KICAD on Mac OSX – The easy way.
If you have trouble getting KICAD to build and haven't checked out homebrew you might want to check it out. I try to keep a current tap for KICAD.
To install first install homebrew if you haven't already:
ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.github.com/mxcl/homebrew/go)"
Then tap the KICAD homebrew script to build.
brew tap shaneburrell/homebrew-kicad
brew install kicad
To update/upgrade to the latest KICAD as often as you like.
brew update
brew upgrade
KICAD Mac OSX Build – BZR 4002

I found it difficult to find a current build of KICAD for OSX. Below is a build that works with current OSX. Just unzip into Applications and start KICAD. If there is interest I may do more frequent builds.
IOS Iphone Ipad Tickets CAD integration.
Here a few screenshots of an IOS application I've been working on to allow IOS devices to communicate with external CAD systems. This particular integration is with TicketsCAD.

This is the screen with no calls dispatched in CAD. It will allow creating a new call or sending location information to CAD system.
RZR Harness Keeper Clamps.
After installing my 5 point harnesses it became apparent that the belts were not going to stay put on the rollcage without some assistance. I designed and build these keeper clamps to fit the RZR S rollbar and hold my harness straps in the correct location. After several revisions this is what I have come up with. Its the perfect size. It looks factory and barely noticeable once on the rzr.
You can barely see the keepers installed and they look factory.
Wayehutta OHV Park
The Wayehutta OHV Park is a ATV riding area located in Western North Carolina. Offically it is the Roy Taylor OHV Park. Most locals including myself call/pronouce it "Worryhut" It is located in the Cullowhee area. It is normally open from Dusk till Dawn and is a pay area (Few bucks per day). ATV's, SXS, and bikes are all welcomed there. I've had no problems with larger machines like the RZR-S. RZR900's barely fit but I do occasionally see them riding some of the larger trails.
There is a pay box for day passes and you can also purchase a season pass from the Ranger or a a forest service location. Here is a link of Trail 10 and the parking area. http://goo.gl/maps/KFKqj . There is further information located in the parking lot related to rules, fees, and a map. There is a rest room and water source in the parking area along with covered picnic area. Helmets are required and no double riding unless the machine is designed for it. Cell phones do not work in the parking area but driving down close to the gate or many places on the trail that are elevated they work fine. If you have an emergency dial 911, there are emergency service personal that train regularly in the area.
Trail 10 is the shortest trail to and from the parking area. You must enter the upper side of Trail 1 for a few hundred feet to enter Trail 10. It is a one way area and exits back onto the gravel road that leads back to the parking lot. I would rate this trail as the easiest trail. The only obstacle is a small bridge which is approx 60" wide. RZR S and Ranger XP fit nicely snug while RZR 900s may want to have a spotter and be very careful.
Trail 11 is just below the exit of Trail 10. The inlet is also the exit from this trail. The first section of Trail 11 is two way which leads up to a intersection where it makes a one way loop. Parts of this trail are steep on both uphill and downhill sections. Also the trail in most places is very wide.
Trail 1 makes a complete circle around all trails with the exception of Trail 10 and 11 which are independent trails. All other trails are inside the Trail 1 loop. To prevent getting lost, just remember that Trial 1 is the outer loop and either direction will eventually lead you back to the parking area or gravel road to the parking area. Trail 1 is the longest trail and has a little bit of everything. It is well maintained and wide in most areas. It also takes you up to two large ridge top areas for taking a break. Trail 1 is two way and has a upper entrance at the top of the parking lot and is the trail you have to follow for a few hundred feet to access the start of Trail 10. The lower entrance is near the gate to the park which can be seen if you look for the bridge right past the gate. All bridges are the same width on all trails which is approx 60". On the upper side of 1 there is a rock "gate" that prevents anything larger than a RZR-S or 900 from passing. If you have a RZR 900 with larger wheels or extensions its impassable.
Trail 2 has just been revamped and is very wide and fast. It can be accessed from Trail 1 and is two way. A very popular route is to ride in on the upper side of Trail 1 to Trail 2 then down Trail 8 back the parking lot.
Trail 3 is a two way trail that has some steep sections mostly sandy and clay.
Trail 4 is a two way trail which leads up to one of ridge clearings on Trail 1.
Trail 5 is a very short trail.
Trail 6 has been revamped and has some very challenging uphill and downhill slopes. It also has a partial rock climb section that includes two moderate hills with embedded rocks sticking out. I have had no problems on either a RZR or ATV in two wheel drive picking a drive-able line. It also has some steep grades with negitive cut that provides banks on both sides. One of my favorite trails.
Trail 7 has been revamped and some sections are wide but with steep drop offs on the side. This trail along with exiting 7 via 7A is one of my favorite trails. There is a waterfall along the left side of this trail if you don't speed by it. This trail eventually leads to a optional section labeled 7A which is one way and extremely difficult. I have taken dirtbikes, ATVs, RZR S, and even a 6x6 thru this area but its not for the faint of heart. Most everyone that sees it for the first time pauses and spots the area before attempting. It has very steep inclines with 2 sharp S sections. Also there are very deep ruts that have to be navigated at steep angles. I would recommend for first time vistors to ride at least with someone on this trail or see if anyone that has rode the trail would like to take you with them.
Trail 8 is has a very steep downhill section that is one way.
Trail 9 is nicknamed "Rocks on Rocks". It is very rocky and is a one way trail rarely traveled. There are some small streams at the trail in the rock section and in places it gets very narrow. I have no problems with RZR-S or ATV on this trail.
I ride at Wayehutta almost every weekend and using the map post above that should direct you to the parking lot as well as wet your feet on trail 10. We normally ride in a fairly large group including RZR's , RZR - S and ATVs. If you are going to be in the area drop me a line and if you have any questions about the riding area please ask.
Mendelmax Update
MendelMax 1.5 Build
I've been working on several stepper controller boards for other projects and I needed something small to do testing. The MendelMax 1.5 was a good option so I've started construction. These take a considerable amount of time to source all the parts and I purchased the majority from McMasterCarr and misumi. Both have excellent service, website, and very fast shipping.
TI Stepper Drivers DRV8818 and DRV8824
I've been working on a XMOS CNC controller board and in the process came up with two prototype designs using two different Texas Instruments stepper driver IC's. The DRV8818 and the DRV8824. Both of these ended up being able to control the NEMA 17 steppers for RepRap and the NEMA 23 for my small CNC router .
HP 5328a Frequency Counter Fix.
I purchased a HP 5328a counter off ebay for a decent price. It arrived a few days later and I'd say cosmetically its a 9.9/10. After putting it on the bench and turning on the unit I released it didn't have the oven based oscillator. It did have channel C option and GPIB interface. After checking channel A I was really glad to see that things were working correctly. I moved over to test channel C. All was well I thought until I noticed that the connector on channel C seems to work intermittanly. After pulling the cover off I was pleased to see the unit was very clean inside. I removed the channel C card by taking a single screw out from the rear to remove the top cover. Removing the BNC was just a simple process of removing the nut. After taking the connector apart it was tarnished quite a bit. Some cleaning and I did apply a bit of pressure. After assembly the C channel was working perfectly.
Pulse Counters – The Kenwood TM-D710A keyboard hack.
I've got a ton of emails about the adapter for the Kenwood TM-D710A. The microphone on this unit uses a digital pulse counter based on 4017 logic IC's to determine, over a single wire, which key is pressed. This same principle can be use in other projects to read a keypad, control LED's etc with on a pin or two from a microcontroller. For reference below, are the articles on the TM-710A Adapter and associated projects.
http://www.shaneburrell.com/?p=688 - Keyboard Adapter itself - This board is line powered from the microphone cable. It effectively sits between the Kenwood radio unit and Microphone. It allows you to place a keyboard in between the two to allow functionality that Kenwood never intended per say.
The theory of operation: The microprocessor in the radio head unit sends pulses to the microphone. On each pulse the line is pulled low which the microcontroller spies on via another pin attached to the pulse pin. On a scope, it's very easy to see the line being pulled low depending on the keypress. In hacking the pulses, its just a matter of seeing what key generates what pattern. In the TM-D710A adapter I used a AVR to talk to the microphone and read a standard keyboard. The One Signal Wire board design above was used to Emulate the mic controlled by the AVR.
Below is a video some Arduino code I initially developed to scan the microphone patterns driving the Kenwood Mic from the AVR. If you look at the scope this should give you a good idea how the pulse counter is working.
The TM-D710A keyboard hack was a really fun project and hit multiple stages of hack/design. The 4017 counter is a pretty neat way of reading/controlling things using on 2 pins from a micro-controller.


















