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Cell phone question — Parallax Forums

Cell phone question

CenlasoftCenlasoft Posts: 265
edited 2005-06-15 05:43 in General Discussion
Hello,
I have a client that ask me to solve a problem. I write software but I dabble with Parallax products. I came up with an idea. My friend's problem is that he owns several oil wells and they are located about 40 miles into the woods. He has a generator to power his pumps. He wants to be notified if the generator goes out. I was thinking of a cell phone (GSM?) chip to interface to a BSII or SX28 circuit that when a voltage outage would occur, the cell would dial a number (Beeper) and send a phrase or number sequence. Does any one know where I could get the cell phone chip or circuit to create such a product?
Thanks,
Curtis
PS. I would be glad to work with someone. Oil companies pay well for such products.
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Comments

  • Jon WilliamsJon Williams Posts: 6,491
    edited 2005-06-14 01:15
    I actually designed such a product while working for a water pumping company. It used a standard BS2 and could monitor up to four channels. Each channel had a timer setting that if exceeded, would cause the unit to "pick up the phone" (using an integrated modem) and dial a pager service or cell phone where it would transmit an error code.

    We never could find a suitable cell connection, though -- but that was about six years ago and cell connections may be easier today.

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    Jon Williams
    Applications Engineer, Parallax
  • John BondJohn Bond Posts: 369
    edited 2005-06-14 08:44
    Hi Cenlasoft

    We're busy prototyping such a device. see posting on cellphone comms problem in the Sandbox by me.

    The device monitors 8 inputs and sends an SMS to a cellphone (We don't have pagers in South Africa) if any input is switched. The message could be "Pump4 failed" or "Frige1 OverTemp". If the message fails to be delivered, the device sends to a second and then third third cellphone.

    If you send the device an SMS, you are able to switch on one of 8 outputs (relays). The device will respond to a command such as "Pump1 ON" or "Refrigeration OFF".We can modify the device to confirm by SMS that the switching has taken place.

    The device is VERY easy to program using a PC and a small application written in VB. It has the option of battery backup and SMS's when the power fails and again just before the battery goes flat. (It currently runs off 230 Volts though that is easy to change).

    Our only problem is the comms from Cellphone to the stamp are becomming garbled.

    Give me an email address and I'll send you our business proposal document. It gives a lot of information on the device.

    Kind regards from Kwa Dukuza (near Durban in South Africa)
    John Bond
  • SteveWSteveW Posts: 246
    edited 2005-06-14 10:04
    Cellphone modules are easily available, and easy to drive.
    http://www.tdc.co.uk/gsm/index.htm has a bunch (mostly / all Siemens, but there are plenty of other manufacturers too).

    Steve
  • clayjayclayjay Posts: 11
    edited 2005-06-15 05:43
    You might want to go to www.sparkfun.com and look at some of their solutions.
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