1018 User Guide

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Getting Started

Checking the Contents

You should have received: A PhidgetInterfaceKit 8/8/8 board A Mini-USB Cable		In order to test your new Phidget you will also need: A piece of wire to test the digital inputs An LED to test the digital outputs An Analog Sensor to test the analog inputs.

Connecting the Pieces

Connect the Analog Sensor to the analog input port 6 using a Phidgets sensor cable. The analog ports are numbered from 0 to 7 starting from the left. Connect the InterfaceKit board to the PC using the Mini-USB cable. Connect one end of the wire to digital input port 0 and the other end to the ground connection. Connect the LED by inserting the long LED wire into the digital output 0 and the shorter wire into Ground.

Testing Using Windows 2000 / XP / Vista / 7

Make sure you have the current version of the Phidget library installed on your PC. If you don't, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Quick Downloads section on the Windows page
2. Download and run the Phidget21 Installer (32-bit, or 64-bit, depending on your system)
3. You should see the icon on the right hand corner of the Task Bar.

Running Phidgets Sample Program

Double clicking on the icon loads the Phidget Control Panel; we will use this program to ensure that your new Phidget works properly.

The source code for the InterfaceKit-full sample program can be found in the quick downloads section on the C# Language Page. If you'd like to see examples in other languages, you can visit our Languages page.

Updating Device Firmware

If an entry in this list is red, it means the firmware for that device is out of date. Double click on the entry to be given the option of updating the firmware. If you choose not to update the firmware, you can still run the example for that device after refusing.

Double Click on the icon to activate the Phidget Control Panel and make sure that the Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 is properly attached to your PC.
Double Click on PhidgetInterfaceKit 8/8/8 in the Phidget Control Panel to bring up InterfaceKit-full and check that the box labelled Attached contains the word True. Test the digital output by clicking on the white box to turn on the LED. Clicking again will turn the LED off. The bottom row shows the status of the request, while the top row displays the status of the digital output as reported by the device. Test the digital input by disconnecting the wire end connected to the digital input connector. The tick mark in the box will go away. Click on the Ratiometric Box if your sensor is ratiometric. Check the sensor product manual if you are not sure. Test the Analog Input by activating your sensor and check your results in Analog In number 6. You can adjust the input sensitivity by moving the slider pointer. This is the amount that an input must change to trigger an event that will modify the value in the Analog In box. Click on Sensors to launch the Advanced Sensor Form.
In the drop down menu, select the Sensor you have attached to the analog input port 0 of the 1018. In our case we select the 1129 - Touch Sensor. The state of the Touch Sensor is shown here. Note: If you have connected a sensor that uses a formula, the calculated value and the formula are displayed under the drop down menu.

Testing Using Mac OS X

1. Go to the Quick Downloads section on the Mac OS X page
2. Download and run the Phidget OS X Installer
3. Click on System Preferences >> Phidgets (under Other) to activate the Preference Pane
4. Make sure that the Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 is properly attached.
5. Double Click on Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 in the Phidget Preference Pane to bring up the InterfaceKit-full Sample program. This program will function in a similar way as the Windows version.

Using Linux

For a step-by-step guide on getting Phidgets running on Linux, check the Linux page.

Technical Details

If you want to know more about the input/output capabilities of the 1018 InterfaceKit, check the Digital Input Primer, Digital Output Primer, and the Analog Input Primer.