[PSUBS-MAILIST] Sensor Interfacing

[peter mckellar <mckellar@earthlink.net>]

Hi,

Apologies in advance for shamelessly displaying the depths of my ignorance.  I have a general question on interfacing sensors to PCs.

I know that many of the control systems built by contributors are custom PLCs etc.  I also know that many pressure sensors, oxygen guages are mechanical and avoid these problems.

I however was hoping to use (basically) off-the-shelf components hooked into a standard PC.  Is this even possible?

What I'm talking about is standard PC boards that slip into a PCM, AGP etc type slot and they have a wire attached to a probe that is either naked or mounted somewhere in the cabin, or stuck through the hull.

Todays research has centred around sensor suppliers (specifically ceramic, piezo-electric or MEM based at this stage) but I can't seem to fathom how these are interfaced.

1.  Is there a standard PC board protocol/usb attachable mulitplexor that allow me to buy sensors and attach them either individually, daisy-chained or as part of a sensor array, mixing and matching as I desire?

2.  Is there standard software (maybe html based?) that comes with these like they supply for routers, or for that matter, is ANY software ever supplied with these devices?

3.  do any come with an IP address that allows me to plug them straight into an onboard lan

I can see this could get really ugly :(  i can do wonderful things with software, flip bits, do boolean stuff, draw truth tables, but i've never burnt a rom in my life and can't even solder :(

I guess I'm wondering if I can do plug-n-play things or if I should look at enrolling in an electronics (hands-on) course.

Any suggestions or comments?

peter