Silicon Chip ECG

finger to keyboard and composed:



Yes, although the software has one or two quirks. What's the problem?

- Franc Zabkar

There is no display on the graph. The red led flashes then the green led
flashes a few times, then nothing.

finger to keyboard and composed:



The software misbehaves until such time as an ECGSAMPL.cfg file is
created, after which it works flawlessly. If this file is subsequently
deleted (or renamed), the software plays up again. In my case the
reason this file was not being created was because I was closing the
application by clicking on the "X" in the top RH corner of the program
window instead of selecting File -> Exit.

I suggest that you configure your settings, then select File->Exit to
save your ECGSAMPL.cfg file. Then re-launch your program and all
should be well. I'm not certain, but you may also need to set the
VCP's flow control to None.



- Franc Zabkar

Thanks, will try what you suggested.
Also the other day in desperation I reprogrammed the pic chip in case that
was  the issue. Do you know what option need to be set when programming in
regards to
wachdog timer on/off
power up timer on/off
and what oscillator mode should it be set to.
Thanks

It's working fine after I tried what.you suggested. I was not closing the
app by file/exit.
I programmed the pic with watchdog timer off, powerup timer on, and HS
oscillator mode and seems to work ok.
 

finger to keyboard and composed:



I wrote to Silicon Chip about this problem in November of last year.
It took me a long time to find the solution but it appears that SC
didn't bother to pass the info on. Perhaps you could write to Leo
Simpson ...

- Franc Zabkar

That means that you have, in fact,  died.

geoff

I just bought one but haven't put it together yet.
Are you sure it only does a few seconds?
Isn't that a software issue ?

I'm going to be really p****d off if it does.

My understanding of it was a continuous monitoring of heart beat and I need
it for exactly that because I get irregular beats a couple of times during
the day
and need to have it connected for quite some time(hours) as one does not
know when it's
going to happen.

Any comment Frank?

Regards Paul.

finger to keyboard and composed:



Return it. You're going to be p****d off. The device stops after
collecting 8192 samples. That could be 4 seconds or 16 secs worth,
depending on the sample rate.



AFAIK Silicon Chip have decided not to release the VB source code, nor
the PIC source. This is unfortunate because a continuous monitoring
feature is mandatory IMO. At the very least one should be able to
record several minutes of readings even if they cannot be processed
and graphed in real time. Perhaps if all three of us wrote a letter to
Leo Simpson ...

- Franc Zabkar

What's the interface? Perhaps it wouldn't be too hard to
reverse engineer...

On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 07:42:58 +1100, Clifford Heath



I would be interested in having a look. I dont mind reverse
engineering and VB is piss easy to reverse!. PIC is not so easy.

Oh, ok. I actually meant if it's a parallel port interface, it
wouldn't be too hard to whack a logic analyser on it and record
some operations so you could work out what data is being sent
and received, so you could write a completely new program to
drive it. I.e. reverse engineer the interface, not the software.

The kit uses a USB to SERIAL module from Elexol.
http://www.elexol.com/Download/USBMODS.php

Oh, cool, even easier. Just need an RS232 T circuit that
feeds each end's transmissions into separate RS232 input
lines (e.g. two wired RS232 ports), and a simple program to
log the RS232 traffic.

I don't have one of the ECG units, as you can tell, but it
doesn't seem like it'd be hard to work out :-).

On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 17:24:50 +1100, Clifford Heath



I just did a similar job. Why wont SC release the source code?

will_get_back_to_you_on_ snipped-for-privacy@b.c says...


Because they are not really interested in educating their readers, but
more lining the pockets of their kit supplier mates.

The projects are trivial toys but the source code is treated like the be
all and end all of some magnificent highly engineered device.

Oh for the good ol days of the ETI 660 and Dream computers when these
magazine types were overflowing with source code.

I sent an unacknowledged letter to Leo Simpson many years ago bemoaning
the "security" device embedded into one of their $10 projects, a
temperature sensor from memory. For Christs sake, a toy but you were
expected to pay royalties to some author for some software that was
probably lifted from the application notes.

Ray

I just installed the app, no wonder they dont release source code.
Once can usually judge the quality of the code behind the application
simply by looking at the design itself. The app is absoloute rubbish.
They couldn't even change the installer directory from the default
"Project 1" name. The icon is the default MS VB icon..

Looking at the native code looks like the had the brains to change the
naming of the objects to something usefull though. The application is
quite small, so it should be easy to reverse..

On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 10:00:58 +1100, Clifford Heath



The PIC I/O is RS232 (Tx/Rx/CTS/RTS), but it communicates with the PC
via a serial-USB converter module internal to the ECG device. VB6
talks to the device via a virtual COM port driver.

Here is the relevant software:

VB program:
http://us1.webpublications.com.au/static/downloads/articles/103787_ECGCONTR.ZIP

Windows drivers for FTDI's FT8U100AX, FT8U232AM and FT8U245AM USB
controller:
http://us1.webpublications.com.au/static/downloads/articles/103787_r9052154.zip

PIC hex file:
http://us1.webpublications.com.au/static/downloads/articles/103787_ECGSAMPL.zip

I suspect that the following utility may be able to eavesdrop on the
virtual COM port.

Portmon for Windows v3.02:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/portmon.mspx

- Franc Zabkar

Thedre is no PIC source but hex file is about 35 lines long - that should be
easy to disassemble

Tom