The type of engineer who reads Circuit Cellar on a monthly basis is the sort of person who has his own thing—you know, a certain topic of interest that preoccupies his mind and keeps him surfing the Internet well into the night. Steve Ciarcia is the type of guy who has a few things, many of which he has written about over the years: magazine publishing, BMWs, fine wine, haute cuisine, and, of course, his ever-evolving home control system (HCS). As you know, his interest in home control technology dates back to the mid-1980s, when the idea of an HCS was relegated to science fiction novels and movies. The technology has sure come a long way since then.

During the past 20 years, the systems Steve has rigged up have increased in functionality and complexity in direct proportion to the development of the new technologies we cover in this magazine. His current system incorporates the latest generation of web-enabled surveillance and data acquisition technologies. Motion sensors, zoom cameras, and time-logging software: they’re all included. As a result, family, friends, neighbors, and even local law enforcement officers here in Connecticut have come to regard Steve as “that guy”—the self-sufficient digerati living in a high-tech house in rural New England.

Stop reading! Turn to Steve’s editorial on page 96.

This month we feature articles by engineers who are all about wireless technology. These designers aren’t merely riding the wireless bandwagon, they’re driving it—remotely, of course. They’re the type of people whose ears perk up when they hear words like “ZigBee” and “Bluetooth.” They’re visionaries who don’t consider cell phones to be mere accessories: they see them as potential remote control units for new designs. They’re the engineers whose designs will change the ways in which we communicate with each other in the coming decades. 

On page 14, a team of designers from Camosun College walks you through the process of designing and building a functional modular wireless tracking system. They designed the system so parents and guardians can monitor the meanderings of the young children under their care, but you can design a similar system to track various other things. Get creative!

Craig Ross and Ricardo Goto’s RFID security system (page 24) is a great design for anyone trying to secure a building and keep tabs on entry/exit traffic. I can definitely see someone incorporating this sort of technology in a home control system.

If you’ve ever wanted to perform remote firmware updates, Alex Deyneko has the project for you (see page 54). Now you don’t have to disassemble your devices and their physical connections to CPU boards.

So, what’s your thing? Are you a wireless buff like the designers whose projects are featured in this issue? Are you feverishly working on several robotic systems at once? Do you write hundreds of lines of code each day? Whatever your fancy, keep at it—and definitely keep us informed about your progress.

cj@circuitcellar.com