Using pc parts

[George M. Dailey]

At 10:21 PM 10/8/96 -0700, you wrote:
>
>
>   I for one would be inteested in the pc parts approach, primarily on account
>of entirely to much expierience with propietary junk. Yes, this means that
>if it costs more thats to damn bad. When my chip burns up at 7:30am on Saturday
>in Clovis New Mexico, I want to be back on the road within 30 min. after radio
>shack opens!
>   Not only the much better parts supply situation, but the computing power
>and flexibility should be much greater.
>  So you pc types, I'm all ears!(this comes from a guy that drives a
>cornbinder!) 
...  Talltom
>
I've gotten lots of info on the PC approach to fuel injection (or control)
lately. I'm going to stick with my OEM brain box though. Several months ago
I posted about using a PC to control some auto "body" functions. Did not get
nearly as much of a positive response as the most recent posting. Most
responders believed it to be the wrong way to go.  Now I think I'm dead on
the money. Here is a repeat for the newbies.

...I neglected to tell you folks out in DIY FI land, what my true reason was
for wanting to read ALDL data.

Here's my confession. I have constructed a mid engine, rear wheel driven
sports car from scratch. The engine is a '85 PFI 3.8L Buick V6.  The plan is
to transmit the ALDl data to a dedicated PC, peramanently mounted in the car
and connected to a small VGA/LCD monitor. Software would convert the data to
usefull information that would be displayed on the monitor.  Boom, no
additional instruments needed and a wealth of data on demand. The car
(Bianca) was designed to house a PC.  Think of her as a streached
Lamborghini Contach with all the room and comfort of a full size '70's Olds.
Data logging would also be utilized. The PC would also control some BODY
functions. It's not that I'm to cheap to by Diacom or XP240 (I just might by
the XP240) but, if I'm going to make this work I need to get some type of
simple PC to ALDL communication established.....

So, what's available for those fancy graphical interfaces in a PC controlled
i/o system?

GMD