well, i'm making slow progress. i got a relatively expensive voltage regulator circuit that just required external resistors in order to specify the output voltage: the trouble is that the accuracy required on a single variable resistor is far too low! so, i need to create a series of resistors so i can accurately set 380.godknowswhat ohms.... :)

but for now, the 3x 1.5 volt cells i'm using are so incapable of supplying enough current that it doesn't matter. i finally got that multimeter: when the device is switched on and connected to the internet as a 3G modem, the output voltage from the battery can be seen to slowly drop... by the time it gets to below 3 volts, the Telit modem can't stand it any longer and falls off the edge of the world.

so, i'll need to put the Ni-Cads in place, instead, and for _that_ i am _definitely_ going to get those resistors set up in parallel/series to create the right voltage!

in the mean-time, i'm wiring up the Digital Voice PCM and getting ready to connect it to the IGEP-v2. i've got the level converter (MAX3378) already sorted out. i _thought_ there was a way to power the UC-864-G side of the level converters without requiring a 2.6v power source: oops, it turns out that there isn't one... so, uhhn... i'm going to have to make one. that means either a resistor bridge or... well... i'm considering using one of the GPIO pins from the UC-864-G ho hum...

at least on the IGEP-v2 / BeagleBoard side, there's a 1.8v reference output available (which strictly speaking you shouldn't use, but hey...)