Power consumption of the embedded controller is a primary concern in low power design. Arduino boards are often used in devices that rely on battery or solar charging. Such devices often deploy far from the power line to have periodic battery replacement or are mobile devices designed for periodic charging cycles. In such a case,…

In this project, we’ll design an omnidirectional, moving pick-and-place robot. First, let’s cover how the robot is built. The robot’s build As shown in Figure 1, the robot consists of two sections: An omnidirectional moving platform A robotic arm The omnidirectional platform The robot is built using one circular wooden plate, three dc gear motors,…

Color detection is the process of identifying and distinguishing colors within an image, video, scene, or object. Many embedded and robotic applications require this feature, as it’s useful for sorting, selection, test strip reading, path determination, and more.  Two standard sensors used for color detection include TCS230 or TCS3200. TCS3200 recognizes various colors based on…

Contactless body temperature measurement using MLX90614 sensor In the previous two articles of this tutorial series, I demonstrated how to display analog sensor data (like POT, LM35, soil moisture sensor, etc.) or smart digital sensor (DHT11) data on TFT LCD. In this third article, I will explain how to display body temperature on TFT LCD. It…

This is a simple project on arduino, ldr(light dependent resistor)/photoresistor sensor and piezo buzzer. Piezo buzzer output sound level will variate by arduino depending on the intensity of light thrown on ldr/light sensor. An led will also fade by arduino depending on the intensity of light thrown on photoresistor. The diy project is same like…

Biometric devices are the backbone of modern security and access systems. The most commonly used biometric device is a fingerprint scanner. Fingerprints are unique identifiers that cannot be easily faked. Optical fingerprint sensors are widely used in security systems as these are low-cost compared to capacitive and ultrasonic scanners. Optical fingerprint sensors digitize fingerprints by…

Displaying potentiometer value and temperature using LM35 In my previous tutorial series on displaying sensor data (value) on OLED display, I have explained how to display values of different sensors like a potentiometer, LM35, soil moisture sensor, DHT, HC SR04, etc. on a tiny 1” OLED display. This time, I will demonstrate and explain how…

Including an audio option with an electronic or Internet-of-Things (IoT) project is often an ideal addition. However, microcontrollers cannot process MP3 files, which is the most common audio file format. Fortunately, there is a solution. It is possible to play MP3 audio files on Arduino using dedicated MP3 decoders like the DFPlayer Mini or MP3-TF-16P.…

Weighing scales are frequently used to measure the weight of goods, such as bulk items and raw materials. We sometimes use them at grocery stores to weigh produce or at home to measure our weight. Building a weighing scale is no simple task. It involves a combination of load cells, amplifier circuits, and microcontrollers or…

Today, mobile-based authentication to verify a person’s identity is common. Online service providers often use it for access to services, approval of transactions, or to change a user’s credentials.  Imagine using a similar mobile-based authentication to enter your home, office, or any private space. It’s possible. In this project, we’ll design a mobile-based access system…

In this project, we’ll design an automatic, energy-efficient streetlight system using Arduino. A streetlight will automatically turn on when the outside ambient light falls below a certain threshold, as evening turns to night. They turn off when sufficient light returns in the morning to conserve energy. So, these streetlights only power on when needed.   The…

Embedded electronics are in a countless number of devices and appliances, with microcontrollers at the heart of the operation. A microcontroller is a compact integrated circuit that controls a specific operation in an embedded system. There was a time when only BASIC stamp microcontrollers, with a simple interpreter, were available for designing, prototyping, and testing…

Arduino are single-board microcontrollers that are easily programmable through a USB connection. They are used with electronics to design embedded system prototypes, the Internet-of-Things (IoT), and electronic gadgets.  Much like other microcontrollers, Arduino provides software-backed computing and embedded control to basic electronics applications. That means getting started with Arduino is no different than with other…

The previous tutorial included a discussion about the tools and components necessary to get started with Arduino. However, before starting with Arduino UNO (or any other Arduino board) — and experimenting with hardware projects on various sensors, actuators, and modules — it’s important to get through the basics of Arduino sketches and the embedded C…

In the previous tutorial, we discussed the basics about Arduino sketches, with a a quick Arduino language reference. Now, it’s time to get our hands dirty. Interfacing LED and driving digital output from a source is the “Hello World” of embedded systems.  As discussed in the previous tutorial, a microcontroller interfaces and interacts with other…

In the previous tutorial, we discussed digital output from Arduino to drive an LED. A controller can interface and interact with other devices in five ways: digital output, digital input, analog output, analog input, and serial communication.  In this tutorial, we will use digital input from Arduino to read the state of a tactile switch…

In the previous tutorial, we discussed the digital input process for using Arduino. We also explained push buttons (momentary type buttons) and how to use them for data or command input via a digital input.  Any controller can interface and interact with other electronic devices in five ways: digital output, digital input, analog output, analog input,…

In this project, we’ll design a 16-bit IO port (input-output port) library for Arduino. It’s possible to send direct 16-bit data to any Arduino board using this library. It connects any of Arduino’s 16 pins, so they work as a 16-bit IO port.  First, you must select 16 pins from Arduino to combine as the…

Proximity sensors are used to detect something approaching near. These sensors are useful in many applications like collision avoidance, obstacle detection, path following, touchless sensing, motion detection, and object detection. There are different types of proximity sensors like optical, ultrasonic, capacitive, inductive, and magnetic. The capacitive, inductive, and magnetic proximity sensors are used in specific…

Optical fingerprint scanners are prominent security devices nowadays. These scanners are low-cost and easy to use with any embedded hardware platform. The scanners have built-in memory and a controller to store and compare fingerprints. Usually, optical fingerprint scanners have a USB and/or UART port to communicate with external controllers or computers. The scanner handles enrollment…