Using hal to control external devices

[paradox group]

I'm interested in using Hal (assistant) on a dedicated mother board to control servos, pumps, rams and the like.  I plan to use an SX Blitz MCU for actual control of the devices but I want to learn how to interface him with the MCU.  Anybody working on this type of thing with some tips or even code would be cool.
Thanks

[Magus_V]

Use Girder in conjunction with HAL. You can find it at www.promixis.com
If your device is connected via serial cable then use the serial plugin. I will post a link for code to put into your .brn file to execute Girder commands.

[Magus_V]

Read this thread in it entirety to get a good idea of what I have managed to do using HAL and Girder in conjunction:

http://www.zabaware.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=996&SearchTerms=girder

Good Luck! Keep me posted! []

[spydaz]

i have found whiles attempting a simular project. that the were a few ROBOTIC sites out there which sell controllers which connect to the parralell port STEPPER MOTOR CONTROLLER.... I had been looking for ways to control an animatronics head.. the commands needed to controll the output to the port was my problem. you would have to create or BUY a module.... very expensive...

the CENTRONICS interface has a data bus and you would need a binery (digital to analog conversion) to take place... the circuit which i designed needed a binary input to control the external devices... 10101011, my problem was that i needed to know how to output binery to the rs232 serial or paralell port my soultion was that to output a binery number to the paralel port this would be done via the PRINT COMMAND.. whenb controlling a printer device the characters are sent to the printer in a binary form ASCI codes etc....

so to control a wave i may need the output to be 101010111 101011101 etc so i would print the cha ggggggaaaaabbbbb which would correspond to a movement on the stepper motor...



woah : ive gone a bit far, but they do have controllers alreadyt built.

Girder, homeseer, these programs only control X10 devices...

but if you have a stepper motor controller you can control home ROBOTICS or ROBOTIC ARM, etc.
A SPECIALIZED PIC controller chip is needed BUT easily bought for small money and programmed at home for your own custome use...


but ready made PIC's as i say are available SEARCH (stepper motor controller) they often come with etensive source code & activeX controls for use within .net or visual studio

[spydaz]

OPPS i forgot that you can also add ACTIVEX to ha, so that he now can control the ROBOTIC DEVICE / RADIO CONTROL...

i also found that the best way to build an animatronic head is via radio control.... then INTERFACE the radio control to the COMPUTER.. this gives you more options when farming out work to professional INVENTOR GUYS

[Magus_V]

quote:Originally posted by spydaz

Girder, homeseer, these programs only control X10 devices...

Well, I don't know about the others that you mentioned, but as a (fairly) long-time user of Girder, I can tell you that Girder is far more versatile than just X10. You can use IR as well, and practically anything else you can hook up to your computer or communicate with with your computer. One guy has rigged it up so that when someone rings his doorbell it closes a relay switch that tells the computer that someone is at the door, turns on a camera at his front door, turns on his plasma screen and changes the video input to the appropriate channel.
I currently am working on a door entry system that will incorporate an electric doorstrike, an RFID reader with a security camera and an text LCD screen. It will all be tied into my alarm system eventually.

I strongly suggest that you take a look at the site and wade through the forum for a while.

(edited for spelling)

[Magus_V]

Also, Spydaz, if you are interested in that sort of thing check out www.phidgets.com
VERY COOL STUFF.