Monday 9 March 2015

Server Developments

Configuration over a LAN
Express Server Box

I continue to work on my remote TV system. DATV-Express and Odroid-C1 fit
nicely into a standard Hammond box (as can be seem in the bottom picture).
Above that is a Techno-Trend Connect S2-3600 DVB-S/S2 satellite receiver
which is now fully supported in the distribution of Linux that the Odroid runs.
Unfortunately the S2-3600 is no longer on sale but that is what happens in
the consumer electronics business. PC Linux tends to be behind the curve on
the devices it supports and ARM Linux is behind PC Linux.

The top picture is the configuration screen viewed on an iPhone 5. Before you
ask why the iPhone is so fat, it is because it is plugged into a FLIR IR camera body

I have yet to install a opto-isolator board into the server so I can do TX/RX and
band switching remotely. Also I have to add support for the receiver so I can
stream video across my LAN to various devices. I have some example code to
work from for the receive streaming so it shouldn't be too long before I have that
done.

I am awaiting arrival of a Black Magic HDMI capture card. I finally got around to
reading the manual for my Cannon Legria HF-S30 Camcorder so I now know how
to stop it going to sleep every few minutes.

I am hoping to get this all done so we can re-start TV activity in the Worthing area
soon. I would also like to start trialling HEVC (h.265) transmissions now that
the codec in ffmpeg has started to mature.


5 comments:

  1. Hi Charles - good to hear you are progressing well. Re the Ordroid - how does the C1 fair against the U3 (the one you are running the datv express programme on?)
    Have had some early success with the linux express server now keen to play with both narrow band and also using h265.

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  2. Think we do need to look to more efficient ways of sending the signal maybe s2 as I can only see the amount of bandwidth decreasing in the future - possibly sooner rather than later. Like the flexibility of datv express so amateurs don't end up in the digital stone age.

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  3. The U3 is faster and has more RAM but is missing a GPIO header.
    The C1 is the same price as a PI2 but is faster and has better Ethernet support.

    I read there is an S2 based repeater now GB3DK in Kent.

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  4. Thanks for that - I did ask the DK keeper for some info but haven't heard anything back yet. Specifically I asked about what kit users would be running. Other than express I think there may be some combination of boards from SR Systems you could run but they aren't cheap.

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  5. http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2015/february/new_digital_tv_repeater_for_kent.htm#.VP9dZOHiSik

    G8YTZ (SR systems re-seller) is involved

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