As computers get more complex we have to, metophorically, constantly
reinvent the wheel.
The old BBC computer had, as standard, a four channel A/D converter
and children in science classes in school were using it to record
experimental data from transducers. This was done using a BASIC word
called ADVAL which addressed the A/D converter.
I used this method to plot polar diagram files and the BBC method is
described in the 1st Edition of 'The Antenna Experimenter's Guide'.
When the IMB computer became the world standard I had to solve the
A/D converter problem. A company called Pico produced a very simple
dongle that plugged into the printer port that can be addressed using
GW-BASIC and QBASIC. This is described in the 2nd edition of 'The
Antenna Experimenter's Guide' (available from RSGB bookshop).
The S/W listing is on the RSGB website <www.rsgb.org> under books.
The BASIC program is now not supplied with modern computers and EXCEL
is appears to be the main tool for non-programmers to make
calculations for radio, however, I dont know if it can be made to
talk to a simple A/D converter.
--
Regards, Peter, G3LDO
<[email protected]>
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