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I have a course this semester about Mobile Programming using Android. One of my project that I have to achieve in this course, is a prototype which mainly consists of two parts, a smartphone and Android OS installed on it, and the other part is embedded or associated to an air-conditioner which acts as a switch to turn it on or off. The first part is simple and clear where I should build an application on the smartphone to send signal to the other part via the internet.

Our professor is asking us to search though the internet to find a good idea to design the second part of the project or find an existing appropriate solution. The second part is responsible for receiving the signal from the sender via the internet and depends on that signal it will switch the air-conditioner on or off.

So, my question is, what is the best way to design the second part? If there is product or something ready that I can use it will be perfect to use in my project, since in my course what important is to write the code in android devices rather than design a complete circuit from scratch.

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"in my course what important is to write the code in android devices rather than design a complete circuit from scratch" This makes the question not suitable for this site, that is for design "from scratch" or so. – clabacchio♦ Feb 8 '12 at 10:06
@clabacchio - that logic would lead us all to using raw machine code (as opposed to assembler). I may still be just about able to produce MC6800 machine code "out of my head" but anything since I've used assembler or higher. Is there any fundamental difference between "in Arduino" / for Linux / For Windows / for OS360 ... ? Or even for PIC32 / for AVR ... / For ARM ...? – Russell McMahon Feb 8 '12 at 10:39
@RussellMcMahon, Yes, if your OS is giving you complete abstraction from the hardware in certain cases. Stack overflow is by far the best stack exchange for generalized programming questions. This question specifically has a broad requirement and would like a list of possible products. – Kortuk♦ Feb 8 '12 at 10:44
@Eng.Fouad, if you decide to design your own product please come to us with any technical issues you run into but shopping advice is considered off-topic on stack exchange. – Kortuk♦ Feb 8 '12 at 10:45
How I've read the question is something similar to: "Is there a device that drives the air conditioner, so I have only to write the software to communicate with it?"...Maybe I'm wrong but I don't see hardware design here, or even interfacing software with hardware. – clabacchio♦ Feb 8 '12 at 10:47

closed as off topic by Kortuk♦ Feb 8 '12 at 10:47

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2 Answers

up vote 1 down vote

It's not a readymade solution but if you have some experience with PIC programming you could use one of many breakout boards for MRF24WB0MA/RM wireless module. You would need a power supply and a programmed PIC to control it but there's a whole library to do it available at Microhip site (together with examples), and you can get 60-day free trial version of their SDK.

It would take you probably a week or so to put it all together.

If you're looking for a complete ready made internet switch then this probably isn't the right site.

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Just a point: this is not a forum (change it before a moderator sees it ;) ) – clabacchio♦ Feb 8 '12 at 10:19
You're right - thanks for the tip. I was sceptical if i should even post it. But hopefully it helps the OP. Because other type of answer to this type of question would be googled list of internet shops :) As for my answer: had good experiences with the mentioned component, that's why the recommendation. – rokjarc Feb 8 '12 at 10:39
I was only talking about the last word ;) – clabacchio♦ Feb 8 '12 at 10:44
@clabacchio, it is an attempt at a new kind of forum, but, other then hate speech and spam, the worst result is someone editing your post. – Kortuk♦ Feb 8 '12 at 10:46
Just saw it - another oops :) – rokjarc Feb 8 '12 at 10:47

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