text:
Sampling from Phase Space Distributions in 3D Charged Particle Beams
Christopher Boucher September 22, 2016
In the previous installment of this series, we explained two concepts needed to model the release and propagation of real-world charged particle beams. We first introduced probability distribution functions in a purely mathematical sense and then discussed a specific type of distribution — the transverse phase space distribution of a charged particle beam in 2D. Now, let's combine what we've learned and find out how to sample the initial positions and velocities of 3D beam particles from this distribution.Read More
Christopher Boucher September 19, 2016
Previously in our Phase Space Distributions in Beam Physics series, we introduced probability distribution functions (PDFs) and various ways to sample from them in the COMSOL Multiphysics® software. Such knowledge of PDFs is necessary to understand how ion and electron beams propagate within real-world systems. In this installment, we'll discuss the concepts of phase space and emittance as they apply to the release of ions or electrons in beams.Read More
Christopher Boucher September 15, 2016
In this blog series, we'll investigate the simulation of beams of ions or electrons using particle tracking techniques. We'll begin by providing some background information on probability distribution functions and the different ways in which you can sample random numbers from them in the COMSOL Multiphysics® software. In later installments, we'll show how this underlying mathematics can be used to accurately simulate the propagation of ion and electron beams in real-world systems.Read More
Caty Fairclough July 25, 2016
Quadrupole mass filters, the key component of quadrupole mass spectrometers, filter ions by their charge-to-mass ratio, only allowing ions with a certain ratio to pass through the device. As such, a high transmission probability for a specific ion through the filter is desirable. However, fringe fields in the mass filter can affect this probability. By using multiphysics simulation, we can take a closer look at quadrupole mass filters and investigate the effect of fringe fields on these devices.Read More
Christopher Boucher June 8, 2016
Static mixers are well-established tools in a wide variety of engineering disciplines due to their efficiency, low cost, ease of installation, and minimal maintenance requirements. When evaluating whether a mixer can be used for a certain purpose, it is important to determine whether the resulting mixture is sufficiently uniform. In this blog post, we will discuss the setup of an app designed to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the performance of a static mixer using the Particle Tracing Module.Read More
Fanny Littmarck December 2, 2015
Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) affect millions of people around the globe. While the most common cause of HAI is direct contact with the source, airborne bacteria may also play a role in patient infections. To prevent airborne infection and make hospital clean rooms safer, it's important to design efficient ventilation systems. As an added benefit, efficient ventilation designs also lead to lower energy-related costs. The first step to a better design is CFD modeling.Read More
Daniel Smith November 19, 2015
Many different tools are available for counting particles. Choosing the optimal method depends on the application; specifically, whether you want to use the number of counted particles in equations or during postprocessing. The Particle Tracing interfaces in COMSOL Multiphysics feature three main particle counting options. While these approaches are versatile enough to compute quantities such as charge density and momentum flux, our focus here will be computing the number of particles on a set of domains or boundaries.Read More
Bjorn Sjodin January 23, 2015
How can you use an electric field to control the movement of electrically neutral particles? This may sound impossible, but in this blog entry, we will see that the phenomenon of dielectrophoresis (DEP) can do the trick. We will learn how DEP can be applied to particle separation and demonstrate a very easy-to-use biomedical simulation app that is created with the Application Builder and run with COMSOL Server™.Read More
Bridget Cunningham December 16, 2014
Charge exchange cells are often used as a way to obtain neutralized beams of energetic particles. In this blog post, we introduce a model of a simple charge exchange cell and analyze its neutralization efficiency.Read More
Christopher Boucher November 26, 2014
With the release of COMSOL Multiphysics version 5.0, the Particle Tracing Module now includes a series of features called Accumulators, which can be used to couple the results of a particle tracing simulation to other physics interfaces. The accumulated variables may represent any physical quantity and can be defined either within domains or on boundaries, making them extremely flexible. Here, I will explain the different types of accumulators and their applications in particle tracing and ray optics models.Read More
Laura Bowen July 16, 2014
The need for a contaminant-free space to manufacture medicine has led scientists to try many creative new approaches to improve the process. At Argonne National Lab, creating a device that floats and rotates chemical compounds in thin air was just the answer they were looking for. It meant two important changes: the amount of each chemical necessary could be implemented very precisely and the risk of outside impurities disrupting the results was minimized.Read More


text:
Detroit Free Press"I want talent around me, frankly,"
"There's opportunities. Everywhere in the league you see guys breaking records with how much they're making and all that kind of stuff, and honestly, you want fair market value."
"I don't really care about breaking records too much. I want to break records on the field. I want to win games, I want to have as many good players around me as I possibly can."
While the sense around the league is that Stafford and the Lions will work out a new deal by the start of the season – Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is closing in on an extension that will pay somewhere north of Joe Flacco's record average of $20.1 million a season – Stafford said he's determined not to let negotiations be a distraction if they drag on.
"I don't expect it to be a distraction. I personally don't want it to be,"
"I like to focus on one thing and go after it, and whatever it is that's it, and right now it's football for me. That's kind of why I'm letting the agents kind of talk to the front office here and figure that stuff out. I would imagine there would come a point where we're either getting it done or not. I think they want to do something, I want to do something, we'll figure something out hopefully and if not then we'll move on and table it for a year."
While this would have held more weight had Stafford not been a recipient of one of the exorbitant, first-round rookie contracts that were synonymous with the previous CBA, it's still nice to hear a player of his stature come out and say something like that.
"honestly, you want fair market value."
And while "fair market value" for a supposed franchise QB will still be incredibly substantial, the Lions, with so much of their future cap already occupied by Calvin Johnson, will no doubt welcome any discount (however slight) with open arms.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Kathu Hotel Deals
Use hotel search to find all special Kathu hotel rates.
Kathu hotels by location
Kathu Hotels
Kathu Hotels
Cheap Kathu Thailand Hotels start here. Hotel-Rates.com is the traveller's source for discount and cheap hotel rates in Kathu. Please use the hotel search form on the left to find our best hotel rates for available Kathu hotels and motels, or browse our Kathu hotel list to choose your favorite lodging.


text: First off thanks in advance for any help I may receive, My problem is this I have a 1999 GMC suburban K2500 7.4L with front and rear A/C. The electric cooling fan is not working. I am not getting any power to the unit, I have verified that all fuses and relays ( by swapping with starter relay ) are working. I have supplied 12v directly to the fan and it works, I have also replaced the temperature sending unit by the thermostat housing. I feel I am a pretty good do it yourselfer, but my "brain is burning on this".


text:
What do you all think of the new Mercury Milan hybrid? Can Mercury really compete in the hybrid arena now, or will consumers continue to avoid Mercury showrooms?2010 Mercury Milan hybrid spy shots
If a tree falls in the forest.....
This a a great looking vehicle
________________John R. seeking for the best maintenance help on Toyota Corolla cars..
You never know... I don't think there has really been a hybrid marketed directly to female buyers (correct me if I'm wrong there), so maybe this will bring more women into the hybrid fold?
What you mean the most fuel efficient SUV in the world in the Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner is not considered competing? The SUV is now in its second genereation by the way not only being the most efficient but also the first SUV hybrid in the world.However about the Milan I am excited about the Fushion/Milan hybrid release it looks to be real winner in the hybrid world. Honestly though I am not a big fan of Milan styling. I much prefer the looks of the Fusion. Would love to buy Fusion hybrid this year seeing as my 95 Mystique is getting a bit long in the tooth (though it is still fun car to drive even with 155,000 miles on the ododmeter) But given the conditions of the ecnomy right now I might wait another year or two?
nice looking vehicle


text: Diversity of load Q: I have tried to figure out the diversity of load formula in Appendix B of the 1999 Code, but haven't been able to figure out how the numbers or variables are arrived at. Could you please answer by showing several formulas as examples and use other than 50% load diversity and tell me how the diversity is deduced? Is it the average percentage of total ampacity per wire? I have contacted


text:
We offer discount to nonprofits, government agencies, and federal contractors
Watch AILA's Featured Issues page for more informationRead Today
AILA Doc. No. 11080262 | Dated August 2, 2011
On August 1, 2011, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 398 and H.R. 1933.
H.R. 398 (Rep. Lofgren, D-CA) would toll, for the time that active-duty military members are abroad, the period of time to file a residency petition and appear for an interview. H.R. 398 passed the House 407-17.
H.R. 1933 (Rep. Smith, R-TX) would modify the requirements for admission of nonimmigrant nurses in health professional shortage areas. H.R. 1933 passed the House 426-0.
Cite as AILA Doc. No. 11080262.
American Immigration Lawyers Association
1331 G Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
Copyright © 1993-2017
American Immigration Lawyers Association.


text:
Cozy Room in Beautiful District
Nº de hóspedes:2
Casas de banho1
Tamanho13 m²
Andar no.3
- Cozinha
- Máquina de lavar/secar
- Internet
- Toalhas
Descrição da propriedade
|Funkerstraße, 80636 München, Alemanha
|Tipo de propriedade
|Quarto privado
|ID da Propriedade
|Taxa de aceitação
|Tempo de resposta
|Umas horas
|Calendário atualizado
|5 dias atrás
The neutrally decorated and bright room includes a double sofa bed, a table and storage space. The vibrantly coloured kitchen is shared with the host and includes cooking utensils and a dining area with a table, sofa and 3 chairs. Also shared is a compact bathroom with a shower.
Take the bus for 12 minutes to reach the University of Munich. A popular tourist attraction near the English Garden, Münchner Freiheit Square is a 15-minute tram ride away. The Olympiapark is a 15-minute walk away.
Nearby are supermarkets, a pharmacy and a bakery. Walk for 5 minutes to find a bus stop or underground (U-Bahn) station.
Regras da CasaA €40 fee will be charged for lost keys.
No smoking.
Please note that the building does not have an elevator (and the apartment is located on the 2nd floor).
|Preço semanal para um hóspede
|189 €
|Preço semanal para um hóspede
|505 €
|Preço para mais de 1 hóspedes
|5 € por hóspede/noite extra
|Check-in depois das
|Por acordo
|Check-in antes
|Por acordo
|Check-out antes das
|Por acordo
|Política de Cancelamento
Comentários sobre esta propriedade
We had a wonderful, relaxing stay at Silke's, she is a very good host and succeeds in making your stay as comfortable as possible. We were there for a month and certainly hope to come again in future.
Silke is is a friendly and accommodating host. We had a long car journey to get to Munich and weren't sure of the arrival time but she made arrangements for us to collect the key at a time convenient for us. The room was spactious and clean. Convenient location, you can easily reach the centre by tram. Good value for money & a great visit to Munich. Large beer garden next to the market near the main square is well worth a visit (according to the locals the beer doesn't give you a hangover ;)
I enjoyed my stay with Silke very much. She was so much fun to be with. Her room is very nice and clean with the bathroom across the hall. She keeps to her self and gives you your privacy. The room is on the 4th level/floor so keep that in mind if you bring a lot of luggage as the building has no lift. Silke would be willing to help carry the luggage. (in Europe the First floor always starts AFTER the GROUND floor, so the FIRST floor is actually the SECOND floor/level. I will stay there again when I come back to Munich. She is only about 6 stops away by tram from the main train station and then a few minutes walk to her building. Thank you Silke for the nice time and letting me make myself at home.
It's really a nice room. The decoration and the environment are really good there. We lived there for two days. Even if we had three person, the room was big enough to accommodate all of us.
The host is very nice and we were welcomed to cook there and thus we lived as if we were living at our home :)
Silke is wonderful.
We were very nervous to stay at a stranger's house as we have never done anything of the sort. However, she picked us up from the bus stop that she gave us directions to, offered and served us tea, had a nice chat about Oktoberfest including helpful hints to make the best of it, and even left little German chocolates in our room to try. She was also very quick to accept our request for a room on Wimdu!
I certainly would stay here again if I ever find myself in Munich.
Thank you Silke! :)
- Qualidade do alojamento garantida
- Todos os anfitriões são verificados por telefone.
- Pagamento de seguro via SSL


text:
Joshua Silver:
Adjustable liquid-filled eyeglasses
Josh Silver delivers his brilliantly simple solution for correcting vision at the lowest cost possible — adjustable, liquid-filled lenses. At TEDGlobal 2009, he demos his affordable eyeglasses and reveals his global plan to distribute them to a billion people in need by 2020.
Similar topics
- Global development
- Global issues
- Health
- Health care
- Innovation
- Invention
- Product design
- Sight
This talk was presented at an official TED conference, and was featured by our editors on the home page.
Related talks
118 comments
Enthusiastically agree? Respectfully beg to differ? Have your say here.
Log in to comment Don't have an account? Sign up now — it's fast and free.
Sort comments by
There are currently no comments for this talk.


text:
The A321 powered by CFM56 engines with Sharklets has become the latest member of Airbus' single-aisle product line to receive European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification.
The first A321 equipped with Sharklets is scheduled to enter service in September, following the aircraft's on-schedule EASA certification this month.
Sharklets are Airbus' 2.4-metre-tall fuel-saving wingtip devices, which deliver up four per cent fuel burn reduction on longer sectors. They are available as options on new-build A320ceo (current engine option) Family aircraft, and will be standard on A320neo (new engine option) Family jetliners.
The CFM56-powered A321 becomes the second A320 Family member with Sharklets to receive certification this year, following the A319 – also powered by CFM56 engines – in May. Certified in late 2012 were A320s fitted with Sharklets using both the CFM56 and International Aero Engines (IAE) V2500 powerplants.
The remaining A319 and A321 jetliner versions with V2500 engines and Sharklets are scheduled for certification later this summer.
Since the December 2012 service entry of Sharklets on the A320, these fuel-saving devices have continued to prove their popularity with operators around the world. As the result of growing demand, approximately 50 per cent of all A320 Family jetliners delivered in the first six months of 2013 featured Sharklets, with Airbus providing more than 20 single-aisle aircraft equipped with them during June alone.
Overall, 82 Sharklet-equipped A320 aircraft have been delivered to 28 operators through June. To date, a total of 44 customers have ordered A320 Family aircraft equipped with the wingtip devices.


text:
If either Konz C or Zeitler G both out of Wisconsin are there take one of them with #1 pick. I kind of doubt they will be though.
So, then I say pass on TE Fleener (sign D Clark if able) and pick up Wilson RB or Martin RB. One or both should be available....I would lean toward Martin.
BPA for OL in 2nd (unless 1st pick as above is OL, then BPA regardless)
Then BPA on Defense in 3rd and 1st pick in 4th
Then maybe a dark horse WR with 2nd pick in 4th.


text:
Newc: Sir; your simplest and best value; RENT and shoot many different makes and models.
All have a different ?feel? What I like in certain models you may not enjoy.
All the major firearm companies have sound products. Some cheaper than others. Price ranges???? Where ever.
I enjoy Glock, SW, Ruger, Remington and have some of each. Single Actions to semi auto. Have enjoyed shooting XD's, Kahar, and many more.
Recommending should fall into 'rent and shoot' don't lock yourself into one brand or one cartridge.
Shoot them all and one will ?feel? and you have it.
Follow up with your thoughts and thanks


text:
Recently added item(s)
You have no items in your shopping bag.
Currently Shopping by:
Shopping Options
Are your kids glued to their screens? Here is a practical, step-by-step guide that gives parents the tools to teach children, from toddlers to teens, how to gain control of their technology use. As children spend more of their time… Read More
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), as pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn and others, is now being successfully applied in myriad areas of human activity—and most recently, in education. It's no surprise that psychologists and educators have found that mindfulness-based practices improve attention… Read More
Sign up for our e-mail newsletter and you'll receive 30% off your next order.


text:
Robert E. Price, 56, of Key West, Fla., passed away on Tuesday, July 9, 2013, at Lower Keys Medical Center. He was born on Aug. 10, 1956, in Miami, Fla., to Walter F. and Ardel (Parman) Price.
Robert was a lifetime resident of Key West and a member of the Key West Rotary Club. He was a coach at Key West High School for six years. He was instrumental in starting the Southernmost Runners Club and Cross Country Track at Key West High School.
On April 14, 2002, Robert sustained life-threatening injuries as a result of a motorcycle accident. Robert was determined to run again, and with the inspiration he received from others and his positive attitude, he was able to overcome his injuries.
He always had a positive influence on young people.
He was preceded in death by his father, Walter F. Price.
Surviving is his mother, Ardel Price; son Adam Price; sister Nancy Price Leach; nephew Mark (Jennifer) Leach; great-nephew Kane Austin Leach; great-niece Victoria Loren Leach; and numerous cousins.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, July 15, 2013, at Peace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 2610 Flagler Ave., Key West. Visitation will be the same day, also at the church, from 2 p.m. until service time.Burial will be at Southern Keys Cemetery, on Big Coppitt Key.
The Dean-Lopez Funeral Home is entrusted with all funeral arrangements.


text:
Discussion in 'Chevy Avalanche Forum (Escalade EXT)' started by ChevyFan, Sep 5, 2011.
Let's see pics of your Chevy Avalanche in this thread. Post away!
I know I'm not the only one on here....
I'll join Enkei here...
Still a bit more to do, but it's a start!
Is this what they look like if you rip the cladding off? What year did they lose the cladding but still keep the cat eye headlights?!
Cladding was from 02-06 Although My 02 which was one of the first sold in the US was in my driveway on June 1st of 01.. It was seen in many Ad's in Mag's But the 03-06 Model years you could get one called a WBH (without Body Hardware) It had the same front nose as a Silverado The Cladded nose was differant from any other GM trucks..
Does mine count 03 Escalade Ext
2002 was the only year that required the cladding. In 2003, they introduced the WBH (without body hardware) package like mine is so it has the silverado front clip and different body panels that aren't formed with the contours and clips for the cladding. You could get them either with or without cladding for the rest of that generation from 2003-2006.
And Phantom, that counts. That Escalade is a nice looking rig. I really like those. Good on you for using it to plow too!
GM was big on that cladding back in the early 2000s. My Aztek had cladding that was mounted with 3M tape. I like the Avalanche... It will probably be my next purchase... It looks like a suburban with the top chopped in the rear... Although the 'burb never got the "cat eye" nose treatment...
I have seen a Tahoe that someone swapped the cat eye nose onto... It looked awesome.
Separate names with a comma.


text:
Stay connected with us to get the latest health and fitness news, innovative workouts, healthy recipes and wellness tips.
Change Location
ACE Fit Share
Sophisticated and yet very quick, this easy composed salad can be a meal on its own--or a wonderful starter to a weekend dinner party. All it needs is a glass of champagne. Shrimp or other sweet and meaty fish can stand in for the lobster.
Nutrition Profile:
Diabetes Appropriate
Gluten Free Diet
Healthy Weight
Heart Healthy
High Fiber
High Potassium
Low Calorie
Low Carb
Low Cholesterol
Low Sat Fat
Serves 4
Prep Time 40 min
Total Time 40 min.
Step 1
Preheat grill to medium-high.
Step 2
Toss nectarines, avocado, scallion, lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Step 3
Lay lobster tails on a cutting board with the soft side of the shell facing up. Cut the tails in half lengthwise starting from the fan. Run your fingertips along the inside of the shell to loosen meat from shell. Brush the meat with oil and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Step 4
Lay the tails on the grill, cut-side down, and cook until the meat is lightly charred and the shell is beginning to turn red, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and continue grilling until the meat is opaque and cooked through and the shell is completely red, 2 to 4 minutes more. Remove the lobster meat from the shells and serve with the nectarine salad.
Featured Workouts
Check out our 12-week fitness plan designed to boost your strength, endurance, muscle definition, energy level and overall health.
Flatten your stomach and build strength in the muscles that provide stability and mobility for the spine, pelvis, ribs and hips.
Focus on pulling, rotating and building strength with workouts created alongside Olympic Gold Medalist Dominique Dawes.
This workout provides a challenging total-body workout that can be done from the comfort of home with no equipment other than bodyweight and space.


text:
This lifestyle property now brimming with subdivision potential offered the perfect solution when a farming couple bought it 22 years ago.
The park-like block, with stellar views to Rangitoto, was already named "Greenwolds" when the Humphries bought it. Owner Prue Humphries says, "It's unusual, because it's one of the few northern slopes properties left along here that is able to be subdivided."
Its 1.506ha of land on the Redoubt Rd extension can be subdivided into three separate lots. That's an enviable position, since it's at the Tuscany Estates end of Redoubt Rd, near where many premium lifestyle homes have sprung up.
Prue and her late husband, Toby, who died last October, were sheep and cattle farmers in northern Wairarapa. When they retired they knew Greenwolds was ideal, being handily located in Auckland, where Prue's two sisters live. Its tranquillity and ample land offered an ideal transition from their substantial farm.
"For Toby to just have moved into the city wouldn't have been fair," says Prue.
And this property has charm by the bucketload, with its sweeping entrance, mature trees, Prue's colourful gardens, the classically styled home and its far-reaching views.
It's screened from the road by greenery. The driveway curves around a big near-level lawn, harbouring a magnificent oak tree, and back out a separate driveway exit to the road.
Subdividers would consider this lawn Lot One. Those planning to keep the property as one would consider it an excellent place for kids to play.
The existing home and its surrounds could form Lot Two. It's a circa-1950s cedar board-and-batten home with part of its front clad in rock as a feature. One of its loveliest areas is the partially joined living and dining room flanking a central promontory housing an open and a closed fireplace. French doors embrace the outdoors.
Toby particularly appreciated having views all the way out to Rangitoto Island, as he could see so much despite having mobility difficulties.
Another striking room is the big kauri-lined billiard or games room. Prue rubbed her knuckles raw restoring its ornate kauri fire-surround.
Its fine billiard table - being sold with the house - was bought from a Cambridge farmer reputed to have housed it in a specially built, upmarket extension to his cowshed.
There's also a kitchen, laundry and internal-access double garage, a master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe and en suite, another bedroom and two further bathrooms.
The existence of an upstairs attic and a crafts or computer room means there was enough space for 10 people to sleep when overseas-based children and grandchildren visited.
The home's northern face delights in a colourful area of the garden beside mature kahikatea and rimu trees, where Prue's daughter was married. There's also a swimming pool with a deck off to one side and a separate workshop.
The land purposely drops away in front of this colourful garden in a ha-ha - a landscaping feature that keeps grazing livestock out of the garden without interrupting the view.
Beyond this, another expanse of land sheltered by trees on both sides could form the third and final lot. Sharing in the glorious view, it's where the Humphries used to keep a few sheep.
It's time for a new chapter in Prue's life, now she's widowed. She's bought a home in Auckland's Stonefields and is looking forward to having less land and enjoying the neighbourhood's renowned sense of community. She hopes former SPCA cat Isabella will be just as happy there, because Greenwolds' freedom suited her so perfectly, too, since she was originally found living wild.


text:
Halterneck Crochet Maxi Dress Black
Sign up now to get your own personal style guide to what to wear and to see clothes recommendations from over 500 retailers.
What the retailer says
"Maxi dress by ASOS Collection, Semi-sheer crochet, Lined main body, Crew neckline, Self-tie halterneck fastening, Open back, Zip back fastening, Regular fit - true to size, Hand wash, 1 00% Polyester, Our model wears a UK 8/EU 36/US 4 and is 175 cm/5'9� " tall. ABOUT ASOS COLLECTION Directional, exciting and diverse, the ASOS Collection makes and breaks the fashion rules. Scouring the globe for inspiration, our London based Design Team is inspired by fashion�s most covetable trends; providing you with a cutting edge wardrobe season upon season."


text:
Walk-in advising is available to current students from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Academic advisors are unavailable from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm. Walk-ins are for quick questions only (e.g. assistance with class scheduling, add/change a major/minor, etc.). Each walk-in session lasts 15 minutes. Please stop by our office in MH 208 if you need assistance.
Brian Mann


text:
dfu-util 0.1 release is out
The title says it all. I just released the first dfu-util release to the public. Please test it and package it for your distro. :)
Posted by Stefan Schmidt | Permanent link | File under: openmoko
Towards a dfu-util 0.1 release
We are making good progress towards a first release of dfu-util. Harald was kind enough to prepare a subdomain for it under gnumonks.org and I already setup a simple website, a git repo with the complete svn history imported and pushed out a release candidate for 0.1.
If no show-stopper crosses my way I will make the release Sunday 2010-05-23. Once this is done I will try to make sure that this release replaces the various svn snapshots distros have already packaged while waiting for a real release.
This is of course only the first step. On my agenda is better support for other hardware, more DFU 1.0 compliance and support for the changes from DFU 1.1. Next to this improvements I'm also thinking about the ecosystem around DFU on embedded linux systems. Getting the DFU u-boot patches fixed and merged would be a nice target as well. Be warned though that this will progress slowly as it is just one of my spare time projects and has to compete with others.
Posted by Stefan Schmidt | Permanent link | File under: linux, openmoko
Playing with 802.15.4 under linux
Until recently I had not much interest to play with the low-rate wireless personal area networks, thats what the formal description of 802.15.4 is. Often it is also referenced as ZigBee, but while Zigbee is based on it it adds some more layers on top which I'm not going to play with.
The main reason why I so far had not much interest in 802.15.4 is that it was almost always used in small micro-controller based systems. While I understand that for low power consumption products like sensor network nodes it is the right approach I never felt like I would enjoy to work on such systems.
In my study thesis I'm doing right now I have to get delay tolerant networking working over a 802.15.4 link. For this I'm using a setup with two iMote2 boards which are based on a powerful PXA27x SoC and are able to run linux. The linux port of the board was already in a really good shape and already included in the mainline kernel which gave me a good base to work from.
On the board is a Chipcon CC2420 802.15.4 RF transceiver which connected over SPI with some additional GPIO and IRQ lines. The linux kernel already is prepared with a 802.15.4 stack and luckily there was already posted a driver for the cc2420 which I had to bug fix it a bit over the last weeks. All my changes are already in, or on the way to, the linux zigbee tree which contains the mac802154 layer for the driver. This layer had not made its way upstream yet, but I hope that will happen within the next 2 or 3 release cycles. Next step on my agenda is to make it work with ibrdtn.
Posted by Stefan Schmidt | Permanent link | File under: linux, computer science
Angular rate driver work finished
Last week I finished the contract work for the angular rate drivers I mentioned in my last post.
During the final meeting we also verified that the output of the sensors are what we expect them to be. While coding them I was able to check that I'm using the right registers, values are changing when I turn the device, but I had no test equipment to see if the measurement is really correct.
At the DLR we could use an angular rate table for this. The device itself was mounted on the rotating table with power and data connection on sliding contacts. Some pictures of the setup can be found here.
From the measurement point the MLX90609 and the SAR100 variant we used are quite different. The MLX is capable of 300 degree per second while the SAR100 was able to measure 1500. In our test we even had good results with 1800. During this testing we found a bit different offsets as described in the data sheets but still pretty close to what we expected.
I'm really looking forward to the launch of the rocket to hear about the results the sensors produced and how it compares to the big money equipment that it used for the flight control of the rocket. Once the rocket is back and the data is analyzed I also should be able to get a board back and do my part on getting the drivers into mainline. For now I have posted them as demo to the openmoko kernel list.
Posted by Stefan Schmidt | Permanent link | File under: linux, openmoko, freelancer
Freerunner preparing for his second outer space trip
In May last year the Freerunner had its debut in outer space. The Mobile Rocket Base department of the German Aerospace Center launched a research rocket into the aerospace (140Km height). On board was the pictured Freerunner. Although the metal case you can see on the picture is new and was not used.
The mission of the rocket was to experiment with materials physics under conditions of weightlessness. The Freerunner had nothing to do with this experiments and was only on board to verify that it survives the launch, travel and landing. Battery, GSM and GPS antenna has been removed before launch. Everything survived. During the flight the accelerometers have been used to collect measurements.
In May this year it will enjoy its second trip into space. The case was designed and build to offer space for the Freerunner as well as an extension board connected to it. The board is connected to the debug board connector of the Freerunner which offers a SPI and an I2C bus. It was designed to hold different sensors the Freerunner does not offer and is equipped with a BMP085 pressure sensor and two gyroscopes. The Melexis MLX90609 and the Sensonor SAR100.
Over the next month I'll working on drivers for these two gyroscopes and after the flight we will see if the chips survived and if the data they had produced will show that they are good enough for further testing.
All in all this shows pretty nicely how an open device with available schematics, CAD files and hardware interfaces can serve together with an open software stack for vertical markets. Be it for research purpose like in this case or a crazy business idea on the other side. The fact that you have all resources to understand the electrical design as well as being able to make changes over the complete software stack brings you into the position to easily adapt it for your needs.
Some more picture with a higher resolution can be found here.
UPDATE: Fix typos and rewrite some parts so people have a chance to understand it.
Posted by Stefan Schmidt | Permanent link | File under: linux, openmoko, freelancer
Palm releases source code for the DSP bridge in the Palm Pre
Today I got informed that Palm has released the source code of the DSP bridge on the Palm Pre. This kernel module is used for communication with the DSP on the OMAP3 the Pre is based on.
It was written by TI and is available under the GPL elsewhere, but we heard that Palm did a lot modifications we would a) like to know about and b) having them available when recompiling the module to keep the original userspace working.
The only outstanding issue now from the kernel side is the wifi driver. The module itself states that it is licenced under the GPL, but Palm claims that they licenced it from Marvel under a proprietary licence and will change the module licence accordingly. If the module will still work then has to be seen. (Hint, it will not if the driver uses any EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL() symbols).
Anyway, its nice to see that at least one part is done now. Greg KH, Simon Busch, Harald Welte and myself have been in contact with Palm for this quite some time already for this issue.
Posted by Stefan Schmidt | Permanent link | File under: palm-pre
Linux support for Intel Corporation Turbo Memory Controller, ever?
Over a year ago I wrote a mail to LKML asking about Linux support for the turbo memory controller. All I got was silence.
It really should not be more then a NAND flash controller with the flash attached to it. I wonder what the problem is here. Neither the really active kernel hackers form the Intel Open Source Labs are giving any comment on it nor is any kind of documentation available for it. At least none that I was able to find.
I'm well aware that it is marketed as Windows Vista, and now Windows 7, only, but to be frank, its hardware. There is no technical limitation to write a driver for it.
Given that I heard once that Intel has a great rule in place that there needs to be a good reason if no GPL driver is available for Intel hardware I wonder what is the blocker here. If it is no technical reason it must be something else. A completely wild guess would be that Microsoft is paying for the exclusive rights and active harm of other systems. I thought we were behind such things. Anyone knows more and wants to enlighten me?
Posted by Stefan Schmidt | Permanent link | File under: Thinkpad X200s, linux
FOSS.IN 2009 is over
FOSS.IN 2009 is over and I'm sitting on the airport waiting for the first flight on my way home. Time for a small wrap-up.
Both of my talks went ok I think, but its always hard to judge on your own talks. People were asking questions directly after and also over the next days. This kind of interest is all you can ask for as a speaker. :)
It was not only my first FOSS.IN but also my first visit in India at all. A new country, a new culture and a lot of things I need to think about is all I can say about it right now. I like it thats sure.
The format of not only advocating on FOSS, but understanding and embracing it as well as the technology around it is something I could not agree more with. It is this kind of understanding which makes innovation possible. Think about technology and products not only the way the company selling it likes you to. Open up your mind and think how else it can be used for something better.
Let me finish with a big thank you for the complete FOSS.IN team. They did a great job in getting a high-class conference going and bringing people together to collaborate and inspire. Their hospitality and energy needs to be seen somewhere else.
Posted by Stefan Schmidt | Permanent link | File under: palm-pre, openmoko, events
Heading to FOSS.IN
Tomorrow I'm leaving for FOSS.IN, Bengaluru. Oman Air decided to squeeze in another stop between Frankfurt and Muscat means I have a 2.5h longer trip. But back to the topic.
I'm going there to participate. In contrast to other conferences you are not going there to consume a show prepared for you. You are going there to really participate, hack some code in the hackcenter, enrich the workouts with your energy to get something done, give a talk to motivate people and work with them.
This year they are also integrating the hacker mindset a bit more. This always have been near to the FOSS mindset but still different. Personally I welcome this step. The game like nature of the hacker mindset playing with technology in ways they have not been designed for opens up a complete new horizon for the FOSS community.
The only pity is that I won't see much from Bengaluru due to the day and night participation.
Posted by Stefan Schmidt | Permanent link | File under: events
9 days hacking on the Palm Pre
I got myself a Palm Pre as they started selling them in Germany. Turns out that we already hacking nine days on it now.
From a FSO perspective we set ourself the challenge to get a GSM voice call working with FSO within a month. Since then we have done a lot of research on different topics of the system.
Since the third day I'm running my own kernel on the device. Build from a 2.6.24 vanilla kernel with the patch from Palm applied. They are using standard uImages in a /boot partition directly on the eMMC card. Changing which kernel will be booted by default is as easy as changing a symlink. And for recovery you always have the bootloader which you can enter by holding down the volume up key when putting in the USB cable into a powered off device.
After this we spent most of the time oin researching how the communication with UMTS/GSM modem is working and how we need to handle the audio routing for different scenarios. It turns out that the Qualcomm modem is offers his service over a high speed UART to the OMAP3430 as well as over USB. The USB ports show up as ttyACM0 and ttyACM1, but there are plenty of changes in the kernel usb-acm driver which have not been investigated yet. The second acm port is used for diagnose purpose and we ignored him for now. The first port is what pppd connects to for the WAN connection. It speaks plain AT, but sadly does not report +CRING on incoming calls. So we mostly concentrated on the UART port. No luck on plain AT here. Its an own protocol which seems to be based rfc1662 (with HDLC). The research here is ongoing but we are able to strace the telephony daemon on the palm system to gather all bytes that flow from and to the UART. So far we have the packet end signature, esacpinf sequences, CRC16 checksum working and also discovered different sequences which should be sync, sync response, config, etc.
On the audio soide we also had some progress today. I was always looking for an ASoC or pulseaudio way the would switch to an actual call, but it turned out they do it completely different. Pulseaudio is used for different sinks where applications can put there sounds in which then may have different priorities. The lower layer for voice calls is actually handled in the twl4030 audio driver part in an "interesting" way. Over a sysfs file you can create so called scripts which then are hold inside a list in the driver and get executed when called up with the right script name being written into another sysfs file. Among these scripts are call_started and call_ended and more.
Posted by Stefan Schmidt | Permanent link | File under: palm-pre


text:
Faces of Cuba: The History and Culture of the Cuban People
Global Exchange Reality Tours has been contracted to arrange travel for the Faces of Cuba program offered by Chabot College and facilitated by Professor Rick Moniz.
The Faces of Cuba program coordinator and Historian Rick Moniz has three decades of experience in Cuba. Join him on this 26th trip to the island for a college course being offered by Chabot College that complies with all regulations.
Rick Moniz and Catherine Suarez (see www.semanacubana.org/) unfold the reality of today's Cuba. The group will explore contemporary challenges facing Cuba, while examining the rhythms of daily life: the arts, music, faith, film and literature, ecology and natural history and of course Cuban history. We will travel through and beyond Havana to Matanzas, Santa Clara and Camaguey.
Global Exchange is a licensed Travel Service Provider by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Participants will travel under the General License, unless other arrangements have been made.
Specific highlights will be provided by Rick upon registration
- Three to four-star hotel accommodations, two meals daily, in-country transportation w/AC and facilities
- Translation and all program fees
- The cost of the trip is $2995 plus the $75 application fee for the grand total above
- Price is based on double room accommodations; add $450 for single room
- Does NOT include airfare to/from Cuba, beverages, gratuities, travel insurance, personal expenditures, etc.
FIRST, please contact professor Rick Moniz at email@example.com to discuss enrollment in the class.
Once you have contacted Professor Moniz and and have been directed to enroll in the trip, please return to this page and complete the on-line application by clicking on the link below that says "sign up for this trip."
Once we receive your on-line application, your non-refundable deposit of $200 will be due. Payments by Mastercard, Visa and Discover are welcome. Deposits for this Cuba delegation is non-refundable unless the trip is canceled or if approved by the Professors.
Please note that there are a limited number of spaces available so if you are interested, please contact the professors as quickly as possible.
This trip will be as diverse as possible in terms of race, age and life experiences.
We specialize in creating customized Reality Tours that are educational, fun, and positively influence international affairs. Learn more about our customized travel options.