Professional Development and Engineering Applications

Assignment Brief

ELEC41010 Professional Development and Engineering Applications

The problem Home automation systems have gained popularity in recent years and a number of commercially available products have been designed. In home automation systems, data from different types of sensors is acquired and monitored to automate several processes. In this assignment, readings from humidity, temperature and PIR motion sensors will be obtained and monitored to design a home automation system. Alarm monitoring and control will be incorporated in order to monitor and set-off an alarm if the temperature or humidity moves above or below the specified limits. The solution will use the LabVIEW graphical development software to provide data acquisition, analysis and control.

1. Use MATLAB to realise a data acquisition system to monitor humidity, temperature and PIR motion sensors. You are required to log the sensors’ data in a CSV file. You can assume that the sensors’ data is obtained every 5 seconds and your programme should record 30 minutes of data. Assume the minimum and maximum temperature of the surrounding environment could be -10°C and 30°C respectively.
2. Use LabVIEW to design a home automation system.

The system specification is given below:

Inside Room Measurements

• Read the sensors’ data every 5 seconds
• Display of inside room temperature and humidity
• Plot waveforms to indicate the trend of humidity and temperature

Alarm monitoring

• Activate alarm if inside room temperature or humidity is too low or high
• Turn on an LED if there is any movement in the room

Troubleshooting

• Allow engineer to enter a password if the system needs to be repaired
• Display of the sensors’ output voltage if the correct password is entered by an engineer

1. Build a Stand-Alone Application for the home automation system using LabVIEW. (5 marks)
2. Provide an analysis of how your LabVIEW programme operates. (10 marks)
3. Present an evaluation of your solution against the design specification, clearly showing areas which are above, meeting or below specification requirements. (10 marks)
4. Conduct research and find the components that would be required to implement the home automation system in hardware. You are required to present the required components in a table along with their cost. The reasons for choosing particular components should be included in the report. (15 marks)
5. Assignment layout and presentation. Please check “General information” at the front page.

Sample Answer

Design and Implementation of a Home Automation System Using MATLAB and LabVIEW

Introduction

Home automation systems have become increasingly important in modern living, enabling users to monitor and control environmental conditions efficiently. This project focuses on designing a home automation system that monitors temperature, humidity, and motion using PIR sensors. The system integrates data acquisition, analysis, and alarm control, using MATLAB for logging and LabVIEW for real-time monitoring and control. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the capability of graphical programming to automate and safeguard living environments while providing a user-friendly interface for end-users and maintenance personnel.

MATLAB Data Acquisition System

To acquire sensor data, MATLAB was used to simulate the logging of humidity, temperature, and PIR motion sensors. The sensors’ readings were recorded every five seconds over a 30-minute period, generating a CSV file for further analysis. The temperature range was assumed to be between -10°C and 30°C to reflect realistic indoor environmental conditions. MATLAB scripts were written to:

• Read simulated sensor values at fixed intervals.

• Store timestamped data in a structured CSV file.

• Provide basic plotting to visualise trends in temperature and humidity over time.

The data acquisition system allowed for easy access to historical sensor data, facilitating trend analysis and early detection of anomalies in environmental conditions.

LabVIEW Home Automation System

LabVIEW was employed to design a graphical interface for real-time monitoring and control of the home environment. The system included the following features:

1. Sensor Data Display and Trend Monitoring: Temperature and humidity readings were displayed numerically and graphically. Waveform charts plotted data to provide a visual representation of environmental trends over time.

2. Alarm Monitoring: Thresholds for temperature and humidity were set. If readings exceeded these limits, the system activated an audible alarm. The PIR sensor controlled an LED indicator to signal detected motion.

3. Engineer Troubleshooting Mode: A password-protected interface allowed engineers to view raw sensor output voltages, enabling maintenance and fault diagnosis.

4. Standalone Application: The LabVIEW program was compiled into an executable to run independently on a home PC or embedded system.

Evaluation Against Design Specification

The designed system met the majority of the project specifications. Temperature and humidity readings were accurately monitored every five seconds, and trend plotting provided clear insight into environmental conditions. Alarm functionality was tested and activated appropriately when limits were exceeded, while the motion detection LED responded reliably to PIR sensor inputs.

Areas exceeding the specification included the user interface design, which provided enhanced visual clarity and interactivity beyond the initial requirements. Minor limitations included the simulation of sensor data in MATLAB, as actual hardware integration could introduce latency or noise not reflected in the simulated environment.

Continued...