Now that people have started receiving/using their uConsoles, I’m curious to see what they are being used for. I am betting there are fun and useful tools/apps/applications already being leveraged by the community.
So, what are you doing with your uConsole?
I’ll go first - I am a newbie to the space so right now I am just figuring out how to update the OS and install applications.
I have the R-01 module, at the moment just attempting to get it to work the way I want. Took awhile to get it to auto login to my account and not cpi. I have also started listing issues on the page where we get images. To be fair they did warn us it is a work in progress. Will likely switch to CM4 at some point as I know the RPI stuff much better.
The plan is to have something way more portable than a laptop when out in the coffee shops. Light weight programming and basically the usual take over the world type stuff.
I’m also very curious if you could try gqrx and an RTL-SDR (or similar) and see how it handles that!
Unlikely the R-01 module could handle any of that, it has a hard time with most things.
I ordered an A-06 unit, I’d like to think it’ll have enough power to run an SDR.
I think there has been some success with the A06 devterms there.
Software infancy aside, it’s also a single core @ 1Ghz max…
It’s more for development and engagement in the budding RISC ecosystem.
I’ve ran those on DevTerm A-06 … so I know the Clockwork pi hardware will support but those are processor heavy applications…
Does the wider screen ratio on the DevTerm work nicely to see a wider area on the waterfall?
yes it was a nice display - only issue is A06/screen locks up … so when I’m listening to radio and don’t keep the mouse moving screen locks… it still decodes! even while the screen locks up but on an external screen you can restart… also via ssh
That’s interesting… So was it locked up like the desktop environment actually crashed/froze after no mouse activity or screen locked like when the screen saver should come on and it wouldn’t come out of it?
The underlying OS is solid - when using an external monitor it’s good - but the screen itself doesn’t come out of sleep mode… so when I was running an SDR and listening to local radio - it continued to decode and a could adjust settings using hot keys but screen was blacked out… SSH or just a hard shutdown is the only to reboot…
Ohh ok, that’s interesting. So now did the DTerm screen blackout only happen when running gqrx? Or was it any time the display went to sleep after idle? I’ve had a similar experience on my desktop running fedora and a random window will lock up a monitor but I can still use the PC as you described.
anytime the screen is idle … so it’s a real aggravation since I’d like to set it aside type some then set it aside again… going to buy a mouse jiggler from Amazon and see if that keeps the screen from freezing!
Ok yeah that’d be extremely annoying! I wonder if that’s a bug or something? Almost like the display driver just goes to sleep and never powers on again.
@MHam68HC11 I’m really interested in trying out a sdr on the uConsole - any recommendations on where to start, research/guide wise? It sounds like you know what you’re doing with SDRs.
That’s a known problem with all the cores (maybe not R01?) DevTerm A06, A04, and CM4 all have the not resuming from sleep issue. And I guess the uConsole does too.
There was discussion about a possible community fix in November '22 (only for Arch Linux), but so far nothing official has been posted.
ill have to refernece my build notes on install - I used a simple sdr from amazon - for an antenna I used a ‘rubber’ ducky type - the DevTerm has an field ops mod where a bezzel is 3-d printed it holds the sdr and I have a right angle usb cable that makes it sweet. I’ll post some photos there are better SDR’s that could be mounted in a small case and with a longer usb cable would be more convenient - probably my next build . I mostly used it for local radio stations and checking our wireless mics at church - they are on the ~400 mhz range - I could pick out each mic and just listen to that mic. great for troubleshooting. I use Gqrx software on the DevTerm - but there is a more experimental one I run on my Toughbook - it allows decode algorithms to be developed in an IDE similar to lab view.
