Uniden Remote Head Project

[eorange]

Thanks for checking, and those are the same versions I'm running.

I've always used Raspberry Pi OS lite which boots to a command prompt. My Python code runs automatically after boot which then utilizes PyGame for my display. I never needed the extra overhead of the desktop GUI in the full OS.

But, this confirms my suspicion that the full desktop provides better touchscreen support (it has to, to make the desktop work).

Next experiments to get touchscreen working:

1. Load PyGame 2.0.0, which apparently has libsdl 2.x.x and hope for the best. libsdl 1.2.x is the root cause of touchscreen not working. I have no idea if PyGame 2.0.0 and libsdl 2.0.x fixes things. Also hoping my existing code will still run properly. I'll likely write a small touchscreen test first.

2. Load the full OS and make PyGame run fullscreen instead of in a window. This is sure to work (I hope). It grates on me a little because a whole lot more of OS is loaded in memory which I don't need, but I don't get to pick and choose if #1 doesn't work.

 

[mancow]

Most of the custom font is done.

 

[eorange]

Looking good!
#pygame

 

[ra7850]

Most of the custom font is done.

View attachment 92632

Looks Awesome Mancow!

 

[mancow]

Looks Awesome Mancow!

Thanks.

Been playing a bit poking at the code.

It's still ugly but functional. The SYSTEM, DEPT, CHANNEL now hold and make the repective text violet. I've not found a way to inverse the text like Uniden does and if I did the fact I'm using the large font would draw a large obscuring box over the keypad so I just picked a color to indicate HOLD. I might try drawing a box around the text instead or maybe try calling a different font like italic or something...dunno...

The ugly SYS, DEPT, CHAN boxes are for test. I'm going to make them disappear so only the text appears.

 

[eorange]

@mancow See the displayRecents() method in this class for rendering inverse text. If the detected callsign is military then I render the text with a red background; otherwise it's black.

 

[mancow]

Here we go. 4.3" 800x480 resolution, capacitive touch screen. Integrated GPS with no need for separate GPS connection.
It's super smooth, responsive and looks amazing in real life.
I need to do work on some more cutom font for certain modes like trunked analyzer. I also need to clean up the GPS serial handling so it's more stable. As you can see in the image the display shows GPS data and the radio doesn't Right now it's just periodically polling for GPS input and spitting it back out every few seconds which causes a bit of a delay in that feature.

This is NOT the 4DSystems Armadillo. This is just a regular Pi and a separate display it bolts onto.

 

[jpjohn]

Here we go. 4.3" 800x480 resolution, capacitive touch screen. Integrated GPS with no need for separate GPS connection.
It's super smooth, responsive and looks amazing in real life.
I need to do work on some more cutom font for certain modes like trunked analyzer. I also need to clean up the GPS serial handling so it's more stable. As you can see in the image the display shows GPS data and the radio doesn't Right now it's just periodically polling for GPS input and spitting it back out every few seconds which causes a bit of a delay in that feature.

This is NOT the 4DSystems Armadillo. This is just a regular Pi and a separate display it bolts onto.


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Awesome!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for your hard work!!!!

 

[eorange]

Looking good! Which display are you using?

 

[Ubbe]

Could it be a nice feature if the keypad wasn't displayed, and possible also the soft buttons, and are only shown after a first touch, which is ignored, and then the keypad disappears after 10 sec from the last touch?

/Ubbe

 

[motorcoachdoug]

very nice. if you could do a mass produce them you would be rich or bring in some good $$ as well. If you ever decide to sell some please post it here so we could buy some..

 

[ra7850]

Could it be a nice feature if the keypad wasn't displayed, and possible also the soft buttons, and are only shown after a first touch, which is ignored, and then the keypad disappears after 10 sec from the last touch?

/Ubbe

Something like a popup screen over the display, then closing once the E key is pressed. One thing that might be possible is to minimize the display, maintaining proportion.

 

[ra7850]

mancow,

That's awesome, is it a Raspberry Pi3, or Pi4? Any interference issues with GPS like you had before?

Robert

 

[mancow]

mancow,

That's awesome, is it a Raspberry Pi3, or Pi4? Any interference issues with GPS like you had before?

Robert

Both pi 3 and 4 and no rfi issues so far.

 

[mancow]

I'm not sure how a hidden keypad would work unless the first touch was ignored and only made it visible. Otherwise the user would have to remember where the buttons are.

It would also need to be turned vertical as the text can't go that wide without also being too tall and overlapping vertically. Maybe with some kerning but I doubt it would look right.

 

[garys]

This is really encouraging stuff and very nice work. It looks like the thing you need now is a case, but hopefully that won't be too hard to find.

I hope you'll post detailed instructions and a parts list for this. Might be a nice project to work on during the winter months.

Since you've done your development on a SDS200, do you have any idea of what would be needed for a SDS100? If the Mini USB port is needed for the data part, I imagine that there will have to be a split cable to do power and data simultaneously.

Here we go. 4.3" 800x480 resolution, capacitive touch screen. Integrated GPS with no need for separate GPS connection.
It's super smooth, responsive and looks amazing in real life.
I need to do work on some more cutom font for certain modes like trunked analyzer. I also need to clean up the GPS serial handling so it's more stable. As you can see in the image the display shows GPS data and the radio doesn't Right now it's just periodically polling for GPS input and spitting it back out every few seconds which causes a bit of a delay in that feature.

This is NOT the 4DSystems Armadillo. This is just a regular Pi and a separate display it bolts onto.


View attachment 92965
View attachment 92967
View attachment 92970View attachment 92971

 

[mancow]

This is really encouraging stuff and very nice work. It looks like the thing you need now is a case, but hopefully that won't be too hard to find.

I hope you'll post detailed instructions and a parts list for this. Might be a nice project to work on during the winter months.

Since you've done your development on a SDS200, do you have any idea of what would be needed for a SDS100? If the Mini USB port is needed for the data part, I imagine that there will have to be a split cable to do power and data simultaneously.

It works just the same on the SDS100. If the battery isn't hot it will give a low USB voltage error. I just power the radio from the micro connector.

 

[garys]

So there is enough power to operate the scanner off of the controller/display. Good to know.

It works just the same on the SDS100. If the battery isn't hot it will give a low USB voltage error. I just power the radio from the micro connector.

 

[Clarky]

Will there be a BCD996P2 remote display to purchase in the near future? I apologize in advance, I didn't read all the threads. Thank you.

 

[Ubbe]

So there is enough power to operate the scanner off of the controller/display. Good to know.

No, I don't hink he meant to say that. You power the SDS100 from the micro USB and your usual power source, which will override the battery power, and the control commands goes from the mini USB.

/Ubbe