Re: [mh] Analogue and Digital Inputs

[Neil C. <nc...@co...>]

Jim Serack wrote:
> Matt,
> 
> I was just looking at this: http://store.qkits.com/moreinfo.cfm/VM110
> "The K8055 interface board has 5 digital input channels and 8 digital output
> channels. In addition, there are two analogue inputs and two analogue
> outputs with 8 bit resolution. The number of inputs/outputs can be further
> expanded by connecting more (up to a maximum of four) cards to the PC's USB
> connectors. All communication routines are contained in a Dynamic Link
> Library (DLL). You may write custom Windows (98SE, 2000, Me, XP)
> applications in Delphi, Visual Basic, C++ Builder or any other 32-bit
> Windows application development tool that supports calls to a DLL"
> 
> $69USD or $89CDN (from a Canadian company so no border hassles if you are in
> Canada)
> 
> It doesn't seem to have a linux driver - which would slow me down ...

Google is your friend but I'm a bit friendlier in this respect:

http://www.linuxha.com/athome/index.html#k8000

;-)

I've not used these boards.

> And "we" would have to write a mh module to talk to it ... 

I think there is a sample Libusb somewhere (I went looking and came
across it at some point). That of course is only the first part but
there are examples of people interfacing to digital I/O. I would
venture a guess that the Weeder boards have examples of both digital
and analog I/O.

> But it nicely covers the home automation needs 5 inputs, 8 out digital, and
> 2 each way analogue, two of the inputs have counters for fast events ... It
> connects via USB which is more convient for the modern PC's - like getting
> the power directly from the PC.

I'd be a bit nervous about that. I don't like depending on the USB for
power. Bad habit fro watching things burn traces up.

> The only thing I would worry about is isolation - long wires lightening
> strikes etc.

That is a problem if it's outside, lesser a problem inside (spikes can
still occur).

-- 
Linux Home Automation         Neil Cherry       nc...@li...
http://www.linuxha.com/                         Main site
http://linuxha.blogspot.com/                    My HA Blog
http://home.comcast.net/~ncherry/               Backup site