Master Caution/ Warning lights [Archive]

Trevor Hale

11-13-2008, 11:39 AM

It is unfortunate, as your simulator progresses further and further along, you will hit road blocks.

The biggest thing to remember about this hobby, is not how much money you spend, but how much fun you have doing it.

Everyone (including myself) realizes how expensive things like Project magenta are, however... what people don't realize is that Project Magenta doesn't charge so much money, just to be able to give you the same software that is available for free. You get what you pay for.

And if you want all those bells and whistles to work, unfortunately Project Magenta is the only way to ensure it ALL can work.

this is not the only road block you will run into, although this is quite a minor one. Don't let something like this discourage you. Ok!

The build must go on.

Trev

TasKiNG

11-13-2008, 02:30 PM

I had the same problem with my Learjet 45 Sim. The way to do this cheaply is to write a program that reads all of the sims parameters that you would require it to alert / caution on using the FSUIPC SDK.

Then program outputs on your Interface to drive the Warning and Caution LEDS. Your program also needs to read the status of a switch connected to the interfaces input to allow you to silence the alerts.

I use a Velleman K8055 interface which connects to the PC via a USB lead and is very easy to program ( details on my site ). The interface can be bought ready made or as a kit and has LED's, Variable resistors and switches on the board so you can easily test your programs without connecting it up to the MIPs lights / switches.

Have a look at this video of a Fuel Pump Failure to see it in action. You will see me silence the alerts at the end. Click Here (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.ault/lj45c_graphics/Eng2fail_hires.wmv)

Hope this helps

Peter Dowson

11-13-2008, 02:51 PM

I had the same problem with my Learjet 45 Sim. The way to do this cheaply is to write a program that reads all of the sims parameters that you would require it to alert / caution on using the FSUIPC SDK.

It seems not many folks have looked at it, yet, but this sort of application is pretty much what I thought would be one of the main uses of the recently-added "Lua plug-in" facilities, in both FSUIPC 3 and 4.

Lua is a free interpreted programming language and FSUIPC contains an interpreter for it. It comes with several powerful libraries built in, including maths and I/O facilities, and I added libraries for FSUIPC offset read/write, joystick button access, etc etc, and even event-based processing for efficiency.

Then program outputs on your Interface to drive the Warning and Caution LEDS. Your program also needs to read the status of a switch connected to the interfaces input to allow you to silence the alerts.As mentioned in the documentation for the Lua stuff I provide, or at least in the Announcement for this facility on my Support Forum, i am open to suggestions (and assistance) in increasing its usefulness by possibly adding libraries for popular hardware interfaces. Currently the I/O facilities are pretty much revolving around files.

Regards

Pete

AndyT

11-13-2008, 03:17 PM

Pete,

That is great news! This is the first I've heard of Lua. It sounds like a perfect interface solution. Is it possible to add phidget capability to it? Or have you already done that? As much as Alan has done for us with phidgets, I know it would be great if we had an additional option for it.

I'm off to find and read the docs for Lua!

Peter Dowson

11-13-2008, 03:30 PM

Is it possible to add phidget capability to it? Or have you already done that?

There are no specific hardware interfaces there yet, just a generic I/O programming capability. I was waiting for some feedback, but it seems i'm adding the facilities to FSUIPC too "quetly" as, despite Announcements on my Forum with nearly 300 folks reading it, no one has even asked a question about it yet, let alone commented or made any requests!

I really am totally ignorant about stuff like Phidgets and would need more info, possibly help, to add specific support, but i'm sure it could be done easily enough even if it means me buying a sample to check.

I'm off to find and read the docs for Lua!
Currently it's the Announcement on my Forum. That also points to the Lua website where you can get the language assistance (it is all free but they ask serious folks to buy the books ... I did, of course, but all the info is there anyway).

Lua was added to interim versions of FSUIPC4 (first) then FSUIPC3 over the last three months. Tomorrow I'm releasing FSUIPC 4.40 and 3.85 and the FSUIPC Lua documentation will be part of the package then.

Regards

Pete

Padraig

11-13-2008, 04:05 PM

Tomorrow I'm releasing FSUIPC 4.40 and 3.85 and the FSUIPC Lua documentation will be part of the package then.

Regards

Pete

This is good news Pete, this has come across my mind for future hardware implementation for more advanced interfacing. I know you stated, that this is in the early stages, but clearly there is alot of what you can do already with this. I have seen these used in a lot in areas from, FPS games to simulators etc.

Looking forward to the update.

Peter Dowson

11-13-2008, 07:57 PM

Looking forward to the update.

The interim versions of FSUIPC on my Support Forum have included Lua plugin support for weeks, now. Tomorrow is merely the 'official' release.

Unfortunately Enrico Schiratti is not accessible at present and apparently he's the only one who can update his "Dowson" page, so my release tomorrow looks like being confined to the Downloads Announcements on my Forum.

I'm actually preparing the uploads now, so they'll be there in an hour or two (it'll be tomorrow here in a couple of minutes:-) ).

For Phidgets and other hardware support, where such is needed, I'm going to be a little dependent on pointers and other input. I have none of that sort of equipment here. I used to have EPIC stuff (and of course I've supported EPIC directly for some time), but nowadays all my gear is PFC.

Regards

Pete

AndyT

11-13-2008, 08:43 PM

Alan Dyer is the goto guy for phidgets.
Also, you can get the APIs and other goodies for them here:
http://www.phidgets.com/downloads.php?os_id=1

Peter Dowson

11-13-2008, 09:10 PM

Alan Dyer is the goto guy for phidgets.
Also, you can get the APIs and other goodies for them here:
http://www.phidgets.com/downloads.php?os_id=1

Wow! there's a lot there. It isn't just one board then ... loads of different things. I was hoping, maybe, to get one cheap board to test out ideas with. It isn't as if i'm really building anything.

What would you recommend?

Regards

Pete

AndyT

11-13-2008, 09:16 PM

Well, I was actually thinking that perhaps you might be able to interface the existing library to Lua somehow. That way, it saves you loads of work and gets an entire line of interfaces up and running that much quicker.
The official library is on the first page I sent you to.

If that isn't going to happen, then I'd personally go with the triple 8, the servo controller and the text led ones. Those are the ones I use and the triple 8 is very popular with builders.

Peter Dowson

11-13-2008, 09:25 PM

Well, I was actually thinking that perhaps you might be able to interface the existing library to Lua somehow. That way, it saves you loads of work and gets an entire line of interfaces up and running that much quicker.

Yes, That's certainly the sort of thing I would do -- provided it will run inside the FS process (all of the Lua plug-ins run in their own threads, but as part of the FS process -- good use of multi-core processors though! ;-) ).

It's just that i don't like to do things blind. All the hardware I've ever supported I've seen working with my programs. I could probably get you nice people here to do the testing, but it isn't quite the same ...

I'd personally go with the triple 8, the servo controller and the text led ones. Those are the ones I use and the triple 8 is very popular with builders.

Sounds expensive for someone not intending to actually use them, especially with stuff connected like servos. I can connect buttons and switches and LEDs, if the baords aren't too expensive. There's power supplies too I suppose -- not all neatly powered from USB I assume?

I'll look at the programming first. If the library will run inside FS9 and FSX, and the interfacing is easy enough, I'll let someone else do the testing.

Regards

Pete

AndyT

11-13-2008, 09:27 PM

Knowing the type of member we have here, I doubt you will have trouble finding testers.
The majority of it runs on USB power.

gokhotit

11-14-2008, 02:08 AM

I strictly use phidgets with my sim. MAkes it more modular, and thanks to Alan Dyer, makes it very easy to use. I have zero programming knowledge, so I do not know where to even begin to write a program to control the lights.

Problem 2: I am trying to keep my sim generic, so what might be a caution on one plane is not on another. I guess that is kind of a give and take type of thing.

Kennair

11-14-2008, 02:29 AM

Lua looks like a real godsend for those of us without PM or the kinds of aircraft that aren't supported by such suites. I'll definitely be giving this a go with my Opencockpits cards.

As for your dillemma gokhotit, I wouldn't stress too much as the Master/Caution switches/lights are a very common requirement for all builders, and given the prevalence of Phidgets, it won't take too long for a lua script to appear. You are correct though, it will be aircraft specific. It's just a consequence of greater complexity in your pit, you eventually have to steer away from the generic nature and decide on a particular craft. Unless of course you want to design separate scripts for each aircraft.

Anything's possible.

Ken.

Ken.

Peter Dowson

11-14-2008, 06:36 AM

I strictly use phidgets with my sim. MAkes it more modular, and thanks to Alan Dyer, makes it very easy to use. I have zero programming knowledge, so I do not know where to even begin to write a program to control the lights.

So, I'm confused now. It has been suggested here that all I need to do for Phidgets users is add access to the Phidgets library into my Lua plug-in facility. I've looked at the interface library, and it consists of a huge array of possible calls and callbacks. Pretty touch programming expecialy for non-programmers.

So how do you drive your Phidgets with no programming?

Before trying to support any specific hardware withing FSUIPC, whether with Lua or not, I need to get a feel for how it is really used, by real people. Unfortunately the stuff on the Phidgets website doesn't really tell me that. It just provides interfaces in lots of different programming langiages in very programmer-oriented kits.

Here's where I need assistance. What do folks DO with Phidget cards? Do they actually write programs for them? Are they all really writing C, VB, or other language programs?

Regards

Pete

Peter Dowson

11-14-2008, 06:42 AM

Lua looks like a real godsend for those of us without PM or the kinds of aircraft that aren't supported by such suites. I'll definitely be giving this a go with my Opencockpits cards.

Are Opencockpits cards based on Phidgets, too, or another library and complete set of programming APIs?

How would you expect to "give it a go"?

Looking briefly at the Phidgets library, as asked, it isn't trivial, but a huge array of possible calls and callbacks, all of which would have to be made conditional at run time (I'm not building all these sundry libraries into FSUIPC as an overhead for every user -- so they have to be optional DLLs, loaded when needed).

And then to use it seems to need a programmer in any case.

I'm obviously missing something. I expected something more on the lines of the Windows joystick APIs or possibly Goflight's APIs, where I could provide simplified Lua access. I should be able to do such wrappers on the Phidgets library, but it is so vast I don't know where to start. I need to know how folks actually use it.

Regards

Pete

AndyT

11-14-2008, 06:47 AM

Pete,

Alan Dyer wrote a phidgets software interface designed for flight sims. Its called FS2Phidget and you can download it here from the file library. Its a great utility for those that do not have a clue how to program.

Personally I have a bit of trouble with it because I'm the kind that needs solid examples that teach me 'how to' and then I can go from there. Alan's software lacks that where Lua has it as a part of its basic documentation. I know how to write in C#, a myriad of BASIC versions, LOGO, RPG, COBOL, FORTRAN, Man1, 6808, 8800, Z80... You get the picture. But for some reason the operation of FS2Phidgets escapes me. But that's just me.

Anyway, I was thinking that if FSUIPC had some direct support for phidgets it would make it easier to use them.

Yeah, I know. I'm headed off the deep end here...

Peter Dowson

11-14-2008, 07:06 AM

Alan Dyer wrote a phidgets software interface designed for flight sims. Its called FS2Phidget and you can download it here from the file library. Its a great utility for those that do not have a clue how to program.

Right. So really Lua support for Phidgets isn't needed? Or are you saying Lua should somehow link to FS2Phidget? I'm getting more confused than ever I'm afraid.

Anyway, I was thinking that if FSUIPC had some direct support for phidgets it would make it easier to use them.

Yes, but the whole library? Have you really looked at the API? The C header alone contains declarations for 269 (269!) functions and callbacks!

I need to know what folks do with it before I can design an easier-to-use library set for Lua plugins.

It looks like i might also need to write a DLL to wrap up its LIB file. I don't want the static-linked library permanently built into every copy of FSUIPC. Once I start down that route there's no end in sight. I need to make it like the GoFlight system, where GFDev.dLL is loaded if present.

Regards

Pete

AndyT

11-14-2008, 07:11 AM

Not every item in the phidget library is used in cockpit building.
For example, The RFID devices really do not have a place in the cockpit at this time. Maybe down the line they might be really useful for something.

The most common phidgets are the following boards;
LED-64, '0/16/16', '0/0/4', '0/0/8', '8/8/8', servo and motor controllers, and the 'text LED/8/8/8' boards. these are the ones you are most likely to encounter in a sim.

Each digit of the board identifiers has a meaning.
Ex: '8/8/8'
8 Analog Inputs
8 Digital inputs
8 Digital outputs

So you can see the hardware is very flexible in how it is used. Each input can be programmed to have various responses via the software. The phidgets company provides a few examples of applications written in various languages for the programmers among us but in our case we need specialized functions available to us for our programming various systems in various planes. And having them modular so that one is only called if that aircraft requires it would add to its overall appeal and usefullness.

Obviously you do not need a basic primer on programming, but I tried to answer your questions in your post and provide a bit of insight to it as well.

AndyT

11-14-2008, 07:19 AM

Another note:

Alan did a masterful job of writing the utility FS2Phidget, but it's always been my experience that a single program even modular is faster than running two programs.

I would rather run FSUIPC and not have to use FS2Phidget at all. It would cut down on the overhead and reduce CPU ticks needed.

Alan,

My friend, I hope you understand what I'm saying here and do not take offense because there is none intended! You have done a fab job of creating what you did, I'm just the kind where I'm always looking to possibly better something, and hey, if I'm wrong (happens more as I age...) then by golly I'm wrong. I can live with that.

Pete,

Yes, the obvious answer here is that I need to have someone teach me Alan's software in baby steps, but this idea came to me and I wanted to see where it went. If I can just plug in a phidget and program it like I do other buttons in FSUIPC, then to me that is an improvement. For any additional programming, the Lua would be used, or possibly Alan's utility.

fweinrebe

11-14-2008, 07:23 AM

I can't see why you need any programming for the Master Caution and Warning to work. It can be done electronically alone.

If a red annunciator is illuminated then flash the Master Warning light and do so until the button is pressed. This can be achieved by some basic Logical circuits. Same with Master Caution.

AndyT

11-14-2008, 07:28 AM

Fritz,
Very true. But using those simple logics with Lua would allow you to virtually write your own version of PM. And with enough of us writing snippets for our planes we would fairly quickly have our own version of PM that is custom designed in modular format to do whatever we need for our sims.

And hardware would not matter since it would all be supported by its own library making it compatible with the basic Lua modules.

Not to mention the price! (Sorry Enrico, but I, like many, simply can not afford to use your stuff...)

fweinrebe

11-14-2008, 07:39 AM

Fritz,
And with enough of us writing snippets for our planes we would fairly quickly have our own version of PM that is custom designed in modular format to do whatever we need for our sims.

I'm sold to the idea of contributing towards a shared library.

I'm already designing my own gauges anyway with C# and FSPUIC, because there is none available for my sim. I will look into Lua as well.

Peter Dowson

11-14-2008, 09:06 AM

If I can just plug in a phidget and program it like I do other buttons in FSUIPC, then to me that is an improvement.

Well, I did that for GoFlight as, at the time, I had some GoFlight gear. Getting motivated to do something completely blind is not so easy, especially when it looks like a lot (I mean a *lot*) of studying is needed first to extract the probable little bits I would actually need.

For any additional programming, the Lua would be used, or possibly Alan's utility.

I suspect I would do the first bit via a simple Lua read device / set virtual button loop in any case. It is just extracting what is needed for the "read device" part which I am faced with and 269 (or whatever) APIs isn't a good thing to face initially.

If there are simple button-switch / pot / LED examples, just the bare minimum needed, and if I can find them, I'll see what I can do. At present I've downloaded too much for me to read at present -- I have to do other things as well, you see. And the Phidgets documentation looks like it isn't a nice DOC or PDF but a damned series of HTML pages, making it so much more laborious (and difficult) to print (I don't learn reading on screen). So I'm thinking, maybe, of shelving it till someone can point out basic examples.

Do you know the original Windows joystick API at all? Really dead simple, but very effective, at least for inputs (obviously a different interface would apply to outputs). All you needed to do was make one call for each device: "joyGetPosEx", and you'd get back a fixed well-defined structure giving the current state of every switch, every axis, every POV. So simple, so fast. I use it still. Then came DirectInput ... now everyone seems to want to compete with Microsoft in the bloatware stakes! :-(

From your previous message:

Not every item in the phidget library is used in cockpit building.
For example, The RFID devices really do not have a place in the cockpit at this time. Maybe down the line they might be really useful for something.

No idea what "RFID" means at present (Radio Frequency ...?), but maybe I can cross off a few of the APIs if they contain that acronym?

The most common phidgets are the following boards;
LED-64, '0/16/16', '0/0/4', '0/0/8', '8/8/8', servo and motor controllers, and the 'text LED/8/8/8' boards. these are the ones you are most likely to encounter in a sim.

Does knowing that help narrow down the APIs? Are they all associated with one piece of hardware or another? Am I down to 200, 100, or a preferable 16 yet? ;-)

Each digit of the board identifiers has a meaning.

Yes, I did gather that from browsing Phidgets products web site before I decided that I didn't want to buy any if I could help it.

Regards

Pete

Peter Dowson

11-14-2008, 12:10 PM

Not every item in the phidget library is used in cockpit building.
For example, The RFID devices really do not have a place in the cockpit at this time. Maybe down the line they might be really useful for something.

Okay. i'm just browsing through the Phidgets documentation, and they classify devices as follows:

Phidget Accelerometer (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidaccel.html)
Phidget Advanced Servo (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidadvservo.html)
Phidget Encoder (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidenc.html)
Phidget InterfaceKit (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidifkit.html)
Phidget LED (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidled.html)
Phidget Motor Control (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidmotorcontrol.html)
Phidget PH Sensor (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidph.html)
Phidget RFID (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidrfid.html)
Phidget Servo (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidservo.html)
Phidget Stepper (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidstepper.html)
Phidget Temperature Sensor (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidtemp.html)
Phidget TextLCD (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidtextlcd.html)
Phidget TextLED (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidtextled.html)
Phidget Weight Sensor (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidweight.html)

Now, you say "The most common phidgets are the following boards;
LED-64, '0/16/16', '0/0/4', '0/0/8', '8/8/8', servo and motor controllers, and the 'text LED/8/8/8' boards."

So, which are they, above? I assume these

LED, Text LED, Servo, Motor Control

cover the equivalents of some of your list, but which ones deal with analogue/pot inputs and switches/buttons? the "encoder"? And is "advanced servo" needed? What about "stepper"?

I just want some way of narrowing down what I have to look at.

I've not yet found any actual examples. I'd want them in C. Any pointers there? I mean ones relevant to what folks would do under FS. Do you have any?

I also see that Phidgets operations can be done remotely, over the network. Presumably if that is supported WideClient wouldn't need Phidgets support. Is this something you think is used, with Phidgets, or are they generally all on the FS PC?

Best Regards

Pete

AndyT

11-14-2008, 03:02 PM

Phidget Accelerometer (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidaccel.html)
Not needed
Phidget Advanced Servo (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidadvservo.html)
Servo and motor controllers, Can be used
Phidget Encoder (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidenc.html)
Standard encoder sold by Phidgets
Phidget InterfaceKit (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidifkit.html)
These are the analog/digital in/out boards
Phidget LED (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidled.html)
Text LED/LCD units that can be used
Phidget Motor Control (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidmotorcontrol.html)
Same as above servo & motor controllers
Phidget PH Sensor (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidph.html)
Not needed
Phidget RFID (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidrfid.html)
Mot needed (Radio Freq Ident. The ID chips you put in your dog...)
Phidget Servo (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidservo.html)
Standard servo sold by Phidgets
Phidget Stepper (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidstepper.html)
Standard stepper motor sold by Phidgets
Phidget Temperature Sensor (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidtemp.html)
Not needed
Phidget TextLCD (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidtextlcd.html)
Can be used
Phidget TextLED (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidtextled.html)
Can be used
Phidget Weight Sensor (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidweight.html)
Not needed but could be used for a motion platform's weight and balance calculations

I've not yet found any actual examples. I'd want them in C. Any pointers there? I mean ones relevant to what folks would do under FS. Do you have any?

No, I do not have any examples except the ones on the phidget website.

I also see that Phidgets operations can be done remotely, over the network. Presumably if that is supported WideClient wouldn't need Phidgets support. Is this something you think is used, with Phidgets, or are they generally all on the FS PC?

That could go either way depending on the builder.

Padraig

11-14-2008, 04:18 PM

The interim versions of FSUIPC on my Support Forum have included Lua plugin support for weeks, now. Tomorrow is merely the 'official' release.

Unfortunately Enrico Schiratti is not accessible at present and apparently he's the only one who can update his "Dowson" page, so my release tomorrow looks like being confined to the Downloads Announcements on my Forum.
Regards

Pete

I do keep track on your forum as much as I can, because your interface is all I use at this moment in time to interface my hardware with the simulator, but as we are nearing Christmas, and also my back log of orders, and new developments with a strict time line is keeping my Net time very limited.

Either way, thanks for everything so far, and the new "lua" implementation.

regards

Peter Dowson

11-14-2008, 04:23 PM

Phidget Encoder (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidenc.html)
Standard encoder sold by Phidgets
Phidget Servo (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidservo.html)
Standard servo sold by Phidgets
Phidget Stepper (file:///D:/Phidgets/Phidget21_C_Doc/group__phidstepper.html)
Standard stepper motor sold by Phidgets

Is "sold by Phidgets" the same as "not needed" or "could be used"?

No, I do not have any examples except the ones on the phidget website.

Oh, I thought you said you preferred to program Phidgets than use the FS2Phidgets package? Or am I getting mixed up here? Does ANYONE actually program Phidgets here other than via FS2Phidgets?

If everyone uses FS2Phidgets and it does the job I am really rather loathe to add a Phidgets library to the Lua system. I can assist someone else doing it, but I do have many other things to do that folks might find more useful ...

Regards

Pete

Trevor Hale

11-14-2008, 04:58 PM

If everyone uses FS2Phidgets and it does the job I am really rather loathe to add a Phidgets library to the Lua system. I can assist someone else doing it, but I do have many other things to do that folks might find more useful ...

Regards

Pete

Hey Pete,

For the Flight Simmers, I don't know of anyone that programs directly for Phidgets other then Enrico, and Alan Dyer.

For the Robot Building community (Phidgets Main Customer base) they use a multitude of languages to program their functions.

So your probably better off, tossing this one in the rubish Bin.

Trev

N242AM

11-14-2008, 05:00 PM

No intension of hijacking the thread, but now I know why I still use Photon and FSCockpit package. Too bad development has once again stopped.

The FS to hardware interface is probably the important parts of the sim but we are still struggling to find a simple yet powerful means to make it work.

AndyT

11-14-2008, 06:33 PM

Sold by phidgets = not needed.

Well, I guess I'm going to be way outvoted on this one as I see how Trev responded. I do program for phidgets but right now I don't have any of it saved because I was changing interfaces to Leo's cards.

It was worth a shot.

Peter Dowson

11-14-2008, 08:03 PM

Well, I guess I'm going to be way outvoted on this one as I see how Trev responded. I do program for phidgets but right now I don't have any of it saved because I was changing interfaces to Leo's cards.

It was worth a shot.

Well, it isn't such a long shot. It does look kind of interesting now i've read through more, and maybe I can do a wrapper which provides access through Lua. I'd certainly like the Lua plug-in side to be capable of interfacing to whatever hardware is out there. So far Phidgets has been the only suggestion.

however, the more i look into it the more I know I'm going to actually have to have a Phidgets card to develop with, even though I don't really need one. shame they aren't available on a hire basic <G>. They certainly aren't cheap -- and the prices from the UK dealers seem to be more in UKP than the original prices in $CA!

I was looking at these cards:
http://www.leobodnar.com/products/BU0836X/
which considering what you get are good value for money by the look of things, at least for all your input needs. However, they look like normal DirectInput devices so need no special software interface.

But Leo Bodnar doesn't seem to do outputs much. there is one little single digit plus bar display. And no motors or servos.

Anyway, I'm pretty busy at present so I'll put the Phidgets stuff on the back burner for now. maybe a New Year project if I can decide to splash out on one of the kits.

Regards

Pete