Sending digital output to computer

[jimmy]

I have a security system that came with my house that is not connected to the security company anymore. It works, and the sensors around the house work, and I can use the connections(wires) in the security box for each sensor to know if they are activated.

What I want to do is, when a sensor trips, to send a signal through CAT5 cable to my computer. So I want to connect the sensors to a board, and from the board send bytes through a network to a computer so I can identify which sensor was activated.

Please tell me the type of board(and micro controller) I need to do this, and where to get them. My electronics knowledge is limited, so please explain. Thanks.

[z.s.tar.gz]

You're going to want to go with a setup like this:
Sensors <> Microcontroller <> UART <> Computer

Here's the tutorial on uart:http://www.societyofrobots.com/microcontroller_uart_50_robot.shtml
I recommend avr for microcontrollers, and mouser.com for buying them personally. Other people will tell you other things.

You're going to need to read up on basic electronics and programming as well.
I don't personally know of a good tutorial on electronics, but http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial.html is a good place to learn C, which you will most likely be using.

[SmAsH]

Yeap, Uart is what you will need to use.
One advantage of uart are you can incorporate wireless easily...
You don't want to have the sensors relay the information to an ethernet port do you?

[jimmy]

Yes, to an Ethernet port. I just want to send a particular byte sequence through my router to my computer, based on what sensor is fired.

[z.s.tar.gz]

You can probably change the 50$ robot controller to meet your needs as far as circuitry goes.
I think mouser.com  sells ethernet ports that you can put on your board too, although I would personally look into the xbee wireless modules for this, as a really long chord can be troublesome.

[SmAsH]

I would not recommend sending it to your ethernet port as you will need an ethernet controller which are
just plain hard to use. Instead, maybe consider using serial or parallel with hyperterminal, much less complicated.