Customer Reviews

PC & Electronics: Connecting Your PC to the Outside World (Productivity Series)

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3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I have to agree with the rest of the reviews. The circuits may be simple but the code for talking to them is written in VB 4.0. The problem with this is that it makes it very difficult to talk to the serial and parallel ports because they included two dll's (which contain all the manditory code to talk to the ports) when they should have just included the code for them inside the main module of the program (at least then we may have been able to see how in the heck the programs talk to the ports.) Windows 95 and above versions talk differently to the serial and parallel ports than what the software included with the projects does. You may build some neat circuits, but don't expect to be able to control them from the included software. I have had to rewrite each and every individual program in Visual C++. I am a computer science major and this was even difficult for me. I don't recommend this book at all!

The programs do not work! There is very little explanation of the code so it can't be debugged nor is it adequately documented. It seems to be someone's pet project that he typed up. Oh yes, tech support at the publisher, Abacus, is pathetic! Be warned

This is the sorriest excuse for a book I have ever read. I actually became MAD at it while reading it. The author goes into NO depth at all, explains nothing, and to top it all off, uses visual friggin basic to write the programs. I, being a sane person, do not have visual basic. This means I cannot edit the source code. I cannot emphasize it strongly enough: do not buy this piece of trash.

The most frustrating thing about this book is that it does not explain anything about how the circuits work. This makes it almost impossible to fix the errors in the circuits as shown (yes, there are errors). Also, some of his choices for components are dubious, like the 25-pin serial port connectors (why not use a 9 pin?) and the flat (ribbon) Centronics printer cable with 36-pin connector.

I also agree with most of the complaints in the other reviews.

This book could have been so much better if only the workings of the circuits were described (e.g., why a certain resistor value was chosen, why one circuit needs external power and one doesn't, etc.)

One would read this book expecting to learn how to interface electronic systems with a pc, but this book leaves you learning nothing. The book gives you sample circuits you can build but can't seem to explain why or how any of them work. Nor can it furnish a schematic. Finaly the book promises to teach you about both serial and parallel interfaces, yet not a single one of the sample circuits are serial. If you're interested in electronics and want to walk away from a book having learned something then this is not the book for you.

The whole subject really could be picked off the net. I am
a EE (but rusty) and wanted a simple book to get started prototyping a design off a parellel port.

This book was a hindrence. The so called diagrams are horrid, the writup terse and cryptic, and the scope very limited. (...)

If you are a Technical Hobbyist this book will be useless to you. In fact if you have a pulse this book will be useless to you.

It's not something to learn something out of the stuff author suggests. You have to guess what's happening inside the code. But if you are looking for something to show your girl friend ,what's inside the book may be useful. What's nice about this book is the way circuts are explained.

I just picked this book up at the local library as a give-away; even they had no use for it and I understand why. Still haven't been able to make the programs run; there are no schematics provided. Do yourself a favor and stay away from this one.

CDROM did not contain the circuit diagrams as promised#%$@^&*( Software is written in VB4 and won't run unless you have VB4. (I have VB5). Does not give part numbers or manufacturers for some of the most important parts like the pressure sensor or the temperature resistor sensor or where you can buy them. Book may be useful to someone learning perfboard layout and design. The CAD software that comes with it is so stripped down that it is almost useless. You can't judge a book by its cover because this books cover is glossy and colorful and expensive.

The software for most of the projects will not run at first try and you have to have Visual Basic to try to fix it. So, it is not for beginners even though the circuits are simple. The program for one project I attempted managed to show a control window, but it didn't work beyond that. There are errors in the book as well and the most important circuit components, such as sensors, are not described well enough to know what to purchase. Although the circuits could be useful, there are no complete diagrams suitable for testing on a breadboard. The author is also unfamiliar with the American market. It's a bust.