Open Source Dive Computer

[victor]

Here is an interesting product for the IT techies.
HeinrichsWeikamp GbR

I Quote
"A dive computer, individually configurable according to personal needs and preferences? A dive computer for which every user can write his own program and distribute it for others to use?

That's what drives us!

Welcome to the engineering office HeinrichsWeikamp GbR. On the following pages, you'll find information on our new open-source dive computer (OSTC), you can discuss it with others and very soon, you will be able to place your order."

No prices yet but I am interested.

 

[divinglog]

Here a quote from the news site:

If the quality is according to our standards and the final tests in the pressure tank run smoothly, the first models of our dive computer will be available for sale in mid-November at the introductory price of 569€ (incl. 19% VAT and USB Interface). (Offer is valid until 1/1/2008.)

 

[philmayer]

Open-source obviously doesn't mean cheap!

 

[Tim Greaves]

Here is an interesting product for the IT techies.
HeinrichsWeikamp GbR

I Quote
"A dive computer, individually configurable according to personal needs and preferences? A dive computer for which every user can write his own program and distribute it for others to use?

That's what drives us!

Welcome to the engineering office HeinrichsWeikamp GbR. On the following pages, you'll find information on our new open-source dive computer (OSTC), you can discuss it with others and very soon, you will be able to place your order."

No prices yet but I am interested.

OMFG... You just made my day.. Finally..

 

[Tim Greaves]

I just got a response back from the manufactures of the computer.. They said that most of the hardware functions are written in Assembler and the decompression routines are written in C..

Im trying to get some of the code so I can get an idea of how flexable the unit is..

If they do open the entire hardware up then the possibilities of what you can do with this computer are endless... :bandsmlz:

 

[Tim Greaves]

The manufacturer cant give out the code yet for the computer since it isnt finished being translated into english just yet.. Im going to keep checking for it though..

 

[ScubaBase]

As a dealer for the BeNeLux countries I received from the manufacturer (engineering office HeinrichsWeikamp GbR) an OSTC software release 1.17 in order to get a look & feel. Together with the GNU General Public Lincense software JDiveLog (free dive logbook for Win, Linux & MacOS) I ran plenty of OSTC dive simulations. One of the fantastic features of the OSTC in combination with JDiveLog is the ability to replay existing profiles, not only on the PC-screen but in the OSTC as if the instrument was actually diving. I did several replays on the same dive profile (max. depth 46 m) to investigate the multi-gas behaviour and the gas switch feature. So I configured the OSTC with bottom gas air + normoxic trimix 20/35 and bailout/deco gasses EAN40 + EAN80 (the OSTC allows upto 5 gasses). All replays went smooth, manipulating the instrument was easy and the behaviour of the OSTC as expected.
The display is amazingly clear and bright. Many other dive computers work on changing background contrast and intensity resulting in grey characters on a grey background. Another innovation is the power source. The battery is replaced by a rechargable battery and replaceable. You can recharge the battery through the USB port (technically it is a serial interface) of you PC / laptop or by means of an USB recharger.
There is many more to say about this outstanding dive computer. You will find more detailed information and spec's on scubabase.eu. On these web pages you also find links to the home pages of HeinrichsWeikamp GbR and JDiveLog.

 

[OldNSalty]

an interesting idea...The screen is small and this line on their site worried me a bit. "This computer is: An experimental platform for all experienced divers that are interested in theory and attach great importance to maximal transparency as well as the possibility of individual adjustment"

Makes me think that you will be able to adjust the algorithm for gas loading. While I have no issues with programming, I'm not sure most SE understand the physiology enough to be able to 'tweak it' safely. I could be wrong.

 

[ScubaBase]

One does not have to know anything about the Bühlmann or the VPM decompression model to use a dive computer nor on which algorithm for example the DECIEM tables are based to use them (A small note: DECIEM is a serial model, Bühlmann is a parallell model).
The decompression software of the OSTC (release 1.17) is well tested, in practise, and compared to tables and computer models, as other manufacturers do. Did you ever wonder why your buddy, although almost the same dive profile, the same conservatism, the same decompression model and the same parameter settings regarding to that decompression model but using another brand of dive computer, has a significant different decompression scheme than yours. These differences can not be explained by the few feet/centimeters of deviation between the 2 dive profiles.
The release 1.17 is 100% Bühlmann which was/is for decades the absolute reference for recreational and professional diving. For many years the US-Navy tables, based on the Bühlmann decompression model were used all over the world.
You do not have to install a new release (except for bug fixes) if you are satisfied with your current release and you are not interested in new functionality. Moreover you can always re-install previous releases. Key issue is that it is for free, that you do not need the manufacturer for installation issues and that you decide which release you want to install (without the obligation of knowing something about decompression models or have profound knowledge about application programming).
The OSTC reflects the very same idea as Linux which once upon a time was an experimental platform. Linux is nowadays a solid key player in professional production areas and office backbones. People, even pro's, who install Linux one their servers/PC/laptops do not have to know anything about the implementation or how to compile the kernel. They install and use it.

 

[OldNSalty]

Perhaps I misunderstood what they are marketing ScubaBase. I took their comment about it being open source to mean, that like other open source projects, I can download the source code and screw with it-hopefully make it better but perhaps not. If this is the case, then somewhere in there is the code that is doing all that nice life saving calculations for me and someone could truly mess themselves up by changing something in that section.

If they are claiming that open source is simply free software updates then, well, I don't think that it is truly 'open source'