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| What is bridgeware? |
| Short answer: Bridgeware are components that bridge the gap between
the worlds of computer programming and electronics.
Longer answer: Bridgeware components translate the signals of external
electronics hardware into a signal a computer can understand. They can
be thought of as a form of adaptor board or signal converter board.
Essentially bridgeware allows computer programmers to interface with
electronics such as sensors and motor controllers right from their
native programming environment. Most bridgeware comes with a software
API which expose particular device functions to the developer. Some
bridgeware has simple common serial interfacing and it's up to a
developer to create their own API/Wrapper. Either way bridgeware allows
programmers to do one important thing; reach out off their computer
screens and allow their code to interact with the real world. |
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| Who uses bridgeware? |
| Bridgeware components are used in robotics, home automation, data
collection, RFID, and other similar areas. Bridgeware is most
often used by educators, students, hobbyists, researchers, small
businesses, and even artists. |
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| What can I do with bridgeware? |
| The quick answer to that is, just about anything your imagination
can think of. People build robots out of their PCs, automatic dog
feeders, backyard water spraying defense systems, grill temperature
monitoring systems, science experiments, school projects, quick pay RFID
systems for restaurants, and all kinds of other fun projects. Any kind
of bridgeware boils down to one of two main types of actions, sensory
input or control output. Just exactly what you do with these two things
is totally up to you! |
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| Where can I see a list of all the types of bridgeware available? |
Funny you should ask! It just so happens that we are the largest
retailer of bridgeware. You can browse the catalog to see what kind of bridgeware components are
out there.
I/O Boards & Robot Controllers
Motor Controllers
Sensors
Or visit the whole
Parts Section
to see everything |
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| What else should I know? |
| Below are some video introductions to help explain bridgeware
further. If you have any other questions or want to talk to people about
project ideas you can join our community and participate in the
forums here. |
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A quickie video introduction to bridgeware |
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An extended bridgeware introduction video |
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