Abstract

Traffic congestion in urban road and freeway networks leads to a strong

degradation of the network infrastructure and accordingly reduced
throughput which can be countered via suitable control measures and
strategies. A concise overview of proposed and implemented control
strategies is provided for this high demanding task: urban road networks,
freeway networks and route guidance. This project work proposes a more
user friendly and versatile approach to meet this task; this approach uses a
computer as the embedded controller to meet this tasking need. For the sake
of clarity this project is tagged Computer Controlled Traffic Light.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1

Introduction

For road and highway systems the safe and efficient flow of traffic through
intersections is paramount. Traffic is controlled at the intersection of roads by
traffic lights and traffic signals to ensure there are no accidents or collisions.
In some traffic signal control systems the period of green signals and red
signals can change depending on the time of day and traffic conditions, as can
the duration that pedestrians can cross roads in front of stationary traffic. To
meet all these requirements of a real time interconnected system, the
Computer Controlled Traffic Light is the ideal embedded platform due to
its robust design, compact design factor, reliable high performance processor
and multitude of interfaces for connection to communications equipment and
redundant communications equipment.
The ruggedized compact design makes this scheme suitable to be mounted in
a roadside outdoor cabinet that is exposed to the most extreme weather
conditions. The ultra reliable processor technology provides the stability and

reliability required for real time traffic signal control and the networking
support to interconnect signals and the traffic control centre.
1.2

Design Considerations
Ruggedized industrial design, wide operating temperature, fanless,
dustproof and suitable for installation in an outdoor roadside cabinet.

Reliable high performance processor with Windows support for

customized real time control and networking applications

Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic
signals, stop-and-go

lights,

robots or semaphore, are

signaling

devices

positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to

control competing flows of traffic. Traffic lights have been installed in most
cities around the world. They assign the right of way to road users by the use
of lights in standard colors (red - yellow - green), using a universal color
code (and a precise sequence to enable comprehension by those who are color
blind). In China, there were unsuccessful attempts to change the meaning of
"red" to "go" during the Cultural Revolution.
Typically, traffic lights consist of a set of three colored lights: red, yellow and
green. In a typical cycle,

Illumination of the green light allows traffic to proceed in the direction

denoted,

Illumination of the yellow light denoting, if safe to do so, prepare to stop

short of the intersection, and

Illumination of the red signal prohibits any traffic from proceeding.

Usually, the red light contains some orange in its hue, and the green light
contains some blue, to provide some support for people with red-green color
blindness. (And indeed, many "green" traffic lights have blue lenses with a
yellowish bulb behind them, the combination yielding a green color.)

Fig. 1.1 The control loop

Figure 1.1 illustrates the basic elements of a control loop. The traffic flow
behavior in the (road or freeway or mixed) traffic network depends on some
external quantities that are classified into two groups: Control inputs that are
directly related to corresponding control devices (actuators), such as traffic
lights, variable message signs, etc.; Disturbances, whose values cannot be
manipulated, but may possibly be measurable (e.g. demand) or detectable

(e.g. incident) or predictable over a future time horizon. The networks output
or performance is measured via suitable indices, such as the total time spent
by all vehicles in the network over a time horizon. The task of the computer is
to enhance and to extend the information provided by suitable sensors (e.g.
inductive loop detectors) as required by the subsequent control strategy and
the human operators. The relevance and efficiency of the control strategy
largely determines the efficiency of the overall control system. Therefore
control strategies should be designed with care, via application of powerful
and systematic methods of optimization and automatic control, rather than
via questionable heuristics.
1.3

Problem Statement

The objective of this project is to develop a compact unit that allows for
optimum utilization of the traffic control system by employing a customizable
traffic control system that will meet the test of time. This system will be a
powerful and flexible tool that will offer this service at any time with the
constraints of the technologies being applied.
The proposed approach for designing this system is to implement a Computer
Controlled Traffic Light control module that receives its instructions and

commands from a host computer serving as the core of the system. The
computer then will carry out the issued commands.

CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
History
Marshalite traffic signal formerly fitted in various intersections in Melbourne,
Australia, indicating how much time remained before a signal change.
On December 10, 1868, the first traffic lights were installed outside the British
Houses of Parliament in London, by the railway engineer J. P. Knight. They
resembled railway signals of the time, with semaphore arms and red and
green gas lamps for night use. The gas lantern was turned with a lever at its
base so that the appropriate light faced traffic. Unfortunately, it exploded on 2
January 1869, injuring or killing the policeman who was operating it.

Fig 2.0: An LED traffic light (Siemens Helios) in Portsmouth, United Kingdom.

The modern electric traffic light is an American invention. As early as 1912 in

Salt Lake City, Utah, policeman Lester Wire invented the first red-green
electric traffic lights. On 5 August 1914, the American Traffic Signal Company
installed a traffic signal system on the corner of East 105th Street and Euclid
Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. It had two colors, red and green, and a buzzer,
based on the design of James Hoge, to provide a warning for color changes.
The design by James Hoge allowed police and fire stations to control the
signals in case of emergency. The first four-way, three-color traffic light was
created by police officer William Potts in Detroit, Michigan in 1920. In 1922,
T.E. Hayes patented his "Combination traffic guide and traffic regulating
signal" (Patent # 1447659). Ashville, Ohio claims to be the location of the
oldest working traffic light in the United States, used at an intersection of
public roads until 1982 when it was moved to a local museum.
The first interconnected traffic signal system was installed in Salt Lake City in
1917, with six connected intersections controlled simultaneously from a
manual switch. Automatic control of interconnected traffic lights was
introduced March 1922 in Houston, Texas. The first automatic experimental
traffic lights in England were deployed in Wolverhampton in 1927. In 1923,
Garrett Morgan patented his own version. The Morgan traffic signal was a T-

shaped pole unit that featured three hand-cranked positions: Stop, in all directional stop position. This third position halted traffic in all directions to
allow pedestrians to cross streets more safely. Its one "advantage" over
others of its type was the ability to operate it from a distance using a
mechanical linkage.
The color of the traffic lights representing stop and go might be derived from
those used to identify port (red) and starboard (green) in maritime rules
governing right of way, where the vessel on the left must stop for the one
crossing on the right.

Fig 2.0: Computerized traffic control box Turin

Timers on traffic lights originated in Taipei, Taiwan, and brought to the US

after an engineer discovered its use. Though uncommon in most American
urban areas, timers are still used in some other Western Hemisphere
countries. Timers are useful for drivers/pedestrians to plan if there is enough
time to attempt to cross the intersection before the light turns red and
conversely, the amount of time before the light turns green.
In the traffic controllers above, the operation is purely static meaning that the
sole control is initiated and governed by the system controller. But here, in
this project, a different approach is adopted; the control in this regards is the
sole responsibility of the computer for ease of control and versatility.
With the introduction of a computer in the design, customizing the operation
of the control will be very easy and will also be easily adopted to suit different
traffic need.

CHAPTER THREE
COMPONENTS DESCRIPTION

RESISTOR
Resistors are one of the most common components in an electronic circuit. The
basic operation is to limit the flow of current in the circuit. Many resistor values
were used in this project. Some of them include 1K, 10k, 100 and the 330
used to limit the current that flows to the seven segment display.
How to read Resistor Color Codes
Black Brown Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet Grey White
0

Fig 1.4 Resistor color code

First find the tolerance band, it will typically be gold (5%) and sometimes silver
(10%). Starting from the other end, identify the first band - write down the
number associated with that color; in this case Brown is 1. Now 'read' the next
color, here it is Black so write down a '0' next to the six. (You should have '10' so
far.) Now read the third or 'multiplier exponent' band and write down that as the

number of zeros. In this example it is two so we get '1000'. If the 'multiplier

exponent' band is Black (for zero) don't write any zeros down.
If the 'multiplier exponent' band is Gold move the decimal point one to the left. If
the 'multiplier exponent' band is Silver move the decimal point two places to the
left. If the resistor has one more band past the tolerance band it is a quality band.
BS 1852 Coding for resistor values
The letter R is used for Ohms and K for Kohms M for Megohms and placed where
the decimal point would go.
At the end is a letter that represents tolerance Where M=20%, K=10%, J=5%,
G=2%, and F=1% D=.5% C=.25 B=.1%

CAPACITOR
Capacitors store electric charge. They are used with resistors in timing circuits
because it takes time for a capacitor to fill with charge. They are used to smooth
varying DC supplies by acting as a reservoir of charge. They are also used in filter
circuits because capacitors easily pass AC (changing) signals but they block DC
(constant) signals. There are many types of capacitor but they can be split into
two groups, polarized and unpolarised. Each group has its own circuit symbol.

Electrolytic Capacitors

Fig 1.5 Electrolytic Capacitors

Electrolytic capacitors are polarized and they must be connected the correct way
round, at least one of their leads will be marked + or -. They are not damaged by
heat when soldering.
There are two designs of electrolytic capacitors; axial where the leads are
attached to each end (220F in picture) and radial where both leads are at the
same end (10F in picture). Radial capacitors tend to be a little smaller and they
stand upright on the circuit board. It is easy to find the value of electrolytic
capacitors because they are clearly printed with their capacitance and voltage
rating. The voltage rating can be quite low (6V for example) and it should always
be checked when selecting an electrolytic capacitor.
Non-polarized capacitors

Small value capacitors are non-polarized and may be connected either way round.
They are not damaged by heat when soldering, except for one unusual type
(polystyrene). They have high voltage ratings of at least 50V, usually 250V or so. It
can be difficult to find the values of these small capacitors because there are
many types of them and several different labeling systems!

Many small value capacitors have their value printed but without a multiplier, so
you need to use experience to work out what the multiplier should be.

TRANSISTORS
Transistors are made from semiconductors. These are materials, such as silicon or
germanium, that are doped (have minute amounts of foreign elements added)
so that either an abundance or a lack of free electrons exists. In the former case,
the semiconductor is called n-type, and in the latter case, p-type. By combining ntype and p-type materials, a diode can be produced. When this diode is
connected to a battery so that the p-type material is positive and the n-type
negative, electrons are repelled from the negative battery terminal and pass
unimpeded to the p-region, which lacks electrons. With battery reversed, the
electrons arriving in the p-material can pass only with difficulty to the n-material,
which is already filled with free electrons, and the current is almost zero.
The bipolar transistor was invented in 1948 as a replacement for the triode
vacuum tube. It consists of three layers of doped material, forming two p-n
(bipolar) junctions with configurations of p-n-p or n-p-n. One junction is
connected to a battery so as to allow current flow (forward bias), and the other
junction has a battery connected in the opposite direction (reverse bias). If the
current in the forward-biased junction is varied by the addition of a signal, the
current in the reverse-biased junction of the transistor will vary accordingly. The
principle can be used to construct amplifiers in which a small signal applied to the

forward-biased junction causes a large change in current in the reverse-biased

junction.
Another type of transistor is the field-effect transistor (FET). Such a transistor
operates on the principle of repulsion or attraction of charges due to a
superimposed electric field. Amplification of current is accomplished in a manner
similar to the grid control of a vacuum tube. Field-effect transistors operate more
efficiently than bipolar types, because a large signal can be controlled by a very
small amount of energy.
Transistors function majorly as switch or amplifiers. To function as a switch, the
transistor has to be biased into saturation i.e. the base voltage exceeds 0.7v for
silicon type and 0.3v for germanium type. On the other hand, the base voltage
can be varied continually by an input signal for the transistor to function as an
amplifier. The transistors in this circuit are all Field Effect Transistors (FET) and
they function as high speed switches.

DIODE
This is an electronic device that allows the passage of current in only one
direction. The first such devices were vacuum-tube diodes, consisting of an
evacuated glass or steel envelope containing two electrodesa cathode and an
anode. Because electrons can flow in only one direction, from cathode to anode,
the vacuum-tube diode could be used as a rectifier. The diodes most commonly
used in electronic circuits today are semiconductor diodes. The simplest of these,
the germanium point-contact diode, dates from the early days of radio, when the

received radio signal was detected by means of a germanium crystal and a fine,
pointed wire that rested on it. In modern germanium (or silicon) point-contact
diodes, the wire and a tiny crystal plate are mounted inside a small glass tube and
connected to two wires that are fused into the ends of the tube.

BLOCK DIAGRAM DESCRIPTION

MICROCONTROLLER UNIT (MCU)

The AT89S52 is a low-power, high-performance CMOS 8-bit microcontroller with
8K bytes of in-system programmable Flash memory. The device is manufactured
using Atmels high-density nonvolatile memory technology and is compatible with
the industry- standard 80C51 instruction set and pin out. The on-chip Flash allows
the program memory to be reprogrammed in-system or by a conventional
nonvolatile memory programmer. By combining a versatile 8-bit CPU with insystem programmable Flash on a monolithic chip, the Atmel AT89S52 is a
powerful microcontroller which provides a highly-flexible and cost-effective
solution to many embedded control applications. The AT89S52 provides the
following standard features: 8K bytes of Flash, 256 bytes of RAM, 32 I/O lines,
Watchdog timer, two data pointers, three 16-bit timer/counters, a six-vector twolevel interrupt architecture, a full duplex serial port, on-chip oscillator, and clock
circuitry.
In this design the microcontroller forms the core of the system, meaning that all
mathematical and logical operation of the system is executed from within it.

(T2) P1.0
(T2 EX) P1.1
P1.2
P1.3
P1.4
(MOSI) P1.5
(MISO) P1.6
(SCK) P1.7
RST
(RXD)P3.0
(TXD) P3.1
(INT0) P3.2
(INT1) P3.3
(T0) P3.4
(T1) P3.5
(WR)
P3.6(RD) P3.7
XTAL2
XTAL1
GND

VCC
P0.0 (AD0)
P0.1 (AD1)
P0.2 (AD2)
P0.3 (AD3)
P0.4 (AD4)
P0.5 (AD5)
P0.6 (AD6)
P0.7 (AD7)
EA/VPP
ALE/PROG
PSEN
P2.7 (A15)
P2.6 (A14)
P2.5 (A13)
P2.4 (A12)
P2.3 (A11)
P2.2 (A10)
P2.1 (A9)
P2.0 (A8)

Pin Configuration of Atmel 89s52 Microcontroller

Microcontroller's Pins
Pins 1-8: Port 1 Each of these pins can be configured as input or output.
Pin 9: RS Logical one on this pin stops microcontrollers operating and erases the
contents of most registers. By applying logical zero to this pin, the program starts
execution from the beginning. In other words, a positive voltage pulse on this pin
resets the microcontroller.
Pins10-17: Port 3 Similar to port 1, each of these pins can serve as universal input
or output. Besides, all of them have alternative functions:

Pin 10: RXD Serial asynchronous communication input or Serial synchronous

communication output.
Pin 11: TXD Serial asynchronous communication output or Serial synchronous
communication clock output.
Pin 12: INT0 Interrupt 0 input
Pin 13: INT1 Interrupt 1 input
Pin 14: T0 Counter 0 clock input
Pin 15: T1 Counter 1 clock input
Pin 16: WR Signal for writing to external (additional) RAM
Pin 17: RD Signal for reading from external RAM
Pin 18, 19: X2 X1 Internal oscillator input and output. A quartz crystal which
determines operating frequency is usually connected to these pins. Instead of
quartz crystal, the miniature ceramics resonators can be also used for frequency
stabilization. Later versions of the microcontrollers operate at a frequency of 0 Hz
up to over 50 Hz.
Pin 20: GND Ground
Pin 21-28: Port 2 If there is no intention to use external memory then these port
pins are configured as universal inputs/outputs. In case external memory is used
then the higher address byte, i.e. addresses A8-A15 will appear on this port.
Pin 29: PSEN if external ROM is used for storing program then it has a logic-0
value every time the microcontroller reads a byte from memory.

Pin 30: ALE Prior to each reading from external memory, the microcontroller will
set the lower address byte (A0-A7) on P0 and immediately after that activates the
output ALE.
Pin 31: EA By applying logic zero to this pin, P2 and P3 are used for data and
address transmission with no regard to whether there is internal memory or not.
That means that even there is a program written to the microcontroller, it will not
be executed, the program written to external ROM will be used instead.
Otherwise, by applying logic one to the EA pin, the microcontroller will use both
memories, first internal and afterwards external (if it exists), up to end of address
space.
Pin 32-39: Port 0 Similar to port 2, if external memory is not used, these pins can
be used as universal inputs or outputs.
Pin 40: VCC Power supply +5V

POWER SUPPLY UNIT

the power supply ection is built around a conventional components and also run
directly from a 6VDC that is stabilised down to 5VDC for proper operation of the
microcontroller.
supply.

Below is the power supply circuit when running from the utility

As seen on the above figure, in order to enable microcontroller to operate

properly it is necessary to provide:

Power supply

Reset signal

Clock signal

Obviously, all this is about very simple circuits, but it does not have to be always
like that. If device is used for handling expensive machines or for maintaining vital
functions, everything becomes more and more complicated! This kind of solution
is quite enough for the time being.

The circuit, shown on the figure above, uses

cheap voltage stabilisator LM7805 and provides high-quality voltage level and
quite enough current to enable microcontroller and peripheral electronics to
operate (sufficient current in this case amounts to 1A)!

VISUAL DISPLAY UNIT

The visual display unit is used to show the current value of calculated
instantaneous voltage of the battery. It is built around the microcontroller which
serves as the core for the system by outputting the desired values of information
unto the display and a multiplexed seven segment display. Basically, LED displays
are nothing else but several LEDs molded in the same plastic case. Diodes are
arranged so that different marks-commonly digits: 0, 1, and 2...9 are displayed by
activating them. There are many types of displays composed of several dozens of
built in diodes which can display different symbols.

The most commonly used are so called 7-segment displays. They are composed of
8 LEDs, 7 segments are arranged as a rectangle for symbol displaying and there is
additional segment for decimal point displaying. In order to simplify connecting,
anodes and cathodes of all diodes are connected to the common pin so that there
are common cathode displays and common anode displays. Segments are marked
with the litters A to G as shown on the figure on the left. When connecting, each
diode is treated independently, which means that each must have its own
conductor for current limitation.
When connecting displays to the microcontroller, the greatest problem is a great
deal of valuable I/O pins which they occupy, especially if it is needed to display

several-digit numbers. Problem is more than obvious if for example it is needed to

display two 6-digit numbers (a simple calculation shows that 96 output pins are
needed)!The solution on this problem is called MULTIPLEXING. This is how optical
illusion based on the same operating principle as film camera occurs. The
principle is that only one digit is active but by quick changing one gets impression
that all digits of a number are active at the same time.

DC MOTOR
In general, DC motors are similar to DC generators in construction. They may, in
fact, be described as generators run backwards. When current is passed
through the armature of a DC motor, a torque is generated by magnetic reaction,
and the armature revolves. The action of the commutator and the connections of
the field coils of motors are precisely the same as those used for generators. The
revolution of the armature induces a voltage in the armature windings. This
induced voltage is opposite in direction to the outside voltage applied to the
armature, and hence is called back voltage or counter electromotive force (emf).
As the motor rotates more rapidly, the back voltage rises until it is almost equal to
the applied voltage. The current is then small, and the speed of the motor will
remain constant as long as the motor is not under load and is performing no
mechanical work except that required to turn the armature. Under load the
armature turns more slowly, reducing the back voltage and permitting a larger
current to flow in the armature. The motor is thus able to receive more electric
power from the source supplying it and to do more mechanical work.

Because the speed of rotation controls the flow of current in the armature,
special devices must be used for starting DC motors. When the armature is at
rest, it has virtually no resistance, and if the normal working voltage is applied, a
large current will flow, which may damage the commutator or the armature
windings. The usual means of preventing such damage is the use of a starting
resistance in series with the armature to lower the current until the motor begins
to develop an adequate back voltage. As the motor picks up speed, the resistance
is gradually reduced, either manually or automatically.
The speed at which a DC motor operates depends on the strength of the magnetic
field acting on the armature, as well as on the armature current. The stronger the
field, the slower is the rate of rotation needed to generate a back voltage large
enough to counteract the applied voltage. For this reason the speed of DC motors
can be controlled by varying the field current.

CHAPTER FOUR
3. SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT
3.1. Traffic Controller Hardware
The traffic controller hardware is developed using ATmega128 128Kbyte
microcontroller. The microcontroller has 32 pins I/O ports. The ports will be
used to drive 10 phases traffic light system. Since a phase has three lights,
which are green, amber and red light, and each light is driven by a relay
switch, then the I/O ports will be used to drive 30 relay units. The I/O ports

will also be used to drive 1 unit of character LCD, 30 LEDs to control the ports
status,

communicate

with

an

industrial

computer

through

serial

communication and communicate with the Real Time Clock (RTC). In order to
perform all of the tasks, about 40 pins are required; 30 pins used to drive the
relays and the LEDs, 6 pins used to drive the character LCD, 2 pins to
communicate with the industrial computer and 2 pins to perform serial
communication. Hence, several manipulation techniques are needed to save
the use of the microcontrollers ports.

3.1.2. PROCESSOR PROGRAMS

The microcontroller as the processor needs to be programmed to work
smartly with perfect communication with the computer. The controller
system is designed to be able to optimize the traffic flow using 3 kinds of
strategies, which are green time split and time slot, green time extension, and
offset optimization strategy. In order to execute the entire strategies, except
the time slot strategy, the controller must be integrated with the industrial

computer. The time slot strategy is the backup strategy when the industrial
computer.
Basically, there are three main tasks that must be handled by the processor,
which are clock and time slot data reading, timing and incoming data
monitoring all these via the industrial computer. The first task is performed at
the beginning of every traffic cycle while the last two tasks must be handled in
real time. In order to handle the real time tasks, the internal timer
interruption of the processor needs to be activated. In the proposed traffic
controller hardware, the timer interruption will be set to 250 ms, it means the
timing and data monitoring process will be executed 4 times per second. It
will allow the tasks to be carried out thoroughly. By using this technique, the
processor will have a very high probability of capturing the serial data from
the computer successfully.
3.1.3 THE SOFTWARE
Flow Chart

Fig 3.0: Flow chart of the system program

Actually, the controller hardware can work independently, without the need
for integration with the software. Since it optimizes the traffic flow using
traffic sensor, the interface software is needed. The software has the

interfaces for displaying and changing the time slot timing, adjusting the
internal clock of the traffic controller hardware, sending the green time data
for the next phase and extending the current green time with both + (prolong)
and (shorten) value.
Camera
Todays cameras all derive from the 16th-century camera obscura. The
earliest form of this device was a darkened room with a tiny hole in one wall.
Light entered the room through this hole and projected an upside-down image
of the subject onto the opposite wall. Over the course of three centuries the
camera obscura evolved into a handheld box with a lens replacing the pinhole
and an angled mirror at the back. The mirror reflected an image onto a
ground-glass viewing screen on the top of the box. Long before film was
invented artists used this device to help them draw more accurately. They
placed thin project onto the viewing screen and could easily trace the
reflected image.

Fig 3.1
camera

Analysis of a pin-hole

In this device, an automated camera is connected to the triggering mechanism

for the corresponding traffic light, which is targeted to monitoring the lanes.
In some countries such as United States, private companies have been
contracted to operate traffic-related cameras and in turn receive a portion of
the resulting revenues. In some cases red light cameras have been abused by
local governments, where vehicle operators have been fined as a result of
traffic systems that have been improperly modified.
This device uses a CCTV Closed Circuit TV camera. This offers a real time
video streaming and monitors the congestion rate in the lanes. The image
below shows a typical CCTV camera.

Fig 3.3

CCTV Camera

3.1.4 Computer Program

Computer Programs are set of instructions that direct a computer to perform
some processing function or combination of functions. For the instructions to
be carried out, a computer must execute a program, that is, the computer
reads the program, and then follows the steps encoded in the program in a
precise order until completion. Programs falls into two major classes:
application programs and operating systems. An application program is one
that carries out some function directly for a user, such as word processing or
game-playing. An operating system is a program that manages the computer
and the various resources and devices connected to it.
In this project, the application program that controls the whole operation of
the system is discussed and this is referred as the traffic control software.
Actually, the controller hardware can work independently, without the need
for integration with the software, but since it optimizes the traffic flow using
traffic cameras, interface software is needed. The software has the interfaces
for, storing and processing digital image from the camera, displaying and
changing the time slot timing, adjusting the internal clock of the traffic
controller hardware, and for sending the green time data for the next phase.
The software used in this system is developed with Visual Basic 6.0. This
makes the application compatible with every computer that runs on windows
operating system.
3.1.5 Solar Energy

Solar energy radiation is produced by nuclear fusion reactions deep in the

Suns core. The Sun provides almost all the heat and light Earth receives and
therefore sustains every living being.
Solar cells called photovoltaics made from thin slices of crystalline silicon,
gallium arsenide, or other semiconductor materials convert solar radiation
directly into electricity. Cells with conversion efficiencies greater than 30
percent are now available. By connecting large numbers of these cells into
modules, the cost of photovoltaic electricity has been reduced to 20 to 30
cents per kilowatt-hour. Solar power used in this device supplies constant
electric power to the computer, cameras and traffic lighting system. An image
describing the real- time implementation of solar powered traffic light is
shown below.

Fig 3.4 Image, Real Time Implementation of Solar Traffic Light

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
The principle of operation of this traffic control device can well be explained
by the use of the block diagram shown below.

Fig

Block Diagram, Solar Powered, Computer Controlled Real

Time Traffic Light with Camera

From the diagram above it can be seen that there are four Cameras, each is
mounted on the four lanes to monitor the movement of cars and pedestrians.
The cameras are all connected to a hub like in computer network. The hub
then sends video signal to the computer which uses it to determine the action
to take based on the pre-written program (software) controlling the
computer.
The solar energy power in diagram powers the whole system while the traffic
massage display displays information such as the maximum speed limit and

road directions. It can also be used to give traffic warning such as Bumps
Ahead , Sharp Bend, Rail Way Crossing etc.
The traffic lights as we all know gives road users information on when to
move or stop in a junction. The traffic light convention is maintained in the
design of this work. This goes like this;
Red ---------------------- Stop
Green ---------------------- Go
Red + Amber ------------- Get ready to stop
Green + Amber ---------- Get ready to go

CHAPTER FIVE
4.1

CONCLUSION

This project shows the development of the smart traffic controller system. The
use of a computer instead of other controllers is far preferred to the use of
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). This design makes the smart traffic
controller hardware a low cost system. The proposed manipulations
techniques are to save enhance system implemented. A program downloaded
into the microcontroller enables it to establish a high accuracy timing, high
consistently in performing data interchange with the industrial computer. The
developed software also works well as the interface between the traffic
controller hardware with the traffic sensors and the traffic expert. The
software can be used to perform traffic data interchange and it enables the
proposed system to realize several traffic flow optimization strategies at a
single or network junctions.

4.2

RECONMENDATION

As in many other engineering disciplines, only a small portion of the

significant methodological advancements have really been exploited in the
field as of yet.
More precisely, the majority of small and big cities even in industrialized
countries are still operating old-fashioned fixed-time signal control strategies,
often even poorly optimized or maintained. Even when modern trafficresponsive control systems are installed in terms of hardware devices, the
employed control strategies are often nave, poorly tested and fine-tuned, thus
failing to exploit the possibilities provided by the relatively expensive
hardware infrastructure.
In this regards, further improvement should be targeted at;
Wireless control should be incorporated to it for improved connectivity
CCTV should also be incorporated for surveillance purposes

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