Victor Anosike
Learning Aim B & C Unit 19 – Internet of Things
Assignment 2
Unit 19: Assignment 2 – Develop a design for an
Internet of Things system or device to solve a
problem
In this assignment, I will assist a company in resolving a problem with their current
alarms, which should sound when an intruder is detected. They have also asked that
the IoT system notify the homeowner if an intruder is detected.
What is the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a collection of technologies that employ sensors and
actuators to educate people about the state of ordinary objects such as vehicles, tools,
and even living beings. It enables us to interact with them by connecting to cloud
platforms that accept and process data for further analysis. The data that has been
analysed is then used to make decisions.
What is Microcontroller - Arduino
A microcontroller is a compact and low-cost microcomputer that is designed to handle
specialised embedded system activities such as displaying information and receiving
distant signals. Arduino is the microcontroller I've selected to use to develop and
design a prototype system. Arduino is an open-source electronic device that reads
inputs and generates outputs based on the information provided. There are advantages
and disadvantages to utilising Arduino, particularly for projects:
Benefits:
Easy to use – Arduino is a relatively simple hardware and software to learn that
does not require any prior programming skills. It includes a readily adaptable
reduced version of the C/C++ programming language. Arduino is a plug-and-play
electrical board that requires little in the way of hardware intervention.
Inexpensive hardware – Arduino is reasonably priced, with an Arduino board
costing roughly £20 and the IDE development tool being provided for free.
Additional hardware, such as jump wires, is inexpensive, and you would only
need to purchase components necessary to the project at hand.
Cross-platform support – Allows for Arduino to be used on other platforms like
Linux and MacOS, not just Windows.
Tons of libraries – External sensors, modules, and motors can be controlled
using Arduino libraries. These libraries can be used to extend the capability of
Arduino boards. Libraries give the user the freedom to experiment with hardware
and quickly manipulate data.
Limitations:
Lack of multitasking – Because Arduino boards can only run one programme
at a time and cannot run several programmes without slowing down the overall
system speed, you would have to close one sketch to execute the other.
Not optimised for performance – Most Arduino boards use microcontrollers
that are not yet fully functional. Arduino has been optimised so that beginners
can quickly build simple sketches at the expense of limiting the microcontroller's
overall power capability.
Limited support for programming languages – Due to the absence of
support for other more popular languages such as Java, Python, and JavaScript,
Arduino has only been programmed in C or C++.
, Victor Anosike
Learning Aim B & C Unit 19 – Internet of Things
Assignment 2
Less memory storage capacity – With only 2KB of SRAM and 32KB of flash
memory, Arduino has relatively limited memory capacity that can only save
sketches with hundreds of lines.
The Components of Arduino
There are multiple types of Arduino boards however, I will be using the UNO board and
describe the components built into it and what it can do.
One of the primary components is a printer-type USB port (USB connector) that is
used to load programmes onto the board from Arduino IDE, where the coding is
done on a computer. This connection can also be used to power the board.
The Power port is where you would plug in an AC-to-DC adapter or battery, as
well as a certain style of the plug (2.1mm centre-positive plug) to receive power.
The microcontroller, which is required for the Arduino to work, is one of the most
important components. The Atmega328P on this board contains a flash memory
of 32KB where the programme from the Arduino IDE is stored, RAM of 2KB, the
CPU which is the brain that controls everything that goes on within the device,
and an Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM) of
1KB of non-volatile memory that keeps data after the device has been powered
off or reset.
The analog input pins, which are labelled "Analog 0 to 5", may take signals from
analog sensors such as temperature sensors and convert them to digital values
that the system can interpret. Even though these pins are often utilised for
analog input, they can also be used for digital input or output.
The digital pins labelled "Digital 0 to 13" can function as input or output pins.
When used as input pins, they read the signals from the component attached to
them, but when used as output pins, they provide power to the components
connected to them.
The reset switch, a red button in the board's corner, may be pressed to send a
logical pulse to the Microcontroller, restarting the programme from the
beginning. This is a very important feature since it allows for repeated attempts
provided your code does not repeat.
The crystal oscillator may be found in the middle of the board. It ticks at a rate of
16 million times per second, with the microcontroller doing one operation for
every tick, such as addition or subtraction.
A USB interface chip translates USB signals to a level that an Arduino UNO board
can recognise.
