[clug] Linux compatible external Thermometer

[neilp at velocitynet.com.au]

On Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:47:46 +1100, Adam Baxter <voltagex at voltagex.org>
wrote:
> Talking about solar hot water, any idea how to interface with something
> like:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/voltagex/4383528685/sizes/o/
> 
> (Other than a webcam and OCR)

The joys of proprietory hardware.
I have encountered the same problems with devices such as Bonaire cooler,
Vulcan heater controls, and Hurlcon pool pump chlorinator controller which
all at least have remote interfaces but NO documentation on the protocol or
operational connectivity.

In your case I would interface a PIC processor (say a PIC16F57) directly
to the display rows and columns and write a little lookup table based
interpreter routine to get the data.
Then you can store/communicate the data in your preferred documented
protocol.
These chips are relatively stand alone and would easilly fit somwhere
inside the host box.
They can draw their supply from the host and may even be able to use the
hosts clock.

Neil Pickford
VK1NP