HT5SSilverSupraT;976921 said:
So the LCD isn't going to be able to do any streaming video, eh? Was this LCD that much cheaper or were the ones that could handle it THAT much more expensive or did you just not care for video at all?
The limitation of the LCD is not the 'glass' (it's just some random Sony or Toshiba or whatever LCD). It's the USB/Serial communication used for the controller (well the controller probably can't handle either). And that USB/Serial based communication (rather than a traditional VGA/DVI port driven by a normal video card) was the main selling point for me. The gumstix itself is smaller and lower power than most video chipsets. It's not capable of driving a traditional display.
But it is capable of driving multiples of these, which is an option I want to leave open.
HT5SSilverSupraT;976921 said:
Thanks for the info on the Supra not having thermocouplers. I just assumed. Although the RTDs are basically the same thing though, right? Probably just less accurate?
From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistance_temperature_detector
Resistance thermometers, also called resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), are temperature sensors that exploit the predictable change in electrical resistance of some materials with changing temperature. As they are almost invariably made of platinum, they are often called platinum resistance thermometers (PRTs). They are slowly replacing the use of thermocouples in many industrial applications below 600 °C.
From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermocouple
In electronics and in electrical engineering, thermocouples are a widely used type of temperature sensor[1] and can also be used as a means to convert thermal potential difference into electric potential difference.[2] They are cheap[3] and interchangeable, have standard connectors, and can measure a wide range of temperatures. The main limitation is accuracy; Kieran Thomas' research shows that system errors of less than one degree Celsius (°C) can be difficult to achieve.
A K-type thermocouple is the most common. The kind I have are sheathed such to survive EGTs well. AEM sells RTD based EGT probes in fairly massive sheaths (I have 6, anyone buying?), but most other probes are K-Type thermocouples.
The main downside of TCs are how incredibly low voltage the signal is. Instead of just sending 5V and measuring the 0-5v voltage coming out the other side, you need a thermocouple amp (ballpark $100/channel or more) to bring it into a usable range. The AEM TC Amp is probably the best deal for more than a channel or two.
In addition to the physical properties and temperature range of the K-Type TC, the nice thing is that they all have the exact same electrical properties so every TC Amp set for K-Type TCs works for EVERY K-Type TC no matter who made it in what country and what sheath they put it in.
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And btw, VMWare rocks:
