[plug] sensors

[Adrian Chadd]

Its easy stuff, really.

* take one AVR board or PIC board
* write software to talk serial
* have the serial software accept a handful of commands, eg:

  - temperature on port X
  - report on inputs on device X
  - set output on device X
  - set byte on device X (all 8 bits), mask Y (so you can only set certain bits)
  - clear output on device X
  - inform me about changes to device X, mask Y (so you can be notified when
    a port changes, rather than continuously polling, which has its own issues)

Which really, can be done easily in <1000 lines of clean C.

Then its all about some RS232 comm code in UNIX, and that stuff is pretty simple.




Adrian

On Thu, Sep 20, 2007, Bret Busby wrote:
> On Wed, 19 Sep 2007, Patrick Coleman wrote:
> 
> >Subject: Re: [plug] sensors
> >
> >On 9/19/07, Adam Hewitt <ahewitt at skybridge.com.au> wrote:
> >>Despite the fact that I require these to be
> >>connected to a linux server for monitoring so they need to be linux
> >>compatible, I am aware that I am probably getting somewhat off topic...in
> >>that case please respond off list.
> >
> >Actually, I'd be interested in following this thread - if you could
> >move it to off-topic at plug.org.au instead I would appreciate it.
> >
> >
> 
> I don't know how others regard this discussion, but it is of interest to 
> me, and I would like to see it remain on the list.
> 
> Interfacing with Linux would, I expect, be quite pertinent to the list, 
> and, I believe that this particular application relates to monitoring 
> in-box or CPU temperatures, and I believe that that goes to Linux-based 
> system monitors (if I understand the required application correctly).
> 
> I expect that it could be extrapolated to the (I believe) previously 
> mentioned application of using a computer to monitor (and possibly 
> regulate, using airconditioning) temperatures of various rooms within a 
> house, thence being involvd in Linux-based "smart-house" software.
> 
> It all appears pretty much appropriate to the list, to me.
> 
> But then, I am just one individual, with my own perception of the 
> objectives of the list.
> 
> --
> Bret Busby
> Armadale
> West Australia
> ..............
> 
> "So once you do know what the question actually is,
>  you'll know what the answer means."
> - Deep Thought,
>   Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
>   "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
>   A Trilogy In Four Parts",
>   written by Douglas Adams,
>   published by Pan Books, 1992
> 
> ....................................................
> _______________________________________________
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