Not much to it, but really works!!
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Not much to it, but really works!!
Attachment 3830Attachment 3831
Look´s great!!! For what aplication is this board?
Seems too simple to be true!
This board is a general-purpose I/O board with 8 channels and a bi-directional RS232 (TTL level) port. The target is mostly for GA sims, since 8 pins is not much to work with. Currently it has limited support for outputs only, but we are working hard to get software released. I have test code on my sim using it to illuminate I/M/O marker indicators, etc. It's meant to be an open-source project for the sim community so the price is really low (about $20 USD) and you can also write your own software for it if you like that sort of thing. The capabilities when fully-coded are 8 pins for inputs or outputs and a bi-rectional RS232 port that can run at up to 57k. In my test code I send the long/lat to a serial VFD display, but you could send it to a GPS, or anything else.. use it to display radio frequencies, whatever. The board connects to a USB port, and is powered by the USB port. It is not meant to drive anything requiring more current than an LED (NO relays!), so if you want to drive heavier loads, use a driver transistor, opto-coupler, etc.
There is a small driver, and then a DLL you can use to turn on LEDs, read switches, etc. My code is in VB, but it could just as easily be C. I am waiting on darn IC sockets so I can finish assembling the units to send to the coders and beta testers. We should have some great looking code in a few short weeks, and I hope a useful interface for anyone needing it.
For people needing more outputs I continue to suggest the IOcards master card, BUT.... a version of the Igor Plug with 16 and then 24 pins is in the works, mostly targeted for folks that can't afford the more mainstream hardware interfaces. You can build this interface on perf-board for less than $10, that's how I built the first one for testing.
More to come!
Buddy
Hey Mongo,
Yes, it really is SO simple. I sent the guy that developed the original app note (Igor Cesko) a big thank-you email the other day. This project is taken directly from his work. He was kind enough to release his work to the open-source community, so I like to mention his name often. The larger version (more pins) is just as simple, just a slightly more capable microcontroller. I hope to have PCBs ready in a few weeks. Anyone wanting to start experimenting with the IP-8 should drop me a PM. I have enough boards on hand to supply 16 units as soon as the IC sockets come in. I could build without sockets, but if something goes wrong and the chip gets blown, it's just so much easier to send you a $3 chip in the mail then to send it back and forth for repair, plus if we make changes/improvements in the firmware we re-flash the chips and away you go.
If demand goes over that then the next batch of boards will be delivered in about 14 days. The next batch of boards will also be a little smaller, this one is about 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches, the next batch is something like 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches.
Buddy
Great job Buddy,
I'm following this project with interrest.