progress with my SIMPL framework + libusb-1.0 + Phidgets open source effort

bob 295 icanprogram-sKcZck+fQKg at public.gmane.org
Tue Apr 17 16:43:59 UTC 2012


I have made great progress in getting a SIMPL (www.icanprogram.com/simpl) 
framework + libusb-1.0 implementation running on my Phidgets 
(www.phidgets.com) SBC.    All my progress and freely available code is at:

http://www.icanprogram.com/opndrs/phidgets

This Phidgets board is a pretty slick (~$300) embedded Linux device.   It is 
only slightly larger than a deck of cards yet it is a full blown Debian Linux 
computer complete with an integrated digital (8in, 8out) and (8 channel) 
analog I/O board,  6 USB ports and an ethernet port.

The challenge all along with this project has been that, while the vendor 
gives away the libusb-0.1 (multi threaded spagetti) source code for this 
device,  they keep documentation of USB protocols and hardware close to their 
vest.   They clearly have never read Joel Spolsky's seminal piece on "smart 
companies commoditize their product's complements" 
(http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/StrategyLetterV.html)

I have been able to "tease" out enough information about said protocols and 
hardware from that spagetti codebase to get digital inputs, digital outputs 
and analog temperature sensor (type 1124) working.   All this is now cloud 
enabled by virtue of the SIMPL toolkit and my Linode.

All the basics are there but it will take a lot more manpower to stabilize, 
polish, document and extend this code framework further to encompass the 
sizable array of other Phidget sensors.    Any and all volunteers are 
welcome.    Just contact me offlist.

bob

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