Sensors to connect to PC

[Paul Aspinall]

Hi
Does anyone know of any 'Sensors' (such as Ph, float switches, temperature
etc), that are available to be connected to a PC, and their values read via
the .NET framework??

Thanks

 

[Roger Hamlett]

"Paul Aspinall" <paul@aspy.co.uk> wrote in message
news:rmM7f.205030$RW.203130@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

Hi
Does anyone know of any 'Sensors' (such as Ph, float switches,
temperature
etc), that are available to be connected to a PC, and their values read
via
the .NET framework??

Thanks
Quite a few PID's are available using industrial ethernet, and almost

anything can be connected to one of these. Most 'sensors', will be
relatively 'low level' devices returning just a voltage or 4-20mA signal.
Add a module like this, and they become easy to read.

Best Wishes

 

[Paul Aspinall]

Thanks for the reply.

Sorry, I'm a novice on this stuff, can you please confirm what a PID is
please.

I know most of these sensors come with a BNC style plug. Is there a device
that can read the voltage from a BNC device??

Do you know of any USB devices that would be useful??

Thanks

"Roger Hamlett" <rogerspamignored@ttelmah.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:_nM7f.15786$65.6307@newsfe6-win.ntli.net...

"Paul Aspinall" <paul@aspy.co.uk> wrote in message
news:rmM7f.205030$RW.203130@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
Hi
Does anyone know of any 'Sensors' (such as Ph, float switches,
temperature
etc), that are available to be connected to a PC, and their values read
via
the .NET framework??

Thanks
Quite a few PID's are available using industrial ethernet, and almost
anything can be connected to one of these. Most 'sensors', will be
relatively 'low level' devices returning just a voltage or 4-20mA signal.
Add a module like this, and they become easy to read.

Best Wishes

 

[Vidar Lřkken]

Paul Aspinall <paul@aspy.co.uk> wrote this in
<Q6P7f.22325$Bj2.15542@fe3.news.blueyonder.co.uk>:

Thanks for the reply.
I know most of these sensors come with a BNC style plug. Is there a
device that can read the voltage from a BNC device??

BNC is just a connector. It is used for everything from 10Base2 (you
know that old ethernet, eh?) to 'scope probes and RF applications


--
MVH,
Vidar

www.bitsex.net

 

[Don Taylor]

"Paul Aspinall" <paul@aspy.co.uk> writes:

Thanks for the reply.

Sorry, I'm a novice on this stuff, can you please confirm what a PID is
please.

The old geezer definition of PID was Proportional/Integral/Differential.
This was a gadget that would generate an output feedback that was
Proportional to the input, but there might be tiny difference between
the input and output, so you would Integrate the difference between
input and output and use that too to minimize error. Then there could
be differences because of sudden changes in the input, and you used the
Derivative to accomodate that too.

I know most of these sensors come with a BNC style plug. Is there a device
that can read the voltage from a BNC device??

I'd use a BNC jack and solder whatever I needed to the other side of that.

Do you know of any USB devices that would be useful??

If you were looking for cheap, www.dataq.com/edn has $25 "starter kits"
that can measure 10 bits on 4 different sources, has software to use with
Windows, has cables, etc. They use RS232 for interfacing.

Radio Shack has had multimeters with PC interfaces for a little more
than that.

Test & Measurement World magazine had an article a few years ago on
budget measurement modules. This might be it.

http://www.reed-electronics.com/tmworld/article/CA197781?text=usb+data+acquisition

It had a long list of companies in the $100 or so category for measurment
cards.

"Roger Hamlett" <rogerspamignored@ttelmah.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:_nM7f.15786$65.6307@newsfe6-win.ntli.net...
"Paul Aspinall" <paul@aspy.co.uk> wrote in message
news:rmM7f.205030$RW.203130@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
Does anyone know of any 'Sensors' (such as Ph, float switches,
temperature etc), that are available to be connected to a PC,
and their values read via the .NET framework??

Quite a few PID's are available using industrial ethernet, and almost
anything can be connected to one of these. Most 'sensors', will be
relatively 'low level' devices returning just a voltage or 4-20mA signal.
Add a module like this, and they become easy to read.

Best Wishes

 

[Rich Webb]

On Wed, 26 Oct 2005 14:26:31 GMT, "Paul Aspinall" <paul@aspy.co.uk>
wrote:

Hi
Does anyone know of any 'Sensors' (such as Ph, float switches, temperature
etc), that are available to be connected to a PC, and their values read via
the .NET framework??

www.measurementcomputing.com (once known as "computer Boards, Inc" for
the other old farts out there ;-) has a line of interface devices that
range from inexpensive to $$$ and that speak to a variety of ports. Most
(all?) include their Universal Library with DLL and .NET APIs for the
usual range of PC application languages.

There's also www.dicksonweb.com (where "dicksonweb" parses as two words,
not three) that has a variety of more specialized interface gizmos.

--
Rich Webb Norfolk, VA

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Rich Webb wrote:

www.measurementcomputing.com (once known as "computer Boards, Inc" for
the other old farts out there ;-) has a line of interface devices that
range from inexpensive to $$$ and that speak to a variety of ports.

I was using them when they changed their name. ;-)

--
?

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[DaveM]

"Paul Aspinall" <paul@aspy.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Q6P7f.22325$Bj2.15542@fe3.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

Thanks for the reply.

Sorry, I'm a novice on this stuff, can you please confirm what a PID is
please.

I know most of these sensors come with a BNC style plug. Is there a device
that can read the voltage from a BNC device??

Do you know of any USB devices that would be useful??

Thanks

"Roger Hamlett" <rogerspamignored@ttelmah.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:_nM7f.15786$65.6307@newsfe6-win.ntli.net...

"Paul Aspinall" <paul@aspy.co.uk> wrote in message
news:rmM7f.205030$RW.203130@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
Hi
Does anyone know of any 'Sensors' (such as Ph, float switches,
temperature
etc), that are available to be connected to a PC, and their values read
via
the .NET framework??

Thanks
Quite a few PID's are available using industrial ethernet, and almost
anything can be connected to one of these. Most 'sensors', will be
relatively 'low level' devices returning just a voltage or 4-20mA signal.
Add a module like this, and they become easy to read.

Best Wishes

Check out the Labjack for USB interface DAQ.. has both analog I/O and
digital I/O, timers, counters, etc... Not as pricey as the National
Instruments line, but not as full-featured either. Programmable using VB6,
VB.Net, etc. http://www.labjack.com
--
Dave M
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net (Just substitute the appropriate characters in
the address)

Never take a laxative and a sleeping pill at the same time!!

 

[Roger Hamlett]

"Paul Aspinall" <paul@aspy.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Q6P7f.22325$Bj2.15542@fe3.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

Thanks for the reply.

Sorry, I'm a novice on this stuff, can you please confirm what a PID is
please.
There are a large number of microcontroller modules in DIN rails, built as

'PLC' modules. the simplest of these are commonly used for 'PID' control
of servos, kilns etc.. these lack the sophistication (and cost) of the
larger PLC controllers, but in most cases have the 'basics', of a
programmable controller, a couple of digital inputs, and an analog
channel.
For what you describe, I'd look at these more basic modules, rather than
their full size brethren. They are usually marketted as 'mini PLC', or
'PID' modules.

I know most of these sensors come with a BNC style plug. Is there a
device that can read the voltage from a BNC device??
BNC is only a connection. You can put just about any plug you want on a

sensor, but BNC is commonly used on the modules as well, when they support
analog inputs.

Do you know of any USB devices that would be useful??
USB, is a very 'not nice' interface in this type of enviroment. Seriously,

many industrial modules will be built to survive 250v or more being
accidentally attached. USB, does not provide the isolation, or ruggedness
required in this sort of enviroment (there are some fibre-optic USB
repeaters that are quite good, but expensive). It's 'range' limits, and
lack of error recovery, also make it less than ideal. You can connect to
an ethernet interface with USB, or RS485, and these are the signallign
standards you are more likely to find.

Thanks

"Roger Hamlett" <rogerspamignored@ttelmah.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:_nM7f.15786$65.6307@newsfe6-win.ntli.net...

"Paul Aspinall" <paul@aspy.co.uk> wrote in message
news:rmM7f.205030$RW.203130@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
Hi
Does anyone know of any 'Sensors' (such as Ph, float switches,
temperature
etc), that are available to be connected to a PC, and their values
read via
the .NET framework??

Thanks
Quite a few PID's are available using industrial ethernet, and almost
anything can be connected to one of these. Most 'sensors', will be
relatively 'low level' devices returning just a voltage or 4-20mA
signal. Add a module like this, and they become easy to read.

Best Wishes

 

[Steve]

Their USB-6008 is $145 and can do external triggered acquisition and
can do digital IO during analog acquisition, something the LabJACK
cannot.

Steve

... Not as pricey as the National
Instruments line, but not as full-featured either.

 

[Steve]

USB with many sensors
http://www.vernier.com/

http://www.phidgets.com/