Where to start peripherial equipment design

Where to start

Hi Sirs,

I’m a pretty skilled software engineer that have started to get interest in building periferi equipment - but I really has no clue at all about electronics.
Mainly I have three things I would like to create:
1. A photoeye / reflector where I should be able to read if the beam/laser is blocked.
2. A tachometer where I should be able to measure belt speed in industrial conveyers - ie. by physically attached a wheel to the belt.
3. A light sensor - to tell if its day or night

Common for all that the output should goto a pc based computer in rs232 or similarly.

First stop on this path - might be to be able to build a simple switch where I from my computer can read if its on or off - or something like that.

If someone could advice me in my path, just directions. suggestions on where to start?

Re: Where to start

Hi mwn,

You can do all that with micochips. I think you could post this question either at picaxe
forum or parallax forum. picaxe are pogrammed in basic, at the pararallax site they have 'Basic Stamps' which are expensive or propellor chips which are more powerful and cheap. Programmed in what they call SPIN.

Try out your question there.

edit: I am quite inexperienced but those two sites/products are the pick IMHO

https://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/

**broken link removed**