The mark scheme seems to place a lot of emphasis on data and data processing. Perhaps think about keeping track of access and offering a way to analyse/present that data to the user via a web interface or what-have-you.

Incorporate a smart phone in there as well and you're winning.

"identify a real situation of a suitable size and scope and produce a computer based system for it. The situation you choose should be accessible to you, such as a family business, a local club or charity with which you have some contact, or something in school."

This might be an important part of it...

Have you got a grading criteria?

It depends on how much work you want to put into this - you could do it with a GSM shield of some sorts for text messages, or email with an Ethernet shield, how about RFID? In all likelihood you could do all of what you need on the Arduino - bar perhaps the email bit, which might need a bit of help from a connected computer.

KiCad is an alternative. It seems a bit more clunky in some ways, but if you don't have an option it shouldn't be too hard to get to grips with.

Your site's down

This is how did it, I found that out by reading through this thread.

You could probably swap in the standard servo library as well.

I think you have two props rotating CW and another two rotating CCW, which cancel out the spinning motion - you slow a pair down to rotate in one direction, and the other pair to rotate the other direction.

That's only a guess though. I might be completely wrong!

As zoomkat said earlier, a quadcopter forum would probably be a better place to ask.

Someone asked about sending SMS messages from the 300 a little while ago in this thread. There are useful links in there that will get you started.

Read through the thread there and get it talking to the module, then work on reading text messages. Take a look at Section 4 of the AT commands (p78 onwards) in particular the "AT+CMGR" command.

You'll need to find out what your module does when it receives a message - so link it up using the NewSoftSerial example sketch that forwards the serial data from the hardware to the software ports. I think it's called "NewSoftSerial Test" or something like that.

The print page gets rid of extraneous design features so it uses less ink should someone want to print it. EDIT: It could use a different CSS file for printing though, which would present a simpler view, as an alternative.

You're right though, it's annoying when it happens - perhaps a "nofollow" on the print button would help solve this problem?

This is for Li-ion so things are bound to be different somewhere along the line, but take a look anyway and see if it's useful.

http://www.rachelselectronics.com/2011/02/solar-piston-v2-2/

I haven't personally, but there were a few people with Netbooks at Howduino Leeds - they seemed to be OK. They were running XP, but Windows 7 should be fine with it.

You'll probably be OK.

http://arduiniana.org/libraries/newsoftserial/

Send the AT commands as text over the NewSoftSerial connection. Download NewSoftSerial, install the library and open up the example "NewSoftSerialTest". Connect the GSM serial lines to 2/3.

This example will simply act as a go-between for your GSM module and the serial monitor.

Replace "Hello, World?" with "AT" and see if you get a response, then work up from there.

I don't have any experience with the SIM300, but I'm playing with the SIM548CZ, which has GSM/GPS combined. By the looks of it they are from the same manufacturer.

I had to go looking for a datasheet since you didn't include one - is this the module you have?

The way I work it is to create a NewSoftSerial connection to the serial port on the SIM300, and send commands to it using that. Be careful to not exceed the voltages the GSM module is designed for though - it seems it might not like being fed 5V signals (see page 16) from a standard Arduino. Perhaps look at this tutorial, or use a 3.3v Arduino board.

As far as sending an SMS, look at the AT commands datasheet from SIMCOM, the manufacturer. Page 84-85 might be of use, keep it handy anyway.

Give this a look - SSerial2Mobile - and this as well.

Remember you need to turn on the module by pulling the power switch (PWRKEY) pin 'low' for at least 1.5 seconds.

The datasheet will literally tell you everything you need to get started on your project, it is a really good one.

Good luck!

I still wish at least the compiled .hex file was saved into the sketch's application folder rather then having to search for it in the temp directories.

Lefty

This would be handy. Very handy.

With the odd/even counter you are implementing the feature of 'press it once, do one thing, press it again, do another'