3051 User Guide

Getting Started

Checking the Contents

You should have received: A Dual Relay board A sensor cable		In order to test your new Phidget you will also need: A PhidgetInterfaceKit 8/8/8 or a PhidgetTextLCD A USB cable A 9V batter, a battery connector A piece of wire An incandescent bulb

Connecting the Pieces

Connect the black/negative(-) wire from battery connector to one of the bulb wire. Connect the red/positive (+) wire from the battery connector to the 1C (Common) connector on the Dual Relay Board. Connect the other bulb wire to the NO (Normally Open) connector on the Dual Relay Board. Connect the Dual Relay Board to the InterfaceKit 8/8/8 using the sensor cable. Connect Control 1 on the Dual Relay Board to Digital Output 6 on the InterfaceKit 8/8/8 using a piece of wire. Connect the 1018 - PhidgetInterfacekit to your PC using the USB cable.

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If an entry in this list is red, it means the firmware for that device is out of date.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 Phidget InterfaceKit 8/8/8 in the Phidget Control Panel to bring up InterfaceKit-full and check that the box labelled Attached contains the word True. Click on the Digital Out box. A tick mark appears in the box and the bulb lights up. Click on the box again. The tick mark goes away and light goes out. If you unplug the Dual Relay Board while the light is on, it will go off. Move the bulb wire from NO to NC (Normally Closed). Now the light is on when there is no tick mark and off when there is. If you unplug the Dual Relay Board when the light is on, it will stay on. The bottom row of the digital out shows the status of the request, while the top row displays the status of the digital output as reported by the 3051 Relay.

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 is properly attached.
5. Double Click on in the Phidget Preference Pane to bring up the 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

Relays

A relay is an electrically-controlled switch. Although many types of electrical switches exist, a relay’s mechanical nature gives it the advantage of reliability and current-switching capacity. The main disadvantage to using mechanical relays is their limited life-span, as opposed to solid state relays who do not suffer from this drawback.