computer controlled USB Lamp

Siliconslave

Siliconslave

Siliconslave

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11 Dec 2002
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I'm trying to find a lamp or small sign that i can plug into a PC via USB and control via a simple API / interface.

Basically I'm looking to make a warning lamp for when one of our systems is down.... Anyone know of a cheap solution?

Cheers
Sam
 
Thats quite a good idea that, a visual warning of possible problems.
That'd save me a heck of a lot of agro at work. :p.
 
Ethernet cards have lights on the socket to indicate if they are on (Or use a motherboard header for the power light). Can you not make a simple relay interface to those cheapy £10 revolving lights that run off mains? Or is that waaaay too simple (And not strictly what you meant).
 
How are you going to detect when the system is down, are you going to have a script that polls something?

You can easily set a light to come on from a parallel port. They have 5v outputs :-) Just have an opto isolator or relay if your lamp is greater than 5v. Otherwise a LED with a series resistor will do the job.

Or if you have no parallel port, a simple PIC chip interfaced to your rs232 port via a USB adapter will work.

I have been hacking around with PIC chips + serial comms and they are great :-)

http://www.pinter75.co.uk/robots/
 
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