abdul haseeb ma - simon fraser universitywhitmore/courses/ensc305/projects/2004/... ·...

January 20, 2004 Lucky One School of Engineering Science Simon Fraser University Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6 RE: ENSC 440 Project Proposal for Lord of the Seeds Dear Mr. One, The attached document, Proposal for Lord of the Seeds (LOTS), an automated hydroponics control system, illustrates our ENSC 440 project to develop a user-friendly nutrient control system for small-scale hydroponics farm. Our product aims to provide proper care to hydroponics crops by accurately measuring and controlling the pH and electro conductivity (EC) level in the hydroponics solution. The proposal is an overview of our product that discusses the purpose of our invention, its capabilities, design considerations we have taken, and also compares our product’s advantages to existing devices on market. Moreover, the proposal contains a projected spending budget, our information and research sources, as well as a detail action plan schedule. In addition, Poseidon Microsystems’ company organization information and our Executive profiles are also available. Poseidon Microsystems consists of five talented, creative, and dedicated Simon Fraser University Engineering Science senior students. We come from multiple disciplines: computer, electronics, and systems engineering. Please read our Executive profiles to learn more about the skills and talents of our individual members. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, comments or concerns. We can be reached by email at [email protected] or by cell phone at 604-726-5989. Sincerely,

Abdul Haseeb Ma Abdul Haseeb Ma CEO and President Poseidon Microsystems Enclosure: Proposal for an Automated Hydroponics Control System

Project Team:

Yvonne Lai Carson Leung Stella Li Abdul Haseeb Ma Takaya Ueda

Contact Email:[email protected]

Submitted to:Lucky One – ensc 440 Mike Sjoerdsma – ensc 305 School of Engineering ScienceSimon Fraser University

Date Issued:

January 20, 2004 Revision 1.0

Proposal for Lord of the Seeds

Copyright © 2004, Poseidon Microsystems ii

Executive Summary Hydroponics, or soilless gardening, has been taken up by more than 1 million gardeners world wide over the traditional in-soil gardening since it was first popularized by the astronauts. The digging and weeding of traditional gardening is gone for good. The general ease and high-quality yield of planting by hydroponics has created an entirely new market, and also fashioning a much-desired need for automation of these hydroponics systems. The existing systems are expensive, use outdated technologies and provide user interface that is nearly impossible to use for the average grower. Hence, there is an obvious need for an inexpensive system directed towards the everyday home gardener. Poseidon Microsystems is devoted to the development of such systems. Poseidon Microsystems brings together the joy of planting and maximum yield available in a single user-friendly package for growers of all levels everywhere. Adjustment of electrolytic conductivity (EC) and pH (acidic levels in the water) level is a cornerstone in hydroponics, hence maintaining a constant desired level of EC and pH is essential. EC and pH sensors in the automated system will feedback readings of EC and pH levels of the nutrient solution in the system. The information is then sent via a radio frequency channel to a remote computer for analysis. Users can set optimal nutrient and pH level with a computer anywhere around the house and our system will ensure that these levels are met around the clock. Of course, the development of such a product will entail a highly skilled and experienced group of developers. Poseidon Microsystems consists of five dedicated and ardent senior engineering students from Simon Fraser University. Our skills and experience in microprocessor programming, analog and digital circuit design, and hardware/software design will ensure a meticulous and successful development of our prototype. Our intent is the development of a working prototype of the automated hydroponics system called Lord of the Seeds with a targeted completion date of early April. The estimated budget cost will reach up to CDN$1000.

Copyright © 2004, Poseidon Microsystems iii

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................. II

TABLE OF CONTENTS ...............................................................................................III

LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................III

INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1

SYSTEM OVERVIEW .................................................................................................... 2

EXISTING SOLUTIONS................................................................................................. 4

PROPOSED SOLUTION................................................................................................. 6

SOURCES OF INFORMATION .................................................................................... 7

BUDGET AND FUNDING .............................................................................................. 8

PROJECT SCHEDULE................................................................................................... 9

COMPANY ORGANIZATION .................................................................................... 10

COMPANY PROFILE................................................................................................... 11

CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 12

REFERENCES................................................................................................................ 13

List of Figures Figure 1:NFT Implementation......................................................................................... 2 Figure 2: High Level Diagram of LOTS ......................................................................... 3

Copyright © 2004, Poseidon Microsystems 1

Introduction

Background of Hydroponics Hydroponics is the cultivation of plants through soil less growing and has been an adopted technique since the 1930’s. There are many ways in which plants can be raised without soil. These methods include growing plants in containers filled with water or any other non-soil mediums such as gravel, sand, perlite and crushed rocks. Since plants have access to unlimited nutrition and water, they can grow faster and healthier than soil grown plants. Furthermore, although soil contains useful bacteria and worms, they also harbor many enemies of plants. Bacterial and fungal diseases are common in soil grown plants. Not only does soil act as a reservoir for pests, but also for unwanted weeds. Nutrient solution in hydroponics systems becomes an important aspect to plants because all necessary minerals and elements are supplied to the plant through this solution.

Arising Popularity All over the world, hydroponic systems are adopted due to the convenience that a large water supply and fertile farmland are not needed. Hydroponic gardens use less space since the roots do not have to spread out in search of food and water. Furthermore, certain hydroponic system implementation styles are designed vertically stacked to save space. Home gardeners, who have limited gardening space, can use this technique and grow fresh vegetables indoor all year round. In areas where fresh water is not available, hydroponics can use seawater through desalination. Therefore, it has potential application in providing food in areas having vast regions of non-arable land. In cities that are densely populated, they can now be self-sufficient and grow food for themselves. With the vast majority of commercial and home growers favoring hydroponics, our company sees an extremely high potential for the need of people to automate their systems. Automation reduces the actual time it takes to maintain plant growth and also provides flexibility to the gardener as one can be gone for long periods of time without having to worry about the plants. Although there exists automation techniques, none of them address the use of detecting the condition of the nutrient solution—which is the heart of a successful healthy plant. The objective of our product is to reduce growers’ responsibility by freeing them from frequent manual detection of nutrient solution conditions. This proposal entails the overview of our product, Lord of the Seeds (LOTS), a discussion of our design and a review of existing solutions. As well, we will be covering our budget and funding analysis, scheduled timeline and team portfolio.


System Overview Our company sees a strong prospect for automated hydroponic systems. Using our system, users can be away from their plants for a long period of time without worrying if the nutrient solution is depleting. We propose to automate two major tasks of gardeners; both of these tasks have to deal with regulating the nutrient solution. For our system to succeed, we need to adjust the nutrient solution for the correct acidity (pH) and electro-conductivity (EC). Fine control of pH and EC level is necessary for healthy plant growth. pH level affects how well plants can absorb nutrients. Most plants can only grow well in a small range of pH levels, thus it is necessary to keep the pH level of the nutrient solution relatively constant. Electro-conductivity of the nutrient solution is directly proportional to the amount of nutrient in the water medium. Detection of pH and EC is achieved through the use of pH electrodes and EC meter, respectively. These sensors are placed in the reservoir of nutrient solution. A submersible water pump is used to constantly supply plants with nutrients. We adopt the nutrient film technique (NTF) for our development of the automated hydroponics system. Theoretically, however, any system that utilizes of a reservoir will work well with our product. NFT uses little or no medium and works by a continuous flow of nutrient solution flowing over the root system. Figure 1 below shows a traditional implementation of the NTF system. (Figure obtained from http://www.glenroseffa.org/Hydroponics-riggs.ppt)

Figure 1:

Figure 1:NFT Implementation

Control software onboard the microcontroller interprets the current nutrient solution condition and compares it with pre-defined user settings. A default software mode is available for multipurpose plants and has general pH and EC setting suitable for most plants. This preset mode will allow less experienced users to use our system. To adjust the pH and the EC level of the nutrient solution, electromechanical valves will be manipulated by the microcontroller to let out the desired amount of nutrient, acid, or base.


Data obtained by the sensors is sent to a PC through RF wireless technology. Using wireless communication offers unparallel flexibility to the user on where to place the physical hydroponics system. User can then remotely see the conditions of the hydroponic system and also send commands from their PC to the microcontroller to adjust pH and nutrient levels. Figure 2 below shows a high level diagram of our system.

SD

pH Meter

SD

EC Meter

SD

Nutrient Valve

Hydroponic System

Microcontroller

Rf TransceiverRf Transceiver

Microcontroller

PC

Figure 2: High Level Diagram of LOTS


Existing Solutions There are a few existing solutions on the market that address the automation issue. But these existing solutions limit themselves to work only under certain hydroponics systems. We aim our product to work for all types of hydroponics systems as long as it uses a reservoir or re-circulating water systems. One of the biggest problems for current automatic system is that they do not address the detection of nutrient level in solutions. They primarily focus on automatic temperature control, lighting control and refilling water.

Timers and Pump The timer and pump solution is limited to work only for the flood and drain hydroponic systems. The timer controls the flood and drain cycle of the system by controlling the submersible pump. Over a period of pre-set time, it floods a part of the growing medium, thereby providing it with nutrients and moisture. Then, once the flood cycle reaches the desired height, the pump stops and gravity then pulls the water back into the tank. Then, depending on the size and depth of the system, some time later the cycle is repeated. This process is somewhat automatic, but planters still have to monitor and test the “health” of the nutrient solution.

AutoPot This is a fairly affordable system, suitable for hobby growers. It uses an innovative device called SmartValve that makes use of gravity to “feed” the plants. The pot has two layers, inner portion is for the plant and outer layer is for users to fill it in with water. Water is flowed to plants in a controlled manner dictated by the plant’s absorption. AutoPot systems do not re-circulate the water until the tank is depleted of solution. This is a problem because correcting the pH and nutrient level is only done each time the tank is filled. The systems has a feed connector product that can give doses of nutrient to the water system, but the amount is set manually rather than by automatic detection.

HydroGeneral This sophisticated system monitors and controls the pH and nutrient levels in a hydroponic farm setting. This self-contained unit can set-up, calibrate and execute commands to control pH levels, nutrient levels in addition to advising the grower of probe faults, solution errors, temperature levels and under or overdosing errors. There is an auxiliary relay switch that allows the system to be overridden. However, with its


expensive price tag of approximately $1300 USD makes it not affordable for hydroponic enthusiasts.

NutriDose II This high-precision nutrient doser can be controlled remotely through a PC. The temperature, pH and EC can be logged and graphed through the PC interface. This highly sophisticated system will even alert user through pager or cellular phone. Its two time zone settings allow for the grower to change the EC level during the day. The doser also has extra remote inputs to fill the reservoirs of the system to lower temperatures or EC levels. Similar to the HydroGeneral system, this precise dosage control system is also too expensive for the hydroponic hobbyists (~$2400 USD).

AutoGrow This is the little brother of the NutriDose system. Designed with the hobbyist in mind, these mini pH/EC dosers can be hooked up to the computer for data logging. It has a LCD interface for the user to set dosage levels and intervals. However, even with simplified features compared to the NutriDose, this system is still expensive for hobbyists (~$1200 USD).


Proposed Solution The proposed system is similar to the latter three systems in the possible solutions section (HydroGeneral, NutriDose II, AutoGrow) but with a small price tag. The proposed system is designed with the hydroponic hobbyist’s wallet in mind. By using wireless technology, the LOTS system eliminates the bulkiness of the sophisticated systems while preserving their desired features by separating the system into 2 small units, one at the location of the NFT hydroponics system and one at the PC . The plant unit will retrieve pH, EC and temperature data from the NFT reservoir and send it to the PC unit. The plant unit will also control the amount of acid, base and nutrient that is to be released in the reservoir. The easy to use PC interface allows the user to set the nutrient and pH levels for their system. This information is sent from the PC unit to the plant unit, which then adjusts the pH and nutrient levels in the reservoir. A water reservoir control will also be available to lower the EC level when desired. The PC interface will allow the user to control their system while being at their computer. The software will alert the user when the pH level or nutrient level exceeds the user-defined range. The user will have the option of manually adjusting the pH and nutrient levels themselves or allow the computer to manage their system according to a user-defined or built-in nutrient/pH profile. The LOTS system should cost less than the current market systems with similar features.


Sources of Information Throughout our research, design and development phases of our project, there are many sources of information that will prove vital for us to complete our project. Since we need to have a working hydroponics farm, the Internet and local hydroponics stores will be our primary sources of information for anything related to the maintenance of the hydroponics farm. In addition, we will be receiving advice from Mr. James, who is a friend of Mr. One and has experience with hydroponics. For technical aspect of our project, we will be referencing specification sheets of the RF module and the microcontrollers. Again, the Internet will be a valuable source of information for implementation details and procedure. In addition, textbooks will be consulted whenever appropriate. Finally, there are other students at SFU Engineering Science who have employed RF modules in their projects. Thus, they can provide us with valuable information and advice for developing our product.


Budget and Funding

Budget Table 1 below shows the tentative cost breakdown for building a prototype of the LOTS system based on our proposed concept. To simplify the budget, the costs have been grouped into system modules. Also, we are building our own hydroponics system to reduce overall costs. These values are subject to change as the project progresses. As a result, a 20% contingency fund has been factored in to account for unpredicted expenses.

Table 1: Tentative Budget

Resource Estimated Cost (CDN$) pH Sensor 75 EC Sensor 75 Microcontroller Modules (2) 450 RF Modules (2) 350 Hydroponic System 100 Nutrient/pH control system 100 SUBTOTAL 1150 20% Contingency Fund 230 TOTAL 1380

Funding In order to fund our project, we plan to apply for the Engineering Science Student Endowment Fund and the Wighton fund. Also, our client, James, may contribute some financial assistance for our product. If we require more funding, each member in our team has agreed to contribute $100 to the project.


Project Schedule The Gantt chart below depicts our expected schedule of tasks and estimated time for each process. Note that we have broken down the entire project into much smaller tasks in order to increase parallelism to use time more efficiently. Milestone chart is also displayed to show the various due dates for project deliveries.


Company Organization Poseidon Microsystems is founded by five engineering students with broad industry experience and technical skills. Hailing from different engineering specialization: computer, electronics, and systems engineering, team members combine various skills and expertise to make Poseidon Microsystems a dynamic and innovative company. Building team dynamics and keeping team members focused, Abdul Haseeb Ma chairs Poseidon Microsystems as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He will be overseeing overall project development and be heavily involved in the design process. Yvonne Lai is the Director of Marketing and Sales, in charge of external relations and promoting Poseidon Microsystems to the industry and public as a whole. Takaya Ueda is the Chief Technical Officer (CTO). His experience in analog circuit debugging as well as PCB design is an invaluable asset to the company. With her experience serving as VP Finance of SFU Engineering Undergrad Student Society, Stella Li is the best candidate as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Poseidon Microsystems. Carson Leung is the Chief Software Architect, responsible for software/hardware integration and interface program. Our goal at Poseidon Microsystems is to create cost-effective products with practical and user-friendly features. To achieve that, each team member has placed absolute emphasis in excellent personal performance while maintaining cohesion with the team. Poseidon Microsystems members hold daily meeting to discuss development progress and difficulties encountered in the project. All project documentation and development plans are stored on a secured and centralized server to allow easy access of material for team members. In addition, external advice is sought when needed, allowing the team members to spend time efficiently while maintaining high product quality.


Company Profile Abdul Haseeb Ma The so-called CEO of the company, in fact, this 5th year Computer Engineering student is only good at whining about not having enough food and always wants to go out to expensive restaurants. Having worked at Gretag – Cymbolic Sciences in Vancouver as well as Yaskawa Electric Corp. in Japan, Haseeb has picked up invaluable skills in software programming and also became an expert in using MATLAB and Simulink. Haseeb has a strong interest in all types of multimedia applications and also in wireless communication. His contagious enthusiasm and jokes will drive the team forward. Yvonne Lai Yvonne is a 4th year Systems Engineering student. She has experience in programming in C, assembly, Java, HTML and VB. During her recent coop experience, she has been involved in automated testing of software applications and is knowledgeable in software development cycle. As well, her hardware expertise includes programming real-time embedded systems and analog circuit design. She is skilled in documentation and technical writing. In her spare time, she enjoys eating out, hiking and skiing. Carson Leung As a 4th year engineering student in Systems option, Carson has achieved skills in software as well as hardware. He is a well-rounded individual who aside from academic work, enjoys basketball, guitar playing, music writing and snowboarding. In his previous coop, he has worked on .Net, VB, ASP and application development. He is the clown of the group and will provide us with hours of entertainment at free of charge. Stella Li Stella is a 5th year SFU engineering student who transferred here from BCIT in 2000 after completing her Diploma in Electronics Engineering Technology specializing in Computer control systems. Her skills in manufacturing, hardware, firmware and software comes from many different co-op placements at local and foreign companies. At these companies, she has gained valuable experience in cost-effective design, prototyping and user-interface programming. With her experience and skill set, she is a welcomed addition as CFO at Poseidon Microsystems. Takaya Ueda Takaya Ueda is a 5th year Electronics Engineering student in Simon Fraser University. For his co-op, he worked at Raytheon Systems and Yamatake Corporation in Japan. Through these terms, he has gained experience in software and hardware testing and debugging. At Yamatake, he has done circuit redesigning for Fieldbus communication modules. With these experiences and skills, he is fit to undertake the tasks needed as the CTO of the group.


Conclusion Poseidon Microsystems is committed to the enhancement of existing technologies for automated hydroponics design. This document has provided the basic outline for the development of such design. Our approach to automation addresses the fact that nutrient solution is the most important factor in the success or failure of a hydroponic system. This system will maintain the constant EC and pH levels set by the user via a computer that is wirelessly connected to the hydroponic system allowing higher plant yield. Furthermore, this system will provide a less expensive alternative to the products that already exists in the market. This proposal compares these existing technologies and provides a better insight into the domain of hydroponics. Gantt and milestone charts have been presented for a clearer view of the course of action taken place during the development of the system. Poseidon Microsystems will strive to achieve the best in hydroponics with a young but experienced group of senior engineering students. With the completion of our product, amateur and advanced gardeners alike will have the opportunity to experience the full potential of hydroponics with a relatively low learning curve. With the emergence of hydroponics, the market of a time saving automated hydroponics system will broaden.


References Grow Gear. Retrieved January 9, 2004, from http://www.growgear.com Sutherland, Struan K., Hydroponics for everyone : a practical guide to gardening in the

21st century South Melbourne, Vic.: Hyland House, 1996. Autopot Homepage. Retrieved January 15, 2004, from http://www.autopot.co.uk/ Gchydro AutoGrow. Retrieved January 15, 2004, from http://www.gchydro.com/ Cichlidtrios.com. Rio-180 Pump Retrieved January 14, 2004 from

http://www.cichlidtrios.com/products/products_details.cfm?product_id=310&cate gory=44

Aubuchon Hardware. Retrieved January 13, 2004

http://building-materials.aubuchonhardware.com/gutters_and_downspouts/gutters_and_downspouts.asp

GreenCoast Hydroponics. Retrieved January 15, 2004 http://www.gchydro.com/

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