Difference between revisions of "S13: Solar Panel Tracker"

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(Parts List & Cost)
(Design & Implementation)
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=== Hardware Design ===
 
=== Hardware Design ===
Discuss your hardware design here. Show detailed schematics, and the interface here.
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The Solar Panel Sun Tracker consists of the following hardware:
 +
* Servo Motors / Servo Belts
 +
* Solar Panel
 +
* Photo resistors
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This section is responsible for inputting the appropriate ...//=======================
  
 
=== Hardware Interface ===
 
=== Hardware Interface ===

Revision as of 21:40, 17 May 2013

Grading Criteria

  • How well is Software & Hardware Design described?
  • How well can this report be used to reproduce this project?
  • Code Quality
  • Overall Report Quality:
    • Software Block Diagrams
    • Hardware Block Diagrams
      Schematic Quality
    • Quality of technical challenges and solutions adopted.

Project Title

Abstract

The objective of this project is to create a solar panel that tracks the sun. The project will consist of two stepper motors that control the position of the solar panels by using the photo resistors to detect the sun location.

Objectives & Introduction

Solar Panel Sun tracker uses the inputted voltage from photo resistors in order to adjust the position of the solar panel. The project uses and Analog to digital converter. The servo motors are controlled using a pulse; this controls the position of various angles. The servo uses in this project is a standard servo which can only position between 0 and 180 degrees.

The project required the following objectives to be accomplished:

  • Read the voltage from photo resistors
  • Control servo to move from 0 to 180 degrees
  • Compute the location which has the greatest light intensity
  • Determine algorithm to convert digital value into servo position


Team Members & Responsibilities

  • Arturo Montoya
    • Light Sensors (PWM driver) , Servo motor(ADC driver) , and Matrix (Spi driver)
  • Matthew Balhorn
    • FreeRTOS Software Design

Schedule

WeekPlanned TasksStatus

1

  • Order parts
  • Completed

2

  • Look over datasheet(s)
  • Test Servos
  • Design System Logics
  • Completed
  • Completed
  • Completed

3

  • Test Light-sensing circuit
  • Create System Schematics
  • Code Servo Task
  • Create Structure Design (Autodesk Inventor)
  • Completed
  • Completed
  • Completed
  • Completed

4

  • Code Light-sensing Task
  • Build/Machine Structure
  • Code Glue Logics (Directional Logic)
  • pending
  • pending
  • pending

5

  • Integrate system
  • Test System
  • Project report
  • pending
  • pending
  • pending

6

  • Finalize project
  • Finalize report
  • pending
  • pending

Parts List & Cost


Part QuuantityCostLink
LPC 1758 SJSU Dev Board 1 $60
180 Degree Servo 2 $25
Solar Panel 1 $15
LED Matrix 1 $25
Resistors 4 $.25
Photoresistors 4 $1.50
Jumper wires(x50) 1 $15
Servo belt 2 $2

Design & Implementation

The design section can go over your hardware and software design. Organize this section using sub-sections that go over your design and implementation.

Hardware Design

The Solar Panel Sun Tracker consists of the following hardware:

  • Servo Motors / Servo Belts
  • Solar Panel
  • Photo resistors

This section is responsible for inputting the appropriate ...//=======================

Hardware Interface

In this section, you can describe how your hardware communicates, such as which BUSes used. You can discuss your driver implementation here, such that the Software Design section is isolated to talk about high level workings rather than inner working of your project.

Software Design

Show your software design. For example, if you are designing an MP3 Player, show the tasks that you are using, and what they are doing at a high level. Do not show the details of the code. For example, do not show exact code, but you may show psuedocode and fragments of code. Keep in mind that you are showing DESIGN of your software, not the inner workings of it.

Servo Task
Light-sensing Task

Implementation

This section includes implementation, but again, not the details, just the high level. For example, you can list the steps it takes to communicate over a sensor, or the steps needed to write a page of memory onto SPI Flash. You can include sub-sections for each of your component implementation.

Testing & Technical Challenges

Describe the challenges of your project. What advise would you give yourself or someone else if your project can be started from scratch again? Make a smooth transition to testing section and described what it took to test your project.

Include sub-sections that list out a problem and solution, such as:

Wifi Connection Issues

Many wifi connection issues were encountered. To solve this problem, a dedicated task was created to re-connect to wifi if the connection was ever lost.

Conclusion

Conclude your project here. You can recap your testing and problems. You should address the "so what" part here to indicate what you ultimately learnt from this project. How has this project increased your knowledge?

Project Video

Upload a video of your project and post the link here.

Project Source Code

Send me your zipped source code and I will upload this to SourceForge and link it for you.

References

Acknowledgement

Any acknowledgement that you may wish to provide can be included here.

References Used

List any references used in project.

Appendix

You can list the references you used.