This work developed a PC security surveillance system which captures either the picture or video image of an intruder. It consisted of an interface circuit built around an infrared sensing device and a 8051 microcontroller and also PC- based control program. The infrared sensor consisted of an infrared transmitter and receiver whose beam when broken causes the 8051 microcontroller to sense the break in transmission through a comparator circuit and sends a triggering signal to the Visual Basic control program on the PC which then either takes a snap of or creates a video clip of the intruder. The system after developed was tested for human intrusion both in the picture and video modes and was observed to perform satisfactorily.
