First Project - Etch a Sketch

Maybe some of you have heard of Etch a Sketch. Yes, the childhood toy you used to write your name with. Needless to say that some of you out there may have used it to amaze your friend with works such as the one below

I will try to replicate this little toy using Embedded technology. To be more specific I will design and build a hardware device, hook it up via RS232 to the computer, and write a simulation game, that takes input from the hardware device and etches a line on the screen. Pretty cool, huh?

I admit it is not very flashy, but this will give us a better understanding of the following important embedded basics:

1. Analog to Digital Converting
2. Serial Communication
3. Use of a MAX232 IC (for converting from TTL voltages to Computer RS232 voltages)
4. Using Perforated Boards for easy prototyping
5. Interrupt handling (nasty work)

For the Windows programming side, I will use an opensource game engine called Irrlicht. I have chosen an open source game engine because it is sufficient for my needs including everything from sound to networking. I have some experience with DirectX, but that would just eat up time with no visible gain in performance.