Touch screens, JMRI and interfacing with the layout

[GaryHinshaw]

Dumb question: how do you connect the tablet to Loconet?  I've just been using wifi.

[John]

Dumb question: how do you connect the tablet to Loconet?  I've just been using wifi.

thats how you do it Gary ..

I should have said to another laptop vice tablet ..  you run jmri on both devices .. but you start the server on the master .. and for connection on the other laptop, you just select loconetovertbp lb server .. It should work with MAC, i suppose if you could get linux or windows on a tab, you could get it to run there also ..  for tablets, you have to use the web server .. which I haven't done

[bbussey]

No one offers tablets with screens as large and inexpensive as I want. I need to see if it's possible to use the USB touch screens as a display and input source.

[reinhardtjh]

No one offers tablets with screens as large and inexpensive as I want. I need to see if it's possible to use the USB touch screens as a display and input source.

It would add to the cost about $30-$50 (if you can get a good sale) per panel, but you could try using a Raspberry PI with a wi-fi dongle connected to the USB touch panel.  Or maybe a USB hub with a master Pi.  That would take some custom code though.

[Sdynamo]

Amazon has a new 7" tablet coming out with decent resolution and a good processor.  They are doing an initial sale where you can get 6 for $250.  I think I'll buy a 6pack for our club has I am the only one willing to solder control panels together and it's killing me 

http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Display-Wi-Fi-GB-Special/dp/B00TSUGXKE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442690644&sr=8-1&keywords=fire+7%22

[bbussey]

It would add to the cost about $30-$50 (if you can get a good sale) per panel, but you could try using a Raspberry PI with a wi-fi dongle connected to the USB touch panel.  Or maybe a USB hub with a master Pi.  That would take some custom code though.

I've got a quote on $145 for 32"x12" USB touch panels.  An additional $50 per to make them smart is not a deal-breaker.

[Sdynamo]

Where did you find the 32" touchscreens?

[Iain]

@bbussey if you want some help with setting up Linux on the Rasp Pis, etc. let me know.  This is entering my area of expertise.  Now, if you want help with Windows or Mac, I won't be able to assist you 

[bbussey]

bbussey if you want some help with setting up Linux on the Rasp Pis, etc. let me know.  This is entering my area of expertise.  Now, if you want help with Windows or Mac, I won't be able to assist you 

@Iain – John, I definitely will keep that in mind.  The workstation doesn't have to be Windows, I'm open to it being Linux.  I have minimal Linux exposure, but I do have Unix experience to help me skate through.  In addition, the logic used to set up PIs on Linux can be referenced for setting them up in Windows.
 

[Iain]

@Iain – John, I definitely will keep that in mind.  The workstation doesn't have to be Windows, I'm open to it being Linux.  I have minimal Linux exposure, but I do have Unix experience to help me skate through.  In addition, the logic used to set up PIs on Linux can be referenced for setting them up in Windows.

Except the Pis won't run Windows, because they're ARM.

(as it happens, I know a thing or two about ARM, having worked on the kernel on 64 bit ARM at Red Hat, and also much work with 32 bit ARM on my own time)

[reinhardtjh]

Except the Pis won't run Windows, because they're ARM.

(as it happens, I know a thing or two about ARM, having worked on the kernel on 64 bit ARM at Red Hat, and also much work with 32 bit ARM on my own time)

But there is the Windows 10 IoT "thing"...  http://ms-iot.github.io/content/en-US/GetStarted.htm

I don't know much about it since I don't do Windows much. I'm a Mac/OpenVMS/Linux/Solaris guy.

[eric220]

But there is the Windows 10 IoT "thing"...

Isn't that ID 10-t?

[bbussey]

I'm open to a Unix or Linux platform.  The operating system is the least of my concerns.  The primary question is whether or not the large USB touch panels can be used with JMRI.

[Iain]

I have to admit, I'm a card carrying member of the Free Software Foundation, so for me, the OS is very important