SparkFun Forums

[ajhalls]

I am starting a new project where I need to send out emails and SMS messages which will be relayed via Ethernet. I am on the fence as to what hardware to use. I have seen the boards with built in ethernet, some even have built in GSM, none have both that I see. It is going to be sending out lots of messages each day and will probably set it up with multiple devices. I haven't quite decided what my business model is yet whether I sell just the code to send out reminder texts, and the end user has their own hardware, or if it is a managed solution where all the data gets sent to me and I send them out. Either way, reliability and stability is going to be key.

I haven't ever done a project like this and don't know if I should be using Arduino or Raspberry Pi as the starting point. I have a programmer that is going to do all the techy stuff, but I want to make sure we are building on a solid foundation hardware wise. Looking for a set of hardware suggestions I can buy from someone who has participated in a project like this.

[ajhalls]

Bump, anyone?

[Ross Robotics]

Have you tried Google? There are lots of tutorials for SMS, including Arduino, RaspberryPi, BeagleBone, Teensy, respectively.

[ajhalls]

True, but which is best for driving an email, SMS and potentially a voice reminder call? It seems like Raspberry Pi would be perfect, but I only see one GPRS module for it as opposed to dozens for the Arduino. This could mean they hit a homerun on the first try, or it could mean my project dies if I can't get the only one available to work the way I want.

Or I could do something like this: http://microcontrollershop.com/product_ ... fgod0XEAQw where you put an arduino ON the RaspberryPi and then do the GPRS (honestly, I didn't even know that was possible till I saw this)

I know it doesn't look like I have used google, but I have and find so much info including links to unsupported chipsets, drivers, modules and such that I was hoping to find someone who has done this before give me a nudge in the right direction for what is good now, as opposed to 6 months ago (which in a new area like this could be completely different today).

[Ross Robotics]

The controller you use would depend on how far you want to go with it. Arduino would be good for SMS, and a few other things. Get up to RasPi and BeagleBone, then the possibilities are endless.

If all you want to do is ethernet than an Arduino is more than enough. https://www.sparkfun.com/search/results?term=ethernet