[time-nuts] ad-hoc IO from Windows.

[Lux, Jim (337C)]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: time-nuts-bounces at febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com] On
> Behalf Of John Miles
> Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 5:10 PM
> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Tbolt temperature Control & ad-hoc IO from
> Windows.
> 
> 
> 
> Well, in principle, I/O protection is one of those security features
> that MS would be roundly mocked for lacking, if they hadn't implemented it by
> now.
> 


Actually, what I'd like to see is a very cheap (<$10-20) simple parallel I/O that is USB (or even better Ethernet) compatible.  The Labjack at around $100 is close.  

The $25 DATAQ DI-194RS is the sort of model here.. http://www.dataq.com/products/startkit/di194rs.htm

They have a USB version for $50 (DI-148U).. but getting up to there, I'm starting to think that just going to $100 for a better ADC, etc. is nice.

This would make doing science projects for kids (and grownups) a lot easier, because getting them in the habit of automated data acquisition, rather than tediously writing numbers in a log, and then transcribing them.. 

(I note that DATAQ will give a kid a free DI-194RS, if they fill out the app and send them a picture of the project when they are done)
(Heck, to be honest, *I'd* give them a free widget, if their cause was worthy)

If you need a lot of DAC channels, there's a $50 eval board for an 8 channel 16 bit DAC (LTC2600) from Linear Technology that has a usb interface, but it's emulating a serial port, and you can trivially reverse engineer the protocol. (which is available from LTC in any case).. You're looking for the DTC590 eval board controller, too (which is $125).  You dump LTC's drivers, and install FTDI's Virtual Com Port (VCP) drivers. (or devise your own SPI interface to the DAC eval board)

The labjack ue9 has Ethernet, but is in the $400/500 price range, as opposed to the U3 at $100