(FYP 2) Week 4 - Workshop 2 (Thesis Briefing) & Coding Testing for Components that Interface with Microcontroller

This week, the project development continued with basic coding tests for each component that interfaces with the microcontroller, including input sensors and output components such as the OLED display, LED, buzzer, GSM, and DC fan for the air purifier system. For the sensor components, calibration was necessary to ensure accurate data readings. Reference coding was explored from examples within the Arduino IDE and through web browsing to determine how to obtain the correct values for each sensor used. After conducting several tests, only a few components functioned properly. However, components such as the OLED display, GSM module, MQ135 air quality sensor, and LM393 sound sensor experienced some issues with their outputs.

Regarding the GSM module, the test to send an SMS message to a specified number in the code was unsuccessful, despite the GSM signal integrated with the microcontroller indicating that the SMS was being sent. However, it still needs to be received by the specified number. As for the OLED display problem, initially, I used a 1.3-inch I2C OLED display, but it didn't display as expected. However, I identified that the OLED display version used a different driver than the commonly known and widely used SSD1306-driven OLED displays. The 1.3-inch OLED display used the SH1106 driver, while the opposite version used the SSD1306 driver and had a size of 0.96 inches. Therefore, I searched for the library for that particular OLED display version online since it wasn't available in the Arduino IDE. After obtaining the library and testing the example code for that OLED display version, the output still couldn't be displayed. Consequently, I switched to the slightly smaller 0.96-inch version, and the output from this version was successfully displayed as expected.

For the MQ135 and LM393 tests, output components such as LEDs and the OLED display were used to visualize the readings and status measured by the sensors. The test results showed that the readings from both sensors were unstable, inaccurate, and somewhat sensitive to the surrounding environment, even though the potentiometer on both sensors was set to be less sensitive. The main issue with the LM393 was its inability to indicate specific sound strength values it measured. At the same time, the MQ135 couldn't identify the type of gas being measured since it can detect various hazardous gases. After researching these problems, I found that the MQ135 sensor needs to be preheated for 24 to 48 hours in a clean-air environment before use because it's crucial to stabilize the temperature and establish reliable guidelines, resulting in more accurate and consistent gas detection. As for the LM393, obtaining good strength values can still be achieved even though the sensor cannot. Here, coding plays a role, as the analog output measured by the sensor is read by the microcontroller, and the threshold needs to be manually set according to the project's requirements. The output will display good values as programmed, although the readings may need to be more precise.

Also, this week, a workshop 2 sessions was conducted online via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday at 2:30 PM. The session was held to provide briefing and guidance on thesis writing from Chapter 1 to Chapter 3.

(FYP 2) Week 3 - Meeting with Supervisor and Library Searching

This week, the development process of my FYP continued with the search for libraries in the Arduino IDE for certain project components. Finding libraries may seem easy, as they are usually available in the library manager of the Arduino IDE. However, the Arduino IDE only has some libraries required for some types of components worldwide. Some components only require a little effort to find their libraries in Arduino. In contrast, others can still be used even if no library is available. Some components do not have libraries in the library manager and must be manually downloaded through a web browser. Most of this project's components require libraries to ensure the effectiveness of their coding according to their respective libraries. Some components may not have libraries, but their coding only requires specifying the pin numbers connected to the microcontroller, with a few modifications in the code to ensure the component operates as programmed. Therefore, searching for libraries for certain project components was successfully carried out.

This week, I also met with my supervisor, Madam Azliza. I had a meeting to share the current progress update on my FYP. During the meeting, I provided the latest information on the development process of my FYP, as discussed in the previous meeting. I also shared the plans and suggestions for the upcoming week, and I mentioned that a new feature, an air purifier system, has been added to my FYP. This addition will keep the title of my FYP as it does not disrupt most of the project development process. 

(FYP 2) Week 2 - Workshop 1 (FYP Briefing) & Microcontroller Testing on Arduino IDE

This week, I started developing my FYP after the purchases were made last week. As a starting point, I attempted to connect the chosen microcontroller, the TTGO T-Call ESP32, with the Arduino IDE software to test its compatibility. During several attempts, the microcontroller failed to synchronise with the Arduino IDE. However, after researching, trying different board options in the Arduino IDE, and experimenting with basic coding, I eventually established a connection between the microcontroller and the Arduino IDE. The type of microcontroller also plays a role in determining the compatible version of the Arduino IDE, as some microcontrollers can synchronise with Arduino IDE 2.0 but not with Arduino IDE 1.8. Other than that, there is also a session on Wednesday from 2:30 to 4:30 this week. It was the first-semester workshop, and all students working on final-year projects were given a general briefing. During the workshop, the instructor discussed the procedure and all of the tasks that must be completed throughout this semester.

(FYP 2) Week 1 - Finding and Purchasing FYP Hardware Components

In the first week of this semester, I began the initial steps to develop my FYP (Final Year Project) by searching for components based on the design outlined in the proposal from the previous semester. I chose to make my purchases from an online electronic store. Therefore, I conducted a survey to identify which store had the most available components for my FYP. Based on the survey results, Cytron Technologies emerged as the online store with the most available components I needed, compared to other online electronic component stores. However, the NodeMCU ESP32 microcontroller was out of stock, so I had to choose its alternative, the TTGO T-Call ESP32 microcontroller with a built-in SIM800L GSM module. I purchased all the components, and they took three days to arrive at my home.