AKENTEN APPIAH MENKA
UNIVERSITY OF SKILLS TRIANING AND ENTREPRENEURIAL
DEVELOPMENT
FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC
TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF AN
AUTOMATED SOLAR-POWERED IRRIGATION SYSTEM
BY:
IDDISAH KAPAMBU ISSAHAKU
5181200007
SEPTEMBER, 2022
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF AN
AUTOMATED SOLAR-POWERED IRRIGATION SYSTEM
IDDISAH KAPAMBU ISSAHAKU
5181200007
A PROJECT PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
AND DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY
EDUCATION, AKENTEN APPIAH MENKA UNIVERSITY OF SKILLS TRAINING
AND ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN
ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY
SEPTEMBER, 2022
DECLARATION
STUDENT’S DECLARATION
I, Iddisah Kapambu Issahaku, hereby declare that except for references made to other people’s
work and quotations which I duly acknowledged and cited, this dissertation is my original work
as a result of my research and that no part of it has neither been presented in part nor whole
elsewhere for another degree.
Signature:……………………….………
Date……………………………
IDDISAH KAPAMBU ISSAHAKU
SUPERVISOR’S DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the preparation and presentation of this work were supervised by the
guidelines for supervision of project work as laid down by Akenten Appiah Menka University
of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development.
Signature:……………………….………
Date……………………………
MR. FRANCOIS SEKYERE
i
DEDICATION
This project is dedicated to Allaah, The Exalted, for His infinite mercy and love for me, to my
father, Iddisah Issahaku, to my mother, Alhassan Hannah Ademu, and to the rest of my family
and friends.
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Alhamdulillaah. All praises and thanks are due to Allaah, The Exalted. I sincerely appreciate
my beloved parents, Mr. Iddisah Issahaku and Mrs. Alhassan Hannah Ademu, for their love,
care, and all the spiritual and financial support they gave me throughout my life. I love you so
much. “My Lord, have mercy on them, as they raised me when I was a child.” [Qur’aan 17:24].
I really appreciate my lecturer and supervisor, Mr. Francois Sekyere, whose patience, cautious
guidance, constructive criticism and his time he had on me have helped me to make this
research work a pleasant rewarding.
And also, my gratitude also goes to all my lectures, teachers and mentors, Mr. Seebawai AbdurRahim, Mr. Issah, Mr. Nazif, Mr. Samuel Gyapong, Mr Jacob Appiah, my aunty, Sandra
Krantomah, and my lovely sister, Nana Ayisha whose guidance and assistance has helped me
to reach this status.
Lastly, this goes to all my colleagues, friends, and loved ones, Ali Abdur-Rahman, Addo
Ernest, Awal Muhammad, Abdul Quddus, Ansah Simon, my main man, Abubakr Yusuf and
lastly, Salamatu Abdur-Rahman, for all their prayers, encouragements and support and also
devoted their time in correcting me through this project step by step to complete on time. And
to all those who contributed in diverse ways for me to succeed in my tertiary education but
their names are not mentioned, I really appreciate your efforts and am very grateful.
By Allaah, I wouldn’t have been able to make it without you all. I ask Allaah to bless you all
and grant you the best in this world and the next.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ........................................................................................................................ i
DEDICATION ...........................................................................................................................ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................... iii
LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... vi
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................vii
ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................... viii
CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................ 1
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1
1.1
Background of the Study ............................................................................................. 1
1.2
Problem Statement ...................................................................................................... 2
1.3
Research Objectives .................................................................................................... 3
1.4
Significance of Study .................................................................................................. 3
1.5
Limitations of Study .................................................................................................... 4
CHAPTER TWO ....................................................................................................................... 5
LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................................... 5
2.0
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 5
2.1
Importance of Water and Plants .................................................................................. 5
2.1.1
Importance of Water ............................................................................................ 5
2.1.2
Importance of Plants ............................................................................................ 6
2.2
History of the Study .................................................................................................... 8
2.3
Review of Related Works ........................................................................................... 8
2.3.1
Automated irrigation system using solar power in Bangladesh........................... 9
2.3.2
Design and implementation of an Automatic irrigation system in Nigeria ......... 9
2.3.3
Automatic Plant irrigation system ....................................................................... 9
2.3.4
GSM based Automatic Irrigation Control System for Efficient Use of Resources
and Crop Planning by Using an Android Mobile in India ................................................ 10
2.3.5
Sensor-based Automatic Irrigation System ....................................................... 10
2.3.6
Smart Irrigation System using Arduino ............................................................. 10
2.3.7
Automatic Irrigation System for Sensing Soil Moisture Content ...................... 11
2.3.8
Identifying Soil Humidity Content by Automatic Irrigation Methods .............. 11
2.4
Theory of the Study ................................................................................................... 12
2.4.1
Composition of the Hardware ............................................................................ 12
2.4.2
Software Component ......................................................................................... 18
iv
CHAPTER THREE ................................................................................................................. 19
METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................. 19
3.0
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 19
3.1
System Block Diagram.............................................................................................. 19
3.2
Hardware Specifications and Interfacing .................................................................. 20
3.2.1
ATmega328pu Microcontroller ......................................................................... 20
3.2.2
Soil Moisture Sensor .......................................................................................... 24
3.2.3
16x2 Lcd Screen with I2c Module ..................................................................... 27
3.2.3
1-Channel 5v Relay Module .............................................................................. 31
3.3
Software Development .............................................................................................. 34
3.4
Principle of Operation ............................................................................................... 35
CHAPTER FOUR .................................................................................................................... 37
TESTING, RESULTS AND ANALYSIS ............................................................................... 37
4.0
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 37
4.1
Testing ....................................................................................................................... 37
4.2
Test Results ............................................................................................................... 38
4.3
Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 38
CHAPTER FIVE ..................................................................................................................... 41
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ....................................................................... 41
5.1
Conclusion................................................................................................................. 41
5.2
Recommendations ..................................................................................................... 41
5.3
Suggestions for Future Works ................................................................................... 42
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................ 43
APPENDIX .............................................................................................................................. 46
v
LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1. ATmega328pu pinout description. ......................................................................... 22
Table 3.2. Pinouts of the ATmega328pu and their corresponding Arduino UNO pins. ......... 22
Table 3.3. Connection of the soil moisture sensor pins to the microcontroller....................... 26
Table 3.4. Description of LCD pins. ....................................................................................... 28
Table 3.5. Connection of I2C module pins to the microcontroller. ........................................ 30
Table 3.6. Description of relay module pins. .......................................................................... 32
Table 3.7. Interfacing of the relay module with the ATmega328pu. ...................................... 33
Table 4:1. Results of the test. .................................................................................................. 38
Table 4:2. Moisture percentage appropriate for some vegetables and cereals........................ 39
vi
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1. A waterfall. ............................................................................................................. 5
Figure 2.2. A Monestera Thai Constellations Plant. ................................................................. 7
Figure 2.3. ATmega328pu microcontroller and 16MHz crystal. ............................................ 13
Figure 2.4. Calibrated soil moisture sensor............................................................................. 14
Figure 2.5. LCD screen with I2C module. .............................................................................. 15
Figure 2.6. 1-Channel relay module........................................................................................ 15
Figure 2.7. 5VDC Submersible pump. .................................................................................... 16
Figure 2.8. 12V Solar panel. ................................................................................................... 17
Figure 2.9. TTL to USB convertor .......................................................................................... 17
Figure 3.1. Block diagram of the automated solar-powered irrigation system. ...................... 19
Figure 3.2. ATmega328pu microcontroller. ........................................................................... 21
Figure. 3.3. ATmega328pu pinout diagram. ........................................................................... 21
Figure 3.4. Circuit diagram of ATmega328pu microcontroller connected with 2x22PF
capacitors, 16MHz crystal, reset push button and a 10kꭥ. ...................................................... 24
Figure 3.5. Soil moisture sensor, drawn with proteus............................................................. 25
Figure 3.6. Diagram of the parts of the soil moisture sensor, drawn with paint. .................... 26
Figure 3.7. Diagram of connection of the soil moisture sensor pins to the ATmega328pu. . 27
Figure 3.8. Image and pin diagram of LCD screen. ................................................................ 28
Figure 3.9. LCD I2C module. ................................................................................................. 29
Figure 3.10. Connection of I2C module pins to the microcontroller. ..................................... 30
Figure 3.11. 1-Channel 5V relay module. ............................................................................... 31
Figure 3.12. Diagram of relay module connected to the ATmega328pu microcontroller. ..... 34
Figure 3.13. Programming codes. ........................................................................................... 35
Figure 3.14. Complete circuit diagram of the automated irrigation system. .......................... 36
vii
ABSTRACT
Our ecosystem is designed in such a way that, living organisms inter-dependent on each other
in order to survive. For example, plants give out oxygen to animals and animals give out carbon
dioxide back to the plants, and also, animals eat plants as food and animals may die and become
decaying matter, serving as food to the plants, a very healthy mutual symbiosis. Since Man
seems to be the one responsible in controlling the affairs of some living things especially plants,
then there is the need that this responsibility must be carried out very consciously.
Agriculture is very important in the life of humans because it is one of the main sources of food
and also its effect causes stability in the ecosystem and regulation in the atmosphere. Therefore,
irrigation is very essential in the lives of human beings. An automatic solar-powered irrigation
control system has been designed to facilitate the automatic supply of adequate of water from
a water source to field or domestic crops in all agricultural seasons.
The purpose of this work is to see how human interference could be reduced from irrigation as
it could be tiring and time consuming and also, to optimize the use of water in the process, to
prevent or reduce water wastage. The system is essentially design and programmed in such
way that soil moisture sensor senses the moisture level of plants at particular instances of time,
if moisture level of sensor is less than the specified value of threshold which is predefined
according to the particular plant's water need then the desired amount of water is supplied till
it reaches to the predefined threshold value.
viii
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
In recent decades, there is been an impressive advancement in the agricultural sector. Studies
show that agriculture has great importance worldwide. In Ghana for example, about 52% of
the labour force is engaged in agriculture and 54% of Ghana’s gross domestic product (GDP),
comes from agriculture [1]. In the past, irrigation used to be manual where watering cans were
used to water large areas of land. This was so tedious and time consuming so conventional
methods were later invented where mills were used to irrigate farms but the adequate amount
of water needed were not known. This caused either over-irrigation which led to wastage of
water and destruction of crops or under-irrigation which caused deficiency in the corps which
eventually die. However, with the rapid advancements in technology, new automated irrigation
systems have been innovated to help reduce physical intervention, save time, and prevent water
wastage.
The problem of irrigation doesn’t apply to large scale or industrial agriculture alone, domestic,
and local plantings are not left out. Plants are very beneficial to all human beings in many
aspects. They produce oxygen and helps in keeping the environment healthy. Because plants
serve as food to humans, animals and other micro-organisms, others use plants for medicinal
purposes and beautification for some others, many people like to have gardens of plants in their
backyards at home. A system which could keep plants alive and healthy would enable everyone
to grow their own food and herbs, all year round. It would provide a way to get fresh vegetables
and herbs with almost no manual input. Growing your own food is good for your health and
your wallet as well. These plants are dependent on breeding conventionally for instance,
1
provide the right amount of water supply to sustain life and growth. Many people forget to
water their plant on a busy schedule of day and due to that many plants suffers disorder and
ultimately died. Apart from that another big problem in the modern society is the shortage of
water and the unplanned use of water inadvertently results in wastage of water.
Since this problem of irrigating is now seen to affect both domestic and industrial agriculture,
automatic plant watering system have been seen becoming much more with the rise in the
everyday objects being connected to the advanced technologies these systems are implemented
at a growing rate in places like homes as well as on industrial levels. It is a big task to utilize
water supply or resource in a proper way thus, a system is required to handle this task
automatically. In automatic plant watering system, the most momentous advantage is that water
is only supplied when pre-set threshold value of the soil moisture sensor goes below. This saves
lots of water even in the bigger irrigation systems [2]. Intelligent irrigation systems beautify
watering schedules and automatically running times to meet the specific needs of the landscape
[3].
1.2
Problem Statement
The economy of many countries depends on agriculture. To achieve the best quality from this
research, it is important to focus on some vital characteristics such as the appropriate amount
of electricity as well as water supply and a suitable schedule for irrigation of crops. Farmers
are facing problems in meeting these standards, especially those living in poverty. This project
investigates developing an automated irrigation system that could be monitored on an LCD
screen. This system will work to minimize the number of workers in a crop field, control and
save electricity and water through preventing water wastage, increase agricultural production
using small quantities of water, minimize manual intervention in watering operations with
increasing watering speed and preserving plants from fungi. All these features make this
2
research a sustainable option to be considered to improve the agriculture and irrigation
efficiency.
1.3
Research Objectives
The main objective of this project is to develop an automated system that solves most problems
related to irrigation and agriculture such as controlling and saving both the water and
electricity, increasing agricultural production using small quantities of water, minimize manual
intervention in watering operations with increasing watering speed, preserving plants from
fungi. The goals of this study are to discover the excellent automation technique for irrigation
system automatically controlled through software in a way that allows the user to monitor all
system activities on an LCD display.
The objectives to consider are:
1. Save energy by using solar power.
2. Optimize water consumption.
3. Fully automate the system.
4. Decrease the cost of system manufacturing and installation.
5. Make system easy for farmers to use.
1.4
Significance of Study
The study will help support investments in solar pumps for agricultural production. If justified,
options for beneficial use to fast-track returns to the investment would be provided to create
opportunities. This information will also be of significance to policy makers, scientists and
environmentalists especially in Ghana to help increase agricultural production in the region
especially vegetables such as tomatoes, onions and pepper the main cash crops at homes and
on large scales.
3
1.5
Limitations of Study
As technology advances every single day, inventions are being improved upon. These
improvements are always based on the shortcomings and deficiency of previous research
works. This project is not an exception. There are some features, components or systems, if
added would make this project of high quality. These options were not intentionally left out
but due to inaccessibility of some components and system complexification. The following are
the limitations of this study:
1. The microcontroller system is powered by 9VDC battery which needs to be changed
after long period of time.
2. The soil moisture sensor has a small scale of moisture measurement which makes it
difficult to measure moisture content of soil parts of plants with deeper roots.
4
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0
Introduction
The chapter focuses on reassessment and revision of previous studies and projects related to
this research. Functions, features and limitations of related works are also discussed briefly in
this chapter.
2.1
Importance of Water and Plants
Water and plants are so essential to life and are the main motivation to the initiation and construction
of this project. Therefore, it is appropriate to mention their importance. The following sub-chapters
discus the importance of water and plants.
2.1.1
Importance of Water
‘Water is life’ is a common saying and this is universally acclaimed. Water is the most
important natural resource in the world over.
Figure 2.1. A waterfall. [4]
Figure 2.1 shows a beautiful waterfall
5
The importance of water is so great that it has been given credence by the following statements:
1. Living things depend on water but water does not depend on living things; it has a life
of its own. [5]
2. Water is an integral part of the natural environment and the habitat for many forms of
life, be it human, animal and plant. [6]
3. Water is earth’s eye, looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own
nature. [7]
4. Water’s importance on earth is therefore undeniable for human beings and is
increasingly so as water is becoming increasingly scarce in major parts of the world.
[8]
5. Next to air, the other important requirement for human life to exist is water. The
importance of water in human life is so much that the development of any city of the
world has practically taken place near some source of water supply. Water is nature’s
gift to humans, and its availability in various forms such as rivers, lakes, streams, etc.,
solid, liquid and gas is basically important for human beings‟ comfort, luxury, and
various other necessities of life. [9]
2.1.2
Importance of Plants
Plants are living organisms which make their own energy by using photosynthesis. The
substance chlorophyll makes them green and enables them to absorb energy from the sun. To
thrive, plants require water and sun in combinations with the right pH-level, surrounding
temperature and nutrition. They need to be placed where these requirements are met. Plants
have rigid cell walls which makes them stable. [10]
6
Figure 2.2. A Monestera Thai Constellations Plant. [11]
Soil consists of the elements sand, silt, and clay. The clay particles are the smallest and the
sand particles are the largest. [12] The ratio of the three components affects the properties of
the soil. By changing the ratio, different properties can be achieved. Depending on the type of
plant you have, the soil needs to be adjusted accordingly.
There are pores between the soil particles, when these pores are completely filled with water
the soil is saturated. Volumetric water content, VWC, is used as a measurement for soil
moisture level. It is calculated as the volume of water to volume of soil percentage ratio. Field
capacity is the amount of water the soil can hold, the level of moisture after excess water has
drained away. At field capacity the plant growth is optimal, this is typically between VWC
20% for sandy soils and VWC 40% for clay soils [13]. Sandy soils are fast-draining, resulting
in dry soil. Since the Adiantum is to be kept in moist soil, clay soil was used. Clay soils have
a higher water-holding capacity and their ability to transport water from deeper layers through
capillary action is good. [14]
7
2.2
History of the Study
For some many past years, technology has been fascinating but nothing like what we are
experiencing currently. Several organizations and individual have made attempts in diverse
ways to counter the problem of getting water to spray farms automatically. This problem got
its solution after the first invention of the water pump in 1736 by H.A Wirtz which was driven
by the stream wheel in the Limmat river to raise water for a dye use. [2]
In 250 BC, in ancient Greece and Rome, they used a device called the Archimedean screw,
which was shaped like a giant screw. It worked by lifting water through the inside of the pump
for irrigation. The screw was turned by hand, and it usually took two workers to do so. Piston
pumps were also around in the same time period as the Archimedean screw. [2]
In 1580, the sliding vane pump was invented, followed shortly thereafter by the gear pump.
The piston vacuum pump came along in 1650. A Ural hydraulic machinery plant was built in
1738. This was the first instance of automated pump machinery. It would take a few more
years, but in 1790, Thomas Simpson would establish the first pump business in London. [2]
The following years were a whirlwind of new companies, including Grundfos in 1945. It would
be until 1948 when more serious advances were made, when Stenberg-Flygt AB designed the
first submersible drainage pump. [9]
2.3
Review of Related Works
Several organizations and individual have made attempts in diverse ways to counter the
problem of getting water to spray farms automatically. Therefore, there is the need to appreciate
the previous works of individuals.
8
2.3.1
Automated irrigation system using solar power in Bangladesh
The gadget specializes in rice fields in nations depending on agriculture within the economy,
such as Bangladesh. The primary concept in this gadget is to cognizance on the level of water
in agricultural fields because those fields lose lots of their merchandise due to floods. The
sensor sends a message from the field to the person approximately the extent of water within
the area if it will increase or decreases then the operator controls the pump to regulate or flip
off the telephone. The blessings of this machine are that it depends on the sun energy to get
hold of electricity. The dangers of this system are that it centred on one sort of sensor, the water
stage sensor, no matter whether the plant desires water or not. There may be no opportunity
source of energy in case there is no solar electricity to run the device. [15]
2.3.2
Design and implementation of an Automatic irrigation system in Nigeria
In this machine the basic idea is to rely on the type of soil and the amount of water needed by
each type of soil. This process is done by measuring the level of moisture in each type and
using the pump to supply water. The result indicates that sandy soil requires less water than
clay soils. The blessings of this device are to focus on soil moisture and water conservation.
But making the machine much less powerful is to measure the moisture of soil from one
location in the agricultural land. It’s far viable that the vegetation at the other end of the rural
land does no longer need watering. Also, the water source isn't constant. [16]
2.3.3
Automatic Plant irrigation system
This gadget works with two probes insert within the soil. When the soil is dry then the probes
will now not behaviour and while the soil is wet then the probes will behaviour. Thy used HEX
inverter and this offers the complement output for its input, i.e., whilst the enter is high it offers
low output. the running of the 2 probes in the soil relies upon on the resistance for instance if
the resistance is high manner the soil is dry and whilst the soil is wet then the resistance is low
and the voltage given to the two probes is given from the battery linked to the circuit. [17]
9
2.3.4
GSM based Automatic Irrigation Control System for Efficient Use of Resources
and Crop Planning by Using an Android Mobile in India
This device works by using Bluetooth or GSM. This device is placed in the agricultural land.
The idea of this device is to monitor the humidity and temperature in the agricultural land in
addition to monitoring the state of the climate through the temperature of the weather and
humidity and dew drops after the device to send a text message to the user's machine. [18]
2.3.5
Sensor-based Automatic Irrigation System
This system also depends on the measurement of soil humidity and temperature. The system
works by sending a signal from farm controller to user phone and the phone must be in
automatic reply in case that soil needs water. a signal from phone send to farm controller again
to switch on or off the system.
Step 1: Start the process.
Step 2: Initialize power is supplied to GSM.
Step 3: Check the moisture level (less than or more than).
Step 4: If the level will be more than fixed criteria, no Need for irrigation.
Step 5: If the Moisture level is less than fixed criteria, start irrigation.
Step 6: Initialization of pump and rain gun.
Step 7: After the process completed, it moves to the original state.
Step 8: Stop the process.
I think the only disadvantage of this study is that it works with Wi-Fi. Often agricultural land
is far from the city so the network is not good in these areas. Also, this system needs to enter
the farmer via his phone. [15]
2.3.6
Smart Irrigation System using Arduino
This system makes a specialty of the proper distribution of insecticides in agricultural land to fight the
sickness. This machine includes flora linked to the sensor and an analytical device. The multi-sensor is
10
an aggregate of a temperature sensor, humidity sensor, motion sensor, light sensor, vibrating sensor,
and UV sensor. An analytical device which functions to analyse a pattern for the presence of a particular
compound is referred to as a sensor. The moisture and pH value detected by way of the multi-sensor is
taken by interfacing Arduino which is exceeded to the farmer’s mobile the usage of GSM. [19]
2.3.7
Automatic Irrigation System for Sensing Soil Moisture Content
The aim of this study is also to develop a system that turns on and off the engine automatically
through moisture. On this consider, I failed to find out sufficient facts around the source of
water and the approach of controlling the withdrawal of water from the supply furthermore did
not discover enough information nearly the supply of power applied in this study. [20]
2.3.8
Identifying Soil Humidity Content by Automatic Irrigation Methods
An extraordinary plan is done on "Identifying Soil Humidity Content in Automatic Irrigation
Methods" is proposed in an effort to enhance an automatic irrigation strategy that controls the
pumping motorized via turn it the machine On or Off due to detecting the moisture quantity of
the soil. Proved that using automated irrigation techniques enables to minimize the mistakes of
operation due to employees and apply suitably automated irrigation to the agriculture field.
This project conveys by Arduino board called (ATmega328 micro-controller), which is
assemble input sign of variable moisture conditions via special moisture sensing method. The
project illustrates that water can be controlled and corrected in the amount of usage in crops by
using a moisture sensor, to protect the valuable soil and to maintain the quantity of water
needed for crops irrigation.
Vagulabranan, Karthikeyan, and Sasikala applied an automation irrigation machine based on
sensing of soil moisture. This study focused on the development of an automatic device through
the operation of the pump in a manner depending on the level of soil moisture. the use of
programmed irrigation scheme on this prototype on detecting soil humidity content material
inside the agricultural subject makes irrigation quick and more correct. whereas, difficulties
11
confronted in measuring dry soil and water fields may be solved. This automatic irrigation
application for this assignment is to store farmers’ time. further, it covers the needed for person
inside the agricultural discipline. also, this challenge may be utilized in greenhouses to cowl
farmers location. [21]
2.4
Theory of the Study
Almost every Electrical or Electronics project consists of a circuit which cannot be without
both the hardware and software components and this solar powered automatic irrigation system
is not an exception. Therefore, there is the need to appreciate the components that make up the
hardware and the programming codes that make up the software as well.
2.4.1
Composition of the Hardware
The hardware aspect of this project consists of the following; ATMEL ATmega328pu
microcontroller chip, a 16MHz crystal and 2x22PF capacitors to enhance the speed and
performance of the ATmega328pu microcontroller, a 9v batter to serve power to the
microcontroller board with an L7805CV 5v voltage regulator to maintain the voltage from the
9v batter at 5v, an ICQMCU 3pin soil moisture sensor to read the level of the moisture content
present in the soil, a 16x2 LCD display with I2C module to show the active status of the system
at every particular instance, a 5v dc submersible pump to spray water to the plants, a 1-channel
5v relay module which serve as a switch to either turn the pump on or off, a 12v solar panel to
serve power to the submersible pump with a 9v rechargeable battery to store power from the
solar panel and an L7805CV 5v voltage regulator to maintain the voltage from the solar panel
at 5v, LEDs, 2.2k ohms resistors and lastly, a 10k ohms resistors.
2.4.1.1 ATmega328p Microcontroller
The ATMEGA328P is a popular microcontroller due to it being a major component in the
Arduino board products. The ATMEGA328P is the 8-bit RISC heart of the Arduino Uno and
Nano, with a maximum clock frequency of 20MHz, 32KB program FLASH, and 2KB of RAM.
12
The ATMEGA328P contains many on-board peripherals, including UART, SPI, timers, ADC,
comparators, and a watchdog, and is housed in a 28-DIP package which enables designers to
easily prototype their designs before committing to surface mount technology. With a
temperature range of -40°C to 105°C and voltage range of 1.8V to 5.5V, the ATMEGA328
truly is a versatile, cost-effective microcontroller. [22] To enhance the speed and performance
of the ATMEGA328P microcontroller, 2 of 22PF capacitors and a 16MHz crystal is connected
to it. Figure 2.3 shows examples of the 16MHz crystal and ATMEGA328P microcontroller.
Figure 2.3. ATmega328pu microcontroller and 16MHz crystal. [25]
2.4.1.2 Soil Moisture Sensor
Soil
moisture
sensors measure
the
volumetric water
content in soil. Since
the
direct gravimetric measurement of free-soil moisture requires removing, drying, and weighing
of a sample, soil moisture sensors measure the volumetric water content indirectly by using
some other property of the soil, such as electrical resistance, dielectric constant, or interaction
with neutrons, as a proxy for the moisture content. The relation between the measured property
and soil moisture must be calibrated and may vary depending on environmental factors such
as soil type, temperature, or electric conductivity. Reflected microwave radiation is affected by
the soil moisture and is used for remote sensing in hydrology and agriculture. Portable probe
instruments can be used by farmers or gardeners. Soil moisture sensors typically refer to
sensors that estimate volumetric water content. Another class of sensors measure another
13
property of moisture in soils called water potential; these sensors are usually referred to as soil
water potential sensors and include tensiometers and gypsum blocks. [2]
Figure 2.4. Calibrated soil moisture sensor.
2.4.1.3 16x2 LCD Display with I2c Module
An LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen is an electronic display module and has a wide range
of applications. A 16x2 LCD display is very basic module and is very commonly used in
various devices and circuits. A 16x2 LCD means it can display 16 characters per line and there
are 2 such lines. In this LCD each character is displayed in 5x7 pixel matrix. The 16 x 2
intelligent alphanumeric dot matrix display is capable of displaying 224 different characters
and symbols. This LCD has two registers, namely, Command and Data. The Command register
stores various commands given to the display. Data register stores data to be displayed. The
process of controlling the display involves putting the data that form the image of what you
want to display into the data registers, then putting instructions in the instruction register. In
your Arduino project Liquid Crystal Library simplifies this for you so you don't need to know
the low-level instructions. Contrast of the display can be adjusted by adjusting the
potentiometer to be connected across VEE pin. [17] The I2C module is programmed to receive
4 input pins from the microcontroller and transmit 16 output pins to the LCD display.
14
Figure 2.5. LCD screen with I2C module.
2.4.1.4 1-Channel 5v Relay Module
5V Relay Module is a relay interface board, it can be controlled directly by a wide range of
microcontrollers such as Arduino, AVR, PIC, ARM and so on. It uses a low-level triggered
control signal (3.3-5VDC) to control the relay. Triggering the relay operates the normally open
or normally closed contacts. It is frequently used in an automatic control circuit. To put it
simply, it is an automatic switch to control a high-current circuit with a low-current signal. 5V
relay signal input voltage range, 0-5V. VCC power to the system. JD-VCC relay in the power
supply. JD-VCC and VCC can be a shorted. [17]
Figure 2.6. 1-Channel relay module.
2.4.1.5 5VDC Submersible Pump
A submersible pump (or electric submersible pump (ESP)) is a device which has a hermetically
sealed motor close-coupled to the pump body. The whole assembly is submerged in the fluid
15
to be pumped. The main advantage of this type of pump is that it prevents pump cavitation, a
problem associated with a high elevation difference between the pump and the fluid surface.
Submersible pumps push fluid to the surface, rather than jet pumps, which create a vacuum and
rely upon atmospheric pressure. Submersibles use pressurized fluid from the surface to drive a
hydraulic motor downhole, rather than an electric motor, and are used in heavy oil applications
with heated water as the motive fluid. [17]
Figure 2.7. 5VDC Submersible pump.
2.4.1.6 6x2V Solar Panel
A solar cell panel, solar electric panel, photo-voltaic (PV) module or solar panel is an assembly
of photo-voltaic cells mounted in a framework for installation. Solar panels use sunlight as a
source of energy to generate direct current electricity. A collection of PV modules is called a
PV panel, and a system of PV panels is called an array. Arrays of a photovoltaic
system supply solar electricity to electrical equipment. Photovoltaic modules use light energy
(photons) from the Sun to generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect. Most modules
use wafer-based crystalline silicon cells or thin-film cells. The structural (load carrying)
member of a module can be either the top layer or the back layer. Cells must be protected from
mechanical damage and moisture. Most modules are rigid, but semi-flexible ones based on
thin-film cells are also available. The cells are usually connected electrically in series, one to
another to the desired voltage, and then in parallel to increase current. The power (in watts) of
16
the module is the mathematical product of the voltage (in volts) and the current (in amperes)
of the module. The manufacturing specifications on solar panels are obtained under standard
condition, which is not the real operating condition. [17]
Figure 2.8. 12V Solar panel.
2.4.1.8 TTL to USB Converter
The TTL-USB Serial convertor and cables are a range of USB to serial converter cables which
provide connectivity between USB and serial UART interfaces. A range of cables are available
offering connectivity at 5V, 3.3V or user specified signal level with various connector
interfaces. All cables feature an FTDI FT232R device integrated within the cable USB type
‘A’ connector, which provides access to UART Transmit (Tx), Receive (Rx), Reset (RST),
CTS, VCC(5V) and Ground (GND) connections. All cables are fully RoSH compliant and are
FCC/CE approved. [23]
Figure 2.9. TTL to USB convertor
17
2.4.2
Software Component
All the hardware components mentioned in the sub-chapter above are controlled by the
ATmega328pu microcontroller chip. This Arduino has a complementing software programme,
where the coding and programming takes place. The programming software employed in this
programme is the Arduino IDE (1.8.19).
The Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a cross-platform application (for
Windows, MacOS, Linux) written in the Java programming language. It is used to write in the
java programming language. It is used to write and load programs on the Arduino board. The
source code for the IDE is published under the GNU General Public License, version 2. The
Arduino IDE supports the C and C ++ language using special code structuring rules (Souza et
al., 2017). The Arduino IDE provides a software library of the wiring project, which provides
many input and output procedures. [24]
The open-source Arduino Software (IDE) makes it easy to write codes and upload them on the
board. This software can be used with any Arduino board.
18
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.0
Introduction
The chapter seeks to discuss the detailed presentation of each component used in the building
of this project and also the methodology and topology of bringing all these components
together as one functioning system. The chapter includes the block diagram of the system, a
detailed elaboration of each hardware and software component and sub-system used, and
finally, the step-by-step interconnection of each of the individual components.
3.1
System Block Diagram
A block diagram is a diagram of a system in which the principal parts or functions are
represented by blocks connected by lines that show the relationship of the blocks. This is
usually employed in engineering in hardware design, electronic design, and process flow
diagrams. Below is the block diagram of this project.
Figure 3.1. Block diagram of the automated solar-powered irrigation system.
19
As shown in Figure 3.1, the operation of the system begins when the soil moisture sensor reads
the moisture content of the soil. The sensor sends the recorded value to the ATmega328pu
microcontroller which sends a signal to the LCD display and the relay module at the same time.
The LCD display prints a text on the screen indicating whether there is moisture in the soil or
not and also whether the pump is on or not. For example; “Pump is: ON”, “Pump is: OFF”,
“Moisture Level: HIGH”, “Moisture Level: LOW.” The relay module, which acts as a switch,
receives a signal from the microcontroller to either turn the pump on or off. The dc pump is
interconnected between the relay module and the solar panel which is the main energy source
for the pump.
3.2
Hardware Specifications and Interfacing
In this sub-chapter, the reason why specific components were chosen will be discussed and
later, how they are interfaced with the microcontroller. The idea is to build a fully functioning
automated solar-powered irrigation system and to do this, electronic components must be
chosen very carefully and to ensure that all the chosen components are interfaced correctly with
the microcontroller. The following are the various hardware components, their specifications
and individual connections to the microcontroller.
3.2.1
ATmega328pu Microcontroller
The ATMEGA328P is the 8-bit RISC heart of the Arduino Uno and Nano, with a maximum
clock frequency of 20MHz, 32KB program FLASH, and 2KB of RAM. The ATMEGA328P
contains many on-board peripherals, including UART, SPI, timers, ADC, comparators, and a
watchdog, and is housed in a 28-DIP package which enables designers to easily prototype their
designs before committing to surface mount technology. With a temperature range of -40°C to
105°C and voltage range of 1.8V to 5.5V, the ATMEGA328 truly is a versatile, cost-effective
microcontroller. Figure 3.2 shows a sample image of the microcontroller.
20
An alternative for the ATmega328pu is the whole Arduino UNO R3. The ATmega328pu was
selected because it is less expensive and takes up lesser space in the packaging.
Figure 3.2. ATmega328pu microcontroller. [25]
3.2.1.1 ATmega328pu Pin Configuration
The ATmega328pu has 28 pins and each pin has a special task it carries. Figure 3.3 shows the
labelling of all the pins and Table 3.1 shows the description and functions of the pins.
Figure. 3.3. ATmega328pu pinout diagram. [26]
21
Table 3.1. ATmega328pu pinout description.
ATMEGA328PU PIN
DESCRIPTION
VCC
Digital supply voltage
GND
Ground
PC6
Reset
PD0
RXD
PD1
TXD
PB6
Crystal 1
PB7
Crystal 2
AREF
Analog reference
Though the Arduino UNO uses the ATmega328pu as microcontroller which has 28 pins, the
layout of their pinouts is different. Table 3.2 show the pinouts of the ATmega328pu
microcontroller and their corresponding pins on the Arduino UNO.
Table 3.2. Pinouts of the ATmega328pu and their corresponding Arduino UNO pins.
ATMEGA328PU ARDUINO UNO
ATMEGA328PU ARDUINO UNO
1
Reset
15
Digital pin 9
2
Digital pin 0 (RX)
16
Digital pin 10
3
Digital pin 1 (TX)
17
Digital pin 11
4
Digital pin 2
18
Digital pin 12
5
Digital pin 3
19
Digital pin 13
6
Digital pin 4
20
VCC
7
VCC
21
AREF
22
8
GND
22
GND
9
Crystal 1
23
Analog input 0
10
Crystal 2
24
Analog input 1
11
Digital pin 5
25
Analog input 2
12
Digital pin 6
26
Analog input 3
13
Digital pin 7
27
Analog input 4
14
Digital pin 8
28
Analog input 5
3.2.1.2 ATmega328pu Setup
Every ATmega328pu microcontroller runs on a speed of 8MHz. To increase its speed and
improve its performance, it has to be coupled with 2x22PF capacitors, a 16MHz crystal and a
10uF capacitor. the speed and performance enhancement of the microcontroller on the Arduino
UNO has already been catered for on the board. To use the ATmega328pu microcontroller
independently as used in this project, it is therefore necessary to couple it with 2x22PF
capacitors, a 16MHz crystal and a 10uF capacitor. Figure 3.4 shows how these components are
connected.
23
Figure 3.4. Circuit diagram of ATmega328pu microcontroller connected with 2x22PF
capacitors, 16MHz crystal, reset push button and a 10kꭥ. [27]
3.2.2
Soil Moisture Sensor
Soil
moisture
sensors measure
the
volumetric water
content in soil. Since
the
direct gravimetric measurement of free-soil moisture requires removing, drying, and weighing
of a sample, soil moisture sensors measure the volumetric water content indirectly by using
some other property of the soil, such as electrical resistance, dielectric constant, or interaction
with neutrons, as a proxy for the moisture content. Figure 3.4 shows a sample image of the soil
moisture sensor.
24
Figure 3.5. Soil moisture sensor, drawn with proteus.
3.2.2.1 Parts of the Soil Moisture Sensor
The soil moisture sensor consists of two main parts; the main sensor and the control board.
Sensor part of the soil moisture sensor consists of a couple of conductive probs that can be used
to measure the volumetric content of water in soil. The control board mainly consists of LM393
IC, which is a voltage comparator. The board also consists of other components like LED,
resistors, and connectors to measure the soil moisture. Figure 3.6 shows the diagram of the
parts of the soil moisture sensor.
25
Figure 3.6. Diagram of the parts of the soil moisture sensor, drawn with paint.
3.2.2.2 Soil Moisture Sensor Setup
The sensor part of the soil moisture sensor has two pins which are connected to the control
board. The control board has three output pins; VCC, GND and the signal pin, which are
connected to the microcontroller. Table 3.3 shows the connection of the soil moisture sensor
pins to the microcontroller and Figure 3.7 shows the diagram of connection of the soil moisture
sensor pins to the ATmega328pu.
Table 3.3. Connection of the soil moisture sensor pins to the microcontroller.
SOIL MOISTURE SENSOR PIN
ATMEGA328PU
VCC
Pin 7 (VCC)
GND
Pin 8 (GND)
Signal
Pin 22 (Analog pin A0)
26
Figure 3.7. Diagram of connection of the soil moisture sensor pins to the ATmega328pu.
3.2.3
16x2 Lcd Screen with I2c Module
The Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) uses transistor at each end to produce energized current on
a crystallize layers. Then 16 x 2 liquid crystal display has an LED backlight and can display
two rows with up to 16 characters on each row. The rectangles for each character and the pixels
that make up each character can be clearly seen on the display. The display is just white or blue
and is intended for showing text. The 16 x 2 LCD was selected because it uses the low
consumption of power and also, it is super-twisted system which is a type of monochrome
passive-matrix display. It also supports 4-bit or 8-bit system interface and can display a clear
16 characters on each of the two rows. It has a very high efficiency range of DC power supply
with a tolerance of 10%. Figure 3.8 show the image of the LCD screen and the pin diagram of
the LCD.
27
Figure 3.8. Image and pin diagram of LCD screen.
3.2.3.1 16x2 Lcd Pinout Description
The 16x2 LCD screen has 16 pinouts and each of the pins has its own function or purpose.
Table 3.4 shows the various pins and their respective descriptions.
Table 3.4. Description of LCD pins.
LCD PIN
DESCRIPTION
D0 to D3
Input/output 4 lines of low order data bus. Bi-directional transfer of
data between microcontroller unit and module is done through these
lines. In 4bit operation, these are not used and should be grounded.
28
DB4 to DB7
Input/output 4 lines of low order data bus. Bi-directional transfer of
data between microcontroller unit and module is done through these
lines. In 4bit operation, these are not used and should be grounded
VSS
Power Supply 0V (GND)
VCC
Power Supply +5V
VEE
Power Supply terminal for LCD drive power source.
RS
Input microcontroller unit Register Select.
R/W
Input microcontroller unit Signal to select Read or Write
E
Input microcontroller unit Enable - Operation start signal for data
read/write
3.2.3.2 LCD I2C Module
I2C Module has an inbuilt PCF8574 I2C chip that converts I2C serial data to parallel data for
the LCD display. These modules are currently supplied with a default I2C address of either
0x27 or 0x3F. To determine which version, you must check the black I2C adaptor board on the
underside of the module. If there are 3 sets of pads labelled A0, A1, & A2, then the default
address will be 0x3F. If there are no pads the default address will be 0x27. The module has a
contrast adjustment pot on the underside of the display. This may require adjusting for the
screen to display text correctly. Figure 3.9 shows a sample image of the I2C module.
Figure 3.9. LCD I2C module.
29
3.2.3.3 LCD and I2C Setup
The LCD has 16 input pins, as shown in Table 3.4, which are connected to the 16 output pins
of the I2C module. The I2C has 4 input pins; VCC, GND, SDA and SCL. These are the input
pins connected to the microcontroller. Table 3.5 shows how the 4 input pins of the I2C module
are connected to the microcontroller and Figure 3.10 shows the connection of I2C module to
the ATmega328pu microcontroller.
Table 3.5. Connection of I2C module pins to the microcontroller.
I2C MODULE PIN
ATMEGA328PU
VCC
Pin 7 (VCC)
GND
Pin 8 (GND)
SDA
Pin 27 (Analog pin 4)
SCL
Pin 28 (Analog pin 5)
Figure 3.10. Connection of I2C module pins to the microcontroller.
30
3.2.3
1-Channel 5v Relay Module
5V Relay Module is a relay interface board, it can be controlled directly by a wide range of
microcontrollers such as Arduino, AVR, PIC, ARM and so on. It uses a low-level triggered
control signal (3.3-5VDC) to control the relay. Triggering the relay operates the normally open
or normally closed contacts. It is frequently used in an automatic control circuit. To put it
simply, it is an automatic switch to control a high-current circuit with a low-current signal. 5V
relay signal input voltage range, 0-5V. VCC power to the system. JD-VCC relay in the power
supply. JD-VCC and VCC can be a shorted.
Figure 3.11. 1-Channel 5V relay module.
3.2.3.1 Relay Module Pinout Description
The 1-channel relay module has 3 input pins and 3 output terminals. The 3 input pins are; signal
pin, VCC pin and GND pin, which are connected to the ATmega328pu microcontroller. The 3
output terminals are; normally open (NO), common (com) and normally close (NC). These
terminals are the switching parts of the relay which are connected to the load which needs
switching. Table 3.6 shows all the input pins and output terminals of the relay module.
31
Table 3.6. Description of relay module pins.
RELAY PIN
DESCRIPTION
Signal pin
It is utilized to control the hand-off. This pin can be dynamic low
or dynamic high. In the event of dynamic low, the hand-off will
actuate when we apply a functioning low sign to the sign pin.
Despite what is generally expected, on account of a functioning
high, the hand-off will actuate when we apply a functioning high
sign to the sign pin. Be that as it may, typically, these modules
work on a functioning high sign. This sign will invigorate the
transfer loop to connect with the normal terminal with the
typically open terminal
VCC
As its name recommends, it's anything but a 5V transfer. That
implies it requires 5V DC to work. Subsequently, associate the 5v
DC power supply to this pin
GND
Connect it with the ground terminal of 5V force supply. Besides,
in the event that you are driving a transfer module with a
microcontroller, additionally associate this pin with the ground
terminal of the microcontroller
Normally open (NO)
This pin is typically open except if we apply an initiation sign to
the sign pin of the 5V single channel hand-off module. For this
situation, the COM pin breaks its association with the NC pin and
makes an association with the NO pin
Normally close (NC)
As the name of the regularly close terminal recommends, it is
ordinarily associated with the COM pin and structures a shut
32
circuit. However, this typically shut association breaks when the
hand-off is initiated by applying a functioning high or dynamic
low sign to the sign pin of the transfer module from a
microcontroller
Common (COM)
Common is an intermediary terminal between the N0 and NC
3.2.3.2 Relay Module Setup
The 3 input pins of the relay connect to the ATmega328pu microcontroller. These pins are;
VCC, GND and the signal pin. Table 3.7 shows the interfacing of the relay module with the
ATmega328pu and Figure 3.12 shows a diagram of how the relay module is connected to the
ATmega328pu microcontroller.
Table 3.7. Interfacing of the relay module with the ATmega328pu.
RELAY MODULE PIN
ATMEGA328PU
VCC
Pin 7 (VCC)
GND
Pin 8 (GND)
Signal pin
Pin 13 (Digital pin 7)
33
Figure 3.12. Diagram of relay module connected to the ATmega328pu microcontroller.
3.3
Software Development
All the hardware components mentioned in the sub-chapter above are controlled by the
ATmega328pu microcontroller chip. This Arduino has a complementing software programme,
where the coding and programming takes place. The programming software employed in this
programme is the Arduino IDE (1.8.19).
The Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a cross-platform application (for
Windows, MacOS, Linux) written in the Java programming language. It is used to write in the
java programming language. It is used to write and load programs on the Arduino board. The
source code for the IDE is published under the GNU General Public License, version 2. The
Arduino IDE supports the C and C ++ language using special code structuring rules. The
Arduino IDE provides a software library of the wiring project, which provides many input and
output procedures. [24]
34
The open-source Arduino Software (IDE) makes it easy to write codes and upload them on the
board. This software can be used with any Arduino board. Figure 3.13 shows the sample of the
programming codes. See appendix for full codes.
Figure 3.13. Programming codes.
3.4
Principle of Operation
A soil moisture sensor is placed in the soil which measures the moisture content of the soil.
When the moisture content of the soil is low, the soil moisture sensor sends a signal to the
Arduino Uno through the I2C module. The Arduino Uno then sends a signal to the 16x2 LCD
Display through a I2C to display a message indicating a low soil moisture level. For example,
the LCD will display, “Moisture Level: LOW.” The Arduino UNO then sends a signal to the
1-channel 5v relay which acts as a switch to supply the 5v DC pump with voltage. When the
pump is turned on, a signal from the Arduino Uno is sent to the LCD to display a message
35
indicating that the pump is on. For example, “Pump is ON.” The pump pumps water to spray
the plants until the soil is well moisturised according to a pre-set value. Then the soil moisture
sensor sends a signal to the Arduino to stop the pump. The LCD then display a message
indicating that the soil moisture level is high and that the pump is off. For example, “Moisture
Level: HIGH.” And “Pump is OFF.” And all this will be powered by solar energy. Figure 3.14
shows a complete circuit diagram of the system.
Figure 3.14. Complete circuit diagram of the automated irrigation system.
36
CHAPTER FOUR
TESTING, RESULTS AND ANALYSIS
4.0
Introduction
This chapter of the project provides information about the design requirements, design
implementation, testing of the product and demonstration of the output functionality of the
artifact construction. A real focus on converting the design ideas into a prototype is manifested
in this chapter. The research method adopted in the previous chapter, provided a means of
implementing the design on a software platform to achieve key findings and design lapses
which will help me in the practical implementation. In addition to the main research point, the
chapter provides much information about how to interact with the design and the environment
which the user is. Limitations and other constrains through which the design was realized are
all shown in this section.
4.1
Testing
Based on the method used in designing this piece of work, it became necessary for it to be
tested and evaluated according to engineering characteristics. The outcome of the circuit was
therefore simulated using Proteus Professional 8.1 software before the hardware construction.
Following the steps involved in the circuit drawings, individual components with reference to
the characteristics. With the help of the microcontroller-based Arduino platform of the
software, the circuit was simulated according to the irrigation duration and soil dryness to give
out a better automatic irrigation of the field. As seen in the circuit, experiment verifies that the
two push buttons A & B initialize the system either to operate on vegetables mode or cereals
mode respectively.
37
4.2
Test Results
Table 4:1. Results of the test.
No
Component
Output Voltage
1
Solar Panel
Cloudy Weather: 10V
Clear Weather: 12.3V
2
Charge Controller
Minimum: 6.5V
Maximum: 18V
3
Battery
11.1V
4
Voltage Regulator (LM7805)
5.01V
5
Moisture Sensor Update Time
5 seconds
6
DC Pump
5V
4.3
Analysis
Table 4.1 above shows the various test results obtained after the system was tested in a field.
The moisture sensor from the test of ordinary water when fully immersed reads 100% and
reduces in percentage when gradually withdrawn from the water and finally settle at 0% when
completely removed from the water. In a dry soil, the moisture sensor records 0% content of
water, but reads the water content value in the soil immediately I began watering the dry soil
while the sensor was in the soil.
38
The system updates to changes in moisture content values on the display based on the set time
(i.e., 5 seconds) but in the update process, the system records constant values continually when
there is no significant change in the soil content. These responds time can be varied or altered
to suit the systems application.
Table 4:2. Moisture percentage appropriate for some vegetables and cereals.
CROPS
VEGETABLES
CEREALS
MOISTURE
AVERAGE
CONTENT IN
MOISTURE
PERCENTAGE
PERCENTAGE
CABBAGE
75.5%
CARROT
65.5%
TOMATO
70%
RICE
15%
MAIZE
13.5%
WHEAT
14.5%
70%
15%
After the experiment, I observed that when button A (for vegetables) is pushed the pump
operates between 0% and 69% whiles when button B (for Cereals) is pushed the pump operates
from 0% to 14% of moisture level ranges respectively. Within these ranges of moisture
percentage, the sensing component (moisture sensor) feeds a signal to start the pump.
The main functional requirement on the user point of view is that, flexibility of the system must
be attained, the installation of the system, and the system settings during the installation phase
it was made much friendly by providing simple menu directions on the LCD display. Priority
39
settings on phases for desired operation of the system were left as a user choice for flexibility’s
sake.
40
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1
Conclusion
The solar powered automatic irrigation system has been design, implemented and tested
successfully, in accordance to the characteristic features of all the hardware components used.
Step-by-step procedures were carefully observed in assembling all the units embedded in the
control of the entire system to ensure effective operating condition. The overall aim of
developing a more efficient, cheap, and productive irrigation system capable of helping both
small- and large-scale farmers to carry out their farming practices as well as efficiently
contributing to a higher production of agricultural products with lower cost, thereby making
the industry to be more competitive and sustainable, have been actualized.
Finally, the system was organized in a hardware model, tested, and submitted to the lab for
further evaluations, analysis and other studies by future students and technicians of the same
field of study.
5.2
Recommendations
As a research work for academics’ purposes, the full realization of the circuit and packaging
was made simple and moderate in size to expose it to better understanding and analysis during
its presentation. This project is recommended to local farmers and at large to the ministry of
agriculture (Ghana) for a method of flexible control of soil irrigation.
In addition, this project is recommended to farmers planting various crops thus, practicing mix
cropping since the appropriate moisture content of the field is displayed on the LCD that suits
more than a crop. The Arduino platform can be programmed such that it makes provisions for
41
more push buttons to be added and thereby give the farmer the choice to alter the operation of
the pump according to the desired crop selected (e.g., tubers, tree plants, shrubs etc.)
5.3
Suggestions for Future Works
1. The entire project was powered using only solar energy but I realized that there can be
multiple sources to secure the system in continuous operation.
2. In the case of a large field, more than one sensor can be situated within well verified
positions in order to have accurate irrigating of the field.
42
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APPENDIX
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,16,2);
const int sensorPin=0;
const int limitHigh=650;
const int limitLow=400;
int pumpON_led = 9;//green
int pumpOFF_led = 8;//red
int relayPin = 7;
int delayTime = 1000;
int delayIntro = 10000;
void setup() {
// put your setup code here, to run once:
pinMode(pumpON_led, OUTPUT);
pinMode(pumpOFF_led, OUTPUT);
pinMode(relayPin, OUTPUT);
lcd.init();
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lcd.clear();
lcd.backlight();
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
lcd.print("Automated Solar");
lcd.setCursor(0,1);
lcd.print("Irigation System");
delay(delayIntro);
}
void loop() {
// put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
int value;
value=analogRead(sensorPin);
if (value > limitHigh)
{
digitalWrite(relayPin, LOW);
digitalWrite(pumpON_led, LOW);
digitalWrite(pumpOFF_led, HIGH);
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lcd.setCursor(0,0);
lcd.print("MoistLevel: HIGH");
lcd.setCursor(0,1);
lcd.print(" Pump is: OFF ");
delay(delayTime);
}
else if (value > limitLow && value < limitHigh)
{
digitalWrite(relayPin, HIGH);
digitalWrite(pumpON_led, HIGH);
digitalWrite(pumpOFF_led, LOW);
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
lcd.print("MoistLevel: MID ");
lcd.setCursor(0,1);
lcd.print(" Pump is: ON ");
delay(delayTime);
}
else
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{
digitalWrite(relayPin, HIGH);
digitalWrite(pumpON_led, HIGH);
digitalWrite(pumpOFF_led, LOW);
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
lcd.print("MoistLevel: LOW ");
lcd.setCursor(0,1);
lcd.print(" Pump is: ON ");
delay(delayTime);
}
}
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