[vdr] Re: Ready: IR Controller with remote power on

["Christian Vogt" <c.v@nexgo.de>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Thomas Breuer" <tb@tb-electronic.de>


> Hi,
>
> I have now uploaded the schematic, the layout, and the PIC code.

Thanks - nice little thing!

I have a question about the reset/pwr header: Are you really shure that all
mainboards out there use the reset & power switches to make a short circuit
to GND? Otherwise I'd prefer a small reed relay. (this also would simplify
interfacing to the mainboard, because you don't have to check wether of the
two pins of the reset/power header is GND...)


>
> Just a few remarks on the replies:

[...]

> >... with the new PIC16C745 (build in lowspeed USB 1.1) to support those
> > new mainboards without serial interface.
>
> They won't even have a pinheader with a com port?

Yes, I was told so. No com port, no parallel port, just USB. (I hope this
won't become a so-called "industy standard" some day ... )

> > I'd like to see the clock feature as the next improvement ;-)  If you
> > really ...
> I said "*one* could think of the following", that wouldn't be
> necessarily *me* ...

Hmm, hopefully this does _not_ mean you won't work on this project any more.
Maybe I can assist in improving the hardware and PIC code ?

One more thing:
I've just taken a look at the datasheed / programming spec of the 16F628. We
may use the low voltage program/verify mode together with some connections
between the RS232 control lines and RB4, RB6, RB7 and /MCLR to enable a
firmware download via RS232. We would need a special program on the PC to
perform the download sequence and we can't verify at different supply
voltages, but we would be able to exchange the firmware without opening the
PC-case, and - maybe the main advantage - we won't need a preprogrammed PIC
or an additional programmer then. What do you think?

Christian