You always expect some of the important emails in your email account, but the waiting process makes you become even more nervous?

Kill the nervous today with this stylish twinkle star ambient email notifier.

Those materials that needed are:

• 4d-micro-USB module
• RGB LED
• RS-232 port
• Picaxe 08M
• COM port
• Python script

Firstly, you need to use a 4d-micro-USB module to provide the power resource. The RGD LED will be controlled by the RS-232 port through the Picaxe 08M.

One of the cool feature about this ambient email notifier is you can control the colors and the brightness. How? It’s all can be done by sending execution code to the COM port. Read more »

I know - COM ports are quite obsolete, it is still used in many embedded projects. This one is a simple serially controlled I/O board with 29 lines that can be configured to control anything like from stepper motors, relays and other automation appliances.

The board constructed around z8 microcontroller which is quire rare in embedded projects. Despite of 29 I/O lines serial I/O board has some special features like programmable pulse generator, incremental encoder switch input, 3 counter registers, I/O port memory registers. Each I/O line is LED monitored. To make control easier there is a Visual Basic Program Template available where you can set up easy interface to access all board features.

Alberto ricci bitti has a nice collection of amazing projects in his website. One of his designs is scriptable thermometer which can be programmed in basic like language within built in editor.

Design circuit is very simple four buttons, four relays, RS232 interface and graphical LCD connected to 8 bit COP8CCR9 microcontroller from National Semiconductors.

Scriptable controller has 6kB non volatile memory where custom scripts can be stored and executed. Built in ASCII interpreter can run scripts as custom applications. Author even provides two examples of scripts that can be run instantly. One of them runs controller as graphical thermometer while another as GSM cell phone connected vending machine. This design also was awarded as application of the day in national Semiconductors.

This universal remote control tester can capture IR signals from various TV, Audio, VCR remote controls. Detector part is based on Ubicom SX28 microcontroller that can give up to 50MIPS performance.

Circuit is very simple. It used three different IR sensors to read different kinds of remote controls. Decoded data is sent to PC via RS232 port. Computer software receives and displays IR waveform in convenient form.

Telephone lines that maybe found in your house may be used not only for making calls but also for other purpose like home automation, remote device control. To make it possible there is an interface between phone line and microcontroller system needed.

This DTMF extension is universal module that can be connected to any microcontroller platform. It detects DTMF tones and decodes them to binary digits that can be easily read by microcontroller, which can decide what tasks to perform. DTMF decoder is based on CM8888 chip which is ideal for interfacing with MCU. Here is an example source code for interfacing with AVR ATmega8535 microcontroller which is written for WinAVR compiler toolset.