In the world of embedded systems and hobbyist electronics, few names command as much respect as Myke Predko. His seminal work, 123 PIC Microcontroller Experiments for the Evil Genius , has been a rite of passage for aspiring engineers for nearly two decades. However, a specific long-tail search query has been gaining traction:

: Building a "fake" security system with flashing LEDs and sirens to deter intruders. Getting Started with the PDF

: High-level experiments including home automation systems, self-driving toy cars, and even robotic arms.

If you download the PDF (it is widely available on academic and archive sites as it is out of print), do not try to build the programmer in Chapter 2. Instead: