Brightsign USB/Serial Interface

16 input USB or Serial Interface Board

Features:

• Small footprint (3.0 x 2.9 inches)
• 16 inputs
• Terminal blocks for all input connections
• USB Powered or External 5V for Serial Connection)
• 3.5mm Stereo Jack for BrightSigns with TTL Serial Port.
• Baud setting: 38400,N,8,1 (standard serial configuration)
• On board LED's to indicate Power and Processor running.

Operation:  When an input is grounded (set low), a string is sent out that represents the input (BrightAuthor compatible).  If multiple inputs are activated, successive inputs are reported.  I.E. If input 1 is closed, the "1" is reported.  Then if input 9 closes also, then the new input "9" is reported. When all inputs go high, then a zero is reported (switches have all been released).  After all inputs are released, a '0' is reported once.  This provides the user with the option of knowing when a switch is released.

The strings are:

• 0  =  "0",13
• 1  =  "1",13 (character "1" followed by a carriage return of chr(13))
• 2 = "2",13
• 3 = "3",13
• 4 = "4",13
• 5 = "5",13
• 6 = "6",13
• 7 = "7",13
• 8 = "8",13
• 9 = "9",13
• 10 = "10",13 ("1" followed by "0")
• 11 = "11",13
• 12 = "12",13
• 13 = "13",13
• 14 = "14",13
• 15 = "15",13
• 16 = "16",13

J3 Connector is utilized as a 3.5mm stereo 'RS232-C' or TTL connectors as is found commonly on the latest 'Series 3'model products.  When using the J3 connector power still needs to be applied to the board.  This can be done with a 'USB-Charger' to the USB plug, or using the external power jack J2.

Auto Polarity('AUTO-POL' sticker on the board) firmware has autodetect for the serial polarity.  The board configures the serial polarityconnection automatically for the USB or TTL connection.  If using USB you need to send a null byte [serial.sendbyte(0)] to synchronize the board serial polarity.

Author: Richard Harkey
Revised: August 17, 2024