tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50014108870570600152024-03-14T09:03:33.141-07:00PlantParent (Group 03-Section 102)Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-63559707087861886592015-05-28T21:56:00.000-07:002015-05-30T10:09:32.810-07:00Week 9 (In Lab) - Calculation FixesThis week in lab, the team tried to test <i>PlantParent's</i> setting of 50 mL output, but faced the problem of a seemingly non-functioning prototype whenever any double-digit numbers were put into the application. The pump would run for much longer than 7 seconds (the approximate time necessary to reach 50 mL) and be unresponsive to the termination command.<br />
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At first, Davina thought that the program may not have been able to handle double-digit numbers, so she spent some time researching the particular function Serial.parseInt() for Arduino. Serial.parseInt(), however, is capable of handling multi-digit numbers, so it was clear that the problem lay elsewhere. </div>
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Parm and Davina realized that there must be a simple calculation error when they tried entering 10 mL into the application and found that the program was responding correctly - the pump just remained on for longer than expected. At this point, the Arduino code was multiplying the integer it received from the controller by 637 milliseconds, since previous testing yielded a standard curve with equation<i> y = 0.126x + 0.512</i> for seconds per mL, which yields 637 milliseconds for 1 mL. Davina made the mistake of multiplying by 637 outright, rather than multiplying by 126 (the "slope") and <i>then</i> adding 512 to the resultant figure. This difference is highlighted below:<br />
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<img src="http://latex.codecogs.com/gif.latex?50\times&space;637=&space;31850" title="50\times 637= 31850" /><br />vs.<br /><a href="http://www.codecogs.com/eqnedit.php?latex=(50\times&space;126)+512&space;=&space;6812" target="_blank"><img src="http://latex.codecogs.com/gif.latex?(50\times&space;126)+512&space;=&space;6812" title="(50\times 126)+512 = 6812" /></a></blockquote>
The first calculation keeps the pump on for about 32 seconds; the second, for about 7.<br />
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On the mechanical side of things, the Arduino and relay were put into the cardboard box, which has been sprayed with chalkboard paint for waterproofing and a uniform black color. The configuration is shown in Figure 1 below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHASv1vBqSOqqnt5qjE67L5a5W3KJXWl2Bs9AzDajH4MYQ9xrF1W2xYXZM6uVYZ16hG5rjAozCOPmcuI_tONgw5xHwWh8nQn0LG-fT_B0NygXDrVLeIm3ye7CFkq8O_e_irHnRjYlCXwu/s1600/inside+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHASv1vBqSOqqnt5qjE67L5a5W3KJXWl2Bs9AzDajH4MYQ9xrF1W2xYXZM6uVYZ16hG5rjAozCOPmcuI_tONgw5xHwWh8nQn0LG-fT_B0NygXDrVLeIm3ye7CFkq8O_e_irHnRjYlCXwu/s320/inside+box.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Arduino and relay system inside electrical component box. All cords run out from the box through holes. </td></tr>
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Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-51537561019907974242015-05-27T18:32:00.001-07:002015-05-27T18:32:14.570-07:00Week 8 (Outside Lab) - Flow Rate Testing, Pt. II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At this meeting, the team continued to collect flow rate data and was able to create a standard curve for the end flow rate at one of the outputs. The team measured the time, in seconds, that was necessary for the output to reach volumes of 50 mL, 100 mL, 150 mL, 200 mL, and 250 mL, with three repeated trials for each. This data was put into Google Sheets and used to generate the standard curve shown in Figure 1. The curve is marked as "ideal" because the water level in the tank was kept relatively constant for all trials. The equation for the trendline is <i>y = 0.126x + 0.512</i>, with an R<sup>2</sup> value of 0.98.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGGV1ZjWlFZQgID2WfHKzvT_yKxprvljN9NHtDmX2iFpdZX4skbjgoByjj-B3mB5COUfQlCewtQeQI4M4erXeNJGfitbRztxow20TCwCfBqqIKlTROgUyW-D-wqhOT2BfeGnGKtuWA6od/s1600/flow+rate+chart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGGV1ZjWlFZQgID2WfHKzvT_yKxprvljN9NHtDmX2iFpdZX4skbjgoByjj-B3mB5COUfQlCewtQeQI4M4erXeNJGfitbRztxow20TCwCfBqqIKlTROgUyW-D-wqhOT2BfeGnGKtuWA6od/s400/flow+rate+chart.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Ideal standard curve for the time required to reach specified output volumes of water.</td></tr>
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Using the standard curve equation, it was calculated that it takes 0.637 seconds to output 1 mL, which translates to 637 milliseconds per mL. This is the number that will go into the Arduino code as the multiplier for how long the pump needs to stay on.Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-17519833437221083872015-05-22T20:11:00.000-07:002015-05-26T20:11:26.042-07:00Week 8 (Outside Lab) - Flow Rate TestingAt this meeting, the team started to collect empirical data on the end flow rate of the water as it is pumped. They set up the apparatus without the Arduino and breadboard and PC in between, to make it easier to turn the pump on and off (through plugging and unplugging it, rather than controlling it with the desktop application). One of the two output tubes was directed into a Pyrex glass measuring cup, which has metric measuring lines. When the team was ready, one member plugged in the pump as another member started a timer, and another kept an eye on the water level inside the cup - this third member called out for the timer to stop once the water reached the desired volume.<br />
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This process was repeated about ten times, at different volumes (the raw data is shown in Figure 1). In one of the later trials (Trial 9, below), the team realized that the flow rate actually changes depending on how much water is in the water container; when the water is low, the pump outputs a lower flow rate. This is something that will be tested further at the next meeting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jA-bh7hDhsOQjJnCgJcSFfwjtvBuMPzi17w38SQg98DJcv1xPZuRpC4Khjhz5mxb2XAkqbVe_zSu0DYzi9nz8hB2TvBhtGGNvIOPYcCtJRbKuh7skiYQpCBP3dS1qjOu2rQw1kcro3w9/s1600/flow+rate+data+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jA-bh7hDhsOQjJnCgJcSFfwjtvBuMPzi17w38SQg98DJcv1xPZuRpC4Khjhz5mxb2XAkqbVe_zSu0DYzi9nz8hB2TvBhtGGNvIOPYcCtJRbKuh7skiYQpCBP3dS1qjOu2rQw1kcro3w9/s640/flow+rate+data+1.jpeg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. First flow rate data collection</td></tr>
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<br />Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-2091626338255429362015-05-21T19:33:00.000-07:002015-05-26T19:54:42.077-07:00Week 8 (In Lab) - Pump Modifications In lab this week, Michelle and Le worked on modifying the pump, while Davina and Parm worked on further documentation of the project's progress, including updating the pages on this blog. The latter two also began to create the final presentation for the project.<br />
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Previously, the pump had exhibited unwanted behavior in that it continued to siphon water through the tubing while turned off. The team had conjectured that this was because stopping up one outlet and solely using the other had created a vacuum inside the pump: this meant that air pressure was sufficient to push the water through the whole pump apparatus. To remedy this, Michelle and Le tried several solutions:<br />
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<li>Insert tubing system into the previously stopped-up outlet, and keep a small tube in the other outlet for aeration purposes.</li>
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<li>The tube was too smooth for hot glue to adhere correctly, so it had to be connected with electrical tape instead. This was an extremely weak and unstable connection.</li>
<li>This solution was unsuccessful. Water was forced through both outlets rather than just through the one intended.</li>
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<li>Put a cap on the water container to seal it off from the air, reducing air pressure on the water around the pump.</li>
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<li>This was Parm's and Davina's idea, but a cap for the container was hard to come by - they were only able to find a large piece of cardboard in the lab.</li>
<li>This seemed like it wouldn't work, since several holes would have to be cut into the cardboard for the tubing and power cord, and this would let in the air anyway.</li>
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<li>Use the original design, except make sure the ends of the tubes remain above the level of the pump.</li>
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<li>This was the simplest solution and the one that ended up working. It turned out that the problem was more related to gravity than to the presence of a vacuum. A diagram of the problem and solution can be seen in Figure 1. </li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuBhdL2UJziHyYqR2GJbswGRykpYdEVirdZqYvLTifMY43M6H3oiZuZ0Alf3Fea-gQzcJNWXNSTtIBIN3c646bQb2c60oHSPpF22aA1f3ccHagVpQ2VpvgDhEIRDLPuIlM8r238MbmP2W/s1600/siphon+diagram.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuBhdL2UJziHyYqR2GJbswGRykpYdEVirdZqYvLTifMY43M6H3oiZuZ0Alf3Fea-gQzcJNWXNSTtIBIN3c646bQb2c60oHSPpF22aA1f3ccHagVpQ2VpvgDhEIRDLPuIlM8r238MbmP2W/s400/siphon+diagram.png" width="321" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Diagram showing how position of tubing affects movement of water when pump is off.</td></tr>
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Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-28723817068664796882015-05-20T17:32:00.000-07:002015-05-21T12:32:22.571-07:00Week 7 (Outside Lab) - Insulation & Electrical BoxThe team used this time to complete insulation of the relay with electrical tape, which is shown in Figure 1.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzqNj49y9jVXbOZrJBO6ZVZloPrjR2CuVog7-4a7s4aNPupl1nZC-crnrmagZ5ANeqBl2s25OArr-45tBPpkGpdqpACpkg2GedKgrdwJ1RWDYKmySHrdsEYcRKqVWAl8mn6u_T75k7Fuc/s1600/insulated+relay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzqNj49y9jVXbOZrJBO6ZVZloPrjR2CuVog7-4a7s4aNPupl1nZC-crnrmagZ5ANeqBl2s25OArr-45tBPpkGpdqpACpkg2GedKgrdwJ1RWDYKmySHrdsEYcRKqVWAl8mn6u_T75k7Fuc/s320/insulated+relay.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Relay completely insulated with electrical tape. </td></tr>
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The team also began construction of the box that will house all electrical components. This is basically a small cardboard box with three holes in it for cords that need to connect to external components. The box used, unmodified, is shown in Figure 2.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvm_81WwA5OnPlS0EDrVdytPjD3t5emNkHf64WjhC8B8mXFJGCw-NSWzz9MikJbdjpwyOmYQHXdRtLHhNhbFu0AhdhDS8NlMFCD-ijg1lH2AuLyc7Mediqj7-UbP7A4fjsUzHszsn_x_o/s1600/unmodified+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvm_81WwA5OnPlS0EDrVdytPjD3t5emNkHf64WjhC8B8mXFJGCw-NSWzz9MikJbdjpwyOmYQHXdRtLHhNhbFu0AhdhDS8NlMFCD-ijg1lH2AuLyc7Mediqj7-UbP7A4fjsUzHszsn_x_o/s320/unmodified+box.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2. Cardboard box to be used for electrical component housing.</td></tr>
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On Side 1 (shown in Figure 3), there is one hole for the power cord to plug into the wall outlet. On Side 2 (also in Figure 3), there are two holes: one for the USB cord from the Arduino to a computer, and one for the power cord running to the pump and water container. All holes have a slit running from the hole to the top of the cardboard, which allows insertion of the cords without threading everything through the holes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lM4gg5oFAqXprLQWGzay0NFgSK_z-llq9f989uEx7MK60IvKNcm6oi10Ngq26B72ILcEKCMPl7X-7PU2SRrCU_F4-ZYJsaIAeDqn_SQGcViVnIDFlQm2N1StHBodyxOXIZ_-7O3uBTdE/s1600/box+sides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lM4gg5oFAqXprLQWGzay0NFgSK_z-llq9f989uEx7MK60IvKNcm6oi10Ngq26B72ILcEKCMPl7X-7PU2SRrCU_F4-ZYJsaIAeDqn_SQGcViVnIDFlQm2N1StHBodyxOXIZ_-7O3uBTdE/s320/box+sides.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3. Sides 1 and 2 of box after holes and slits have been cut for power cords. </td></tr>
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<br />Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-78053680998968306102015-05-15T18:32:00.000-07:002015-05-27T18:54:59.042-07:00Week 7 (Outside Lab) - Fixing Software & ModificationsDuring this time, the team was able to figure out the likely source of the coding error, and also encountered an unexpected mechanical problem with the pump. The details of each operation are laid out below:<br />
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<li>To figure out what was going wrong, Davina hooked the Arduino back up to a simple LED circuit and used the LED as a visual indicator of code function. This works directly with the PlantParent control application because the application is functionally identical to an application that controls blink-time of an LED. Previously, some cursory tests with an LED had revealed that it behaved in accordance to the actual settings on the computer; this made no sense, because due to the electrical system's wiring error, the programming should have been set up to make the LED behave in reverse of the settings. </li>
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<li>The problem that Davina identified was that the <i>on, off,</i> and corresponding <i>delay</i> statements were mixed up and used the wrong integers sent from the computer application. This resulted in the on-times and off-times being switched. The error is highlighted in Figure 1 below. </li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Mixup of on ("LOW") and off ("HIGH") statements in Arduino code, and subsequent solution.</td></tr>
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<li>This was also probably the source of the inability to terminate the program - which is what had been happening. Since the termination command simply breaks the on-off loop, the program reverts back to the first setting of the output pin. While it was mixed up, the first setting was <i>on</i>, so clicking "Cancel" made the pump run indefinitely instead of turning it off. </li>
<li>There had also been a mix-up of the variable names in the Qt application, which Davina had fixed on Wednesday, but had previously been compensating for the error above. This was something like a triple-negative sort of logic that got reduced to a double-negative, and is now down to one negative as it should be. </li>
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<li>The team found that while at least partially immersed in water, the pump would continue to deliver water through the plastic tubing even when unplugged. This was very confusing at first, but eventually Michelle realized that in blocking one hole and using the other as the single output, the team had essentially created a vacuum inside the pump, which allowed the water to flow through without any mechanical impetus other than air pressure. </li>
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Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-65614110565813264612015-05-14T17:47:00.000-07:002015-05-19T18:00:17.034-07:00Week 7 (In Lab) - Soldering Relay System<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Relay with soldered wires. Black tubing: hot wire on pump side. Yellow tubing: 5V input from Arduino. Green tubing: ground on Arduino. Uninsulated connection: hot wire on plug side.</td></tr>
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In lab this week, the team was able to solder all wires directly to the relay, eliminating the need for alligator clips. This was advantageous to the project for two reasons: 1) soldering provides more secure connections all around (the team was having some trouble with electrical tape coming off and some connections coming undone), and 2) soldering decreases the overall system length by about two feet of cords, making it much easier to fit inside a single container. <div>
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Three of the connections were partially insulated with heat shrink tubing. Additional insulation with electrical tape (as well as complete insulation for the fourth connection) is needed. The lack of heat shrink tubing on the fourth connection was not intentional and should not be purposely replicated if this project were to be repeated. Figure 1 shows the relay with all soldered wires. </div>
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Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-3578005968059036142015-05-13T20:26:00.000-07:002015-05-21T08:39:00.525-07:00Week 6 (Outside Lab) - Testing PrototypeThe team used this time to run tests of the prototype, both to look at the project's robustness, and to get a better idea of how the pump's flow rate interacts with the plastic tubing delivery system. Previously, the tubing attached to the plastic tee was 4' on each side of the tee and 1' from the tee to the pump, but at this meeting the team decided to reduce each side to 2' for ease of transportation and demonstration.<br />
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The PlantParent prototype worked very well initially when set to be on for 4 seconds and off for 2 seconds. The pump was able to fill the tubing in a very short time, and once the tubing was full, the output of water with each cycle was fairly consistent, though this was not measured directly. Another success was the continued ability of the system to accurately respond to changes in the Qt application: when tested at different interval settings, the pump acted accordingly.<br />
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The video below shows the prototype working. (Note: the setting for "hours" between watering has been translated to <i>seconds </i>in the Arduino code, for demonstration and testing purposes. This is simply the difference of an easily-changed multiplication factor.)<br />
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It was the team's plan to measure how long the pump needed to fill a certain volume in order to determine the flow rate at the end of the tubes, but this was not possible due to a last-minute unidentified software error that disallowed proper control of the system. The nature of this software error is still unknown.Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-10501506934503901812015-05-08T20:23:00.000-07:002015-05-18T17:26:47.362-07:00Week 6 (Outside Lab) - Fluid Transfer Research Pt. 1After the success of the last meeting, the team began to move forward towards a more complete assembly of the PlantParent parts. The next problem to tackle is the layout and connections of the plastic tubing, which will be inserted into the pump's output hole at one end, and split into two outputs with a plastic tee at the other - this configuration can be seen in Figure 1.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlCRw1JZCjhXviBv9an0tmMNEe656bg7tvJ1bPXg-MQ5IwfK_ju8gzJcKeY2faafZ2nAGDt_muwkOIkanbaF3Siic36OiquoX58-OJrhty-zzefeNmdazgbbipWqruR4iBpIDJoHRXkM3/s1600/Plastic+Tee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlCRw1JZCjhXviBv9an0tmMNEe656bg7tvJ1bPXg-MQ5IwfK_ju8gzJcKeY2faafZ2nAGDt_muwkOIkanbaF3Siic36OiquoX58-OJrhty-zzefeNmdazgbbipWqruR4iBpIDJoHRXkM3/s320/Plastic+Tee.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Plastic tee with tubing inserted</td></tr>
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The biggest complication arising from this part of the project is the reality of changing flow rate: the pump supplies an initial flow rate of 180 mL/s (approximately 6 ms/mL), but after traveling a certain distance through the tubing - plus splitting into two paths - the flow rate at the plant end is definitely going to be smaller than it is initially. The team began to do some research to see if we can accurately calculate what this final flow rate will be, so that it can be applied to the time-to-amount calculations in the Arduino code.Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-83569268237697252132015-05-07T19:06:00.000-07:002015-05-18T17:23:12.067-07:00Week 6 (In Lab) - First TestAs usual, this week's lab yielded major progress. The team worked on finishing the wiring of the relay system, in the following steps:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Parm and Le stripped the neutral wire on the plug-side of the cord, then soldered the two neutral wires (from the plug-side and pump-side) together. This connection was insulated with electrical tape.</li>
<li>The hot wires on the plug-side and pump-side of the power cord were connected via alligator clips to the <b>common</b> pin and <b>normally open</b> pin on the relay, respectively. These connections were well-insulated with electrical tape as well, to remove the possibility of a short-circuit occurring.</li>
<li>Two jumper wires were connected to the two <b>coil</b> pins on the relay (again via alligator clips, with all connections insulted by electrical tape), then inserted into the breadboard, where other jumper wires completed the connections from the relay to the ground and power output on the Arduino. These jumper wires can be seen connected to the alligator clips in Figure 1, and Figure 2 outlines all connections to the relay.</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpo_Xj87O9t3qXF4N2lfPpLj1HqTzRgxVkVfd7-fz808tCi1ZxBcj_-yhftEKgMZVbMJ14eoCfhfYIVKaXWtGlIsSK5ETklI1JycA-jqHRJLNvGxl6M_mFhENVDQrte1Pu3mShBCdZY-G-/s1600/Jumper+Wires.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpo_Xj87O9t3qXF4N2lfPpLj1HqTzRgxVkVfd7-fz808tCi1ZxBcj_-yhftEKgMZVbMJ14eoCfhfYIVKaXWtGlIsSK5ETklI1JycA-jqHRJLNvGxl6M_mFhENVDQrte1Pu3mShBCdZY-G-/s320/Jumper+Wires.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Jumper wires in alligator clips. The other ends of the alligator clips are connected to the coil pins on the relay.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCZv0rlLBeG__iMYykTvAJYkiPPlvRq98rLOltXmxViaiNgIdr7maWxazHiRv-bhHC82FSt_MiWKL4NsVedSRd_4KoXKwJq8dNN57aa0vVj8ukh93jEsaLopn4YT3ija3x6z8IRKNO57N/s1600/Relay+Schematic+(final).PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCZv0rlLBeG__iMYykTvAJYkiPPlvRq98rLOltXmxViaiNgIdr7maWxazHiRv-bhHC82FSt_MiWKL4NsVedSRd_4KoXKwJq8dNN57aa0vVj8ukh93jEsaLopn4YT3ija3x6z8IRKNO57N/s400/Relay+Schematic+(final).PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2. Schematic of relay circuit.</td></tr>
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<ol>
<li>Davina wrote a simple testing code for the Arduino, which turned the power output pin on and off every two seconds. This corresponded to the relay switching on and off every two seconds. </li>
<li>Michelle filled the water container halfway with water and firmly inserted a small piece of plastic tubing into the output hole on the pump, readying it for testing. </li>
<li>The whole apparatus was brought down to the electrical materials department for a last expert check of the wiring before it was plugged in and tested. The apparatus (without water) can be seen in Figure 3. </li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZHzTGEiB83CZ12QJK-FsLLpB8w6IyC9SqS_6zk3QL4zuY78cfnjHzseN2JLcqwFqsQOSJEmTDlraUg7S7A8Q1rZfjHjGGP4pLbAoSlLGJZaxVNrm6qYvTDYgYGLFIqTWvrEDICUEnO2n/s1600/Whole+apparatus+(labeled).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZHzTGEiB83CZ12QJK-FsLLpB8w6IyC9SqS_6zk3QL4zuY78cfnjHzseN2JLcqwFqsQOSJEmTDlraUg7S7A8Q1rZfjHjGGP4pLbAoSlLGJZaxVNrm6qYvTDYgYGLFIqTWvrEDICUEnO2n/s400/Whole+apparatus+(labeled).jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3. First working prototype of PlantParent, with all components connected successfully.</td></tr>
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<div>
The results of the testing were extremely promising. When everything was connected, and the apparatus was plugged in, the pump turned on and off every two seconds, as expected. </div>
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There appears to be a minor error in the wiring, so that the circuit is normally closed rather than normally open when plugged in. This just means that the pump is on by default, and the activation of the relay turns it off, rather than the other way around. The team could either change the wiring, or, since it is exactly backwards in function, they could simply reverse the programming logic instead, which is the plan going forward from here.<br />
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Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-48478489152454900882015-05-06T11:01:00.001-07:002015-05-06T11:01:05.658-07:00Week 5 (Outside Lab) - GUI and ApplicationThis meeting yielded a lot of progress on the software side of things. For the blinking LED control application, the team was able to figure out how to create a termination button in the GUI, and also implemented an 'Apply' button to allow the input values to be freely adjusted before they're sent to the Arduino. The slider was also changed to a spin box, to make it easier for the user to set the desired value. Once this worked, the next step was to create the ability for the on-time and off-time of the LED separately, which more closely mirrors the function of the PlantParent controller. This was achieved by adding an extra loop in the Arduino code and another spin box to the Qt interface.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiye58iQO-OfAk0uhpDQaCre89hKnTOk-Qpql0kYxAX6g9vbO9Q3pqLpJ07zcwGM_RNOG1iUH2OgIKbUBMd0lSIHMrY2uitMM0pYuoc4SQhcrYH8Sa-6k66Uw-JuVOhkFmYOHqscM7G6U5s/s1600/gui+blink+controller.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiye58iQO-OfAk0uhpDQaCre89hKnTOk-Qpql0kYxAX6g9vbO9Q3pqLpJ07zcwGM_RNOG1iUH2OgIKbUBMd0lSIHMrY2uitMM0pYuoc4SQhcrYH8Sa-6k66Uw-JuVOhkFmYOHqscM7G6U5s/s1600/gui+blink+controller.PNG" height="170" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Blinking LED controller GUI (functional).</td></tr>
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The final look of the blinking LED controller is seen in Figure 1. This program was fully functional, which was extremely encouraging and exciting for the team.<br />
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After this, Davina duplicated the Qt code and created the appearance of the PlantParent controller using Style Sheets (based on CSS) in Qt Designer. This is seen in Figure 2, and is still nonfunctional at this point.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqXjvCa8XhmOqUuecBQII-CqhmnZueElmHzjs1n6DCPrQGFF-qbftpI777MWbP3xUJU5vbCSnS9HeuT88PmHdJ6sl8pfbxJaSVCejD4_ZiTNST3IBkcYaZBGL9DbDr5IF_seXkhl8f5KJ/s1600/plantparent+gui+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqXjvCa8XhmOqUuecBQII-CqhmnZueElmHzjs1n6DCPrQGFF-qbftpI777MWbP3xUJU5vbCSnS9HeuT88PmHdJ6sl8pfbxJaSVCejD4_ZiTNST3IBkcYaZBGL9DbDr5IF_seXkhl8f5KJ/s1600/plantparent+gui+2.PNG" height="335" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2. PlantParent controller GUI (nonfunctional). <br />Not shown: 'Apply' and 'Cancel' buttons change appearance when hovered over or pressed. </td></tr>
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<br />Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-30906116541942059702015-05-01T18:49:00.000-07:002015-05-03T18:49:33.003-07:00Week 5 (Outside Lab) - Wiring Relay, Pt. 2<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqPwBvclF1Hm8m2X-wePcS4vfTcYfuLaY6xGogJ82riJ4ub_ndwaT7vlYegX_4USVrVRotFbx7IJYpS_OFG_Oh_eHN7PrLCIR3FgwMArRIUClYg7fSSZ2_Hr9aKFL40dyrg8Op8v_JpEk/s1600/20150430_154604.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqPwBvclF1Hm8m2X-wePcS4vfTcYfuLaY6xGogJ82riJ4ub_ndwaT7vlYegX_4USVrVRotFbx7IJYpS_OFG_Oh_eHN7PrLCIR3FgwMArRIUClYg7fSSZ2_Hr9aKFL40dyrg8Op8v_JpEk/s1600/20150430_154604.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Physical structure of the pump-related components of the relay system.</td></tr>
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At this meeting, the pump-related parts of the relay structure were connected using the alligator cables and electrical tape, as shown in Figure 1. This is not the complete relay structure, which will involve the breadboard and Arduino in order to implement the control system.<br />
Davina also experimented with creating a new GUI in Qt to integrate with the blinking LED Arduino serial sketch. She was able to make a GUI very similar to the last, in which a slider supposedly allowed the user to adjust the interval between blinks, but because of the loop structure of the code, only the first integer registered (being 1) went through, so the LED could only blink at intervals of one second. There are still complications on creating a termination button in the GUI, but they should be figured out pretty quickly. Figure 2 shows a snippet of code and some errors in building the application.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEva86a-Ha8Q3b2NJeZnTU1fT4VQExUWrC7oOnX7cp42qIpLUqy6VlbL49IjcgKs_1Mtgii8iuEV3SF3CGfWxV8H3TRh-13dyPZf9r7ngd_f3L9oVJu1sEu-WFg5c1OERxGV5tGaDiGsg/s1600/gui+failure+lol.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEva86a-Ha8Q3b2NJeZnTU1fT4VQExUWrC7oOnX7cp42qIpLUqy6VlbL49IjcgKs_1Mtgii8iuEV3SF3CGfWxV8H3TRh-13dyPZf9r7ngd_f3L9oVJu1sEu-WFg5c1OERxGV5tGaDiGsg/s1600/gui+failure+lol.PNG" height="195" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2. Application output issues with the custom Qt application.</td></tr>
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<br />Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-29751994431520346272015-04-30T18:10:00.000-07:002015-05-03T18:21:36.473-07:00Week 5 (In Lab) - Wiring Relay<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Today, we had another very insightful lab. The team first visited the electrical materials department for advice and supplies concerning the setup of the relay structure. After getting some information from the department on current, circuits, breadboards, and the relay itself, the team split up to focus on certain tasks, which are described below.</div>
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<li>Davina continued to familiarize herself with the software to be used for the control application. She was able to create a sketch for the Arduino that would blink an LED endlessly at intervals defined by a serial command, and also allowed a termination command to come through the serial port.</li>
<li>Michelle altered the pump to secure any leakage by re-glueing and taping down the open area. The hot glue from last week's modification had begun to peel away because it doesn't bind well to plastic, so the addition of tape is a hopefully permanent solution. </li>
<li>Le and Parmpuneet got started on the relay while consulting both Dr. Boettcher and the electrical materials department, understanding the importance of precision when working with AC power. After some time, the final relay was designed, as can be seen in Figure 1.</li>
<ul>
<li>With the plug cut off the pump, the power cable's "hot" and "neutral" wires were separated and stripped. Using alligator cables, the hot of the power cable will be attached to the normally open pin on the relay - this will be wrapped in electrical tape to prevent shorts, as will all further steps. </li>
<li>Meanwhile, the hot and neutral wires of the severed plug will also be split and stripped. The hot of this section will be attached to the "com" pin of the relay using alligator clips. </li>
<li>The two neutrals will be twisted together. </li>
<li>The +5V of the Arduino will attach to the coil opposite the normally open pin, an the ground will connect to the coil opposite the normally closed pin. </li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGQq8SAZcsI4wcTGGJ5vjTJtaMb_QbOsagVumxefFSlZ3TpNgDOdYnXaDz1Fi0UAXTVtlo52Z1CYsIrsdGQ_aUYLgFZgACRbmO_EEOcYb_KmOu5Uj250rHXryM7AoA4nKWAf2iq25huBo/s1600/relay+diagram.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGQq8SAZcsI4wcTGGJ5vjTJtaMb_QbOsagVumxefFSlZ3TpNgDOdYnXaDz1Fi0UAXTVtlo52Z1CYsIrsdGQ_aUYLgFZgACRbmO_EEOcYb_KmOu5Uj250rHXryM7AoA4nKWAf2iq25huBo/s1600/relay+diagram.PNG" height="185" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. A diagram of the entire relay structure, including the pump on the top right, part of the power cable on the bottom right, the relay in the center, and the power-supplying plug on the bottom left.</td></tr>
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Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-42030224294043218152015-04-28T19:26:00.001-07:002015-04-29T11:32:08.135-07:00Week 4 (Outside Lab) - Software Experimentation<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9qqAlBY79G6nGhd-qGlszn-GQ-g9upbHJT0V25ZZ-yHD9xvkLT2A3k7rQvS162ceeKPfkkYbd4lhsB1N9wrvI5S2YNG45KXU3SxAX9PAvwoxpRqNmB8eXDdw0FXKt5SM1G48VIuXHR5A/s1600/Screenshot_2015-04-28-22-02-57.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9qqAlBY79G6nGhd-qGlszn-GQ-g9upbHJT0V25ZZ-yHD9xvkLT2A3k7rQvS162ceeKPfkkYbd4lhsB1N9wrvI5S2YNG45KXU3SxAX9PAvwoxpRqNmB8eXDdw0FXKt5SM1G48VIuXHR5A/s1600/Screenshot_2015-04-28-22-02-57.png" height="236" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. The brightness of an LED at different values set by a computer GUI.</td></tr>
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At this meeting, the experimental graphical user interface (GUI ) and application were finished, and a small dialog box with a slider on the computer was able to control the brightness of a red LED. Figure 1 shows the relative brightness of the LED when the slider is set to values of 0, 26, and 195 (the minimum and maximum values were 0 and 255, respectively).<br />
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<div>
The code used for this experimental app can now be used as a basis for the actual PlantParent user control app, since it already connects the Arduino with the computer via Qt application. The next step is to create a computer app that can control the wait-time between blinks of an LED, including a termination command, which more directly corresponds to the structure of the code necessary for control of the PlantParent. </div>
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Davina was able to write up an initial version of the Arduino code for this second step, which allowed us to control the blinking of the LED (using the Arduino serial monitor, not Qt yet), but only in a very limited way: either it would only blink on and off once after receiving a command - or, after putting the "blink" part of the code in a loop, it would blink endlessly with no way to break the loop with a serial command. Further research will hopefully mitigate this problem. </div>
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Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-10587712299149327122015-04-24T16:07:00.000-07:002015-04-25T16:45:00.084-07:00Week 4 (Outside Lab) - Pump Modifications<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3uiNQyCgMC85L2BWNddmrdMqzmBZtj_WBFIhFhobtoMrbY80yDncHk2d78KZRh-GVYo2Ob7J0dYszDX7zC03C2QJZ3Iz4APCTBWZSGedohelyuTvlh6E7hBS7d_VYDw3sDSx9GUszfba/s1600/20150424_123908.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3uiNQyCgMC85L2BWNddmrdMqzmBZtj_WBFIhFhobtoMrbY80yDncHk2d78KZRh-GVYo2Ob7J0dYszDX7zC03C2QJZ3Iz4APCTBWZSGedohelyuTvlh6E7hBS7d_VYDw3sDSx9GUszfba/s1600/20150424_123908.jpeg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Modified aquarium pump with plug to redirect water flow.</td></tr>
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The team used this time to begin modifying the aquarium pump and better understand the relay system before wiring up the whole electrical system. The pump's original purpose is to create an artificial current by sucking up water through the bottom and pumping it back out through a tube with an output hole and a valve for oxygenating the water. The valve fits our purchased plastic tubing, which will be used to carry water to the plants, so it was necessary to block up the original output hole in order to redirect the water flow through the valve instead. This was accomplished with hot glue, as shown in Figure 1.<br />
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In addition, a reference diagram of the relay was created for the purpose of identifying its pins. This can be seen in Figure 2.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlB2SRRUzKgEESo2Q8x-rDepfkIa9odIOxE0W9J-eEvVaUTgGTiemv2eV-cNoHAZ7JXSzPAxsS2CdPA3ixYHuijxDD1hfrohMSzTppUddl_KkYhTFw5Wn6smG9eNlsFfKA3CblnBpVBwv/s1600/20150424_123812.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlB2SRRUzKgEESo2Q8x-rDepfkIa9odIOxE0W9J-eEvVaUTgGTiemv2eV-cNoHAZ7JXSzPAxsS2CdPA3ixYHuijxDD1hfrohMSzTppUddl_KkYhTFw5Wn6smG9eNlsFfKA3CblnBpVBwv/s1600/20150424_123812.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2. Reference diagram of relay's pins. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-31976412318027447532015-04-23T16:28:00.000-07:002015-04-25T16:30:31.599-07:00Week 4 (In Lab) - Major Progress!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxE5-6qr-4dIQe5L4nJuSl2APntNrtVAlJCQwBUPKwRC9XkfYGQUsFZ8Y5SlGjXs_-25rcZ_UDKXUCyaCtQfX2x2cPRqdJ82gbu0riifXnuWP8FUEC_9SNaDhvfoaAjtXKnlT392v4dwaE/s1600/20150424_124647.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxE5-6qr-4dIQe5L4nJuSl2APntNrtVAlJCQwBUPKwRC9XkfYGQUsFZ8Y5SlGjXs_-25rcZ_UDKXUCyaCtQfX2x2cPRqdJ82gbu0riifXnuWP8FUEC_9SNaDhvfoaAjtXKnlT392v4dwaE/s1600/20150424_124647.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. A schematic showing how the relay-Arduino-pump circuit will work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This week's lab yielded a lot of progress for the team on all fronts, as listed below:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Dr. Boettcher pointed out that the solution to our electrical problem (the conflicting 5V DC and 120V AC output/input for the Arduino and aquarium pump) could be greatly simplified by <b>using the relay</b> that was included in the purchased breadboard starter kit, as laid out in the schematic in Figure 1. The team had previously not realized that the relay could be used for this switch, and this new solution eliminates the need for a separate power source or a custom AC outlet, plus all the complicated wiring involved with that process. </li>
<ul>
<li>During this lab and under Dr. Boettcher's guidance, Parm and Le were able to cut the aquarium pump's power cord and strip one of the wires in preparation for soldering. The stripped wire and power cord can be seen in Figure 2. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSpHsYaQrzjp2NUWzqo-_nKVptTr0r1VwQb4CzACb0pV_osPfSAJPl_TkQ_FcFCuNnuB3FD9bvkTLEzfeZCTWK9vXUfyAvg0OHWGbxwE1rcY3cpkUaaImWDmAwUVUAPz7DbLJ13pAnd7Y/s1600/20150424_124102.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSpHsYaQrzjp2NUWzqo-_nKVptTr0r1VwQb4CzACb0pV_osPfSAJPl_TkQ_FcFCuNnuB3FD9bvkTLEzfeZCTWK9vXUfyAvg0OHWGbxwE1rcY3cpkUaaImWDmAwUVUAPz7DbLJ13pAnd7Y/s1600/20150424_124102.jpeg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2. Severed power cord for the aquarium pump, with one wire stripped. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>Michelle tested the aquarium pump and determined the level to which it needs to be submerged in order to work. The team also acquired two gallon-size clear plastic containers from the lab's resources that can be used to prototype and eventually build the actual PlantParent's water reservoir. These containers are fairly shallow relative to the pump and will require the team to make several new modifications, such as cutting off the bottom of the pump in order to let it sit lower in the container. </li>
<li>Davina continued to work on the Arduino and GUI coding and was able to make a sketch that controlled the brightness of an LED through serial commands sent to an analog pin. This is not yet integrated with the GUI, though the GUI can now search the computer's serial ports and find the Arduino. Once the two are fully connected and it is verified that the whole system works, the team will be able to modify the code slightly so that it controls the timing of the pump rather than LED brightness. </li>
</ul>
Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-19359356741860806052015-04-22T18:54:00.000-07:002015-04-25T09:13:43.821-07:00Week 3 (Outside Lab) - Experimentation & Further StudyDuring this meeting, the team members continued to familiarize themselves with the purchased materials, including the AC receptacle and electrical box. Parm and Le attempted to figure out how to create a custom AC outlet that is controlled by the Arduino, but generally found Internet resources confusing on the topic. The team is at present unsure of whether the custom outlet would have to connect directly to a wall outlet, and whether the Arduino can be powered by the same power supply or if it needs a wall wart of its own. This raised questions of whether the necessity for so many cords and wires would compromise our goal of a simple, clean aesthetic design.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, Michelle figured out what modifications the aquarium pump required for the project's purposes, and Davina began to learn about controlling the Arduino through serial ports (USB) and coding a very basic GUI in Qt. A screenshot of the in-progress code and GUI—which controls the brightness of an LED—can be seen in Figure 1.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6i9t2sbqXrsc6r7T095hzEnFNqtZ7RnQvwX6CumUoRu2lPxwFDYrqXYbOclk6YrD4YPBohJAEvEE7enxSd7Ep6AlkhdqS2qL3QA9uJ0m5dGRQ3My-kovBxEIzSN9ZsB8lKJkiiTVOySFq/s1600/first+gui.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6i9t2sbqXrsc6r7T095hzEnFNqtZ7RnQvwX6CumUoRu2lPxwFDYrqXYbOclk6YrD4YPBohJAEvEE7enxSd7Ep6AlkhdqS2qL3QA9uJ0m5dGRQ3My-kovBxEIzSN9ZsB8lKJkiiTVOySFq/s1600/first+gui.PNG" height="268" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. In-progress Qt code and GUI.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-46005215334843565482015-04-16T18:31:00.000-07:002015-04-19T18:32:42.876-07:00Week 3 (In Lab) - Circuitry Lessons<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRlnOSeHNxCKCcAt_VEQ4kgR7Z8p0QFIlZliNQYlJa_lg-ooBComOsJga-W-csFR7A4kSHGBUkmlrEV1VQbjUbnB1Cps0y4QYvfiYoa2Wj-i8auB1onQpPahvZtbZ4f7peZc70ZscUMrn/s1600/20150416_151610.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRlnOSeHNxCKCcAt_VEQ4kgR7Z8p0QFIlZliNQYlJa_lg-ooBComOsJga-W-csFR7A4kSHGBUkmlrEV1VQbjUbnB1Cps0y4QYvfiYoa2Wj-i8auB1onQpPahvZtbZ4f7peZc70ZscUMrn/s1600/20150416_151610.jpeg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. A blinking LED circuit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The team members spent this lab familiarizing themselves with the purchased materials, primarily the breadboard starter kit. The kit includes a small breadboard, wires, various resistors, an instructive booklet, a disc with pre-written code, and other useful implements such as transistors and relays.<br />
While Michelle experimented with the aquarium pump and other mechanical parts, Parm and Le followed some lessons from the instructive booklet, which (in order attempted) were:<br />
<ol>
<li>A very simple circuit that lights up an LED when a button is pressed. </li>
<li>An expansion of the LED circuit, with 6 LEDs that fade on and off from right to left, as pictured in Figure 1. </li>
<li>A circuit involving the relay, which was much more complicated and only half-successful in implementation, as the lab's time was coming to an end.</li>
</ol>
<div>
The breadboard was powered by our Arduino Uno, which was connected to a computer and running the pre-written code from the disc. Davina took this time to read through that code and learn how the Arduino syntax relates to physical results. </div>
Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-62691108502221309402015-04-15T19:06:00.003-07:002015-04-15T19:07:36.758-07:00Week 3 (Outside Lab) - Purchasing Materials<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIfgM413dlOwZkxPC_Eo73gH6PN6stnc-ybTIYL_-qwpS8cfuSVM7pCaWaT-SXmHwzxmmSdgvcgug0G4bXv4HGPdQPfUMx4FHvQvHWQ0N4yDLOdIj4Gh1lpIKJoxDuJK225M9ZPOLtNSm/s1600/20150415_211030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIfgM413dlOwZkxPC_Eo73gH6PN6stnc-ybTIYL_-qwpS8cfuSVM7pCaWaT-SXmHwzxmmSdgvcgug0G4bXv4HGPdQPfUMx4FHvQvHWQ0N4yDLOdIj4Gh1lpIKJoxDuJK225M9ZPOLtNSm/s1600/20150415_211030.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Gathered project materials after shopping.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The team took a trip to Wal-Mart and Home Depot to buy the materials listed from yesterday, and was able to acquire most of what was needed. The purchased items are described below:<br />
<ul>
<li>AquaTech Power Head submersible aquarium pump, 170 gph, $21.52. This pump has a suction cup that allows it to stick to the side of a container, which could potentially be very convenient for the water reservoir. It has a few more features than strictly necessary for this project, but was the only pump with both an input and an output.</li>
<li>Grounded electric receptacle (AC outlet), $1.57. </li>
<li>PVC electric box for wiring the outlet, $1.47.</li>
<li>20' vinyl tubing, 1/4" outer diameter, $3.11.</li>
<li>3/8" inner diameter barbed nylon tee (for splitting water flow from one input to two outputs), $2.41.</li>
</ul>
<div>
A starter breadboard kit also arrived in the mail, so the team is in a good position to get a lot of work done in lab tomorrow. Still needed are a wall wart for supplying power in the long term (the Arduino should work using a USB connection for now), and a water reservoir. </div>
Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-50257849213818471432015-04-14T16:24:00.003-07:002015-04-15T19:12:26.332-07:00Week 2 (Outside Lab) - Purchase PlanningThis group meeting was spent planning for a shopping trip tomorrow, since attempting to buy materials online has proven rather too confusing. The team wrote down a more concrete list of required materials (this has changed slightly since the first submission of the design proposal), and also made the decision to use an old gallon-size plastic jar as the prototype water-reservoir.<br />
The shopping list for tomorrow is found below.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>110-120V AC aquarium pump, submersible</li>
<li>20-25 feet of plastic tubing</li>
<li>household AC outlet, box, & cover</li>
<li>relay (for using the 5V DC output to power the custom 110V AC outlet; we plan to ask employees for recommendations)</li>
<li>battery adapter for powering the Arduino (most likely a 9V-to-barrel-plug mechanism)</li>
</ul>
<br />
The team is also looking into several different possibilities for creating the custom 110V outlet, one of which appears to involve powering the outlet directly through a wall wart, while still allowing the Arduino to operate as a control system.<br />
<br />
A breadboard starter kit has been ordered and will arrive on Friday. In the meantime, Parm and Davina are currently learning how basic circuits work using breadboard simulators on the Internet. These simulators also provide the capability of programming a virtual Arduino with the virtual breadboard, which promises to prove very helpful.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgKHKLdhkc3OjZn03t6P6Y84mz01KWGFhCWYSfO_yFYpiyuFINJMMp41UlDc8RSlR7nmVOJ214qf10JYZi9Swhx2w2MBXuRgLoKCV8E1fmtr7qGPBlwuq1iWR6xiteoRk1y2UZBxyx5c_/s1600/simple+circuit.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgKHKLdhkc3OjZn03t6P6Y84mz01KWGFhCWYSfO_yFYpiyuFINJMMp41UlDc8RSlR7nmVOJ214qf10JYZi9Swhx2w2MBXuRgLoKCV8E1fmtr7qGPBlwuq1iWR6xiteoRk1y2UZBxyx5c_/s1600/simple+circuit.PNG" height="251" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. A simple circuit on a virtual breadboard.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVfCLnSF2YR6G3bhFZs4X_q98TlNmaxdRWF80JYNGzQPq7xd8wOYdT6rtCrJNWFGXeG26a6SuR5cYYEQQ4zTtEHOHKVh74XHb9kCZzTkoA5UYDJG6PCmnllPo4BY53-xjoN8Rwrz9lcOM/s1600/virtual+arduino.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVfCLnSF2YR6G3bhFZs4X_q98TlNmaxdRWF80JYNGzQPq7xd8wOYdT6rtCrJNWFGXeG26a6SuR5cYYEQQ4zTtEHOHKVh74XHb9kCZzTkoA5UYDJG6PCmnllPo4BY53-xjoN8Rwrz9lcOM/s1600/virtual+arduino.PNG" height="283" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2. A virtual Arduino running through a simulation of code.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
<br /><br />Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-72070423931501594692015-04-10T16:59:00.000-07:002015-04-10T16:59:01.499-07:00Week 2 (Outside Lab) - Refining Design Concept (pt. 2)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM48M2tX9v4YzjuuCSnYeIXEZQRvovr_pQ3W1Xql_vuw1DwW15uAizRJWWPKwODQN06GynURuoVVmiqjdGBDIrZPKtrxB-CVNAr8aUdflgAuZnKm_5MNpFkAsWx6kBq-JDz4yDmdk0UPAg/s1600/research+doc.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM48M2tX9v4YzjuuCSnYeIXEZQRvovr_pQ3W1Xql_vuw1DwW15uAizRJWWPKwODQN06GynURuoVVmiqjdGBDIrZPKtrxB-CVNAr8aUdflgAuZnKm_5MNpFkAsWx6kBq-JDz4yDmdk0UPAg/s1600/research+doc.PNG" height="222" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Snippet of collaborative research organization.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Two important changes to the project were made in this meeting after more research as a group. They are listed as follows:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><b>The goal is no longer to have a cross-platform control application that connects wirelessly to the PlantParent.</b> This turned out to require another expensive piece of hardware and an incredibly steep learning curve in several areas that is beyond the 10-week scope of this project. Instead, the final prototype of PlantParent will be controlled with a computer-only GUI (still created with Qt), which will remain connected directly to the Arduino.</li>
<li><b>Rather than switching from 5V to 12V, the intended design is now to relay 5V DC to 120V AC.</b> This change was made because most water pumps with the power and mechanical adaptability that we need require 110-120V AC to work (those powered by 12V DC tend to be very small and struggle to pump water twenty inches through one output, much less supply three separate outputs at distances up to three feet). </li>
</ol>
<br />
The team hopes to make a trip out to purchase these parts of the hardware very soon, so that we can really get started on prototyping.Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-56259838790635270282015-04-09T16:55:00.000-07:002015-04-10T16:59:09.992-07:00Week 2 (In Lab) - Refining Design ConceptThis team meeting was spent getting feedback from our advisors on our design proposal and doing more necessary research as we continue to build our knowledge and skills. The following areas were pointed out and are in the process of being addressed:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>the need for more details in describing technical activities, including things like size, volume, flow rate, voltage, etc. This helped the team begin to create a more precise concept of the intended final product.</li>
<li>the need for in-text citation and references. This is tied to the former point; as more specific details and numbers are added to the proposal, the more sources we will use to arrive at these decisions.</li>
</ul>
<br />
By the end of lab, the team had begun to operate in subunits of mechanical (Michelle and Le) and electrical/software (Davina and Parmpuneet). Michelle and Le looked up specific aquarium water pumps to consider using, while simultaneously assessing what kind of breadboard starter kit to order, since that will be our base for building the control system.<br />
Davina researched about graphical user interfaces and specific methods of controlling Arduino through Qt, and Parmpuneet started familiarizing herself with the Arduino Uno rev3. Parm was able to draw up a simple schematic of a possible relay we may build, using a transistor to switch a 5V DC output to a 12V one, which can be seen in Figure 1.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56S_Hv0NxpHWUDqfiJzeJGekVwPnf5dLaqhmrdkhpEE96CNmjZFr0WSaYDhoogHCT98jZ4VfGEyDIlVwpQsBUJ9pDE14N4mt6kaoOZW-b1hvTXWPCHr6aGk2QbCpXYnDKrFMJH1J2zVYg/s1600/20150409_155551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56S_Hv0NxpHWUDqfiJzeJGekVwPnf5dLaqhmrdkhpEE96CNmjZFr0WSaYDhoogHCT98jZ4VfGEyDIlVwpQsBUJ9pDE14N4mt6kaoOZW-b1hvTXWPCHr6aGk2QbCpXYnDKrFMJH1J2zVYg/s1600/20150409_155551.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Initial schematic for relay switch circuit including transistor.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-54286369163449294322015-04-07T19:31:00.001-07:002015-04-08T11:22:45.676-07:00Week 1 (Outside Lab) - Developing Design Proposal<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHC3GYxgiaUWgKydCfk4AYiqIfJe64fDmIHOeC7qAKLJbgcikM9uj2sMWRt9Fawk-s_kAkMOklfcMrKf6JQ3Y9YNS7dnqtXbJRAwgW4cF-YY6xFHtZYVH4uzII2m956VCkZtRJzb7ng7e/s1600/IMG_20150407_142921397_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHC3GYxgiaUWgKydCfk4AYiqIfJe64fDmIHOeC7qAKLJbgcikM9uj2sMWRt9Fawk-s_kAkMOklfcMrKf6JQ3Y9YNS7dnqtXbJRAwgW4cF-YY6xFHtZYVH4uzII2m956VCkZtRJzb7ng7e/s1600/IMG_20150407_142921397_HDR.jpg" height="195" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Left: Michelle and Parmpuneet working on the design proposal. Right: The list of materials.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The team met to discuss and deliberate on further details of the PlantParent design. At this point, the team decided to pursue the idea of creating a cross-platform app that would allow the consumer to easily customize the PlantParent settings (how much water the plants need, how long to go between watering) without having to reprogram the Arduino board directly. Currently, the plan is to download, learn, and use the free version of <a href="http://www.qt.io/about-us/">Qt</a>, a framework for application and user-interface development.<br />
<br />
The team also came up with a preliminary list of required materials in order to draw up a more detailed budget for the design proposal, including an electronic breadboard, circuit wires, an aquarium pump, and various other elements. An in-progress list can be seen in Figure 1.Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-54596344172397865792015-04-02T14:29:00.001-07:002015-04-02T14:33:44.931-07:00Week 1 (In Lab) - Further Brainstorming and ResearchHaving chosen a plant watering system as the intended product design, the team conducted research on existing systems and began the process of creating an original design. <div>
The important aspects of the intended design are as follows:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Rather than using a simple timer system, this plant watering system will utilize an Arduino board (a programmable microcontroller) as its control.</li>
<li>The product will be aesthetically pleasing, since it is for consumer use. No circuit boards or motors should be visible in the final product. </li>
<li>The system will be able to support up to 3 plants. </li>
</ol>
<div>
The basic intended structure of the system is laid out in Figure 1. The Arduino control system communicates with the pump, which responds to the Arduino commands and pumps water from the reservoir through plastic tubing into the plant's soil. </div>
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<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcveFCIAwyJCsU6DEvEMEQG2gqwgquYYh6IRKNtYqgMdofLYXWoCulOU6RRqpVLJzq0tMgD7gfTRs5riQjfdNr3OHOnbQpUBZ_PeOPopenb0WvNM3i8TFx8-aDJyeL390cPQfQHPTE2vD0/s1600/20150402_154708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcveFCIAwyJCsU6DEvEMEQG2gqwgquYYh6IRKNtYqgMdofLYXWoCulOU6RRqpVLJzq0tMgD7gfTRs5riQjfdNr3OHOnbQpUBZ_PeOPopenb0WvNM3i8TFx8-aDJyeL390cPQfQHPTE2vD0/s1600/20150402_154708.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Basic structure of plant watering system.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A preliminary budget of $60 was decided upon in this time-frame, and the team also began to consider their design constraints, as well as steps that need to be taken in order to fill in some gaps in the members' technical knowledge. These will be elaborated on in more detail once a formal design proposal has been finalized. </div>
</div>
Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001410887057060015.post-21622682900209583412015-04-02T14:07:00.003-07:002015-05-06T16:27:16.361-07:00Week 1 (Outside Lab) - Preliminary Brainstorming<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pSDDpPIZgllPAYn5BXHAqkK8cpP1p_HsvULso4mnGWpxM7R-JDSQExC6dLUchueSEKqC7UIRxUvCyWnhMA1276R4TrHGSJ4bNta-eJXCPv0WwDJtfMyyQusuB_aBn5JKfAoLU-kvoHGs/s1600/Week+1+brainstorm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pSDDpPIZgllPAYn5BXHAqkK8cpP1p_HsvULso4mnGWpxM7R-JDSQExC6dLUchueSEKqC7UIRxUvCyWnhMA1276R4TrHGSJ4bNta-eJXCPv0WwDJtfMyyQusuB_aBn5JKfAoLU-kvoHGs/s1600/Week+1+brainstorm.jpg" height="200" width="188" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Some brainstorming drawings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The design team got together before the first lab in order to choose a product design after assessing personal skills, personal preferences, and available resources. Several original ideas were evaluated and eventually set aside for various reasons, including a toothpaste-generating toothbrush, transition windows (self-tinting), and a solar-powered portable phone charger (some of these can be seen in Figure 1). The team then decided to choose from one of the preset options, which are listed below:<br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>An automatic pet feeder</li>
<ul>
<li>This option was dismissed due to its simplicity, since the team desired a challenge.</li>
</ul>
<li>A cordless hair dryer</li>
<ul>
<li>This option was dismissed due to its complexity (as none of the team members are familiar enough with mechanical and electrical parts to be able to reasonably tackle this project).</li>
</ul>
<li>An ice-cube maker that delivers 1-2 extra cold, extra clear ice cubes every fifteen minutes</li>
<ul>
<li>This option was also dismissed due to its complexity. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>An automatic plant watering system</b></li>
<ul>
<li>The team chose this option, which appeared to be the one most suited to all individual members, being both a challenge and a reasonable possibility. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
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Davina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01079931856971144720noreply@blogger.com0