AID -

AID Command Language Reference

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 00:36:55 -0500

AID Command Language terms and syntax

First a very simple explanation of the command terms, followed by a very detailed description of the command syntax.

Introduction

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 11:35:00 -0400

Welome!

What is AID?
A collection of strategies for making art with electronics.
An open standards platform for creative use of electronics.
A learning tool that builds confidence with electronics through incremental learning and examples.
An electronics development kit that assumes non-engineers.
A repository of shared art-tech “recipes”.

The main tool is a microprocessor platform for creating responsive art.

The associated AID web site will serve as a library of "worked solutions" to common electronic sensing, control and interfacing requirements. From this site the AID user community can download and contribute instructions, parts lists, circuit diagrams and other information relevant to the creation of electronic art.

How to get AID

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 12:34:27 -0400

There are several ways to get set up with the AID Hardware:

new boards

Sun, 16 May 2004 06:28:00 -0400

I've stuffed the two new peripheral in/out cards about 90% full- I ran out of 10 k resistors, and didn't have one 40 pin connector- that should leave about 10 minutes work for someone. I've left them in a silver static bag on the AID tray. There is a MB pc too- I didn't get around to stuffing that. I am writing this at 5:30am sunday morning, I'm getting near to 24 hours without sleep, so I'm not sure if I can make it, but I'll try to at least drop by. Feel free to call me if you need help with anything.
-rob

new schematics

Fri, 14 May 2004 18:04:00 -0400

there are new schematics uploaded to the images directory for aid_ipp and aid_opp. These correct som errors with the pinouts that we found last Sunday, and have some other, minor changes.

board fab monkey report

Thu, 13 May 2004 17:24:00 -0400

Got a PCB etched with the latest MB, input board and output board. I'm almost finished drilling it out, will leave themin the AID cupboard (I'll let you know when it's there.) If someone could populate them before Sunday, that would be cool. The little dots on the jumper pads worked well!

Servos for Radio-Controlled Models?

Wed, 05 May 2004 11:54:06 -0400

When I saw the buzzword PWM in the AID description, I thought about the servos that R/C hobbyists use for controls. I've been through a few web sites to learn about them.

They're buzzword-compatible, but it seems that they're used with about 20 milliseconds between updates.. each update is a pulse between 1 msec and 2 msec wide. It doesn't look like the on-chip PWM will go that slowly. Using them will be more like one of the worked solutions.

Adventures in board building

Wed, 05 May 2004 11:32:43 -0400

My part of yesterdays meeting was to stuff one of the new
printed-circuit AID controller boards, and, with about two
exceptions, it went pretty well.

Holes in the board were undersized for the 2x5 pins that
select Rx source, and for the 7805. Drilling them one size
bigger with the Dremel fixed that.

I drilled the two holes that stake down the DB-9 socket
to 1/8". This worked, but slightly smaller holes might work
better.

My innovation was to drill 1/16" holes next to the pads
for the 9v battery connector, being careful not to break
copper traces. This let me snake the connector wires up

AID Main board and peripheral card design update 040404

Sun, 04 Apr 2004 17:06:00 -0400

Lot s of progress on this one. At first we got held up trying to create a single sided board with a reasonable number of jumpers from the pin assignments we had originally conceived for the AID 8 Bit Bus. Eventually we realised we would have to bend our human logic to a logic which is better suited to the electrical requirements. Stefan and Mike finally took the leap and redesigned the 8 Bit Bus for the easiest routing and the results were so sublime that we decided to post the redesign for comments. Everbody agreed it was the best way to go even though it rendered our existing main boards and peripherals plus all documentation for the point-to-point design of the main board unusable. To remedy the compatability problem we came up with a conversion mapping and Erin built a converter that adapts the old 8 Bit Bus header to the new one.

DLP USB Module on Mac OS 9

Wed, 31 Mar 2004 18:54:00 -0500

Today I did a thorough testing of the DLP USB Module on Mac OS 9 but could not get it to work on my Apple PowerBook G3 Pismo running Mac OS 9.2.2

I tried various control panel combinations and cross tested them with the Keyspan adapter and it's drivers. Keyspan works DLP does not. Will try on other hardware but not hopeful.

The DLP works great on Mac OSX, Linux, and Windows.

Parts List vs. Construction Notes

Wed, 24 Mar 2004 22:00:00 -0500

Working with Parts List v.1.0 and AID Main Board Construction Notes with no version number, I noticed several vagueries and inconsistencies within the latter and between the two. The parts aren't all referred to by the same name used in the parts list and some parts aren't even on the parts list.

In step:
2 - 40-pin header vs. 40-pin male ribbon cable socket
3 - 40-pin DIP socket vs. 40-pin Zero-Insertion Force IC socket.

The orientation of "up" needs to be made in relation to the perf board. For chip sockets and the ribbon cable connector it would be clearer to say "Pin 1 goes in D1:1" IMO.

Wire and Solder

Wed, 24 Mar 2004 21:46:00 -0500

With the intention of finishing the converter I volunteered to make (to adapt existing AID boards to the new PIC pin assignments), I bought wire and some more solder today, at Supremetronic, for a grand total of CDN$2.88.

When I sat down to work on it I couldn't find my adjustable wire stripper. I didn't want to go back out into the rain to buy a replacement (I haven't been feeling well today, left work early), so I decided to begin assembling and soldering the AID main board. I took some photos of various parts first, which will need some cropping, etc. before being web-friendly, then beg

Mainboard Populated

Mon, 22 Mar 2004 19:05:00 -0500

I went out and bought the missing parts and the PCB Mainboard is populated but it doesn't communicate over the serial port. No Hello. Power section is functioning correctly.

It needs to be debugged. Can anyone have a go at it before Sunday?

Mike

Deleting Menu Items Bug In Drupal?

Sun, 21 Mar 2004 21:12:00 -0500

I just lost all the menus and got them back. Here is what happens. I wanted to get the old task list out of the "Project Development " section and move it to the task list area in the Forums.

First I made a note of the node page and then created a Forum topic into which I entered an href tag to link to the existing page.

Then I wanted to remove the reference to that page in the "Project Development " menu so I went to the Administer> Menus section and deleted the AID Task List menu item. After a refresh all of the menus had disappeared. Yikes!

Luckily I had recovered the disappeared menus previously when they mysteriously disappeared. I used the same technique and was able to recover all the menus and the one I was intending to delete did not return. This is crazy but it works.

Acquiring AID Main Board Parts

Sun, 21 Mar 2004 12:26:00 -0500

With parts list in hand, I went to Supremetronic electronics shop (333 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, Canada), where I was able to find all parts for a reasonable cost of (CDN)$11.55. I already have a soldering iron and solder, but I still have to by wire. So for someone starting out with none of the tools, it would cost more.

It took me awhile to find everything and I had to ask for help with a few items. I think that if the parts list included
- product codes
- Wattage of resistors
- Voltage of capacitors
it would make it easier to locate things on the shelves, in the numerous rows and columns of little boxes of tiny parts.