(FYP 2) Week 11 - Preparing FYP Poster for Demonstration Day Presentation & Workshop 4 (Technical Paper Preparation)

This week, I created my FYP poster for the upcoming presentation and demonstration day. The required size for the poster was A0. I created the poster using Canva, a web-based graphic design platform. Canva offers a user-friendly interface, pre-designed templates, and customizable elements, making it suitable for individuals with no design experience. The content of the FYP poster followed the guidelines provided by UniKL. It included an introduction, problem statement, objectives, methodology (including block diagrams and flowcharts), results, conclusion, and references. Once the poster was completed, my supervisor, Madam Azliza, reviewed it to ensure it was ready for printing and display during the presentation and demonstration day. After receiving approval from my supervisor, I proceeded to have the poster printed at Ali King Studio in Gombak. The printing process took only a few hours to complete. Additionally, on Wednesday of this week, I attended an online workshop 4 sessions via Microsoft Teams, which was organized explicitly for FYP 2 students. The workshop aimed to guide the writing of technical papers for the FYP. 

(FYP 2) Week 10 - Chapter 1 and 3 Modification, Chapter 4 (Result & Discussion) and 5 (Conclusion & Recommendation) Thesis Writing

This week, I shifted my focus to writing my FYP thesis after completing the project's stability testing and analyzing the results from the previous week. Significant changes and revisions were made to Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 due to modifications and additions made during the project development process. In Chapter 1, the changes included updating the project background, refining the problem statement, and addressing the project's limitations. In Chapter 3, revisions were made to the block diagram, flow chart, circuit diagram, hardware and software details, and the costing budget. Furthermore, I continued writing Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, in which Chapter 4 covers the project construction and development processes, including component procurement, coding development, circuit assembly, and housing construction. The results of the project's functionality testing and stability analysis were also included in Chapter 4. Chapter 5 focuses on the conclusion and recommendations. The current stage of thesis writing also includes the front page, table of contents, abstract, list of figures and tables, references, and appendices. Completing the thesis writing process will require some time and effort. Any necessary changes and formatting adjustments will be made after the plagiarism check conducted by my supervisor, Madam Azliza.

(FYP 2) Week 9 - Project Stability Test

This week, I conducted stability testing for the project in real-life conditions, aiming to assess its continued functionality over an extended period. The testing took place at two different locations: a home kitchen and a school laboratory. The duration of the testing was from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight, with measurements taken every two hours. The objective of the testing was to evaluate the air quality, noise level, temperature, and humidity in the respective environments. By monitoring these parameters, I aimed to determine whether the project could effectively provide accurate readings and detect pollution in real-world scenarios.

Based on the stability testing conducted at both locations, all parameter readings remained within normal ranges throughout the testing period. The sensors detected no sudden increases in readings or pollution. Therefore, I cannot see the effectiveness and functionality of the project output when the readings of both sensors were within the set threshold. However, this outcome suggests that even though the selected locations may have the potential for poor air quality or unfavourable temperature and humidity levels, the project successfully informs individuals about the current conditions, allowing them to determine if the environment is safe and comfortable. There was a slight increase in parameter readings during specific activities such as cooking in the kitchen and a laboratory experiment session. However, these increases were minimal and well within acceptable limits.

In conclusion, this week's stability testing represents an initial step toward implementing the project in an industrial setting. The results demonstrate the project's ability to provide reliable and accurate information regarding air quality, noise level, temperature, and humidity in real-life environments, ensuring the safety and comfort of individuals occupying those spaces.

(FYP 2) Week 8 - Project Functionality Operation Test & Housing Construction for Project Prototype

This week, the project's functionality was tested after modifying and testing the code and completing the overall circuit assembly last week. During the initial testing phase, I encountered an issue where missed calls and SMS messages were consistently delayed or not sent. After conducting a thorough investigation, I identified that the problem originated from the serial communication between the GSM module and the microcontroller.

I double-checked the baud rate settings on the GSM module and the microcontroller to resolve this issue. I discovered a mismatch between the baud rates, leading to communication errors and data loss. By ensuring that the baud rates were matched correctly and configured to the same value, I successfully resolved the communication inconsistency and enhanced the reliability of data transmission. After implementing these adjustments, I conducted extensive testing to validate the improvements. I sent multiple SMS messages and initiated missed calls, carefully monitoring the transmission time and confirming their successful delivery. I was pleased to observe that the missed call and SMS messages were consistently sent without delays and promptly received by the intended recipients, indicating that the issue with serial communication had been successfully resolved. The detected pollution information was also effectively conveyed to the user's phone.

Alongside successfully resolving the GSM module issue, other project components such as the OLED display, LED indicators, buzzer, DC fan, and sensor data transmission to the Blynk IoT Cloud were functioning well. The OLED display accurately displayed parameter readings and provided air quality and sound level statuses. The LED indicators indicated the air quality and sound levels for each sensor. The buzzer was triggered when pollution was detected, and the DC fan could be activated via the relay module when air quality readings exceeded the set threshold. The Blynk IoT Cloud displayed parameter readings and sent warning notifications upon pollution detection. In conclusion, the project operated effectively and performed well as a whole.

The development process continued with the construction of the project's housing. Acrylic perspex boards were used for this purpose, as they are commonly employed in electronic project construction. The housing design consisted of two compartments: one for accommodating the project's circuitry and another for the operational air purifier system. The compartment housing the project's circuitry was covered with black spray to maintain a clean appearance and conceal the circuitry, a common practice in electronic and electrical devices. Components such as sensors, LED indicators, OLED displays, and DC fans with air filters were positioned outside of the project's housing. Space for connecting the power supply to the project circuitry is also provided. Once the housing construction is complete, the testing process for the project's stability will be continued in the following week.