ECE 445

Project Proposal

Smart Window
Responding System

Team #8
TA: Zipeng Wang
Sep. 14th, 2016

Xuanzhen Cao
Jiaxi Nie
Zhichun Wan
 Table of Contents

1. Introduction............................................................................................ 2
1.1 Statement of Purpose ......................................................................... 2
1.2 Objectives .......................................................................................... 2
1.1 Features .............................................................................................. 2
2. Design ...................................................................................................... 3
2.1 Block Diagram ................................................................................... 3
2.2 Block Diagram Description ............................................................... 4
2.2.1 Sensing ....................................................................................... 4
2.2.2 Microcontroller .......................................................................... 4
2.2.3 Actuator ..................................................................................... 5
2.2.4 Power Supply ............................................................................. 5
2.2.5 Safety ......................................................................................... 5
3. Requirements and Verification ............................................................ 6
4. Tolerance Analysis ................................................................................. 7
5. Schedule and Cost .................................................................................. 8
5.1 Cost Analysis ..................................................................................... 8
5.1.1 Labor .......................................................................................... 8
5.1.2 Parts ........................................................................................... 8
5.1.3 Grand Total ................................................................................ 8
5.2 Schedule ............................................................................................. 8

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1. Introduction
1.1 Statement of Purpose
People open windows to refresh air, appreciate the scenery, or simply get exposed
to sunlight, etc., but we sometimes find ourselves in an awkward situation where
leaving windows open while weather changes unexpectedly could be problematic. As a
matter of fact, rains, minor sand storms or abrupt air quality drops dreadfully
undermine the indoor environment, leaving a mess for our return. As a result, people
may find their rooms dusty or furniture soaked, deprived of comfort and peace.
In order to cope with problems mentioned above, we propose to design a smart
window system that could automatically respond to outside changing environment,
which could be significantly useful when users left their windows open behind them.
Corresponding actions of the window will be automatically triggered when an
obnoxious weather change is detected by the system, closing the window as soon as
possible to prevent the indoor environment from any deterioration. We intend to
include a rain sensor to prevent unexpected rains soaking inside furniture; a
temperature sensor to detect irritatingly hot or cold weather so that the indoor
temperature may stay at a comfortable level; as well as a dust sensor that helps keep
the room spotless, improving indoor environment quality comprehensively.

1.2 Objectives
Goals and benefits to the end customer of the responding system are listed below:
Ÿ Prevent rooms and furniture from getting soaked by rains while window is left
open
Ÿ Maintain indoor air quality, specifically maintaining the Particulate Matter 10
(PM10) at a comfortable and innocuous level
Ÿ Maintain indoor room temperature at a comfortable level, preventing
overheating or undercooling.

1.3 Features
Major functions and features of the smart window responding system are:
Ÿ Automatically close the window after detecting raindrops
Ÿ Automatically close the window after detecting a significant drop in air quality
(PM10) below a preset level
Ÿ Automatically close the window while detecting a temperature drop below a
preset undercooling level or rise above a preset overheating level
Ÿ Instantly stop the window from closing after detecting presence of human
limbs or pets resting on rails.

This smart window responding system reflects novelty and uniqueness in that it
incorporates an automation scheme that controls corresponding windows movements
after detecting outside environmental changes, maintaining a comfortable indoor
environment and saving a user the trouble of keeping an eye on the weather and having

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to close the window timely and manually. As we take the safety of this mechanical and
electrical device seriously, a safety scheme is also incorporated in the system to
prevent minor concerns, especially during the movement of the window.
There are currently no mass productions of similar projects found. The novelty lies
here in that it frees users from manual control of the window and automatically react to
the outside changing weather in a timely manner. This system also distinguishes itself
from mechanical automatic windows by incorporating a safety module, inspired by the
mature application of sensors in automatic doors.

2 Design
2.1 Block Diagram

Figure 2.1 High-Level Block Diagram

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2.2 Block Diagram Descriptions
2.2.1 Sensing
The sensing module is the key to this project, as an input to the entire window
responding system. This high-level module is comprised of the rain sensor,
temperature sensor, and dust sensor. By collecting data of outside raindrops,
temperature, and particle level, these sensors feed analog signals to the microcontroller
for further parsing and corresponding executions.
2.2.1.1 Rain Sensor
The rain sensor essentially detects raindrops and sends data to the
microcontroller. We plan to use Uxcell FC-37 Rain Sensor for rain detection, which
incorporates a sensor board of 2-by-1.6 square inches and runs on a DC power
supply of 5V. After detecting a drop of water(resembling raindrops), the digital
output will drop from high to low, and rise from low to high when water is wiped
off or vaporized.
2.2.1.2 Temperature Sensor
The temperature sensor module monitors outside weather changes and feeds
temperature data to the microcontroller. The LM35 (sensor ICs) Centigrade
Temperature Sensor runs on a 4~30V DC power supply and outputs a voltage signal
to the microcontroller that’s linearly correlated to temperature calibrated in Celsius
degree. Analog output voltage signal displays a 10mV/°C scale factor and is able to
measure temperature variation of a range from -55°C to 150°C.
2.2.1.3 Dust Sensor
The dust sensor, or particle sensor, detects fine particle with a diameter equal or
smaller than a specific parameter. We will use dust sensor model GP2Y1051 in our
design. GP2Y1051 requires 5V DC input and 20mA standby supply current to
function properly. In the smart window responding system, the dust sensor detects
Particulate Matter 10(PM10), namely any particle with a diameter that’s less than
10 micrometers. The sensor outputs sequences of 7 bytes, starting with 0xAA to
0xFF based on the measured density of PM10 and the output will be directly fed to
the microcontroller. When the measured value exceeds our preset threshold, the
microcontroller will send signals to the actuator to trigger corresponding actions.

2.2.2 Microcontroller
In the data processing module, we will use microcontroller chip on Arduino
(ATmega 328P) to process the input data collected from various sensors. The
microcontroller will receive digital and analog signals from rain sensor, temperature
sensor, dust sensor from sensing module, as well as IR sensor from the safety module.
Correspondingly, the microcontroller will determine whether to close the window
based on the received analog signals as well as the preset threshold of each
environmental element.
The overall decision criteria is described below:

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 1. The IR sensor from safety module has the highest priority. If the IR sensor
detects any presence of people or pets, the actuator should stop closing the
window regardless of other signals sent from sensing module.
2. When the IR sensor does not detect any presence of people or pets, and any of
the three environment sensors are inputting data that’s deem above the
threshold according to respective criteria by the microcontroller, the actuator
will be triggered to close the window.
After the data is processed and the decision is made, the microcontroller will send
decision signals to the actuator for corresponding actions.

2.2.3 Actuator
The actuator comprises a DC linear actuator running on 12V DC voltage supply
and inputs control signals from the microcontroller. It is an interface between
microcontroller and user end windows and significantly simplifies power distribution.
Upon receiving action signals from the microcontroller, the actuator closes the window
correspondingly(if safety is assured by the safety module mentioned below). A pulse
signal due to safety concerns will stop the actuator from further action until a resume
signal is received.

2.2.4 Power Supply

Power supply module provides DC voltage to the entire system, powering up
sensing and safety modules as well as the actuator. Specifically, we plan to use the
lithium battery to obtain a 12V DC voltage supply. The 12V DC voltage will be
directly fed to the actuator as well. In addition, we will design a DC/DC converter to
obtain 5V DC voltage supply, which will be fed to all sensors and microcontroller.

2.2.5 Safety (IR Sensor)

The safety module consists of IR (infrared) sensor. IR sensor can measure the
infrared light radiating from objects in its field of view, the feature that we plan to
utilize to accurately detect whether people or pets get in the way. The sensor outputs
digital signal which is directly fed into the microcontroller. We plan to use
HC-SR501 as our IR sensor. The sensing range is less than 120 degree, within 7
meters. Upon detection of human or pets, the sensor’s output signal will fluctuate
dramatically, which will be fed into the microcontroller for further processing.

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3 Requirements and Verification
Requirements Verification
Pts
1. Microcontroller 1. Microcontroller
a. The microcontroller has to register a. Use a multimeter to measure the
the analog signals from sensors and output values from sensors directly
output analog signals to drive the motorand then use the microcontroller to
accurately (<=5% accuracy) collect the values, compare the two
b. The microcontroller should have a results to check accuracy
fast response time that is less than 5s for
b. Use the in-software timer to
normal operation and less than 1s for measure the reacting time of the
safety halt system to see if it fits the time
requirement. Modify algorithm for
faster response if test fails.
2. Power Supply 2. Power Supply
a. The power supply should provide a Measure voltage output from the
steady voltage of 12V for the motor power source to see if the voltage
with +/- 0.5V deviation fits in the requirement level
b. The power supply should provide a
steady voltage of 5 +/- 0.25V voltages
for the microcontroller and sensors
3. Actuator 3. Actuator
a. The actuator should drive the window a. Connect the actuator to a window,
at a rate greater than 5mm/s draw a 1m test line, start the motor
b. Actuator should draw a current less and use time watch to record the
than 3 A time spent to reach the line
b. At the desired motor speed, use a
multimeter to measure the operating
current of the motor
4. Moisture/Rain sensor (Uxcell 4. Moisture/Rain sensor
FC-37) Place the sensor in a normal room
The rain sensor should detect water setting and spread water droplets to
drops with high accuracy level (>=95%) it(with variation in intensity). Test
for 100 times and count the
successful detection by recording
digital output from the rain sensor
5. Temperature Sensor (LM35) 5. Temperature Sensor
Temperature sensor should measure Place the temperature sensor in a
temperature accurately(+/- 0.5 C) different environment and record its
output values (10 times). Use a
high-accuracy thermostat to measure
the temperatures at these locations.
Compare the two results to check
accuracy

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 6. Dust Sensor (GP2Y1051)
a. The sensor should detect air quality
change accurately (>=95%)
b. The sensor should have a fast
response time (<=2s) since dusty air
could spread very fast
7. IR Sensor (HC-SR501)
a. The IR sensor should have a very
high accuracy level to prevent safety
concerns (>=99%)
b. The response time should be very fast
(<=1s)
The detection distance should be greater
than 10 cm
6. Dust Sensor (GP2Y1051)
a. Prepare some dust-like materials
like flour, pour the dust around the
dust sensor and record the sensor
readings for 50 times
b. Use in-software timer to measure
the response time of the dust sensor
7. IR Sensor
a. Place different objects (hands,
pets,etc.) in front of the IR sensor for
100 times and record its reading, it
should output true for more than 99
times.
b. Use an in-software timer to record
the response time of the sensor
c. Place hands at different distance
away from the IR sensor and check
whether it could detect the hands

4 Tolerance Analysis
The sensor module is the central part of our system as it’s functionality determines
whether the system could work correctly. On the other hand, the environment
conditions are varying in real time and are hence hard to measure.
Temperature sensor: we would have a rather lower expectation for temperature
sensing since we are preventing overheating or undercooling and the threshold values
are not very critical (e.g., a deviation in 1C will not really damage the room). from its
data sheet, the LM35 sensor has an ensured accuracy of 0.5C at 25C, this gives us an
estimated accuracy of 98% which should more than satisfy our requirements.
Rain sensor: Rain damage to furniture will be significant to the homeowner and
hence should have rather a high accuracy level. This could be set by varying the
decision threshold on our software. A 95% detection rate should be enough for our
system as the miss detection cases should be mostly with light rain and light rain will
not cause significant damage to the room. Note: the threshold should also be
considered to avoid false positive.
Dust sensor: Dust could be harmful to room air quality. We would want to detect
arising dust concentration for most of the times. A 95% detection rate is used since the
miss detection cases should be close-threshold concentrations and is hence acceptable
to be missed.
To test the tolerance level of the sensors, we will place the sensors in a standard
room and then set different environment condition by manually changing the three
environment variables(temperature, rain, dust). We will perform multiple tests(100 for
example) and record the successful detection and then counts the detection rate to see
if the sensors fit our tolerance requirements.

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5 Schedule and Cost
5.1 Cost Analysis
5.1.1 Labor

Name Hourly Rate Total Hours Total

Invested
Xuanzhen Cao 30 220 16500
Jiaxi Nie 30 220 16500
Zhichun Wan 30 220 16500
Total 660 49500

5.1.2 Parts

Item Unit Cost Quantity Total

Uxcell FC-37 Rain sensor $8 1 $8
LM35 Temperature sensor $5 1 $5
GP2Y1051 Dust sensor $15 1 $15
IR sensor $5 1 $5
Actuator $60 1 $60
Microcontroller $25 1 $25
Battery, battery holder $8 1 $8
Total $126

5.1.3 Grand Total

Section Total
Labor $49500
Parts $126
Total $49626

5.2 Schedule
Week Task Responsibility
Finalize project proposal, research Arduino microcontroller Xuanzhen
9/12 Finalize project proposal, explore sensor options Jiaxi
Finalize project proposal, prepare for mock design review Zhichun

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 Design sensor-microcontroller interaction scheme Xuanzhen
9/19 Finalize mock design review, prepare for design review Jiaxi
Purchase microcontroller, sensors and other parts Zhichun
Test sensors and run sensor-microcontroller interaction test Xuanzhen
Finalize design review and start schematic design of power
Jiaxi
9/26 supply system
Test external weather changes to determine preset threshold for
Zhichun
sensors
Finalize schematic design of power supply system (+12 V DC)
Xuanzhen
and actuator module
Design voltage converter of 12V-to-5V for powering up
10/3 Jiaxi
sensors and microcontroller
Develop control logic for microcontroller according to preset
Zhichun
data determined earlier
Test power supply and actuator module, start PCB design for
Xuanzhen
power supply and actuator
Start PCB design for sensor modules and safety module (IR
10/10 Jiaxi
sensor)
Start programming microcontroller based on preset data
Zhichun
threshold
Finalize PCB design for power supply and actuator modules ,
Xuanzhen
integrate all modules
10/17
Finalize PCB design for sensor and safety module (IR sensor) Jiaxi
Finalize microcontroller programming and debugging Zhichun
Connect sensors and actuator to microcontroller, run initial test
Xuanzhen
on sensor functionality
Integrate power system, revise PCB design for power supply
10/24 Jiaxi
and actuator modules
Revise PCB design for sensors, run initial test on actuator
Zhichun
functionality
Assemble and solder components (microcontroller) Xuanzhen
10/31 Assemble and solder components (actuator driver) Jiaxi
Assemble and solder components (sensors) Zhichun
Test module functionalities, prepare for mock demo Xuanzhen
11/7 Finalize R&V table, prepare for mock demo Jiaxi
Fix remaining issues of the system, prepare for mock demo Zhichun
Finalize mock demo and test corner cases (microcontroller) Xuanzhen
11/14 Finalize mock demo and test corner cases (actuator) Jiaxi
Finalize mock demo and test corner cases (sensors) Zhichun
Test system functionality, fix remaining issues, explore
Xuanzhen
possible enhancement (microcontroller)
11/21 Test system functionality, fix remaining issues, explore
Jiaxi
possible enhancement (power supply and actuator)
Test system functionality, fix remaining issues, explore Zhichun

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 possible enhancement (sensors)
Debug the system, prepare for final demo (microcontroller) and
Xuanzhen
presentation, prepare for final report
Ensure functionality, prepare for final demo (power supply and
11/28 Jiaxi
actuator) and presentation, prepare for final report
Prepare for final demo (sensors) and presentation, prepare for
Zhichun
final report
Lab checkout and finalize final report (microcontroller) Xuanzhen
Finalize presentation logistics and final report (power supply
12/5 Jiaxi
and actuator)
Finalize final report (sensors) Zhichun

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