Description

You have been contracted to build a smart home control system for a new housing developer. This smart home system is part of the package for the home owners.

The developer has provided you with the floor plan of the designs, which are illustrated in Appendix A of this handout.

The system is expected to control the various devices in the house, through TCP/IP connections.

The system is required to have a central control keypad (usually located in the master bedroom and the main entrance to level 0) that will allow the user to key in the master PIN number to gain access to the control system.

Your system is required to interface with a table or database/file to store and retrieve the details of authorised people of the system.

The various devices that are controlled by your system are many, and have to include (at minimum) the following:

1.                  Curtains (open/close)

2.                  Television control (on/off, channel select, volume control, picture/attribute control).

3.                  Lights (on/off)

4.                  Master button for Doors, Windows and Lights.

5.                  Doors (open/close)

All devices in the house are equipped with motors/sensors that allow them to be controlled through a network (TCP/IP).

The television set will have a more complex set of functions since it has more parameters (switch on/off, volume control, picture adjustment, etc.) that can be changed.

You are expected to demonstrate creativity in develop an application using LabView prototype that can deal with the requirements of the developer as well as addressing (if necessary) any other aspects of control of the house’ devices the house.

Project Requirements

1.                  You are expected to produce with LabView programming language a prototype of the control system to be installed in the house. This prototype is required to have an appropriately designed front panel that can provide the user with a clear picture of what the system does.

2.                  Since this is a prototype, you are not expected to include hardware sensors/motors. You are to simulate the system by having appropriate “software sensors” included in your constructed prototype. However, some research is expected in your documentation that identifies the appropriate type of sensors that can work with the system. The prototype has to be designed with this in mind so that actual physical implementation in the future will be easy (prototype modifications must be minimal to accommodate these sensors).

3.                  As the targeted system is to be built in a networked environment, your system must be designed in two separate modules. The first module will be the main control unit, which will simulate the control keypad, device status (for example, through simple onscreen LEDs) and functions that the system can perform. The second module (a separate LabView) must be created to run on another PC and is to contain the diagrammatic illustration of all device’ status.

4.                  Since two modules are to be constructed, a high level protocol must be built to allow the main module to “interface” (or communicate) with the second module over TCP/IP. Due to the use of TCP/IP, sockets programming is required.

5.                  You are to work on the prototype individually.

6.                  You are permitted to make assumptions where necessary. These assumptions are expected to be logical and must be appropriate for the situation at hand.

7.                  There will be a presentation towards the submission date of the project. You are expected to demonstrate how your system is capable of addressing the requirements of the developer.

8.                  The submission of your project should entail the following items:

a.                   Main hardcopy documentation highlighting the following:

i.                    How the requirements have been addressed by the developing language.

ii.                  System Design.

iii.                Protocol Design (for the high level communication protocol between main module and second module).

iv.                What hardware sensors/devices can be implemented and how your prototype has been built to accommodate an easy transition from software based inputs/outputs to hardware based inputs/outputs.

b.                  Softcopy user guide that can explain how your system works. This will be based on your system application.

c.                   Softcopy of the application prototype system.