Re: Automatic reminder

["Patrick Lidstone" <patrick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Quinten Uijldert"
<q.yahoogroups@n...>
wrote:
> >> Hi all,
> >>
> >> I recently moved my wash dryer into the garage (also known as
node 0
> > ;))
> >> which leaves me with the following problem.  Apart from
checking
> > physically
> >> I have no idea of knowing when it is finished.
> >
> > A bit of a tanget to your original question, but have you thought
> > about using a vibration detector (as would normally be used for
an
> > alarm system)? No vibration = wash cycle complete.
> >
> > Patrick
>
> I hadn't thought about these, and now I've looked at some, I can't
imagine
> how this works?  I'm not an electronics buff and find alarm systems
> intrigueing, but confusing.

Typically they use something like a ball bearing, resting on three
metal pins arranged as a kind of tripod. Any vibration causes the ball
to break the circuit between at least two of the three pins. As a
packaged device, they just have a switched output which is usually
closed when no vibration is detected, and then opens for as long as
vibration is detected, so it should be pretty easy to interface to.

> Whilst fiddling about on ebay, I did find this interesting product:
> http://www.medicalarm.co.uk/products/MedReminderPC100.htm
.  I just
wonder
> if it can be reverse engineered to run on linux...

Nice. If I had the time, I'd offer to help... but...

P.