Phidgets Plugin

[Zorro]

Updated. See first post for details.

[Ryan711]

This opens up so many possibilities, but one in particular that is sticking out in my mind is radar detectors. I'm not quite sure if this would work how i'm picturing it in my head, but you could maybe get a voltage sensor and splice it onto the light wire inside the detector that lights up when radar is detected.

Then just put a little indicator icon at the top with the option to lower the music and beep in CF(does CF allow you to do this?).

Sounds all good in my head, but programming it to do the thing mentioned is another thing.

[Zorro]

Originally Posted by Ryan711

This opens up so many possibilities, but one in particular that is sticking out in my mind is radar detectors. I'm not quite sure if this would work how i'm picturing it in my head, but you could maybe get a voltage sensor and splice it onto the light wire inside the detector that lights up when radar is detected.

Then just put a little indicator icon at the top with the option to lower the music and beep in CF(does CF allow you to do this?).

Sounds all good in my head, but programming it to do the thing mentioned is another thing.

We thought about that and I think this could be done. One thing would be to find the right radar detector and another one would be to figure how it's working. As far as I now, those detectors deliver the strength of the detected radar signal, which is being used to calculate the distance.

Assuming you find a radar detector which delivers a voltage output (0-5V would be perfect but in conjunction with a voltage divider it could be any voltage), you would simply connect it to a Sensor input. As the sensor input changes it's value you could use PhiPL to do the evaluation.
This could be something like this (assigned as an Action to the INPUTx):

 
HOST: SETVOLUME(MAIN, 20) @ > 1
HOST: SETVOLUME(MAIN, 60) @ < 0.7
HOST: INJECTIMAGE(RADAR, "{somepath}\Radar.png") @ > 1.2
HOST: INJECTIMAGE(RADAR, "") @ < 0.7
HOST: INFO("WARNING... RADAR in xx meter/feet", 30) @ >1.2
HOST: INFO("WARNING... RADAR in xx meter/feet", 30) @ >2.2
HOST: INFO("WARNING... RADAR in xx meter/feet", 30) @ >3.2
HOST: PLAYSOUND("{somepath}\Radar.wav") @ > 1
HOST: SAY("RADAR WARNING, SLOW DOWN BUDDY") @ > 1

This PhiPL code would lower the volume if the radar gets over the defined treshold (1V in this case), Draw an image (Radar.png) into CF's mainscreen, show a message box with the warning according to the distance, play a warning sound and speak the text "RADAR WARNING...".
Vice versa, it'd remove the image and set the volume back if the radar sensor gets below the treshold.

It doesn't have to be that complex but it shows you the options you have using PhiPL.

One tricky thing would be to test the PhiPL and adjust the distances... could bring you lots of speed tickets

[Ryan711]

The only problem I can foresee is not being able to control the detector say for a false alarm. You wouldn't be able to turn the beeping off.

[Zorro]

Originally Posted by Ryan711

The only problem I can foresee is not being able to control the detector say for a false alarm. You wouldn't be able to turn the beeping off.

True. But you could use a digital output to turn the detector off if it goes nuts.

[WuNgUn]

Nice! Speed radar plugin...I'll be monitoring this development as well!
I wonder, could you hook the speaker output on the fuzz-buster straight into the Phidget input for the signal?

[Zorro]

Originally Posted by WuNgUn

Nice! Speed radar plugin...I'll be monitoring this development as well!
I wonder, could you hook the speaker output on the fuzz-buster straight into the Phidget input for the signal?

Can't say for sure but I don't think you can do that. I guess the output signal of the fuzz-buster is a frequency. The Phidgets sensors read voltages, not frequencies. You would have to put some converter in between.

[Ryan711]

I think the best detector to use would be the valentine one http://www.valentine1.com/

It is one of the best detectors on the market, and even has the possibility to be hooked up to the computer if one was so inclined. See here http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/user...one-pc-21.html

[Zorro]

Originally Posted by Ryan711

I think the best detector to use would be the valentine one http://www.valentine1.com/

It is one of the best detectors on the market, and even has the possibility to be hooked up to the computer if one was so inclined. See here http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/user...one-pc-21.html

Nice little device but it wouldn't make much sense to connect that to the Phidgets Ifk since it needs a serial port to communicate with the computer (so I assume the protocol is rather complex).
If you intend using this detector, you'd be better served running the V1 Virtual Display app as an embedded application within CF.

However, if you need to do more than just display the information coming from the device, one could write an Phidgets plugin Extender that communicates with the Valentine and hands over the data to the Phidgets plugin.
There are two samples with source code in the Phidgets plugin package (one of them is the Phidgets Servo Extender) showing how Extenders work.

[sP3ci4L-K]

Originally Posted by MarcelP

Sehr schöne Arbeit, ich glaube ich hole mir auch so ein Phidget!

Originally Posted by Zorro

Kann ich dir nur empfehlen

Krieg ich so ein Phidget auch in Deutschland oder bekomm ich das Ding nur übers Ausland !?