Subject: From: Date:

Re: [ECS] Keypad Interfaces Kent Noonan Sat, 5 Feb 2000 14:22:51 -0600

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Thanks for the wise words and the assistance.. What you describe 
is what I assumed it would do, but it doesn't.. I guess I'll have to 
find some other way.. 

On 5 Feb 00, at 14:35, joerut@epix.net wrote:

> Hello Kent
> 
> I would say as long as you keypad is sending out standard ASCII values
> for keys pressed that a keypad session is probally your best bet because
> it basically already knows how to handle the data. You can check this
> out by monitoring the state of the serial byte item when you are sending
> data from the keypad. I believe a "1" should be a 49 a "2" should be 50
> Etc. As far a the TTS not found. In the keypad session item are you
> setting "Voice help?" to "NO"? 
> 
> If your display will receive standard ASCII then set "Prompt port:" to
> the com port that the display is attached.
> 
> 
> I do not use keypad sessions for my displays because my displays send
> ECS special codes to put them in different modes which a kepad session
> will not recognize. I work STRICTLY with the serial byte item.
> 
> 
> Later 
> Joe Rut
> 
> 
> Kent Noonan wrote:
> > 
> > Yea I have them attached serially.. Each to it's own individual port.
> > I have a serial-byte item defined and can send and receive from the
> > lcd's. I guess I just don't understand how to process what I recieve
> > from them to make ECS do something. I didn't know if I needed to
> > figure out the keypad-session or just interface them through the
> > serial-byte item only.. I don't know if it is possible to do it or what
> > (dis)advantages come from using keypad-session or not using it. If
> > I do use it, how do I make "TTS not found" go away?? (other than
> > defining TTS) I guess I just need to hack away at it a while longer
> > and mayber it will "click" some time soon..
> > 
> > On 5 Feb 00, at 12:15, joerut@epix.net wrote:
> > 
> > > Kent
> > >
> > > How are they interfaced with ECS?? Serial Port??
> > >
> > > I had built some displays with keypads years ago. I also built a device
> > > that would interface many (as many as you would like) of these displays
> > > into ONE serial port. The keypad would send ECS macro values. I would
> > > use the serial byte item to receive these values then set a macro
> > > accordingly. I would also use the serial byte item to send messages to
> > > the display. The top line of the display ALWAYS showed the current date
> > > and time.(From ECS) the other 3 lines scrolled reminder type messages.
> > > By using the serial byte item this can get a bit programming intense but
> > > it actually works very well. The only downfall about the interface that
> > > combines ALL the displays into ONE serial port is that only ONE keypad
> > > can be active at a time and ALL of the displays will show the SAME data.
> > >
> > > Later
> > > Joe Rut
> > >

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