Looking for a particular board

[g105b]

Hi there,

In the past I've made a few projects with picaxe boards, and I'm interested in creating my latest idea on picaxe again but I don't know if it's possible.

I'm looking for a board that can connect via USB or serial to a PC and act as an input/output device. The device will be able to control a program via its buttons, and the program will be able to control the device's outputs. I am planning on writing a program to control the board in C++ or C#, unless anyone suggests another way.

Is this possible with picaxe boards, and if so, could someone point me in the right direction to which boards I need to buy.

Thanks in advance,
- Greg.

 

[Andrew Cowan]

Any PICAXE can talk to a PC and visa versa (via serial)

Using a chip with sertxd and serrxd means data can be sent up and down the serial cable.

I would go for a chip that supports timeouts on serial in (so an X1 or X2 chip) I'd persoannly use the 28X2.

Easiest programming would be visual basic, but anything that supports serial communication is fine.

Andrew

 

[g105b]

I was unaware that any chip can talk both ways to a PC, was thinking that I'd have to get a separate controller for that.

After doing a bit of research on this topic, I think I'll be asking here again about getting input / output working with a PC after I know exactly what my requirements are for this project.

Cheers Andrew

 

[Andrew Cowan]

Only M, X1 and X2 (except 08M) can listen to a PC through the serial cable.

All X, M, X1 and X2 parts can talk to a PC through the serial cable.

Look at the sertxd and serrxd commands.

A

 

[Dippy]

Take Andrew's advice.
Most of the info you need for PICAXE comms is in the MANUAL 2.
And how to connect it is shown as your usual download circuit in MANUAL 1.
As you have done PICAXE projects before you will be familar with the conenctions.

What language you choose for you PC coding is entirely up to you, though using C++ sounds more impressive

 

[hippy]

Welcome to the PICAXE forum.

While some PICAXE's cannot communicate both ways through the download cable interface, all PICAXE's can send to the PC through it ( SERTXD ), and all PICAXE's can use SEROUT and SERIN for both ways communications; all that is needed is to duplicate the 10K/22K download interface for the SERIN connection ( and add a clamping diode for certain pins ).

That can all be explained in detail when you've decided what you want to do and which PICAXE you wish to use - It's not as complicated as the above may sound !

Using a USB-to-Serial adapter ( AXE027 ), although the PICAXE uses purely serial, the overall connections is as a USB device. Your program can access it is a serial device via its associated Virtual Serial Port.

It is possible to use a single PICAXE talking both ways, or have separate PICAXE's, one receiving from the PC and the other sending to it, through the single cable. In fact, it's possible to have multiple PICAXE's doing each ( but obviously more complicated coding and I/O connections required ).

In short, the PICAXE should be ideally suited to what you are trying to do.