Unistellar Industries, LLC

Month: February 2016

  • DVI

    More delays in getting the development machine up and running. The new card arrived yesterday but the DVI to VGA adapter I have won’t fit in the new DVI port! Turns out there are 4 different varieties!

    single-dvi[1] dual-dvi[1]

    What I had before was a Dual Link DVI-I which supported adapting to VGA since it was analog/digital… the Dual Link DVI-D is purely digital and therefore doesn’t support analog adaptation to VGA anymore! So now I am on the hunt for a super long Dual Link DVI-D cable.

    From what I am reading, the difference between Single and Dual Link has nothing to do with splitting into two discrete monitor signals – it has more to do with resolutions above HD requiring Dual Link.

  • Development Machine Woes

    A few weeks back I tried to open the Avionics code in VS 2015 but it won’t compile! So the only reason I am keeping a copy of VS 2013 installed is because of DirectX 10.

    directx12-windows10-logo[1]

    Earlier this week I did some research about the Windows SDK and DirectX 12 being available. I wanted to see how hard it would be to port the code over for the Avionics and Display programs but it turns out my desktop graphics adapter only supports up to DirectX 10 while the Dropship 6-head display card supports DirectX 11.

    14-127-931-01[1]
    MSI GeForce GT 710 DirectX 12 GT 710 1GD3H LP 1GB 64-Bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x 8 HDCP Ready Low Profile Video Card at Newegg
    DirectX 12 will allow you to use the feature set for DirectX 11 but not DirectX 10 so I bought a new graphics card (due here today) before I can run the samples for DirectX 12.

    We have a lot of new development in the works (mostly related to clouds and in-cloud effects) and there is no reason to write them for DirectX 10 if it is deprecated!

    Meanwhile, the old HDD that houses the Avionics code for the development desktop crashed! So that set me back an hour or two trying to pull everything down from the cloud and tracking down uncommitted changes that I hadn’t pushed to the cloud. I guess when the graphics card arrives I will be pulling more than the old graphics card out!

  • Ghost in the Machine?

    I received a text from the Dropship a few minutes ago:

    Screenshot_2016-02-25-19-08-45

    I added a check based on the load on the UPS to make sure I didn’t leave it on overnight again like I did once before. The weird thing is no one was in the Dropship today!

    2016-02-25 17:51:47.718 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 1.498000
    2016-02-25 17:51:47.718 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 89.000000
    2016-02-25 17:52:13.696 RakNet::RakNetMessageHandler ID_NEW_INCOMING_CONNECTION: 192.168.137.120|7475
    2016-02-25 17:52:48.267 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 1.680000
    2016-02-25 17:52:48.267 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 52.000000
    2016-02-25 17:53:51.081 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 1.911000
    2016-02-25 17:53:51.081 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 48.000000
    2016-02-25 17:54:51.423 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 112.000000
    2016-02-25 17:54:51.423 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 47.000000
    2016-02-25 17:55:52.652 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 113.000000
    2016-02-25 17:55:52.675 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 1.953000
    2016-02-25 17:56:33.791 InterfaceKit::SensorChangeHandler 721D4FC2-F13E-47B3-9A21-B7FE9A1C677C (3): 20.4°C 68.8°F
    2016-02-25 17:56:33.909 Real->FrameMove->Avionics Bay Temperature setState changed: 20.436401
    2016-02-25 17:56:54.978 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 46.000000
    2016-02-25 17:59:58.631 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 117.000000
    2016-02-25 17:59:58.631 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 1.911000
    2016-02-25 18:01:00.028 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 1.953000
    2016-02-25 18:02:02.097 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 114.000000
    2016-02-25 18:03:02.967 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 112.000000
    2016-02-25 18:03:02.967 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.044000
    2016-02-25 18:04:05.647 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 1.953000
    2016-02-25 18:06:09.025 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 45.000000
    2016-02-25 18:07:09.152 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.002000
    2016-02-25 18:07:09.152 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 46.000000
    2016-02-25 18:08:08.899 InterfaceKit::SensorChangeHandler 721D4FC2-F13E-47B3-9A21-B7FE9A1C677C (3): 21.1°C 70.0°F
    2016-02-25 18:08:08.972 Real->FrameMove->Avionics Bay Temperature setState changed: 21.103004
    2016-02-25 18:08:10.402 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 45.000000
    2016-02-25 18:09:12.684 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.044000
    2016-02-25 18:09:12.684 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 46.000000
    2016-02-25 18:11:16.196 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 1.953000
    2016-02-25 18:13:17.748 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 116.000000
    2016-02-25 18:13:17.748 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.002000
    2016-02-25 18:14:19.851 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 117.000000
    2016-02-25 18:14:19.851 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 1.953000
    2016-02-25 18:15:20.701 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 113.000000
    2016-02-25 18:16:23.374 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 112.000000
    2016-02-25 18:16:23.397 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.002000
    2016-02-25 18:16:23.397 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 45.000000
    2016-02-25 18:17:23.718 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.044000
    2016-02-25 18:18:25.139 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 1.953000
    2016-02-25 18:18:25.139 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 46.000000
    2016-02-25 18:22:31.100 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.002000
    2016-02-25 18:22:31.100 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 45.000000
    2016-02-25 18:23:32.668 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.044000
    2016-02-25 18:24:34.419 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.002000
    2016-02-25 18:25:35.658 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 116.000000
    2016-02-25 18:25:35.658 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 1.953000
    2016-02-25 18:25:35.682 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 46.000000
    2016-02-25 18:26:37.928 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 117.000000
    2016-02-25 18:26:37.928 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.044000
    2016-02-25 18:27:38.628 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 113.000000
    2016-02-25 18:27:38.628 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 1.953000
    2016-02-25 18:28:41.427 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 112.000000
    2016-02-25 18:28:41.427 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.044000
    2016-02-25 18:30:43.002 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.002000
    2016-02-25 18:31:45.270 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.044000
    2016-02-25 18:32:45.960 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.002000
    2016-02-25 18:33:26.184 InterfaceKit::SensorChangeHandler 721D4FC2-F13E-47B3-9A21-B7FE9A1C677C (3): 21.8°C 71.2°F
    2016-02-25 18:33:26.314 Real->FrameMove->Avionics Bay Temperature setState changed: 21.769600
    2016-02-25 18:33:48.787 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.044000
    2016-02-25 18:34:48.996 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.093000
    2016-02-25 18:35:50.406 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 117.000000
    2016-02-25 18:35:50.406 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 1.953000
    2016-02-25 18:36:52.346 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.044000
    2016-02-25 18:37:53.396 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 115.000000
    2016-02-25 18:37:53.396 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.002000
    2016-02-25 18:38:55.833 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 112.000000
    2016-02-25 18:38:55.833 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.044000
    2016-02-25 18:38:55.833 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 45.000000
    2016-02-25 18:39:56.363 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 46.000000
    2016-02-25 18:40:57.762 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.002000
    2016-02-25 18:43:00.776 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.044000
    2016-02-25 18:44:03.196 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.002000
    2016-02-25 18:44:03.196 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 45.000000
    2016-02-25 18:45:03.724 Real->FrameMove->APC Remaining Runtime setState changed: 46.000000
    2016-02-25 18:46:06.556 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.044000
    2016-02-25 18:47:06.910 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 2.002000
    2016-02-25 18:48:08.164 Real->FrameMove->APC Load Amperage setState changed: 1.953000
    2016-02-25 18:49:10.284 Real->FrameMove->Line Voltage Sensor setState changed: 117.000000
    2016-02-25 18:50:48.951 RakNet::SendEmail Sending message: Display computer ON?
    2016-02-25 18:50:48.951 RakNet::SendEmail Detached as asynchronous thread…
    2016-02-25 18:50:50.883 RakNet::AsyncEmailSender Sent successfully!

    I have logging wrapped around the keyboard commands which would trigger the computer to turn on… none of those appear today before I remoted into the machine. So the machine just turned itself on?

  • New Season Is Upon Us

    New rate structure

    Our insurance company lowered our property insurance premium by almost $1000 annually. That, in combination with a more aggressive schedule (114 billable hours) helped us lower our hourly rate to $127 (37% less than last year).  In addition, rather than charging a flat rate for travel within 25 miles we are doing a more realistic per-mile charge of $3.34 (the average gig is 10 miles from our dispatch location).

    Events

    We submitted our application for the 5th annual Maker Faire KC at Union Station towards the end of June.

    New scenario

    We expect to keep “Walk in the Park” as a great introductory flight – but we have begun conceptualizing “In the Pipe 5 by 5” as a drop from the farming tier through the clouds and landing down at the mining tier. We will be enhancing the graphics to include clouds, other vehicles, and the new farm structure. The motion will simulate turbulence in the cloud deck and the audio system will simulate varying degrees of precipitation outside.

    Cockpit interior

    The gunner station is still on the list from last year – as well as illuminating the buttons around the flight displays.