This code only illustrates responding to one command, “light”, but could easily be extended as is done with @MattsOffice.

<?php
include_once('class.twitter.php');// http://code.google.com/p/php-twitter/

$ioBridgeJSONFeedURL = 'http://www.iobridge.com/api/feed/key=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX';
$buzzerOnURL = 'http://yourserver.com/iobridge-proxy.php?widget=buzzeron';
$buzzerOffURL = 'http://yourserver.com/iobridge-proxy.php?widget=buzzeroff';

$t = new twitter;
$t->username = 'twitter_username';
$t->password = 'twitter_password';

// Read the ID of the last reply
$myFile = "lastreply.txt";
$fileHandle = fopen($myFile, 'r');
$lastReplyID = fgets($fileHandle);
fclose($fileHandle);

// Get the latest unanwsered replies
$data = $t->getReplies('','',$lastReplyID);

$counter = 1;
if(!empty($data)){
    foreach($data as $tweet) {
        if (!empty($tweet->user->id)){

            // Check for valid command
            if(stripos($tweet->text, "light"){
                // retrieve data from ioBridge.com
                $curl_handle=curl_init();
                curl_setopt($curl_handle,CURLOPT_URL,$ioBridgeJSONFeedURL);
                curl_setopt($curl_handle,CURLOPT_CONNECTTIMEOUT,2);
                curl_setopt($curl_handle,CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER,1);
                $ioBridgeResultsObject = curl_exec($curl_handle);
                $ioBridgeResultsObject = json_decode($ioBridgeResultsObject);
                curl_close($curl_handle);

                $lightResults = $ioBridgeResultsObject->{'module'}->{'channels'}[2]->{'AnalogInput'};
                $updateText = ' @' . $tweet->user->screen_name . ' Ambient Light = ' . $lightResults;
            }
            // If no valid command was found reply with what commands are valid
            else{
                $messageText = ' Valid commands are: light, bright, dark, temp, hot, cold, lcd, and/or view';
                $updateText = ' @' . $tweet->user->screen_name . $messageText;
            }

            // Send update
            $updateData = $t->update($updateText, $tweet->id);

            // Update text file with ID of last reply (first reply of loop)
            if($counter === 1){
                $myFile = "lastreply.txt";
                $fileHandle = fopen($myFile, 'w') or die("can't open file");
                fwrite($fileHandle, $tweet->id);
                fclose($fileHandle);
            }
            $counter++;

            // Sound Buzzer (serves as an audible alert when someone pings @MattsOffice)
            $curl_handle=curl_init();
            curl_setopt($curl_handle,CURLOPT_URL,$buzzerOnURL);
            curl_setopt($curl_handle,CURLOPT_CONNECTTIMEOUT,5);
            curl_setopt($curl_handle,CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER,1);
            $results = curl_exec($curl_handle);
            curl_setopt($curl_handle,CURLOPT_URL,$buzzerOffURL);
            $results = curl_exec($curl_handle);
            curl_close($curl_handle);
        }// if (!empty($tweet->user->id)){
    }// foreach($data as $tweet) {
}// if(!empty($data)){
else {
    echo 'All replies have been responded to.';
}

print '<pre>Twitter says(list of @mentions):'; print_r($data); print '</pre>';
print '<pre>Twitter says(response to status update):'; print_r($updateData); print '</pre>';
?>

In order to keep track of what @MattsOffice mentions have already been answered, the ID of the last successful reply is saved to a plain text file. A database could also be used but the text file method is much simpler even if it doesn’t allow logging.

In order for this code to work your server needs the ioBridge PHP Widge Control API and this Twitter library.

ioBridge.com does offer “Actions” but none of the current actions allow the trigger to be time based. Once they introduce time as a trigger this code will no longer be needed.

<?php
include_once('class.twitter.php');//http://code.google.com/p/php-twitter/

$ioBridgeJSONFeedURL = 'http://www.iobridge.com/api/feed/key=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX';

$t = new twitter;
$t->username = 'twitter_username';
$t->password = 'twitter_pwd';

$curl_handle=curl_init();
curl_setopt($curl_handle,CURLOPT_URL,$ioBridgeJSONFeedURL);
curl_setopt($curl_handle,CURLOPT_CONNECTTIMEOUT,2);
curl_setopt($curl_handle,CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER,1);
$ioBridgeResultsObject = curl_exec($curl_handle);
$ioBridgeResultsObject = json_decode($ioBridgeResultsObject);
curl_close($curl_handle);

if (empty($ioBridgeResultsObject)){
    print "Sorry, something went wrong.";
}
else{
    $data = $t->update('Temperature = '. $ioBridgeResultsObject->{'module'}->{'channels'}[0]->{'AnalogInput'} . '°F / Ambient Light = ' . $ioBridgeResultsObject->{'module'}->{'channels'}[2]->{'AnalogInput'});
    print '<pre>Twitter says: '; print_r($data); print '</pre>';
}
?>

In a few days I will post the code that parses my Twitter account for @MattsOffice mentions and responds to them accordingly.

Update: 07/17/09
Second post is up with more code

Now if only I had a project to use it with.

Lucky for me one of my graduate courses on computer communications requires a research paper on a “communications based” project. Well actually maybe I’m not so lucky, who likes to write research papers? The title of the paper is “Feasibility Study of Home Automation via Social Networks” and I hope to have it finished by August. Once it is done I will post it here.

System Diagram

The project was inspired by many of the current Twittering household devices.

• http://twitter.com/mytoaster
• http://twitter.com/EDogFeeder
• http://twitter.com/PiMPY3WASH

The one thing lacking in most of these devices was 2-way communication between Twitter and the device. In all of the examples I could find the device is sending an update to Twitter but is never performing an action based on a Twitter message.

With http://twitter.com/MattsOffice you can send a command by placing a keyword in a @reply message. Valid keywords are “light”, “bright”, “dark”, “temp”, “hot”, “cold”, “lcd”, and “view”. For example, to retrieve the temperature of my office I just need to update my Twitter status with a simple question like “@MattsOffice What is the temperature?”. Here are some more examples:

“@MattsOffice How cold is it?” – replies with the current temperature
“@MattsOffice How bright is it?” – replies with the current ambient light reading
“@MattsOffice lcd test message” – outputs “test message” to my LCD sitting on my desk
“@MattsOffice What is the view from your office look like?” – uploads a picture taken from my office window to TwitPic.com

Multiple commands can be posted together:

“@MattsOffice temp bright view” – replies with the current temperature, brightness, and post a picture

I can also turn off or on my desk light by updating my status with “@MattsOffice light on” or “@MattsOffice light off”. To prevent my light from turning off when I don’t want it to be off I have disable this feature for everyone but myself (i.e. it only works if @xzolian ask to turn the light on or off).

Go try it out! Let me know if there are any bugs. Look for a follow up post on how I made all this work and some example code.

Update: 07/15/2009
The first part of the code can be found here.

Update: 07/17/09
Second post is up with more code. This post was updated with Youtube video.

RC Diagram

The purpose of this project was to implement and run performance benchmarks on various reconfigurable computing (RC) platforms. During the process of implementation and benchmarking, all results as well as lessons learned where documented. Comparisons against pure software implementations where also made. In this paper we presented the results for three RC platforms: DS1002 development system from DRC, PROCe development board from GiDEL, and the H101-PCIXM from Nallatech.

For more information on the details of this project please read my comprehensive report (about 5MB, right-click and save the document to your desktop).

As of October 2007, the iPod had sold over 119 million units worldwide and as a result, has become the best-selling digital audio player series in history. With such a huge user base the iPod accessory market is even larger, as most iPod users own several iPod accessories. Within the iPod accessory market a void exists.

For iPod consumers there is a distinct hurdle to go from unplugging the headphones to plugging multiple iPods into a stereo system. For example, at college parties and gatherings the party goers are often forced to suffer through the sometimes poor musical taste of the party thrower. The iParty device allows several of the party goers to connect their personal iPods to the device and as a result, allow their personal musical taste to be heard.

An early sketch of the first iParty prototype is shown below.

Prototype

The iParty’s primary objective is to provide the consumer with the ability to mix multiple iPods into one standard stereo signal that can then be played on any sort of powered speakers or amplifier. The iParty’s secondary objective is to provide the best user experience possible without limiting or restricting the primary objective. The main features are:

• Automatic iPod detection
  • iPhone
  • iPod touch
  • iPod classic (starting with generation 3)
  • iPod nano (all generations)
  • iPod mini (all generations)
• Stereo audio mixing
  • Line level output
• Autonomous DJ mode
  • Random song playback
• iPod charging circuit
• One hand operation
  • Jog wheel with center select
• Graphical LCD
  • Used for displaying system information
  • Automatic backlight dimming
• Robust
• Low power
• Field upgradable
• Visually pleasing

System Level Design

To control the connected iPods the microcontroller sends specific commands via 19200 bits per second serial communication using standard 8N1 settings. The transmitted commands follow a strict ordered structure as shown below.

For example, to tell an iPod to play the currently selected song the following bytes should be serial transmitted:

0xFF 0×55 0×04 0×04 0×00 0×29 0×01 0xCE

The iParty enclosure, was first designed using the CAD software, SolidWorks. After a preliminary design was completed, a generic ABS plastic enclosure was modified to match the design.

Enclosure Design

Here are some pictures of the final project:

Printed Circuit Board Design

Inside View

Finished PCB

All 10MB of the final report can be downloaded here.

Theta Tau Website Screenshot

This site (http://www.ufthetatau.org/) was completely done with PHP and MySQL. The visual design of the site is not the greatest but the database back end and members only section is rock solid. The members section serves over 250 members and is used for a calendar, contact information database, quote wall, photo gallery, etc…

The website has gone through several revisions since I graduated. The site I designed is no longer there but the members section I created is still being used. Just in case the actual site is down check out this mirror or this PDF version.

Apex Environmental Web Site

I used the template feature in Dreamweaver to design this site (http://www.apexenvironmental.com/). Most hard core web designer discredit WYSIWYG editors like Dreamweaver but in my experience they increase productivity by leaps and bounces. This site also has an administration backend developed with PHP. The backend allows the site owner to make changes to the content without knowing any coding. I really like they way this site came out.

Since I designed the site someone else took control of the site and it now doesn’t function as it was intended. To see the site the way I originally designed it please view this PDF version.

IRAS

I built IRAS in my Junior Design class. IRAS is a small self-contained and self-powered unit that will monitor the climate and door status of a refrigerator or freezer. The climate monitoring component outputs the temperature in °F and the relative humidity as a percentage on a low power reflective LCD screen. The Intelligent Refrigerator Alarm System or IRAS (formally known as IRFCMDAS) monitors the opening and closing of the compartment’s door with a reed (magnetic) switch and sounds an alarm if either the door is left open for too long or if climate conditions are not ideal. The device was implemented using the C programming language and the PIC microcontroller. For more information about this project please read the report (about 3.5MB, right-click and save the document to your desktop).

Small8

My final project in my Digital Design class was to design a simple 8-bit computer (called Small8) using VHDL and Altera’s Cyclone FPGA. Small8 consists of an 8-bit processor (64K address space), RAM, and I/O ports.

The Small8′s design is split into three sections: Overall Architecture, Central Processing Unit (CPU), and External Components. For more information on the details of this project please read my comprehensive report (about 8MB, right-click and save the document to your desktop).