PC based home automation and Energy Saving System using PIC18F4520
Parth Rathod
Department of Electrical engineering and Computer Science
Cleveland State University
p.rathod@vikes.csuohio.edu
Feb 09, 2018
1. Introduction
Home Automation is an approach to provide a network in the house which links computers and peripheral equipment like dish washers, washing machines, microwaves, sub systems like Heating, Ventilation, Air conditioning and other electrical appliances. The aim of the project is to control home appliances like lights, fans, AC, etc. through simple mouse click on the personal computer. Here microcontroller is interfaced to light and temperature sensors and separately the PC is interfaced with …show more content…
Because of higher performance of the PIC18F family of parts by providing more pin functions compared to PIC16F family without changing the hardware. Other hardware components used are 16x2 LCD, 100mA, alphanumeric display. RS232 Serial communication cable to communicate between PC and PIC18F4520. Additionally, the board features 10 bits, 8 channel ACD, and 12V 230V Single change over relay, and 5V, 750mA Power supply. 2 LED depicting temperature sensor and light sensor. Here relay driver is been used to overcome relays connection directly to the PIC microcontroller as in the case they might damage the PIC microcontroller. In other words connecting relays directly to microcontroller could damage it because maximum amount of current PIC microcontroller can source or sink is less than what relay needs at least to start its function. Relay 1 functions as per the rating of temperature sensor and Relay 3 functions as per the user input from PC to operate fan whereas Relay 2 functions as per the rating of Light sensor and Relay 4 functions as per the user input from PC to operate Light. Block diagram of the prototype is shown in Figure 1