AVR-Chat

--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, "Teo" <teodorstv@...> wrote:

> I would like to develop a sistem
> based on Atmel to measure the moisture 
> level of soil. Can you recommend me,
> please, one good and cheap sensor ?

Use Google to look up "soil moisture sensor". To make your own, 
fasten wires to two small stainless-steel machine screws (with 
washers and nuts) and embed them in a small block of gypsum (plaster 
of Paris). The gypsum will absorb water or dry out with the soil and 
the resistance between the screws will vary accordingly.

(If you're the person that asked the same question on the ZiLOG 
Z8Encore! group, then you might as well know that I'm the same person 
that posted the above answer over there.)

> I would also like to communicate via USB.

As other posters have noted, using an FTDI USB to serial converter 
chip is going to be the easiest way to go.

Graham.