Control & Data aquisition

[Merlin3189]

Now that I've finally been driven to retirement, I'd like to try some of the things that I've not had time for at work.
Particularly I want to be able to connect my computer to the world other than via a screen and keyboard.
I've had a bit of experience using parallel ports, which was easy, but not many PCs have these any more.
Now USB is ubiquitous, using a PIC with USB IF lets me emulate that process, but always seems an awkward way of going about what should be a basic process?
PCs have sound inputs, but I've never found any documentation on their internal interfacing.
I've tried several other groups and not yet found one with any interest in these things. Tech Forums is my latest attempt.

 

[iParanormalx]

To confirm understanding - you're wanting to create a human interface device?

 

[Merlin3189]

Thanks for responding. I put these comments as an introduction rather than a request, just to explain why I'd signed up.
No, not HID, just machine interfaces.
The two main things I've been thinking of are
amateur radio - signal processing and display, possibly acquiring signals via a sound card. I am aware that this can be done as I have other software that does it, but I don't understand how they get the data from and to the sound card (or sometimes the USB port).
Secondly, simple control - monitoring sensors (temperature and light) with some control outputs (again, heaters, lights, motors and valves) and long term logging of data. That is something I did years ago via parallel interface, but it looks like one needs to use PICs these days. I have seen USB linked parallel ports, but again, I really don't know how to interface software with the USB port.

I'm just hoping to find a group where a few other people are doing this sort of thing so that I can listen in and learn about how it's done. If I do and if I can remember how to write SW after OVER 10 years absence (my last project was in Borland C on Windows NT 3.5) I might actually give it a try!

Regards. Don.

 

[iParanormalx]

Oh i see, well welcome to the forum! I find your field very interesting!

Do you have anything like this?
http://www.amazon.com/USB-Based-24-Channel-Digital-Module/dp/B003DV6W9G