[PLUG] pc as data logger

[Russell Senior]

>>>>> "Denis" == Denis Heidtmann <denis.heidtmann at gmail.com> writes:

Denis> Anybody here looked into this?  The cheapest approach is likely
Denis> to use the sound card and an external chopper to get past the
Denis> capacitor.  The windows program daqarta seems to claim all is
Denis> possible, complete with a chopper circuit.  It has much more
Denis> capability, hence complication than needed for data logging.

What are you measuring?  You might be okay with something like a
teensy or arduino or some other arduino-clone.  The teensy is kind of
nice because it has good usb-to-chip data flow.

I have an FTDI usb-datai/o thing, which works too.  It has analog and
digital inputs and outputs.

  http://www.dlpdesign.com/usb/io8.shtml

You just send it a query character and it spits back the value as text.

I ran into a problem with the AREF (analog reference), because the
single-board computer I was using, when on battery, didn't necessarily
have 5V on the usb power pin (which powered the thing and also acted
as AREF).  If you can provide a more accurate AREF it should work
fine.


-- 
Russell Senior         ``I have nine fingers; you have ten.''
seniorr at aracnet.com