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#11
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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