A

MINOR PROJECT REPORT

ON

AUTOMATED IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Submitted in partial fulfillment for the award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

IN

ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

RAJASTHAN TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, KOTA

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

Dr. R.S. MEENA VISHAKH SUNE (14/161)

H.O.D., ECE DEPTT. SHUBHAM KHANDELWAL (14/194)

RTU, KOTA TANAY SAGAR (14/196)

ANUSHIKHA SUKHEJA (14/105)

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 PREFACE

As we know that an engineer has to serve an industry and he/she must have
knowledge of interrelation between the theory and the practical. For this, one must
be familiar with the practical knowledge with theory aspects.

To gain the practical knowledge, engineering courses provide project work for
final year students where they get the opportunity to show their skills by applying
theoretical knowledge to build a working model on a practical platform.

This document gives the insight about the working model which our team has
prepared with complete dedication and sincerity. Interactive visuals give readers an
ease to understand different purposes to be solved with assistance of this model
and don’t let reader to get bored.

As a human we are bound to make mistakes and same is applicable to me as well.

So we ask your pardon in advance for any mistake.

THANK YOU!

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 ACKNOWLEDMENT

We take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude and deep regards to Dr.
DEEPAK BHATIA for his exemplary guidance, mentoring, monitoring and
constant encouragement throughout the whole duration of minor project. The
blessings, help and guidance given by him time to time shall carry us a long way in
the journey of life on which we are about to embark.

We would like to deeply show our sincere gratitude to Dr. R.S. MEENA for
allowing us to make a working model in his esteemed organization.

We are obliged to the faculty members of UCE, RTU, Kota for the valuable
information provided by them in making this project successful. We are grateful
for their cooperation during the period of whole project work. Lastly we would like
to thank our parents, almighty and friends for their constant encouragement
without which this would not have been possible.

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1. INTRODUCTION

Agriculture is one of those areas which consume a lot of water. Irrigation is a time consuming
process and must be done on a timely basis. A properly configured soil moisture sensor can save
up to 60 percent of water used in irrigation. It switches the pump motor ON/OFF on sensing the
moisture content of the soil. The advantage of using this method is to reduce human intervention
and still ensure proper irrigation.

An automated irrigation system refers to the operation of the system with no or just a
minimum of manual intervention beside the surveillance. Almost every system (drip, sprinkler,
surface) can be automated with help of timers, sensors or computers or mechanical appliances. It
makes the irrigation process more efficient and workers can concentrate on other important
farming tasks.

An automation of irrigation has several positive effects. Once installed, the water
distribution on fields or small scale gardens is easier and does not have to be permanently
controlled by an operator. There are several solutions to design automated irrigation systems.
Modern big scale systems allow big areas to be managed by one operator only.

Sprinkler, drip or subsurface drip irrigation systems require pumps and some high tech-
components and if used for large surfaces skilled operators are also required. But automation of
irrigation can sometimes also with simple, mechanical appliances: with clay pot or porous
capsule irrigation networks or bottle irrigation.

This project has been designed to develop an automatic irrigation system. The designed
system can be used in turf grass or with small garden plants.

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2. OBJECTIVE

This project has been designed to develop an automatic irrigation system. This project will help
in consuming time of the user as well will fulfil the desire of providing the automatic supply
Irrigation is a time consuming process and must be done on a timely basis. A properly
configured soil moisture sensor can save up to 60 percent of water used in irrigation. It switches
the pump motor ON/OFF on sensing the moisture content of the soil. The advantage of using this
method is to reduce human intervention and still ensure proper irrigation.

This project uses ARDUINO MICROCONTROLLER` ATmega328 that allows us to

upload new code to it without the use of an external hardware programmer. Once the controller
receives the signal it generates an output that drives a relay for operating the water pump. An
LCD display is also interfaced to the microcontroller to display status of soil and water pump.
The sensing arrangement is made by using two stiff metallic rods inserted into the field at a
distance. Connections from the metallic rods are interfaced to the control unit.

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3. BLOCK DIAGRAM

POTENTIOMETER
PROBES
TO SOIL

MICRO LCD
CONTROLLER SCREEN
SENSOR
CIRCUIT ATMEGA328
MOTOR DC
DRIVER MOTOR
CIRCUIT

POWER
SUPPLY
Fig: Block Diagram of Automated Irrigation System

4. CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

Fig : Circuit diagram of Automatic irrigation system using Arduino

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5. HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

5.1 Arduino Microcontroller`ATmega328

The ATmega328 is a single chip microcontroller created by ATMEL in the mega AVR family.
The ATMEL 8-bit AVR RISC based microcontroller is shown in the figure.

Fig: 5.1 Arduino Microcontroller`ATmega328

The Atmel 8-bit AVR RISC-based microcontroller combines 32 kB ISP flash memory
with read-while-write capabilities, 1 kB EEPROM, 2 kB SRAM, 23 general purpose I/O lines,
32 general purpose working registers, three flexible timer/counters with compare modes, internal
and external interrupts, serial programmable USART, a byte-oriented 2-wire serial interface, SPI
serial port, 6-channel 10-bit A/D converter (8-channels in TQFP and QFN/MLF packages),
programmable watchdog timer with internal oscillator, and five software selectable power saving
modes. The device operates between 1.8-5.5 volts. The device achieves throughput approaching
1 MIPS per MHz.

PARAMETERS VALUE
CPU Type 8-bit AVR
Flash memory 32 kB
SRAM 2 kB
EEPROM 1 kB
Max. I/O pins 26
Max. operating frequency 20 MHz
Fig: Technical specifications of ATmega328

As of 2017 the ATmega328 is commonly used in many projects and autonomous systems
where a simple, low-powered, low-cost micro-controller is needed. Perhaps the most common
implementation of this chip is on the popular Arduino development platform, namely
the Arduino Uno and Arduino Nano models.
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5.2 L298 Motor Driver Module

A very popular and reasonably priced all-in-one H-bridge motor driver is the L298. It can control
two motors, not just one. It can handle 2 amps per motor, though to get the maximum current be
sure to get a heat sink. The L298 has a large cooling flange with a hole in it, making it easy to
attach a homebrew metal heat sink to it. If there’s a downside to the L298 it’s that it comes in a
special “Multiwatt 15” package, with 15 offset pins that don’t match the standard 0.100" spacing
of breadboards. But with care, the pins can be rebent as needed.

The schematic below shows a basic connection diagram for controlling two motors using
the L298 motor bridge IC. There are three input pins for each motor: Input1, Input2, and Enable1
controls Motor1. Input3, Input 4, and Enable 2 controls Motor2. The motor connects to
Output1/Output2 and Output3/Output4, as shown.

Fig 1: L298 Motor Bridge IC

L298 Motor Bridge IC is ideal for robotic applications and well suited for connection to a
microcontroller requiring just a couple of control lines per motor. It can also be interfaced
with simple manual switches, TTL logic gates, relays, etc.

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5.3 Soil Moisture sensors

Soil moisture sensor measure the volumetric water content in soil. This basic cheap soil moisture
sensor consists of two probes (the metal rods) held apart at a fixed distance by some insulating
material. Since the direct gravimetric measurement of free soil moisture requires removing,
drying, and weighting of a sample, soil moisture sensors measure the volumetric water content
indirectly by using some other property of the soil, such as electrical resistance, dielectric
constant, or interaction with neutrons, as a proxy for the moisture content.

Fig 2: Soil Moisture sensor

Since the direct gravimetric measurement of free soil moisture requires removing, drying,
and weighting of a sample, soil moisture sensors measure the volumetric water content indirectly
by using some other property of the soil, such as electrical resistance, dielectric constant, or
interaction with neutrons, as a proxy for the moisture content.

PARAMETERS VALUE
Power consumption < 13 mA
Supply voltage 3.5V to 20V DC
Output impedance 10k ohms
Operational temperature -40ºC to 85ºC
Accuracy at 25ºC 2%
Output 0 to 3V related to moisture content
Fig: Technical specifications of Moisture sensor
The relation between the measured property and soil moisture must be calibrated and
may vary depending on environmental factors such as soil type, temperature, or electric
conductivity. Reflected microwave radiation is affected by the soil moisture and is used
for remote sensing in hydrology and agriculture. Portable probe instruments can be used by
farmers or gardeners.

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5.4 Potentiometer

A potentiometer is a three-terminal resistor with a sliding or rotating contact that forms an

adjustable voltage divider. If only two terminals are used, one end and the wiper, it acts as
a variable resistor or rheostat. The measuring instrument called a potentiometer is essentially
a voltage divider used for measuring electric potential (voltage); the component is an
implementation of the same principle, hence its name.

Fig: Potentiometer

Potentiometers consist of a resistive element, a sliding contact (wiper) that moves along
the element, making good electrical contact with one part of it, electrical terminals at each end of
the element, a mechanism that moves the wiper from one end to the other, and a housing
containing the element and wiper.

PARAMETERS VALUE
Type 9 mm single turn cermet
Weight 0.8 gm
Wiper current 50 mA max.
Rotational noise (CRV) 3% max
Temperature range -25ºC to +100ºC
Max working voltage 200V DC or AC RMS, max.
Fig: Technical specifications of Potentiometer

Potentiometers are commonly used to control electrical devices such as volume controls
on audio equipment. Potentiometers operated by a mechanism can be used as
position transducers, for example, in a joystick. Potentiometers are rarely used to directly control
significant power (more than a watt), since the power dissipated in the potentiometer would be
comparable to the power in the controlled load.

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5.4 16 x 2 Liquid crystal display (LCD)

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen is an electronic display module and find a wide range of
applications. A 16 x 2 LCD display is very basic module and is very commonly used in various
devices and circuits. These modules are preferred over seven segments and other multi
segment LEDs. The reasons being: LCDs are economical, easily programmable, have no
limitation of displaying special & even custom characters (unlike in seven
segments), animations and so on.

Fig 3: Liquid crystal display (LCD)

A 16x2 LCD can display 16 characters per line and there are 2 such lines. In this LCD each
character is displayed in 5x7 pixel matrix. This LCD has two registers, namely, Command and
Data.

The command register stores the command instructions given to the LCD. A Command is
an instruction given to LCD to do a predefined task like initializing it, clearing its screen, setting
the cursor position, controlling display etc. The data register stores the data to be displayed on
the LCD. The data is the ASCII value of the character to be displayed on the LCD.

Since LCD screens do not use phosphors, they do not suffer image burn-in when a static
image is displayed on a screen for a long time LCDs are used in a wide range of applications
including computer monitors, televisions, instrument panels, aircraft cockpit displays, and indoor
and outdoor signage. Small LCD screens are common in portable consumer devices such
as digital cameras, watches, calculators, and mobile telephones, including smartphones.
LCD screens are also used on consumer electronics products such as DVD players, video
game devices and clocks. LCD screens have replaced heavy, bulky cathode ray tube (CRT)
displays in nearly all applications. LCD screens are available in a wider range of screen sizes
than CRT and plasma displays, with LCD screens available in sizes ranging from tiny digital
watches to huge, big-screen television sets.

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5.5 DC Pump Motor

A DC motor is any of a class of rotary electrical machines that converts direct current electrical
energy into mechanical energy. The most common types rely on the forces produced by
magnetic fields.

Fig 5: DC Pump Motor

Nearly all types of DC motors have some internal mechanism, either electromechanical or
electronic, to periodically change the direction of current flow in part of the motor. DC motors
were the first type widely used, since they could be powered from existing direct-current lighting
power distribution systems. Figure shows the datasheet for the 12V DC pump motor as
discussed.

PARAMETERS VALUE
High Torque Rated Voltage DC 12V
Speed 4000 RPM Motor
Shaft Diameter 3.17 mm Mounting
Diameter of the Motor 36 mm
Length of the motor 50 mm
Length of Shaft 16 mm

Fig: Datasheet for DC Pump Motor

A DC motor's speed can be controlled over a wide range, using either a variable supply
voltage or by changing the strength of current in its field windings. Small DC motors are used in
tools, toys, and appliances.

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5.6 Servo motor

A servomotor is a rotary actuator or linear actuator that allows for precise control of angular or
linear position, velocity and acceleration. It consists of a suitable motor coupled to a sensor for
position feedback. It also requires a relatively sophisticated controller, often a dedicated module
designed specifically for use with servo motors.

Fig: Servo motor

More specifically, it is a closed loop servomechanism that uses position feedback to
control its motion and final position. The input to its control is some signal, either analogue or
digital, representing the position commanded for the output shaft. The motor is paired with some
type of encoder to provide position and speed feedback. In the simplest case, only the position is
measured. The measured position of the output is compared to the command position, the
external input to the controller.

PARAMETERS VALUE
Dimension 40.7*19.7*42.9 mm
Stall Torque 10kg/cm
Operating Speed 0.20 sec / 60 degree
Operating Voltage 4.8-7.2V
Temperature Range 0°C - 55°C

The very simplest servo motors use position only sensing via a potentiometer and bang-
bang control of their motor, the motor always rotates at full speed (or is stopped). This type of
servo motor is not widely used in industrial motion control, but it forms the basis of simple and
cheap servos used for radio-controlled modes. Moreover, servomotors are used in applications
such as robotics, CNC machinery or automated manufacturing.

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6. SOFTWARE IDE

An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a software application that provides

comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development. An IDE normally
consists of a source code editor, build automation tools and a debugger. Most modern IDEs
have intelligent code completion. Some IDEs, such as NetBeans and Eclipse, contain
a compiler, interpreter, or both; others, such as Sharp Develop and Lazarus, do not. The
boundary between an integrated development environment and other parts of the
broader software development environment is not well-defined.
Sometimes a version control system, or various tools to simplify the construction of a
Graphical User Interface (GUI), are integrated. Many modern IDEs also have a class browser,
an object browser, and a class hierarchy diagram, for use in object-oriented software
development.
Integrated development environments are designed to maximize programmer productivity
by providing tight-knit components with similar user interfaces. IDEs present a single program in
which all development is done. This program typically provides many features for authoring,
modifying, compiling, deploying and debugging software. This contrasts with software
development using unrelated tools, such as GCC etc.
One aim of the IDE is to reduce the configuration necessary to piece together multiple
development utilities, instead providing the same set of capabilities as a cohesive unit. Reducing
that setup time can increase developer productivity, in cases where learning to use the IDE is
faster than manually integrating all of the individual tools.
Tighter integration of all development tasks has the potential to improve overall
productivity beyond just helping with setup tasks. For example, code can be continuously parsed
while it is being edited, providing instant feedback when syntax errors are introduced that can
speed learning a new programming language and its associated libraries.
Some IDEs are dedicated to a specific programming language, allowing a feature set that
most closely matches the programming paradigms of the language. However, there are many
multiple-language IDEs.
While most modern IDEs are graphical, text-based IDEs such as Turbo Pascal were in
popular use before the widespread availability of windowing systems like Microsoft
Windowsand the X Window System (X11). They commonly use function keys or hotkeys to
execute frequently used commands or macros.
As of March 2015, the most popular IDEs are Eclipse and Visual Studio. An example of
a high-productivity Platform as a Service provider that incorporates an IDE is
the OutSystems Platform, a Rapid Application Development platform which claims a 10x
acceleration in development by using a robust IDE and a 'toolbox' of pre-built components. In
2016 OutSystems launched its P10 Platform which has been specifically designed to build
applications for mobile.

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7. PROGRAMMING CODE
#include<Servo.h> // For Servo Motors
#include<LiquidCrystal.h>
#define threshold 600 // Defining Thresholds
#define wateringTime 10000 //10 seconds
#define wateringTime2 10000 //10 seconds
#define plantpos2 50 // plant 1 position
#define plantpos1 100 // plant 2 position
// change position according to your pots
LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11 ,5, 4, 3, 2 );
// servo objects
Servo plantServo;
int plantSensor1 = A0; // sensor pins
int plantSensor2 = A1;
int value1 = 0; //initializing sensor value & variables
int value2 = 0;
int pump = 6; // water pump control pin
void watering1();
void watering2();
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600);
lcd.begin(16,2);
plantServo.attach(9);
plantServo.write(20); //set servo at 20*
pinMode(pump, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(pump, LOW); //pump off at initial
lcd.print("PUMP OFF");
}
void loop()
{
value1= analogRead(plantSensor1);
value2= analogRead(plantSensor2); //Reading values from sensor
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
Serial.println(value1); //Displaying values on serial monitor for debugging
lcd.print(value1) ;
lcd.setCursor(0,1);
Serial.println(value2);
lcd.print(value2);
delay(2000);
if(value1 >= threshold)
{
watering1(); //control watering operations
}

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else if(value2 >= threshold)
{
watering2();
}
}
void watering1()
{
plantServo.write(20);
Serial.println("Watering Plant 1");
lcd.print("Watering Plant 1");

for(int ppos=20; ppos<=plantpos1; ppos++)

plantServo.write(ppos); // Take pipe to plant 1
delay(3000); // wait for three seconds
digitalWrite(pump, HIGH); //Pump onn
lcd.print("PUMP _ON");
delay(wateringTime); //Watering Time
digitalWrite(pump, LOW); //Pump off
lcd.print("PUMP OFF");
delay(5000); //Wait till extra water flows out
plantServo.write(20); //servo back to initial position
delay(15000); //wait for 15 seconds before reading again, this will let water sets in soil
}
void watering2() //Suppose pot 2 is bigger and requires more water
{
Serial.println("Watering pot 2");
lcd.print("Watering Pot 2");
int ppos = 20; //initial servo positions

for(ppos=20; ppos<=plantpos2; ppos++)

{
plantServo.write(ppos); //take pipe to pot 2
}
delay(2000); //wait for it to reach pot 2

digitalWrite(pump, HIGH); //Pump onn

lcd.print("PUMP _ON");
delay(wateringTime2); //Watering Time

digitalWrite(pump, LOW); //Pump off

lcd.print("PUMP OFF");
delay(3000);//for(ppos=plantpos1; ppos=0; ppos--)

plantServo.write(20);
delay(15000);
}

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8. WORKING
The program in the Arduino reads the moisture value from the sensor every 20 seconds. If the
value reaches the threshold value, the program does the following three things:

1. It moves the servo motor horn, along with the water pipe fixed on it, toward potted plant,
whose moisture level is less than the predominated/threshold level.

2. It starts the motor pump to supply water to the plant for a fixed period of time and then stops
the water pump.

3. It brings back the servo motor horn to its initial position.

9. PRECAP TO THE MAJOR PROJECT

The greenhouse was built to house a variety of plants used for teaching and research purposes.
The building itself comprises of nine rooms that each have their own unique climate conditions.
This allows some very unique plants to be kept in the greenhouse from a wide range of locations.
The main concern for each of these rooms is that they stay within a proper temperature range. In
the summer months this is primarily done by manually opening and closing windows. This
requires staff to come in on the weekends if the outside temperature gets too high.

Fig: Expected overview of Greenhouse

The goal is to implement a system that allows remote monitoring and control to help
reduce the amount of time staff needs to be present in the greenhouse.

The scope of the project is to produce a working prototype monitoring and control system
for one room of the Buller greenhouse. This system can be accessed remotely using a web server
on any internet connected device. This project could be easily expanded for use in all of the
rooms in the greenhouse so that each room could be automated.
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10. CONCLUSION
Automatic irrigation is need of the hour as it is impossible to have an every hour check on the
plants if their moisture content is getting low or not. So with the concept of automatic irrigation
we can consume our time and plants can get the sufficient supply of water as when required
when the moisture level goes below a certain threshold value.

By this working model we have tried to make this concept more easier and beneficial for the
users so that their plants can automatically be benefit by the sufficient supply of water without
being the involvement of the user themselves.

The conclusion is simple…,

“Time is precious and adaptability to the automatic controlled techniques or resources is healthy
for future purposes, so does the automatic irrigation.”

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