Does your computer have a parallel port? There are tons of examples on the web of how to do simple digital IO on the parallel port. Even if the port itself is unidirectional, there are a couple of status lines (busy, paper out) that can be read. m On Thu, 5 May 2005, Paul Coccoli wrote: > I've been thinking about a way to interface a footswitch to my > computer for triggering things like sooperlooper and fweelin. I've > got a sustain pedal for my MIDI controller on the way, but it got me > thinking. I've got a perfectly good serial port on the back of my > computer, doing nothing. I'd like to put it to work, but my hardware > skillz are, well, lacking. > > I've figured out this much: you can wire a simple loopback by > connecting DTR to DCD and DSR and connecting RTS to CTS. What if you > insert a switch between these? E.g. connect RTS to the sleeve pin of > a female 1/4" TS jack and CTS to the tip pin. Could you then plug in > a sustain pedal? > > I've seen software that monitors the state of the pins on the serial > port, so I'm not worried about that part. I'm just not sure if the > hardware would work. Like when the switch is open, do you connect CTS > to ground? I don't know enough about this stuff. > > Any hardware hackers out there? Am I crazy? I suspect there's more > to it than what I've said here. Could I wire up a TRS jack and a TS > jack and plug in my amp footswitch (2 switches) and a sustain pedal? > >
