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| Thread ID: 71250 | 2006-07-31 02:27:00 | Desktop Switch | B.M. (505) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 474934 | 2006-07-31 02:27:00 | Ok guys & gals I, know I’ve asked you this before so I beg for your forgiveness for repeating the question. :blush: What is available to turn one 230v light on and off from an Icon(s) on your computer desktop? Ok, just to clarify things, I guess I need something that connects to a serial or usb port, that is controlled via software from a home PC’s desktop. Googling has produced a heap of sophisticated and expensive stuff to control stepping motors and all sorts of things, but a simple on/off set-up I cannot find. I found one that had 8 outlets, which would have worked, but it is no longer available. :( |
B.M. (505) | ||
| 474935 | 2006-07-31 04:38:00 | It's deceptively simple thing . I suppose it's not too bad . You need isolation between the 230V and the computer's internals . A relay or optoisolated triac will cost a few dollars . A relay would need a power supply and a transistor driver (or optoisolated SCR) to take a control line from the serial port . Jaycars used to have "semiconductor relays" which might be the simplest solution . They might even be drivable directly from a serial port . Forget USB . It's easy to turn on one of the RS232 control lines from a DOS programme (which could be assembled to a . COM programmme using DEBUG) and wouldn't take much more than a couple of megabytes in Windows . :D Of couirse, you are moving your hand to the mouse . You could equally easily move your hand to a "switch" . Very high technology that, and works when the computer has crashed . |
Graham L (2) | ||
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