I'm happy to announce that you've been accepted to the TriggerPin beta test program!

 

TriggerPin is Big j Software's new home automation tool. It allows you to execute programs on your computer based on electrical input from the outside world. It can replace thousands of dollars worth of real-time digital and analog controls with a couple of pieces of wire and some spit.

 

To install the beta version of TriggerPin, visit...

 

http://josh.com/clickonce/triggerpin/publish.htm

 

 

...and click the "Install" button.

 

To use TriggerPin, click on "Change" from the main window and select your active comport and enter the full path to the executable you'd like to run every time there is a trigger event.

 

Then just connect your external input to pins 6 & 7 of the serial port of your computer. The input should be a "normal open" relay type - that is, when something happens the relay should short those two pins together. It's that easy, you can't even hook it up backwards!

 

 

 

If you can’t find a piece of wire, don’t worry- you can even trigger TriggerPin by sticking a key, a paperclip, or any metal object into the connector on the back of your computer. Just as long as pins 6 and 7 are shorted to each other, TriggerPin should do its thing.

 

Sample application: Intelligent burglar alarm

=============================================

Strip the free ends of the wires and tape one wire to the floor and the tape the other wire so that it is dangling about 1/8” above the first, but not touching it. Next, go into TriggerPin and set the command to “C:\WINDOWS\Media\tada.wav”. Finally, turn up the volume on your PC speakers. Now sit back and wait for the first unsuspecting burglar to enter your premises and inadvertently step on the wires, triggering the alarm. Trust me, he’ll be running scared when he is greeted by the unexpected sound of a booming full orchestra!

 

Remember, this is only a beta version of the software. If Will actually uses it like he promised, I’ll make it look more like a real professional program by having it start as a service and I might even fix the spelling errors. But even as is, it is a very useful program, right?

 

###