Electrical Engineering

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W5VO

02:23

@Gilles I'm actually surprised that there isn't a hardware flag that gets set somewhere. My sound card always knows where to put the signal based on what's plugged in.

@Gilles Every 3.5mm jack that can sense connection/disconnection has a SPST switch. This switch most likely goes back into the processing chip and controls the output selection. It would be a shame if this flag/signal wasn't available to software.

Regarding the question, it would be on-topic if he was interested in building a solution to identify plug/unplug events. However, as the question stands, he appears to be looking for a software solution only.

8 hours later…

James Dyson

10:09

Hmmna, anyone here?

Majenko

10:29

@JamesDyson I am (now)

James Dyson

Nice, Someone to talk to

How are we?

Majenko

This place can go for days without anyone saying anything

Better now I have had coffee ;)

James Dyson

I know right. Do you have a ardiuno by any chance?

Majenko

I have several

And a chipkit, and a launchpad.

James Dyson

Haha, just the man!

Majenko

10:35

sounds ominous...

James Dyson

hmm, I I am getting a mega, would you recommend any attachments for a new player :P?

Majenko

The mega I haven't yet used.

What attachments all depends on what you want to do.

James Dyson

Anything to learn on.

Majenko

I'd certainly recommend some form of LCD - either just a text LCD that you can wire in yourself, or a graaphical one you can do likewise with - or maybe go as far as one of the fancy colour ones on a shield (they usually have an sd-card reader too)

I simple text one you can pick up for a couple of quid

James Dyson

Yeah, I also learnt the heard way when I was younger to research before buying because I bought a completely useless LCD 2x16 Char without a Serial Backpack, and THEN i when a backpack that didn't even fit!

http://blog.agendize.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/OhNoLady.jpg

$40 wasted

But, I have amended my ways...

Let me guess your current feelings n this matter.... blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/wp-content/uploads/2011/…

@Majenko That is, if you are still present

Majenko

10:46

Sorry, busy in another window

lol

FACEPALM!!!!

James Dyson

Hahah.

Epic facepalm eh?

Well This time I even learnt the programming language before buy, as much as I can say myself buying, in my early years, a PIC16F84A controller with no programmer

, or connection

So yes in a sense I despise myself in the early years running before crawling

Do you use sparkfun?

@Majenko Pokey

Those darn windows again?, goh You need to break the glass

Well I'll be off

See you later @Majenko

Majenko

lol

I don't use sparkfun, but I do use proto-pic

buy mainly I use rapid and build my own stuff up from scratch

4 hours later…

Kellenjb

15:07

This question makes me feel old:

Q: What did computers use before monitors?

How did the early industrial computers display output before monitors existed? Did the first PCs use monitors, or did they use some alternate output as well?

saad

16:04

Guys, should I have a buffer for my LCD? The LCD will be connected by a FCC cable and can be about 6" to 10" long. I'll already have a level-shifting IC (ADG3300) between the uC and the LCD for 3.3<->5V conversion. My only concern with buffers is that they'll probably be uni-directional or need a control line for direction. This is ok, but the library I'm using doesn't expect this.

Kellenjb

@saad this sounds like it could be a question for the main site

saad

OK, will post it tonight. Thanks Kellenjb!

Kevin Vermeer

@saad An FCC cable? The Federal Communications Commission is a rather unique choice for a communications buffer. I predict latency on the order of years.

I suggest an FFC (Flat Flex Circuit) cable.

But yes, that would be a great question for the main site.

saad

@KevinVermeer Ha! I knew FCC didn't sound right! I always mix those up. Thanks for the correction.

Majenko

16:47

@saad The level shifter is effectively a buffer anyway, so why add another?

saad

Is it? I didn't know that. One section of the datasheet suggests that if current-drive capability is needed I should use a buffer between the load and the IC. But I don't think LCDs will need current to be driven, so do you reckon I'm ok?

rfusca

17:04

btw, this came out recently ti.com/tool/430boost-cc110l

Kevin Vermeer

@saad I'd recon you're OK. You'd probably be OK going from just the microcontroller if the logic levels were compatible, but that's just a guess without more info, like the LCD datasheet, layout, ambient noise, device shielding, clock frequency, driver edge strength, etc. etc. etc.

@rfusca Wish they had a 2.4 GHz option...

rfusca

@KevinVermeer its a two pack kit for 20 bucks, beggers can't be choosers

saad

@KevinVermeer Yeah, if this was a one-off I'd probably leave it off. But this is a production device... the LCD will recognize a high if the voltage is above 2.5V, so I'm ok there. I could probably do a test - I could put in the footprints for the IC but not put it in. Use a solder-bridge to connect the uC directly. If it works reliably, then we're OK. If not, i'll put them in.

Kevin Vermeer

@saad If you think you'll be OK, put the footprints in and connect them with a trace. If you have to, you can cut that trace (A dremel tool makes quick work of this task), but if not, you'll be fine.

3 hours later…

wisemonkey

20:04

hey guys

rfusca

@wisemonkey hello

wisemonkey

ohh nice I thought I'm only one in this room

rfusca

apparently not :)

wisemonkey

looks like :)

anyways I wanted to check if I/anyone should be using electrical-engineering stack exchange for ASIC design/ verilog/ computer architecture etc.

or programmers stackexchange

rfusca

i think thats up our alley, but i'm relatively new to this particular network

wisemonkey

20:13

hmm don't have any questions right now but was going to answer few :P

but most of the tags here looked more oriented towards microcontroller programming and most tags on programmers looked oriented towards applications :-/

wisemonkey

20:28

lets hope mods/regular users come online and answer it :)

rfusca

cool

2 hours later…

wisemonkey

22:56

@rfusca found it :)

A: How to assign value to bidirectional port in verilog?

If you must use any port as inout, Here are few things to remember: You can't read and write inout port simultaneously, hence kept highZ for reading. inout port can NEVER be of type reg. There should be a condition at which it should be written. (data in mem should be written when Write = 1 and...