Read contact closure from NB

[DaveJ]

Hi Don,
You would use the Arduino to interface between the button and the PC.


The code is quite simple;

Code: Select all

// this constant won't change:
const int  buttonPin = 2;    // the pin that the pushbutton is attached to

// Variables will change:
int buttonState = 0;         // current state of the button
int lastButtonState = 0;     // previous state of the button

void setup() {
  // initialize the button pin as a input:
  pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT);

  // initialize serial communication:
  Serial.begin(9600);
}


void loop() {
  // read the pushbutton input pin:
  buttonState = digitalRead(buttonPin);

  // compare the buttonState to its previous state
  if (buttonState != lastButtonState) {

    if (buttonState == HIGH) {
      // if the current state is HIGH then the button
      // went from off to on:
      Serial.println("on");
    }
    else {
      // if the current state is LOW then the button
      // went from on to off:
      Serial.println("off");
    }
  }
  // save the current state as the last state,
  //for next time through the loop
  lastButtonState = buttonState;
 
}

At 9600 baud, the circuit will send a message of 'on' or 'off' when the button is pushed or released.
You just need to ask Neobook to read the serial port.

I would probably use the Arduino Nano as you can get them for less than $4 with a mini USB for power and data. Remember that theses devices are running at 16MHz so you should see no delay.

Dave J

[ebear]

Hello Don,

This can be done with a very simple electronic circuit and the existing plugin "gtRS232free7.nbp"
I use this already for two years for a ESD testing unit. For testing I have a simple button "on/off"

If interested I can sent you documentation how to do this.

Best regards,

Eric

[ebear]

Hello Dave,

I'm using the gtRS232free7.nbp plugin for these kind of things, but... there are some problems with it:

First, as I know, it isn't supported anymore....
Second it is only usable for usb with a RS-232 to USB converter

I'm doing a lot of stuff with arduino, Velleman and also custom made hardware, so it would be great to have a solid plugin for RS-232 and USB communication, and I would be fine to pay a 50.- USD for it.

Yet another idea, could we have on this forum a sub forum something like "Neobook and Hardware control" ????

Regards,

Eric

[datadon]

Ebear

Excellent idea. I concur. A new forum.

I would like you to send me anything you have on that plugin. You can send through this forum member contact.

Thanks
Don

[ebear]

Hello Don,

I will publish it on the forum tomorrow, need to draw the schematics (It' very simple). Maybe someone else can also take use of it. If you need only a on/off solution then I think my design is the most simple solution.
Agree with the Arduino solution its very flexible for a lot of things, but to use it only for a on/off solution it's to much...

Let hope that Dave really jumps in the RS232 / USB plugin, this would really open a new world , and also the "Neobook Hardware.... whatever" forum would be great.

Best regards,

Eric

[ebear]

Hello Don and all,

As promised I post the documentation for the "Simple ON/OFF RS-232" solution. The solution is usable for a RS-232 port, or via a RS-232 to USB cable via a USB port.
The plugin gtRS232free7.nbp is needed to use this sample.

A simple box is used with a few components:





Schematics:


RS-232 Connect pin-out (see also schematics):


Below my code. I use a loop because of my application but I think the code is simple and can be changed for your own needs...

Code: Select all

NBW Publication Source File
(C)2014 NeoSoft Corp.
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Button press in action:



I hope the instructions are understandable, otherwise let me know....

Regards,

Eric

[datadon]

Very cool! So if i hooked it up to a wifi relay (with contact closure from wifi signal) instead of the switch I should be able to get the same result.

I presume I could do the same thing with 8 different inputs from 8 relays? what would be needed to do that?

[ebear]

Hi Don,

This is a very simple solution for an ON/OFF. But please give me some more information what you exactly wants to do. If I read 8 relays etc, then I think you would really need something like Arduino.
But please tell more about your idea....

Regards,

Eric

[datadon]

I have different needs, probably like others. For one application the single input is good. But for others like gaming using a smartphone as input I would need to know which phone is sending the signal so a wifi relay does that, but to my knowledge you can only control one relay per phone. So for 8 phones i need 8 relays or inputs. The arduino is certainly a possibility also. I'm just learning how to make all these toys work together. I'm also working this from the script side as well. Just looking for best way to do it.

This probably all sounds pretty convoluted to those who know how to do these things so I just plug along and see if something clicks (lttle play on words there, plug clicks

[ebear]

Don,

Each phone has his own IP address on the WiFi router, isn't it possible to use the IP address to find out which phone is sending??? Only an idea....

Eric

[datadon]

You are absolutely right. That is how I do it when using the NB browser and writing to a mysql table. It records the imei number.

But with a wifi relay, it is just a contact so even though it knows that info there is not much for it to do with it but close the contact. In the eight relay board It gives me some possibility as each phone, using some form of id turns on a different relay and closes a different contact. Does that make any sense. What I really would like is a device that can externally to NB, read the phone id and then send an input to NB that identifies it as to which phone it is. Not being a php'er, I must rely on others for scripts to do this. If I had a device that would that and plugin into the pc and send a signal to NB I could do just fine with it inside NB.

[datadon]

Ebear

I didn't thank you all that great work you did in posting your project and pub. Thank you for that. It will be very useful.

Can you tell me where to get the plugin you referenced

gtRS232free7.nbp

Thanks
Don

[ebear]

Hello Don,

Here it is:

Http://www.fseg.eu/neobook/gtCommsv7.01.rar

Regards,

Eric

[dpayer]

Very cool stuff!

I've been reading more about arduino and RasperryPi recently and it is all so interesting but it is an area I do not have a lot of experience in. A forum here would be a good thing.

I suggest you write Dave @ Neosoft directly and request a new forum entry. He may not be reading this thread. I know he is open to any way NB could be promoted.

[frednet]

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

Don,
Take a look at this thread
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16774
I use this velleman board and the plugin mentioned to read contact closure. I use the thing to control an old analog sattelite dish.
the board velleman vm110 is readybuild and connects through usb.

Another option would be to use the one wire protocol. I managed to make a one wire interface to rs232 and to my big surprise it also works with a simple usb to serial converter which is very nice because most computers no longer have serial ports.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1-Wire
some examples that stils require some coding
http://www.hobby-boards.com/store/produ ... al-Counter

The most simple thing would be to use a gameport
http://www.neatinformation.com/technology/joystick.html
but finding the software to read it could be cumbersome.