Is there any economical software/hardware package which allows you to switch lights and things on /off?

Question

with your computer?

I need a web site for info

Answer 1

Hi there:

I have been designing interfaces for turning on and off things
since the 8088.

I have a Free website, kidbots.com that gives the basics in
DOS and Basic, designed for 11 year old kids - it is VERY simple,
and designed to be as cheap as possible.

You can go there to look for some ideas. I have not listed any
of the chips and wiring, since, in Canada, every parts dealer including Radio Shack has dropped all the parts !

-- A brief overview. The IBM PC was thrown together in a huge rush to compete with the APPLE. At first IBM openly laughed at Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak selling " Apples" from their garage - it was said that only a few corporations in the world had any " need " for a computer, and IBM ruled. In a few short months, the 'silly' Apple made 1/4 million, then 4 million, then 10's of millions, while the suit and ties at IBM realized how badly they were stuck in the past. They took an IBM word processor, and modified it to become the IBM " PC". Bill gates heard thru the grapevine that IBM needed an operating system, since CP/M ( used by all the home computers at that time ) was not patentable, and he desperately searched for something to sell them, since he did NOT own a complete operating system. In Seattle Washington, two guys had a hand written semi-clone of UNIX, called Seattle DOS. Bill bought it, and flipped it over to IBM under the name " Microsoft DOS". ( paid a few thousand, got a few millions ) It was really, really, badly written, and meant for small homemade, hand wired, tiny computers. So Microsoft DOS is a BAD version of the professionally written LINUX.
Back to IBM. Since the team at IBM was targetting APPLE, they threw together the PC in a hurry, using a flawed Operating System, and did not think 5 or 10 or 20 years into the future.
Hence, the MOUSE and Printer ports were extremely badly designed, and had hundreds of flaws that set the pattern for working with them, even now.
First - neither the parallel or serial port have any power.. nada, zip, so that if you want any real power, you have to use a separate power supply. The typical " mouse" on a 'mouse' or serial RS232 port got its power by charging up a capacitor, typically a 10 microfarad, 16 volt, with pulses of " logic " signals, regulated to + 5 volts,
which was NEVER designed or intended to power computer electronics. The same thing can be done on the parallel port, by using a continual pulse of + 5 volt logic to charge up capacitors which act as a " battery" to power very low powered IC chips. This is typically done on security " dongles" that have chips in them to lock certain software programs.
Most of the control circuits shown below have, or require you to obtain, separate, +5 volt power sources to run the chips on the control interface boards, using the serial or parallel ports.
There are 2 other strange things with the design of the parallel port. The signal bits for the 4 control pins and the 5 input pins are on 2 separate 8-bit registers, with the unused 4 and 3 bits at the beginning and end of the 8 bit words. Finally, the logic of the pins is not consistent, with some pins logic 0 being +5 volts, and some pins with logic 0 being Ground. In my kidbots circuits, I use logic "not" buffers to make all lines the same -- Zero logic is ground, and a " 1 " logic is +5 volts, all the time.

The printer, parallel port in the easiest and cheapest, and fastest, to use, since there are LOTS of pins, and turning on or off the pins is VERY simple - a 10 year old kid can pick the programming in an hour. Unfortunately, the parallel, 25 pin connector is being left off newer computers entirely as obsolete, as in the 9 pin serial, and the floppy disk " A:" drive.

My kidbots.com site is just the basic outline of what I wanted to accomplish. Most of the pages are hidden, since electronic parts were unavailable, and there was lack of interest in re-using, re-cycling, and preserving the old computers in the educational system ( if not downright horror of the thought - they all want the newest, high end stuff, and will do anything to get rid of the old junk! Corporations are the same way, and the government is worse.)

One other guy on the web DOES list the parts, and uses higher end programming that is a bit too advanced for 11-year olds,
and he is only using MODERN computers, since he assumes that the CONTROL pins are bi-directional - old 8088's are not.

He is at:

__________________________________________________

Diagram to use a few chips and parts to build your own
interface. Uses Q Basic programming to input or output
the 8 data pins on the parallel printer port, and
reads the 5 input, and some of the 4 CONTROL pins ( note that
this only works on certain motherboards with read/write
control pins - the older PC cannot read data from a control
pin.)

http://home.maine.rr.com/randylinscott/dec98.htm

Note that this website has many "projects of the month" and
the parallel interface is just one. Unfortunately, the information and associated explanations are somewhat glib, and if you follow the diagram he supplies exactly, you will blow up the 74LS244 chip very quickly - first, the rated milliAmps of the chip maxes at 15 or 24 mA, which is too low to drive any of the 5 Volt relays I use in the first place, and the diagram does not recommend any part numbers. Then, if the chip turns off the power to the relay coil, the collapsing magnetic field will produce a kick-back spike of electricity in the wrong direction, and blow up the chip - there should be a clamping diode- along with other parts and modifications I would recommend. Be certain to read all the information on the web about parallel ports and interfacing them before building anything - the diagrams here are just a guide. Professional, well designed and explained circuits are available from hundreds of locations.

_________________________________________________


another Kit which is just a raw package, with diagrams and parts,
which can be constructed is at :

----------------------------------------------------


AWC kit board needs power supply, connections, case,
hand programming, etc.

http://www.awce.com/gp3.htm?src=gaws

_____________________________________________

However, a few corporations make excellect, cheap,
ready to plug in interfaces that do everything you can imagine,
with modules that can run you entire house.

the best one is:

__________________________________________________

X 10 Module
Amazing, plug it in, $49, expandable to almost anything you
can think of.

http://www.x10.com/activehomepro/activehome-pro.html

_______________________________________________


And another source with different products is found at:



SMART HOME has a list of various devices, including the
X10, the POWERLINC looks similar to X10 by another company.
The basic PowerLinc is $69

http://www.smarthome.com/1132cu.html

__________________________________________________


Programming and kit for WIRELESS parallel port
inteface using 8 bit data, 5 inputs, and 4 Control
lines.

http://www.hottimesoftware.com/download-1.htm

_________________________________________

UNDERSTANDING the parallel port - this site has
an excellent overview of what is going on and the
history of the parallel port, and why the new computers
are NOT the same as the original PC's in terms of
programming and I / O ( Input and Output )

http://www.beyondlogic.org/spp/parallel.htm

_________________________________________




Visual Basic.net programming of the serial and parallel ports
can be done with the code listed below. You have pages of
rather complex code to type in, and this is beyond most
home users, who would not have a clue what is meant by:
Sub Main ()
'New a MSComm control
Dim MSComm1 As MSComm
MSComm1 = New MSComm
' Buffer to hold input string.
Dim Buffer As String
' Use the COM1 serial port.
MSComm1.CommPort = 1
' 9600 baud, no parity, 8 data, and 1 stop bit.
MSComm1.Settings = "9600,N,8,1"
' Tell the control to read the whole buffer when Input is used.
MSComm1.InputLen = 0
' Open the serial port.
MSComm1.PortOpen = True
Console.WriteLine("Open the serial port.")
' Tell the control to make the Input property return text data.
MSComm1.InputMode() = InputModeConstants.comInputModeText
'Clear the receive buffer.
MSComm1.InBufferCount() = 0
' Send the attention command to the modem.
MSComm1.Output = "ATV1Q0" & Chr(13)

etc. etc. etc.
I could NOT , under any circumstances have a 10 year old up and
programming in one hour with this code.

The link for the code is:
http://interface.centraltreasure.com/ioprogramming.html

and the Introduction is at:
http://interface.centraltreasure.com/

_________________________________________________________

If you want to avoid the " old " 'mouse ' port ( serial,
9 pin ) and the " printer port ", (parallel, 25 pin ),
you can use the USB with somewhat more expensive, and high- tech
devices, like this:

http://wiring.org.co/ioboard/index.html

___________________________________________




If you are technically advanced and can solder and build
circuits, then the information on my www.kidbots.com site, mixed with
the information on programming and the actual chips used
on the home.maine website from randy, above, will give you
excellent, inexpensive circuits to do what you want.

If you just want to get up and running quickly, with professional factory designed modules, the X-10 system is amazing, and surprizingly cheap. You can get started immediately.

have fun!

robin

Answer 2

Yes, there are many software packages available for both Windows, Linux and even the Mac. While there are hardware costs for devices that will plug into walls etc. they aren't astonomical by any means and some of the software packages are free! I won't list the myriad pieces of software available, but there are a few books I might recommend, I will also post a snippet from one of the books.

Smart Home Hacks by Gordon Meyer
Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

***But technology isn't only cool; it's also very smart. That's why one of the hottest technological trends nowadays is the creation of smart homes. At an increasing rate, people are turning their homes into state-of-the-art machines, complete with more switches, sensors, and actuators than you can shake a stick at. Whether you want to equip your home with motion detectors for added security, install computer-controlled lights for optimum convenience, or even mount an in-home web cam or two purely for entertainment, the world is now your oyster. Ah, but like anything highly technical, creating a smart home is typically easier said than done. Thankfully, Smart Home Hacks takes the guesswork out of the process. Through a seemingly unending array of valuable tips, tools, and techniques, Smart Home Hacks explains in clear detail how to use Mac, Windows, or Linux to achieve the automated home of your dreams. In no time, you'll learn how to turn a loose collection of sensors and switches into a well-automated and well-functioning home no matter what your technical level may be. Smart Home Hacks covers a litany of stand-alone and integrated smart home solutions designed to enhance safety, comfort, and convenience in new and existing homes. Kitchens, bedrooms, home offices, living rooms, and even bathrooms are all candidates for smart automation and therefore are all addressed in Smart Home Hacks. Intelligently written by engineering guru and George Jetson wannabe, Gordon Meyer, Smart Home Hacks leaves no stone unturned. From what to purchase to how to use your remote control, it's the ultimate guide to understanding and implementing complete or partial home automation.***

Answer 3

That means the light switch on the wall is bad. replace the switch . Turn the fuse off first then replace the switch.