moreil ([info]moreil) wrote,
@ 2008-06-17 20:18:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend  Next Entry
Touch screen computer.
This is slowly, but steadily driving me insane. I just want a touch screen that I can wall mount that will drive the home automation system. And I don't want to pay $6000 for it. You wouldn't think it was that hard to do!?

So far too many hours later I'm wondering if building a custom 4 layer PCB replete with 40Mhz signals would really be such a bad thing...

(10 comments) - (Post a new comment)


[info]cheshirenoir
2008-06-17 11:25 am UTC (link)
Well I seem to remember seeing something done with IR lights sources and webcams that could track 2 or more points onto the "screen" just by strobing the LEDs one by one and working out which ones are blocked. 2 cheapo sensors and some fisheye lenses and some software complete the equation.

I thought I may have seen it on Johnny Chung Lee's website but I was wrong. His WiiMote whiteboard software might just do the trick however. You'd lose the ability to track your fingers, but since finger smear so well, maybe an IR pointer isn't such a bad idea.

Using software to make up for hardware seems a much more logical way...

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]moreil
2008-06-17 10:58 pm UTC (link)
I looked at this, but this is mostly for family use, so it needs to be simple and reliable. Hence, no pen, pointers et al are really suitable. (the kids already hide the remotes :)

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]cheshirenoir
2008-06-17 11:02 pm UTC (link)
Pooh. That means a Cintiq is out too.

Hang on!

(rummage rummage RUMMAGE)

Jaycar sell a 7" touchscreen for $500. It's VGA only but for the use you are planning, that'd probably be enough.

Part number QM-3749

$450 if you order 2 or more.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]moreil
2008-06-17 11:09 pm UTC (link)
On the linked page, I go through some of the things I've thought of. A touchscreen monitor is a possibility, but it's gets more complicated because it still needs a computer to be attached to it.

The EEE PC plus touchscreen looks more attractive in the 7" range, as it's already got a linux computer, there's a bunch of easy kits to add a touch screen to it, and it's low power. (Total price is about $AUD480). But it stills hardware hacking.

I can't believe how cheap laptops are these days! less than $AUD400 for a fully functional laptop!? Just incredible. And there's people promising to bring out $250 units soon. At those prices, it's worth buying them and stripping them to use as SBCs.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]cheshirenoir
2008-06-17 11:30 pm UTC (link)
Oh! (Blush) That's your page.

I thought it was a link to someone else who had been doing the same stuff.

(Blush blush)

I go hide now :-)

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]moreil
2008-06-17 11:37 pm UTC (link)
laugh! Ok, sorry, I didn't make that clear.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]chrisb74
2008-06-18 12:43 am UTC (link)
Thinking outside the box, what about an ATM style interface - A screen with physical buttons down the sides? It should be easy, robust (kid safe) and user friendly.You could gut an EEE PC and build a custom enclosure fairly easily.

It's no where near as cool as a touchscreen though. :)

Change of subject, I love Phidgets - http://www.phidgets.com/index.php - I just wish I had a reason to buy some of the toys... :)

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]moreil
2008-06-18 01:53 am UTC (link)
Indeed. Noting that a touch screen panel (i.e. the bit that senses touch) is about $50, including the touch-to-USB interface board. So the touch bit costs very little. (That's for resistive though, which does reduce the light coming from the screen by about 25%).

So if you're gutting an EEE, you might as well do touch.

And would you believe that I'd never seen the phidgets before? They're very cute.

I'm in the process of adding sensors around the house (mostly temp sensors, plus a pressure sensor for the AC) and I've been using lots of 1-wire stuff ( http://www.dgmo.org/1-wirecircuits ) but these have a lot more functions than the basic 1-wire things.

(Reply to this) (Parent)
cheap touch screen interface to your home automation system
(Anonymous)
2008-08-14 01:54 am UTC (link)
I'm working on a ngw100 home security/automation system myself. I was going through the same pain of finding a cheap touchscreen. Then it dawned on me, why not re-purpose something.

I have a nokia n770 internet tablet. It has a nice 800x600 screen, with touch as well. You can pick them up used from ebay for $100. They run a flavor of linux, and their programming API is totally open source (maemo.org). I skipped writing C code and went straight for python.

My idea is to have a master python program running on the ngw100 that monitors all the I/O lines (window sensors, motion, etc), controls relay outputs, etc. The 770 pads would be interfaced to the ngw100 by custom TCP port communication commands.

I've got the 770 "client" python code written and it works like a charm. My next step is to actually finish the ngw100 expansion board schematic and send it off for fab. While I'm waiting on the board, I will start coding the master python program.

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: cheap touch screen interface to your home automation system
[info]moreil
2008-08-14 03:00 am UTC (link)
Coincidently, I have an N800 myself. :)

But I was looking for something with a larger screen to wall mount.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(10 comments) - (Post a new comment)

Create an Account
Forgot your login or password?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…