Project 16 : Mentor Robot

Left side view

Right side view

Motor driver circuit

Visual basic SCADA interface video

Description

Mentor robot is actually outdated. But for some purpose, it can be modified to do some simple jobs. Some may use it as a demo robot in school/university. The pictures above show how we can control the mentor robot using computer interface. Visual basic software is used as SCADA system to get data send from robot or send the data from user back to robot meaning that we can build 2-way communication system.

This old robot has 5 DOF with 1 gripper. It uses DC motor to move and each motor is attached with a potentiometer that can be used to send feedback data (motor position). This is not an accurate way to sense motors position but it may help. PIC mictrocontroller is programmed to read the position data from robot and receives commands from visual basic. It is between computer keyboard and motor. Motor driver L293/L298 may drive the robot right or left, forward or backward, up or down. 

Prinsip operasi

Sebuah projek robotik yang dikawal oleh keypad/komputer. Robot ini dari jenis picking robot utk mengambil dan meletakkan item pada lokasi yg boleh dikawal menggunakan komputer. Robot ini mempunyai  5 DOF(Degree of freedom) iaitu 5 paksi yg boleh dikawal oleh motor DC. Program PIC dibangunkan utk membaca kod keypad/komputer dan menghantar data ke litar driver motor yg telah dibina. Dengan menekan button2 yg telah diprogram, robot ini boleh dikawal utk fungsi pick and place item2 tertentu.

Jenis driver yg digunakan adalah L293D/L298 utk memacu motor secara forward/reverse atau atas/bawah atau kiri/kanan. Program visual basic boleh dibangunkan utk memeta kedudukan semasa robot dan ini memungkinkan robot berfungsi secara automatik (autonomous). Robot juga boleh dikawal dari jauh jika RF transmitter/receiver digunakan ke dlm sistem.

Project 15 : Solar Sliding Autogate System

 24V DC motor

Original controller

Controller after modification

Solar battery, controller and door gate

Description

Generally an autogate system is installed at home and powered by domestic wall plug at 240Vac. With some modification it can be powered with solar power as long as it has a backup battery. The backup battery is rated at 12Vdc but the motor used in this system normally operate at 24Vdc. With 12Vdc battery, the opening gate process runs at half of the maximum speed and quite slower. If we wish to run at maximum speed, the 24V system is advised to be used.

Solar power can be used to power the system. The size of the solar system can be 12Vdc or 24Vdc. To use 24Vdc, we need to alter the existing controller. To use additional remote controller, we need to build an interfacer board to trigger the existing controller. Basically, some external ports are provided for us to interface the system with remote or RFID reader/tag. 

Prinsip operasi

Sebuah projek pintu gate automatik menggunakan tenaga elektrik/solar. Kebiasaannya tenaga elektrik biasa 240V digunakan dan bateri digunakan sebagai backup kpd sistem. Namun utk sistem ini, tenaga adalah 100% drpd solar digunakan utk mengecas bateri 12V, 7Ah. Bateri yg dipasang disarankan pd kadaran Ah lebih tinggi misalnya 20Ah untuk memastikan sistem senantiasa beroperasi lancar dalam keadaan mendung/hujan berterusan.

Sistem asal telah dimodifikasi dgn menambahkan RF receiver utk membolehkan pengguna mengakses menggunakan remote lain selain yg dibekalkan. Ini boleh membantu pengguna yg acapkali kehilangan remote lama dan sukar utk membuat tempahan menggantikannya. Selain itu sistem boleh diupgrade menggunakan RFID reader/tag.

Project 14 : Incubator System

Bulb mounting

 Solar incubator

 Early test

 Finished prototype

Test sample

Temperature indicator

Description

An incubator is used to incubate chicken/quail eggs for breeding process. An icubator must have filament lamps and a controller used to control the incubation temperature. The heat generated from filament lamps must be around 38-39 degree celcius so that the process works perfectly. A PIC controller is programmed to control the relay that turns on and off the AC supply connected to the filament lamps. An accurate programmable temperature sensor LM35D is commonly used for this purpose. LCD will indicate the current temperature and the system status.

Prinsip operasi

Sebuah projek inkubator untuk menetaskan telor puyuh/ayam. Mentol lampu digunakan dr jenis filamen (menghasilkan haba yg panas) pada kadaran 5W sebiji. Untuk menghidupkan mentol, litar PIC digunakan untuk mengawal on dan off relay yg menyambungkan mentol dan bekalan AC 240V. Temperature sensor LM35D mengesan suhu didalam inkubator, ia diprogram dan LCD memaparkan suhu tsbt. Suhu penetasan yg sesuai adalah sekitar 38-39 darjah celcius. Julat suhu yg sesuai sangat perlu utk membolehkan telor menetas dgn sempurna.

Project 13 : Solar Home Lighting System

 Solar Panel 70W

5W LED Downlight Type A ( 240Vac/12Vdc)

 5W LED Downlight Type B ( 240Vac/12Vdc)

 DC 12V,15W CFL Type Spiral

  DC 12V,15W CFL Type Kalimantang

 Solar battery charger and batteries

LEDs light up during testing

Solar panel on the roof

Descriptions:

This a solar based project. A solar home system is part of a green home system incorporating solar panels, controller and loads. Loads vary from downlight, LED lights, CFL, autogate system etc. Basically the solar home system is rated at 12 V system because most of loads operate at this voltage. Even a water pump may be powered by solar panel if it has the same rating.

To install a solar system at home, you need to invest a bit large amount of money during early setup. This includes the cost of solar panels,controllers and batteries. Although it is very costly, you can get back your money, pay back period or return of investment (ROI) in 3-5 years depends on the size you install the system. The solar panels may lasting up to 25-30 years if they are maintained well while batteries need to be changed every 2-3 years.

The LED light is highly recommended as it has a very good lifetime period. Some of them may last up to 10000 hours of operating time. In addition, it suits with the solar panel voltage. Using LED also reduce the number of power required to light up a room. Let say previously you used 2 CFL lights rated at 15W (total power = 30W). You should try change to 2 LED lights rating at 9W (18W), you will get the same number of light intensity (counted in Lumen). The saving is around 12W.

Prinsip operasi

Sebuah projek pencahayaan lampu menggunakan tenaga solar utk aplikasi di kediaman/pejabat/pondok....Sesuai utk diaplikasikan dikawasan bandar(urban) dan pendalaman (remote area) jika bekalan TNB tidak dpt dicapai. Terdapat kepelbagaian jenis lampu dari jenis downlight/kalimantang dan teknologi dari jenis LED/CFL boleh digunakan bagi sistem solar. Kebiasaannya sistem LED dipilih kerana lampu dan cahayanya lebih cantik dan menggunakan kuasa watt (P) lebih rendah berbanding CFL utk mendapatkan keamatan cahaya yg sama. Keamatan cahaya diukur dlm unit Lumen menggunakan meter jenis Luxmeter. Untuk mod pembacaan buku unit Lumen sekitar 200 cukup utk kecerahan diperlukan sesuai dgn yg diperlukan oleh mata manusia.

Jika menggunakan lampu LED, jenis sistem boleh dipilih samada berasaskan 240Vac (talian biasa rumah) atau 12Vdc( sistem solar panel). Jika sistem solar panel dipilih, pengguna perlu mempunyai tambahan kepada sistem iaitu solar charge controller dan bateri drpd jenis SLA (seal lead acid) atau Gel atau Lithium Ion....Kos permulaan bagi sistem solar agak mahal namun pengguna boleh mendapatkan keuntungan slps tempoh pay back period (PBP) atau return of investment (ROI) mereka bergantung kepada saiz sistem yang dipasang. Kebiasaannya selepas 5 tahun. Namun begitu solar panel mampu bertahan sehingga 25-30 tahun dan bateri hanya perlu ditukar setiap 2-3 tahun.

Memandangkan ketahanan lampu LED melebihi drpd jangkaun nilai pelaburannya, sistem ini lebih praktikal dipasang dengan solar panel. Sebagai contohnya kita memerlukan 2 biji lampu LED pada kadaran 9W utk sebuah bilek, kecerahannya akan bersamaan dgn 2 biji lampu CFL biasa pada kadaran 15W. 

Project 12 : Lab Attendance SCADA System

System setup



Visual basic program

Visual basic SCADA interface



Excel SCADA interface

Access SCADA interface

Video on demand

Descriptions:

A system to record the attendace of lab/class student based on RFID reader. The reader sends the student ID number to PIC microcontroller. From PIC, the data is processed before being sent to a SCADA software. The SCADA is built based on Visual Basic software. The recorded IDs are shown on a computer screen and save these IDs into microsoft excel as a database. 

Prinsip operasi

Sebuah projek yg digunakan untuk merekod kehadiran pelajar ke kelas/makmal menggunakan kad RFID. Pelajar perlu menyentuh kad mereka pada reader yg disediakan. Reader akan menghantar ID pelajar tersebut ke PIC microcontroller. Dari PIC data akan dihantar ke sistem SCADA yg dibina menggunakan perisian visual basic. Perisian telah diprogram untuk memaparkan paparan SCADA pada komputer dan menyalin rekod kehadiran kedalam file Microsoft Excel. Setiap data kehadiran akan direkod dan dikemaskini secara automatik.

Program database yg boleh digunakan adalah Microsoft Excel (Mudah), Acces (Medium) dan MySQL (kompleks). Program2 ini bole diakses dan diubahsuai berpandukan perisian SCADA yg telah dibangunkan. 

Project 11 : Solar Parking System

Complete system installation



Solar panels



Batteries storage



PIC controller and solar charger



Controller casing

In campus bulletin

Descriptions:

A solar parking system is actually a 100%  stand alone solar powered system. This means that no power from grid needed to power it up. The system allows only authorized users to enter the parking area. The acces card (RFID) or remote controller can be used to trigger the barrier up. High current DC motor is controlled by a PIC board to lift up or down the barrier. The first board uses 24V battery system. Another PIC board is used to receive data from RFID/remote controller before triggering the first board. This board uses nominal 12V battery system.

The solar power taken from sunlight is charged into AGM batteries so that the system may run day and night and may lasting up to 3-4 days if no sunlight detected. This system comes together with a protection circuit using an ultrasonic sensor in case any car stop below the barrier.

Prinsip operasi

Sebuah projek yg digunakan untuk membenarkan akses kepada sistem parking. Akses adalah melalui kad/tag RFID atau kad Touch N Go (TnG) utk mengawal palang seperti di lebuhraya PLUS. Pengguna juga boleh mengakses menggunakan remote control yg diupgrade dr sistem asal. RFID reader digunakan bersama high current DC motor driver dan litar PIC utk mengawal perjalanan sistem. Bekalan kuasa adalah 100% dari tenaga solar yg digunakan utk mengecas bateri. Sistem menggunakan dua controller berlainan, satu utk megawal litar utama motor dan satu lagi litar kawalan rfid/remote control. Litar utama berasaskan 24V manakala litar kedua 12 V. Oleh itu sebanyak 3 solar panel,3 bateri dan 2 charger digunakan.

Sistem turut dilengkapi sejenis sensor ultrasonic sbg ptotection system. Sekiranya semasa palang sedang turun dan kereta masih berada/terberhenti di bawah palang, sensor ini akan menghantar data ke PIC utk menaikkan semula palang. Rekabentuk stand alone ini telah dikira utk membolehkan sistem beroperasi berterusan selama 4-5 hari walaupon keadaan hujan/mendung dialami dlm tempoh tersebut.  

Project 10 : Industrial motor RPM Counter

Controller



System setup



Sensor installation

Video on demand

Descriptions:

This project has been awarded gold medal in ITEX convention. A project to test the reliability(wearness) of mechanical piston when it is attached to a car model. The piston is attached to a 3-phase induction motor so that the motor can slide the piston horizontally to the tested surface. PIC microcontroller board allows the user to key in the number of rotation needed by the piston using a keypad interfacer board.

The rotation number  and the speed in RPM are displayed on LCD. To on and off the induction motor, a relay board is used. Every turns counted by an infrared sensor, the data is sent to PIC for calculation. The relay will be turned off when the counter reaches the number specified by user. Thus is stops the motor. A buzzer sounds a "beep" 3 times to alert the user if the rotation cycle is achieved. 

Prinsip operasi

Projek ini telah memenangi pingat emas di ITEX (Innovation and Technology Excibition) May 2013 dan perak pada PENCIPTA Oktober 2013. Satu pencapaian yang membanggakan bagi peserta yang terlibat. Sebuah projek yg digunakan untuk menguji ketahanan elemen piston mekanikal(wearness). Elemen piston disambungkan kpd motor  induksi 3 fasa membolehkan ia diputarkan utk menguji ketahanannya terhadap kehausan geseran (wear). Program PIC dibangunkan bg membolehkan pengguna memasukkan bilangan putaran yg dikehendaki (contohnya 18000 pusingan) menggunakan keypad. Bilangan pusingan akan dipaparkan pd LCD beserta halajunya dlm RPM (revolution per minute). Arahan dibaca oleh PIC mengarahkan driver motor dan bekalan supply ke motor dihidupkan menggunakan relay. Setiap pusingan motor dibaca oleh infrared sensor dan menghantar data ke PIC. Apabila bilangan putaran telah mencapai nilai yg dikehendaki oleh pengguna, PIC arahkan bekalan supply dan driver motor td dimatikan. 3 kali bunyi dr buzzer "beep" akan kedengaran membolehkan pengguna alert bahawa kitaran pusingan sudah tercapai.