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USB analog Output control, cheaply?

Excluding driver side of things for a moment, does anyone know a cheap and basic way to make some kind of analog or stepped output control via USB? The task is spinning a motor at varying speeds, a pump, in this case.

Jaycar have a kit, but it also includes 2 analog intputs and 8 digital I/O lines, which are of no use to me, and at $65, more than i'd like to spend for a project that may scale up later on ..

Anyone know a kit or system that can do this, simply and basically? I'd prefer a pre-developed system, vs using and programming a PIC myself .. i've got electrical expeirence, but 0 experience using/programming PICs..

Thanks in advance!

Reply to
Lord-Data
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The picaxe range of products together with a cheap USB to serial adaptor would be a good solution.

picaxe.com sells the usb to serial adaptor for 6 GBP, and the entry picaxe for AU $4.70.

Total AU cost would then be under $20, and under $5 if you don't mind using a serial port instead of USB. Serial strings would be much nicer for you to program with. Very simple compared to finding USB drivers etc.

And don't worry about not having programmed microprocessors before. Picaxe is as easy as it gets. It would be much harder (but still easy) to create the control software to send out the serial strings to the picaxe than it would be to program the picaxe to receive serial strings, and control the pump using PWM.

Reply to
Heywood Jablome

All the PICAXE stuff is also available in Oz -

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I bought all my stuff from them - found them helpful, and REALLY quick delivery

The USB to serial costs $A22 - mine works fine

David

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Heywood Jablome wrote:

Reply to
quietguy

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