Re: Help with embedded hardware/software platform selection for ADA

["Dmitry A. Kazakov" <mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de>]

On Wed, 3 Jul 2013 12:08:33 +0000 (UTC), Simon Clubley wrote:

> On 2013-07-02, Dmitry A. Kazakov <mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de> wrote:
>> On Tue, 2 Jul 2013 19:29:52 +0000 (UTC), Simon Clubley wrote:
>>
>>> I don't understand why you think the only way to get data into a board
>>> is via a A/D converter.
>>
>> Because digital stuff is better to handle by dedicated hardware. This is
>> why I wrote that if you are using main CPU for the purpose of making a
>> signal generator or an incremental encoder or what you wrote below, it is
>> an architectural problem.
> 
> You still need to interface that hardware to the rest of your circuit and
> the SPI/I2C protocols (which generally use GPIO lines) are common ways of
> doing that.

Yes. Usually we use Ethernet (ModBus, EtherCAT) and CAN, because for us
size is not so important as modular design. So we prefer standardized I/O
terminals. And yes, they are not cheap.

>> Why didn't you take an RF TV remote receiver? It has USB/COM interface and
>> is fairly simple to use. We deployed such stuff in some projects.
> 
> I wasn't aware of any devices which remotely match what I need.

That depends of course of what you want. Some of our customers use IrDA and
proprietary deviations from it. It is usually set on an UART. That is in
case you needed a bidirectional communication, half-duplex though.
 
> Do you have a pointer to the unit you are thinking of ?

No. The things get out of stock each 2-5 years. It was something like this
(IR receiver on the left):

http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mvJHLSCI_af75fy731KBUWw.jpg

though it was RS232, not USB. I don't know if RS232 ones are anywhere to
find now. This is always a problem with such things. We needed only a
receiver. The sender was a special design. It was used in several
interactive rides in an amusement park. The sender was in a fake pistol,
you get the idea.

-- 
Regards,
Dmitry A. Kazakov
http://www.dmitry-kazakov.de