Teaching control systems software in DT

[Ethain]

We have a mixed Windows XP & GNU/Linux environment, and currently using Logicator 1. This no longer works since we updated Windows Server 2003, which now puts profiles "somewhere else".

More importantly it doesn't work on Linux at all.

Does anyone know a Linux based, or preferably cross-platform alternative to Logicator?

It is used in our DT department to teach control systems (as per the title).

If it comes to it we'll have to suck it up and pay for Logicator 6, and eventually isolate the DT computers from the rest of the world so they can stay with XP once the rest of the school ditches it.

[Geoff]

You will have to explain what Logicator is, as I am not familiar with it.

[john]

Logicator is a control program that you can write simple programs in such as a program to make traffic lights turn on and off, deal with interfaces with IFs, AND, ORs etc - Economatics Education: ICT > Computer Control is a link to the makers site.

[CyberNerd]

Logicator is a control program that you can write simple programs in such as a program to make traffic lights turn on and off, deal with interfaces with IFs, AND, ORs etc

I think Scratch could do this. It does run linux (using squeak)
Scratch | Home | imagine, program, share

i don't think it will interface with any hardware though.

[dhicks]

i don't think it will interface with any hardware though.

Actually, there's a dedicated Scratch hardware device:

Scratch Board - Scratch Wiki

Dead cheap, and you can buy in batches of five. I could have sworn the circuit diagram designs and whatnot are creative commons licensed, but I can't find anything that says that right now. A lot of teachers over on the TES forum seem to think quite highly of Scratch.

Note: just realised you might have meant Scratch doesn't interface with anything when running on Linux. I still haven't got Scratch to run on our LTSP machines yet, so that could well be true.

--
David Hicks

[SimpleSi]

Unfortunately, the Scratch Board is an input only device - you can't control anything with it

And it currently only works in Windows anyway

An before you wall off your poor DT dept from the rest of your super Linux network - have you talked to the people in Music cause I'll bet they've got the odd program or two that needs XP

regards

Simon

[SimpleSi]

@dhicks

I've got Scratch working on an eeePC - check out this thread

(Also this might be useful as well)

regards

Simon

[dhicks]

Unfortunately, the Scratch Board is an input only device - you can't control anything with it

Oh yea - darn.

An before you wall off your poor DT dept from the rest of your super Linux network - have you talked to the people in Music cause I'll bet they've got the odd program or two that needs XP

Could use Rosegarden?

--
David Hicks

[CyberNerd]

An before you wall off your poor DT dept from the rest of your super Linux network - have you talked to the people in Music cause I'll bet they've got the odd program or two that needs XP

Music production software for linux actually looks quite healthy.
Directory-mus - Schoolforge-UK