Journal of Emerging Technologies and Industrial Applications

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2020) pp. 1-10

e-ISSN: 2948-507X
© Malaysia Board of Technologists (MBOT)
Journal homepage: https://jetia.mbot.org.my/index.php/jetia/index

Design And Simulation of An IoT Integration Parcel Delivery

Alert System Using the Mars Simulator

Abdul Ghafur Hanafi*1, Mohd Nasrun Mohd Nawi2

1
First Author Affiliation,
Organization Address, City, Postcode, COUNTRY
2
Second Author Affiliation,
Organization Address, City, Postcode, COUNTRY

Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract: Malaysia has seen a large yearly increase in online buying. Due to the COVID-19 Received 00 Month 2000;
Accepted 01 Month 2000;
pandemic and Malaysia's government-enacted mobility control order (MCO), the quantity of
Available online 02 Month
online purchases has skyrocketed. The volume of packages that Malaysian delivery services 2000
must deliver is influenced by the current situation. Both the household and the delivery service
were in a lot of problems as a result of the unattended parcel delivery, parcel loss, and failed
delivery efforts. In order to address these problems, this paper propose a work called Parcel Keywords: Keyword 1,
Delivery Alert app. It consists of parcel safe box which accepts deliveries without requiring the keyword 2, number of
recipient to be present and notifies the household that a delivery has been made by sending a keywords is usually 3-7, but
more is allowed if deemed
delivery notification through an application. The design and development of the parcel safe box
necessary
are discussed in this paper with an eye toward the eventual development of this system where it
consists of three sensors: weight and load sensor, image sensor and light sensor. Parcel
Delivery Alert system is made up of a mobile application and a smart safe box. The tracking
number written on the shipping label of the package can be scanned to get access to the safe

*Corresponding Author:
Name,
Author Affiliation,
Organization Address, City, Postcode, COUNTRY
Email :

1. Introduction (Section 1) arise, especially in condo, office and apartment

buildings where people have little time to examine mail
During the COVID-19 pandemic, parcels can be a or packages because of mailboxes' central locations.
usual target for any sort of theft. The majority of parcel Even though the couriers successfully delivered the
boxes today are in traditional, manual types. As a result, package, its condition is still dangerous even though it
leaving the package in the box for an extended period of is inside the mailbox. The reason for this is that even if
time will make it less secure. Some challenges could
 Anne, A. et al., Journal of Emerging Technologies and Industrial Applications, Vol. 1 No. 1 (2022) p. 1-10

the mailbox is secured with a lock or a key, thieves can connectivity, this technology is implemented in a wide
still open it [1]. People all throughout the country, range of networked goods, systems, and sensors that
including Malaysia, deal with issues like missed provide new capabilities that were not before feasible
deliveries, misplaced shipments and lengthy delivery [2]. Numerous conferences, publications, and news
procedures. articles explore and debate the potential effects of the
"IoT revolution," ranging from concerns about security,
Therefore, having a secure parcel box will protect privacy, and technological compatibility to new market
all the valuable belongings. Parcel delivery alert prospects and business models.
systems are becoming increasingly important as more
and more people shop online and have packages The IoT's devices should be interoperable, self-
delivered to their homes. These systems allow configuring, have distinct identities, and be able to
customers to track their deliveries in real-time and communicate and exchange data with other devices and
receive notifications when their packages have been systems. They should also be able to dynamically adapt
delivered. Thus, it would be ideal to develop a parcel to changing situations and perform actions based on
delivery alert system as this will help customers to their operational conditions. As a result, smart devices
better plan their schedules to receive their packages need to be network connected and context aware [3].
from the safe box. This application is developed to Thus, three sensors which are weight and load sensor,
lessen issues faced by customers and couriers. The image sensor and light sensor to employ in the parcel
initiative is also intended to offer an intelligent parcel safe box are used in this work. Overall, this system will
system that is dependable, safe, convenient and energy provide convenience, peace of mind and added security
efficient. Additionally, this system also provides an for customers.
added level of security as customers can keep an eye on
their deliveries and take action if their packages are
delayed or lost.

The objective of this work is to provide an

alternative method for individuals to get their packages.
The safe box will serve as a recipient to assist in
accepting the package from the delivery man. Without
any guidance or assistance from a person, the full parcel
delivery process will be completed automatically. When
the parcel has been put in the safe box, the system will
notify the verification process to the recipients until the
parcel can be collected. The suggested system includes
a database that maintains all the parcel information,
parcel verification and authentication, and a security
system for the actual parcel box.
Figure 1. Graphical Abstract of IoT-Based
The main objectives of this work are: Intelligent Parcel Safe Box
• Avoid making touch with those who pose a risk.
• Verify that the parcels were not stolen. This article is presented in the following manner.
• Alert the user that they can safely accept the Section 2 describes the literature overview of this paper;
parcel. section 3 addresses the methodology that will be
• Ensure that the parcel is delivered to the right applied on this work; section 4 explains the results and
person. discussion of the use of MIPS and MARS simulation
and section 5 concludes the paper of how this system
In this work, a security, authenticity, and user- works to benefit the customers.
friendly method for an IoT-based intelligent parcel safe
box with OTP and QR code approach are suggested.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a major topic in the
engineering and technology industries and has made 2. Literature Review (Section 2)
headlines in both specialized and general media. IoT
aims to make machine-to-machine communication 2.1 Implementation of Single Cycle Processor
possible by connecting objects to the internet. In this work, the single cycle datapath is
implemented. Figure 2 indicates the datapath of single
The machine has network computing built into it, cycle processor, which one that fetches instructions
allowing it to function on its own without assistance from memory, executes them, and then stores the results
from a person. As a result of improvements in computer in a single cycle. Using Very High-Speed Integrated
power, electronics downsizing, and network Circuit Hardware Description Language (VHDL), the
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 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Industrial Applications, Vol. 1 No. 1 (2022) p. 1-10

technique may be put into practice. The availability of Poslaju, the national courier company of Malaysia, is a
synthesis tools that assist in converting HDL logic to system that has been built that is likely identical to this
Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) primitives has work. It aims to provide customers with a convenient
made HDL the preferred method for digital design entry and efficient way to send and receive packages. With
[4]. Ezibox, the customers can drop off their packages at
designated Ezibox locations and track the delivery
Single cycle MIPS is a Reduced Instruction Set status of their packages online. Overall, Ezibox by
Computer (RISC) processor with a restricted instruction Poslaju is a convenient and efficient parcel delivery
set that may complete an instruction in a single cycle. service that aims to make the process of sending and
The slowest instruction sets a cycle time limit. A single receiving packages as easy as possible for customers.
clock cycle is used for single cycle implementation [5].
The RISC processor features memory words of 32 bits,
32-bit general-purpose registers, and fixed-length 32-bit 2.3 Component of the sensors
instructions based on three separate formats, J, R, and I.
The values are consumed as soon as they become 2.3.1 Weight Sensor
available, and the instruction is then carried out because A weight sensor is also known as a weight
it is a parallel execution procedure. transducer. It converts a mechanical force, such as load,
weight, tension, compression, or pressure, applied as an
To fit an instruction in a single cycle, the input, into another physical variable. In this work,
propagation delay must be sufficiently long. While weight sensor be use for detecting the weight of the
jump instructions that store and then write back the parcel by it being pressed once the parcel has been
information into register files LW, SW, and Load have place into the box. When the weight being determined
a significantly longer propagation delay. Arithmetic by the sensor, it will notify the owner that the parcel
instructions like addition and subtraction of operators, have just arrived at the designated box.
i.e., ADD, SUB, run quickly and lose time in each
cycle.
2.3.2 Image Sensor
Using this sensor, the image of the parcel or item
that occurs into to the box is captured, and a notification
is sent to the application to notify the user that their
item is already in the designated box. Sensors are
classified according to their structure (CCD or CMOS),
chroma type (color or monochromatic), and shutter type
(global or rolling shutter). They are also classified based
on their resolution, frame rate, pixel size, and sensor
format.

Image sensors all serve the same purpose: to

Figure 2. Datapath of Single Cycle Processor convert incoming light (photons) into an electrical
signal that can be viewed, analyzed, or stored. Image
sensors are solid-state devices that are one of the most
critical components of a machine vision camera. Every
2.2 Review on Existing System year, new sensor varieties are introduced, with
improvements to sensor size, resolution, speed, and
light sensitivity.

The incident light (photons) is focused on the

image sensor by a lens or other optics. Depending on
whether the sensor is CCD or CMOS, information will
be transferred to the next stage as a voltage or a digital
signal. CMOS sensors use an on-chip Analog to Digital
Converter to convert photons into electrons, then to a
voltage, and finally to a digital value (ADC). Below is
the Figure 4 of the function inside the sensor’s camera.

Figure 3. Ezibox Poslaju

Figure 3 shows the Ezibox Poslaju. Ezibox, which

is a self-service parcel delivery service supplied by

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 Anne, A. et al., Journal of Emerging Technologies and Industrial Applications, Vol. 1 No. 1 (2022) p. 1-10

scanner shines this light on a barcode or QR Code, the

reflection is captured by a CCD and read. A barcode or
QR Code is captured only once, allowing for quick
reading. There are no moving parts, and the impact
resistance is exceptional.

2.4 Technical Information of Sensors

Below tables are the specifications of the technical
Figure 4. Function inside the sensor’s camera information of sensors applied.

Table 1 - Technical Information of Weight and Load

2.3.3 Light Sensor Sensor
These light sensors are photoelectric devices that IoT Voltage Input Output Output
transform both visible and infrared light energy Device Range Impedanc Impedanc Sensitivity
(photons) into an electrical (electrons) signal. Light e e
Sensors transmit an output signal indicating the light's Weight 5V to 055 ± 15 Ω 1000 ± 5 Ω 1.0 ± 0.15
intensity. Through assessing the radiant energy that and 15V mV/V
exists in a very narrow range of frequencies basically load
called "light", and which ranges in frequency from sensor
"Infra-red" to "Visible" up to "Ultraviolet" light
spectrum. The light sensor is a passive device that
converts visible or infrared light energy into an Table 2 - Technical Information of Image Sensor
electrical signal output. IoT Voltage Input Output Output
Device Range Impedanc Impedanc Sensitivity
Light sensors are also known as "Photoelectric e e
Devices" or "Photo Sensors'' because they convert light
Image 2.5V to 8 bits to 16 0.6V 400 - 1000
energy (photons) into electricity (electrons). There are
Sensor 5V bits nm
two types of photoelectric devices: which both produce
electricity when illuminated, such as photovoltaics or
photoemissives, and those that transform their electrical
properties, such as photoresistors or photoconductors. Table 3 - Technical Information of Light Sensor
IoT Voltage Input Output Output
Device Range Impedanc Impedanc Sensitivity
e e
Light 3.3V to 15mA 0V to 5V 0V to 5V
Sensor 5V DC
Figure 5. The Framework of Bar Code Reading

Figure 5 shows the framework of bar code reading.

2.5 Network Protocols
Light sensor works in this work by detecting the
barcode on the parcel and QR Code. Both barcode and
QR Code consists of white and black bars. The scanners
retrieve data by shining a light at a barcode or QR
Code, capturing the reflected light, and replacing the
black and white bars with binary digital signals.
Reflections are strongest in white and weakest in black.
A sensor receives reflections in order to generate
analogue waveforms. An A/D converter converts the
analogue signal to a digital signal (in binary). Data
retrieval occurs when a code system is determined from
the obtained digital signal (decoding process).

Other than that, CCD method seems suitable for

this work. This method employs a CCD (Charge
Coupled Device) semiconductor device, which converts
light signals into electric signals. A light is built into the
Figure 6. OSI Model
CCD method barcode or QR Code scanner. When a
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As shown on Figure 6, OSI Model is an open layer, internet involve network layer and network
access system interconnection reference model, is a interface involve datalink and physical layer.
very good agreement defined protocol specifications.
OSI model has seven layers; each layer can have When the end user used the system, it involves the
several sub-layers. According to the comparison of OSI application layer which in this case it creates http packet
and TCP/IP, and research based on the OSI model that will be sent later. The HTTP packet will initiate the
implementation models and protocols of the Internet, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) process in the
and the OSI model of data transmission between the Transport Layer protocol. This is an adjacent layer
layers [6]. In this work, a parcel delivery alert system interaction on the same device, in which the higher
can use a network such as Wi-Fi to communicate with layer (HTTP) requests the next lower-layer protocol
the delivery company's servers, receive updates and (TCP) to perform the service, and the lower layer
they will notify the customer on the status of a package. performs the service for the layer above it. This
For example, in this work, a package that have been interaction continues until the data reaches the final
placed in the locker being sense by all the sensor layer.
involved, then it will be updated in the system. Once it
is being updated, it will send the notification of the TCP's primary function is to communicate with the
package’s details to the owner of the package or the TCP process running on the server in order to establish
customer. a session. TCP creates a pipe between the end user and
the server so that the end user can receive the data sent
In all of this process, it will use the Wi-Fi which in via the pipe. TCP then adds its own information to the
this case it involves the Physical Layer (Layer 1) and top of the HTTP packet. These details are required to
Datalink Layer (Layer 2) of OSI Model. The 802.11 keep the session/pipe running. When the packet is still
protocol operates in two distinct OSI layers: Layer 1 in the pending state, TCP transfers it to an IP process
and Layer 2. The fact that Layer 1 is labelled "Physical" (Internet Protocol), which is an Internet Layer protocol.
does not imply that it must be physical cabling; radio The primary function of IP is to address and route
transmissions are often used here. Layer 1 describes the packets from the end user to the appropriate IP address.
frequency and modulation forms applied in this case, as It has two addresses (senders and receivers), and they
well as the pre-amble to lets the transmissions to route and deliver the packet to different destinations. IP
optimise. Layer 2 is where MAC addresses and BSSIDs is now at the top of the TCP packet. It is required for
are used. Layers 3 and above do not directly apply here, internet routing. The packet is now passed to the
but they are completely reliant on Layers 1 and 2 network access/network interface layer by IP. The
functioning smoothly. network access layer specifies the protocols and
hardware needed to transport data across a physical
network. Ethernet is used by the majority of end user.

An Ethernet frame is formed when an end user

encapsulates an IP packet between an Ethernet header
and an Ethernet trailer. Ethernet has a feature called
MAC address, which is used to send frames locally
(Local area network). The bits of this Ethernet frame
are now physically transmitted by the end user via
electricity flowing through the Ethernet cabling. The
packet has now left the end user. It makes it to the
server. The server physically receives the electrical
signal via cable and re-creates the same bits by
interpreting the electrical signals' meaning.

The IP packet is now de-encapsulated from the

Ethernet frame by removing and discarding the Ethernet
header and trailer. Similarly, it reads TCP information
before passing it to the HTTP process, which
Figure 7. OSI Model understands the HTTP get request. The server now
sends it to the system back to user in the same manner.
The same procedure is followed: user receive the page
Other than that, on Figure 7 shows the role in the
sent by the server, which is then displayed on the
OSI Model or layers are involved 4 services in TCP/IP
system.
which are application services, transport, internet, and
network interface. In application services it is involve
both application layer and presentation layer in OSI
Model. Transport services involve session and transport

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 Anne, A. et al., Journal of Emerging Technologies and Industrial Applications, Vol. 1 No. 1 (2022) p. 1-10

3. Methodology (Section 3)

3.1 Flowchart

Below is the flowchart of Parcel Delivery Alert

System as shown on Figure 8.

Figure 8. Flowchart Implementation MIPS Assembly

Approach

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Figure 9 shows the detail flowchart where it is

consists of three parts; Part A, Part B and Part C.

Figure 9. Three Parts of The Implementation MIPS

Assembly Approach

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3.2 Use Case Diagram package is delivered to the rightful individual. We

propose a security, authenticity, and user-friendly
Figure 10 indicates the use case for Parcel Delivery method for an IoT-based intelligent parcel safe box with
Alert System that includes three actors which are one time password (OTP) and QR code approach in this
Delivery Guy, Recipient and System. study. The use of QR Code and one time password
(OTP) for access to the safe box could provide an added
layer of security. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a topic
that is receiving a lot of attention in both specialised
and general media outlets as a result of its prominence
in the engineering and technology industries. The IoT
intends to make machine-to-machine communication
possible by connecting everyday things to the internet.

A parcel delivery alert system can greatly improve

the convenience and efficiency of parcel delivery by
providing real-time updates and notifications to
customers about the status of their deliveries. A parcel
delivery alert system using a safe box could provide
added security for deliveries. With this system, the
package would be securely stored in the safe box until
the recipient is able to retrieve it, reducing the risk of
theft or tampering. Overall, this parcel delivery alert
application can enhance the customer experience and
increase customer satisfaction with the parcel delivery
process.

Figure 10. Use Case Diagram of Parcel Delivery References

Alert System
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