🚀 go-pugleaf

Thanks for all the information on PC interfacing, I have now built a
driver which switches on my cassette recorder via the PC.
I actually had the required 'bits' just lying around the house. Although
since testing the driver I have actually built a proper pcb (without
box) which I did buy.

In the process of testing the circuit I must have blown something on the
i/o card as the voltage has dropped from 4.3V to 3.2V on one of the pins
( I was warned about this, but at least I wasn't using my 586 with on
board i/o). I checked some resistors on the card and replaced one 22ohm
that had risen to 34 ohms but still only get 3.2V. Any ideas ?

I am now using a spare i/o card which gives slightly more than 5V on
pins 2 to 9. However the 'logic' is the opposite way round to the last
card i.e. PC boots with pins set high, releasing 5V, I then set all pins
low by sending 1's not 0's (out &h378,127) in my autoexec. I then need
to send 0's to the pins to set them high. I have had to edit my software
which I wrote for the first card to operate my second card. Is it
correct for different cards to have different logics, or am I doing
something wrong.

I am still looking for interfacing details for 3 phase motors. My friend
bought a cheap  'robotic  (CNC) manipulator' at an auction which has
several  stepper motors used to manipulate the  'tool holder' position.
We have no details on how it operates and numerous wires have been
severed (but they are colour coded).  I should be able to write software
to manipulate the tool holder but I first need to build/buy the
interfacing circuits. I will find out what power ratings the motors are
and post them here when I have them. Can the cassette recorder driver
just be uprated for the higher power required by the 3 phase motor (with
a solid state relay replacing the transistor).

The reason for the cassette recorder driver (and the cross posting to
uk.telecom) is as follows:

I receive a telephone call when I am out, my software receives notice of
this via my external modem.
When the ringing pattern ends my software dials 1471 ( a UK facility
which is a free service that notifies you of your last callers number
and the time of the call, is a similar facility available in the USA?). 

As the software starts to dial 1471 it also sends a signal to my
external cassette recorder to start recording. The cassette recorder has
a telephone pick-up coil attached from the mic socket to my external
modem. The 1471 details are recorded and the software stops the
recording until the next call arrives.

Although I have a voice modem, PC interfaced CallerID (SpeakID voice
announced caller ID software)  and Call Minder to notify me of calls I
thought I would be fun to have another system. There is an answering
machine available which does the same thing but at �50 is rather
expensive.

By using a pick-up coil there is no connection to BT's phone system and
therefore no approval is required for the equipment by BABT and the
service is FREE unlike CallerID.

Anyone else interested in the software and driver please email me,

You will need an external modem (internals would be difficult to use)
and a battery  operated (with mains use for playback)  cassette recorder
with a mic socket (as opposed to a built-in condenser mic - I soldered
an external mic socket in line with the condenser mic). The cassette
recorder must be able to be manually set to record with power off  and
to 'pause' recording as power goes from on to off, I believe this is the
standard 'pause' facility.

Apologies for the length of this posting.
Apologies to BT for the impending drain on your network 

 * To those not yet on the Net I say, I wish I had your telephone bill. *
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 * Key ID ADA26D41 Paul John Alcock <paul@intra.demon.co.uk>            *