USB analog Output control, cheaply?

[Lord-Data]

Excluding driver side of things for a moment, does anyone know a cheap and
basic way to make some kind of analog or stepped output control via USB? The
task is spinning a motor at varying speeds, a pump, in this case.

Jaycar have a kit, but it also includes 2 analog intputs and 8 digital I/O
lines, which are of no use to me, and at $65, more than i'd like to spend
for a project that may scale up later on ..

Anyone know a kit or system that can do this, simply and basically? I'd
prefer a pre-developed system, vs using and programming a PIC myself .. i've
got electrical expeirence, but 0 experience using/programming PICs..

Thanks in advance!

 

[Heywood Jablome]

"Lord-Data" <data@ihug.com.au> wrote in message
news:4336a967$0$13314$61c65585@un-2park-reader-01.sydney.pipenetworks.com.au
....

Excluding driver side of things for a moment, does anyone know a cheap and
basic way to make some kind of analog or stepped output control via USB?
The
task is spinning a motor at varying speeds, a pump, in this case.

Jaycar have a kit, but it also includes 2 analog intputs and 8 digital I/O
lines, which are of no use to me, and at $65, more than i'd like to spend
for a project that may scale up later on ..

Anyone know a kit or system that can do this, simply and basically? I'd
prefer a pre-developed system, vs using and programming a PIC myself ..
i've
got electrical expeirence, but 0 experience using/programming PICs..

Thanks in advance!

The picaxe range of products together with a cheap USB to serial adaptor
would be a good solution.

picaxe.com sells the usb to serial adaptor for 6 GBP, and the entry picaxe
for AU $4.70.

Total AU cost would then be under $20, and under $5 if you don't mind using
a serial port instead of USB. Serial strings would be much nicer for you to
program with. Very simple compared to finding USB drivers etc.

And don't worry about not having programmed microprocessors before. Picaxe
is as easy as it gets. It would be much harder (but still easy) to create
the control software to send out the serial strings to the picaxe than it
would be to program the picaxe to receive serial strings, and control the
pump using PWM.

 

[quietguy]

All the PICAXE stuff is also available in Oz -

http://www.picaxe.com.au/

I bought all my stuff from them - found them helpful, and REALLY quick delivery

The USB to serial costs $A22 - mine works fine

David

http://www.picaxe.com.au/

Heywood Jablome wrote:

"Lord-Data" <data@ihug.com.au> wrote in message
news:4336a967$0$13314$61c65585@un-2park-reader-01.sydney.pipenetworks.com.au
...
Excluding driver side of things for a moment, does anyone know a cheap and
basic way to make some kind of analog or stepped output control via USB?
The
task is spinning a motor at varying speeds, a pump, in this case.

Jaycar have a kit, but it also includes 2 analog intputs and 8 digital I/O
lines, which are of no use to me, and at $65, more than i'd like to spend
for a project that may scale up later on ..

Anyone know a kit or system that can do this, simply and basically? I'd
prefer a pre-developed system, vs using and programming a PIC myself ..
i've
got electrical expeirence, but 0 experience using/programming PICs..

Thanks in advance!



The picaxe range of products together with a cheap USB to serial adaptor
would be a good solution.

picaxe.com sells the usb to serial adaptor for 6 GBP, and the entry picaxe
for AU $4.70.

Total AU cost would then be under $20, and under $5 if you don't mind using
a serial port instead of USB. Serial strings would be much nicer for you to
program with. Very simple compared to finding USB drivers etc.

And don't worry about not having programmed microprocessors before. Picaxe
is as easy as it gets. It would be much harder (but still easy) to create
the control software to send out the serial strings to the picaxe than it
would be to program the picaxe to receive serial strings, and control the
pump using PWM.