Show Cue System

Would it be possible to add contact closure via a parallel printer port to the next release of
SCS please? This would be a fantastic way of triggering cues, for instance, I would like to
use this method for triggering a cue whenever a door is opened.

Clearly this also requires me to build a cable from the printer port, to a relay, and then a reed
switch on the door etc etc, so a bit of technical know-how is required to get this method of triggering
to work in practice. From what I understand, most computers in the last 15 years or so have
bi-directional printer ports, so there are inputs available, so would it be a case of polling the
port to see if one of the input bits is high?

This feature could also be used for gameshow buzzers, or when a light-gate is triggered in a
themepark etc.. It could also be used as 'Dead-man's Handle' to give a confirmation for
another cue to trigger.

It could also be really helpful to limit the use of these physical triggering methods by, for
instance, using the Note cue's as markers, and saying to the Contact closure cues, they are
only allowed to trigger between Q6 and Q10, ie, the beginning and end of a scene, thus
avoiding spurious triggers when a piece of set, is being moved offstage.

There are lots of methods for triggering SCS with data inputs, so it would be great to have
this physical method added, and relieve some of the stress on that sleep-deprived sound
engineer whose desperately looking at the dimly-lit stage for that visual cue of the door opening!

Let me know your thoughts!
Thanks,
Tom

Since parallel printer ports are going the way of the dodo these days, I suggest using something like the MIDI Solutions F series contact closure to MIDI interfaces instead.....

Good luck!

Thanks!
They are going the way of the dodo, but as are serial ports it seems too, although it is a lot easier to get USB-Serial products. There are a vast number of computers out there with printer ports on them still even though they are being phased out, and the great thing about SCS is that you don't need a brand-new machine to run it, so it is highly likely that an SCS machine might have a printer port on it.

I do like this Midi device and I'll investigate it a bit more, although seems quite expensive for what it is!

Look at
http://highlyliquid.com/midi-controllers/

45$ for a PCB unit that takes all sorts of inputs and outputs MIDI

Wow! That unit is a bit clever! For simple contact closure or potentiometer control, it's fairly easy to set something up, but it really does get quite in depth when looking at other input methods, and I think I could almost see myself finding things to use it for!

Thanks for all the help!

I know I'm looking at old posts, but I've found that this is a good solution; RS232 simulation through a USB port.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI. ... SA:GB:1123