I posted this exact same question the other day piggybacking on someone else's thread, following keenly
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I posted this exact same question the other day piggybacking on someone else's thread, following keenly
Gary, I'm looking for something just like this to work with an automated process. Do you happen to remember where to connect into the board?
Thanks!
I forget if you can change the duration of the 5v output. If so, there are some simple 5v beepers out there that take next to nothing for current that you could likely wire up directly.
Else, you can also look up "flip-flop" relays or circuits. A pulse will turn the relay on, a second pulse will turn it off. You can hook up a strobe, light, whatever to the relay. Then you can either have a pushbutton to flip it back off or configure another pulse from the program when you start the next job.
Regardless, Arduino will totally work (heck, they're overkill for this as they are really quite capable), but there are also some inexpensive, almost turn key options out there that will work.
I have a $25 Casio watch with a 'stepped' one-button countdown timer, works in 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 30 minute increments, if I want 1 minute, press once, 5 minutes press 3 times, etc. I have one repeat job that takes 5:54 to run- before I change the part out I press 3 times, change, load, start--- when the timer goes off, by the time I get to the machine it's usually just getting done :)
Speaking of timers, I have a couple of these small digital timers I got at the dollar store, you can set them to the second, and they retain the setting until you specifically reset it.
Attachment 417859
Not perfect solutions but they help! ;)
I just saw Kev's post - on Con4 it was either out4 or out5 - but that depends on the exact card you have. Either one will work, you just need to set it up in the software to send the signal to the one you connect to and set whether it sends a high or low signal.
Thanks Gary! Did you end up with the Arduino stuff or some other solution?
Business opportunity! Make up something that works and I'll buy one for a Dolla! or maybe I'd go Two dolla!
:D
I ended up having an Arduino solution made for me. I didn't know anything about Arduino at the time and didn't want to learn another programming language so I found someone with the expertise and experience to do it for me. He designed a board, wrote the code and ended up with a really nice product. Unfortunately I got too busy to install it and get it working so it is actually sitting in my home office somewhere among the rest of the Arduino stuff I started on after that. The person is a member here, Doug Griffith, and maybe he could help you to modify what he has done already to meet your needs. I can search for the parts I have at home but it may take me a while as I'm in the middle of finishing a 1,900 sq ft basement and my Arduino stuff is boxed up *somewhere*... If you want to message Doug his post to me is earlier on this thread, and maybe he can help.
Thanks Gary for the reply.