Re: [school-discuss] CCProbe,open source

[Stephen Bannasch <stephen@concord.org>]

Hi Dave,

At 11:16 AM -0500 4/6/02, Dave Prentice wrote:
>Stephen,
>     I just got a Vernier LabPro for my classroom, but haven't
>had a chance to try it out yet. I think there's a little
>linux-based software on the Vernier.com website, but I was
>wondering if you are familiar with it and maybe have done any
>programs for it? It has lots of plugs for input sensors, and
>plugs into a standard serial port. IS that similar to the kind of
>interface you are talking about?
>
>Dave Prentice
>prentice@instruction.com

Yes the Vernier LabPro is a commercial product similar to the interface we have designed.  Our's has 4 24-bit and 4 10-bit analog-to-digital inputs, 4 digital inputs, and 8 digital outputs.  We have 8k of memory on our interface for saving logged data slowly while disconnected from the host computer or saving a burst of data much faster than can be sent out the serial port.  The LabPro supports both serial and USB communication.  Ours just supports serial communication.  Our code doesn't yet support USB communication.

Our probes are much better for the specific activities we've designed them for.

For example our fast response temperature can easily measure the increased temperature of the convective currents of hot air rising from your hands.  Our force probe can measure

I just checked the LabPro technical reference manual and the communication protocol is described there so CCProbe could be adapted to work with the LabPro.

  http://www2.vernier.com/labpro/labpro_tech_manual.pdf

Vernier has announced a June release of the Palm version of their LabPro software.  It's cool and it has more data analysis feature than CCProbe.  Three advantages of CCProbe: 1) it's open source, 2) we have a model where probeware and assessment tools can be embedded in a html-like curricular document, 3) CCProbe runs on almost any OS/platform.

-- 

-s