Gpritch posted:Could this be done with an Arduino? That would open up a lot of possibilities for sure.
An arduino is exactly what I had in mind, but any one of numerous other micro-controllers could work for someone more familiar with programing them. You can get a Nano clone for less than $3, and an RS232 module for under a buck. I would probably start off using a Mega2560 for testing, because the extra serial ports make trouble shooting much easier, however.
JGL