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Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Irrigation system is a useful tool for cultivating healthy lawns

and gardens. However, when not properly maintain, it can lead to

misuse of water resources. Nowadays, water shortage is becoming

one of the biggest problems in the world. In an article published at

wired.com last March 19, 2006, farms and their wasteful irrigation

systems are the major contributors to water scarcity on the globe

and 70% of the water consumed goes to farming and most of its

wasteful use. Water is basic a necessity, be it for human beings,

animals, plants, etc. For an instance, water is considered as a vital

source and foundation for a healthy and vigorous landscape. The

field of Agriculture is where water is required in tremendous

quantity. But water itself is one of our most precious resources.

When water is scarcer than land, it may be beneficial to

maximize water productivity in irrigation system management.

Take, for example, a typical irrigation system that faces water

shortage in the main reservoir. A usual response option of the

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irrigation system manager is to implement a system that will

minimize the water resources.

In the Philippines alone, agriculture as a whole is the greatest

consumer of water. Irrigation constitutes a large portion of total

water consumption by agriculture; it is considered the biggest water

user in the country, notwithstanding the fact that only 47% of the

potentially irrigable area of 3.16 million hectares is irrigated. About

95% of the irrigated area is devoted to paddy and about 70% of

paddy production comes from irrigated lands (Dayrit, 2001).

For years, many different methods are being developed for the

proper irrigation of water. In lieu with these reasons, the

proponents thought of designing an irrigation system using the

technology of microcontroller and GSM. The project aims for an

efficient and effective automatic irrigation system that seeks to

minimize water usage, requires minimal human effort and saves

time.

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B. Statement of the Problem

Scientists predict a global water shortage, severely impacting

Philippines by 2025 (Vergano, 2003). The study intends to address

wasteful water used in irrigation by designing an automated system

with the help of microcontroller and GSM technology. Generally, a

microcontroller based plant irrigation system with SMS notification

and controller will be needed to minimize the usage when watering

the soil. Specifically the study aims to:

1. Determine how soil moisture content can be used as a

parameter to automate the watering of the plants;

2. Identify the target value and relative values of the soil

moisture;

3. Use GSM technology to allow notification about the status of the

soil moisture; and

4. Recognize method of controlling the irrigation system using

GSM technology.

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C. Objectives of the Study

Generally, the objective of this study is to construct a

Microcontroller Based Plant Irrigation System with SMS Notification

and Controller that will minimize the water usage when watering

the soil. And specifically, it seeks to:

1. Automate the watering of the plants by using a microcontroller-

based system that will check the soil moisture content;

2. Display the relative value of the soil moisture content using a

16x2 LCD;

3. Provide a notification of the status of the soil using GSM

technology; and

4. Allow user to control the system by enabling the pump using

GSM technology.

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D. Significance of the Study

This study minimizes the water usage by supplying enough

water to the soil. The system automatically waters the soil by

checking its soil moisture contents. It also discuss about the

importance of designing the system to the following:

For Department of Agriculture

This project would be beneficial to the department of the

government in charge of the Agriculture for this can make them

realize the importance of proper irrigation and monitoring of water

usage in the fields. Furthermore, this can make way for a further

study or even a project about proper irrigation of fields with the

help of the same technology.

For Farmers/Caretakers

This project is specifically made for monitoring the land and can

help the farmers to minimize human effort in manually checking if

the plants need to be watered. Instead, they can just rely on this

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project by the SMS they receive through the GSM technology and

even send command to control the turning on/off of the pump.

For Land Owners

The project aims to minimize water usage where the land owners

will most benefit. Through an investment to this kind of system, the

land owners will have less expense on their water consumption.

For Future Computer Engineering Students

This can be beneficial for the Computer Engineering students

who will undertake a related project about irrigation system,

microcontroller, soil moisture sensor and GSM technology.

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E. Scope and Delimitations of the Study

This project entitled, ―Microcontroller Based Plants Irrigation

System with SMS Notification and Controller‖ embodies the

following:

1. PIC16F877A microcontroller controls the components (soil

moisture sensors, LCD, submersible pump and GSM modem) of

the entire system;

2. The system uses five soil moisture gold immersion sensors to

monitor the soil moisture content of the plant;

3. The system only notifies the status of the plants if the user

sends an inquiry through a text command using a mobile phone.

Also, the user can turn on the pump by sending a text message.

However, the SIM cards of the mobile phone and GSM modem

should maintain enough balance;

4. The submersible pump turns on if the majority of the land area

is dry and if the user turns it on via sending SMS;

5. The testing of the system uses five land areas having one

sprinkler each;

6. The LCD displays five relative values of soil moisture sensors;

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7. The system embodies a password for security which the user can

set; and

8. The target soil moisture can be accustomed depending on the

water requirements of the soil.

In the contrary, limitations were met during the construction of

the project due to limited time and resources. The project is limited

to these aspects:

1. The system is only capable of watering the plants;

2. The GSM module is only for receiving status (information) and

triggering the water pump;

3. The monitoring of the plants focuses on soil moisture content;

other factors are not included;

4. The testing of the system uses loamy soil; and

5. The system does not consider the type of plants as it focuses

only on one factor which is the soil moisture.

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F. Definition of Terms

Center-pivot sprinkler system - is a self-propelled system in

which a single pipeline supported by a row of mobile towers is

suspended 2 to 4 meters above ground.

Embedded System - any electronic system that uses a computer

chip, but that is not a general-purpose workstation, desktop or

laptop computer. Such systems use microcontrollers (MCUs) or

microprocessors (MPUs), or they may use custom-designed chips.

GSM - short for Global System for Mobile Communications, one of

the leading digital cellular systems. GSM uses narrowband TDMA,

which allows eight simultaneous calls on the same radio frequency.

Hand move sprinkler system - are a series of lightweight pipeline

sections that are moved manually by hand. Lateral pipelines are

connected to a mainline which may be portable or buried. Hand

move systems are mainly used for smaller areas.

Irrigation - artificial supply of water to land, to maintain or

increase yields of food crops, a critical element of modern

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agriculture. Irrigation can compensate for the naturally variable

rate and volume of rain.

LCD – short for Liquid Crystal Display It is an electronic display that

consists of segments of a liquid crystal whose reflectivity varies

according to the voltage applied to them.

Level Basin Systems - these systems differ from traditional

border check or flood systems in that slope of the land is level and

areas and is closed. Water is applied at high volumes to achieve an

even, rapid ponding of the desired application depth within basins.

Loamy soil - it contains a balance of all three soil materials: silt,

sand and clay—plus humus. It has a higher pH and calcium levels

because of its previous organic matter content.

Low Flow Irrigation Systems - these systems which include drip

and trickle use small diameter tubes placed above or below the soils

surface. Frequent, slow applications of water are applied to the soil

through small holes or emitters. The emitters are supplied by a

network of main, sub main and lateral lines.

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MCU - short for microcontroller. It is a microprocessor that controls

some or all of the functions of an electronic device (as a home

appliance) or system.

Power Supply - a source of electric power (voltage and current) to

operate electronic circuits.

Probe - a small tube containing the sensing element of electronic

equipment, which can be lowered into a borehole to obtain

measurements and data.

Relay - an electromagnetic device for remote or automatic control

that is actuated by variation in conditions of an electric circuit and

that operates in turn other devices (as switches) in the same or a

different circuit.

Sensor - a device that measures or detects a real-world condition,

such as motion, heat or light and converts the condition into an

analog or digital representation.

Soil Moisture - ability of soil to supply moisture to plant.

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Solid set/fixed sprinkler systems - sold set/ fixed refer to a

stationary sprinkler system. Water is supplied to pipelines and the

pipeline to a sprinkler nozzle which is elevated above the grounds

surface.

Submersible pump - it is similar to a turbine pump, but it is

attached to a submersible electric motor. The electric motor and the

pump are suspended in the water.

Travelling gun sprinkler systems - travelling gun systems use a

large sprinkler that is mounted on a wheel or trailer, fed by a

flexible rubber hose. The sprinkler is self- propelled while applying

water, travelling in a lane guided by a cable. The system requires

high operating pressures up to 100psi.

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Chapter II

THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

A. Review of Related Literature and Studies

This section presents a discussion of related literature and

studies, both of which have significant relation to the development

of the present study.

First and foremost, Wikipedia, a free Encyclopedia website

defined irrigation as,

"The artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to

assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of

landscapes, and vegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and

during periods of inadequate rainfall."

Moreover, an irrigation system is a method of delivering water to

an area where it is needed, but not normally present in the required

amounts. Generally, it is used for agriculture and landscaping

purposes. The effectiveness of the irrigation is determined by a

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number of different factors, including the type of delivery system

and the conditions at its time of use.

The key to an effective irrigation system is to get as much water

to the plants, or into the soil, as possible. While this may seem like

an easy thing to do, it is not. In fact, water loss from these systems

can be up to 50% in some cases.

In an article published at www.lawnranger.com, irrigation

systems are classified according to the following types: hand move

sprinkler system, level basin systems, low flow irrigation systems,

and furrow systems, travelling gun sprinkler systems, solid

set/fixed sprinkler systems, side-roll wheel move systems, linear or

lateral- move systems and center-pivot sprinkler system.

Furthermore, one important component of an irrigation system is

the pumps. Pumps used in irrigation systems differ in design and

type. For the irrigation system to be efficient and effective, pumps

should be selected properly. Pumps used for irrigation should

always be in good working condition to ensure that the water being

pumped is free from contamination. Irrigation pumps should meet

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the requirements of the irrigation equipment, the piping system and

most importantly, the source of water.

There are four types of pump namely: centrifugal pumps, deep-

well turbine pumps, submersible pumps, and propeller pumps.

(Fitzgerald, July 2012)

A summary of the differences of the types of pumps are listed in

table 1.

Table 1: Summary of the differences of the types of pumps

Pump Type Benefits Points to Consider

Propeller -simple construction

-don’t need

-portable

-cannot generate

suction to lift water

-provide low energy

output

Submersible -enclosed impellers

maximize efficiency

-don’t need to be primed

-easy to install

-may be less

economical

-ideal for booster

applications

-can only be powered

by electricity

-susceptible to

lightning strikes

Centrifugal -economical

-easy to install

-constant flow rate

-offer a wide range of

different capacities

-need to be primed

-must be located fairly

close to the surface of

the water supply

-losing prime may

result in pump damage

Turbine -operate quietly

-don’t need to be primed

-less economical

-may be more difficult

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-may be used in wells

-may be used in

conditions where water

depth changes

to install, inspect, and

repair

-require periodic

impeller adjustments

to maintain efficiency

Aside from the kinds of pumps mentioned in Table 1, there is a

need to consider one important factor which is the soil moisture.

Sensors designed for soil moisture content can be interfaced to an

irrigation controller. Soil moisture sensor is used as a tool to

optimize irrigation and to protect plant stress at the dry or wet

ends.

Measuring soil moisture is important in agriculture to help

farmers manage their irrigation systems more efficiently. Not only

are farmers able to generally use less water to grow a crop, they

are able to increase yields and the quality of the crop by better

management of soil moisture during critical plant growth stages.

Soil moisture sensors are classified into two: the capacitive

sensor and resistive sensor. Capacitive sensor is used where soil

with moisture serves as dielectric, as the moisture changes the

capacitance changes, we can also use resistive sensor to sense the

moisture content. It employs a parallel plate capacitor in which

dielectric medium is the soil granules. The basic logic is as moisture

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of soil will change capacitance will change. While, the resistive soil

moisture sensor is where electrical resistance is measured and

converted to soil moisture content. The sensor consists of

concentric electrodes which are surrounded by granular material

which is having good absorbent property like gypsum; cork etc. this

material absorbs water (moisture) in soil. When electrodes are

excited electrical resistance is measured. The resistance decreases

with increasing soil moisture. However, the soil moisture or the

ability of a soil to absorb water depends on its soil type.

There are different types of soil that gardeners and growers

usually use for the plants. These are the following: the sandy soil,

the silty, the clay, the peaty, saline soil and the loamy soil.

However, the type of soil that gardens and gardeners love is loamy

soil because it is an ideal material for plants. (Ganguly, 2011)

In addition to the discussion about types of irrigation and

pumps, there is also a need to tackle the importance of embedded

system. Embedded computing system plays a vital role in

developing automated systems. Embedded systems are defined as

a computer having a single task, or a very small number of related

tasks that are programmed to perform a dedicated function. In

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general, embedded system is: a system built to perform its duty,

completely or partially independent of human intervention; specially

designed to perform a few tasks in the most efficient way; and

interacts with physical elements in our environment, viz. controlling

and driving a motor, sensing temperature, etc.

The implementation of embedded system usually involves

microcontroller. It is defined as

"A microcontroller includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, I/O ports, and

timers like a standard computer, but because they are designed to

execute only a single specific task to control a single system, they

are much smaller and simplified so that they can include all the

functions required on a single chip."

In a microcontroller all that you have to do is to make proper

connections of the pins and then feed a computer program into it.

After that your microcontroller responds in accordance with the

program that has been fed into it. In a microcontroller program you

receive the inputs from a set of input pins that you specify and then

process the input and produce your output on a set of output pins

in form digital signal.

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Aside from the use of microcontroller, there has been rapid

introduction of GSM technology in different applications. In fact, the

paper, "A method for reducing a bumblebee noise generated by a

GSM technology in a smartphone" in particular stated that GSM

technology has a market share of almost more than 79% in the

world. (Soo-Woo, 2012) Today, GSM known as Global System for

Mobile Communications or simply Global System for Mobile is a

hugely successful wireless technology. As stated to European

Telecommunications Standards Institute,

"GSM is an open, digital cellular technology used for transmitting

mobile voice and data services. The technology behind the Global

System for Mobile communication (GSMTM) uses Gaussian Minimum

Shift Keying (GMSK) modulation a variant of Phase Shift Keying

(PSK) with Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) signalling over

Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) carriers. Although originally

designed for operation in the 900 MHz band, it was soon adapted

for 1800 MHz".

A GSM network consists of a GSM modem. With reference a

journal "What is a GSM Modem?‖,

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"A GSM modem is a specialized type of modem which accepts a

SIM card, and operates over a subscription to a mobile operator,

just like a mobile phone."

Additionally, when a GSM modem is connected to a computer,

this allows the computer to use the GSM modem to communicate

over the mobile network. While these GSM modems are most

frequently used to provide mobile internet connectivity, many of

them can also be used for sending and receiving SMS and MMS

messages.

Also, a GSM modem can be a dedicated modem device with a

serial, USB or Bluetooth connection, or it can be a mobile phone

that provides GSM modem capabilities. GSM modems can be a

quick and efficient way to get started with SMS, because a special

subscription to an SMS service provider is not required. In most

parts of the world, GSM modems are a cost effective solution for

receiving SMS messages, because the sender is paying for the

message delivery.

More so, the following related studies attempt to support the

present study.

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As a start, the project "Automatic Irrigation System on Sensing

Soil Moisture Content", is designed to develop an automatic

irrigation system which switches the pump motor ON/OFF on

sensing the moisture content of the soil. The project uses an 8051

series microcontroller which is programmed to receive the input

signal of varying moisture condition of the soil through the sensing

arrangement. This is achieved by using an op-amp as comparator

which acts as interface between the sensing arrangement and the

microcontroller. Once the controller receives this 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 the 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 (Galgalikar, 2010).

Next, "Project Report: Automated Irrigation System using

MSP430" aims of minimizing manual intervention of the farmers by

making MSP430G2231 microcontroller based system.

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The micro-controller based Automated Irrigation system will

serve the following purposes:

1. As there is no un-planned usage of water, a lot of water is

saved from being wasted; and

2. The irrigation is only when there is not enough moisture in the

soil and the microcontroller decides when should the pump be

turned on/off, saves a lot time for the farmers. This also gives

much needed rest to the farmers, as they don’t have to go and

turn the pump on/off manually.

The project makes use of VG 400 Soil Moisture Sensor. It takes

its input from the soil. If there is less moisture in the soil, the

sensor would give an Analog input to the ADC inside the MSP430.

The ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) which is one of the most

important inbuilt features of the MSP. (Galgalikar, 2010)

Another project is the, "Automatic Irrigation Management

System" which seeks to monitor irrigation through MCU scheduling

and timing control.

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The block diagram of the project is given below.

Figure 1: Block Diagram of Automatic Irrigation Management System

Figure 1 shows the block diagram of the study which starts from

the microprocessor that will receive inputs from the moisture

sensor. This signal will go through signal conditioning of op-amps

and a low-pass filter into the microcontroller’s A/D converter. The

user input will allow the operator to change settings, such as:

starting and ending time of irrigation, the moisture level for which

the water switch need to be automatically turned on and off. When

in the main screen, the LCD will display the current time, the setup

of irrigation scheduling, and any reminder that is set in the

microcontroller.

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From the main screen the operator can chose the menu and

select an option. There will also be three LEDs to indicate whether

or not the equipment is on or not. The water switch is controlled by

the microcontroller through a relay; the microcontroller takes the

soil moisture signal from the sensor, compares it with the pre-set

level, and makes the decision. The maximum dimensions are about

6x4x6 in. The control box will house the display, LEDs, control

buttons, the microcontroller and all the 5 volt DC devices. The input

line from the sensor will come into this box for signal conditioning

and processing. The control box will be supplied by an adaptor

through regular power line. (Galgalikar, 2010)

Additionally, from an online journal database, "Real-Time

Automation of Agricultural Environment for Social Modernization of

Indian Agricultural System focuses on using an ARM7TDMI Core 32-

bit microprocessor, GSM services which operate through SMS as a

link between ARM processor and centralized unit. GSM is used to

inform the user about exact field condition through a SMS on user

request. The GSM model is controlled by a standard set of AT

(Attention) commands. The system continuously monitors the soil

moisture, water level of the well, temperature, humidity, dew point,

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weather conditions and provides the details about the field to user

though SMS.

The system consists of a centralized unit having a subscriber

number which forms a link between user and device and acts as a

primary node for sending and receiving the data though SMSs by

the user. The centralized unit communicates with the system

through SMSs which will be received by GS with the help of SIM

card; the GSM sends this data to ARM7, after processing it displays

it on the LCD. The activation command is given to start the motor

and indirectly activate the transistorized relay circuit to constantly

monitor the environmental factors and once the required level is

reached the motor is turned off and the message is sent to the

farmer. The system described uses ARM7, low power consuming

processor which is very important. GSM technology’s ready

availability, simplicity, less signal deterioration makes it better for

sending control signals and receiving updates over long distance.

(Galgalikar, 2010)

Next to that, "Real Time Automation of Indian Agricultural

System" which is very similar to the system presented in "Real-time

Automation of Agricultural Environment for Social Modernization of

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Indian Agricultural System" deals with ARM7 and GSM combined

together for programming and developing the automated system. It

is. In the system, soil moisture is measured using dielectric

constant of soil and is informed to the centralized unit which sends

a message to the device which waits for a certain amount of default

time for user response if no response is received it continuously

monitors the field and keeps on sending the parameters to the

centralized unit where it is stored in the EEPROM of ARM.

Additionally, to monitor the plant or leaf’s health, a leaf wetness

sensor has been used allowing us to forecast disease and to protect

plan canopy. It uses ARM7TDMI, 16kb RAM, flash memory, In-

system programming with timers and serial interfaces and modems

for creating the real time applications. The system described also is

a low power consumer with simple and efficient GSM facilities. It

measures all possible soil environmental factors including the health

of the plant and detects amount of water or ice on the leaf’s surface

also. The drawbacks of the system are firstly farmer has to suffer

SMS costs due to the GSM facility, and bad range of the GSM

provider may also act as a limiting factor to the system.

(NagendraBabu, 2000)

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Like the previous studies mentioned above, "Innovative GSM

Bluetooth Based Remote Controlled Embedded System for

Irrigation" proposes a system where GSM/Bluetooth based remote

controlled embedded system is used for irrigation. The system sets

the irrigation time depending on the environmental factors and can

automatically irrigate the field. Information, regarding the status of

power supply, is exchanged between the system using SMSs on

GSM network. In addition to the GSM a Bluetooth facility has also

been interfaced to the microcontroller for eliminating the SMS

charges and the range limitations. The system checks for the water

flow from the pump if no water supply is available system sends

information to user via Bluetooth/SMS. The sensor information is

sent to the farmer and the farmer sends data in the form of SMSs

in the GSM network to start of stop the irrigation according to the

received information. The system consists of an 8-bit PIC

microcontroller having inbuilt ADCs and interface to various sensor,

pump.

The system described above has incorporated Bluetooth for

remote monitoring which reduces the problem of range with GSM

network and saves SMS cost for the farmer. The sensors used to

send emergency information to user in case of fire in field or

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burning of motor. The design is low power, low cost, small size,

robust and highly versatile. It has the same problems as the

systems above, that range of GSM and Bluetooth is not dependable

and user needs to familiarize too with many complexes AT

commands. (Gaatum, 2012)

Likewise, "Integration of Wireless Technologies for Sustainable

Agriculture" proposes the system that eliminates the use of wired

technology and improves the old method of collecting data and

allows the farmer to control their sprinklers remotely. It utilizes

wireless sensor networks to collect real time status of agricultural

field and uses mobile phone to control the watering of the field

using sprinkler.

The wireless sensor nodes collect information regarding water

level conditions and send the data to the central sink node which

processes the information and sends it to the user’s mobile phone

and he accordingly controls the watering of the field using sprinkler

controller. The nodes contain a sensor, radio transceivers, battery

and interfacing circuit. The system proposes the use of sprinklers

having two major features, pulsing (water application depth can be

controlled by a series of on-off cycles) and nozzle orifice control

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(mechanically activated pin to alter the area which adjusts the

sprinkler flow rate), controlled by the sprinkler controller which in

turn has a GSM modem and a microcontroller. It uses a missed call

instruction format wherein each number of missed calls is

associated with a certain number of instructions to be performed,

which is calculated by the microcontroller. (Goli, 2011)

The paper "Design of Remote Monitoring and Control System

with Automatic Irrigation System using GSM-Bluetooth" gives a

review of remote control and monitoring systems based on existing

technologies and a GSM-Bluetooth based remote control and

monitoring system with automatic irrigation system. The design

presented has the advantage of both GSM and Bluetooth technology

and the sensors and devices are controlled by both by using

Bluetooth when in a limited range with the appliances and using

SMS for remote monitoring and control thereby reducing the usage

charges of GSM.

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The figure below shows the block diagram of the system.

Figure 2: Block Diagram of Design of Remote Monitoring and Control System with Automatic Irrigation System

using GSM-Bluetooth

Figure 2 shows the block diagram of the system. The hardware

of the system mainly includes an 8-bit microcontroller chip, a GSM

module, a Bluetooth module and RS232 interfaces. The

microcontroller is interfaced with different sensors for controlling

different applications. Moisture sensor is used to sense the moisture

of soil moisture. Temperature sensor detects the temperature; CO2

gas sensor detects CO2 concentration and Humidity sensor

Humidity in analog form. The analog data from temperature sensor

and Humidity sensor is converted to digital using A/D converter.

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EEPROM is used for recording the data provided by the sensors. It

provides this data to the microcontroller for analysis when

requested and an alarm is raised in emergency conditions

depending upon this data and an SMS is send to the user’s mobile.

Bluetooth module provides free cost control over irrigation system.

GSM provide distance based control over irrigation parameters. Real

time clock/calendar helps in proper day-to-day recording of data.

The measured values and the state of the devices are displayed

on the LCD. The GSM and Bluetooth modules which are the most

important part of this system are interfaced with the microcontroller

using a RS232 interface. The modules act like an interface between

the controller and GSM network. The GSM module must have a SIM

(Subscriber Identity Module) card to make the network identify the

user. The microcontroller communicates with the GSM module using

the AT commands. These AT commands are used to send and

receive SMS. The programming code for the microcontroller is

written in some high level language. When a user sends an SMS

requesting the status of devices and measured value by the

sensors, the GSM module sends the data stored in EEPROM as a

response via SMS. The use of a mobile as a monitoring and control

station provides for mobility in the proposed system is an important

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backbone of all the existing internet based systems. (Purnima,

2011)

"Gardenbot" is the only open source garden monitoring system.

The ultimate goal of the GardenBot project is to be a complete

garden monitoring and automation system. A key design

consideration is to keep everything as easy as possible -- especially

for users new to Arduino and DIY electronics projects. The core of

GardenBot is that it is assembled in modules. The entire how-to

section is organized by modules. And a key concept is that most of

the modules have what is called a local circuit. This means that for

any particular module, you will usually be building an object (like

the moisture sensor) and then running some wires back to the brain

module where you will also be assembling the local circuit for that

module. Some of the modules (like the soil moisture sensor) are

bound to be physically far away from the brain. This means that we

will be running a wire from the brain module inside your house to

the garden station outside. (Frueh, 2012)

Also, "Design and Evaluation of a Low-Cost Automatic Control

Device for Pressurized Irrigation System" was designed and

fabricated with two moisture sensors based on the mechanism of a

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typical home gardener’s soil moisture detector or sensor. The

sensors were actually resistance bridge circuits that compare the

resistance of the soil with reference values of the trimmer resistor

setting as indicated by the two LEDs (light emitting diode). Powered

by a 9V-battery when used as moisture sensor in home gardening,

the device was designed to drive other components of a pressurized

irrigation system like a 220-VAC electric motor and 6-A, 24-VAC

electric remote-control valves using power relays. The electric

motor was tasked to provide irrigation water to the system that

must be triggered by a relay synchronously connected with the

other driven units.

One of the solenoid valves served as a master valve. The master

valve, which is a necessary element of automated pressurized

irrigation, comes before series of valves to release pressure along

the pipe network. The probes were inserted into two pieces of

rubber at 5 cm apart to prevent them from short-circuiting. These

pieces of rubber were laid flat in the soil at 20 cm depth, the

average plowing and rooting depth of crops.

Using a 2.54-cm diameter pipe as soil sampler, moisture content

from each soil sample was determined by the gravimetric method.

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A 1.5-kw electric motor was installed to pump water through a 63-

mm polyethylene mainline pipe serving two irrigation blocks of

Naan 501-U model sprinklers. Performance parameters were

evaluated statistically using two-way analysis of variance by

comparing the means of soil moisture determined from laboratory

and field tests at different resistance settings of the trimmer

resistors of each sensor.

The economic and other features of the device were compared

with other alternative methods of irrigation adjusted in hectare

basis per year based on a 1,500 m2 area. These alternatives were

the traditional method, manual method or zero-level automation,

and fully automated method using commercially available control.

Cost of operation in terms of fixed and variable costs were analyzed

to present a break-even point analysis. Savings from water, labor,

cost of electricity, and utilization in using the low-cost automated

system instead of the other methods were highlighted.

The paper, "Microcontroller-based Automatic Irrigation System

with Moisture Sensors" represented the prototype design of

microcontroller based automatic irrigation system which will allow

35

irrigation to take place in zones where watering is required, while

bypassing zones where adequate soil moisture is indicated.

The heart of the automatic irrigation system is the 80C51

microcontroller. The Intel 80C51 incorporates therein a 128×8

read/write data memory, which has 4K bytes of EPROM and is

expandable to 64K bytes via RAM module. The microcontroller also

includes four 8-bit ports (32 I/O lines), two 16-bit timer/counters, a

high performance, full-duplex serial channel and on chip oscillator

and clock circuits. Eight of the I/O lines comprising Port 0 function

as an address bus 20 and a data bus. Address information at Port 0

may be applied, via an address latch, to the address bus.

A moisture sensor is associated with each of the plurality of

zones. Each such sensor is periodically interrogated by a pulse

signal provided by the microcontroller via a driver or buffer circuit.

This interrogation signal causes the moisture sensors to output an

analog voltage which is proportional to the amount of moisture in

the soil in which the sensors are embedded. The analog signal is fed

to an analog/digital converter which operates to create a digital

representation of the measured analog quantity on the data bus

leading to the microcontroller. An analog-to-digital converter

36

suitable for use in the system is ADC 0809. It comprises a

monolithic CMOS device with an 8-bit A/D converter, an 8-channel

multiplexer and microcontroller compatible control logic. Using

successive approximation as the conversion technique, this 8-bit

A/D converter is readily interfaced to its associated microcontroller

by the latched and decoded multiplexer address inputs and latched

TTL tri-state outputs.

The heart of the automatic irrigation system is the 80C51

microcontroller. The Intel 80C51 incorporates therein a 128×8

read/write data memory, which has 4K bytes of EPROM and is

expandable to 64K bytes via RAM module. The microcontroller also

includes four 8-bit ports (32 I/O lines), two 16-bit timer/counters, a

high performance, full-duplex serial channel and on chip oscillator

and clock circuits. Eight of the I/O lines comprising Port 0 function

as an address bus 20 and a data bus. Address information at Port 0

may be applied, via an address latch, to the address bus.

A moisture sensor is associated with each of the plurality of

zones. Each buffer circuit. This interrogation signal causes the

moisture sensors to output an analog voltage which is proportional

to the amount of moisture in the soil in which the sensors are

37

embedded. The analog signal is fed to an analog/digital converter

which operates to create a digital representation of the measured

analog quantity on the data bus leading to the microcontroller. An

analog-to-digital converter suitable for use in the system is ADC

0809. It comprises a monolithic CMOS device with an 8-bit A/D

converter, an 8-channel multiplexer and microcontroller compatible

control logic. Using successive approximation as the conversion

technique, this 8-bit A/D converter is readily interfaced to its

associated microcontroller by the latched and decoded multiplexer

address inputs and latched TTL tri-state outputs. (AbhinavRajpal,

2012)

Lastly, "Microcontroller Based Drip Irrigation System" is

composed of moisture sensors, temperature sensors, Signal

conditioning circuit, Digital to analog converter, LCD Module, Relay

driver, solenoid control valves, etc.

The important parameters to be measured for automation of

irrigation system are soil moisture and temperature. The entire field

is first divided in to small sections such that each section should

contain one moisture sensor and a temperature sensor. RTD like

PT100 can be used as a temperature sensor while Densitometer can

38

be used as the moisture sensor to detect moisture contents of soil.

These sensors are buried in the ground at required depth. Once the

soil has reached desired moisture level the sensors send a signal to

the micro controller to turn off the relays, which control the valves.

The signal send by the sensor is boosted unto the required level by

corresponding amplifier stages. Then the amplified signal is fed to

A/D converters of desired resolution to obtain digital form of sensed

input for microcontroller use.

A 16X1 line LCD module can be used in the system to monitor

current readings of all the sensors and the current status of

respective valves. The solenoid valves are controlled by

microcontroller though relays. A Chemical injection unit is used to

mix required amount of fertilizers, pesticides, and nutrients with

water, whenever required. Varying speed of pump motor can

control pressure of water. It can be obtained with the help of PWM

output of microcontroller unit. A flow meter is attached for analysis

of total water consume. (Ashok, 2010)

To sum it all, this present study had surely been supported by

the related literature and studies presented above.

39

B. Synthesis

The proponents believe that each and every literature and

studies stated in this paper is similar on the present study. The

proponents relate and differentiate the studies based on the

implications of the concepts presented and the materials used.

Microcontroller plays a vital role in developing automated

systems. Numerous systems like that of the irrigation are being

controlled by different types of microcontroller. The study,

―Automatic Irrigation System on Sensing Soil Moisture Content‖,

programmed an 8051 series microcontroller to receive the input

signal of varying moisture condition of the soil through the sensing

arrangement. While that of, ―Project Report: Automated Irrigation

System using MSP430‖ make use of MSP430G2231, a 16-bit Ultra-

Low Power MCU to decides when should the pump be turned on/off.

Additionally, ―Real-Time Automation of Agricultural Environment for

Social Modernization of Indian Agricultural System‖ focused on

ARM7TDMI Core 32-bit microprocessor. Furthermore, the core of a

watering system named as ―GardenBot‖ is assembled in module of

an Arduino microcontroller. Meanwhile, Innovative ―GSM Bluetooth

Based Remote Controlled Embedded System for Irrigation‖ build

40

their system using 8-bit PIC microcontroller having inbuilt ADCs and

interface to various sensor, pump. Like the previous study, the

brain of this system, ―A Microcontroller Based Plants Irrigation

System with SMS Notification and Controller‖ will be constructed

using PIC16F877A. This will acts as the brain of the system that will

receive inputs from the sensors and GSM modem. As well as the

output data on a LCD and the SMS for the notification for the

farmers.

Different sensors are designed for various applications including

that for the irrigation. Sensors which are interface to the

microcontroller play a vital key in automating systems. “Project

Report: Automated Irrigation System using MSP430‖ which make

use of VG 400 soil moisture. The sensor takes input from the soil

and if there is less moisture in the soil, the sensor would give an

Analog input to the ADC inside the MSP430. Addition to that, the

study ―Remote Monitoring of Soil Moisture‖ used improvised

sensors, installed at several fairway locations, monitor soil moisture

by measuring the dielectric strength of the soil at depths of 4, 8,

and 16 inches. The data are transmitted directly to a base. Aside

from an improvised resistive soil moisture sensor, study like

―Gardenbot‖ used of LM 335 temperature sensor and light sensor

41

using photocell. While this study is designed with one calibrated

soil moisture sensor and four improvised resistive soil moisture.

Remote monitoring of the condition of the plants can be done

through various technologies. ―Automatic Irrigation Management

System‖ scheduled the irrigation through the settings set on a

computer desktop and in the microcontroller. From the main screen

the operator can chose the menu and select an option. While,

―Innovative GSM Bluetooth Based Remote Controlled Embedded

System for Irrigation‖ focused on the remote controlled embedded

system for irrigation through GSM and Bluetooth. The system sets

the irrigation time depending on the environmental factors and can

automatically irrigate the field. Information, regarding the status of

power supply, is exchanged between the system using SMSs on

GSM network. In addition to the GSM, a Bluetooth facility has also

been interfaced to the microcontroller for eliminating the SMS

charges and the range limitations. Lastly, this study covered GSM

modem to notify the user about the condition of the plants and

enable the user to control the turning on/off of the submerged

pump.

42

To sum it all, this study surely had been supported by the

related literature and studies presented above.

C. Conceptual Framework

Figure 3 shows the conceptual design of this study,

Microcontroller Based Plants Irrigation System with SMS Notification

and Controller. It is anchored on the presented review of related

literature and studies. It is divided into three parts: the input, the

process and the output.

INPUT

•Soil Moisture

•Send SMS to receive notification

•Send SMS to turn on the pump

•Set target soil moisture

PROCESS

•Sensors read moisture content of the soil

•Monitoring of the soil moisture content

•Verification of the password and the text commands

OUTPUT

•LCD shows values of soil moisture

•Irrigation of water for 20 seconds

•SMS notification

Figure 3: Research Paradigm of the Microcontroller Based Plants Irrigation System with SMS

Notification and Controller

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The input to the system includes the value of the moisture

content of the soil that will be fed using the sensors employed in

different part of the land. The idea of putting more than one soil

moisture sensors is to make sure that the moisture content of every

portion of the land is being monitored. Also, the target soil moisture

depends on the desired value of the user. Next, the user will need

to send a SMS query to be able to receive a text notification

regarding the condition of the soil. Also, the user can send a SMS to

start the irrigation. The MCU will check if the right password and

text format is satisfied. A password had been set to ensure that

only authorize user/users will be able to control the system. Once,

the MCU has verified that the user wishes to receive a notification,

the system will send a text notification that contains the current soil

moisture values as well as the target soil moisture. The system will

start the irrigation process if the user sends to turn on the pump or

when majority of the soil moisture is above the target soil moisture.

The reason behind the remote control of the irrigation is to allow

the user to turn on the pump without solely relying on the soil

moisture content. The releasing of water is for only 20 seconds to

make sure that the water goes down to the bottom of the soil and

to prevent the top layer from being saturated. Then, for a minute

the process of monitoring will start again.

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Chapter III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter discussed about the processes, technical procedures

and some concepts and specification of each components used in the

said project ―Microcontroller Based Plants Irrigation System with SMS

Notification and Controller‖ and on how it is to be done.

A. Research Design

The project entitled ―Microcontroller Based Plants Irrigation

System with SMS Notification and Controller‖ uses an experimental

type of research method where the researcher manipulates

independent variables and measures dependent variables in order

to establish cause-and-effect relationships between them. In this

project the independent variables are the detection of the moisture

and the GSM module while the dependent variable is the pump. The

proponents is developing a device that monitors the moisture of the

soil by using a soil moisture sensor/detector, a pump to irrigate

plants if needed, LCD display for the status of the soil, and a GSM

to be able the user to monitor his/her plant through SMS. The

researchers chose this method because it is the most appropriate,

45

and the project requires testing to determine every cause and effect

for the accuracy of the project.

B. Process

In achieving expected output for the Microcontroller based Plants

Irrigation System with SMS Notification and Controller, series of

study, planning and development are needed to be satisfy. In this

section, the proponents present the conceptual framework of the

design, the functional diagram of the prototype, how the prototype

will be developed as well as its functionality and the integration of

its hardware and software components, and its requirement

analysis and design.

1. Functional Block Diagram

Figure 4 shows the block diagram of this project, ―Microcontroller

Based Plants Irrigation System with SMS Notification and

Controller‖. The two major components of this project are:

Microcontroller and GSM technology.

46

Figure 4: Block Diagram of Microcontroller Based Plants Irrigation with SMS Notification and Controller

The soil moisture content will be monitored base on the set

target soil moisture. The reading from the sensor will now be the

input to the microcontroller and will be the basis of the triggering of

the pump. If the reading of majority of the land area is below the

set target moisture the pump will be trigger and the sprinkler will

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water the soil, otherwise the monitoring of the soil moisture

continue.

As for the GSM, the user can trigger the pump by texting or

make an inquiry to the prototype simply by encoding the password

and the command for the triggering of the pump or for the status of

the soil. The prototype will also be sending the current status of the

soil for the notification to the user.

2. Prototype Development

In order to develop an effective and efficient prototype, the

proponents prepared a set of objectives, to be able to meet the

desired functionality of the prototype. Also, the design of the

prototype and the hardware components is taking into

consideration to maximize the functionality of the prototype.

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a. Prototype Objectives

The prototype aims to achieve the following objectives:

1. To be able to determine the target soil moisture and relative

values of a loamy soil using soil moisture sensor;

2. To be able to feed the values from the soil moisture sensors to

the microcontroller;

3. To be able to automate the watering of the plants using

submersible pump and sprinkler; and

4. To be able to interface GSM technology to the microcontroller.

b. Prototype Functionality

The prototype is design to meet its objectives and processes.

The functionality requirement of the system is divided into two

tasks: the automation of the watering of the plants through soil

moisture sensors interfaced to the microcontroller and the

notification and controller using GSM technology.

The interactions of components such as the soil moisture

sensors, LCD, pump and as well as the GSM modem takes place in

49

the microcontroller. The microcontroller receives the response of

the soil moisture sensors. The sensors make use of probes that

measure and convert electrical resistance to soil moisture content.

The soil moisture content is in terms of output voltage. The idea of

multiple sensors employ in the system is to be able to measure soil

moisture content at more than one place. Additionally, the concept

of majority wins condition in triggering the pump is based on the

fact that different parts of the field may have a different amount of

moisture at the same time but the interval for them to dry is close

considering they are in one place.

Additionally, the soil moisture content in terms of relative values

(ranging from 0-13) will be shown to LCD. The relative values make

it easier for the user to understand the soil moisture and avoid the

messy details of the digital output coming from the microcontroller.

In case majority of the soil moisture sensors reaches a critical level,

the pump turns on and the system starts to irrigate water using a

dedicated sprinkler for each land area. The system will pump water

for a predetermined time (20 seconds) to ensure that the upper

part of the soil will not be drown from too much water. After that,

the system will check if the plants are still thirsty. If the sensors

50

detect that the plants still need water, the process will repeat until

lower soil moisture content has been achieved.

The second component, GSM technology allows user to receive

notification about the status of the plants in terms of soil moisture.

However, to minimize the continuous notification that requires

monetary fund, the user can only receive a text notification if an

inquiry is made. Lastly, remote control by sending a text command

can be used to trigger the watering of the plants.

c. Prototype Design

To achieve an expected result, the design of the prototype

should take into consideration.

The proponents decided to have a rectangular land area and is

equally divided into five land area. Tubular aluminium is use as the

framework of the land area. Also, the proponents attached a PVC

tube to the tubular aluminium for the pathway of the water. A

sprinkler is also attached to each land area. An identical five basin

is use for the container of the soil each having a soil moisture

sensor. The reading of the moisture sensor will then be display on a

51

16x2 LCD. A nozzle hose is connected to the submersible pump to

the PVC tube for continuous circulation of the water.

Figure 5 is the prototype of the Microcontroller-Based Plants

Irrigation System with SMS Notification and Controller.

Figure 5: Prototype of the Microcontroller-Based Plant Irrigation System with SMS Notification and

Controller

The design is composed of the following:

1. Soil moisture sensor

2. Loamy soil

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3. Hose with water sprinkler

4. LCD on control panel(unit)

5. Water container

6. Submersible water pump

7. Hose

d. Hardware Components

The following materials comprise the physical output of the

Microcontroller Base Plants Irrigation System with SMS Notification

and Controller. The integration of each component to the prototype

plays an important role to the implementation of the prototype.

(1) Soil Moisture Sensor

Soil Moisture Sensor Immersion Gold is use for the prototype.

The soil moisture sensor is place underneath the soil and is

connected to the microcontroller. The proponents set relative values

that range from 0-13 that serves as the basis of the target soil

moisture.

53

Figure 6: Moisture Sensor

(2) Submersible Pump

Submersible pump is use for the construction of the prototype

for this kind of pump can be suspended underwater and has a

greater pressure for the flow of the water.

Figure 7: Submersible Pump

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(3) Sprinkler

A sprinkler is use for the watering of the soil. An adjustable

sprinkler is chosen for the user to manipulate how the water will

output through the sprinkler.

(4) LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

A 16x2 LCD is used for the system. The status of the soil

moisture, the set target soil moisture and the time is shown in the

LCD.

Figure 8: LCD

(5) GSM Module

One of the features of the prototype is that it has a SMS

notification and controller. GSM Module provides those features. By

the help of GSM module, the user can trigger the pump by just

55

texting the system provided that the user input the right password

and format for the GSM module.

Figure 9: GSM Module

(6) PIC Microcontroller

PIC Microcontroller is used for the integration of the hardware

and software. PIC16F877 is a 40- pin microcontroller. Assembly

language is used as the programming language for the MCU.

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Figure 10: PIC16F877 Microcontroller

(7) Loamy Soil

Loamy kind of soil is used for the testing of the prototype.

Loamy is dark in colour and is mealy—soft, dry and crumbly—in

your hands. It has a tight hold on water and plant food but it drains

well, and air moves freely between soil particles down to the roots.

The feel test for loam yields a smooth, partly gritty, partly sticky

ball that crumbles easily.

3. Software Development

The PIC microcontroller is used to be the brain of the system.

The Microcontroller Based Plants Irrigation System with SMS

Notification and Controller uses a PIC16F877 microcontroller which

57

is programmed using an assembly language. The development of

the software comprises of the integration of the program for the

GSM module, the reading of the soil moisture sensor to be

outputted using an LCD and the triggering of the water pump.

a. Requirement Analysis and Design

This project’s requirement is to be able to water the plants

whenever the target moisture is reached, the software is design to

decide if the target moisture is reached and trigger the pump if

needed. The proponents used Assembly Language to program the

software to the PIC Microcontroller.

b. System Design

The system has one design which is the unified parts of the

system: the automation of the watering of the plants and the

notification and controller using GSM technology.

For the automation of watering the plants this is composed of

soil moisture sensors and a submersible pump. These components

serve as an input/output to the microcontroller (a circuit that

58

manipulates and controls the whole system to function). The soil

moisture sensors will send a moisture value to the microcontroller

as an input. The microcontroller will read the value, it will trigger or

turn on the submersible pump if the reading is below the set target

moisture and if not, the soil moisture sensor will just continue

checking.

For the notification and controller, the GSM module can be used

to turn on the submersible pump to water the plants and to get

status of the plants. By sending a text message to the GSM, one

can control the system. Texting a four-digit password and a

command S the system will text back the status of the five land

area. For example: 1111 S send to 09182833954. And for watering

the plants, text 1111 S1.

c. Flowchart

Figure 11 shows the flow of the system in automated watering of

the plants part. The flowchart is divided into two: first is the

automation of the watering of the plant; and the other is for the

notification and control of the system using the GSM Technology.

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Figure 11: Flowchart of the main system

The input will be the reading of the soil moisture sensor. It will

be sent to the microcontroller. Then the microcontroller will check if

the target moisture is reached. If the soil is dry, the pump will be

triggered and it will sprinkle water for 20 seconds. And if the soil is

not dry the system will just continue checking for the soil moisture.

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Figure 12: Flowchart of SMS

Figure 12 shows the flow for the notification and controller part

of the system. By a sending a text message including the four digit

password and the code the user can get the notification for the

status of the soil and can control the system by turning on the

pump. Then the GSM modules will text back for the status of the

soil.

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Figure 13: Flowchart of the GSM module

62

The input will be the reading of the soil moisture sensor. It will

be sent to the microcontroller. Then the microcontroller will check if

the target moisture is reached. If the soil is dry, the pump will be

triggered and it will sprinkle water for 20 seconds. And if the soil is

not dry the system will just continue checking for the soil moisture.

d. Program Design

This section discusses about the algorithm of the software

system.

(1) The system starts by accepting the soil moisture reading of

each soil moisture sensor.

(2) The readings were sent to the microcontroller and test if

majority of the five sensors is below the set target moisture. If

yes, the pump will turn on for 20 seconds and water the soil

until it reaches the set target and go back to number 2. If not,

the system will continue checking the soil moisture content

after 60 seconds. Go back to number 2.

(3) If the user sends a message to the system. If yes, the system

will check if the password is correct. If yes, then it will check if

the code is S, S1 or an invalid code. If S1, the system will turn

on the pump for 20 seconds and send the status of the soil, go

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back to 2. If S, it will send the status of the soil go back to 2. If

invalid, then it will do nothing and go back to 2.

(4) If not, then it will do nothing and continue checking.

C. Prototype Construction

The project entitled Microcontroller Based Plants Irrigation

System with SMS Notification and Controller is composed of several

hardware components. This section tackles about how hardware

components are done. This include the step by step process on how

to do it, the materials used, the cost and the benefit of the user.

1. Procedures in the Construction of Prototype

This design project was constructed based on its functionality.

Since the entire system is composed of several components this

section tackles about how those components are done.

For the Microcontroller circuit

(a) Gather the materials needed

(b) Design a PCB Layout

(c) Solder the materials to the PCB

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(d) Program the software into the microcontroller

For the power supply

(a) Gather the materials needed

(b) Design a PCB Layout

(c) Solder the materials to the PCB

For the packaging of the prototype

(a) Place the soil in a basin that measures approximately 1sq. ft.

(b) Cut the tubular aluminium, and form it in a rectangular

shape,

(c) Place the PVC tube around the rectangular shape and on

every front view of soil that look like a faucet to each basin of

soil

(d) At the end of the PVC on each basin of soil put a sprinkler

2. Materials Used

This section presents the materials used in the construction of

the prototype.

65

These soil moisture sensors can read the amount of moisture

present in the soil surrounding it. It uses the two probes to pass

current through the soil, and then it reads that resistance to get the

moisture level. More water makes the soil conduct electricity more

easily (less resistance); while dry soil conducts electricity poorly

(more resistance). The output of these sensors will be sent as an

input to the microcontroller.

The 16x2 LCD was used in this project. This is used to display

the dryness and wetness of the soil ranging from 0-13. This is

connected to the microcontroller where it will get the data being

displayed. It 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.

66

This system also includes a GSM module for controlling the

system through a mobile phone. The user can enable the watering

of the plants through GSM module by using a mobile phone. For the

status of the plants, the user must subscribed first by sending a

command to the GSM module. This command is composed of a four

letter password, then space and then S for the Status. The

operation of the entire system will not be affected if the network of

the GSM module fails.

A submersible pump was used for the sprinklers to release

water. The MCU sends the output to the relay and triggers the

pump to release water when the soil is dry.

These 4 components are connected to the microcontroller. The

PIC 16F877A Microcontroller was used in this project. This was

programmed to manipulate the inputs to its respective outputs. The

PIC 16F877A is one of the most popular PIC microcontrollers and

it's easy to see why - it comes in a 40 pin DIP pin out and it has

many internal peripherals. The 40 pins make it easier to use the

peripherals as the functions are spread out over the pins. This

makes it easier to decide what external devices to attach without

worrying too much if there enough pins to do the job.

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D. Implementation

The proponents take into consideration the important variables

in simulating the device, the simulation procedures in the setup of

the prototype, how the device operates, the experimental

procedures in testing the prototype, and the evaluation of the

effectiveness of the system by implementing and conducting

different types of testing.

1. Important Variable in Simulating the Device Prototype

The proponents considered variables in simulating the device

prototype. These are the following:

a. Soil moisture content

Soil moisture content should be considered in simulating the

device prototype because it is the input of the soil moisture sensor

to the microcontroller. The soil moisture content serves as a basis

in testing the dryness and wetness of the soil.

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b. Time when to release water

The duration of how long the water will supply the soil is also

considered in simulating the device prototype since it will control

the amount of water to be released. The proponents set the timer

to 20 seconds. The time limit considered is just enough for the

submersible pump to supply all the spaces on the land area.

c. Prepaid balance

The prepaid balance or the load of the GSM module is also

considered in the simulation of the device prototype for it will be

used as the source of the GSM module should have enough balance

for the user to receive notifications of the status of the soil and to

be able to turn on the irrigation using text commands.

d. Land area

The land area is also an important variable in simulating the

device prototype because it determines the number of dry land

area. When the majority of the land area is dry, it is the only time

when the submersible pump will release water. For this system,

69

there are five moisture sensors in five land areas. Three or more

out of five dry land areas will trigger the submersible pump to

release water.

2. Simulation Procedure of the Prototype

In simulating the prototype, the proponents setup the following

procedures:

a. Place the controller to a secure area.

b. Place the moisture sensor to five different land areas.

c. Plugged in the controller to a 220-V power supply to initialize

the system.

d. Set the potentiometer by selecting an appropriate target

moisture content ranging from 0-15. This will serve as the

reference of the moisture sensor for the dryness and wetness

of the soil. Below the target moisture content means that the

soil is dry and vice versa.

e. The system will automatically check the status of the soil every

minute. Once the moisture sensor detects 3 or more out of five

dry land areas, the submersible pump will release water for 20

seconds and continue to check the status.

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The user can also check the status of the soil and water the plant

by sending SMS to the system.

3. Device Operation

The device operation of the system has a soil moisture content

which serves as the input to the system. The microcontroller gets

its input to the moisture sensor and controls the other part of the

system. The step-by-step operation of the system is state below:

a. Initially, the moisture sensor checks the soil moisture content

of the soil.

b. The microcontroller serves as the heart of the system because

it is where all other parts are connected.

c. The relay will receive input to the microcontroller and will

trigger the submersible to release water.

d. The GSM module serves as a link between the user and the

controller to interact.

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E. Experimental Procedures in Testing the Prototype

The step-by-step procedure in constructing and completing the

modules and components of the system for testing the prototype

are the following:

1. Gather all the materials needed for testing.

2. Setup all the gathered materials and test each component.

3. Test the moisture content of the soil by placing a moisture

sensor and wait for the checking of the status to be displayed in

the LCD.

4. Fill the container with water for the submersible pump. For when

the soil is dry, it will release water.

5. Set a password for the system.

6. The system will continually check the status of the soil.

F. Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the System

The testing of the effectiveness of the system is based on

different testing made by the proponents. They used different

parameters that will help in the performance of the prototype.

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1. Testing the Effectiveness of the System

To check the system’s effectiveness, different tests will be

initiated. The system should deliver the right outcome by testing

the dryness and wetness of the soil and the amount of water

released by the submersible pump to test the effectiveness of the

system. Different parameters were performed to test the system

and these are the following:

a. Area – Since the land area is 1 ft.2 the amount of water

needed should be enough for the whole land area to be wet.

b. Force of the submersible pump – Since it was only a

prototype, the amount of water being released was sufficient

enough to water the whole land area. The speed of the

propeller should be considered.

c. Type of soil – The type of soil should be considered in testing

the effectiveness of the system because it will affect the

reference value of the soil moisture content. That is why the

proponents put a potentiometer on the controller to vary the

value to the type of soil used.

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d. Power supply – The power supply which gives electrical

power to the system is another thing to consider, without this

the device would not work. A 220-V power supply is needed for

the system to operate.

2. System Evaluation

When the necessary modules and components are complete, the

first thing to do is to test every module by measuring the voltage to

ensure that the modules are working. Upon testing every unit of the

system, assembly is the next thing to do. Connect every module

and components according to the system design. When the

modules were connected, series of testing are conducted to ensure

that the desired collaboration between modules is aimed.

Upon checking each component of the system, the proponents

construct the system using the PIC microcontroller. After

constructing the correct program for the system using the MPlab

software, compile and upload to the PIC board. Connect each pin of

the components to the correct pin configuration to the PIC board.

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Chapter IV

PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents the components used and shall discuss the

findings obtained from the primary instrument used in the study. In

order to simplify the discussions, the researcher provided tables to

summarize the gathered data.

A. Testing the Effectiveness of the System

The design undergoes different testing to attain the desirable

result. Different testing is consisting of the following:

1. Testing for the time needed to water the plants

The proponents conduct several trials using time and amount of

water to see the appropriate output for the system.

Table 2: Result of the time needed to water the plants

Time (Second) Approximate Amount of Water Released(ml)

10 30ml

15 43ml

20 50ml

30 65ml

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Table 3 shows that amount of water released by the submersible

pump that varies over time. The longer the time set, the higher the

amount of water being released. Among the time set, the most

desirable is 20 seconds because the water being released which is

approximately; 50 ml is enough to water per land area and

maintain the good condition of the soil.

2. Testing for the desirable target moisture

This testing is conducted to see which among the set target

moisture content is desirable to use.

Table 3: Results of Soil Moisture Reading

Target Soil Moisture

Reading

Pump Soil condition

06 06/08/05/04/06 Off Wet

06 05/08/05/05/06 On Dry

08 09/08/09/10/09 Off Wet

08 08/07/07/08/07 On Dry

10 10/11/11/12/10 Off Wet

10 10/09/11/09/09 On Dry

13 13/13/12/10/14 Off Wet

13 13/13/10/11/11 On Dry

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Table 4 shows different cases when varying the target soil

moisture. The system is constructed in such a way that target soil

moisture can be accustomed depending on the type of soil. Through

this testing, the proponents were able to determine the desirable

target moisture for a loamy soil which is 8. Also, it shows how

majority wins condition is being implemented in the system. If the

majority of the five relative values are lower than 8, it means that

the soil needs water and the system will react. Once, majority of

the five relative values read a value greater than the 8, the soil is

wet and does not need to be watered.

3. Testing for arbitrary of watering the plant (target

moisture is set to 08)

This test is conducted to see how the arbitration works on the

device. The conditions of the soil will control the triggering of the

pump to water the soil.

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Table 4: Results in testing the majority wins logic

Trials Soil moisture

sensor readings

(NUMERICAL)

Soil

Condition

Pump

condition

1 07/06/07/08/08 DRY/DRY/DRY/WET/WET ON

2 06/08/06/07/07 DRY/WET/DRY/DRY/DRY ON

3 10/10/09/07/07 WET/WET/WET/DRY/DRY OFF

4 08/10/11/11/10 WET/WET/WET/WET/WET OFF

5 06/07/06/07/05 DRY/DRY/DRY/DRY/DRY ON

6 07/08/08/08/07 DRY/WET/WET/WET/DRY OFF

Table 5 shows that pump will only turn on when majority of the

soil is below the set target moisture. The pump will start to the

irrigation process if one of the following combinations of the soil

moisture is satisfied 3-dry 2-wet, 4-dry 1-wet or 5-dry 0-wet.

4. Testing of sending message to the system

This testing is conducted to see when the GSM will response of a

certain password and code. The operation of the pump is also taken

into consideration.

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Table 5: Results in testing the system response

Trials Message sent Pump condition System response

1 1111 S1 ON SENT STATUS

2 1111 S OFF SENT STATUS

3 1111 S3 OFF NO RESPONSE

4 1111 A OFF NO RESPONSE

5 1111 s1 OFF NO RESPONSE

6 1111 S OFF NO RESPONSE

7 1111 OFF NO RESPONSE

8 ABCD S OFF NO RESPONSE

9 A%&@ S OFF NO RESPONSE

10 Hello OFF NO RESPONSE

Table 6 shows that the system only response to the right code

(e.g ―1111 S1‖). The password can be set/changed but the next

code is set and has its own function, S1 for turning on the pump

and sending status while S for sending status only, the system is

also key sensitive and does not accept alpha-symbols as password.

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5. Time duration of receiving the status and enabling the

pump

The proponents also test different networks to define who will

responds first.

Table 7: Results in time duration in receiving the status and

enabling the pump

The proponents tested the system using the biggest

telecommunication network-- Smart and Globe. On Smart, it took

11 seconds to receive the notification status. While that of Globe

took a longer time which is 15 seconds. Additionally, the

proponents tested the time duration to turn on the pump using the

text command. For Smart, it took only 3 seconds but for Globe it

took almost 4 seconds. Hence, the proponents used Smart because

it is more reliable among the networks mentioned.

Network Time Duration in Checking the Status

Time Duration in Turning on the pump

Smart 11 seconds 3 seconds

Globe 15 seconds 4 seconds

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6. Soil Type Testing

Soil is very important in growing a plant, so taking in

consideration is the type of soil to be use in planting.

Table 6: Soil Testing Result

Characteristic Sandy Loamy Clay

Drainage Fast Average Slow

Retention capacity Low Average High

Capacity to stock nutrients

Low Average High

Organic matter content

Low Average High

Easiness to ploy soil in wet condition

Easy Average Difficult

Table 6 is from africarice.org in which the soil type determines a

large extent the dynamics of water flow in the soil. The water flow

fastest among the soil types, so as it absorbs water faster the

nutrients were evacuated to the lower part easily were sometimes

unreachable by the roots, this can be a problem as the nutrients

can be lost. Clay soil can holds many nutrients among soil types but

it drains water slower that causes the plant to be drowned, its

capacity to retain water became a big problem, an overdose of

nutrients and water can be done. So the proponents use the loamy

soil because it contains a mix characteristic of both soil types. It

can hold water but it is also good in draining it. As the water

81

slightly flowing deep the soil, the roots have enough time to collect

enough nutrients.

B. Test Results

The researchers conducted different test to see if the prototype

attains the objectives of the design. The testing composed of

different variables such as time, soil condition, target soil moisture,

relative soil moisture values and amount of water.

Table 7: Different Results in Testing the Prototype

The testing of the system make used of loamy soil because it is

the soil type which is often used in farms. The first test was made

82

to determine time needed to water the soil in five land areas. Using

the time variables (10, 15, 20, 25 seconds), the test came up with

the result that 20 seconds is the most appropriate because it is

enough to water a rectangular basin with estimated size of 1 sq.

foot. The second testing make used of different target soil moisture

values to achieve the most desirable target soil moisture for a

loamy soil. In this test, proponents came up with the result of 8/13

(soil moisture rating from 0-13, below 8 means dry while 8 and

above means wet). Next, a testing on a different combinations on

the condition of the soil was made to ensure that the system follows

the majority wins condition when irrigating water. As expected, the

prototype implements that it the pump will only turn on given that

majority of the values read by the sensor is in a dry condition.

Lastly, the proponents tested the efficiency of the notification and

controlling process of the system by sending different text

commands and response of the system. The result shows that the

system only send a notification reply given that the user follows the

format, 1111 S. Also, the pump will only be turned on if the user

send 1111 S1. Lastly, the test shows that Smart is the most reliable

network to be used in the system because it took the shortest time

duration among others.

83

Overall, the testing of the system has been successful and got a

satisfying results. Though at times, the proponents encountered

problems in the control unit of the prototype.

84

Chapter V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION

This chapter present a summary on the findings obtained in the

previous chapter, the conclusions obtained from it and the

recommendations needed for the improvement of the study.

A. Summary of Findings

From the analysis of the data, the findings were as follow:

1. The target soil moisture for a loamy type of soil is 8. Values less

than 8 means that the soil is in a dry condition and in need of

water, while that greater than 8 means that it is in a wet

condition.

2. Based on the testing, 20 seconds is the time that must be

allotted for the system to irrigate water in a given land area. The

system will water the plants for 20 seconds and after a minute,

the system will check again for one minute if the soil needs more

water.

85

3. Given 5 land area, the system will only irrigate water if one of

the following combinations is satisfied: 3-wet and 2-dry, 4-wet

1-dry or 5-wet 0-dry.

4. The system will only notify the user through a SMS if the correct

password which is 1111 and correct command which is S have

been sent to the designated number mounted to the GSM

module. Example Message: 1111 S

5. The irrigation of the system can be started if the correct

password which is 1111 and correct command which is S1 have

been sent to the designated number mounted to the GSM

module. Example Message: 1111 S1

B. Conclusions

The project ―Microcontroller Based Plants Irrigation System with

SMS Notification and Controller‖ proves to be a real time feedback

control system which monitors the soil moisture content of the

plants and controls the irrigation system using GSM technology.

86

Monitoring of the soil moisture content plays a vital role in

automating the watering of the plants. The soil moisture sensors

make it possible for the system to determine the desired target

value and relative values for the soil moisture. User does not need

to manually check if the soil needs water. Instead, they can just

rely on the values fed by the sensors employed in the soil. The

system is characterized by being versatile. The target soil moisture

can be accustomed depending on the user. Thus, the system is

applicable for different soil types. If the relative values are in a

critical level or below the target value, irrigation can be started for

a certain time. Therefore, using this method of irrigation water

usage will be monitored. Also, the idea of majority wins condition

make it possible for the irrigation to save water as irrigation can

only be started if the condition is satisfied. Additionally, the use of

GSM technology to notify the user about the status of the soil

moisture makes it easier for the user to know the condition of the

plants in terms of soil moisture content. Lastly, the use of GSM

technology provides user a remote control to start the irrigation.

The system has been successfully designed and tested. Also, it

has been developed by integrating features of all the hardware

components used. The presence of every components has been

87

reasoned out and placed carefully thus contributing to the best

working of the unit. The function of the irrigation is done

automatically using a microcontroller based system and soil

moisture content is considered as the parameter for the system.

Lastly, with the help of GSM technology the project has been

successfully implemented.

The present proposal is a model to modernize the agriculture

industries at a mass scale with optimum expenditure. Thus, using

this system, one can lessen water usage, save man power and

ultimately increase profit.

C. Recommendations

The system is more beneficial if added features will be added.

Thus, these recommendations are then suggested.

The testing of the system can be done on a larger location where

numerous soil moisture sensors can be employed. Also, sprinklers

and submerged pumps will be added depending on the need of the

land area. Additionally, since the user can adjust the value of target

soil moisture depending on the soil type. It is recommended that a

88

test using different soil types aside from loamy soil should be

undertaken. Aside from that, the system only focused on one

parameter which is the moisture content of the soil, it will be better

if other factors such as temperature will be included.

The following recommendations attempt to improve the present

study.

89

Executive Summary

This paper presents the study, Microcontroller Based Plants

Irrigation System with SMS Notification and Controller. This study

seeks to minimize water usage when watering the plants through the

use of an embedded system and GSM technology.

The first section introduces the underlying problems of water

usage on the irrigation. Specifically, based the discussion, it has been

noted that farms and their wasteful irrigation systems are the major

contributors to water scarcity on the globe. Worse, 70% of the water

consumed goes to farming and most of its wasteful use.

The second chapter provides a review on the related literature

and the comparative analysis on the existing studies about

microcontroller based irrigation systems.

The next chapter demonstrates of how the problems of irrigation

can be addressed through microcontroller and GSM technology. Also, a

prototype has been constructed to show the relevance of the

mentioned technologies in an automated irrigation system. More so,

this section presents the methodologies used in the integration of the

90

said technologies with the soil moisture control unit which includes the

soil moisture sensors, the submersible pump and the sprinklers.

The fourth chapter shows relevant data to the study.

Additionally, numerous testing were made to ensure that the

objectives of the study were attained.

Based the previous chapters, this study, Microcontroller Based

Plants Irrigation System with SMS Notification and Controller hereby is

a model to modernize the agriculture industries at a mass scale with

optimum expenditure. Thus, using this system, one can lessen water

usage, save man power and ultimately increase profit.

91

APPENDICES

92

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