Meeting Summary
from: July 19th 2000 at 3:00pm 
with: Matt, Chanop, Chris, Peter, Alex, Sunil


Agenda
  • Review minutes from last week.
  • Undergraduate project status.
  • New undergraduate projects.
  • Review Chanop's test outline.
  • Battery pack use.


    • Review minutes

  • Matt and Peter to prepare a work proposal for porting the Camera Calibration software from Windows to VxWorks.
  • Chanop is currently using telnet to Kambara to get the control state information. Chris suggests expanding the Operator Interface to log the Telemetry Router messages at a faster rate to provide that functionality. Sunil will describe the work required in the next day or so.
  • Peter is still working on leak detection for the motor amplifier boxes.
  • Chanop will create a software interface spec for the Thruster Controller in his header files. These comments will appear in the project documentation HTML.
  • Peter has modified (as instructed by Chris) the PSU disable line to have the correct state when power is applied to the system.

    • Undergraduate project status
  • Undergraduates to add their thesis to the /home/sub/public_pdf directory and add an HTML link to them.
  • Peter and Jordan to prepare a work proposal for creating the State Estimator software module. The pressure sensor input needs to be added to the State Estimator.

    • New undergraduate projects
  • Terence's younger brother Justin is keen to continue working with the State Estimator.
  • All new undergraduates will approach the SysEng project team leaders for information.

    • Chanop's test outline
  • To be mailed to other team members when completed.

    • Battery pack use
  • Battery pack voltage should never drop below 20V. They could be losing hydrogen during recharge which suggests that they have been discharged too far.
  • Always turn off the PSU enable switch on the end cap when finished to avoid discharging half of the batteries by using the 12V line to keep the power relay closed unnecessarily.


    • New Action Items
  • Chanop to implement current limiting in software to avoid amplifier and motor damage. 10Amp limit initially.
  • Sunil or Ben to modify the Operator Interface to accept the new Telemetry Router message format.
  • Sunil to describe the OI change to make the Log button active.


    • Past Action Items - 12Jul00
  • Peter to modify the Pre-dive checklist with discussed changes.
  • Peter to create a shopping list for sub experiment in the pool. Rope bought.
  • Harley to acquire a battery voltmeter for each pack and attach the 12V PSU switch line to the second pack. Voltmeters bought.
  • Chanop to create a checklist and list of steps for the sub experiment. To be mailed to submariners.
  • Chanop to create a software interface document detailing the thruster control and status messages. Header file to contain the interface spec.
  • Peter to ensure that the ethernet connection in the shed is working. The current 100M switch port was not working. A new port is now used. There is a danger that the connection to outside of the building can become a lightning conductor. Optical isolation should be investigated if the new port stops working.


    • Past Action Items - June00
  • Jordan to write instructions for modifying and re-constructing his source code.
  • Chanop to implement overflow detection in his MC68332 controller software.
  • Test the new leak fix in the bottom tube.
  • Chanop to develop safety software to avoid damaging the motor circuitry.
  • Purchase vent for shed. Maybe the rust will beat us to it.
  • Paint new cart. Harley suggests using the air compressor and spray gun at the farm.



    • Next Meeting: 1500 Wednesday, July 26th
    Underwater Robotics Project at the ANU Robotic Systems Laboratory
    By Peter Brown, <pfb@syseng.anu.edu.au>
    Last modified: