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John Ackermann has created an 8-port RF Switching Board that will
be very useful for switching transverters and many other tasks in
the shack of a VHF/UHF/Microwave operator and experimenter. <br>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000">
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I have attached below a posting that he made to the openHPSDR
list announcing this. <br>
<br>
There is an excellent introductory video which he has placed
on YouTube at the URL he gives below, which I would rate as a
"must see". <br>
There is further information available on the TAPR webpage
whose URL is given below. <br>
<br>
There is additional information available in the assembly and
operation manual available at: <br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://tapr.org/%7En8ur/TASS/TASS_Manual.pdf"
data-mce-href="http://tapr.org/%7En8ur/TASS/TASS_Manual.pdf">http://tapr.org/~n8ur/TASS/TASS_Manual.pdf</a>
<br>
<br>
I waited to post this until I had placed my order[s], so that
I could be sure that some units would be available for me <br>
<br>
73, <br>
<br>
Roger Rehr <br>
W3SZ <br>
<br>
Here is the prior posting from John N8UR: <br>
<br>
***** High Performance Software Defined Radio Discussion List
***** <br>
<br>
A bit of shameless self-promotion, but hopefully of interest
to the <br>
HPSDR community. <br>
<br>
I've spent the last several months developing a
computer-controlled <br>
relay switch system. Some surplus switches I used in my time
and <br>
frequency lab started failing and I decided to design a more
modern <br>
replacement. <br>
<br>
I ended up with an 8 port switch board controlled by an
Arduino. I <br>
think it will have applications for hams as well as
time-nuts. Like <br>
virtually everything I do, it ended up as a TAPR kit. <br>
<br>
There's an introductory video at <br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://youtu.be/P-TUM2dOi4c"
data-mce-href="https://youtu.be/P-TUM2dOi4c">https://youtu.be/P-TUM2dOi4c</a>
<br>
<br>
The relay board kit is $119 and we have a shield for the
Arduino Mega <br>
2560 that can control 4 relay boards and costs $19. The
software is <br>
open source.The boards are now available from TAPR at <br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://tapr.org/kits_tass.html"
data-mce-href="http://tapr.org/kits_tass.html">http://tapr.org/kits_tass.html</a>
<br>
<br>
(BTW, I contribute my designs to TAPR and don't have any
financial <br>
interest in sales.) <br>
<br>
Here's the TAPR product announcement: <br>
<br>
==== <br>
Now Available: The TASS Computer-Controlled Switch System <br>
<br>
The TASS (Totally Awesome Switch System) is a general purpose
8 port <br>
DC-150 MHz relay-based switch. The hardware is designed to be
very <br>
generic, with an inexpensive processor such as an Arduino
providing the <br>
system logic. Control is via USB, with ethernet and other
interfaces <br>
also available. <br>
<br>
The TASS can be configured several ways, and multiple boards
can be <br>
combined to create large switching systems. The TASS has many
uses, from <br>
switching signal sources on a test bench or in a laboratory,
to <br>
selecting receive antennas and filters in a ham or SWL
station. <br>
<br>
The TASS system has two boards: <br>
<br>
* The TASS-R relay board, which does the mechanics of signal
switching <br>
and provides a very simple 10-pin interface. <br>
<br>
* The TASS-SHIELD board for use with an Arduino Mega 2560 <br>
microcontroller. The TASS-SHIELD allows up to four TASS-R
boards to be <br>
controlled simultaneously. <br>
<br>
Both boards are available now from TAPR as kits. They use
through-hole <br>
parts and don't require any special assembly techniques. <br>
<br>
The final component is open source software for the Arduino
that acts as <br>
an interface between a host computer or other input system,
and the <br>
switching hardware. The software is available for download
from TAPR. <br>
<br>
<br>
An introductory video is available at <br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://youtu.be/P-TUM2dOi4c"
data-mce-href="https://youtu.be/P-TUM2dOi4c">https://youtu.be/P-TUM2dOi4c</a>
<br>
<br>
or from TAPR at <br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://tapr.org/%7En8ur/TASS/TASS_Intro_26Sep15.mp4"
data-mce-href="http://tapr.org/%7En8ur/TASS/TASS_Intro_26Sep15.mp4">http://tapr.org/~n8ur/TASS/TASS_Intro_26Sep15.mp4</a>
<br>
<br>
Software and documentation can be downloaded from <br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://tapr.org/%7En8ur/TASS"
data-mce-href="http://tapr.org/%7En8ur/TASS">http://tapr.org/~n8ur/TASS</a>
<br>
<br>
You may order the TASS-R and TASS-SHIELD boards by visiting <br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://tapr.org/kits_tass.html"
data-mce-href="http://tapr.org/kits_tass.html">http://tapr.org/kits_tass.html</a><br
data-mce-bogus="1">
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