CardSat v0.9.17
Three operator-facing additions: a large-font operating readout, an adjustable
screen brightness, and opt-in accelerometer (tilt) tuning.
Hardware status. The readout and brightness controls are host-verified
(tokenizer-balanced, logic-checked) but have not been exercised on a device this
release. Tilt tuning is opt-in and ADV-only; its logic is host-tested with a
mocked IMU (the passband moves and clamps correctly), but the live sensor path
and the feel of the rate curve have not been confirmed on hardware — expect
to fine-tune the dead-zone and rate to taste.
Large-font operating readout (press z on Track)
A stripped-down, glanceable view for working a pass without squinting at the small
type. It shows the RX and TX frequencies in large digits, Az/El below
them, and a big LOS countdown — or an AOS countdown when the bird is below
the horizon, or ** WORKABLE ** when it's up. Small badges show RAD /
ROT (radio and rotator state), TILT if tilt tuning is armed, and the
transponder index.
The radio, rotator and Doppler tracking keep running exactly as on Track — this is
purely an alternate view of the same live session (the tracking service is gated on
whether radio/rotator output is on, not on which screen is showing). t (next
transponder), r (radio), o (rotator) and l (log a QSO) all work without
leaving the readout. Press z or ` to return to Track.
(Note: z was chosen because b and h are global hotkeys — screenshot and
help — and never reach the per-screen handlers.)
Screen brightness setting
The active backlight level is now adjustable under Settings → Station / display →
Brightness (,// in ~6% steps, with a live preview). It's saved with the rest
of the configuration and re-applied at boot and whenever the display wakes from the
sleep timeout. Previously the brightness was a fixed compile-time constant.
Accelerometer (tilt) tuning — opt-in, ADV only
The Cardputer ADV carries a motion sensor (the original Cardputer does not).
With Tilt tuning switched on under Settings → Station / display, you can roll
the device left/right to move through a linear transponder's passband instead of —
or alongside — the ,// keys.
It's deliberately a rate control rather than an absolute mapping, which is far
steadier to hold by hand: a gentle tilt nudges slowly for fine work, a firmer tilt
slews faster, and holding the device level holds the frequency. A few-degree
dead-zone around level keeps a hand-held device from drifting, the reading is
low-pass filtered to tame sensor noise, and the rate saturates past roughly 35°.
The feature is off by default and only acts on the Track and large-font
screens, in TUNE mode, on a linear bird; everywhere else it does nothing.
A TLT/TILT marker shows when it's armed, and you can flip it on/off mid-pass
with y on either screen without opening Settings. On a board without the
sensor the setting reads n/a (no IMU) and can't be enabled, so nothing changes
for original-Cardputer users. It's offered as an option, not a default — tilting
the device also moves your antenna and your eyes, so many operators will still
prefer the keys.
Notes
- All three are host-verified only; confirm on hardware before relying on them
during a pass. In particular the tilt rate curve (≈8 kHz/s at full tilt, ~7°
dead-zone) is a first guess and will likely want adjustment once you feel it on
a real ADV.