Death Inc

I have just had client ring,
He is stating that he has a device in a pc that triggers the start up of several machines via a 3.5mm cable!!

Donut Carples.... anyone?


I need to know what it could be? can I apply it to a new system?

Hi Bohica may be this, http://www.powerlinesupplies.co.uk/Tattoo-Machines/Cheyenne-Hawk-Tattoo-Machines/Hawk-Power-Supplies-And-Spares/Cheyenne-Hawk-Start-Up-Facility_101890.htm (http://www.powerlinesupplies.co.uk/Tattoo-Machines/Cheyenne-Hawk-Tattoo-Machines/Hawk-Power-Supplies-And-Spares/Cheyenne-Hawk-Start-Up-Facility_101890.htm) tattoo machines.

And this for the power supplies and other cables http://www.powerlinesupplies.co.uk/Tattoo-Machines/Cheyenne-Hawk-Tattoo-Machines/Hawk-Power-Supplies-And-Spares.htm (http://www.powerlinesupplies.co.uk/Tattoo-Machines/Cheyenne-Hawk-Tattoo-Machines/Hawk-Power-Supplies-And-Spares.htm)

Cheers Mone,

He is bringing it in on Tuesday, apparently it would be too hard to change everything over to wol.....

It could be many things even a tattoo machine.
What is the definition of a machine here - PC - or - welder - Custom blackbox dohicky

If it is a state of the art 20 years ago industrial machine yr 3.5mm cable will be some form of serial probably RS232 and it is running an old dos program to interface. If this is so good luck you will be looking for the industrial automation holy grail a ........"9-PIN Serial port" don't know about desk top but laptops do not have them anymore, hence my 10 year old work laptop.
there is a possibility of a rs485 network (you said several machines) in which case you will also need a converter see RS components and CCTV serial adaptor

That being said it might not be his PC that is the problem, could be the machines or one of them or just the cable or a terminating resistor or the power supply for other machines being bit low, or the wrong window is open, there is a dead beetle in the air vent, cable is unplugged

My work has a couple of decade old laptops for programming fire panels by serial. you can get USB-Serial adapters, but it sounds like they're pretty hit and miss, one might work with one particular device, but not with others, and vice versa. Doesn't seem like anything works as well as old fashioned integrated serial for interfacing with serial devices.

I'm curious, what was the device?

Same would like to know too

Usb to serial and Ethernet to serial suck because of packet bisection

It is a PC that has apparently a 3.5mm jack... then that cable, then on the other end is some manufacturing equipment... but he failed to bring it in

Like a 3.5mm audio jack - Mono or stereo

so he never even bothered to tell you the model or anything of the manufacuring equipment?

Yes carples 3.5mm audio lead, unsure if It is mono or stereo

No Zoo, I am a qualified mind reader

That explains why you're so nice to me at meets Bohica :)

Amazing - do you know what woman want from their thoughts ? Can you explain them to us ?

Impossible... they only want the opposite to what we think... so even if he could come up with an answer for us.. it would be wrong

OK back to topic;

Boys at Bechtel would like more info, or a pic to prove it, however one of the instrumentation guys wants to know if this is using some old school skart or some other devices like a serial cable or what is it in use for.

If its to turn on a 2014 build PC, he doesnt believe me, but if its a very old PC, he thinks its something custom / doable.

http://new.abb.com/control-systems/system-800xa/electrical-control-system

Unsure where my post went to;

We have a team called control system techs. They think you have found a very old ABB Control System. The link above is an example. The system uses anything the guys get there hands on, mostly serial cables. But could be an audio jack.

Need further investigation, but you could contact ABB Systems and see if they had something like that in the past.