Shacktopus System Introduction


presented by

NOMADIC RESEARCH LABS
Applied Technomadics Since 1983


After two decades of building and traveling the US aboard geeked-out "technomadic systems" (Winnebiko, BEHEMOTH, Microship, & Bubba), Steve Roberts, N4RVE, decided to build a suite of essential communication and data collection tools into something small enough to throw into a backpack or sea bag... the ultimate in portable gizmology, not tied to a specific platform.

The result is Shacktopus, a fully integrated, remote-controlled ultra-portable communication system:  a self-powered and network-enabled "Shack To Go" with HF/VHF/UHF transceiver, automatic tuner, "sound card modes," rig control and contact logging, robot operator, headset and retractable CW key, Packet/APRS with internal GPS, environmental telemetry, Internet access and Wi-Fi bridging, intelligent Li-Ion power system with solar/auto/AC charging, speech synthesis, audio recording from any source, DTMF control from HT with voice response, laptop & PDA front end via Bluetooth, field-deployable free-standing antenna array from HF to 2.4 GHz, and an on-board security system with 3-axis accelerometer and audio/video monitoring...

...all in a sexy over-the-shoulder Tom Bihn messenger bag, with a separate lightweight pack for the free-standing antenna array and solar panel!

This is essentially a collection of high-performance products from a variety of vendors, all interfaced to the RigNexus control system that includes:
Shacktopus blends a huge range of resources into a single control environment that can be accessed locally, remotely via HT or cell phone with DTMF and voice response, through a Bluetooth connection from a PDA, or even using a browser.  The system takes care of all the dirty work... audio routing and level control, power conservation by switching resources on only when needed, data collection, keeping track of the battery subsystem, managing serial channels including HF rig control and packet, and monitoring security and system status. 

This translates into ease of use, despite some surprisingly complex behavior that results from anything being able to talk to anything under software control.  Among other things, Shacktopus lets you:
Send a command from your HT via simplex or repeater, and receive a clear synthesized voice report of environmental, power, and security sensors... or tell it to begin sending APRS tracking/telemetry. 

Plug in any available power source (solar, automotive, or AC), and the 95 watt-hour Lithium-Ion battery will make use of it... with the system able to report fuel gauge and over 30 other parameters. 

Log sensor variations while driving, bicycling, or kayaking... then produce a plot that shows everything from elevation changes to the worst moments of shock and vibration. 

Quickly set up an untethered "field day" station and enjoy automated voice or CW CQ, push-button contact logging, flexible audio filtering, instant recording of an interesting QSO, and relaxed operation with a graphic rig-control panel on your PDA instead of the complex multi-level menus on most HF rigs.
 
Stuff it into a sealed enclosure at sea and operate remotely, log in via Wi-Fi and peek out through a webcam or listen to live audio around the unit, or point the 2.4 GHz yagi at a distant hot spot and surf the web.
 
Run Airmail, PSK31, or other computer-supported modes without the usual clutter of a ham shack and full-size PC.
As this system flickered to life on the bench, we came to realize that there is nothing on the market even remotely like it... there's not even a product category for gear of this scale!  The initial plan was to strike out on another adventure with this highly mobile technomadic pack, but then we started getting inquiries... and realized that this needed to become a product.


Shacktopus "Product Line"

At this point, we are not shipping anything; we are still building the first unit... the one that is going in my pack and will be shown in photos here over the next few weeks. But we are planning to make the system available in a variety of flavors.  In general, you provide the ham radio gear, laptop or PDA, and other "external" hardware; Shacktopus ties it all together into an intelligent system.  Here's the current line-up of anticipated configurations:
Shacktopus Deluxe Suite:  This stand-alone shack-management system is based on the RigNexus board, which provides audio routing, DTMF decoder, Bluetooth, speech synthesizer and audio recorder, local LCD, headset support, and rig-control interface.  In addition, this model includes a 200 MHz ARM Linux board with 256 MB of Compact Flash, network-enabling the Shacktopus without any additional computers (it even accepts a low-cost bridge if you wish to add it to your wireless LAN).  Packaged in a desktop enclosure with a bank of screw-terminal I/O, this is designed to bring the diverse resources of your shack into a single control and audio environment.

Shacktopus Mobile Suite:  Almost identical to the Deluxe model above, this is designed for 12-volt operation in a vehicle.  With the range of available sensor options (including 3-axis accelerometer, temperature, humidity, and various tamper and access switches), this can allow your system to contact you in the case of theft, stream location-stamped telemetry via packet or wireless Internet, give you complete remote operations from an HT, and otherwise turn a mobile rig into a full-scale technomadic communications platform.

Shacktopus Ultralite:  For maximum "grab and go" functionality, this option provides all the resources of the other two, but includes an embedded 95 watt-hour Li-Ion smart battery system with full SMBUS interface.  Packaging is lightweight, and is designed to integrate into a backpack, kayak, bicycle, or other environment with limited space and power (aggressive resource management avoids burning milliwatts when not needed).  This is the one you want for extreme survival applications or "Field Day Anytime" - add a QRP rig and you're ready for an expedition!

Shacktopus Casemod:  If you already have a PC dedicated to rig management and communications, you certainly don't need to buy the extra Linux board that network-enables the three models above.  This version contains only the RigNexus board that does all the low-level processing and resource management, and is packaged in a standard enclosure that can slide into a standard 5.25-inch drive bay in a tower PC case.  Some internal cabling in the computer is required, but this can result in a very clean and well-integrated installation, with front-panel display and jog dial to allow direct interaction without firing up application software.

Bare RigNexus Board:  Why pay us to package a full system if you have a yen for tinkering, or if you want to do something that differs from our small collection of standard configurations?  The RigNexus board lets you manipulate 8 audio sources and sinks, collect data from 8 analog inputs, interact with 7 external serial devices, receive commands via DTMF from a nearby HT, issue high-quality voice responses locally or via radio, pass commands to a connected HF rig, notify you when various events occur, pipe any channel to an internal 15-minute audio recording buffer, and much more.  The code architecture is based on active objects and state machines, and a "patch editor" lets you create and edit behaviors from a PC.  Signal conditioning on all I/O reduces noise problems, and the board comes with extensive documentation... and enough hand-holding to get you started.

Anyverter Power System:  One of the primary design issues during development of our own Shacktopus implementation involved a high-capacity Lithium-Ion battery pack that could be charged from AC, automotive DC, or a solar panel... and deliver well-filtered voltages to the system.  We will offer this (along with various related components, including our new "Ideal Diode" for minimizing waste in solar installations) for folks interested in packing maximum power into minimum space.

Custom Systems:  The first unit is but one possible implementation of our core Shacktopus technology.  From a product perspective, it makes sense for us to focus on things that can be produced in quantity in order to keep costs sane, and we assume that most folks will take it from there and assemble systems with their own radios, TNCs, audio gear, interfaces, and so on.  But if you have a demanding integration problem (like the nav station of a sailboat, the panniers of a touring bicycle, or harsh-environment packaging for a wilderness expedition), let us quote on a complete turnkey system.  These will be built in our lab, fully tested, then delivered or installed to fit your requirements. We have spent over 20 years building our own successful bicycle and boat systems... perhaps we can put that experience to work for you.
Please keep an eye on the Shacktopus website for product details, pricing, news, documentation, demos, software, and contact information.