Computer/electronic integration

[screwball]

Good evening,

Not sure if this is the right place, however, I am wondering if anyone knows how I could integrate live data from a computer to output to an external electronic circuit board or something like that.

For instance, have something produce a file with contents 00101001 (a piece of data) which the external circuit board can use the data, for example the data could be used to light a set of LEDs, in this instance light LED 3,5 and 8.

Do I need a USB module or? Any pointers of where to start looking, I dont have a clue,

Thanks,

 

[BobK]

There are inexpensive boards that will plug into a USB port and provide digital and / or analog output and / or inputs. Look up "USB TO GPIO"

Bob

 

[Minder]

Also depends on what the 'external circuit board' consists of, for example the Picmicro can communicate RS232 or USB for transfer of serial data.
These μp have built in modules for each protocol.
M.

 

[HellasTechn]

What you need, sounds like a microcontroller project to me.

 

[hevans1944]

I am wondering if anyone knows how I could integrate live data from a computer to output to an external electronic circuit board or something like that.

Computers have been doing this since Day One. It is called an I/O (Input/Output) interface and this is how computers communicate with the outside "real world". Your keyboard, mouse, and printer interfaces are examples of I/O interfaces. The simplest I/O interface in use today is the USB (Universal Serial Bus) which replaced the RS-232 communications interface. As Bob said, there are oodles of USB based I/O devices on the market. Most of them "look like" serial data ports as far as the PC is concerned, and you can send files to them just like you would send a file to a COM port on your PC. There are also modules that will connect to a conventional serial or parallel printer port and operate relays, turn on LEDs and such. And, most fun of all, you can make circuits to do these kinds of things yourself. So, please, tell us what you want to DO. Be detailed and specific if you want good answers.

 

[Minder]

For instance, have something produce a file with contents 00101001 (a piece of data) which the external circuit board can use the data, for example the data could be used to light a set of LEDs, in this instance light LED 3,5 and 8.
Do I need a USB module or? Any pointers of where to start looking, I dont have a clue,
,

One standard industrial instance of this is know as Modbus, it is a master slave system for communicating and controlling multiple I/O stations.
M.

 

[screwball]

Thanks for the response,
It is more of a learning thing really, It is something that could come in handy to know in the future,

In short, what I want to learn is how I can make a circuit communicate with a computer, whether that be a circuit giving the computer data or a computer giving the circuit data. Once I've learnt the principles I can apply it to something more useful.

As an example, I'd like a circuit to take 8bit data from a computer (how you send this 8bit of data I dont know??), to light 8 leds, 1 for on, 0 for off.

I have learnt some assembly and have the stuff to try it with if it is easy enough to do it that way? Will give more options for trying different things aswell i guess?

 

[Minder]

See post #3.
One way I have done it to demonstrate is to use a free RS232 program such as RS232HEXCOM and any μp that can communicate in serial such as RS232 module in Pic or one of your choice.
You can demonstrate communication both ways.
I have tested modbus communication this way.
Once the data is in the μp you can do what you want with it.
M.

 

[BobK]

The USB GPIO boards that I mentioned will easily do what you are asking for. You just need to get one with 8 digital output ports and wire up an LED + resistor to each port.

Bob