AtariLab Interface question

[Garrett]

I recently purchased both the AtariLab Starter Set and Light Modules. With the Starter Set came an Interface which enables you to plug in several sensors into it to read things like temperature and light values and such. In the Starter Set manual on page 140 it says you can program the control outputs and instructions to do so would be included in future modules. Well, there were no other modules and I was wondering if there may be a practical use for such a thing. I remember hearing about a device and program that lets you control lights in your home - having them turn on or off using the 8-bit. Can I use the AtariLab Interface to devise a way to do so? If so, then how? Does anyone have any ideas about a program I could use? Or an interface I might need to build? It's just an idea I've had since I got the Modules.

[Rybags]

Does it come with decent doco or schematics of any sort?

 

Can you upload the software - it might give some idea of what can be done.

[Mathy]

Howdy Garret

 

There is/was a system to switch on lights and other stuff all over the house. Either one of the companies making it, or the system itself is called "X10". It can probably not be controled by the AtariLab starter kits. IIRC Best Electronics is still selling these AtariLab Starter kits. There is/was one box with extra controllers/sensors or something like that available for the AtariLab starter kits. But I can't seem to remember what it was called or what was in it.

 

Either ANTIC or ANALOG Computing once did an article (or maybe even a two part series) on how to connect an X10 control box to the 8 Bit Atari. But there was a control box that directly plugged into the 8 bit Atari as well as a version with an RS232 port. The magazin IIRC also had some software for it. I'ld start searching in later issues of ANTIC magazin, if I wanted to look for the article. Most of these magazines have been scanned and the software is available on the net.

 

Greetings

 

Mathy

[Garrett]

Both the AtariLab Modules I have did not come with any schematics. The software is in the form of cartridges - one for the temperature experiments and one for the light experiments. I don't know if the rom images have been uploaded anywhere. The manuals included are a learning aid you would use to do different experiments with the cartridges and plug in sensors. One of the things I've always liked about Atari - they encouraged learning using computers.

 

Looking around online, I did find that there once was an interface available to control home lighting called The X-10 PowerManager System. It would be great if I could get my hands on one.

[highendsystems]

Both the AtariLab Modules I have did not come with any schematics. The software is in the form of cartridges - one for the temperature experiments and one for the light experiments. I don't know if the rom images have been uploaded anywhere. The manuals included are a learning aid you would use to do different experiments with the cartridges and plug in sensors. One of the things I've always liked about Atari - they encouraged learning using computers.

 

Looking around online, I did find that there once was an interface available to control home lighting called The X-10 PowerManager System. It would be great if I could get my hands on one.

 

Hey Garrett, good to see another Master Thief on this forum!

 

A little off subject but back in the day I created my own security system with the Atari using parts from joysticks. Worked great till I had to replace the power supply, then I decided it wasn't worth leaving the Atari on all the time just to protect my bedroom....

[pps]

Back in the days, I owned this package too.

 

If I remember correct, you control all your Outputs via 'poking' into joyport registers and get back the results by 'peeking' it out. The basic programmes in the manual give some hints, which bit is used for which of the connectors of the lab plug.

 

I think with the sensors of one of the two packages you can easily test it out yourselves by pluging it thru all connectors.

 

Hope that I remeber correct and it helped you a bit.