Hello Aejaz.
If you are concerned about having safety critical functions in your integrated system in that the PC or whatever may crash or become faulty, can I suggest that you put a relay circuit in there somewhere to select devices. The beauty of a relay is that if you lose power to your control system, the relay will return to it's rest state, and if wired appropriately, allow your single switch to be connected directly to your Env' Cntrl' device.
We have such a unit although it is probably over complex for what you are trying to achieve.
I will forward you a copy of the manual directly.
Geoff Harbach I.Eng MIED IIPEM
Special Controls Service Manager
Rehabilitation Engineering Department
Oak Tree Lane Centre
Birmingham
-----Original Message-----
From: p=NHS NATIONAL INT;a=NHS;c=GB;dda:RFC-822=assistech-request(a)mailbase.ac.uk;
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2000 11:43 AM
To: p=NHS NATIONAL INT;a=NHS;c=GB;dda:RFC-822=assistech(a)mailbase.ac.uk;
Subject: Integrating ECS with communication functions
Hello everyone,
We are looking to set someone up with both an electronic communication aid (incorporating a comprehensive vocabulary) and an environmental control system that includes safety critical functions. The client is only able to use a single switch, so both these devices will need to be integrated somehow.
One of our options is to use one device that would offer both functions, e.g. a Cameleon or Deltatalker etc. However, I'm sure you're all aware of how expensive those are. We have been tempted into looking into the Arti, a new Windows CE based computer that can offer control for a GEWA Prog III in addition to communication aid software from Sensory Software incorporating a comprehensive vocabulary. Of all the similiar options available to us, this one appears to be considerably cheaper.
However, my experience over the years with Sensory Software software has left me quite wary of it, especially since this application requires saftey critical functions. I have occasionally found software such as Windbag and Handsoff to be unstable and conflicting with other resources/software on PCs, which has frequently led to the computers being used either misbehaving or altogether crashing. Now this may not be true of the latest versions of the software (as they all say) or of the Windows CE versions of it.
Does anyone out there (not working for, or promoting, Sensory Software) have experience of using the Arti for either communication or ECS or both? If you do, I'd be very grateful for some feedback from your experience. Thank you.
Regards,
Aejaz Zahid
Clinical Scientist
SYC-HAZ Clinical Engineering Service
Barnsley DGH NHS Trust
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