2 replies to this topic

[morteza08]

Hi everybody, I am to build a hotwire anonemeter that give us the velocity of airflow by generating voltage.....I want to write a code that convert the voltage export to computer to velocity.
is this possible by VB... i have to write a driver? can anybody give me a full instruction? i am a newbie in this field

[LuthfiHakim]

morteza08 said:

I want to write a code that convert the voltage export to computer to velocity.
is this possible by VB... i have to write a driver?

You can not do this inside a PC. You have to do it outside the PC by using ADC (analog to digital converter) from which the result can be feed to your PC. The reason is because our PC can only process digital signals, not analog signal. Also if the voltage exceeding the tolerance range, it will damage the PC.

So you need to develop external hardware (ADC is just one of its module) which can translate the voltage generated by the anemometer into digital number and feed that number to PC. Unless your main target/market are laptop users, I recommend to use UART in the hardware to give it ability to "talk" with PC using serial ports. Since you are not an expert in this area, I think targeting serial port communication is much easier than immediately develop the hardware to use with USB port (which requires more complex hardware design in the external hardware side and also the need to write driver - or buy the code - in the PC side).

Edited by LuthfiHakim, 13 December 2010 - 02:15 PM.
Add wikipedia link about UART

[morteza08]

thanks for your informative guide

LuthfiHakim said:

You can not do this inside a PC. You have to do it outside the PC by using ADC (analog to digital converter) from which the result can be feed to your PC. The reason is because our PC can only process digital signals, not analog signal. Also if the voltage exceeding the tolerance range, it will damage the PC.

So you need to develop external hardware (ADC is just one of its module) which can translate the voltage generated by the anemometer into digital number and feed that number to PC. Unless your main target/market are laptop users, I recommend to use UART in the hardware to give it ability to "talk" with PC using serial ports. Since you are not an expert in this area, I think targeting serial port communication is much easier than immediately develop the hardware to use with USB port (which requires more complex hardware design in the external hardware side and also the need to write driver - or buy the code - in the PC side).