I've been mucking around with connecting up a Basic Stamp 2 to MIDI, for building controllers, however I have to admit, that when it comes to analogue to digital conversion, I‘m a little out of my depth with the electronics; I’ll persevere because I want to beat the problem, but that doesn't stop me wanting alternatives.

Which is where Phidgets come in. They are straight forward controllers that connect directly into USB or via a interface module that handles a number of sensors. They are pretty cheap - £60; or so for the interface module and seem to be pretty easily programmed - although most of the code out there is PC based. (available in the UK here)

Interestingly there is a Flash API which could open up some interesting possibilities.

I have been looking at them with regard to Quartz Composer, but I think the main sticking point is going to be communication between qc and the interfaces. I suspect that some sort of plug-in for Quartz Composer incorporating the phidget C API, is the only real way forward.

10 years ago, during my degree we were always looking for ways to connect Director to physical interfaces - we usually ended up hacking mice and keyboards. Communication between Director and the Basic Stamp via serial always seemed a bit flakey. 10 years on and I feel like I am back there with Quartz Composer; there are loads of good ways of getting info into it, but very few ways of getting feedback out (back then, I ended up taping light sensors to the bottom of the screen and changing the colour of blocks of pixels).

SteamSHIFT out.

Thanks to Phidgets come to Mac OS! - MacResearch