What I/O boards do users want?

Author	Message
RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: Australia Posts: 495	Posted: 10:51pm 10 Jun 2011         donmck said   . What we have to decide is what users want most in the way of I/O boards, and produce them. All comments welcome. Don, I currently use a number of small boards that "mostly" suit my needs. They have 8 TTL in, 8 TTL out, 3 analog in, 1 humidity in and 8 temperature in (DS18B20). The main reason I use this particular board is its *ethernet* connectivity. It also has around 4000 lines of programmable "logic" - not basic or C, but something like a hybrid of assembler, ladder and C. Its biggest failing (to me) is the inability for boards to communicate between each other in a co-operative control network, and no display (not even a 4x20 LCD). I'm working with the developer for that to overcome some of its limitations. The maximite (which I don't have yet) would appear to have a lot of those issues overcome already - but it doesn't have ethernet. In no particular order, I'd love to see: * support for 2x16/2x20/4x20 type "character displays" (I know, it has VGA, but for a dedicated controller the size/power of a VGA is unjustifiable) * Ethernet support (Would need to do DHCP client, some rudimentary sort of http support to allow a remote computer to read things and ideally write back to it) * Support at least 10-bit A/D input (ideally 12 or 14 bit) * Support DS18B20 sensors *in a bus* not just one-per-IO-pin Physical interface via smallish screw terminals always seems to be more convenient than the IDC headers many boards have. I'd like to see A/D inputs in the 0-5V range (or ideally, with a simple resistor change to make it 0-10 etc). A cheap amplifier to give 0-50 or 0-75mV would be a great option too (read current directly from shunts). I guess most of us are running low voltage outputs, but increasingly 240V AC rated (and isolated) would be great. Current could be quite low, say 1A. That should help keep the relay and connector costs and sizes down. I'd like to see at least 4 outputs like that. (Small SSR might be an option) Might even be practical to make a "universal" board that you (and/or the user) could populate with the bits they need, as they need them. Those the sort of suggestions you're looking for? Oh, yeah, and I'd like the fully populated, all-options included board to cost about $3.50 :)