Lectora and an external device (eg. switch/button)
July 21, 2015 12:00 AM
Hey Gurus,
Has anyone been able to successfully create a communication channel between an external device (eg. switch/button) and Lectora. Getting the device to push out a response is not an issue (XML or even Javascript), the issue would come when im trying to receive that response and work with it within Lectora based content so that you can train both theory and muscle memory at the same time.
- What technologies can/should I potentially explore?
- What issues could I be faced with?
- What have I not considered/overlooked?
- Is the Tin Can (xAPI) a solution in this instance?
- Can Lectora recieve Tin Can statements from an LRS (I know it can submit)?
Discussion (3)
I LOVE projects like that!
The choice of technology depends on a number of factors. How far is the "push button" from the Lectora course? Is the button some ready-made device or you have access to it and can e.g. solder something in? Does it have to be wired or wireless? Where is the course running (PC, tablet, kiosk, smth else)? Should the course communicate back to the button somehow (to e.g. buzz / vibrate / light up)?
If you provide a bit more information on the exact scenario, I'll be happy to help find suitable tech to make it happen.
Hi Sergey,
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Im glad to have caught your interest. Yes projects like this is what keeps us going, pushing the boundaries helps us stay ahead of the industry.
The game plan is to have course running on a touchscreen next to the device. Both the device as well and the screen will be running from the same system.
Picture a touchscreen sitting above an external device with 4 switches with integrated LED's and maybe even a gauge. This device is already fully functional and can pass values of each switches state to an external file. If we can find a common communication channel that Lectora can read/write to then these switches states can change as well. Therefore giving us a flexible solution that will allow both Lectora content to control the device and the device to control Lectora content.
I still don't entirely understand how your device is wired but I'd assume it has a server somewhere behind the scenes that can read and write the file, correct? Then you can simply issue regular POST requests from Lectora via JavaScript to your server to send data or to query it regularly for any changes in e.g. button state.
Alternatively, you can wire your buttons to a HID USB controller so they act like a normal keyboard. You can then intercept keystrokes using normal Lectora functionality.
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