phinder

Hi guys, I'm in the first stage of planning a school project. This includes operation of solenoid valves through a computer. However, I am totally lost were to start from here. Some of the questions I have right now: 1) When is it necessary to use relays? 2) Would this (http://www.paia.com/proddetail.asp?prod=K74) board be suitable? 3) Even though the parallel port is the easiest way to connect a control board, I would much rather use the USB port. Are there any tutorials available that explain this? 4) I heard Darlington transistor arrays can replace relays and minimize the circuit size. Is this approach better than using relays? Your help is very much appreciated. Cheers, Phil

Thanks. Any other oppinions?

Hi guys, I'm in the first stage of planning a school project. This includes operation of solenoid valves through a computer. However, I am totally lost were to start from here. Some of the questions I have right now: 1) When is it necessary to use relays? 2) Would this (http://www.paia.com/proddetail.asp?prod=K74) board be suitable? 3) Is there an alternative board that has USB connectivity? 4) I heard Darlington transistor arrays can replace relays and minimize the circuit size. Would you recommend this approach instead of relays? 4) How do I write a simple program in VB that opens/closes up to 8 valves? Your help is very much appreciated. Cheers, Philipp