Honk, beep, whistle

[simon]

FINALLY got my password sorted so I might remember it...
Anyway. Here is my question. Is there any command in the shopbot vocabulary that will produce a sound to warn that a specific point in the run has been reached, for example to change a bit, or even that the program has run its course? I cannot find anything in the command reference that will suit.

[paco]

SO

But you might need to read more about it... Command reference first (to learn about the command), user guide nest (p.79; to learn about how to use'em and setting up a circuit to activate "beeper"/"buzzer") and maybe Part file programming handbook!

[mrdovey]

Simon...

I did a bit of hacking and ended up with a couple of programs you may find interesting.

The first is mrd_edit.exe - this program set up as the editing program and is invoked using the FE command. It calls up the normal editing program unless the operands are enclosed in '$' characters; in which case the string between the two $'s is executed as an MS-DOS command.

The second program is alarm.exe - which will beep and display a message on an alternating red and yellow screen until the <Enter> key is pressed, at which time the invoking SB program resumes execution. The beeping can be irritating, so I added the ability to silence it by pressing the <Q> key. It allows you to do things like:
FE "$ALARM Checkpoint 1 reached$" Both programs (and instructions for use) can be downloaded (free) at:

http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/sbadd.html

...Morris

[beacon14]

Why not just rig up a door bell, telephone bell or small siren to an output switch, and then just trigger it in the code with SO,1,1? You could even set up a loop, where it would ring every 2 or 3 seconds until you press a key or activate an input switch.

[bill.young]

There's a new PLAY command (in the Windows software only at the moment) that lets you play a wav file within a Part file. It hasn't made it into the documentation yet as far as I know, but if you look in your "C:\program files\shopbot\shopbot 3\bin" folder you'll find a program named "wavlength.exe" that will let you select the wav file that you want to use and add a PAUSE of the correct length, so that your part file will stop executing while the sound is playing. It will show you how the PLAY command works, and you can paste the command that it creates into your part file to save some typing.

Bill

[srwtlc]

Bill,

Is this feature only available in the Alpha software? PRT version updates are kind of lacking.

[bill.young]

Hey Scott,

It's in 3.1.14 as well. If you want to try it out, add the following lines to a Part file and run it in preview...

PLAY C:\WINDOWS\Media\TADA.WAV
PAUSE 2

If the Windows sounds are installed in the default location on your computer it should play the standard "Tada" sound.

One caution. If you don't put the PAUSE command after the PLAY command then it will play the sound while the file is still executing. It's generally a bad idea to have the control software doing too many things while the tool is moving, so we recommend always putting a PAUSE command after each PLAY.

If you want the file to stop executing until you hit the spacebar or ENTER key, just use a PAUSE with no number after it. If you want it to play the sound once and then continue, the wavlength.exe program will calculate the length of your wav file and let you know how long the PAUSE needs to be.

Hope this helps,
Bill

[srwtlc]

Hey Bill,

Yup, that works, but I can't find that file (wavlength.exe) anywhere on my computer. I take it that it's only in the Alpha version.

Thanks

[bill.young]

Hey Scott,

Hmmm...it should be in your "C:\program files\shopbot\shopbot 3\bin" folder. Double check that location and if you still can't find it send me an email and I'll email it to you...it's very small.

Bill

[fleinbach]

I also looked for the file in the Alpha version 3.2.11 "C:\program files\shopbot\shopbot 3\bin" folder and it does not exist. They must have removed it at some point.

[bill.young]

Hey Frank,

It's in a different folder in the Alpha software...look in "C:\program files\shopbot\developer tools". That's where these sort of specialty programs will end up from now on to make them easier to find. It was still installed in the old "bin" folder location (or should have been!) when the 3.1.14 software was released.

Bill

[fleinbach]

Bill,

Thanks, I see it now. The problem was I didn't have 3.2.11 installed in my office. I thought I had updated both computers but I only updated the one in the shop. There I go thinking again.