Brian Petrowicz

Robotics I

Goal: This project is centered on the idea of Smart Homes. The plan is to augment ones surroundings with technology to make it “adapt” to the user. For example, if someone walks in a room, the lights may turn on, or music could start playing.

Overview:

Using a Cricket as a nametag, it will repeatedly send out a token. Each user will have a unique token that is associated with personal preferences. Throughout a room, house, etc. there will be “receiving stations.” These “receiving stations” will be wired to certain devices, such as a radio, computer, lights, that will be altered when a user is within a certain vicinity. Each receiving station will be a Cricket, possibly with some additional devices in order to achieve the required outcome. The preferences for each user will be stored in the “receiving stations.” The diagram below illustrates a possible scenario:

Cricket (Nametag)

The Cricket, will be sending out a token, the “receiving station” will check the token against possible values and will then carry out the appropriate consequence(s), i.e. turning on the light bulb.

Receiver Station

110 V

BUS

Implementation:

Relay

Cricket

(Receiver)

Gnd

Switch

+5V

Gnd

Rcv

Xmit

+5V

220 Ohms

PIC

Logo chip

Cricket

(Nametag)

If the token that is sent is supposed to turn on a light, then pin B6 becomes an output. Wiring pin B6 to a relay switch allows for enough voltage to power the light bulb. If pin B6 is set then the relay will be switched on and the light bulb will turn on.

Sub-Goals:

The sub-components of this project are the circuitry involved in wiring the light bulb, radio, etc to the Logo chip.

Pseudo-code:

Cricket (nametag): bsend $5

Repeat

Cricket (receiver): waituntil (newir?)

Check priority level

If newir = 5 [bsend 1]

…

repeat

Logo Chip: waituntil (newbus?)

If brcv = 1 [bset b6]

If brcv = 2…

…

repeat

Bill of Materials:

1. Light bulb / LED’s

2. Transistors

3. Transistor radio

Implications:

The main potential implication is the use of multiple nametags present in the same room simultaneously. If this was the case, the “receiving station” could be constantly changing its state, causing the light bulb to blink on and off. A possible solution could be to assign a priority to each nametag. This way, if one nametag is already in a room and has control of the settings, the next nametag that enters will first check to see if its priority is higher then the current one. If it is then the settings will be allowed o change; otherwise, they will remain the same.

Milestones:

1. Program and build circuit to drive light bulb (3/20)

2. Allow dimming of light bulb (3/23)

3. Apply to transistor radio (on/off) (3/26)

4. Apply to anything (motor, fan, etc.) (3/28)