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computer log when external switch is flipped?



 
 
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  #11  
Old May 16th 09, 07:38 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware
John McGaw
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Posts: 732
Default computer log when external switch is flipped?

David Deley wrote:
How would I go about interfacing my computer to the outside world? I'm
wondering if there's a way I can log the date/time when my USPS mailbox
gets opened. Which eventually translates to I have a wire with a hi/low
voltage for the mailbox is open/closed -- how do I connect that wire to
the computer? What sort of input port is suitable for such a thing?

And of course I'll need some software. (I hope I don't have to write
another device driver. It's been many years since I did that kind of
programming. Someone else must have already written something. Someone
else is probably already logging when their mailbox door is open/closed.)


There are three or four products on the market which do the mailbox part of
the job for you. One example is:

http://www.heartlandamerica.com/brow...8&SC=WIY20001&

but if your mailbox is further away there are some more expensive units
which have more range.

As for getting the data into the computer, things are more difficult than
they used to be in DOS days where a program could do anything it wanted
with the hardware. The simplest thing might be to adapt some item which
already knows how to talk to the computer. I'd probably start my
experimentation with a cheap USB mouse. Converting the level from the
notification device might be simple or difficult but since there is a LED
driver in the device getting that to simulate a mouse click might involve
nothing more sophisticated than a optical coupler.

--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]
http://johnmcgaw.com
  #12  
Old May 17th 09, 07:18 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware
mike
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Posts: 2
Default computer log when external switch is flipped?

John McGaw wrote:
David Deley wrote:
How would I go about interfacing my computer to the outside world? I'm
wondering if there's a way I can log the date/time when my USPS
mailbox gets opened. Which eventually translates to I have a wire with
a hi/low voltage for the mailbox is open/closed -- how do I connect
that wire to the computer? What sort of input port is suitable for
such a thing?

And of course I'll need some software. (I hope I don't have to write
another device driver. It's been many years since I did that kind of
programming. Someone else must have already written something. Someone
else is probably already logging when their mailbox door is open/closed.)


There are three or four products on the market which do the mailbox part
of the job for you. One example is:

http://www.heartlandamerica.com/brow...8&SC=WIY20001&

but if your mailbox is further away there are some more expensive units
which have more range.

As for getting the data into the computer, things are more difficult
than they used to be in DOS days where a program could do anything it
wanted with the hardware. The simplest thing might be to adapt some item
which already knows how to talk to the computer. I'd probably start my
experimentation with a cheap USB mouse. Converting the level from the
notification device might be simple or difficult but since there is a
LED driver in the device getting that to simulate a mouse click might
involve nothing more sophisticated than a optical coupler.

point your webcam at a clock.
Hook your mailbox to the "take a snapshot" button on the webcam.
If you're worried about theft, point the webcam at the mailbox
and use a capture program that timestamps the pictures.
  #13  
Old May 19th 09, 12:33 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware
Peter Chant[_2_]
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Posts: 12
Default computer log when external switch is flipped?

CBFalconer wrote:


See the discussion of older computers in the "Memory chip question"
thread. Those things have everything you need.


Not necessarily, I think you were referring to having a parallel port
available, that was not the point I was making - I was not clear. In DOS
days direct access to the hardware was easy. NT onwards cut you off from
that for good reasons, but not useful if you have your own reasons for
directly accessing the hardware. I think linux had a special driver, I
played with it a long time back, to allow you to do direct IO.

--
http://www.petezilla.co.uk
  #14  
Old May 19th 09, 03:49 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware
CBFalconer
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Posts: 919
Default computer log when external switch is flipped?

Peter Chant wrote:
CBFalconer wrote:

See the discussion of older computers in the "Memory chip
question" thread. Those things have everything you need.


Not necessarily, I think you were referring to having a parallel
port available, that was not the point I was making - I was not
clear. In DOS days direct access to the hardware was easy. NT
onwards cut you off from that for good reasons, but not useful
if you have your own reasons for directly accessing the hardware.
I think linux had a special driver, I played with it a long time
back, to allow you to do direct IO.


I run W98 on this machine. No problem. Pick the OS for the job
you want it to do.

--
[mail]: Chuck F (cbfalconer at maineline dot net)
[page]: http://cbfalconer.home.att.net
Try the download section.


  #15  
Old May 21st 09, 12:29 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware
Peter Chant[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 12
Default computer log when external switch is flipped?

CBFalconer wrote:


I run W98 on this machine. No problem. Pick the OS for the job
you want it to do.


Well, in that case either dos or if you want it networked an embedded linux
system. Really can't see what an antique version of windows gives you.
However, in this case I'd say none at all. In the UK we tend not to have
US style mail boxes when mail is delivered but I could see that it might be
handy with the US system. Why not just an indicator light somewhere in the
house and a set / reset latch?

--
http://www.petezilla.co.uk
 




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