From: jlb31348@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Jim Brain)
Subject: TECH: U of I Powerglove update 6-29-92
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1992 23:46:19 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana


Alas, the days go by quickly when you have fun.  I have been working on some 
fine details of the code, the legalities, etc. this past weekend.  Here's
what is confirmed:

The box will operate at 9600 baud for the first units.  I can go up to 
38400, but that is a trivial matter. The baud rate can be slowed to 300 if
necessary through software.  

The box will have a TEST mode, where all commands accessible through software
will be accessible through the glove keys.  This will help users that start
an old program that hangs because the interface is in request and the 
software wants continuous, or in the unlikely event that the glove is in the
wrong emulation mode upon startup.  The TEST mode will be activated by pressing
the porogram key and holding down the 'A' key upon release of the PROGRAM
key.  This is highly unlikely to happen in normal use (VERY unlikely), so it has
been chosen.

The box will come without a powersupply unless the user specifically asks for
one.  I will sell adapters and power supplies at a nominal cost.  Most users
already have a power supply of some kind, so the additional cost is not
warranted.

The box will not have an indicator light or an ON/OFF switch unless you put one
in.  It just would not fit in the box.  I am still looking for some that are
smaller, but they are SO expensive.  The unit can run all the time. It does
not hurt it.

The box will accept any voltage from 6 volts to 35 volts AC or DC.  ANY polarity
of DC power is OK, as there is a bridge rectifier to make sure one does not
plug stuff in the wrong way.

The box will be terminated by one powerglove cable at one end and a DB25
serial connector.  The unit will be 4 inches long by 1.5 inches wide by 1 inch
tall.

The jack for the SEGA shutter glasses and the power will be on one side.  The
power jack will accept any 2.5 mm phono plug.

The box will have provisions to power the glasses from the on-board 10 volt
supply or the user's supply.  Note that the glasses cannot take too much
voltage, so 20 volts and up is no good.  Also, the supply may be used if AC or
DC, as the volteg is used after going through the bridge.

There will be shorting pads for configuration.  User's can select between SEGA
driving modes and whether a second glove attached.

There will be 8 A/D ports on the interface to be used in any way you want.  The
voltages measured will be between 0 and 5 volts DC.  

There are 8 input ports and 8 output ports (digital), to be used any way you
want. The voltages must be TTL level.

The SEGA glasses chopping frequency can be changed from 15 Hz to 10 kHz (way to
fast), but available if needed.

Defaults will be :  SEGA at 400 Hz, 11 byte packet sent in continuous mode in
AGE emulation. 30 frames a second

Maximum packet length will be 11 bytes for 1st glove + 4 A/D bytes + 9 bytes
for second glove + 4 A/D bytes + 1 byte input port + anything else I can
think of.

Users can use Menelli command set and all of the AGE commands axcept 1,2, and 3
and retain Menelli emulation.

Second glove support will be released in the future. Not at the moment.

Users can select what stuff they want in a packet.  Examples.  Raeding the
second glove and not the first, reading both gloves, reading both gloves with
all A/D ports, reading 1st set of A/D ports and second glove, etc.

Well, I will let uyou think on this for a while.  I will post again later today.

Jim Brain

-- 
Nothing is better than Eternal Happiness.             jlb31348@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
A ham sandwich is better than nothing.                                Jim Brain
Therefore, a ham sandwich is better than eternal happiness.