Past Update Entries

  • April 21, 2009

    Today we recorded functionality of 3 bus routes, blue, red, and green routes. The Tech Trolley (yellow) route works as well, but it is hard to tell that it is not the green color when it lights up on video, so we turned that route off.

    Uploaded some videos to demonstrate the working product while on Campus using GTwireless!!!

    It still tracks bus routes for about 5-10 minutes before the Wi-Fi module freezes. We called Connect One today to see if there is a known issue. They confirmed the module needed a firmware update to perform properly.

    Because the Demonstration and Presentation is on Friday, we are not going to risk "bricking" the Wi-Fi module. Although we are confident it will fix the freezing problems and allow the system to run indefinitely. So until then, we have to power cycle the Wi-Fi module to unfreeze it by just cycling the power switch on the back of the unit.

    Had trouble getting the system to connect to the GTwireless network at a bus stop. However, we plan on trying it at different bus stops later.


  • April 20, 2009

    Tracks bus routes for about 5-10 minutes before the Wi-Fi module seems to freeze. The Wi-Fi module then requires a power-cycle to function again.

    By inserting delay's in the main loop code, it doesn't ask for the different GPS locations back to back to back, it waits about 6 seconds before requesting GPS data from the other route. This made it run much longer before locking up, from 20 seconds to now about 10 minutes.

    Uploaded some videos of the system working.


  • April 18, 2009

    Moved the whole system to Matt's apartment to test on reliable internet connection.

    Again it was able to track buses for a limited amount of time before freezing.

    Rewrote code to make the FindLatLon function behave like a state-machine that looks at one character at a time

    This way we didn't have to store up to a kilobyte of GPS locaions, instaed it parses one byte at a time.


  • April 17, 2009

    The system tracked RED buses for about 30 seconds before freezing.

    The LEDs were sometimes lighting up the wrong colors. We debugged the header file that contains the information about LED colors at each location, we determined one LED's red color is burnt out.

    We also found a typo that causes an LED to light blue when told to light red.

    It had trouble connecting to GTwireless, so we used a different Wi-Fi module, and it worked. The Connect One nano WiReach Wi-Fi module must have died somehow. We are now using the Connect One Secure Socket Wi-Fi module, it connected right away.


  • April 15, 2009

    The system is now receiving information from online, parsing it, and finding LED location matches!

    It is still having issues with running out of memory, will probably not be a problem once debugging code is removed.

    It should be ready for testing on GTwireless with the module attached to the PCB so we can verify correct LED matches and tweak GPS coordinate databases if needed.

    Read April 15th status report


  • April 14, 2009

    Developed a method of slowing down and catching all the incoming data in an Array in RAM.

    Had trouble with Wi-Fi module connecting to GTwireless again.

    Will have to test it on Matt's Private home network.

    Also, the sign's base was painted, White and Gold of course!!!


  • April 11, 2009

    Now having problems with the Arduino buffer running out when receiving data from the Wi-Fi module. Looking into implementing Flow-Control.


  • April 9, 2009

    Parsing algorithm in the XML Reader code was tweaked and now works with test arrays of data.



  • April 4, 2009

    Completed mounting all devices to the sign.

    Pictures of the finished system are posted here.


  • April 2, 2009

    The Wi-Fi module was able to connect to GTwireless. We had to login the MAC address online, to authorize the device for 1 day.

    If time allows we will explorer other ways of authenticating with a username and password by using commands or specific URLs.

    We are now refining the code that parses the incoming data 1 byte at a time.

    Also today, we finished making the base that holds up the pole. This is just for the prototype. The real system would be cemented into the ground at the bus stop.

  • April 1, 2009

    The solar panel mount was finished, and is now mounted to the pole.

    Sent status email to advisor.

    Read April 1st status report


  • March 31, 2009

    We were finally able to send the correct commands to the Wi-Fi module and it connected to Matt's Private Wireless router. We then saw the XML Data it retrieved from NextBus.com. This was the last major thing to get working!

    We hope to have it connect to GTwireless on Thursday which may prove a little more difficult as it involves logging in with a username and password.


  • March 28, 2009

    Level Shifter arrived.

    Communication with wireless module is now possible. Communication is more reliable now.

    Wrote code to initialize the module with information to connect to Matt's Private Wireless Router Utilizing WEP security.

    Will test out on Tuesday whether it actually connects using the Wi-Fi Antenna.


  • March 26, 2009

    Used an op-amp to amplify the serial signal from 3v to 5v temporarily to to shift the serial levels. Determined Serial communication is unreliable. Some messages were recieved from the module, but it was not repeatable. Looking into SPI communication instead.

    LEDs on the PCB were fitted with heat shrink to concentrate the luminosity of the LED to only the tip of the LED.

    PCB was fitted in the case closer to the map so when an LED lights up, the led hole next to it doesn't get any unintended lighting.


  • March 25, 2009

    Ordered a Level-shifter so the serial communication between Arduino and Wi-Fi Module will work correctly. Should arrive by Saturday.

    Sent Status email to advisor.

    Read March 25th status report


  • March 24, 2009

    Remade the website to allow multiple pages and have started making daily or bi-daily updates on the project.

    Tried to get Arduino communicating with Wi-Fi module.

    Determined we need a level-shifter.