DAVE.WILLEY@f7.n125.z1.fidonet.org (DAVE WILLEY) (09/21/90)
Index Number: 10571 >From: Norman Coombs >Subj: reading thermometer via a computer > I am looking for some way or some equipment which would allow >me to connect a personal thermometer or barometer or some such >simple measuring device to my personal computer. I want to get >the data from the thermometer or such into the computer. Then I >can store or read it from my pc. Surely, scientists do this daily >with expensive equipment. Is there an inexpensive way to do this >at home using ordinary personal equipment at a moderate price?? >Anybody doing this or know how or know where I can buy the >appropriate equipment and/or software? Hi Norman, I hope you've gotten some response to your request. I'm about 3 weeks or more behind in reading my buffer so I'm really out of touch. I have time to run a program that auto logson to the local BBS and downloads various echos, but haven't hardly had the time this last month to sit down and read the messages at all. But I am getting caught up slowly now that things have slowed (?!!) down some. One or two years ago a buddy of mine and I put together a very simple circuit that used a thermister, (a device that changes resistance as the temp. changed), and a A to D converter (a device that would allow a linear signal like a varying voltage say, from 1 volt to 10 volts like from the thermister, and output a corresponding digital signal), and hooked it all up to the user port on an old Commodore C-64. We wrote a ten line program to read the digital info from the user port and convert it to Fahrenheit display on the CRT. Took about one hour to get it running. It wasn't super accurate, (+/- 1 degree) but then again the parts cost only 75 cents for the thermister and about 4 dollars for the A to D converter. Interesting evening project for anyone who can read a schematic and understands how BCD (Binary coded decimal) works. Neither my friend nor I have the schematic anymore as we both quit hardware hacking the C-64 products a long time ago. Never have tried hardware hacking on the MS-DOS products, but I would think it could be done (But not on my machines! The C-64's were real easy and inexpensive to repair if we blew one up. I'd shudder to think of what I would do if I blew up my DOS machine. Watching someone go through withdrawls from not getting his daily "fix" from FIDO isn't a pretty sight......GRIN) I'd try a local PC user group (If any) in your area and see if you can scrounge up another hardware hacker to help you with your type of PC. Holler at me here if I can help you with more information. See you later, Dave Willey aka Duffy Duffy's grin for the day..... Hey Pres. Bush- Let's play COWBOYS and IRAQIS........ -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!125!7!DAVE.WILLEY Internet: DAVE.WILLEY@f7.n125.z1.fidonet.org