I'm trying to locate something for a customer to connect to one of our SBC's. Why can't I find an inexpensive operator interface? You know, something like a mini-terminal with RS-232. A squared away design where you can cut out a rectangiular hole and drill 4 mounting holes and put it on a panel inside a NEMA box or something. Not pretty, but inexpensive and useful. (Not some PIC project, I have found most of them. I have also found all the so called inexpensive PLC oriented ones for $500. Not those either.) -- Gary Peek mailto:mylastname@mycompanyname.com Industrologic, Inc. http://www.industrologic.com Phone: (636) 723-4000 Fax: (636) 724-2288
inexpensive operator interface (mini-terminal)
Started by ●July 7, 2005
Reply by ●July 7, 20052005-07-07
On Thu, 07 Jul 2005 14:58:45 -0500, Gary Peek <mylastname@mycompanyname.com> wrote:>I'm trying to locate something for a customer to connect to >one of our SBC's. > >Why can't I find an inexpensive operator interface? >You know, something like a mini-terminal with RS-232. > >A squared away design where you can cut out a rectangiular hole >and drill 4 mounting holes and put it on a panel inside a NEMA >box or something. Not pretty, but inexpensive and useful. > >(Not some PIC project, I have found most of them. >I have also found all the so called inexpensive PLC >oriented ones for $500. Not those either.) >How about http://www.crystalfontz.com/products/631/ http://www.crystalfontz.com/products/633/ http://www.matrixorbital.com/product_info.php?pName=blk202agw HTH, -=Dave -- Change is inevitable, progress is not.
Reply by ●July 7, 20052005-07-07
On Thu, 07 Jul 2005 20:40:30 GMT, iddw@hotmail.com (Dave Hansen) wrote: [...]> >How about > >http://www.crystalfontz.com/products/631/ >http://www.crystalfontz.com/products/633/ > >http://www.matrixorbital.com/product_info.php?pName=blk202agw >Sorry to followup my own post, but I forgot to clarify: I haven't used any of these, and have no connection whatever with either company. They just look like interesting parts. Regards, -=Dave -- Change is inevitable, progress is not.
Reply by ●July 7, 20052005-07-07
Gary Peek wrote:> I'm trying to locate something for a customer to connect to > one of our SBC's. > > Why can't I find an inexpensive operator interface? > You know, something like a mini-terminal with RS-232. > > A squared away design where you can cut out a rectangiular hole > and drill 4 mounting holes and put it on a panel inside a NEMA > box or something. Not pretty, but inexpensive and useful. > > (Not some PIC project, I have found most of them. > I have also found all the so called inexpensive PLC > oriented ones for $500. Not those either.) >How about a PDA? I used to use a Newton for this sort of thing, which had RS232 built in, but you can probably get a palm pilot for $100, write or contract the interface program, and mount it without too much trouble. This way, you could have a nice, customized touch pad display for your widget. Actually, this isn't a bad product idea, for those who have the channel to get it out there. Licensing the guts and OS from palm or whomever is probably not a big deal, since they would make most of the money. -- Regards, Bob Monsen If a little knowledge is dangerous, where is the man who has so much as to be out of danger? Thomas Henry Huxley, 1877
Reply by ●July 8, 20052005-07-08
> Why can't I find an inexpensive operator interface?Not enough demand, off the shelf PDA's/small laptops could be adapted to do what you want.
Reply by ●July 8, 20052005-07-08
In article <q6CdnQTwjf8LUlDfRVn-jw@comcast.com>, rcsurname@comcast.net says...> Gary Peek wrote: > > I'm trying to locate something for a customer to connect to > > one of our SBC's. > > > > Why can't I find an inexpensive operator interface? > > You know, something like a mini-terminal with RS-232. > > > > A squared away design where you can cut out a rectangiular hole > > and drill 4 mounting holes and put it on a panel inside a NEMA > > box or something. Not pretty, but inexpensive and useful. > > > > (Not some PIC project, I have found most of them. > > I have also found all the so called inexpensive PLC > > oriented ones for $500. Not those either.) > > > > How about a PDA? I used to use a Newton for this sort of thing, which > had RS232 built in, but you can probably get a palm pilot for $100, > write or contract the interface program, and mount it without too much > trouble. This way, you could have a nice, customized touch pad display > for your widget. > > Actually, this isn't a bad product idea, for those who have the channel > to get it out there. Licensing the guts and OS from palm or whomever is > probably not a big deal, since they would make most of the money. > >The local home improvement big box has a "inventory control" system that uses a Palm Pilot for the input device. It is mounted inside the enclosure, but if you look, just right, you can see the unit. I have seen ads in one of the trades where some Asian company has a Palm Pilot rip off that is basically a PDA with none of the OS goodies installed, along with some development tools to get it going, if I stumble across the ad again I'll post a link here. Jim
Reply by ●July 9, 20052005-07-09
Bob Monsen <rcsurname@comcast.net> wrote: [...]>How about a PDA? I used to use a Newton for this sort of thing, whichWhich PDAs have still a serial interface? Palm "Zire" don't: http://kb.palmone.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=PalmSupportKB,ts=Palm_External2001,case=obj(20418) "Please note that Palm Zire Handhelds DO NOT support serial (cabled) connections to the computer." What a pity. Oliver -- Oliver Betz, Muenchen (oliverbetz.de)
Reply by ●July 9, 20052005-07-09
I have used Two Technologies a few years back and remember the smaller units to be reasonable. http://www.2t.com/index.htm Randy Haas