 'phone -stands back in amazement- Nigel is looking at USB and asking me for a spec. Here is your chance to be wise before it is all too late. May never happen, may take no time at all, looks fairly easy but confidence is that feeling you get etc., and I never promise anything

My thinking is a PP3 battery clip with a circuit board on the back. It has a plug for the cb-625, a plug for the USB, maybe a plug to go to a Palm PC and a button to switch it on/off.

If you are away from your PC it remembers all your velocity data until you are ready to connect.

Maybe a plug for an optional 2 line x 16 character LED display, standard part, costs around £8.50, probably get one from Maplins. Looks a bit naff but is very reassuring that everything is working okay without having to up-end your gun.

Questions:

How long should the wire twixt box and chrono be? Currently a bit long perhaps?

Does it need to squeak reassuringly when you shoot or would a flashing light do?

Should it have a pukka injection moulded case, even though this will add to the cost and delay everything, or is cheap and cheerful preferred? Perhaps cheap and cheerful as an interrim leading to pukka?

Does the USB connector mean I can omit the RS232 ? Does anything have RS232 but not USB?

Anything else?

[Frogfoot]

That sounds great, a sort of datalogger with a USB interface for the Combro.

I would very much like to see an injection moulded case (or a case of some sort rather than just a bunch of components on a circuit board.

I would also like to hear some confirmation that a shot has been registered, ie a beep delayed by half a second or so so it can be heard over the muzzle blast/ spring twang or whatever.

An integrated (set in the case) LCD display showing showing the number of recorded results and allowing you to page through the results with both velocity and power displayed side by side would be fantastic if it were possible.

I Imagine an all singing/dancing device like this could retail at about the same price as the Chrono.

I Imagine a 1.5 meter cable length would be sufficient, it would allow you to take standing shots with the device in a pocket or on the floor.

As Serial ports are a bit out of fashion on the current crop of PC's I would Imagine you could do away with the RS232 interface.

How many shots would you be able to store? could you for instance shoot a whole air cylinder worth of pellets (say 150) to find the sweet spot for a particular PCP?

You can put me down for one of the first ones. If it all comes together.


Tom

[Koz]

Excellent news.

Lead too long is always better than too short.

Fancy case isn't really neccesary but some kind of damp protection might be a good idea.

Audibility an extra freature only I think.

RS232 fading away now legacy PCs only.

[cnorris517]

Just a quick suggestion. In the previous thread you were saying that getting your own usb unique identity (or something like that) was free but expensive because you had to sign up to somethign else first. There seem to be a lot of USB memory devices out there do these have standard controllers? I'd imagine so. If I'm right could you use an off the shelf part for the memory/interface piece?

[engin]

Robınö

I second Frogfoots suggestıonsç

Iill hav number 2 please!

[delta1]

I will echo what Frogfoot suggested, but with a vote for a long lead as opposed to a shorter one. USB only would be ok for me.

May I suggest you offer pre orders for the first batch, to help ensure that you have a firm batch number before comitting to production?
I'm sure a deposit would be ok to secure a pre order.

Richard

[Scarecrow]

I'd be up for a USB interface - assuming it would work with a Mk111 Combro.

[gravity sucks]

Robin... It sounds like the dogs dangly bits...

As to preferences, as robust as possible, the wiring into the three pin plug looks like it could do with reinforcing somehow. I also like audible and water resistant (if we're going mobile),

I agree with the other guys, too long is better than too short and USB to replace the 9-pin serial RS232 and if the USB can power the chrono all the better.

If somehow it could connect to a Palm with a pukka Palm OS data logger you'd make my dreams come true.

In a poll I'm running we have 15 respondants (in the last 2-3 days) and 60% are in favour of a Palm OS version and a comments from number of the guys looking for a Pocket PC version so there's definately an apetite for a mobile solution if one can be built.

Sign me up for one...

[sparky]

Still use mine after all these years rigged up to the laptop, what i find interesting it reads say 788fps on the combro but 791 on the log which is smack on the UKAHFT PM chrono, can't fault it.

Pete

[Neale M]

I'd be up for a USB and Palm PC interface - assuming it would work with a Mk4 Combro.

[Cones]

I like the sound of this!
After writing down 160 plus shots yesterday and then manually typing them into excel.

I think a case is a good idea as would the display/buzzer/light. Could you turn the buzzer/light option on/off via the USB or push button presses?

Could the display show enhanced information? Such as Shots taken, results, average, min, max, mean.

Could you enable the addition of extra info such as pellet type, Gun name, fill pressure etc. Either loaded via the USB from the PC and selected via simple button presses or via a more complex system on the display itself. Just pushing this to something that could be used to log several guns without the need for a pc in between. Possibly too complex but there's no harm in asking.

Datalogger option is a very good idea. PC's are rubbish in sunlight!

I am sure I'll think of something else!

Mark

[robinghewitt]

what i find interesting it reads say 788fps on the combro but 791 on the log which is smack on the UKAHFT PM chrono, can't fault it.

There's a reason for that. Despite my loud moans and complaints, our UK supplier for the plastic parts kept changing the tool cycle time to make them quicker and maximise his profit

Once the part is ejected from the mould it shrinks depending on how hot it is, so the separation on the optics changed slightly.

All we could do was change the separation in the firmware trying to keep up with him

The Windows software can identify Mk 1, 2, 3 and 4 and look up the correct separation from a table.

You must have a Mk 1 which comes in two flavours and the software is guessing the wrong one.

The moulds are now in HK where they understand plastic injection moulding and the separation is set spot on 60mm as nature intended.

[robinghewitt]

Could you enable the addition of extra info such as pellet type, Gun name, fill pressure etc. Either loaded via the USB from the PC and selected via simple button presses or via a more complex system on the display itself.

It was worth asking

So you'd program several configurations using the USB and then cycle through them by clicking the on/off button, (hold down for OFF). You could also use the USB to tell it what information to display perhaps.

[CalorGaz]

It was worth asking

So you'd program several configurations using the USB and then cycle through them by clicking the on/off button, (hold down for OFF). You could also use the USB to tell it what information to display perhaps.

I could see that being a pain to impliment on the Combro itself. I would be happy with a pure data logger that records shot number and FPS. They could be stored in 'data banks' and the user would know which rifle data is in which bank. Maybe a simple 3 or 4 position switch on the logger for each bank. And some way of uploading this data into Excel or simlilar would be great as I'm getting RSI from typing in each shot

As for the format, USB with a long cable. Waterproof with an audible beep after every succesful shot recorded (maybe even a loud double beep for a bad shot). Not too fussed about fancy ABS cases, maybe if they catch on you could produce a MkII with a case and flashing lights

Sign me up for one and I'll quite happily send a preorder deposit to aid setup costs.

Adrian

PS.. An after thought . . How about contacting Chairgunner and see if there is a way of linking the USB connection to his program directly for shot analysis ???

[Steyr]

Sod it Robin -

Go on - Push the boat out and go Bluetooth