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Control Interface to PC Ports

• Simple Printer Port Interface, Input-Output.
  
• Test Circuit for Logic Analyzer software.
  
• Printer Port, 256 Relays - 16K Dot Matrix.
  

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Summary Notes :

A computer can be used to control or automate systems. From turning lights on/off at your home to shutting down motors or heaters in industries. Speed control and PID Control too.

PC based Instrumentation is easy to implement using USB Devices and Plugin Cards for Test and Measurement.  Most instruments can communicate with PC on the GPIB interface.

You can start by learning to use the parallel port and serial port. MIDI-Game port also has enough to help you start, learn computer interfacing at home.

The few examples above show an instrumentation - Logic Analyzer 'Like' interface and a relay-display driver circuit. They are examples i tried for students to try out and learn. 

Preset Counter Simulation and Test for Printer Port

After you testout the Simple Printer port circuit, try this Preset Counter Software shown. This can count the pulses coming in the Port inputs. Use a Proximity switch with opto-isolators to count objects. Even just push switches enough to simulate events.

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USB interfaces have made such PC based Data Acquisition and Controls much easier. In the early days it was Printer Port and Serial Port. The future is for Wireless Device Networking.

Internet and Intranet of Things - IoT

When Intelligent Devices (embedded systems) are privately and securely networked, it is called the Intranet of Things. This is like a Home-Office-Business private closed Cloud. This is ideal for Home and Infrastructure Automation and even Big Business or SMB Automation.

The Internet of Things - IoT is the Superset. It could be Secure and Private but still vulnerable to security lapses and breakdowns. This could send devices, robots and machines Berserk. In all Networked Environments we have to have fallback arrangements when network fails or is compromised or even slow due to peak hour internet traffic.

WSN - Wireless Sensor Networks and M2M - Machine to Machine Data Communication; M2M and WSN is a closed private Intranet network that is used in Manufacturing and Industrial Automation. Here we could use data sync to Interface it with the Web or Internet. This enables passive controls and monitoring of SCADA or Machine Status, yet very Secure.

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COR - Collaborative Online Robotics - This is like team work for bots. Big tasks can be accomplished by very small and weak robots. Example - Observe Ants and Bees.   

All these only mean Wireless Networked Intelligent Embedded Systems. They could be machines, appliance, robot or gadget. The brain is both on the device and in the Clouds.