"nJb" wrote in message
...
DKat wrote:
"nJb" wrote in message
...

Rob Morley wrote:

In article , nJb
says...



You still haven't dealt with the power bumps and freeze ups.


A UPS will deal with an unreliable power supply, but the right software
will recover gracefully from a power failure anyway. Only Windows users
think that machines lock up regularly. DOS would work fine for this
sort of application, and has been used for process control in science
and industry for many years. The open-source UNIX derivatives are also
used for critical real-time control. The PC hardware required to run
this sort of thing is minimal: I have some old 486 machines that would
be more than adequate, and have proved their reliability over many
years, NASA still uses Intel 386 based hardware because it works - but
you can bet it doesn't run Windows.
You may not be interested in using a PC to control your kiln, and I
wouldn't try to persuade you otherwise, but you said "A PC is not
reliable for controlling a kiln" and that's just not true. It's
probably only going to appeal to people who have an interest in
programming and DIY electronics, but it's potentially a very workable
solution.

Go for it. I prefer to spend my time melting glass, which I do everyday.
You sound like your expertise is in computers. Mine is in glass, kilns,
and building controllers that are inexpensive and the least computer
literate person can use.

Jack

http://www.glasterpiece.com

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/xmissionbobo/


Beautiful work. Why so judgmental about others using computers as a
controller? The population of potters is large enough that you are going
to have plenty of potters who are computer literate. We soon won't have
computers that are easily adaptable to run kilns but right now you still
have old computers that are probably far more stable than the new ones
and when run on DOS are the perfect kiln controller. Why pottery is such
a great 'job' is that there are so many dimensions to it. It isn't
standing at the conveyor belt packing widgets. There are as many ways to
do the trade as there are individuals to do it.


Thank you.

Not judgmental at all. Somebody asked a question about building kilns and
controllers and I answered to the best of my knowledge. A few people took
it as if I said they "can't" use a PC. I pointed out some of the pitfalls.
What I didn't point out is that the part I use instead of a PC is
2"x2"x4". There are many ways to get any job done. Hey, I don't own an
electric mixer.

Jack

You beat your egg whites by hand? For some reason the 2X4 brings to
mind a very unPC story my Dad used to tell about the mule that was told
once, twice and then.... well we will leave it at that.

Thanks for sharing your work. As I said, very beautiful. Donna