Understanding LAN-controlled Arduino switches

Electronics enthusiast Peter Lavelle was tired of switching manually between headphones and speakers when using his PC, and solved this conundrum using what could possibly be described as overkill or an excellent educational project. He has created a switchover circuit using a relay to direct the audio to the appropriate output, and then used an Ethernet-enabled Arduino to control the relay. Finally the Arduino is running the Webduino libary which allows control over the web. So instead of fiddling around with cables, the user can now switch outputs from the comfort of any web browser.

Although it may seem trivial, this project is an excellent explanation of how to control various Arduino-connected items over the Internet. To learn more and undestand how it works, visit the project page here. And for more news, updates and items of interest.please follow us on twitter, Facebook and Google+.

When working on your own Internet-connected Arduino projects, consider the Freetronics EtherTen. Not only is it an Arduino-Uno compatible board, there is a microSD card socket, full Ethernet support and optional Power-over-Ethernet: