danielw@wyn386.UUCP (Daniel Wynalda) (11/21/89)
I am currently working on what originally seemed like a simple task. I am definitely not an electronics engineer (I'm a software person, but it looks like my job is moving into hardware rapidly). I would like to get an inexpensive device that could COUNT PULSES from a printing press and TELL ME what the counter status is. Basically my Xenix machine needs to know when a press has gone through 500 revolutions without something being input via a serial device. I would, ultimately, like to be able to ASK the counter "What is you're current number" and have it output the number in some serial format. My first goal was to setup a programmable controller to count and then output the number via serial link. -- But to my surprise (after the salesman sold me a SLC500 from Allen & Bradley), it is not possible. I can get their software to show me the current count, and status of all I/O points on the screen in real time, but they won't give me ANY documentation on how I could go about getting these counts from the controller MYSELF. If anyone could point me to HOW I might do this, it would be greatly appreciated. I'd rather not get a whole bunch of counters with BCD/Serial converters and plug EACH of them into a serial port. That seems like alot of extra I/O usage when I SHOULD be able to use ONE CONTROLLER -- with 1 serial I/O port on it.... Anyone who could help me with a helpful hint is greatly appreciated. I want to integrate this with packages I already have developed, therefore I'm NOT looking to spend $100,000 on a pre-packaged real time collection system. I'm just looking to get a simple count into one of my programs. Thanks from ANYONE in advance. Daniel Wynalda -- Daniel Wynalda | Telephone: (616) 866-1561 X22 Ham: N8KUD Wynalda Litho Inc. | danielw@wyn386.UUCP wyn386!danielw@sharkey.cc.umich.edu 8221 Graphic Ind Pk. | I believe everyone should be responsible for their own Rockford, MI 49341 | actions. Thus I don't speak for this org. herein.