Autonomous Input/Output Controller Part 1

30 EE AerUeTONOMOUSINPUT/OUTPUT CONTROLLER A user-configurable I/O controller that gives digital and analogue interfacing power to your computer"s RS232 outlet. Fast, simple to build and program, and intelligent enough to deal with up to 64 digital and 12 analogue channels, this microcontroller-driven I/O distribution box should prove invaluable in many applications where a computer runs a small or large-scale automated control job, be it industrial or domestic. The autonomous I/O controller de- scribed here is basically a versatile, in- telligent, computer peripheral that can be connected in the bus structure pro- posed for the microcontroller-driven power supply published earlier this year (Ref. 1). Like the power supply, the I/O controller derives its intelligence from a Type 8751 microcontroller from Intel. The control program that resides in this chip has been written exclusively for this project in the Elektor Electronics design department. Applications of the I/O box arise ...