The values reported from the circuit for keg weight are reported in a series of 255 increments. Both the strain gauge and thermometer reside in the refrigerated compartment along with the keg, while the circuitry and power supply remain outside, thus preventing moisture and extreme temperatures from affecting their performance. All of this runs inside a Vax VT220 monitor that also houses the tap mechanism, making the tap both a ttractive and functional. We have a prototype working now that uses the Clapper for activation. This has forced users to smack their forehead twice to activate the tap.
Feedback suggests that voice activation is the only way to go.
If an event occurs, such as the opening or closing of the tap, then the program logs an event description, along with the time of the event. Every 60 seconds the program polls the VaxTap circuitry, checking and then recor ding the keg's weight and temperature. The weight and temperature are sent to the server as hexadecimal numbers, and the program converts these numbers into approximate number of pints remaining and temperature in Fahrenheit. You may notice, as we have, that the quantity of beer consumed increases as the end of the week approaches and shortly afte r editorial deadlines. Check out products from Cisco, Foundry Networks and Lucent.