CONSTRUCTION OF A GSM BASED HOME AUTOMATION USING AVR

CHAPTER ONE

1. INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT

With advancement of technology things are becoming simpler and easier for us. Automation is the use of control systems and information technologies to reduce the need for human work in the production of goods and services. In the scope of industrialization, automation is a step beyond mechanization. Whereas mechanization provided human operators with machinery to assist them with the muscular requirements of work, automation greatly decreases the need for human sensory and mental requirements as well. Automation plays an increasingly important role in the world economy and in daily experience. Automatic systems are being preferred over manual system. Through this project we have tried to show automatic control of a house as a result of which power is saved to some extent. GSM based home automation using AVR is an electronic device that allows a GSM cell phone to monitor and shut down electrical power supply at home where there are emergency or ugly situations such as fire outbreak, lightning strikes, switching surges, transients, neutral failure and other abnormal conditions or malfunctions that can destroy lives and properties.

GSM based home automation using AVR is a system that implements the emerging applications of the GSM technology which enable the users to carry out some task from anywhere in the world via a GSM network, and the system will automatically regulates power surge. The system is made up of a GSM amplifier unit, PIC12f629 microcontroller, power control and a power supply unit. These sub circuits are designed using passive and active electronic components like capacitors, resistors, diode, regulators, transistors, electromagnetic relay, microcontroller and battery.

1. BACKGROUND OF STUDY

The new age of technology has redefined communication. Most people nowadays have access to mobile phones and thus the world indeed has become a global village. At any given moment, any particular individual can be contacted with the mobile phone. But the application of mobile phone cannot just be restricted to sending SMS or starting conversations. New innovations and ideas can be generated from it that can further enhance its capability.

Technologies such as Infra-red, Bluetooth, etc which has developed in recent years goes to show the very fact that improvements are in fact possible and these improvements have eased our life and the way we live. Remote management of several home and office appliances is a subject of growing interest and in recent

years we have seen many systems providing such controls. An appliance of a certain location is eliminated with the use of our system. These days, apart from supporting voice calls a mobile phone can be used to send text messages as well as multimedia messages (that may contain pictures, graphics, animations, etc). Sending written text messages is very popular among mobile phone users. Instant messaging, as it is also known, allows quick transmission of short messages that allow an individual to share ideas, opinions and other relevant information. We have designed a control system which is based on the GSM technology that effectively allows control from a remote area to the desired location. The application of our suggested system is immense in the ever changing technological world. It allows a greater degree of freedom to an individual whether it is controlling the household appliances or office equipments. There is no need to be physically present in order to control.

1. PROBLEM STATEMENT

Technology has advanced so much in the last decade or two that it has made life more efficient and comfortable. The comfort of being able to take control of devices from one particular location has become imperative as it saves a lot of time and effort. Therefore there arises a need to do so in a systematic manner which we have tried to implement with our system. The system we

have proposed is an extended approach to automating a control system. With the advancement and breakthroughs in technology over the years, the lives of people have become more complicated and thus they have become busier than before. With the adoption of our system, we can gain control over certain things that required constant attention. The application of our system comes in handy when people who forget to do simple things such as turn ON or OFF devices at their home or in their office, they can now do so without their presence by making a call from their mobile phone. This development, I believe, will ultimately save a lot of time especially when people don’t have to come back for simple things such as to turn OFF switches at their home or at their office once they set out for their respective work.

1.4 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The objective of this project is to develop a device that can automatically regulate power surge in the home and allow its users to remotely control and monitor multiple home appliances using a cellular phone. This system is a powerful and flexible tool that will offer this service at any time, and from anywhere with the constraints of the technologies being applied. Possible target appliances include (but are not limited to) climate control system, security systems, lights; anything with an electrical interface.

The proposed approach for designing this system is to implement a microcontroller-based control module that receives its instructions and command from a cellular phone over the GSM network.

The project “GSM based home automation using AVR” as the title suggests is aimed to construct a control system that enables the complete control of the interface on which it is based.

General objectives of the project are defined as;

To co-ordinate appliances and other devices through phone call.

To effectively receive and transmit data via phone call

To eliminate the need of being physically present in any location for tasks involving the operation of appliances within a household/office.

Minimize power and time wastage

1. SCOPES AND PURPOSE OF SYSTEM SPECIFICATION

The system specification shows the description of the function and the performance of system and the user. The scope of our project “GSM based home automation using AVR” is immense.

The future implications of the project are very great considering the amount of time and resources it saves. The project we have undertaken can be used as a reference or as a base for realizing a scheme to be implemented in other

projects of greater level such as weather forecasting, temperature updates, device synchronization, etc. The project itself can be modified to achieve a complete Home Automation system which will then create a platform for the user to interface between himself and the household.

1.6  LIMITATIONS

Our project has certain limitations and a list of such is mentioned below:-

1. The receiver must reside in a location where a signal with sufficient strength can be received from a cellular phone network.

1. Only devices with electrical controlling input ports will be possible targets for control.

1. Operation of the controlling unit is only possible through a cell phone and SIM card with the capability of receiving phone calls.

The Control unit must be able to receive and decode phone calls