Due to the ease of connecting and working with a wide variety of sensors and the Arduino development platform, it's easy to monitor all sorts of data and work with the results. However if you need a remote monitoring device, one solution is to use SMS text messaging with an Arduino GSM shield. To make this a reality, Nicholas Vinen from Silicon Chip magazine has documented such a project that you can build yourself in their March 2014 edition.
The system can constantly monitor five analogue and five digital input pins, and relay their status when the data reaches a certain value or range. The hardware is quite easy, with the main components our Freetronics Eleven board and an inexpensive GSM shield - both powered by a sealed lead-acid rechargeable battery that lends itself to solar charging, extending the autonomy of the system in remote locations.
For complete details on how to make your own version, read the March 2014 issue of Silicon Chip magazine - available from newsagents or online. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.
If you're looking for an Arduino Uno-compatible board to be the heart of your projects, choose what tens of thousands of others have done and use our Freetronics Eleven - the Arduino-Uno compatible with low-profile USB socket, onboard prototyping space and easy to view LEDs:
