WEEK 6 , 7 & 8 ( ASSEMBLE ALL COMPONENT )

There was so much buzy for the did this week due to our busy lifetime with classes and assignments need to be done and submitted. Also this week we were just doing the combination between software and hardware. And we also keep on trying the circuit in case it did not function . So firstly we do it we are do it is the PCB DESIGN .A PCB is a thin board made of fiberglass, composite epoxy, or other laminate material. Conductive pathways are etched or printed onto board, connecting different components on the PCB, such as transistors, resistors and integrated circuits. We have design the transmitter and receiver circuit using Fritzing software. So from the circuit above, we start to understand the flow from one stage to another stage. We took a week to complete this circuit. Referring to the circuit picture, we have successfully installed all the components on breadboard.



RECEIVE CIRCUIT

 TRANSMITTER CIRCUIT

For the second construct the circuit with refer the schematic diagram like we are doing from the PCB DESIGN but now we are just only construct the circuit using the breadboard

and also what we do it in this week is we are doing etching that etching is the process of using strong acid to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in print-making in the metal.

 Now that you're itching to etch . . .

After you go through all the preliminaries in the preceding sections, you get to actually etch your printed circuit board.

Follow these steps to etch the board:

1. Pour the etchant into the plastic tray carefully, avoiding spills and splashes.

Pour enough etchant to create a pool at least 1/8-inch thick, preferably 1/4-inch thick.

2. Dunk the board into the tray and continually rock it back and forth.

3. Keep the board in the soup for 10 to 30 minutes
(depending on the type and strength of the etchant) or until the etchant
has removed all the excess copper. Keep that tray a-rockin — but
gently!

4. Use the plastic or wooden tongs to lift the board out of the tray from time to time to check progress.
 

The enchant removes the copper, starting from the edges and areas
close to the resist. Large, open areas of copper can be stubborn and
take 2 to 3 times as long to etch completely. You may want to agitate
those areas of the copper that don't respond as quickly to the enchant.
However, be sure that you don't over-agitate because you can undercut the
copper under the resist. Undercutting happens when enchant oozes under the resist and attacks the copper that you don't want to remove. After that we are also transfer the circuit from breadboard  to the strip board .

that's all for this 3 week....

WEEK 4 & 5 ( RESEARCH ABOUT SENSOR AND LIST ALL THE COMPONENT USUAL )

          Those of you is it know what is a sensor

Sensors come in all shapes and sizes, from the motion detectors that signal lights to go on when we enter a room to Geiger counters that detect radiation loss. They are used in commercial, industrial and personal applications, whether to tell us when we have a fever or to regulate conveyor systems in a factory. We even contain a number of biological sensors that regulate chemical balances within our bodies, or cause us to react to different stimulate.

Even in the manufacturing realm, the term sensor covers such a wide variety of applications and devices that it is almost impossible to define. Nonetheless, regardless of the industry, sensors are used to alert a person or system; sometimes this is in order to generate a new function, such as switching off a furnace, while in other instances it is to signal a problem. The majority of sensors, however, are meant to help regulate and control existing operations. Various speed and position sensors, for instance, assist in automotive engine management. Adjustable linear, null balance and output current sensors monitor AC or DC current for different electrical or industrial systems. Proximity sensors assist in aircraft and marine applications, among others.

Other sensor types include photoelectric sensors, which detect objects with light and have exceptional range; liquid level sensors and debris monitors, which can be used on fixed wing and rotary aircrafts; temperature and pressure meters, which factor into an immense range of industrial, commercial, medical and processing systems; and electrochemical sensors, such as amperometric and coulometric sensors, which measure various biological functions. From the places we visit to our means of transportation, we are surrounded by sensors and systems that rely on sensors, as well as goods that could not exist without them.

Sensors play even more direct roles in our everyday lives. Thermometers and barometers tell us the weather, oil and fuel gages keep our cars running, and proximity sensors turn on and off our outdoor lights. Of course, direct applications do not stop there. Automated doors, elevators, ovens and refrigerators all incorporate sensors into their designs, making sure our pathways stay open, our food stays fresh, and our appliances remain dependable.,

Main Component/Part Used In This Project

Arduino Uno - Microcontroller 
   

Arduino is an amazing tool for physical computing. It is an open source microcontroller board, plus a free software development environment. The usage of arduino is to make cool interactive objects that can sense inputs from switches, sensors, and computers and then control motors, lights, and other physical outputs in the real world.

         The Arduino Uno is compatible with all current shields and code, and comes assembled. It’s simple to  use by just connected it to a computer with a USB cable or power it with AC-to-DC adapter or battery.

         In this project, we use Arduino Uno as our microcontroller. Since our project consists of receiver and transmitter, we have to use two Arduino Uno for both circuit as the microcontroller to control all the other part that attached to the circuit. This Arduino Uno can simply be control by a code that can be written using the Arduino software. 

                                                                    Schematic Diagram

1.  
   
   
   
   
   Pin Out
   
   

   RF Link Receiver and Transmitter

         This is the 315MHz transmitter and receiver that will work with the RF Links at 315MHz at either baud rate. This wireless data is easy to use and it also the lowest cost RF link that we have ever see. The RF link transmitter is use to transmit position data, temperature data, even current program register values wirelessly to the RF link receiver. These modules have up to 500 feet range in open space. The transmitter and receiver operates from 2-12V. The range will be greater if the voltage is higher.

    

         We have looking forward these modules extensively and have been very impressed with their ease of use and direct interface to an MCU. The theory of operation is very simple. What the transmitter 'sees' on its data pin is what the receiver outputs on its data pin.

    

         This is an ASK transmitter module with an output of up to 8mW depending on power supply voltage. The transmitter is based on SAW resonator and accepts digital inputs, can operate from 2 to 12 Volts-DC, and makes building RF enabled products very easy.

    

   
   
   
   
   

     IR Sensor

   
             IR Sensors work by using a specific light sensor to detect a select light wavelength in the Infra-Red (IR) spectrum. By using an LED which produces light at the same wavelength as what the sensor is looking for, you can look at the intensity of the received light. When an object is close to the sensor, the light from the LED bounces off the object and into the light sensor. This results in a large jump in the intensity, which we already know can be detected using a threshold.
   
   
   

                                                 

                                                 Depiction of the operation of an IR Sensor

    

    Detecting Brightness

         Since the sensor works by looking for reflected light, it is possible to have a sensor that can return the value of the reflected light. This type of sensor can then be used to measure how "bright" the object is. This is useful for tasks like line tracking.

   

   IR Sensor

   
   

    

    

   Alarm Buzzer 

          For alarm buzzer, we use speaker as it can produce a louder sound. This speaker will produce an alarm sound that can alert the people in the house when there is a letter in their mailbox. This 30mm diameter speaker is encased in plastic and will handle about 100mW of power.

   L
   
   
   LCD Display Description    

Works on voltage between 2.7 V to 5.5 V. The contrast can be adjusted by connecting a potentiometer between Pin 2 and Pin 3 as explained below. Can display one line of 16 characters or two lines at max. Any character can be generated in the form of a 5 X 8 or 5 X 10 dot matrix. The LCD has 16 pins, eight of which are data lines and 3 are control lines. There are 5 power lines for powering the LCD and backlight. The LCD can be operated in two modes 4-bit or 8-bit. i.e. data can be sent sequentially in packets of 4-bits or 8-bits. Data can be written to the LCD only on the falling edge of the enable pin. This means that the data will displayed only after the enable pin is taken high and then taken low. This must be repeated for each data or command that is sent to the LCD .It is necessary to use delays between sending each instruction. This is necessary, since if the second instruction arrives while the first one is still being executed, then the execution time will far exceed the normal execution time. The LCD provides a busy flag, which indicates whether the LCD is busy . Performing an operation or whether it is ready to accept instructions. This method can be used instead of using delay loops, since delay provided is random at most and not optimised.

    

      After our advisor approved with our explanation on the circuit testing we decided to buy our component at our best electric and electronic market the Jalan Pasar, pudu.

 

      Also between this week , UNIKL BMI  also doing briefing about FYP .The briefing was to guide and the procedure during the presentation day at the industrial day. The briefing also give us the on the important details that we inform on the industrial day. 

 

WEEK 2 & 3 ( DECIDING , IMPROVING AND RESEARCH ABOUT MICROCONTROLLER [ARDUINO UNO] )

ASSALAMUALAIKUM ..........

Okey , for this week we are just looked and do it survey about microcontroller

After meeting with our adviser and having discussion of our project, we decided to start developing . Why..?

    Because using the Arduino Uno will make us easier to do the code programming for the alarm clock system .
    Because our supervisor recommended by the lecturer to use the Arduino so that to develop and study more on new components and suitable in the modern era.
     To AVOID any damages on all the component that been use in the circuit .
    The circuit also makes it look like it’s not using a large space on the design structure and making the project lighter.

         The improvement in this circuit is, since the circuit doesn’t have a motor to drop of the food, we added the circuit with a stepper motor so that is compatible with our objective for this project. The arduino that we will be using is the latest model of Arduino Uno . The Arduino Uno specification is much more .

  

Problem Statement

         When studying the circuit from the figure 2, the problem that we encounter is that all the PWM pins on the arduino uno have been used for driving the IC 74HC595 for the output 7- segment 4digit.

 What is a Micro-controller?

From our research microcontroller  (abbreviated μC or MCU) is essentially an entire computer system on a single, tiny microchip! While not as fast or powerful as your desktop or laptop computer, a microcontroller excels at being very small, very inexpensive, and can operate on very little power (great for battery-powered devices).

Microcontrollers are the heart of what's called "Embedded Computing" - a term used to describe using these tiny computers inside everyday things to make them "smart" - things like microwaves, cars, cellphones, TVs, and so on.

A microcontroller has many subsystems on board it's tiny little chip. The central part is the microprocessor core - it's the brain of the computer that carries out program instructions. Other subsystems include:

·         RAM (Random Access Memory) - where the software can store data temporarily. This memory is lost when the power is turned off, so it's usually used to store information that the program generates as it runs through it's instructions.

·         Flash memory - where the software program is stored. This memory is not lost when the power goes off. It is similar to the SD card in your smartphone or digital camera .

·         EEPROM (Electroniclly Eraseable Programmable Read Only Memory) - a special type of memory that can retain data after the power is turned off. This is a good place to store things like configuration settings, that need to be remembered for next time the system is powered up. It only stores data, not program code.

·         IO (Input/Output) Systems - this is how the microcontroller communicates with the outside world. There's many different types of I/O, such as digital (1s and 0s), analog (variable voltage), PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) which falls somewhere between digital and analog, and many types of computer protocols like Serial, I2C, Parallel, CAN, 2WI, and more.

 You don't need to worry about all these just yet. As we start to look into different brands and variations of microcontrollers, you'll notice that the reason there are so many different microcontroller choices is that they all come packaged with different combinations of subsystems, or are made to run with different power requirements or at different speeds. So in a daily life

WHAT IS A PIC MICROCONTROLLER? WHAT CAN IT DO?

PIC microcontrollers ( Programmable Interface Controllers), are electronic circuits that can be programmed to carry out a vast range of tasks. They can be programmed to be timers or to control a production line and much more. They are found in most electronic devices such as alarm systems, computer control systems, phones, in fact almost any electronic device. Many types of PIC microcontrollers exist, although the best are probably found in the GENIE range of programmable microcontrollers. These are programmed and simulated by Circuit Wizard software.


PIC Microcontrollers are relatively cheap and can be bought as pre-built circuits or as kits that can be assembled by the user.You will need a computer to run software, such as Circuit Wizard, allowing you to program a PIC microcontroller circuit. A fairly cheap, low specification computer should run the software with ease. The computer will need a serial port or a USB port. This is used to connect the computer to the microcontroller circuit.


Software such as, Genie Design Studio can be downloaded for free. It can be used to program microcontroller circuits. It allows the programmer to simulate the program, before downloading it to a PIC microcontroller IC (Integrated Circuit). Simulating the program on screen, allows the programmer to correct faults and to change the program. The software is quite easy to learn, as it is flow chart based. Each ‘box’ of a flow chart has a purpose and replaces numerous lines of text programming code. This meansthat a program can be written quite quickly, with fewer mistakes.

A USB lead connects the computer to the programmable circuit, allowing the transfer of the program to the PIC microcontroller IC.

SIMPLE GENIE MICROCONTROLLER CIRCUIT BEING BUILT ON SCREEN USING CIRCUIT WIZARD SOFTWARE

THE GENIE MICROCONTROLLER CIRCUIT (ABOVE) BEING PROGRAMMED USING CIRCUIT WIZARD SOFTWARE . When the program has been simulated and works, it is downloaded to the PIC microcontroller circuit. The USB lead can be disconnected and the microcontroller circuit can be used independently. The diagram below, shows a GENIE Project Board being programmed by Circuit Wizard software (recommended software for programming microcontroller circuits).

CIRCUIT WIZARD SOFTWARE

Circuit Wizard software has major advantages over free downloads. It is a ‘simple to use’ electronics software package. Basic up to complex circuits, can be built on screen and simulated. This means that circuits can be tested before they are manufactured.Circuit Wizard also allows a range of GENIE Microcontroller circuits/project boards, to be ‘dragged’ on to the screen, from a menu. Inputs and outputs can be added using further menus. Then, the GENIE microcontroller circuit/project board can be programmed, using Circuit Wizard’s flow charting menu. It can be fully tested/simulated on screen and faults corrected or alterations made. This software is strongly recommended, when designing and manufacturing microcontroller programmable circuits.

 THE GENIE MICROCONTROLLER CIRCUIT

What's an Arduino?  Isn't that a Microcontroller?

An excellent question! Many people have heard about the Arduino (pronounced arr-duee-no) and may have heard them called a microcontroller, but actually, Arduinos encompass much more than that.

The Arduino is a full development system, or prototyping system. It includes a complete circuit board and support hardware to help make using the microcontroller easier. Some things that the Arduino provides to help you out:

•     Voltage regulators: help provide clean, stable power.
• Timing oscillators: There is a 16MHz quartz crystal oscillator to give the USB controller an accurate, stable time base; and a 16MHz ceramic oscillator for the main microcontroller clock .
• USB interface: allows you to plug the Arduino into your PC to download your programs. It can also provide power to the Arduino. Includes the USB connector, a USB controller (which is a separate microcontroller), transmit/receive status LEDs, and the 16MHz timing crystal.
• Power Plug - to plug into a wall adapter for power.
• Reset switch, and a test output LED: Convenient items to include on a prototyping board.
• Stackable "headers": these rows of connectors make it easy to plug in additional add-on daughter boards (called "Shields"). These allow you to easily expand and customize the features of the Arduino.

 Figure 1 : Arduino UNO

                                             Figure 2 : Arduino IDE

WEEK1 (SELECTION AND MEET ADVISOR)

ASSALAMUALAIKUM and hello guy .

Okey ...

             This is a first week we updated , so in this week we are just only do is the discussion like decide to create what a suitable to we do with our advisor , Sir Saiful Yusof that would to attempt the final year project (FYP) . In this discussion there are also include a discussion about what component we want use to develop , the circuit type and so on . Then in this session also we also discuss about what preparation we must do , about schedule to we up to date our project to advisor and also about a risk and advantages if we proceed our project .After consultation for 3 days and finally we a consensus to do project WIRELESS MAILBOX USING ARDUINO .

****************

INTRODUCTION

            Nowadays, by using a new technology, we had developed “Wireless Mailbox System using Arduino” that had been upgrade by the existing simple mailbox to become more advanced to make users life more comfortable. It now came with many new features that are magnetic sensor, RF link transmitter/receiver, LCD display, 7 segment LED display, alarm buzzer, hidden camera and also Arduino Uno as microcontroller.

          Wireless is the transfer of information over a distance without the use of enhanced electrical conductors or wires. It considered to be a branched of telecommunication. It has been apply in our “Wireless Mailbox System using Arduino” project. The sensor detect the letter when the postman open the mailbox to put the letter and it will straight away sent a message to the output screen (LCD) that placed in users house. Hence, the function of wireless system is to build a connection between sensor and screen output (LCD). The distance of Wireless transmitter and receiver had been setup and will activate around 100 metre square. It had considered for the private resident area, for example big houses (bungalow), apartment, and condominium. That usually located far from the front door of the residence.

          

               A liquid crystal display (LCD) is thin, flat electronic visual display. It is placed in user house. The function of the LCD is to display a message to tell the user that there is a letter inside the mailbox and will ask the user to take out the letter as soon as possible. Impact, it prevents the letter from anything happened since the letter is taken as soon as it is delivered.

AIM & OBJECTIVES

          The aim of this project is to develop the prototype of WIRELESS MAILBOX USING ARDUINO that can produce sound and show the amount of letter in a mailbox on LCD screen  when someone put a letter in a mailbox .

-to help someone who hates continuously checking the mail box only to find that the mail hasn't been delivered yet