Counting/Serial IO
Daniel Wynalda
danielw at wyn386.UUCP
Tue Nov 21 08:37:02 AEST 1989
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 at wyn386.UUCP wyn386!danielw at 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.
More information about the Comp.unix.xenix
mailing list