Home appliances controlling using resistive touchscreen

Introduction

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Home appliances controlling using resistive touchscreen

The project mainly aims in designing completely automated switch board with the help of touch screen sensor to control the house hold appliances and also provide a user friendly environment of the user to operate the devices effectively. It majorly aims in providing a reliable system for illiterates and old people who finds difficulty in operating few high end devices like AC, water heaters etc.

Automation is the most frequently spelled term in the field of electronics. The hunger for automation brought many revolutions in the existing technologies. One among the technologies, which had greater developments, is the touch screen sensor. These had greater importance than any other technologies due to its user-friendly nature. Touch screen based devices can be easily reachable to the common man due to its simpler operation, and at the same time it challenges the designers of the device. These touch screen sensors can be used as a replacement of the existing switches in home which produces sparks and also results in fire accidents in few situations.

Considering the advantages of touch screen sensors an advanced automation system was developed to control the appliances in the house.

The device consists of a microcontroller, which is interfaced with the input and output modules, the controller acts as an intermediate medium between both of them. So the controller can be termed as a control unit. The input module is a touch screen sensor, which takes the input from the user and fed it to the microcontroller. The output module is the appliances to be controlled. Here the microcontroller receives the input from the touch sensor and switches the device with respect to the input.

1. Touch screen based user-friendly interfacing.

2. Low power consumption.

3. Controls high and low voltage devices.

4. Long life.

5. Highly sensitive.

Applications:

1. In industrial environment where combustibles are used.

2. For house hold automations.

This project provides exposure to the following technologies:

1. Touch screen sensor.

2. Interfacing sensor and microcontroller.

3. Embedded C programming for microcontroller.

The major building blocks of this project are:

1. Regulated power supply with voltage regulator.

2. Touch screen sensor.

3. Microcontroller

4. Appliances to be controlled

Need of Touch Screens

Touch Screens are a type of display screen that has a touch-sensitive transparent panel covering the screen. Instead of using a pointing device such as a mouse or light pen, you can use your finger to point directly to objects on the screen. Although touch screens provide a natural interface for computer novices, they are unsatisfactory for most applications because the finger is such a relatively large object. It is impossible to point accurately to small areas of the screen. In addition, most users find touch screens tiring to the arms after long use.

Touch-screens are typically found on larger displays, in phones with integrated PDA features. Most are designed to work with either your finger or a special stylus. Tapping a specific point on the display will activate the virtual button or feature displayed at that location on the display. Some phones with this feature can also recognize handwriting written on the screen using a stylus, as a way to quickly input lengthy or complex information

A touchscreen is an input device that allows users to operate a PC by simply touching the display screen. Touch input is suitable for a wide variety of computing applications. A touchscreen can be used with most PC systems as easily as other input devices such as track balls or touch pads. Browse the links below to learn more about touch input technology and how it can work for you.

Advantages Disadvantages

• Touch screen enables people to use computers without any training.

• This technology is simple and user friendly

•  This is becoming more popular because of its ease of use , proven reliability, expended functionality and decreasing cost.

•  Touch screen virtually eliminates operator errors, because users selecting from clearly defined menu.

•  Touch screen provides fast access to any and all type of digital media.

•  It ensures that no space is wasted as the input device is completely integrated into monitor.

•  Touch screen provided sufficient security.

•  Text can be displayed on variety of languages depending upon user needs.

The touch screen interface can be updated with simple software changes.

Disadvantages

•  Although user friendly, touch screen can not be used to enter large amount of data

•  This technology has not found in real world applications because system designers have not carefully considered how the system will function.

•  Another failure of the industry has been not getting fast enough processing behind the buttons

•  A touch screen system will cost about two or three times of the amount of an existing keyboard display.

Touch screen and monitors together are expensive ranging from two and half times the price of a standard computer.

History of Touch Screen Technology

1960s

Historians consider the first touch screen to be a capacitive touch screen invented by E.A. Johnson at the Royal Radar Establishment, Malvern, UK, around 1965 - 1967. The inventor published a full description of touch screen technology for air traffic control in an article published in 1968.

1970s

In 1971, a "touch sensor" was developed by Doctor Sam Hurst (founder of Elographics) while he was an instructor at the University of Kentucky. This sensor called the "Elograph" was patented by The University of Kentucky Research Foundation. The "Elograph" was not transparent like modern touch screens, however, it was a significant milestone in touch screen technology. The Elograph was selected by Industrial Research as one of the 100 Most Significant New Technical Products of the Year 1973.

In 1974, the first true touch screen incorporating a transparent surface came on the scene developed by Sam Hurst and Elographics. In 1977, Elographics developed and patented a resistive touch screen technology, the most popular touch screen technology in use today.

In 1977, Siemens Corporation financed an effort by Elographics to produce the first curved glass touch sensor interface, which became the first device to have the name "touch screen" attached to it. On February 24, 1994, the company officially changed its name from Elographics to Elo TouchSystems.

·         Elographics Patents

·         US3662105: Electrical Sensor Of Plane Coordinates
Inventor(s)Hurst; George S., Lexington, KY - Parks; James E., Lexington, KY
Issued/Filed Dates:May 9, 1972 / May 21, 1970

·         US3798370: Electrographic Sensor For Determining Planar Coordinates
Inventor(s)Hurst; George S. , Oak Ridge, TN
Issued/Filed Dates:March 19, 1974 / April 17, 1972

1980s

In 1983, the computer manufacturing company, Hewlett-Packard introduced the HP-150, a home computer with touch screen technology. The HP-150 had a built in grid of infrared beams across the front of the monitor which detected finger movements. However, the infrared sensors would collect dust and require frequent cleanings.

1990s

The nineties introduced smart phones and handhelds with touch screen technology. In 1993, Apple released the Newton PDA, equipped with handwriting recognition; and IBM released the first smart phone called Simon, which featured a calendar, note pad, and fax function, and a touch screen interface that allowed users to dial phone numbers. In 1996, Palm entered the PDA market and advanced touch screen technology with its Pilot series.

2000s

In 2002, Microsoft introduced the Windows XP Tablet edition and started its entry into touch technology. However, you could say that the increase in the popularity of touch screen smart phones defined the 2000s. In 2007, Apple introduced the king of smart phones, the iPhone, with nothing but touch screen te

(I)-Resistor (II)-Capacitor (III)-LED(Light Emitting Diode) (IV)-Transistor (V)-Transformer (VI)-Diode (VII)-Voltage Regulator