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From: mcmahan@netcom.UUCP (Dave Mc Mahan)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.m68k.pc
Subject: Re: "Real world" interfaces
Message-ID: <20820@netcom.UUCP>
Date: 14 Jan 91 03:27:36 GMT
References: <1991Jan12.104807.26069@canon.co.uk>
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 In a previous article, the poster writes:
>I have in mind a project which requires a "real world" interface, ie
>the ability to do things like switch on/off mains-powered devices,
>adjust the volume on an audio amplifier, fade up/down mains-powered
>lamps, etc.  All actions cued by time.
>
>I'm looking for suggestions re hardware, both computer and interface --
>the software I'd write myself.  (Suggestions of more appropriate
>newsgroups also welcome.)

Well, for the home market there is the X-10 interface.  It is a set of little
boxes that you plug each lamp, light, or radio into, and then you plug the
little box into the wall socket.  When you give a command to the box, it turns
the device on or off.  Each little box has it's own address.  There are devices
that allow you to access the system with your computer or with a dedicated hand
controller so you can turn on all your lights, TV, radio, and coffee maker from
your bed or turn them on at a given time.  For the home market, it pretty much
fills the bill.  It works by sending tone combinations from the controller out
over the wires in your house.  When a device sees the right tone combination to
make it function, it does.  These devices are available at Sears, RadioShack,
and other places.

If you are talking about industrial controllers, there are also solutions for
them too, but I don't know what size of device you want to control.  Sorry, but
if you thought you had a new idea, it's been done.



>Is the sort of interface I need commercially available for any common
>personal computer?  Or anything I could fairly easily adapt -- my
>hardware experience is limited to some simple, non PCB electronic
>construction, long ago, though for this I'm willing to do some
>relearning -- but probably short of making my own PCBs.

Just take a trip to RadioShack.  If you don't find what you need, ask around
in the misc.consumers.house newsgroup.  There are plenty of folks that have
detailed addresses, phone numbers, and other answers to all your questions on
the X-10 system.

    -dave


-- 
Dave McMahan                            mcmahan@netcom.uucp
					{apple,amdahl,claris}!netcom!mcmahan