Read contact closure from NB

[datadon]

Still waiting for that elusive plugin that will make it simple to read a contact closure in Neobook. Take a USB cable, select a pair of wires, run them to both sides of the normally open contact. When it closes the plugin records it and who knows what we can do with it then. Don't need any analog data, just on or off.

Lots of possible applications.

Any takers?

Thanks

[Neosoft Support]

Sounds possible. How much do you think we could charge for such a plug-in?

[datadon]

Well for me its priceless. But in the real world. $49. Not really sure. This would allow smartphone input to WiFi relays and other stuff.

[datadon]

A little more on this.

USB 2.0 only has 4 wires. USB 3.0 has 9 to my understanding. Having just one contact to read would be useful but being able to use 9 wires would be must more useful.

Then you could use various inputs to each wire to indicate different things. A common and 8 other inputs. So in my thinking it would be better to create a plugin around usb 3.0 than 2.0

So my request for a plugin like this would be to be able to read all 8 wires rarther than just one. Acually 2.0 could read 3 if all were used. Most relays boards can be had with 8 relays.

http://site.aleratec.com/blog/2011/10/06/usb-30/

Any other ideas or suggestions are requested.

[Neosoft Support]

What about a super port RS232 + USB combo plug-in?

[datadon]

Hmmm never heard of a Super Port. Google says it's pretty fast. By combo what do you mean, it would access a RS232 cable and a USB cable?

As far as I'm concerned, getting signals into the pc that can be read by NB is what I'm after. The more signals and faster the better. I know I can connect a USB without modification. And most of my use would be from a laptop so not sure what I would need to do there to get a Super Hemi port. A desktop would be pretty easy to fix up.

Sounds great to me but what do I know. I'm In!

Just looked a bit more and perhaps you are referring to a usb-rs232 converter. Does that give more options for inputs?

Thanks Dave

[DaveJ]

Hi Don,
Why not connect an Arduino Uno via usb and get 14 digital inputs, 6 analog inputs and a bunch of other logic. The only thing needed is a little very simple programming of the Arduino and it communicates via RS232.
http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardUno
I have already mentioned this to Dave and the need for RS232. This would open up all sorts of possibilities;
Some examples from AliExpress
pressure sensors http://www.aliexpress.com/item/High-Qua ... 37940.html,
RFID readers http://www.aliexpress.com/item/10set-MF ... 09262.html,
GSM modems http://www.aliexpress.com/item/GSM-GPRS ... 92647.html,
Barcode readers http://www.aliexpress.com/item/BS-S3-Us ... 13121.html
Bluetooth interface http://www.aliexpress.com/item/HC-06-Bl ... 40325.html

I am not advocating any of the example urls but just the indicative pricing.
Sending data to the serial port is as simple as ....Serial.print("Hello world.") gives "Hello world."

Most will work with the RS232 plugin from G Turner but some need Hex values which isnt currently supported. Let me know if you need any other info.
Good luck
Dave J

[datadon]

Hello DaveJ

Thanks for all the info. Good stuff. I messed with Arduino Uno about a year ago and got bit lost in the programming. Not that it is probably not easy but my old tired head needs some charging.

I still have it somewhere and think that type of interface would be great. What I do need however is something I can make things happen with my smartphone. I would imagine there are Arduino thingys that work that way also but I am not knowledgeable in that. I do know I can make it work with wifi relays and hence my request for simple contact closure reading. If I can get enough of them it would open a lot of possible things also. if contact 1 closes then this and if contact 1 and 3 closes than this etc. The more the merrier.

I think Raspberry Pi is doing something similar, and maybe some others as well. Good to hear from others on this.

I have always wanted an interface as you mentioned and still think a good idea. With the simplicity of NB and connections for I/O in the world, man it opens up lots of stuff. We could control the international space station with just a little more help.

[Neosoft Support]

I don't think there is anything called a "super port". I meant a "super plug-in" that would work with both RS232 and USB. I'm sure it could be done, but we would need to sell a number of copies to make it worthwhile.

[datadon]

I actually did find a super port for rs232 online. It seems to offer increased speed. Anyway, Not sure how to get you the info you need to proceed. I guess I can start a poll and see if we can get some takers. I don't know anything about your financials so I guess you would have to determine if it is worth while. Again, for me a simple contact input would be great, the more the better of course.

[DaveJ]

Count me in.
I'm sure there are lots more users that would like it although some may not realise it just yet like I once did.

[DaveJ]

Hi Don,
It occurred to me that your original question mentioned

USB 3.0 has 9 to my understanding

. The number of wires within the usb have no correlation on the number of usable switches you can have, these are all used for digital data transfer. You will still need a client device to do the communication with the host pc.

I would get your Arduino back out and do it via rs232. I mentioned to Dave that many devices are just USB to comm devices, If you connect your Arduino and then look into your device manager on the PC you will see the comm port used for communication.

I would be more than happy to help you pull the code together. I'm no Arduino expert but have had no problem using all the examples on the net and moving the code around.

All the best

Dave J

[datadon]

Hi DaveJ

I understand what you are saying. But I think you are thinking serial communication. I'm thinking parallel communication. Like in the old days we could do with the parallel printer ports like LPT2. That has gone away.

I'm thinking pretty basic. if you have two wires you put a voltage on 1 of them and wait for it to come through on the other one. When it does you have your signal.

I have got to have something that works with wifi so how will Arduino interface with that. Other than programming code that will work through the browser, I only know of wifi relays that will turn on and off a contact.

I could probably back that up to Arduino but that seems excessive. If NB could just read the hi and low of wires in usb or rs232 then it works for me.

I'll do some research on Arduino and Raspberry PI and see what I can find.

Thanks for you ideas and thoughts and offer of help. I may take you up on it yet.

Don

[datadon]

OK I found this

http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoWiFiShield

But I don't have a clue what to do with it. I stick it on top of my Arduino but how do I get my smartphone to contact it and send a signal to NB?

Seems pretty complicated to me but then again...........I would need a lot of hand holding for sure.

[datadon]

Ok maybe this has some uses. let me check it out.

http://www.amarino-toolkit.net/