This thesis presents the investigation into designing the smart electrode system for assessing log properties and/or applying Joule heating. Joule log heating is the process of applying a voltage to a log, generating current through the log, and using the Joule effect to heat the mass of the log. The heat kills the insects living within the log for phytosanitary purposes. The smart electrode is placed on the end of the log to measure the current density distribution through the face of the log. The electrode consists of 745 conductive segments, each with their own current sensor, interfaced with an embedded system. The data produced is useful for estimating the heartwood and sapwood extents of the log, and the energy required to bring the log up to a specific temperature.

The design presented in this thesis uses microcontroller technology to measure the current flowing through each electrode segment. The merits of microcontrollers are discussed and compared against other applicable technology. The embedded system implemented consists of one main microcontroller, and 65 detachable sub microcontrollers, all mounted on one motherboard. The main microcontroller collects the sensor data from the subs and communicates it out to an external computer to be processed and displayed on-screen.

While there was a lack of funding to build the 745-segment electrode system, a 121- segment electrode prototype was successful as a proof-of-concept, capable of accurately measuring the heartwood and sapwood areas of logs and inferring temperature in real- time. The results are presented and discussed, including possible future work, such as system calibration and re-programming improvements. The 745-segment designs are complete and ready to be manufactured and assembled at any time.