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Topic: serial controller starting off? (Read 2147 times) |
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bren
 
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serial controller starting off?
« on: Jan 19th, 2004, 4:58pm » |
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This may be a dumb question but were do I get a device for sending serial commands to my Mac. For instance if I wanted to have an analog rotary controller is there a kit I can buy? Is it this BX-24 thing? I've got the keyspan thing hot to trot.
Sorry if these questions seem a bit inane.
Bren.
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bren
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Re: serial controller starting off?
« Reply #2 on: Jan 20th, 2004, 11:01am » |
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Hey Mikkel,
that's great info - thanks.
Bren.
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kevin
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Re: serial controller starting off?
« Reply #3 on: Mar 11th, 2004, 8:43pm » |
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I went with the basicX option myself, and picked up a development station:
http://www.basicx.com/Products/BXDS/BXDS24/bx24devkit.htm
That gives you a BX24 chip, and the station, which you can plug the chip into. It's good becasue it's very easy to start getting input, because buttons, LEDs and some other sensors are on the board already. It's not as cheap as doing it yourself, but since I'm working on it on my own it seems quite cool.
I haven't used the Basic Stamp II mentioned above, but that kit looks like a great start for the inexperienced. I was left a little high & dry with the BX-24 cause I knew next to nothing about it, but i'm getting on okay. 
Good luck, and post up your progress.
- Kevin
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REAS
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Re: serial controller starting off?
« Reply #4 on: Mar 12th, 2004, 1:07am » |
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Kevin,
There is great information about the BX-24 at the ITP website:
http://stage.itp.nyu.edu/~tigoe/pcomp
+ Casey
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kevin
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Re: serial controller starting off?
« Reply #5 on: Mar 12th, 2004, 1:38am » |
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Yea, that's a great site, but i've found it very geared towards an academic situation.
In the notes, some simple things, are assumed known, which presumably were said in class. If you don't have that knowledge it can be a little tough to figure it out.
I'm getting through it though, and i'm sure anyone else with a bit of determination would manage it too!
- Kevin
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5cameron
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Re: serial controller starting off?
« Reply #6 on: Nov 10th, 2004, 6:41am » |
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when using a serial-usb adapter for mac, does it have to be a keyspan?
I bought a cheaper one but haven't tried it yet...
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mungbean
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Re: serial controller starting off?
« Reply #7 on: Nov 10th, 2004, 12:39pm » |
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Basic Stamp II (aka BS2) is a good starting point. Maplin's in UK have them for 45 pounds if you want to get started quickly, otherwise you can get them cheaper (about 40 quid) from Rapid Electronics or Warburtech. Chop the end off a cheap DB9 serial cable to connect to your keyspan, get a cheap breadboard and you're off (worth adding a 78L05 5V voltage regulator in there too, then you can use any PSU and less chance of frying the stamp).
Tom Igoe's excellent site at ITP in New York has a section on BS2:
http://stage.itp.nyu.edu/~tigoe/pcomp/stamp/index.shtml
I've got a few teaching notes about this, and making your own sensors (in our case to connect to iCubeX, but applies to microcontrollers and TELEO as well) - see http://www.idl.dundee.ac.uk/~chris/teaching/3die/
Also, if you don't already have it I'd strongly recommend getting hold of the O'Sullivan and Igoe book "Physical Computing". It covers several kinds of microcontroller and lots of DIY stuff on sensors/transducers.
http://www.courseptr.com/ptr_detail.cfm?group=General%20Computing&is bn=1%2D59200%2D346%2DX
As for adapters, I've been using the really cheap US232B 'laptop companion' from EasySync: http://www.easysync.co.uk/ Cost me 25 pounds including postage. Uses the FTDI chipset, so works with Mac, Win and Linux.
(Bit of a UK-centric answer, but I know Bren at least is in Manchester...)
Cheers
Chris
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| « Last Edit: Nov 10th, 2004, 12:44pm by mungbean » |
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