Brian's Home Page

During a software upgrade, my web server contents became unaccessable, I'm currently reconstructing the contents, until I'm finished, some links may be dead.

I'm on the west coast and I tend to leave instant messanger running even if I'm not at the computer so if I don't answer you, I'm probably just not there.

This is my home page. Here is a link to my professional resume in HTML, MS-Word and OpenDocumentFormat. This page contains links to things of interest to me and my family, as well as links to some of my Open Software projects.

For some time now there have been a number of hardware projects that I would have liked to have done but two things have stood in my way.  One is that PLD's and Gate Arrays have largely replaced 7400 series devices and the other is that small outline surface mount has replaced through hole 0.1" devices.   Both of these technologies typically have a pretty hefty cost of admission, in learning curve or equipment cost.

I have recently come across some possible solutions to these problems.  The first is while looking for a USB based oscilloscope that had Linux support ( I got one form here, a bitscope S50) I found Fpga4fun which had some affordable FPGA demo boards with some projects and tutorials.  The other was some web sites on soem low cost techniques for doing reflow soldering in prototyping quantities.  I have ordered some boards from Fga4fun.  I will continue to research prototyping reflow solder boards.

BTW, one of the neat things about bitscope is that they publish the complete hardware design of their main model.  Unfortunately they seem to be Pascal programmers, so the software library and examples the provide are not easy for a C programmer to figure out.  Though as they provide a pretty good 'scope/Logic Analyser/Spectrum Analyser so that is not a problem for me.

The Dlink DSM-G600 is a Linux based device designed to provide network storage, either through the addition of an IDE drive, or USB Storage.  I can also act as a WiFi Access Point.  I has sufficent options (170MHz PPC processor, mini PCI wireless adapter, Gigabit Ethernet interface a 2 USB ports) to be an interesting platform for a number of uses and I am working on producing custom firmware.  

This is the directory containing my current work on the DSM-G600.

Personal Telco is a Portland based grassroots effort which helps communities build alternative communication networks. By creating, packaging and disseminating Open Source tools, documentation and community support, we are building city wide wireless networks which are open to, and maintained by, the public.

I have built a wireless access point software distribution that has been used by some PTP nodes, called BeWitched. It is based on debian and runs from a readonly root filesystem, includes NoCat a the captive portal software.

I'm currently working on a busybox based firewall and access point with full build support as a sourceforge project though it's still in the early stages.

I have a Sharp Zaurus SL-5500, and a CF WiFi card (for wireless 802.11) that I have done a little work with.ls

Some wireless and Zaurus links:
Zaurus Webring
My Zaurus Sharps page for Zaurus owners
http://sf.net/projects/openzaurus/
http://opie.handhelds.org
http://opie.info/

Drivers for my Mustek VDC 3500 (compatible with Relisys Dimera 3500 and Trust DC3500).

This link will take you to a directory for software and information regarding my work with my i-opener and runing FreeBSD on it.

This link is the various plans for getting a building permit.

Linux has code and info related to the Linux Kernel and the usb/scanner module.

WRT54G has information and stuff related to the Lnksys wrt54g.

Page Last Updated August 11, 2007