I'm working on a project where I have to control and pulse two sets of electromagnets at distinct time intervals. I'm fairly new to microprocessors and I was wondering, could the Duemilanove or some other variant be used for such an application? And if so, how much voltage/amps could the board take? The electromagnets require a high amount of electricity to function properly, and I would prefer if they didn't melt the board the first time they were switched on. Any help would be appreciated!
Check the arduino site (playground, tutorials, etc) for driving large loads like motors, relays and solenoids. The arduino can't drive or supply them directly, but it can drive transistors that can switch the loads.
-j