Some smart windows make use of suspended particle devices (SPDs) which are made of charged rod-shape particles that change their orientation in an applied electric field, thereby allowing transmittance control. In this work, the electro-optical behaviour of a commercial SPD is analyzed. Impedance analysis shows characteristics similar to those of a Randles circuit, and a modified equivalent circuit is proposed and experimentally validated. Intermediate levels of transmittance are obtained using a customized field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based electrical circuit. Finally, measurements are taken to check the applicability of the SPD device and control system in smart glazing or photonic applications. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.