Interesting AS3 Project requiring external hardware

[boozymondango]

So I might have to work on a project that utilizes a photoelectric switch that will have to tell flash to basically take a picture of someone and do various stuff with it. I know how to do everything required except how I can get the switch and flash to talk. Is this going to require some kind of socket server or something to that effect. Its in the early stages so was just wondering if anyone has had to do anything with various external hardware and flash.
Any thoughts?
Thanks

[panel]

flash.net.Socket class should be all you need.

If your switch is connected to computer make sure that it can communicate using socket, if it's conedted some where else or can't use sockets you'll have to create some 'proxy' software witch will comunicate to flash using socket and to switch using other method

[hardyvoje]

depends on what platform you're intending to use and what kind of connection with optical switch you have,

you can also use some of .NET wrappers and hadle it with .NET Framework,

if it's RS232 (usual it is since RS232 is industrial standard), .NET has great classes for easy serial communication,

and if you don't want to use wrappers, you can wrap ActiveX Adobe Flash player by your selft into .NET application,

or write separated application to handle RS232 and send data to flash using Socket

[J_Buda]

there is a good example that you could use in the adobe samples .zip that you can download.

Its the TelnetSocket class, it has helped us create an external lighting system through a serial port

[boozymondango]

Thanks for the advice, I will need to gather some more info on the actual hardware. Hopefully it will utilize sockets. I do know that the application is planned to run on a mac.
Thanks