Using the Microchip TCP/IP stack on Olimex SBCs

To build a web server application on an Olimex Ethernet SBC, you have to download the Olimex version of the Microchip TCP/IP stack and modify it. To get started with it, as a first step, I got rid of files that I don't need for implementing a web server. The Microchip stack uses a ~ variable embedded in HTML pages to serve your custom information on a web page.

Web front-end for an ethernet PIC SBC

I now have a basic web interface with a PIC SBC. It uses ajax to get simple text based information back and forth between the SBC and the browser. This blog looks at building the web front-end to interact with the SBC in a more user-friendly way.
With the limited resources of a PIC, it makes sense to move all the user interface logic to the browser. This will leave just the bare functions within the PIC while still having a reasonably rich UI. Nothing beats understanding a UI by trying it out. Use a dummy version of it to see how it works and study the associated HTML and javascript to explore its inner workings.

Web Interface for an ethernet based IR Interface

In the past few blogs, we looked at implementing an IR remote control interface on an ethernet SBC. We also looked at how records can be stored on the EEPROM on the SBC. Now we look at the web interface required to use the SBC as an IR remote control.

Implementing EEPROM Storage

In a previous blog, we looked at how you can store a bunch of records of varying types but all of fixed length in an EEPROM on an Olimex ethernet SBC. Now let us take a real world example, well, my world anyway, and store that in an EEPROM. As it is on an ethernet SBC, we will also write code to allow the records to be stored and received using a browser. The data to be stored is the IR signals required to control one or more audio or video components like TVs, DVD Players, etc.

Storing records on a PIC web server

In a previous blog, I looked at using the TCP/IP stack on an Olimex PIC SBC to implement a web server. In this blog, I look at storing and retrieving data on the EEPROM on the SBC. My data is a collection of records of different types. The SBC in use, the Olimex PIC-WEB SBC, uses an Atmel AT45DB011. This chip has its idiosyncrasies that the storage process takes advantage of.

From HDD to SSD - tuning the SSD

This is a summary of the steps to move from an HDD to an SSD based on what worked for me. To round it off, here are also some steps to be taken afterwards to tune your system better for an SSD.
My situation is as follows:

• The laptop is an HP Envy15-3012TX running Windows 7 Home Premium
• The disk uses a Dynamic MBR, complicating matters
• There are a few 'hidden' partitions holding the recovery software that need to be transferred as well
• The HDD (750GB) is much bigger than the SSD (250GB), which means partitions have to be shrunk and moved
• Recovery and repair disks are not available

From HDD to SSD - the mechanical bit

After the various attempts to clone my HDD to a new SDD worked, the next step was to physically pull out the HDD and install the SDD. This is an HP Envy15 (Model 15-3012TX) we are talking about. It is a bit weird - you actually need a Torx screwdriver just to change the battery. But when it comes to the HDD, it isn't too bad. The battery might be held with Torx T8 screws but all you need to pull out the HDD is a PH0 Phillips screwdriver.