Contact Closure to RS232 String Output: Serial Commander Series
The Serial Commander was designed to provide an economical solution for an exhibit or kiosk which only needed contact closure to serial string control. It has been used for media players (for example three Adtec Edjes in synchronization) based on a motion detector trigger or visitor interaction via buttons. It also has been used to provide visitor input to PC computer exhibits and issue commands to serial controlled devices based on sensors inputs such as paper out, limit switches and optically interrupted IR beams. It has been used to control pan/tilt/zoom cameras and it has been used to convert one string command input to another type string output. Its most appealing feature is its cost. If you only need one serial port and six to 12 contact closures inputs for your project, its cost is 20 percent the MRSP of AMX equipment needed to do the same functions. Even with a steep discount on the AMX gear the Serial Commander is one third the cost.
ECE has developed several versions of the Serial Commander that vary the number of inputs, the upper limit of baud capability, the amount of memory available for byte strings, and with and without an enclosure. Click on the image at right to learn more or determine if the Serial Commander can solve your serial communication challenge.
LED and Lighting Control Products
ECE has developed several products in this category. The main attraction is our LED Commander Series. It can animate numerous LED circuits to produce moving affects in signs, relief maps and anywhere one might consider a fiber optic light show. We also have a high intensity LED dimmer system which was developed for large dimmable light boxes but could be used in other circumstances as well. Included in this product group is a three-circuit analog dimmer controller designed specifically for museum case lighting. The image to the right is an actual application where the LED Cmdr was the prominent piece. Click on it for more information about all the products in this category.
IO Products
In this category we currently have only two standalone products: a 15-input-to-4 decoder and a large capacitive touch switch with feedback. If you have an IO challenge with AMX equipment check our AMX Friendly Product section. In this category, the 15-to-4 decoder helps ameliorate the problem when you need more switch inputs than you have IOs. However, it is the capacitive touch switch with feedback that we think is most unique. We expect to develop a lot of custom electronics with this technology. If you would like to incorporate large capacitive touch switches, with or without feedback, into an exhibit or have more buttons than inputs, click on the image at right for more information.
AMX Friendly Products (Including Software)
ECE has developed/programmed a lot of AMX control systems for museum galleries, exhibits and kiosks. Occasionally, there are a few challenges that must be overcome when using AMX equipment in the museum environment. We have developed some products to ameliorate an IO problem and reduce IO costs. And we have a special NetLinx module that we developed to make DMX light show development much easier and less expensive. For our products designed specifically to work with AMX systems, click on the image to the right.
Audio Control Products: Vol Commander Series
We had an AV integrator ask us to develop a way to control four channels of audio volume via IR remote control. While developing that system, it occurred to us that if we changed the IR control to contact closure that might make a very useful product for museums with audio exhibits without an automated control system. We have three products fully developed in this category that can control up to 16 audio channels and we are developing one more. To learn more click on image to the right.
Electronic Potpourri
Museum Match Game
We developed a stand-alone electronic package to be used in an interactive kiosk where the visitor is asked to match up artifacts, images, text or some combination thereof and receive a payoff when they matched all the items correctly. This was for a bid proposal, but since we had done this numerous times with larger gallery control systems, we felt like this would be a good product for museums who want an economical entry into the interactive exhibit arena. The Museum Match Game has ten inputs and eleven outputs. All inputs are diode protected and processed through a hardware de-bounce circuit into a Schmitt trigger to the controller. The original game had ten buttons that visitors use to match five pictures of fossils with five pictures of the animals species that they came from. A correct match would light up both buttons. The user then had a set period of time to match up the next pair, until all of the matches were made. Then the buttons would do a dance sequence to indicate the payoff. The eleventh output was for a mismatch indicator. Other variants have the eleventh output trigger a relay for a light box to light up as the payoff. Another neat concept is for the eleventh output to trigger a digital message repeater (DMR) for an audible payoff. We have also combined two boards for a total of ten pairs, where the object was just to match one pair at a time indicated by both buttons illuminating. This raw circuit card has LEDs for all inputs and outputs to aid in installation and testing. Contact us with your idea to see if this item is easily adapted to your requirements. All you need is an exhibit with five pairs of things to be matched. Systems can start as low as $400, if you use a pre-developed game firmware. Click on image for closer view.
Universal Stamp Development Board
When we first started out, we were amazed at how versatile all the variants of Parallax Stamp were in the museum exhibit arena. As a consequence we took the time to develop a versatile development board on which all (at that time) Basic Stamp Modules could be easily used in system development. Although we now use a large variety of micro-controller manufacturer s (Microchip, Atmel, Rabbit Semiconductor, Ubicom to name a few), we still use Stamps and this development tool. If you are interested in developing serious Stamp projects, let us suggest you check it out. Click on the image for a larger view. Click on the Manual below for more information.
USB Development Kit Manual
Basic DVD Commander
This device was designed to provide four contact closure button control for Pioneer DVD-V7200 and V7400 and Philips Pro-175 DVD units (all of which are now obsolete) in an exhibit or kiosk environment. We are revamping the product to be compatible with the new line of Pioneer DVD players: V5000 and V8000. Click on image for closer view.
ECE Products
