Domotics (home automation) control systems are among the most innovative and rewarding design projects creative electrical engineers can undertake. Let’s take a look at an innovative Beagle Board-based control system that enables a user to control lights with a 10.1˝ capacitive touchscreen. … Continue reading →

Does the sheer amount of junk mail that fills your Inbox make you hate everything about e-mail? If so, it’s time to have a little fun with electronic mail by building a compact microcontroller-based mail client system. Alexander Mann designed … Continue reading →

German engineer Jens Altenburg’s solar-powered hidden observing vehicle system (SOPHECLES) is an innovative gas-detecting mobile robot. When the Texas Instruments MSP430-based mobile robot detects noxious gas, it transmits a notification alert to a PC, Altenburg explains in his article, “SOPHOCLES: … Continue reading →

Whether you’re building or programming microcontroller-based systems, you should always keep your end users and their needs in mind. That means restraining any urges to stuff a project with superfluous functionality and parts. In “What Were They Thinking?” (Circuit Cellar … Continue reading →

With the proper microcontroller, a digital temperature sensor, an SD memory card, and a little know-how, you can build a custom outdoor digital thermometer display. Tommy Tyler’s article in the July issue of Circuit Cellar explains how he built such … Continue reading →