WEEK 13: 25TH OCTOBER 2012

Title             : Testing and demonstrating all the components and                         circuits of the Smart Chicken Coop.

Objective    : To make sure all the component and circuit are                               function well as been plan according to the                                       flowchart.

Procedures : 1) The thermistor and humidity sensor operation                                  had been shown in Video 1.

                       2) The water level sensor operation had been                                      shown in Video 2.

Results:

Video 1: Testing the bulb and fan

1) For the bulb, when the temperature in the chicken coop was 30°C and below, the bulb will turned ‘on’ to produce heat in the chicken coop. The bulb will remain turned ‘on’ until the temperature inside the chicken coop was 30°C and above, then it will turn ‘off’. It will remain turned ‘off’ until the temperature was 30°C.

2) For the fan, when the humidity in the chicken coop was 59% and below, the fan was turned ‘off’. The fan will remain turned ‘off’ until the humidity was 60% and above, then it will turned ‘on’ to give an air circulation in the chicken coop because the humidity was high.

Video 2: Testing the water pump

3) The water pump was turned ‘on’ and remaining refill the water in the container inside the chicken coop when the water was getting empty. At this time, the water level sensor will detect the water in the container inside the chicken coop was in a low level. It will stop refilled the water from main supply water outside the chicken coop when the water level sensor detect the water was getting full. At this time the water pump was turned ‘off' automatically. 

Conclusion: Overall, this project was successfully function according to the flowchart. The current problem encountered was the bulb was blinking sometimes. This is because temperature is always changing and unexpected. It was blinking when there was an interchanging between 30°C and 31°C. The adapter that been used in this project are also not enough supply current because when the water pump was turned ‘on’ the bulb and LCD was blinking and unstable. This problem can be overcome in future by changing the adapter that has high current than the existing that been used in this project.

WEEK 12: 25TH OCTOBER 2012

Title              : Attach the circuit and component with hardware,                              burned the program into IC’s and test the water                              level sensor.

Objective     : To make sure the hardware is suitable with the                                function of the project.

Procedures : 1) The IR distance sensor circuit, humidity sensor                              circuit, thermistor circuit, water level sensor                                      circuit had been attach on the top space inside                                the chicken coop.

Figure 1: All the circuits had been attached on top space inside the chicken coop

Results     : 1) The components had been attached with the                                   hardware: 

Figure 2: The thermistor had been hanging on top inside the chicken coop

Figure 3: The bulb had been attached on top inside the chicken coop

Figure 4: The IR distance sensor had been attached on the right side inside the chicken coop by facing it downwards.

Figure 5: The fan had been attached on the right side outside the chicken coop

Figure 6: The water level sensor had been attached with the water container inside the chicken coop

Figure 7: The water pump had been attached on top of the water container inside the chicken coop

Figure 8: The humidity sensor had been attached on the left side inside the chicken coop

             2) The water level sensor had been tested. The results                       had been made in illustration below: 

Figure 9: Illustration of water level sensor

Conclusion: All the circuit and component had successfully                                attached with the hardware and suitable with its                                function and the program had been burned into the                        IC and ready to be tested.

WEEK 11: 17TH OCTOBER 2012

Title            : Designing the hardware of Smart Chicken Coop.

Objective   : To design a simple, practicable, and convenience                          hardware to the user.

Procedure  : 1) The hardware had been design using Google                                 SketchUp software. 

Figure 1: Front view

Figure 2: Side view

Figure 3: Back view

Figure 4: Top view

                  2) The material that been use to design the real                                    hardware are steel, screw, nuts, cardboard,                                      prospect and fence. 

Figure 5: Steel

Figure 7: Screw and nuts

Figure 8: Cardboard

Figure 9: Prospect

Figure 9: Fence

                 3) Those material had been screwed to make the                                Smart Chicken Coop hardware according to the                              design that been sketch.

Figure 10: The steel had been screwed to build the base frame

Figure 11: The cardboard had been attached to the base frame

Result: 

Figure 12: The hardware of Smart Chicken Coop           

                       

Conclusion : The hardware part can be imagine by sketching the                         hardware design using Google SketchUp. The full                           image can be imagine because it is a 3D software.

WEEK 10: 12TH OCTOBER 2012

Title           : Testing the LCD, bulb, and thermistor sensor                                 circuits.

Objective   : To make sure the circuits are function well.

Procedure : 1) The LCD circuit had been tested. When the                                    toggle switch (as shown in Figure 1) been ‘on’, the                          system will start operate by displaying ‘SMART                              CHICKEN COOP LOADING!!!’ (as shown in                                    Figure 2) followed by the surrounding                                              temperature, the percentage of humidity, and the                            condition of fan, bulb, and feeder motor (as shown                          in Figure 3) at the 20x4 LCD.

                                   Figure 1: Toggle switch

 Figure 2: The system will start operate by displaying ‘SMART CHICKEN COOP LOADING!!!’

Figure 3: The surrounding temperature, the percentage of humidity, and the condition of fan, bulb, and feeder motor

                2) Next thermistor sensor had been tested. When the                         surrounding area is in room temperature, the bulb will                     turned ‘on’.

              Figure 4: Thermistor sensor in room temperature

                                 Figure 5: The bulb turn ‘on’

                  3) The thermistor had been burn by using the lighter.

                   Figure 6: Thermistor sensor is above 30°C

                                Figure 7: The bulb turn ‘off’

Results: 

             

Conclusion: The LCD, bulb, and thermistor sensor circuits are                            function well.

WEEK 9: 5TH OCTOBER 2012

Title             : Write the programming by using Arduino Alpha                               software.

Objectives   : To write the program accordingly and similar with                            the function of the project.

Procedure   : 1) The Arduino Alpha software had been installed.

                            Figure 1: Arduino Alpha software

                    2) The new window to write the program had been                             displayed.

           Figure 2: The new window of Arduino Alpha software

Result         : The program for Smart Chicken Coop had been                             written according to the function.

               Figure 3: The program for Smart Chicken Coop

Conclusion: The program will be burn into Atmega 328 by using                        the IC burner.