I've been researching Embedded Ethernet products for for some time now. I've selected Ethernut for my first project (PantryTech), but there are other options for getting a device online. Below is a list of projects where I'd like to consider an embedded system with Ethernet connectivity. Some may be "over the top" for Ethernet, but it can meet the objective and provide the experience I'm looking for. Offhand, it looks like it would take me a dozen or more years to build them all... If only I could afford a technician to work for me at home on these...
The projects have some common goals -
I've surveyed the market for small Embedded Ethernet capable devices and produced a summary page of my findings. For some, I've started to think about the details a bit more, so the links will begin appearing as that happens.
| Online | Project | Brief Description | Basic Needs | I/O Needs | Possible Solution |
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| Yes | Pantry Tech | Barcode at the trash can to capture the list of what you throw away. That's what you need more of when you go shopping. |
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| Home PBX | Support basic PBX features for 8 or more internal lines and
up to 2 or 3 external lines. Call routing, conference call, call pickup,
call screening, voice messaging, web interface, and more.
Commercial systems start at about $500 for 1-2 external and 2-4 internal |
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| Mailbox Monitor | Monitor the mailbox at the street for new mail |
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| Yes | Garage Door closer | Each night, at a time set in the computer schedule, it will close the garage door (if it is not already closed). It does this with an X10 controller with dry contacts, and a whisker switch that senses when the door is open, which is the only time it will pass the "close" signal on. |
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| Online | Project | Brief Description | Basic Needs | I/O Needs | Possible Solution |
| Garage Door monitor | If it is dark out and the door is open, then alert
occupants.
Consider closing the door after 9pm. |
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| Temp Monitor | If the temperature exceeds the preset range, alert the occupants. This could be for a freezer, or a refrigerator, or just the home ambient temperature, the flowers in the fall, etc. |
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| Yes | Irrigation Control - 1 | This project looks at the weather forecast and then using some simple rules determines whether to enable or disable the irrigation system. |
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| Irrigation Control - 2 | 10 to 12 zones on a timer, but it also can quiz
the net for a weather report. Provides for easy
tracking of zones and how much water each gets.
There are many commercial offerings but they don't look at the weather forecast, so they run even when it is raining, or expected to. |
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| Irrigation Control Sensors | Rain sensor, ground moisture sensor |
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| Project | Brief Description | Basic Needs | I/O Needs | Possible Solution | |
| Yes | Watt Watcher | Monitor the electric utility meter by counting the revolutions and measuring period of a revolution |
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| HVAC Monitor | Temperature, hours of operation, problem alerts |
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| HVAC Interface | Interface to a communicating thermostat of which there are now quite a few on the market. Google Search |
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| Home Status Display | Display panel/touch screen interface used to
keep track of various gadgets and services around the house
Could this simply be a web browser with all the other services concentrated to a summary page? |
Status Panel for:
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| Security | Basic home security system
Many commercial offerings available for $ |
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| Project | Brief Description | Basic Needs | I/O Needs | Possible Solution | |
| AVR Caller ID |
Audio Video Receivers w/On Screen Display and a computer interface. The PC with the caller ID modem runs a small server application, then sends the caller ID info to the OSD via either direct RS-232 or Ethernet. |
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| Mnemonic | Title | RFC# | STD# |
| IP-E | Standard for the transmission of IP datagrams over Ethernet networks | 894 | 41 |
| ARP | Ethernet Address Resolution Protocol | 826 | 37 |
| IP | Internet Protocol | 791 | 5 |
| ICMP | Internet Control Message Protocol | 792 | 5 |
| UDP | User Datagram Protocol | 768 | 6 |
| TCP | Transmission Control Protocol | 793 | 7 |
| TFTP | The TFTP Protocol (Revision 2) | 1350 | 33 |
| FTP | File Transfer Protocol | 959 | 9 |
| TELNET | Telnet Protocol Specification | 854 | 8 |
| HTTP-1.1 | Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.1 | 2616 | |
| SMTP | Simple Mail Transfer Protocol | 821 | 10 |
| POP3 | Post Office Protocol - Version 3 | 1939 | 53 |