Re: Name The Book

[Derek Chirnside <d.chirnside@PHYS.CANTERBURY.AC.NZ>]

Rick Tarara wrote:
> My advice is not to reinvent the wheel here.  A number of companies
> (Vernier, Pasco, Tel-
> Atomic, etc.) have interfaces and detectors designed for the PC/Mac.  I
> would venture to guess that each has a storeroom somewhere with lots of
> 'older' versions of this equipment that were originally designed to run on
> these old platforms that you might pick up at low cost.  It is certainly
> worth a try.
>
> Rick Tarara
Vernier has actually written a book on this I think it is something
about "How to build a better mousetrap"
It's fun.
I'd partly agree with Rick.  However some of us (and some students) like
the challenge of using the old stuff.  There are real problems with
anything on PC's with Windows in the way the system takes over the clock
and messes up timing.  I've developed a small timer application that
plugs straight into the games port of a PC and runs under DOS.  Milli
second resolution.  However to port this to windows in any way demands
that the programme take over the CPU at a much deeper level.  (This is a
technically inaccurate descripotion I know, but, I'm a physics teacher
first, programmer second)
Now generally expensive interfaces are needed which do certail pre
processing then pass data to the computer.  (I think)
The option some work on is to programme small chips with machine code
instructions.  Chps are ~$US5-10 I think.  These are the same chips with
ansestors that can cause Y2K problems

> ***********************
> Richard W. Tarara
> Associate Professor of Physics
> Department of Chemistry & Physics
> Saint Mary's College
> Notre Dame, IN 46556
> rtarara@saintmarys.edu
>
> Free Physics Instructional Software:
>
> NEW WIN 95/98/NT SOFTWARE NOW AVAILABLE!
>
> see  http://www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/   for details.
>
> ****************************
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dayton Lab <dayton@ERIENET.NET>
> To: PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU <PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU>
> Date: Tuesday, January 19, 1999 9:09 AM
> Subject: Name The Book
>
> > Knowing that you folks in physics are among the best in terms of gadgets
> > and gismos I come with hat in hand (I'm a biologist) seeking help and
> > advice. We have a pile of old 8086's, 286's etc that we'd like to put to
> > good use (boat anchors excluded) as sensors for light, heat, relative
> > humidity as well as more novel applications. I'm in the reading stage
> > now and would like your opinion as to the one book (readable by a
> > biologist) that 1) Describes the architecture of these early computers
> > 2) Deals practically with how to construct useful devices using the game
> > port, parallel port etc.
> >
> > Second question - are you physics teachers aware of the books by the
> > Canadian Bill Davies published  by WERD Technology Richmond Hill Ontario
> > on various project building subjects. These are real nuts and bolts type
> > stuff the best I've seen in many a year. As far as I can tell he's
> > published two of a proposed set of seven or eight. The first dealt with
> > robotics, the second motors with others promised. I have tried their
> > e-mail address (no response) and web site (errored out). Others planned
> > include optical devices,pneumatics,computer interfacing. I'd appreciate
> > hearing if others in the series have been published. These are books you
> > folks in physics would DEFINITELY want.
> >
> > Keep up your important!
> >
> > David J. Gerrick
> > Economic Botanist
> > Dayton Lab
> > Lorain OH 44055

--
Derek Chirnside         d.chirnside@phys.canterbury.ac.nz
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Growing Minds: Physics Education/Information Technology Support
Ph: +64 3 364 2987 Ext 7561
Fax: +64 3 364 2469
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