SVFIG
Saturday, December 19th

Third Saturday
at
Stanford University
Terman Engineering Center
Room 556


Terman Engineering Center can be found on these maps - just search for Terman: Google map or Searchable Stanford Campus Map

There is open parking on weekends. Park in any A or C or metered space.

Take the elevator to the 5th floor. Walk across the foyer and up the ramp just to the left of the glassed-in office. Room 556 is at the top of the ramp - entrance on the left.

Wireless Internet access is anticipated (though not guaranteed) at Stanford, so bring your wi-fi enabled laptop.


If you would like to have meeting announcements e-mailed to you, send the message Subscribe SVFIG Meeting Agenda to: George Perry


Meeting Agenda for December


09:50 --- Coffee and a Chat

10:00 --- Canaan Hymns Digitization Project - CH Ting
"I am working with the China Soul Foundation to digitize 1250 hymns know as Canaan Hymns which were written by a Chinese farm girl. The Foundation will post these hymns on its new web site on January 1, 2010. It will post the hymns with numeric music notations and MIDI accompaniment. I am using SimpMusic Font to present numeric music notations. It is a very interesting system and totally compatible with Forth. I will play a few hymns sung by the author, Lu Xiaomin, from DVD and discuss the work involved in this project."

11:48 --- Lunch
Is the Treehouse open? We might go to the Medical Center to eat, or maybe pizza, Togo's, or some local place.

13:00 --- Introductions, Announcements, Rumors, and Random Access

13:30 --- Lessons Learned from Forth Day 2009 - All Assembled
Provide your input and suggestions to make Forth Day 2010 better. Your emails are welcome if you can't come to the meeting.

14:30 --- Break

15:00 --- Digital Optical Transceiver Project - Samuel A. Falvo II
"Just last night, I completed the first link test - a continuous stream of '0' bits - with a user interface for the gathered telemetry written in Forth. Currently, the code's most interesting feature is its CRC-8-ATM calculation and the quasi-PPP-like framing. However, due to unforeseen problems in getting the USB link working correctly, it appears that I'll need to adopt a real HDLC interface to the PC. So far, I'm receiving zero errors on the link with the long loopy wires, but quite a number of errors on the USB link with its shielded cable and twisted pair core! I'm still confused about this behavior, but implementing proper connected-mode HDLC behavior will resolve this set-back."

"So, by the time the December SVFIG meeting rolls around, I should have a simplistic HDLC networking stack implemented in both the microcontroller and in ANSI Forth code."

16:00 --- Adjourn


How you can help SVFIG:

  • Bring your speaker and topic suggestions to every meeting!
  • Your input for and participation in next year's Forth Day is always welcomed.

Coming to SVFIG in January:

  • SVFIG Treasurer's Report - John Rible

  • Quantum Computing - Jack J. Woehr
    Presentation by telephone
    Jack's Quantum Computing Blog
    jwoehr -at- softwoehr.com

Coming to SVFIG:

Engineering TV
Fifty engineering topic channels, four new episodes per week.

Botbash 2000 Video
A cheapie video of a May 2000 robot rumble in Mesa, AZ.

WAV File and Soundcard I/O Software Using Win32Forth - Andy Korsak
This software was written for amateur radio applications. Andy has suggested that it might be useful to look at his code in advance of his talk. Contributions to this work-in-progress would be welcomed. You can download and view his sound card software on the Win32Forth group (membership required), or here.

Solicitations for presentations and assistance:

Mitch Bradley's Forth in C
A volunteer is needed to present and demonstrate this software.

PowerMops Forth for the Mac - Kevin Appert
Kevin Appert: "Mops is an open-source, full-featured, object-oriented stand-alone programming language for Mac OS X descended from the much-beloved NEON. I now have a working installation and when I know enough to do a good demo, I’ll be doing a talk. I’d be grateful for any help and advice from anyone familiar with PowerMOPS.”

PowerMops on SourceForge

Carbon Mac Forth - Kevin Appert
Kevin Appert: "Mac Forth was the first programming language used on the bench to bring up the Mac and the first programming language with Mac API available to the public. I have substantial interest in the current version, Carbon Mac Forth and I’m hoping to do what I can to promote it. I'm unable to contact Ward McFarland, the Carbon MacForth guy. If anybody knows a good way to buy a copy, please fill me in! His email appears full and he doesn't reply. The phone number is out of service, but the website is still up. I’m hoping that if Carbon Mac Forth is now an orphan, we can make all the source and executable available on our website.

Please indicate your interest for these topics:


If you have anything you'd like to talk about in December,
please contact Kevin Appert
.

Meeting Notes