Final Presentation

Smart-Home Smart-Switch using Arduino

Students: Edan Shunem, Itzik Cohen

Supervisor: Mony Orbach

Semester: Winter, 2016

Date: 09/03/2016

Department of Electrical Engineering

Presentation Outline

• Motivation• Project Goal• Block Diagram: Hardware• Physical Diagram• Block Diagram: Communication• Problems Encountered• Software Server, GUI, App, Controllers, DB• Arduino Software UML• Controllers Flowchart• Tests• Live Demonstration

2

Motivation

• Home automation makes our lives easier, more

convenient and can allow lower energy

consumption.

– Turn on devices remotely (water boiler, heaters, etc.)

– Schedule devices to work in specific times (lights, AC,

coffee machine, radio, etc.)

– Monitor your energy consumption

3

Motivation

• But unfortunately, today, smart homes

technology is very expensive.

– Controlling devices and installation are expensive.

– Requires 3rd party installations.

– Often needs to be implemented in the house’s

infrastructure.

4

Project Goal

• Design a remotely controlled Multifunction

Outlet Power Strip.

• The power strip will be controlled with an

Arduino Processor using WIFI via a designated

server.

• The power strip will have local functionality and

automatic fail-safes.

5

Block Diagram: Hardware

6

ESP8266

WIFI

Arduino Nano

Controller

Heat Sensors

220V Relay

x3

220V Outlets

x3

x3 Hall effect

Sensors

Arduino Nano Processor

220V Source

5V DC Converter

ESP8266WIFI

Server

220V Outlet

220V Relay

Sensor SensorSensor

Digital

Analog

220V Outlet

220V Relay

220V Outlet

220V Relay

RTC

WIFI LED

TCP LED

3.3V DC Convert

er

Physical Diagram

GND

5V

PC

Mini USB

D11<->TX

D12<->RX

220V Source

5V DC Converter

3.3V DC Converter

GN

DG

ND

22

0V

5V

GN

D

3.3

V

Relay Module x3

Hall Sensors

x3RTC

Block Diagram: Communication

8

JAVA Application

UserVia PC or

Smartphone

mySqlDatabase

Arduino Controller

ESP8266 WIFI

Strip

Router

Server Socket Handler

Problems Encountered• Arduino Environment.

• Integration of ESP with Arduino Nano:

– ESP was a new component, required library implementation.

• Reliable Communication.

• Server platform:

– Attempts with Wampserver (PHP, Apachi, MySQL), problematic blackbox.

– Considered implementing server in C++ but was time consuming.

– Solution: Implemented a JAVA server.

Pros: Cross-Platform, dedicated libraries for socket handling, GUI(!), OOP, Interface

with SQL. Cons: required learning JAVA.

Problems Encountered

• Embedded programming limitations:

– Limited Arduino (Nano) memory, communication via UART, Small buffer.

• RTC:

– Arduino Nano has no inner timer, required for independent functionality.

– Handle clock skew.

– Identify communication loss.

– Solution: save last message time from server, compare to RTC time.

Block Diagram: SW Server

SERVER

GUIThread

Scheduler Thread

(Sensors)

Client ListenerMain Thread

Client Thread

Client Thread

Client Thread

Client Thread

Controller Controller Controller Controller

Client:JAVA App

Client:Android

App

Client:Arduino1

Client:Arduino2

Server GUI• Server GUI for communication

monitoring.

• Connect/Disconnect button,

choose port.

• Events logging

(retries, messages, exceptions).

Client Thread Controller• Wait for a message from the Arduino\Application and handle as a

controller.

• Parses messages:

<SRC>#<DEST>#<SW>#<OP>#<VAL>

• When changing status, Update the SQL.

• Database Handler: Wrapper for DB, handles communication with DB,

has SET/GET methods.

Client Thread ControllerPerform requested commands:

– Send Open\Close request from the Application to Arduino.

– Get Ack from Arduino and update the Database.

– Handle Timer Request from Application and Ack Timer from Arduino and

update the Database.

– Send Request for Temperature and Hall Effect values from Arduino and

update the Database upon response.

– In case of a high temperature send a stop command to Arduino.

MySQL Database• A free web database, always online, can be customized.

• Defines tables and fields, set default values.

• Handles communication between Server and Application.

• Has methods for updating fields on the Server.

JAVA Application• Scheduler updates Arduino status in real time.

• GUI for tables and fields.

• Open / Close Switches.

• Read switch status and sensors data.

• Enable/Disable timer for open/close.

• Set time to open and close.

• Optional: Create graphs, show statistics.

Arduino Controller FlowchartSetup

ServerOnline

?

Connect Timeout

MSG RCV

Yes

Yes

No

No Check Timeout

Close All

Handle MSG

No

Yes

High Temp?

No

Timer expired

?

No

Yes

Open/ Close

YesNo

Software UML: Arduino

Initialize System1. Start server using an opened port.

The Server will start a Socket on the selected port and wait for a new clients.

2. Power On the Arduino:

The Arduino will start a connection.

Connect to Wi-Fi.

Connect to the Server using Socket.

Repeat connections upon failure

When connected, Arduino sends name.

The server saves name and add to the List of Clients.

The Server sends timestamp to Arduino to setup the RTC Time.

Connection established, Arduino listens to incoming messages and performs commands.

After 90 seconds timeout (lost connection) Arduino switches to a self controller.

Initialize System3. Start Application:

The Application opens a socket on the selected port number.

Upon success, the Application registers as a client on the server.

The Application gets information, displays it to the user form the DB.

Send a command to the server and update the status information.

Tests

• Test manual turning on and off of switches.

• Test Scheduled turning on and off of switches.

• Test Failsafe in high Temperature or current according to sensors.

• Test local functionality when communication is down.

• Restart after power lost (server re-Init)

• Sync with RTC.

21

Live Demonstration

Questions?

23