tiredengr again,
I want to thank all who have responded to this thread. I have learned alot and you have given me lots to ponder. This will be a Winter design project for me so my next step is to download the PICAXE manuals and go sit in a quiet corner for a few weeks and program myself in thinking PICAXE.
Myc has summarized the situation very well and the PICAXE devices should work very well in this application. The bigger problem is finding a small, light, inexpensive, readable in bright sunlight, programmer to replace the, becomming rare, HP 200LX. The use of IR to communicate also has some advantages in eliminating two connectors and a cable. Connectors have been a failure item on the present timer, mostly due to high vibraion levels. I have a Palm IIIe which has IR capability.
Again I'm outof my element, but could something like a VT100 emulator running on the Palm be used to serially communicate with the PICAXE and download new timing data?
I understand there is a PILOT VT100 emulator although the type size is 3 x 5 which is not too easy to read. If something like this would work are there other VT100 emulators that are easier to read?
Could such an interface also be used to read the timer data?
The Palm III series seems to be selling for $15 to $20 on ebay. A lot better than the HP 200LX @ about $150 - $180 + $100 for a parallel port card.
Thanks again, te
I want to thank all who have responded to this thread. I have learned alot and you have given me lots to ponder. This will be a Winter design project for me so my next step is to download the PICAXE manuals and go sit in a quiet corner for a few weeks and program myself in thinking PICAXE.
Myc has summarized the situation very well and the PICAXE devices should work very well in this application. The bigger problem is finding a small, light, inexpensive, readable in bright sunlight, programmer to replace the, becomming rare, HP 200LX. The use of IR to communicate also has some advantages in eliminating two connectors and a cable. Connectors have been a failure item on the present timer, mostly due to high vibraion levels. I have a Palm IIIe which has IR capability.
Again I'm outof my element, but could something like a VT100 emulator running on the Palm be used to serially communicate with the PICAXE and download new timing data?
I understand there is a PILOT VT100 emulator although the type size is 3 x 5 which is not too easy to read. If something like this would work are there other VT100 emulators that are easier to read?
Could such an interface also be used to read the timer data?
The Palm III series seems to be selling for $15 to $20 on ebay. A lot better than the HP 200LX @ about $150 - $180 + $100 for a parallel port card.
Thanks again, te