My new project

[ECET0purdue]

hello,
I have started my new project. I had a question or 2..  Iam going to make this project for my car.  It will have a display screen and will show each light in the house.  so if i leave the house and forgot to turn off a light it will show up on the screen and i could then press the button (touch screen i guess)  and it would turn it off.  Same thing if you were comming home late and wanted to turn on the porch light you could from your car.  Now the project would only work say 50 yards away from your house. 

ok so i need a touch screen that would let  you load borland C++ builder (perfer) Then from there it would go to a ? Microchip (any other device you know of) .  then out to the transmitter.  to the reciver then to some relays.  This sounds around the area. so what iam asking is what kind of set up would i need for the panel and microchip.  I perfer c++ programing but i  know most touch screens have there own programs. and iam guessing i would commucate between the screen and chip via 9pin.  And what kind of microchip? So if you have any suggestions on this project please let me know. maybe even any upgrades. 

Thanks,
glen

 

[ECET0purdue]

no opions... will it work is it eazy?

 

[autir]

Well, it doesn't sound easy. The touchscreen/interface part will be tricky.
Forget about C++. Most microcontrollers are programmed in assembly, lately there have appeared a small number of C and BASIC compilers. Why do you want C++ anyway? You cannot fit many objects inside a microcontroller... (needless to say that Borland C++ and similar compilers are out of the question)

 

[Staigen1]

Hi

Isn't there a system called X10 that will take care of your appliances in your house? I belive the status of X10 can be transmitted to your car, so you see if something is on, or something that is should be on, and is not. And i belive that the contol of X10 can be transmitted from your car to the house.

But i can't figure out why to heck you have to load Borland C++! The microcontroller should be programmed to do the tasks you ask for.

//Staigen

 

[ECET0purdue]

i would use C++ for the operator / touch screen.  Well i though. i seen a touch screen that has xp loaded on it and though this might make it even easer? Well i will fing out because i think this will be my senior desgin.... i have used assebly but then how would i make the user interface...or do touch screens come with there own program?
thanks for the replys,..
Cheers,
Glen

 

[Staigen1]

Hi again

Do you really know what Borland C++ is? Isn't this project a little bit ahead of your skills?

//Staigen

 

[ECET0purdue]

yes i know...i also know there is a differenct between borland C++ and Borland Builder C++ the difference is Builder has is visual ( push buttons, listbox, ect. ) and i hope that this is not to hard ...well i dont think it is this is my 4th year in this program as an Electrical and Computer Engineering  ....and i think if i cant do this project then i should not get a job in this field.  I mean all iam doing is sending information wireless to a chip then the chip will control relays?

Does anyone else think this is too hard??? before i pick this as my senior design?

 

[Staigen1]

No no, go ahead, maybee i was wrong there, sorry

//Staigen

 

[ECET0purdue]

Also i found a data acquisition device that works with Borland Builder C++ with 96 outputs. i figure this would be good?
Thanks,
Glen

 

[ECET0purdue]

if you really think it is tooo hard please tell me why? and then i could research it a little ...the part you think will be the hardest?  i dont know how long you have been doing this but iam sure its been longer then me and you would know were i would run into problems?
thanks
Glen

 

[ECET0purdue]

After all you have more post then me  ;D  ;D

 

[Staigen1]

I see now that i was wrong, i am really sorry, and the amount of posts dont have anything to do with that, you are sure enough skilled, but, loading Borland C++ semd a little bit awkward at the time(i didn't saw the builder extension)! Go ahead and do it, and please, show the results here, it can be intresting!

I dont even know what Borland C++ Builder is, i thought it was a programming tool too!

//Staigen

 

[autir]

It's a programming tool too, Staigen.
Borland C++ Builder makes sure that you don't have to write code in order to create a button, window or similar graphical widget. You draw them on-the-fly using the appropriate tools. Like Visual Basic, if you have heard of.
Big deal.
Why;
Because the problem in our case is not whether the user interface will be hand-coded or drag-and-dropped. The problem is how to fit a C++ program containing graphics inside a microcontroller. No, better: the problem is how to convert a Win32 executable (possibly making use of Win32 API, due to graphics usage) to e.g. PIC16F84 machine code.

ECET0purdue:
Forgive me for asking or assuming things but it is impossible to know without asking.
You say you study ECE.
-> Have you completed cources dealing with computer architecture/ microcontrollers?
-> Have you completed cources dealing with embedded systems?
-> You know C++, so I assume that you know object-oriented programming concepts in general. Can you code in Java?

 

[AVRFreakMan1]

The idea is doable but I'm not convinced that you have the skills to do it.

You could use a microcontroller with a touch LCD but you can't do that with C++ and Win32 API.
For that convenient programming enviromment you have to use a Pentium board, like those PC104 style.

It is also expandable, by bulding more consoles. One for maybe each room in the house, or in strategic places and for other cars. All these consoles should have passwords and the communication should be bidirectional with feedback/acknowledge.
What kind of RF communication are you up to?
You could do it with free license 433MHz or with your cell phone, via SMS/MMS but this is not free. The cell phone could also be your console and Java builders exist for smart phones.

But first of all, you should start modifying the electrical system in your house, to be remotely controlable.

The whole thing is not going to be cheap!

 

[ECET0purdue]

What i was considering was using power line commucation for the control of the lights from a display in the house...then the display in the car would send and recive information to the panel in the house.  Also i was thinking about the cell phone and i think is i used RFID technology with the cell phone it would be easer. This way does not sound like it would cost too much.    The whole reason i started with wanting to use BB C++ was because the touch screen that i got as a donation...( nice donation)  came with xp all ready in the screen...i have not recived the screen yet so i dont know exactly what all there sending but it if has xp then why not use C++? Any how .....what do you think about using Power Line Commucation for the lights.  and the RFID for the cell phone..  i have not learned java that good but i do know a little and could get help on programming it. I also have programed pic chips, some DSP chips and for micocontollers i only done simulations. ........thanks for the questions. and ill looking forward to more.  Also ..if i dont use BB C++ for the visual screen ...what would i use for visual screen.... is there a different program that would work better? if what?
once again
thanks,
glen

 

[autir]

the touch screen that i got as a donation...( nice donation)

 

[ECET0purdue]

here is the link to the screen
http://www.qsicorp.com/images/in_development/ds_treq_dx.pdf 

also i found a place that makes the light switches so all i would have to do is replace the ones in the house....

let me know what you think about the screen
thanks,
glen

 

[ECET0purdue]

once you click on the link ..........  ( the link did not take you were i wanted it to)

go to Vehicle Terminals  then you will see the TREQ™ DX on the right side of screen.

 

[autir]

The link is dead  :