Re: Programming with COM port

Hello,

Dr John Stockton wrote:
sc, Geir Baardsen <geir_baardsen@xxxxxxxxxxx> posted : 
I have a cabin without electrical supply. I do have a sun cell-panel
on the roof and a 12V battery.
[snip] 
Because I live in northeast of Norway, during the summer I know the
angle of the sun through a three month period.
[snip]
Is there any example on how to talk to the COM-port? 
You may use http://www.domis.de/serialng.htm (OpenSource, sample Programs etc.)...
*But*...
It's a waste of a computer.
The man who wrote this is right! Your Computer will use up all (and probably more) Energry You are earning! So dont waste the small Sunpower You are receiving in northeast of Norway with this.

If You want to control such a system You could better doit with a small on-chip computer like Microchips PIC series. They use 2mA at 5V under power (in sleep mode much lesser) and could do the whole job. And they are very cheap a good one PIC 16F627 cost app. 2.50 Euro and could be reprogrammed thousand times! You will have to know somebody who can make a program and has a programmer (cost aprox. 250 Euro)

PIC 16F627-04P PIC-Controller Dil-18
PIC-Controller/ Flash-Memory, 16 I/ O-Ports, ICSP, Timer 1-16/ 2-8 bit, 1-WDT, BOR
Gehäuse: DIL-18
Memory: 1024x 14 (eq. 1K Assembler-Commands, this is really much!!!)
RAM Bytes: 224 (this is sometimes no enough, but will fit for Your application
max. MHz: 4 (1µS per Assembler-Command)
128B EEProm/ AUSART/ 2 Comp./ 1PWM (EEProm OnChip, You will probably not need, USASRT for service with Your Laptop, PWM Pulse-Width-Modulation to control Your Motorspeed)

So dont waste sun and energy. Good luck to Your project!

Best regards
Ekkehard Domning
.