Embedded Internet

Greetings All!

 I'm a final year EE engineering student working with
microcontrollers. As part of my course i'm supposed to design and
implement an embedded sys. I thought of controlling some application
through the internet. While i have some know how of the software
required, i've absolutely no idea *what* application to control. My
profs expect me to design somethin that needs an RTOS and
multitasking.

Can anyone *suggest* an application that needs this? Also, i've a
serious allergy to mechanics and moving parts. Any amount of
electrical hardware i can handle.

Thanks in Advance,
Devyn

"Devyn" <devyntt@yahoo.com> skrev i meddelandet
news:e2769bfd.0402182239.90eaa71@posting.google.com...
> Greetings All!
>
>  I'm a final year EE engineering student working with
> microcontrollers. As part of my course i'm supposed to design and
> implement an embedded sys. I thought of controlling some application
> through the internet. While i have some know how of the software
> required, i've absolutely no idea *what* application to control. My
> profs expect me to design somethin that needs an RTOS and
> multitasking.
>
> Can anyone *suggest* an application that needs this? Also, i've a
> serious allergy to mechanics and moving parts. Any amount of
> electrical hardware i can handle.
>

Maybe connect to a cellular phone using a serial (not USB) datacable.
The controller is sending Modem style AT commands to the phone and get
replies.
Have been working on this during the last week, and can now control
the LEDs on my AVR STK500 development board from the
accessory menus on my T68

Google for "t68_at_commands_dg_ver1_external.pdf"
(for this you need the Sony-Ericsson T68 mobile phone but you may be able to
find other
combination phone/AT command manual)

The controller typically have to handle a few interrupt routines.
Serial port TX & RX
System clock tick
Maybe a few keys that initiate transfer.

I have worked on several applications that handle this communication and the
simpler
ones may not need multitasking, but the more complex ones use multitasking.

Since it is just for fun, why not have each task handle the status of a key
and then let each task communicate with the common AT task which
serializes commands to the phone.

A good end application  is to send an SMS (Short Message Service) to another
phone
and the contents of the SMS is depending on what key you are pressing.


-- 
Best Regards,
Ulf Samuelsson   ulf@a-t-m-e-l.com
This is a personal view which may or may not be
share by my Employer Atmel Nordic AB
> Thanks in Advance,
> Devyn

On Wed, 18 Feb 2004 22:39:06 -0800, Devyn wrote:

> Greetings All!
> 
>  I'm a final year EE engineering student working with
> microcontrollers. As part of my course i'm supposed to design and
> implement an embedded sys. I thought of controlling some application
> through the internet. While i have some know how of the software
> required, i've absolutely no idea *what* application to control. My
> profs expect me to design somethin that needs an RTOS and
> multitasking.
> 
> Can anyone *suggest* an application that needs this? Also, i've a
> serious allergy to mechanics and moving parts. Any amount of
> electrical hardware i can handle.
> 
> Thanks in Advance,
> Devyn

	How about a home environmental control system?  This is a project in
progress, the top table of links aren't fleshed out yet but the bottom
group do work on the embedded 8051.

	http://www.amresearch.com:2005 and
	http://www.amresearch.com:2005/test.html

	Other Embedded Ethernet projects might be:

- Security System
- Landscape Controller
- Solar water heater
- Off-line refrigeration for environmental control
- Home defense system
- Entertainment system

	And a _lot_ more.  I don't see the utility in putting a refrigerator
online but someone has already done that but when targeted applications
can be put online for cheap your imagination is the limit.

-- Regards, Albert
----------------------------------------------------------------------
AM Research, Inc.    			  The Embedded Systems Experts
http://www.amresearch.com          			  916.780.7623
----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ulf Samuelsson" <ulf@atmel.nospam.com> wrote in message
news:Ed_Yb.804$EV2.3752@amstwist00...
>
>
> "Devyn" <devyntt@yahoo.com> skrev i meddelandet
> news:e2769bfd.0402182239.90eaa71@posting.google.com...
> > Greetings All!
> >
> >  I'm a final year EE engineering student working with
> > microcontrollers. As part of my course i'm supposed to design and
> > implement an embedded sys. I thought of controlling some application
> > through the internet. While i have some know how of the software
> > required, i've absolutely no idea *what* application to control. My
> > profs expect me to design somethin that needs an RTOS and
> > multitasking.
> >
> > Can anyone *suggest* an application that needs this? Also, i've a
> > serious allergy to mechanics and moving parts. Any amount of
> > electrical hardware i can handle.
> >
>
> Maybe connect to a cellular phone using a serial (not USB) datacable.
> The controller is sending Modem style AT commands to the phone and get
> replies.
> Have been working on this during the last week, and can now control
> the LEDs on my AVR STK500 development board from the
> accessory menus on my T68
>
> Google for "t68_at_commands_dg_ver1_external.pdf"
> (for this you need the Sony-Ericsson T68 mobile phone but you may be able to
> find other
> combination phone/AT command manual)
>
> The controller typically have to handle a few interrupt routines.
> Serial port TX & RX
> System clock tick
> Maybe a few keys that initiate transfer.
>
> I have worked on several applications that handle this communication and the
> simpler
> ones may not need multitasking, but the more complex ones use multitasking.
>
> Since it is just for fun, why not have each task handle the status of a key
> and then let each task communicate with the common AT task which
> serializes commands to the phone.
>
> A good end application  is to send an SMS (Short Message Service) to another
> phone
> and the contents of the SMS is depending on what key you are pressing.
>

Maybe take Ulf's suggestion one step further and make a portable weather station
with cell phone-internet access that can measure temp, rainfall, humidity, and
maybe take a picture.  This would be usefull to people who want to check up on
remote property in the mountains or something (like me).  If you get fancy, you
could have the microcontroller be in sleep mode for 59 minutes every hour, and
wake up the last minute and turn the cell phone on.  If there are any queries to
a land line connected server, the server can dial the cell phone and download
the current weather info (and maybe a photo).  If there are no queries, then the
cell phone shuts off and the unit sleeps for 59 minutes and repeats.  In this
way, the cell phone is mostly off, and when it is on, it is mostly in standby
mode waiting for a call.  I bet you could get battery life of months for the
whole thing.  Guaranteed A in your class.

Rick

Albert Lee Mitchell said...
> On Wed, 18 Feb 2004 22:39:06 -0800, Devyn wrote:
> 
> > Greetings All!
> > 
> >  I'm a final year EE engineering student working with
> > microcontrollers. As part of my course i'm supposed to design and
> > implement an embedded sys. I thought of controlling some application
> > through the internet. 

Can't help but to notice the good responses he's getting by 
being upfront about this being school-related as opposed to the 
the ones posting poorly-disguised homework questions.

> 	And a _lot_ more.  I don't see the utility in putting a refrigerator
> online but someone has already done that but when targeted applications
> can be put online for cheap your imagination is the limit.

How about an on-line refrigerator with an optical beer-counter 
inside?  With a web-enabled cellphone you could easily decide 
the correct amount to purchase while standing in the grocery 
store.

 
Casey

"Rick" <rick@skyko.com> wrote in message
news:3k4Zb.48587$1S1.37767@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
>
> "Ulf Samuelsson" <ulf@atmel.nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:Ed_Yb.804$EV2.3752@amstwist00...
> >
> >
> > "Devyn" <devyntt@yahoo.com> skrev i meddelandet
> > news:e2769bfd.0402182239.90eaa71@posting.google.com...
> > > Greetings All!
> > >
> > >  I'm a final year EE engineering student working with
> > > microcontrollers. As part of my course i'm supposed to design and
> > > implement an embedded sys. I thought of controlling some application
> > > through the internet. While i have some know how of the software
> > > required, i've absolutely no idea *what* application to control. My
> > > profs expect me to design somethin that needs an RTOS and
> > > multitasking.
> > >
> > > Can anyone *suggest* an application that needs this? Also, i've a
> > > serious allergy to mechanics and moving parts. Any amount of
> > > electrical hardware i can handle.
> > >
> >
> > Maybe connect to a cellular phone using a serial (not USB) datacable.
> > The controller is sending Modem style AT commands to the phone and get
> > replies.
> > Have been working on this during the last week, and can now control
> > the LEDs on my AVR STK500 development board from the
> > accessory menus on my T68
> >
> > Google for "t68_at_commands_dg_ver1_external.pdf"
> > (for this you need the Sony-Ericsson T68 mobile phone but you may be
able to
> > find other
> > combination phone/AT command manual)
> >
> > The controller typically have to handle a few interrupt routines.
> > Serial port TX & RX
> > System clock tick
> > Maybe a few keys that initiate transfer.
> >
> > I have worked on several applications that handle this communication and
the
> > simpler
> > ones may not need multitasking, but the more complex ones use
multitasking.
> >
> > Since it is just for fun, why not have each task handle the status of a
key
> > and then let each task communicate with the common AT task which
> > serializes commands to the phone.
> >
> > A good end application  is to send an SMS (Short Message Service) to
another
> > phone
> > and the contents of the SMS is depending on what key you are pressing.
> >
>
> Maybe take Ulf's suggestion one step further and make a portable weather
station
> with cell phone-internet access that can measure temp, rainfall, humidity,
and
> maybe take a picture.  This would be usefull to people who want to check
up on
> remote property in the mountains or something (like me).  If you get
fancy, you
> could have the microcontroller be in sleep mode for 59 minutes every hour,
and
> wake up the last minute and turn the cell phone on.  If there are any
queries to
> a land line connected server, the server can dial the cell phone and
download
> the current weather info (and maybe a photo).  If there are no queries,
then the
> cell phone shuts off and the unit sleeps for 59 minutes and repeats.  In
this
> way, the cell phone is mostly off, and when it is on, it is mostly in
standby
> mode waiting for a call.  I bet you could get battery life of months for
the
> whole thing.  Guaranteed A in your class.
>
> Rick
>
>

Why not utilise GPRS and have the controller send the info via email, ftp,
etc by itself to some server on the internet.

Devyn <devyntt@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Greetings All!

>  I'm a final year EE engineering student working with
> microcontrollers. As part of my course i'm supposed to design and
> implement an embedded sys. I thought of controlling some application
> through the internet. While i have some know how of the software
> required, i've absolutely no idea *what* application to control. My
> profs expect me to design somethin that needs an RTOS and
> multitasking.

> Can anyone *suggest* an application that needs this? Also, i've a
> serious allergy to mechanics and moving parts. Any amount of
> electrical hardware i can handle.

How about a device that will let me program my VCR from work: Display a web
page displaying the 'remote' buttons. Button presses send an IR signal to
the VCR. After each button press, display a captured screen of the vcr video
output.

For extra credit, have it answer the phone, and on receipt of a DTMF
password, power up the computer/router for the poor suckers who are still on
dialup [they will need ethernet + dial-on demand + dyndns].

Rick wrote:

> > >  I'm a final year EE engineering student working with
> > > microcontrollers. As part of my course i'm supposed to design and
> > > implement an embedded sys.

> Maybe take Ulf's suggestion one step further and make a portable weather station
> with cell phone-internet access that can measure temp, rainfall, humidity, and
> Guaranteed A in your class.

Hi,

The first time I'v heard about this kind of application,
it was 6 years ago (1998) : the purpose of this system
was to keep a close eye on a river and prevent
inundations. The system was powered by a solar panel
and NiCd cells. At this time, it use to work
whit a GSM-Data phone (GPRS didn't exist).
So, this project, if not really original, is
a good (and usefull) embedded project.

You should keep in mind that "embedded" doesn't mean
it must be "self-powered" nor "handled" : It can be a
realtime system, like a thermal regulation for a house... 

a weather station is not realtime time at all :
even a PC running Win95 can do it !

Regards
Emmanuel

WARM Greetings Everyone!

 Thank you very much for the fantastic suggestions. While it will take
me some time to think about all the responses, I'm sure any one will
serve the purpose more than well. I guess students of my generation
are lucky that we have the internet and all the good people answering
questions.

Once again thank you all.

So far I've designed a control system that uses a weighing machine (in
a rather crude way; i didnt design it myself, just ripped its' output)
to keep track of the components in a storage shed. Assuming all the
components weigh the same, it should be easy to calculate the no. of
components leaving the shed. So once the weighing machine registers
the weight, the microcontroller sends an email (through a PC; dont
have time or know-how to design a TCP/IP stack) stating the no. of
components that left the shed. Well, rather unimpressive, considering
its an open loop control system and not very useful. I have to
physically place 30 pins or whatever on the scale to get the system
going. Moreover the prof wants a better RTOS. I still have about 2
months to finish it. I'll work on the replies.

Regards,
Devyn

"Casey" <cclremovethispart@cox.net> wrote in message
news:kQ5Zb.4216$23.677@lakeread04...

>
> Can't help but to notice the good responses he's getting by
> being upfront about this being school-related as opposed to the
> the ones posting poorly-disguised homework questions.
>

Big difference between asking for ideas vs what's_the_answer eh?

>
> How about an on-line refrigerator with an optical beer-counter
> inside?  With a web-enabled cellphone you could easily decide
> the correct amount to purchase while standing in the grocery
> store.
>
> Casey

Awesome suggestion! I hope he posts the website so I can buy one when
complete.

Regards,
Ray