Complete Practical Measurement Systems Using a PC

This is a highly-practical guide for Hobbyists, Engineers and Scientists wishing to build measurement and control systems to be used in conjunction with a local or even remote Personal Computer. The book covers both hardware and software aspects of designing typical embedded systems based on personal computers running the Windows operating system. Its use of modern techniques in detailed, numerous examples has been designed to show clearly how straightforward it can be to create the interfaces between digital and analog electronics, programming and Web-design. Hardware developers will discover how use of latest high-level language constructs overcomes the need for specialist programming skills. Software developers will appreciate how a better understanding of circuits will enable them to optimize related programs, including drivers. There is no need to buy special equipment or expensive software tools in order to create embedded projects covered in this book. You can build such quality systems quickly using popular low-cost electronic components and free, distributed software tools. Some knowledge of basic electronics plus the very basics of C and C# programming only is required.With an emphasis on learning by doing, readers are encouraged by examples to program with ease; the book provides clear guidelines as to the appropriate programming techniques "on the fly". Complete and well-documented source code is provided for all projects.If you want to learn how to quickly build applications able to collect, process and display data on a PC from various analog and digital sensors, then even how to pass this data via a network and more then this is the book for you!Features of this book:- Use only free, distributed latest downloadable software (Visual C# 2008 Express Edition and Windows Driver Kit from Microsoft Corp.).- Use low-cost electronic sub-assemblies for circuit designs applied in projects.- Improve your skills in electronics, programming and Web-design.- Sample programs can be downloaded from the internet- Learn how to combine electronic circuits, software and Web-technologies in the complete embedded system.- Ideal for electronic hobbyists, electronic engineers and software developers wanting to build effectively powerful, yet very low-cost, measurement or control systems based on the PC.- Start with only basic skills in electronics and programming.