The Engineering Projects

Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus V3.0

Hello readers! I hope you are doing great. Today, we are discussing the latest library for proteus. In the tutorial, we will look at the Arduino Mega 2560 library for Porteus V 3.0, which is one of the most versatile and useful microcontrollers from the Arduino family. We have shared the previous versions with you before this; these were the Arduino Mega 2560 library for Proteus and the Arduino Mega 2560 library for Proteus V2.0. The current version is better in structure and does not have a link to the website so you may use it in your projects easily. 

Here, I will discuss the detailed specifications of this microcontroller. After that, I will show you the procedure to download and install this library in the Proteus and in the end, we’ll create a mini project using this microcontroller. Here is the introduction to the Arduino Mega 2560:

Where To Buy?
No.	Components	Distributor	Link To Buy
1	Buzzer	Amazon	Buy Now
2	Arduino Mega 2560	Amazon	Buy Now

Introduction to the Arduino Mega 2560 V3.0

The Arduino Mega 2560 belongs to the family of Arduino microcontrollers and is one of the most important devices in embedded systems. Here are some of its specifications:

Now that we know the basic features of this device, we can understand how it works in Proteus. 

Arduino Mega 2560 V3.0 Library for Proteus

This library is not present by default in Porteus. The users have to download and install it in the Porteus library folder. Click on the following link to start the downloading process:

Arduino Mega 2560 V3.0 for Proteus

Adding Proteus Library File

• If the downloading process is complete, you can see a zip file in the downloading folder of your system. Click on it.

• Extract the zip folder at the desired location. 

• Along with some other files, you can see there are two files with the following names in the zip folder:

• ArduinoMega3TEP.IDX

• ArduinoMega3TEP.LIB

• You have to copy these two files only and go to the folder of the given path:
  C>Program files>Lab centre electronics>Proteus 7 Professional>Library

• If you want more details on this process, you must see How to Add a New Library File in Proteus .

Note: The procedure to install the same package in Proteus Professional 8 is the same.

Arduino Mega 2560 Library V3.0 in Proteus

Now, the Arduino Mega 2560 V3.0 can be run on your Proteus software. Open your Proteus software or if it was already opened, restart it so the libraries may load successfully. 

• Click on the “P” button on the left side of the screen and it will open a search box for devices in front of you.

• Here, type “Arduino Mega 2560 V3.0,” and it will show you the following device:

• Double-click on it to pick it up.

• Close the search box and click on the name of this microcontroller from the pick library section present on the left side.

• Place it in the working area to see the structure of the Arduino Mega 2560 V3.0.

If you have seen the previous versions of this microcontroller in Proteus, you can see that the latest version has some changes in it. The design and colour are closer to the real Arduino Mega 2560. Moreover, it does not have a link to the website and the pins are more realistic. 

Arduino Mega 2560 V3.0 Simulation in Proteus

The workings of the Arduino Mega 2560 V3.0 library can be understood with the help of a simple project. Let’s create one. For this, follow the steps given here:

• Go to the “pick library” again and get the speaker and buttons one after the other.
• Arrange the speaker with pin 3 of the Arduino Mega 2560 V3.0 placed in the working area.
• Similarly, place the button on pin 2 of the microcontroller. The screen should look like the following image:

• Now, go to terminal mode from the leftmost and place the ground terminals with the components.
  

Now, connect all the components through the connecting wires. Here is the final circuit:

Now, it's time to add code to the simulation.

Code for Arduino Mega 2560 V3.0

• Start your Arduino IDE.
• Create a new project by going into sketch>new sketch.
• Delete the present code from the project.
• Paste the following code into the project:
  

const int buttonPin = 2;    // Pin connected to the button

const int speakerPin = 3;   // Pin connected to the speaker

int buttonState = 0;        // Variable to store the button state

boolean isPlaying = false;   // Variable to track whether the speaker is playing

void setup() {

  pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT);

  pinMode(speakerPin, OUTPUT);

}

void loop() {

  // Read the state of the button

  buttonState = digitalRead(buttonPin);

  // Check if the button is pressed

  if (buttonState == HIGH) {

    // Toggle the playing state

    isPlaying = !isPlaying;

    // If playing, start the speaker

    if (isPlaying) {

      digitalWrite(speakerPin, HIGH);

    } else {

      // If not playing, stop the speaker

      digitalWrite(speakerPin, LOW);

    }

    // Add a small delay to debounce the button

    delay(200);

  }

}

• You can get the same code from the zip file you have downloaded from this tutorial. 

• Click on the "verify" button present on the above side of the code. 

• Once the loading is complete, click on the “upload” button present just at the side of the verify button. It will create a hex file in your system. 

• From the console of loading, search for the address of the file where the code is saved. 

• In my case, it looks like this:

Copy this path to the clipboard. 

Add the Hex File in Proteus

• Once again, go to your Proteus software. 

• Click on the Arduino Mega 2560 to open its control panel. 

• Paste the path of the hex file in the place of the program file:

• Hit the “OK” button to close the window.

Arduino Mega 1280 V3.0 Simulation Results

• Once you have loaded the code into the microcontroller, you can now run the project. 

• At the bottom left side of the project, you can see different buttons, click on the play button to run the project. 

• Before clicking on the button of the project, the project looks like the following:

• Once the button is pressed, you will hear the sound from the speaker. Hence, the speaker works with the button. 

If all the above steps are completed successfully, you will hear the sound of the speaker. I hope all the steps are covered in the tutorial and you have installed and run the Arduino Mega 2560 v3.0 in Proteus, but if you want to know more about this microcontroller, you can ask in the comment section.

Simple Arduino Calculator

Hello geeks, I hope you all are doing well and looking forward to making something new yet interesting. So, today we have come up with our new project which is a calculator using Arduino.

We all use calculators in our daily life, whether you are working in an office or counting money at the bank, you are buying your daily grocery or doing shopping online, you will find calculators in different forms everywhere. In fact, the computer was initially considered a giant calculator. So if it is that common, why do we not make our own calculator?

Before going into the details of the project, it is good to know some history of that, let’s know some facts about the calculator. So the first known device for calculation is Abacus. And the first digital calculator was made by Texas Instruments in 1967 before that all calculators were mostly mechanical and they did not need any electronic circuits. The first all-transistor calculator was made by IBM and it is claimed that the calculator performed all the four basic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Where To Buy?
No.	Components	Distributor	Link To Buy
1	Keypad 4x4	Amazon	Buy Now
2	LCD 16x2	Amazon	Buy Now
3	Arduino Mega 2560	Amazon	Buy Now

Software to Install :

In this, we will be going to use the Proteus simulation tool and we will make our whole project using this software only. But no need to worry while using the actual components because if our project works perfectly with simulation, it will definitely work with actual hardware implementation. And the best part of the simulation is, here we will not damage any components by making any inappropriate connections.

If you don’t have an idea about Proteus, Proteus is a software for the simulation of electronic circuits and here we can use different types of microcontrollers and run our applications on them.

So for this project, we need to install this software. This software has a big database for all electronics components but still, it lacks some, therefore we have to install some libraries for modules which we are going to use in this project.

• First, install the Proteus Library for Arduino UNO.
• Next, install the Proteus library for LCD module.

Project overview :

In this project, we will take input from the user using a keypad and perform the operation using Arduino UNO and display the result on an LCD display.

• Arduino UNO - It is used for performing calculation-related operations, other user-related operations like interfacing with keypad module and LCD module.
• 16x4 LCD module- It is used to display user-related messages such as input digits and selected arithmetical operations and calculated results.
• 4x4 Keypad- It is used for user input. From this module, the user can enter the numerical values and arithmetic operations.

Our project will work the same as a normal digital calculator such that the user will enter two numerical values and select arithmetic operations which she/he wants to perform on the given values. Once the user clicks on the equal button, thereafter Arduino UNO will calculate the output and display the result on the LCD module.

Components required :

1. Arduino UNO
2. 16x2 LCD module
3. 4x4 Keypad module

Components details:

1. Arduino UNO

• Arduino UNO is an open-source development board that we have used in this project.
• It works on the ATMega328P microcontroller developed by Atmel.
• It has an 8-bit RISC based processing core and up to 32 KB of flash memory
• It has 14 digital input/output pins from D0 - D13 with a resolution of 8 bits, these pins can be used for taking any digital input or can be used as output pins for controlling peripherals.
• In the 14 digital pins, there are 6 PWM pins.
• It is suggested that you do not use the D0 and D1 pins of Arduino UNO for digital read or write purposes because they have an extra functionality of UART communication.
• Arduino UNO has 6 analog input/output pins from A0-A5, which can be used to read analog values.
• Analog pins have 10 bits of ADC (Analog to Digital convertor) resolution ranging values from 0 - 1023.
• Arduino UNO has one hardware UART peripheral (D0, D1), one I2C peripheral, and one SPI peripheral.
• We can use the power supply from 7 to 12 volts to power the Arduino UNO, but it is suggested to use a voltage supply of less than or equal to 9 volts but not below 5 volts.
• We will use the Arduino IDE for writing and uploading the code on Arduino UNO. It is an open-source software developed by Arduino.

Note-: Whenever uploading the code on the Arduino UNO, disconnect any wire which is connected to Rx(D0) and Tx(D1) pins, otherwise it will give an error while uploading the code.

1. LCD Module

• LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display, and this display is made using liquid crystal technology.
• For more knowledge of how LCD works, prefer this link Working of LCD display.
• In this project, we have a 16x2 LCD display which means we can display a max of 32 ASCII characters on this at a time.
• The LCD module has 16 pins but we will not use all the pins in this project.
• The LCD module can be used in two different modes, the first is 4-bit mode and the second is 8-bit mode.
• We will use the 4-bit mode in this project, therefore, we have to connect only 4 data pins of the LCD module.
• The major difference between 8-bit mode and 4-bit mode is, an ASCII character is 8 bit long so when we use 8-bit mode, LCD will process the data in single instruction but in 4- bit mode, microcontroller will send 2 chunks of 4 bits and the LCD will process that in two instructions.
• To read more about the difference between 8-bit mode and 4-bit mode refer to this link Different modes of the LCD module
• There are two registers in the LCD module: The Data register and the Command register.
• When the RS(Register Select) pin is set to logic high, the data register mode is selected, and when it is set to logic low, the command register mode is selected.
• The RS pin will be set to logic high to display the data on the LCD.
• The operating power supply will be 5 volts for the LCD module.

1. 4x4 Keypad

• It is a membrane-based push keypad.
• We have used a 4x4 keyboard which means it has 4 rows and 4 columns.
• It has 0-9 numbers and basic arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• It has four pins for each row and 4 pins for each column.
• The switch between a column and a row trace is closed, when a button is pressed, which completes the circuit and allows current to pass between a column pin and a row pin.

Circuit diagram and working:

Now, let’s start designing our circuit diagram for the calculator.

• Make sure we have the correct and updated version of the Proteus software.
• And make sure we have all the required libraries for the modules which we will be using in this project.
• Now click on the new project (Ctrl+N) to start a new project of the Arduino calculator.
• Import all the required components in the workspace.

Now we have all the required components in the workplace as follows.

Let's start connecting them.

• First, we will connect the LCD module with the Arduino UNO module.
• As we are using the LCD module in the 4-bit mode, therefore, we will have 4 pins for data, 1 pin for enable pin, and 1 pin for register status pin.
• For data pins, connect the D4, D5, D6, and D7 pins of the LCD module to the D2, D3, D4, and D5 pins of Arduino UNO respectively. And connect the RS pin with D0 and Enable with D1 pin.
• To use the LCD module in write mode, the R/W pin must be connected to the ground.
• Now connect the keypad with the Arduino UNO board. As it is a 4x4 keypad, it will use 8 pins of the Arduino UNO board.
• For row lines, we will use D13, D12, D11, and D10 pins and for column lines, we will use D9, D8, D7, D6 pins respectively.

That is all for connection. Make sure all the connections are correct, especially for keypad’s row and column connections otherwise we will get the wrong values from the keypad input.

And while working on the actual components, power the backlight of the LCD module and set the appropriate contrast, else nothing will be visible even if that has been displayed.

Arduino code for calculator:

Downloading and including libraries

• Before going to write application code, we need libraries for the 16x2 LCD module and 4x4 keypad module.
• We can download the library for the LCD module using this link LCD module library.
• And use this link Keypad module library for keypad module.
• Most of the Arduino related libraries are available on the Arduino official website.
• We can add libraries in the Arduino using zip file or the manage libraries option.
• If you have downloaded the libraries from the link then we have to click the option of “Add Zip Library” otherwise click on the manage libraries option and search for the required library.

• After adding all the required libraries, include them in our application code.

Code declaration

• We will declare the pins in the code as per we have connected them in the circuit diagram.
• So first create the object for the LCD module and enter the pins we have used for LCD module connections.
• While entering the pins in the LCD module object parameters, maintain the sequence as follows:

In the above-mentioned image, the first argument for RS pin, second for Enable pin, and rest four for data pins.

• Now declare the variables for the Keypad module. We will use a 2D char array for storing keypad values, 2 arrays for storing pins used for rows and columns. And declare a ‘mykeypad’ name object for keypad class.

• After that, declare some general variables which we will use to store the values like user input, output of calculation and operation.

• After declaring and initialising all the variables and objects, we will start writing in the “void setup()” function.

Void setup function

• This is one of the most important functions of Arduino programming.
• As per the structure of Arduino programming, we can not remove this function from our code.
• It will execute only once when the controller starts the execution.
• Here, we will declare the modes of pins which we are going to use and setup functions related to the LCD module.
• Display the welcome message on boot up of our calculator.

• Here, we will begin the LCD module and set the cursor at 0,0 position and print the welcome message “The Engineering Projects Presents Arduino Calculator”.
• As this message is written in the setup function, it will run every time once when the controller reboots and after 5 second delay, the LCD display will be cleared.

Void loop function

• This is the second most important function of Arduino coding.
• As per the structure of Arduino code, it must be in the code otherwise it will raise errors.
• We will write our main application code here which we want to run in a continuous loop.
• First, we will get the pressed key from the user, using the “myKeypad.getKey()” function and store that value in the variable named ‘key’.

• And if the ‘key’ variable is one of the numbers, we will store that in the first number variable “num1”. And display that on the LCD display.

• Now there can be two conditions, first if the user wants to perform the operation on a single digit number, in that case enter the operation which the user wants to perform. Then ‘key’ will be equal to ‘+’, ‘-’, ‘/’, ‘*’.

And required operation will be stored in the ‘op’ variable and a flag will be set for taking the second number.

• Now the loop runs and control reaches to where ‘key’ is equal to number but this time it will go in the else condition of ‘presentValue’ variable because this variable is set ‘true’ from the operation condition.

• And in this condition, the value will be stored in the ’num2’ variable. And here we will set the flag ‘final’.
• Now the user will click the equal button to get the result. And the control reaches that condition and performs the operation on the values entered by the user and the same is stored in the ‘op’ variable.

• Hence, the answer will be displayed on the LCD display.
• After that, to clear the display, click the ‘C’ button. It will clear the LCD display and reset all the variables to their initial value.

• Above mentioned condition is the first condition but in the second condition, when the user will enter more than one digits, then we shift the LCD cursor as per the length of the number entered.
• To handle that situation, we will get the length of the entered digits and shift the LCD display cursor accordingly.

That is all the code, we need to run an Arduino Calculator.

Results/Working

Now, we have completed the coding and circuit part, it is time to run the simulation in the Proteus.

• The first step to start the simulation, to add the hex file of our application code in the Proteus simulation.
• To add the hex file, click on the Arduino UNO module and a new window will pop up then click on the Program Files option. Afterwards, browse to the folder of application code.

• Now it is ready to start the simulation, click on the ‘Play’ button.
• When simulation starts, the LCD display will show the welcome message.

• Let’s suppose, we want to add two numbers 7 and 5. So click the same on the keypad.

• After entering the values, click on the “=” button, it will display the result.

• This is the same way we can operate different calculations using this calculator.

• After that, click on this button which will clear the LCD display.

I hope we have covered everything related to Arduino calculator i.e. Simulation, Code, Working etc. but still if you find anything confusing, ask in the comments.

Thanks for reading this project out. All the best for your projects!

Smart 4 Way Traffic Signal Control with Variable Delay

Hello guys! I hope you’re all in a good mood today because we are going to review the design of an interesting project today. We’ll be looking to design 4-way traffic lights in such a way that their delay is variable and is dependent upon the traffic density. This project is of intermediate difficulty level for people studying in undergrad engineering school with electronics, electrical and mechatronics as their major. It is also for the people learning Arduino and basic circuit design on their own or through some course. We have already designed a Simple 4-Way Traffic Light Control using Arduino and today we will make it smart by adding a variable delay.

Where To Buy?
No.	Components	Distributor	Link To Buy
1	LEDs	Amazon	Buy Now
2	Resistor	Amazon	Buy Now
3	LCD 16x2	Amazon	Buy Now
4	Arduino Mega 2560	Amazon	Buy Now

Variable 4 Way Traffic Light:

As you all already know the importance of traffic lights and their usage has solved a number of traffic problems, traffic is becoming denser on each road in the whole world by the hour. This leads us to consider traffic density at such roads as well. A number of different solutions have been developed in recent times to help with this problem such as roundabouts. This is done so to ensure the safety of vehicles on road and of people walking on pedestrian walks. With the world going towards automation and autonomous systems, this is the right time to switch traffic lights to an autonomous traffic light system too and make the system intelligent.

Software to Install:

We will be going through how to make an autonomous traffic system by using Arduino as a microcontroller. However, we’re not making an actual system rather we will be making a simulation of the said traffic system on a circuit simulating software Proteus. So make sure you already have the latest version of Proteus installed on your PCs and laptops. If not, you should first install the Proteus Software by following the embedded link. Proteus is open database software, meaning people can easily make their own circuit simulating libraries for the software and can easily integrate those libraries. This helps in making the software versatile and easy to use. You can easily add your own components or download libraries of components and place them within the software.

To start working with this project, you need to install and include the following libraries on your Proteus software:

• Arduino Library for Proteus: This library includes all the microcontroller-based programming boards made by the company Arduino.cc. This allows you to program on the Arduino software and after that, you can see the implementation of this code in Proteus simulation.
• LCD Library for Proteus: LCDs are displays that can be used to display text or values being used in a certain code. These LCDs come in two sizes, namely a 16x2 and 24x4. LCDs are controlled by the Arduino board.
• Ultrasonic Sensor Library for Proteus: Since we are using an ultrasonic sensor as well in this project for which Proteus does not have a built-in component, you would need to download its library as well.

Project Overview:

This is a smart 4-way traffic light system. The pedestrian lights work such that whenever a certain traffic light is green its opposite pedestrian lights turn on. An addition of ultrasonic sensors have been made in the traffic light sequence. One ultrasonic sensor is placed at each traffic light. Each ultrasonic sensor controls the time of their respective green traffic light. When the ultrasonic sensor output is high, the traffic light opens for one second, when the ultrasonic sensor output is intermediate the traffic light opens for two seconds and when the ultrasonic sensor output is low the traffic lights open for 3 seconds.

The main components and their use in this project is given below:

• Arduino Mega: We have used Arduino mega in this project and recommend using an Arduino mega as well. This is because there are about 40 digital pins required to perform communication between the microcontroller and only an Arduino Mega fulfills that requirement.
• Traffic Light Module: Proteus provides an in-built module for simulating traffic lights and we will use this instead of using RGB lights to create a better effect.
• Ultrasonic Module: This module is not built-in, but information to integrate this module with Proteus has been given above. This module has a test pin in order to simulate it and works just like real life.
• LCD: Liquid crystal display will be used to show the time in which the traffic light remains on.

Components Needed:

• Arduino Mega
• Traffic Lights
• Green and Red LEDs
• Variable resistors
• LCD
• Ultrasonic Sensor

Component Details:

We will go through the details of some of the important components being used in this project.

Arduino Mega:

Arduino is an open-source programmable board that serves as a microcontroller and processes information based upon inputs and gives information to actuators in terms of output. Arduino Mega is based upon the chip ATmegaGA2560 and has 53 digital I/O pins.

Figure 1: Arduino Mega

LCD:

Liquid Crystal Displays used in electronics are of two basic sizes, 16x2 and 24x2. These represent the number of columns and rows of the LCD. Each pixel can store one character in it. It is also known as a character LCD. It comes equipped with a backlight. The intensity or glow of the backlight can be controlled by attaching a potentiometer at specified pins.

Figure 2: LCD display

Ultrasonic Sensor:

An ultrasonic sensor uses SONAR technology to identify objects. It is basically used to find the distance of objects from the sensor. The ultrasonic sensor works by sending out ultrasonic waves and when these waves or parts of waves hit an object, they are reflected backward and the time from their propagation to their return is then noted. This time is then converted into the distance because we already know the speed by which those waves are traveling.

Figure 3: Ultrasonic Sensor

Proteus Simulation of Variable Traffic Lights:

In order to simulate this project on Proteus software, we will first make the circuit diagram on Proteus. After that, we will write our code on Arduino IDE software and integrate it with the circuit made in Proteus.

Open Proteus and open a new project. Import the following components in your Proteus worksheet.

Figure 4: List of components

Place the component in your worksheet as illustrated in the figure below:

Figure 5: Placement of components

After placing the components, make the connections as follows:

• Connect 0,1 and 2 digital pins of Arduino to red, yellow and green of traffic light 1 respectively.
• Connect 3,4 and 5 digital pins of Arduino to red, yellow and green of traffic light 2 respectively.
• Connect 6,7 and 8 digital pins of Arduino to red, yellow and green of traffic light 3 respectively.
• Connect 9,10 and 11 digital pins of Arduino to red, yellow and green of traffic light 4 respectively.
• Connect 12and 13 digital pins of Arduino to red and green LEDs of pedestrian light 1 respectively.
• Connect 14 and 15 digital pins of Arduino to red and green LEDs of pedestrian light 2 respectively.
• Connect 16 and 17 digital pins of Arduino to red and green LEDs of pedestrian light 3 respectively.
• Connect 18 and 19 digital pins of Arduino to red and green LEDs of pedestrian light 4 respectively.
• Ground the negative terminals of all LEDs.
• Connect one end of a variable resistor to the Vss pin of LCD.
• Connect the other end of the variable resistor to the input.
• Connect the input pin of the variable resistor with the Vee pin of LCD.
• Ground the RW pin of LCD.
• Connect RS pin of LCD to 22 digital pin of Arduino.
• Connect E pin of LCD to 23 digital pin of Arduino.
• Connect D4, D5, D6 and D7 pin of LCD to 24, 25, 26 and 27 digital pins of LCD respectively.
• Connect the test pin of ultrasonic sensors to their respective potentiometers.
• Connect the trigger pin and echo pin of the ultrasonic sensor of traffic light 1 to 28 and 29 digital pins of Arduino respectively.
• Connect the trigger pin and echo pin of the ultrasonic sensor of traffic light 2 to 30 and 31 digital pins of Arduino respectively.
• Connect the trigger pin and echo pin of the ultrasonic sensor of traffic light 3 to 32 and 33 digital pins of Arduino respectively.
• Connect the trigger pin and echo pin of the ultrasonic sensor of traffic light 4 to 34 and 35 digital pins of Arduino respectively.

With this, your circuit connections are complete and we will now move on to the firmware setup of this circuit.

Arduino Code:

We have divided the Arduino code in 3 segments:

• Declaration Code
• Void setup
• Void loop

We will look at these sections separately now.

Declaration Code:

The first step in the code is the declaration of variables that we will utilize in our program. At first is the declaration of ultrasonic sensor pins and setting them up with their respective pins of Arduino board. The syntax of this code is as follows.

Figure 6: Ultrasonic declaration code

Now we will include the library of LCD into our Arduino program, you can download this library from within the software. After that we will declare the LCD by defining the LCD pins. The syntax for which is as follows:

Figure 7: LCD declaration

In the next step, we will declare traffic light variables and define their Arduino pins.

Figure 8: Traffic light variable declaration

Now, we will declare the variables of pedestrian LEDs and then allot them their Arduino pins being used in the circuit.

Figure 9: Declaration of pedestrian LEDs

Now, there are two variables being used for each ultrasonic sensor for the calculation of their distance and time duration. We will declare those variables now.

Figure 10: Declaration of variables being used for calculations

Void Setup:

Void setup is the part of Arduino program that only runs once, in this section the program that only needs to run once is put, such as declaring pins as output pins or input pins.

Only the echo pins of ultrasonic sensor are input pins while all other pins are going to be output pins for this project.

We will first set up ultrasonic pins as follows:

Figure 11: Defining Ultrasonic pins as I/O for the Arduino Board

Now we will declare traffic light pins as output pins. The syntax for this is given as follows:

Figure 12: Setup of Traffic light Pins as Output

Now we will setup our pedestrian LEDs.

Figure 13: Setup of Pedestrian LEDs as Output

Now we will initialize our LCD, this basically tells the microcontroller to start the LCD and give power to it. The syntax is given below.

Figure 14: Initializing LCD

Void Loop:

This part of Arduino Program runs in a loop and consists of the main code of the program in which all the calculations are being done.

In the first part of the program, we will set the trigger pin of the first ultrasonic sensor to low and high. This would generate a pulse and send out a wave. After that we will read a pulse input from the echo pin. This will give us the duration in which the wave was propagated and returned. After that we will calculate the distance from the duration of the wave.

Figure 15: Syntax of 1st Ultrasonic Sensor

This distance calculation is for our first traffic light. Now we will use the if loop to check our distance value.

Figure 16: If Loop for Signal 1

If the value falls between our set limit for the loop, the signal will turn green for three seconds. This will also be displayed on the LCD.

Figure 17: Arduino Code

After that in our if loop, the yellow lights 1 and 2 will turn on to indicate transition.

Figure 18: Arduino Code

Now we will use the if loop to check our distance value.

If the value falls between our set limit for the loop of intermediate traffic, the signal will turn green for two seconds. This will also be displayed on the LCD.

Figure 19: Arduino Code

After that in our if loop, the yellow lights 1 and 2 will turn on to indicate transition.

Figure 20: Arduino Code

Now we will use the if loop to check our distance value again.

If the value falls between our set limit for the loop of low traffic, the signal will turn green for one second. This will also be displayed on the LCD.

Figure 21: Arduino Code

After that in our if loop, the yellow lights 1 and 2 will turn on to indicate transition.

Figure 22: Arduino Code

Now we will set the trigger pin of the second ultrasonic sensor to low and high. This would generate a pulse and send out a wave. After that we will read a pulse input from the echo pin. This will give us the duration in which the wave was propagated and returned. After that we will calculate the distance from the duration of the wave.

Figure 23: Arduino Code

This distance calculation is for our Second traffic light. Now we will use the if loop to check our distance value.

Figure 24: Arduino Code

If the value falls between our set limit for the loop, the signal will turn green for three seconds. This will also be displayed on the LCD.

Figure 25: Arduino Code

After that in our if loop, the yellow lights 2 and 3 will turn on to indicate transition.

Figure 26: Arduino Code

Now we will use the if loop to check our distance value.

If the value falls between our set limit for the loop of intermediate traffic, the signal will turn green for two seconds. This will also be displayed on the LCD.

Figure 27: Arduino Code

After that in our if loop, the yellow lights 2 and 3 will turn on to indicate transition.

Figure 28: Arduino Code

Now we will use the if loop to check our distance value again.

If the value falls between our set limit for the loop of low traffic, the signal will turn green for one second. This will also be displayed on the LCD.

Figure 29: Arduino Code

After that in our if loop, the yellow lights 2 and 3 will turn on to indicate transition.

Figure 30: Arduino Code

Now we will set the trigger pin of the third ultrasonic sensor to low and high. This would generate a pulse and send out a wave. After that, we will read a pulse input from the echo pin. This will give us the duration in which the wave was propagated and returned. After that we will calculate the distance from the duration of the wave.

Figure 31: Arduino Code

This distance calculation is for our third traffic light. Now we will use the if loop to check our distance value.

Figure 32: Arduino Code

If the value falls between our set limit for the loop, the signal will turn green for three seconds. This will also be displayed on the LCD.

Figure 33: Arduino Code

After that in our if loop, the yellow lights 3 and 4 will turn on to indicate transition.

Figure 34: Arduino Code

Now we will use the if loop to check our distance value.

If the value falls between our set limit for the loop of intermediate traffic, the signal will turn green for two seconds. This will also be displayed on the LCD.

Figure 35: Arduino Code

After that in our if loop, the yellow lights 3 and 4 will turn on to indicate transition.

Figure 36: Arduino Code

Now we will use the if loop to check our distance value again.

If the value falls between our set limit for the loop of low traffic, the signal will turn green for one second. This will also be displayed on the LCD.

Figure 37: Arduino Code

After that in our if loop, the yellow lights 3 and 4 will turn on to indicate transition.

Figure 38: Arduino Code

Now we will set the trigger pin of the fourth ultrasonic sensor to low and high. This would generate a pulse and send out a wave. After that, we will read a pulse input from the echo pin. This will give us the duration in which the wave was propagated and returned. After that, we will calculate the distance from the duration of the wave.

Figure 39: Arduino Code

This distance calculation is for our fourth traffic light. Now we will use the if loop to check our distance value.

Figure 40: Arduino Code

If the value falls between our set limit for the loop, the signal will turn green for three seconds. This will also be displayed on the LCD.

Figure 41: Arduino Code

After that in our if loop, the yellow lights 4 and 1 will turn on to indicate transition.

Figure 42: Arduino Code

Now we will use the if loop to check our distance value.

If the value falls between our set limit for the loop of intermediate traffic, the signal will turn green for two seconds. This will also be displayed on the LCD.

Figure 43: Arduino Code

After that in our if loop, the yellow lights 4 and 1 will turn on to indicate transition.

Figure 44: Arduino Code

Now we will use the if loop to check our distance value again.

If the value falls between our set limit for the loop of low traffic, the signal will turn green for one second. This will also be displayed on the LCD.

Figure 45: Arduino Code

After that in our if loop, the yellow lights 4 and 1 will turn on to indicate transition.

Figure 46: Arduino Code

Results/Working:

At first, after writing the code, generate its hex file and put that hex file on the Arduino board on your Proteus software. After that, run the simulation. The results of the simulation are shown below thoroughly.

At first, when sensor one gives the output within 500 cm, the traffic light will turn on for one second only.

Figure 47: Simulation Results

However, if the sensor one value is between 500 and 900 cm, the traffic light 1 will be green for 2 seconds with the LCD displaying the remaining time.

Figure 48: Simulation Results

If the sensor values are above 900 cm, then the lights will be green for 3 seconds.

Figure 49: Simulation Results

When the sensor two gives the output within 500 cm, traffic light 2 will turn on for one second only.

Figure 50: Simulation Results

However, if the sensor two value is between 500 and 900 cm, the traffic light 2 will be green for 2 seconds with the LCD displaying the remaining time.

Figure 51: Simulation Results

If the sensor values are above 900 cm, then the lights will be green for 3 seconds.

Figure 52: Simulation Results

When sensor three gives the output within 500 cm, traffic light 3 will turn on for one second only.

Figure 53: Simulation Results

However, if the sensor three value is between 500 and 900 cm, the traffic light 3 will be green for 2 seconds with the LCD displaying the remaining time.

Figure 54: Simulation Results

If the sensor values are above 900 cm, then the lights will be green for 3 seconds.

Figure 55: Simulation Results

When sensor four gives the output within 500 cm, traffic light 4 will turn on for one second only.

Figure 56: Simulation Results

However, if the sensor four value is between 500 and 900 cm, the traffic light 4 will be green for 2 seconds with the LCD displaying the remaining time.

Figure 57: Simulation Results

If the sensor values are above 900 cm, then the lights will be green for 3 seconds.

Figure 58: Simulation Results

Phew! I know that this was an extremely long project, but that is a part of an engineer’s life. Multiple receptions and running recurring patterns smoothly requires skill and patience only an engineer can possess. I hope you guys made it through. Kudos to your nerves of steel. Thanks for reading.

Simple 4-Way Traffic Light Control using Arduino

Hello friends, I hope you’re all well and healthy. In today’s tutorial, we will be going through a simple, yet effective practice to design a 4-way traffic light simulation in Proteus software. This project is designed for undergrad engineering students with majors in electronics, electrical and mechatronics engineering. It is also useful for people that want to learn the basics of circuit design and Arduino programming.

Where To Buy?
No.	Components	Distributor	Link To Buy
1	LEDs	Amazon	Buy Now
2	Arduino Mega 2560	Amazon	Buy Now

4-Way Traffic Light Control using Arduino:

Traffic lights are an integral part of the world’s transportation systems. Over the years a number of different algorithms regarding traffic lights have been developed. The algorithm being used at any place for the purpose of controlling traffic takes into account of various factors, such as number of lanes, people that cross a certain road, etc. The most common usage of traffic lights is to control the flow of traffic, which means providing a steady flow for people to go about their daily business on the road. Traffic lights help reduce accidents by a large margin since they allow the flow of vehicles in only one direction at a time. Traffic lights also help in avoiding traffic jams. The most common traffic light pattern being used in the world today is a 4-way traffic control that accounts for pedestrians as well. This sort of pattern is used in main city blocks and squares since these possess both vehicular traffic as well as pedestrian traffic. Traffic lights have a universal color understanding that red light signals for the traffic to stop, yellow light serves as a transition light from going to stop and vice versa.

Software to Install:

Since we are simulating this project instead of designing it using hardware components, you need to fill some requisites so that you can follow our procedure. At first, we need to have the simulating software. For simulation purposes, we will use the Proteus software, if you already have that installed, that is excellent. However, if you don’t, you should Install Proteus Software. Proteus is a circuit simulating software that has an open database that can be customized quite easily, leaving room to add new components along with their libraries. To start working with Proteus for this project, you need to add the following libraries:

• Arduino Library for Proteus: This library includes all the Arduino boards, giving you options to simulate your circuit exactly according to your needs.

Project Overview:

The main components of a 4-way traffic light are:

• Arduino Mega: For this circuit, we recommend using Arduino mega, that is because to control 4-way traffic along with pedestrian lights, we need 20 output pins while an Arduino UNO only has 14 digital I/O pins.
• Traffic light module: This is an inbuilt traffic light module you can find in Proteus, there is no need for any additional libraries for this.
• Pedestrian Lights: To distinguish pedestrian lights, we will use simple LEDs.

In this certain design, we have used delays to control the ON and OFF time of the traffic lights. There are other ways around this as well but using delays with Arduino is the simplest and most effective way for small projects.

The pedestrian lights are set up so that whenever a certain traffic light is GREEN, its opposing pedestrian light on which there is no traffic is turned ON and signals for the pedestrians to walk.

Components Needed:

• Arduino Mega
• Green and Red LEDs
• Traffic Lights

Component details:

Arduino Mega:

Arduino Mega is a programmable microcontroller board.

Arduino Mega contains ATMegaGA2560 and is based on that microcontroller.

Every Arduino board is equipped with voltage regulators to make sure an excessive input does not burn components on the board.

Arduino Mega has 53 digital I/O pins.

Figure 1: Arduino Mega

Traffic Lights:

This module consists of three lights, namely, Red, Yellow and Green.

All three lights have separate input pins through which each light is controlled independently.

Make sure you connect all three pins to the Arduino, even if you are not using a certain light. This is because Proteus simulation only works when all the pins of traffic light are connected.

Figure 2: Traffic Lights

Proteus Simulation of Traffic Light Control:

We will first make the circuit on our Proteus software, after doing the connections of the circuit, we will work on the Arduino code based upon the circuitry and connections made.

First of all, make sure you have downloaded and installed Proteus software on your system and have downloaded and integrated the required libraries with the downloaded software.

Open Proteus and then open a new project, there is no need to change settings and simply select okay to default selected settings.

Import all the components of this project mentioned above and shown in the figure below:

Figure 3: Required Components

Place the components in the worksheet as illustrated below:

Figure 4: Component Placement

After placing the components in the worksheet, make connections as follows:

• Connect 0,1 and 2 digital pins of Arduino to red, yellow and green of traffic light 1 respectively.
• Connect 3,4 and 5 digital pins of Arduino to red, yellow and green of traffic light 2 respectively.
• Connect 6,7 and 8 digital pins of Arduino to red, yellow and green of traffic light 3 respectively.
• Connect 9,10 and 11 digital pins of Arduino to red, yellow and green of traffic light 4 respectively.
• Connect 12and 13 digital pins of Arduino to red and green LEDs of pedestrian light 1 respectively.
• Connect 14 and 15 digital pins of Arduino to red and green LEDs of pedestrian light 2 respectively.
• Connect 16 and 17 digital pins of Arduino to red and green LEDs of pedestrian light 3 respectively.
• Connect 18 and 19 digital pins of Arduino to red and green LEDs of pedestrian light 4 respectively.
• Ground the negative terminals of all LEDs.

With this, your circuit connections are complete and we will now move on to the firmware setup of this circuit.

Arduino Code:

We have divided the Arduino code into 3 segments:

• Declaration Code
• Void setup
• Void loop

We will look at these sections separately now.

Declaration Code:

The first step in the code is the declaration of variables that we will utilize in our program. At first is the declaration of traffic lights and setting them up with their respective pins of Arduino board. The syntax of this code is as follows.

Figure 5: Arduino Code

The next declaration is of pedestrian lights. The syntax of pedestrian light declaration is illustrated as follows.

Figure 6: Arduino Code

Void Setup:

This part of the code along with the declaration part is run only once, we will use this to define output and input pins. This helps Arduino to understand which pins to take data from and which pins to write data on.

Since there is no input, we will only define traffic lights and pedestrian lights as output pins. The syntax to do this is shown in figure 7.

Figure 7: Arduino code, Void Setup

Void Loop:

This part of the code runs in a loop consistently and is used to write the main section of the code.

In the first section, we will turn on the green light of signal 1 while all other signals are red. The pedestrian lights are red for pedestrian signals 1, 2 and 3. While the pedestrian 4 light is green since it is opposite to traffic signal 1.

Figure 8: Arduino Code

After a delay of 2000ms, we will turn on the yellow light for signal 1 and signal 2 to indicate that a transition from signal 1 to signal 2 will be made shortly. We will also turn all pedestrian lights red in order to ensure pedestrian safety.

Figure 9: Arduino Code

After a delay of 1000ms, all traffic and pedestrian lights will turn off for 100ms.

Figure 10: Arduino Code

For the second signal, we will turn on the green light of signal 2 while all other signals are red. The pedestrian lights are red for pedestrian signals 2, 3 and 4. While the pedestrian 1 light is green since it is opposite to traffic signal 2.

Figure 11: Arduino Code

After a delay of 2000ms, we will turn on the yellow light for signal 2 and signal 3 to indicate that a transition from signal 2 to signal 3 will be made shortly. We will also turn all pedestrian lights red in order to ensure pedestrian safety.

Figure 12: Arduino Code

After a delay of 1000ms, all traffic and pedestrian lights will turn off for 100ms.

Figure 13: Arduino Code

For signal 3, we will turn on the green light of signal 3 while all other signals are red. The pedestrian lights are red for pedestrian signal 1, 3 and 4. While the pedestrian 2 light is green since it is opposite to traffic signal 3.

Figure 14: Arduino Code

After a delay of 2000ms, we will turn on the yellow light for signal 3 and signal 4 to indicate that a transition from signal 3 to signal 4 will be made shortly. We will also turn all pedestrian lights red in order to ensure pedestrian safety.

Figure 15: Arduino Code

After a delay of 1000ms, all traffic and pedestrian lights will turn off for 100ms.

Figure 16: Arduino Code

For the final signal, we will turn on the green light of signal 4 while all other signals are red. The pedestrian lights are red for pedestrian signals 1, 2 and 4. While the pedestrian 3 light is green since it is opposite to traffic signal 4.

Figure 17: Arduino Code

After a delay of 2000ms, we will turn on the yellow light for signal 4 and signal 1 to indicate that a transition from signal 4 to signal 1 will be made shortly. We will also turn all pedestrian lights red in order to ensure pedestrian safety. This will also complete the loop and the sequence will keep running on its own.

Figure 18: Arduino Code

After a delay of 1000ms, all traffic and pedestrian lights will turn off for 100ms.

Figure 19: Arduino Code

With this, the program of the void loop will end and start again from signal 1 on its own.

Results/Working:

Generate a hex file from the Arduino program made above. Be sure to select

Integrate the hex file into your Arduino board on Proteus.

Run the simulation.

The results of the simulation should be something like our simulation results.

The simulation results for each scenario are illustrated in the figure below.

At first, traffic signal 1 is turned ON and the green light is displayed for 2000ms. The green pedestrian light 4 is also turned ON since it is opposite to signal 1.

Figure 20: Signal 1 is ON while Pedestrian 4 is ON.

Then the yellow light of signals 1 and 2 are turned ON showing transition is about to happen. The red pedestrian lights during this are turned ON to ensure pedestrian safety.

Figure 21: Yellow light showing the transition.

Then traffic signal 2 is turned ON and the green light is displayed for 2000ms. The green pedestrian light 1 is also turned ON since it is opposite to signal 2.

Figure 22: Signal 2 is ON while Pedestrian 1 is ON.

Then the yellow light of signal 2 and 3 is turned ON showing transition is about to happen. The red pedestrian lights during this are turned ON to ensure pedestrian safety.

Figure 23: Yellow light showing transition.

Then traffic signal 3 is turned ON and the green light is displayed for 2000ms. The green pedestrian light 2 is also turned ON since it is opposite to signal 3.

Figure 24: Signal 3 is ON and Pedestrian 2 is ON

Then the yellow light of signal 3 and 4 is turned ON showing transition is about to happen. The red pedestrian lights during this are turned ON to ensure pedestrian safety.

Figure 25: Yellow light showing the transition.

Then traffic signal 4 is turned ON and the green light is displayed for 2000ms. The green pedestrian light 3 is also turned ON since it is opposite to signal 4.

Figure 26: Signal 3 is ON and Pedestrian 2 is ON

Then the yellow light of signal 4 and 1 is turned ON showing transition is about to happen. The red pedestrian lights during this are turned ON to ensure pedestrian safety.

Figure 27: Yellow light showing the transition.

That is all for today’s tutorial, I hope you enjoyed learning with us. We wish you have a good day ahead of you. Thanks for reading.

Latest Proteus Libraries for Engineering Students V2.0

Hi Friends! Hope you’re well today. Happy to see you around. In this post today, I’ll walk you through Latest Proteus Libraries for Engineering Students V2.0.

We have been designing proteus libraries for our blog readers for quite a while now. You might have visited our Arduino Libraries for Proteus V2.0 and Analog Sensors Libraries for Proteus V2.0. We keep working on those libraries and make sure the bugs are removed and you always get the updated version of those libraries.

We are going to share the most advanced and upgraded version of Proteus Libraries V2.0 we have designed for our readers. These libraries are more robust, fast, and efficient than previous versions. Moreover, we have converted some digital sensors to analog sensors, helping you pick from a wide range of libraries for your projects. If you think some sensors or modules are missing in the Proteus database that should be included, leave your valuable suggestion in the section below. We’ll try our best to design and simulate those in proteus.

Before further ado, let’s jump right in.

Where To Buy?
No.	Components	Distributor	Link To Buy
1	LEDs	Amazon	Buy Now
2	Resistor	Amazon	Buy Now
3	ACS712	Amazon	Buy Now
4	DHT11	Amazon	Buy Now
5	DHT22	Amazon	Buy Now
6	DS18B20	Amazon	Buy Now
7	Flame Sensors	Amazon	Buy Now
8	Arduino Mega 2560	Amazon	Buy Now
9	Arduino Nano	Amazon	Buy Now
10	Arduino Uno	Amazon	Buy Now

Latest Proteus Libraries for Engineering Students V2.0

We’ll be covering both Arduino Libraries for Proteus V2.0 and Analog Sensors Libraries for Proteus V2.0.

Arduino Libraries for Proteus V2.0

Arduino boards are open-source electronic development boards that you can use in your projects. Arduino Libraries for Proteus V2.0 contain the following Arduino boards.

1. Arduino UNO Library for Proteus V2.0

Arduino UNO is a microcontroller board based on the Atmega328 microcontroller. We have designed Arduino UNO Library for Proteus V2.0 which you can download from the link given below. We’ve previously designed the Proteus Library for the Arduino UNO V1.0 board and the below figure shows the comparison of both V1 and V2 Arduino boards. You can see the V2 board is more compact and small-sized compared to the V1 Arduino UNO board.

In this library, we’ve also interfaced LCD with the Arduino UNO. If you find any difficulty in interfacing the board with the LCD, you can approach me in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can.

Download the Arduino UNO Library for Proteus V2.0 by clicking the link below:

Download Arduino UNO Library for Proteus V2.0

2. Arduino Mega 1280 Library for Proteus V2.0

Arduino Mega is an electronic board that features an Atmega1280 microcontroller. You can use this board to develop stand-alone electronic projects or you can also incorporate it into embedded projects. Again, the following figure shows a comparison between Arduino Mega 1280 V1 and V2. The V2 board is compact and small-sized compared to the V1 board.

We have developed the Arduino Mega 1280 library for proteus V2.0 which you can download to simulate Arduino Mega 1280 in proteus.

Download the Arduino Mega 1280 Library for Proteus V2.0 by clicking the link below:

Download Arduino Mega 1280 Library for Proteus V2.0

3. Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus V2.0

Arduino Mega 2560 is a sophisticated, application-type microcontroller board that features an Atmega2560 microcontroller. This board comes in handy when you require more input and output pins and more memory space to store the code for your electronic project. We have developed Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus V2.0 to help you simulate this board in the proteus. Moreover, we’ve also interfaced LCD with this board so if you have any questions about it, you can ask me in the section below:

]TEPImg6]

Click the link below and download the Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus V2.0.

Download Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus V2.0

4. Arduino Mini Library for Proteus V2.0

Arduino Mini is a small-sized, powerful open-source microcontroller board based on the Atmega328 microcontroller. The board is 1/6^th of the size of the Arduino UNO board and can easily rest on hard-to-reach places. We have designed Arduino Mini Library for Proteus V2.0 that you can download to simulate Arduino Mini in Proteus.

Click the link below and download the Arduino Mini Library for Proteus V2.0:

Download Arduino Mini Library for Proteus V2.0

5. Arduino Pro Mini Library for Proteus V2.0

Arduino Pro Mini is a small-sized microcontroller board that includes an Atmega328 microcontroller. The Proteus library V2.0 is designed for Arduino Pro Mini, moreover, we have also interfaced the board with the LCD 20x4.

Click the link below and download the Arduino Pro Mini Library for Proteus V2.0.

Download Arduino Pro Mini Library for Proteus V2.0

6. Arduino Nano Library for Proteus V2.0

Arduino Nano is a powerful and bread-board-friendly microcontroller board based on ATmega328p/Atmega168 microcontroller. We have developed the Arduino Nano Library for Proteus V2.0 which you can download to simulate Arduino Nano in the Proteus workspace.

Click the link below and download the Arduino Nano Library for Proteus V2.0:

Download Arduino Nano Library for Proteus V2.0

Analog Sensors Libraries for Proteus V2.0

Analog Sensors Libraries for Proteus V2.0 contain the following Analog Sensors.

Vibration Sensor Library for Proteus V2.0

An analog vibration sensor, also known as a piezoelectric, is mainly employed to detect the vibration of industrial machinery. The sensor gets activated if the vibration of the machines goes above the standard value. Vibration sensors are used to monitor the small changes in temperature, acceleration, pressure, and force.

We have done a little work and designed Analog Vibration Sensor Library for Proteus V2.0. Earlier we designed the proteus library for V1 version analog vibration sensors. The V2 version is more robust, compact, and advanced compared to the V1 version. Four vibration sensors are included in the proteus library and they have both digital and analog output pins which you can interface with Arduino boards or microcontrollers.

You can download the analog vibration sensor library for proteus V2.0 by clicking the link below:

Download Vibration Sensor Library for Proteus V2.0

Sound Detector Sensor Library for Proteus V2.0

A sound detector sensor is used to detect the sound in the environment. This sensor is only used for sound detection, not for sound recognition.

We have designed the Sound Detector Sensor Library for Proteus V2.0 that you can download to simulate this sensor in proteus. An LC filter is used on the analog output of the sensor since we need to convert the peak to peak voltage into Vrms. Know that you don’t require this LC filter in the real sensor circuit. We have simulated two sound detector sensors in proteus as they have different outputs because of different voltages on the test pin.

Click the link below and download the Sound Detector Sensor Library for Proteus V2.0:

Download Sound Detector Library for Proteus V2.0

Analog Flex Sensor Library for Proteus

An Analog flex sensor, also known as a bend sensor, is a special type of sensor used to detect the value of bend in the application. This sensor is mainly employed indoor sensors, robot whisker sensors, and stuffed animal toys.

We have developed an analog flex sensor library for proteus that you can download to simulate this sensor in Proteus. Know that Test Pin is included in the pinout of this sensor in proteus only, you won’t find this pin in the real sensor. This pin will determine the value of the bend. The HIGH value at this pin will give the value of bend and the LOW value at this pin will indicate there is no bend. We have also interfaced the Arduino board with the sensor where the analog input pin of the board is connected with the voltage appearing across the voltmeter.

Click the link below and download the Analog Flex Sensor Library for Proteus:

Download Flex Sensor Library for Proteus

Analog PIR Sensor Library for Proteus

PIR (Passive Infrared) sensor is a small, inexpensive, low-power sensor used to detect heat energy in the surrounding. The sensor monitors if the human body has come in or out of the sensor’s range.

We have designed Analog PIR Sensor Library for Proteus that you can download to simulate this sensor in Proteus. Moreover, we’ve also developed a simulation of this PIR sensor with an Arduino board. Know that, besides Arduino boards, you can also interface this sensor with PIC or Atmel microcontrollers. We’ve added four PIR sensors file in the proteus that are the same in terms of working but they come in a different color. Again, a test pin is added in the pinout of this sensor in proteus only, you won’t find this pin in real. This pin is added to sense the motion in the proteus workspace.

Click the link below and download the Analog PIR Sensor Library for Proteus:

Download PIR Sensor Library for Proteus

Water Sensor Library for Proteus

A water sensor is a sensor used to sense the presence of water. The water’s electrical conductivity is measured using this sensor to sense the presence of water. This sensor is widely used in applications where we need to monitor rainfall, water level, and water leakage.

We have designed the water sensor library for proteus which you can download to simulate this sensor in proteus. The Test pin is added to detect the water in the proteus simulation. We’ve also interfaced this sensor with the Arduino board where we have connected the analog input pin of the Arduino board with the output of the water sensor appearing across the voltmeter.

You can download the water sensor library for Proteus by clicking the link below:

Download Water Sensor Library for Proteus

Soil Moisture Sensor Library for Proteus

A soil moisture sensor is employed to analyze the water content in the soil. The sensor uses capacitance to monitor the dielectric permittivity of the soil which defines the function of the water content.

We have designed the Soil Moisture Sensor Library for Proteus where we have connected the test pin with the variable resistor. This resistor is used to define the soil moisture content in the proteus simulation. The maximum resistance on the test pin shows zero volts across the voltmeter, referring to the zero moisture value of the water content. The sensor is also interfaced with the Arduino board as shown below.

Click the link below and download the Soil Moisture Sensor Library for Proteus:

Download Soil Moisture Library for Proteus

IR Proximity Sensor Library for Proteus

The IR proximity sensor is used in robots to detect obstacles. This sensor is widely used for path navigation and obstacle avoidance in electronic projects.

We have designed the IR Proximity Sensor Library for Proteus which you can download to simulate this sensor in Proteus. The Test pin is used for hurdle detection. HIGH value on this pin means there is an obstacle in front and LOW value on this pin means there is no hurdle.

LC filter is included in the simulation which you don’t require in real. This filter is used to convert the Peak to Peak value we get on Proteus into the Vrms value.

[TEPImg16]

You can download the IR proximity sensor library for proteus by clicking the link below:

Download IR Proximity Sensor Library for Proteus

That’s all for today. Hope you find this article helpful. If you have any questions, you can approach me in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Thank you for reading this article.

Download Proteus Library of Arduino Modules

Hi Friends! Glad to have you on board. In this post today, we’ll cover How to Download Proteus Library of Arduino Modules.

If you are a regular reader of our blog, you must have noticed that we are sharing Proteus Libraries of different embedded sensors & modules on regular basis. Moreover, we have also launched version 2.0 of few libraries. So, today I am going to provide links to download Proteus Library of all Arduino Boards designed by TEP.

So, let's get started with How to Download Proteus Library of Arduino Modules:

Where To Buy?
No.	Components	Distributor	Link To Buy
1	Arduino Mega 2560	Amazon	Buy Now
2	Arduino Nano	Amazon	Buy Now
3	Arduino Uno	Amazon	Buy Now

Download Proteus Library of Arduino Modules V2.0

• It's the most advanced version of Arduino Proteus Library and consists of 6 Arduino Boards in total, named as:
  • Arduino UNO
  • Arduino Mega 2560
  • Arduino Mega 1280
  • Arduino Pro Mini
  • Arduino Nano
  • Arduino Mini
• We have designed 7 Arduino Proteus Libraries V2.0 in total.
• First, we have designed seperate Proteus Libraries of these 6 boards while in the 7th Library, we have combined all these boards.
• So, if you just want to use Arduino UNO, then download its respective Library but if you are working on multiple boards, then download the combined version(7th).

Let's have a look at these Arduino Proteus Libraies one by one:

1. Arduino Uno Library for Proteus V2.0

This Arduino Proteus Library contains only one board named Arduino UNO. You need to download zip file of Proteus library and will be able to simulate Arduino Uno in Proteus software. Proteus Library zip file download link is given below: Download Arduino UNO Library for Proteus V2.0

2. Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus V2.0

Using this Proteus Library, you can simulate Arduino Mega 2560 in Proteus ISIS. Here's the link to download its zip file: Download Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus V2.0

3. Arduino Mega 1280 Library for Proteus V2

Here's the link to dowload Proteus Library zip file of Arduino Mega 1280: Download Arduino Mega 1280 Library for Proteus V2.0

4. Arduino Mini Library for Proteus V2

Here's the link to download Arduino Mini Library for Proteus V2.0: Download Mini Library for Proteus V2.0

5. Arduino Nano Library for Proteus V2.0

Download this Arduino Nano Library for Proteus(V2.0) and simulate it in Proteus ISIS. Here's the Proteus Library zip file download link: Download Arduino Nano Library for Proteus V2.0

6. Arduino Pro Mini Library for Proteus V2.0

Check out this Arduino Pro Mini Library for Proteus(V2). It is similar to the V1 Arduino Pro Mini board but comes in a smaller size. Download Arduino Nano Library for Proteus V2.0

7. Arduino Library for Proteus V2.0

Arduino Library for Proteus contains all 6 Arduino boards. Simply sownload its zip file and you can use any of these 6 Arduino boards. Here's the link to download zip file of Arduino Proteus Library: Download Arduino Library for Proteus V2.0

Arduino Library for Proteus V1.0

In this section, we’ll cover Arduino Library for Proteus V1.0. We’ve designed this library for six different types of Arduino boards.

1. Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus V1

Check out this Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus(V1). Using this library you can simulate Arduino Mega 2560 in the Proteus workspace.

• Arduino Mega 2560 is a powerful and application-type Arduino board, based on the Atmega2560 microcontroller.
• It comes with 16 analog pins and 54 digital I/O pins, including 15 pins for PWM.

2. Arduino Mega 1280 Library for Proteus V1

Read this Arduino Mega 1280 Library for Proteus(V1). In this library, we’ve discussed how to download the Arduino Mega 1280 library and use it in your Proteus software. Arduino Mega 1280 is a compact and efficient Arduino board based on the Atmega1280 microcontroller. There are 16 analog and 54 digital I/O pins incorporated on the board. Moreover, it includes a power jack, reset button, ICSP header, and 4 UART serial ports.

3. Arduino Mini Library for Proteus V1

Download Arduino Mini Library for Proteus(V1). You’ll get to know how to simulate Arduino Mini in Proteus. Arduino Mini is a small-sized, robust, and powerful Arduino board, based on an Atmega328 microcontroller. It comes with 14 digital I/O pins, of which 6 pins are used for PWM.

4. Arduino Nano Library for Proteus V1

Click this Arduino Nano Library for Proteus(V1) and simulate Arduino Nano in Proteus software. Arduino Nano is a small, flexible, and breadboard-friendly Arduino board, based on ATmega328p/Atmega168 microcontroller. It features 8 analog pins, 14 digital I/O pins, 2 reset pins & 6 power pins.

5. Arduino Pro Mini Library for Proteus V1

Check out this Arduino Pro Mini Library for Proteus(V1). Arduino Pro Mini is a compact, small-sized Arduino board, based on the Atmega328 microcontroller. It features 8 analog pins, 14 digital I/O pins, of which 6 pins are used as PWM.

6. Arduino Uno Library for Proteus V1

Download Arduino Uno Library for Proteus(V1) and simulate Arduino Uno in Proteus software. Arduino Uno is a unique, application-type Arduino board, based on the Atmega328 microcontroller.

7. Arduino Library for Proteus V1.0

  That’s all for today. Approach me in the section below if you need any help, I’d love to assist you the best way I can. Thank you for reading this post.

Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus V2.0

Hi Guys! Happy to see you around. In this post today, I’ll detail the new version of Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus V2.0. I have already detailed the Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus that is the previous version of the Arduino Mega 2560 board. This new version of Arduino Mega 2560 is more efficient, robust, fast, powerful, and small in size. I keep getting messages requesting to design the library for the new version of Arduino Boards. So, today I’m willing to comply with your requests and have designed this library for the new version of Arduino Mega 2560. I have previously discussed the Arduino UNO Library for Proteus V2.0 and Arduino Mini Library for Proteus V2.0 In this tutorial, we will simulate Arduino Mega 2560 in Proteus. Initially, we will download this library in zip format and then will use it in our Proteus software to simulate Arduino Mega 2560. Before we read further, let’s go through what is Arduino Mega 2560?

What is Arduino Mega 2560?

• The Arduino Mega 2560 is a robust, powerful, application-type microcontroller board based on the Atmega2560 microcontroller.
• There are total 54 digital I/O pins incorporated on the board, including 15 pins for PWM.

• There are 16 analog pins available on the board. Moreover, the board contains a USB port to transfer the code from the computer to the module, and a DC power jack is included on the board to power up the module.

This was the little intro to Arduino Mega 2560. Let’s discuss how to download the Arduino Mega 2560 library and use it in your Proteus software. Let’s get started.

Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus V2.0

First of all, download the Arduino Mega 2560 library for Proteus V2.0 by clicking the link below. Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus V2.0 You will get the downloaded file in zip format.

• Extract this zip file where you’ll find the folder named "Proteus Library Files".

When you open this folder, you will find two files named:

• ArduinoMega25602TEP.dll
• ArduinoMega25602TEP.idx

Note:

• If you are facing problems in adding a library in Proteus 7 or 8 Professional, then you should read How to add new Library in Proteus 8 Professional.
• If you haven’t bought your Arduino Mega 2560 yet, then you can buy it from this reliable source:

• If you want to go through its technical specifications, features and pinout then you better have a look at Introduction to Arduino Mega 2560.

Now copy these files and place them in the libraries folder of your Proteus software.

• After placing the library files, open your Proteus software or restart (if it's already open).
• Now search for the Arduino Mega 2560 V2.0 by clicking the “Pick from Libraries” button as shown in the below figure.

• Select Arduino Mega 2560 V2.0 and click OK.

• Place Arduino Mega 2560 board in the Proteus workspace and it will appear as shown in the below figure.

• You’ve successfully placed the Arduino Mega 2560 V2.0 board in the proteus workspace.
• Now, we need to upload the hex file to simulate our board.

• To upload the hex file, double-click the Arduino Mega 2560 board.
• As you double click, it will return the following image.

In this panel, you can see the different properties of the Mega 2560 board. We have to click the property named “Program File” to upload the hex file of your Arduino code.

• Click this read detailing how to get hex file from Arduino software, if you don’t know already.
• Upload the hex file of your code and click Ok.
• The clock frequency of the Arduino board is 16MHz by default as shown in the properties panel.

Now let's design a simulation using this Arduino Mega 2560 board so that you get a clear insight on how to use it in proteus.

Comparison with Old Proteus Library (V2.0 vs V1.0)

• The following figure shows the comparison between version 1 Arduino Mega 2560 Board (V1) and version 2 Arduino Mega 2560 Board (V2).

• You can see in the above figure, V2 Arduino Mega 2560 board is more compact and small-sized as compared to the V1 Arduino Mega 2560 board.

Arduino Mega 2560 LCD Interfacing

• The Arduino Code and its simulation file have been added in the zip format that you have downloaded at the start.
• Use that simulation but the best way is to design your own simulation that will assist you to learn better along the process.
• Next, Arduino Mega 2560 Board is interfaced with a 20x4 LCD.
• Design the circuit given below to interface LCD with the Arduino Mega 2560 board:

• Data pins of LCD are connected with 8,9,10 & 11 pins of Arduino Mega 2560, while Pins 12 & 13 of Arduino board are connected to Enable & Reset of LCD.
• To upload the code, compile the Arduino code available in the zip format and get the Hex file.

• You will use Arduino Mega 2560 properties panel to upload the hex file as we excercised in the previous section.
• You have successfully interfaced LCD with the Arduino Mega 2560 board, now press the RUN button to get the result shown in the below figure:

Summary

• First, you need to download the Arduino Mega 2560 Library Files.
• Next, copy these files from “Proteus Library Files”(Folder) to the Library folder of Proteus software.
• Now, look for the Arduino Mega 2560 in Proteus software.
• Place that Arduino Mega 2560 board in the proteus workspace.
• Next, double click the board that will return the properties panel and upload the HEX File.
• Design your circuit & run the simulation.

That’s all for today. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. If you’re unsure or have any questions, you can pop your comment in the section below. I’m willing to help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your valuable feedback and suggestions around the content we share. They help us create quality content tailored to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

Introduction to Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3

Hi Friends! Hope you’re well today. I welcome you on board. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3. The Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3 is a microcontroller board that is based on the ATmega2560 microcontroller. The Arduino boards are widely used in the automation industry and embedded projects. Almost all boards work similarly with few exceptions. Other boards like Arduino Uno, Arduino Nano, Arduino Every, Arduino Beetle all seem a good pick for the projects that require little memory to store the program. However, when the nature of projects go complex that require more memory and a rich set of I/O interfaces, the Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3 comes into play. This board is an advanced version of the board Arduino Mega 2560. I suggest you buckle up and read this entire post till the end as I’ll detail the complete Introduction to Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3 covering pinout, pin description, features, programming, and applications. Let’s get started.

Introduction to Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3

• The Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3 is a microcontroller board that is based on the ATmega2560 microcontroller.
• There are total 54 digital I/O pins available on the board out of which 15 pins are used as PWM pins. There are 15 analog pins incorporated on the board.
• The board comes with 4 serial ports, one SPI, and one I2C communication protocol.
• The operating voltage of the device is 5V while the input voltage ranges from 6V to 20V while the recommended input voltage ranges from 7V to 12V.

• The oscillator clock speed is 16MHz which ensures the synchronization of the internal functions.
• The Arduino Program (sketch) is stored in the Flash memory which is 256KB and SRAM is 8KB while the EEPROM is 4KB.

• The SRAM is responsible for producing and manipulating the variables when it runs and EEPROM is a non-volatile memory that remains stored in the board even if power is removed.
• It is important to note that Arduino Duemilanove/UNO is compatible with Arduino Mega 2560 which projects the shields developed for Duemilanove stands fit for this mega board.
• You can say Arduino Mega 2560 is identical to Arduino Uno with more memory and rich I/O interfaces so it is mainly used for more complex and advanced projects.
• This device is also incorporated with a new USB chip (similar to Arduino UNO) - ATmega16U2 (previously ATmega8U2 or FTDI chips were used).
• This board incorporates two voltage regulators i.e. 5V and 3.3V which gives the ability to regulate the voltage as per requirements in contrast to Arduino Uno which comes with only one voltage regulator.
• More features include a power jack, a USB connection, an ICSP header, and a reset button. It comes with everything required to support the microcontroller.

Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3 Pinout

In the following picture, you’ll see the pinout diagram of Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3. The board incorporates 4 LEDs where one is a built-in LED connected to pin 13 of the board. One is a power LED that turns on when the board is turned on. While two LEDs are reserved for Rx and Tx which respond when the serial communication happens on this board.

Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3 Pin Description

Hope you’ve got a brief idea about this Arduino Mega board. In this section, we’ll highlight the pin description of each pin incorporated on the board. Let’s get started.

UART Pins

There are 4 serial ports incorporated on the board. Each UART serial port comes with two pins Rx and Tx. The Rx is the receiving pin that ensures the receiving of serial data while Tx is the transmission pin that guarantees the transmission of serial data.

SPI Pins

The board contains one SPI communication protocol. While is a serial peripheral interface communication protocol. It is used to develop communication between the controller and other peripheral devices like sensors and shift registers. It contains two Pins… MISO (master input slave output) and MOSI (master output slave input) for the SPI communication.

I2C Pins

The board carries one I2C communication protocol. It carries two pins SDL and SCL. The SDL is the serial data pin that carries the data while SCL is the serial clock line that ensures the synchronization of data transfer over I2C bus.

Digital Pins

This comes with the most number of digital I/O pins incorporated on any Arduino board. The reason it is called Arduino Mega. It is also capable to store more memory of the Arduino program in the Flash memory. You can use these 54 pins as an input or output based on the requirement. These pins receive two values HIGH and LOW. When they receive 5V the pins are at HIGH state while when they receive 0V the pins remain in a LOW state.

Analog Pins

The board contains 15 analog pins. These pins can get any values in contrast to digital pins that receive only two values HIGH and LOW.

PWM Pins

Out of 54 digital I/O pins, 15 pins can be used as PWM pins. These pins generate analog results with digital means.

Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3 Features

The main features of Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3 are described below.

• Microcontroller = ATmega2560
• Input Voltage (limit) = 6-20V
• Input Voltage (recommended) = 7-12V
• SPI = 1
• I2C = 1
• UART = 4
• Digital I/O Pins = 54
• Analog Pins = 16
• PWM Pins = 15
• DC Current for 3.3V Pin = 50 mA
• DC Current per I/O Pin = 20 mA
• Clock Speed = 16MHz
• Flash Memory = 256 KB

• EEPROM = 4 KB
• SRAM = 8 KB
• LED_BUILTIN = 13
• Size = 53x101mm
• Weight = 37g

Programming

The Arduino.cc has introduced the official software Arduino IDE to program all Arduino boards. The Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3 comes with a USB comes that is used to program the board. Simply connect the board with the computer using a USB cable and start playing with it. Moreover, the board comes with an internal Bootloader which is used to burn the program inside the controller. Setting you free from buying the external burner to burn the program.

Difference between Arduino Mega 2560 R2 and R3

• Two more pins are included in each row of the pin. In the "digital section" two-pin header sockets are available: 10 and 8 pins, despite 2 x 8. While in the "analog section" two pins 8 and 6 are included instead of 2 x 6.
• ATmega16U, chip for USB communication, replaced the ATmega8U chip in the R3 board. And it comes with16 kB of flash memory as compared to 8.
• Now digital section incorporates two separate pins for I2C communication i.e. SDL and SCL.
• It is important to note that, these pins are not considered additional signals. In the case of Arduino UNO R2, two pins SDA and SCL are incorporated at A5 and A4. In R3 they reserve the same spot, merging new pins with old ones.

Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3 Applications

This mega board is an ideal pick for the projects requiring more memory space to store the program and require a rich set of I/O interfaces. The following are the main applications of Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3.

• Controlling and handling more than one motors
• Developing 3D printer
• Sensing and detecting temperature
• Interfacing of number of sensors
• Parallel programming and Multitasking
• Home automation and security systems
• Embedded Systems
• Water level detection projects

That’s all for today. Hope you find this article helpful. If you’re unsure or have any questions, you can approach me in the section below, I’d love to help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your valuable suggestions and feedback around the content we share. This helps us create quality content customized to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the post.

Introduction to Arduino Mega 2560

Hey Fellas! Hope you are doing well. Today, I am going to unlock the details on the Introduction to Arduino Mega 2560. It is a microcontroller board based on Atmega 2560 microcontroller. Arduino Boards have revitalized the automation industry with their easy-to-use platform where everyone with little or no technical background can get started with learning some basic skills to program and run the board.

I have updated articles previously on Arduino Uno, Arduino Nano, and Arduino Pro Mini. All these boards function similarly in one way or the other. There are some basic features like PCB layout design, size, number of analog pins and breadboard friendly nature that make them different from each other. In terms of coding, all these boards are programmed in Arduino IDE software and you don't need to attach extra components or devices to put them in running condition. Everything is already built in the board that makes this device readily available. Just plug and play with the board as per your requirement. Here's the video presentation of Arduino Mega 2560:

All the boards mentioned above work perfectly for a number of Arduino Projects when you require a simple task to be completed with fewer I/O pins and memory. However, when the project goes complex, a board with less memory fails to complete the task. This is where Arduino Mega 2560 comes in handy. This board comes with 54 pins and 16 analog pins with more memory to store the code. Sounds crazy, isn't it? Thanks to technology that keep your covered in every aspect and provides support in any way when it comes to fulfilling your technical needs.

I'll try to cover each and everything related to Arduino Mega 2560, what is this about, the main features, working, technical specifications and everything you need to know. Let's jump right in.

No.	Pin Number	Pin Description
1	D0 - D53	54 Digital Input / Output Pins.
2	A0 - A15	16 Analog Input / Output Pins.
3	D2 - D13	12 Pulse Width Modulation ( PWM ) Pins.
4	Pin # 0 (RX) , Pin # 1 (TX) Pin # 19 (RX1) , Pin # 18 (TX1) Pin # 17 (RX2) , Pin # 16 (TX2) Pin # 15 (RX3) , Pin # 14 (TX3)	4 Serial Communication Ports (8 Pins).
5	Pin # 50 ( MISO ) Pin # 51 ( MOSI ) Pin # 52 ( SCK ) Pin # 53 ( SS )	SPI Communication Pins.
6	Pin # 20 ( SDA ), Pin # 21 ( SCL )	I2C Communication Pins.
7	Pin # 13	Built-In LED for Testing.

• If you are planning to learn Arduino Nano Programming, then you must have a look at Introduction to Arduino IDE.

Other Arduino Boards:

You should also have a look at these other Arduino board, you might find them interesting as well. Compare their features and find the most suitable one for your project. Here's the list of other Arduino boards:

• Arduino UNO
• Arduino Pro Mini
• Arduino Nano
• Arduino Due
• Arduino Micro
• Arduino Lilypad
• Arduino YUN

Where To Buy?
No.	Components	Distributor	Link To Buy
1	Arduino Mega 2560	Amazon	Buy Now

Introduction to Arduino Mega 2560

• Arduino Mega 2560 is a Microcontroller board based on Atmega2560. It comes with more memory space and I/O pins as compared to other boards available in the market.
• There are 54 digital I/O pins and 16 analog pins incorporated on the board that make this device unique and stand out from others.
• Out of 54 digital I/O, 15 are used for PWM (pulse width modulation).
• A crystal oscillator of 16MHz frequency is added on the board.
• This board comes with USB cable port that is used to connect and transfer code from computer to the board.
• DC power jack is coupled with the board that is used to power the board. Some version of the Arduino board lacks this feature like Arduino Pro Mini doesn't come with DC power jack.
• ICSP header is a remarkable addition to Arduino Mega which is used for programming the Arduino and uploading the code from the computer.
• You can download the Arduino Mega 2560 datasheet bu clicking below button:

Download Arduino Mega 2560 Datasheet

• This board comes with two voltage regulator i.e. 5V and 3.3V which provides the flexibility to regulate the voltage as per requirements as compared to Arduino Pro Mini which comes with only one voltage regulator.
• There is no much difference between Arduino Uno and Arduino Mega except later comes with more memory space, bigger size and more I/O pins.
• Arduino software called Arduino IDE is used to program the board which is a common software used for all boards belonged to Arduino family.
• Availability of Atmega16 on the board makes it different than Arduino Pro Mini which uses USB to serial converter to program the board.
• There is a reset button and 4 hardware serial port called USART which produces a maximum speed for setting up communication.
• The following figure shows the specifications of Arduino mega 2560.

• Arduino Mega is specially designed for the projects requiring complex circuitry and more memory space. Most of the electronic projects can be done pretty well by other boards available in the market which make Arduino Mega uncommon for regular projects. However, there are some projects that are solely done by Arduino Mega like making of 3D printers or controlling more than one motors, because of its ability to store more instructions in the code memory and a number of I/O digital and analog pins.
• There are three ways to power the board. You can either use a USB cable to power the board and transfer code to the board or you can power it up using Vin of the board or through Power jack or batter.
• Last two sources to power the board are required once you already built and compile code into the board through USB cable.
• This board comes with resettable polyfuse that prevents the USB port of your computer from overheating in the presence of high current flowing through the board. Most of the computers come with an ability to protect themselves from such devices, however, the addition of fuse provides an extra layer of protection.
• It can be used either way i.e. for creating stand-alone projects or in combination with other Arduino boards. Most complex projects can be created using this board.

Let's have a look at Arduino Mega 2560 Pinout:

Arduino Mega 2560 Pinout

• Following figure shows the pinout of Arduino Mega 2560:

• Each pin comes with a specific function associated with it. All analog pins can be used as digital I/O pins.
• Designing of a project using Arduino Mega gives you the flexibility of working with more memory space and processing power that allows you to work with a number of sensors at once. This board is physically larger than other Arduino boards.

Arduino Mega 2560 Pin Description

• 5V & 3.3V. This pin is used to provide output regulated voltage around 5V. This regulated power supply powers up the controller and other components on the board. It can be obtained from Vin of the board or USB cable or another regulated 5V voltage supply. While another voltage regulation is provided by 3.3V pin. Maximum power it can draw is 50mA.
• GND. There are 5 ground pins available on the board which makes it useful when more than one ground pins are required for the project.
• Reset. This pin is used to reset the board. Setting this pin to LOW will reset the board.
• Vin. It is the input voltage supplied to the board which ranges from 7V to 20V. The voltage provided by the power jack can be accessed through this pin. However, the output voltage through this pin to the board will be automatically set up to 5V.
• Serial Communication. RXD and TXD are the serial pins used to transmit and receive serial data i.e. Rx represents the transmission of data while Tx used to receive data. There are four combinations of these serial pins are used where Serail 0 contains RX(0) and TX(1), Serial 1 contains TX(18) and RX(19), Serial 2 contains TX(16) and RX(17), and Serial 3 contains TX(14) and RX(15).
• External Interrupts. Six pins are used for creating external interrupts i.e interrupt 0(0), interrupt 1(3), interrupt 2(21), interrupt 3(20), interrupt 4(19), interrupt 5(18). These pins produce interrupts by a number of ways i.e. providing LOW value, rising or falling edge or changing value to the interrupt pins.
• LED. This board comes with built-in LED connected to digital pin 13. HIGH value at this pin will turn the LED on and LOW value will turn it off. This gives you the change of nursing your programming skills in real time.
• AREF. AREF stands for Analog Reference Voltage which is a reference voltage for analog inputs.
• Analog Pins. There are 16 analog pins incorporated on the board labeled as A0 to A15. It is important to note that all these analog pins can be used as digital I/O pins. Each analog pin comes with 10-bit resolution. These pins can measure from ground to 5V. However, the upper value can be changed using AREF and analogReference() function.
• I2C. Two pins 20 and 21 support I2C communication where 20 represents SDA (Serial Data Line mainly used for holding the data) and 21 represents SCL(Serial Clock Line mainly used for providing data synchronization between the devices)
• SPI Communication. SPI stands for Serial Peripheral Interface used for the transmission of data between the controller and other peripherals components. Four pins i.e. 50 (MISO), 51 (MOSI), 52 (SCK), 53 (SS) are used for SPI communication.

Arduino Mega 2560 Dimensions

Follwoing figure shows the dimensions of the Arduino Mega 2560:

• Arduino Mega is comparatively larger than other boards available in the market. It comes 4-inch length and 2.1-inch width. However, USB port and power jack are slightly extended from the given dimensions.

Shield Compatibility with Arduino Mega 2560

• Arduino Mega is compatible with most of the shields designed for other Arduino boards.
• Before you intend to use a shield, make sure the operating voltage of the shield is compatible with the board voltage. Most of the shields operate at 3.3V or 5V which is compatible with this board, however, shields with higher operating voltage can damage the board.

• Also, the header distribution of the shield must resonate with the pin distribution of the board, so you can simply attach the shield with the board and make it in a running condition.

Arduino Mega 2560 Programming

• Arduino Mega 2560 can be programmed using Arduino Software called IDE which supports C programming.
• The code you make on the software is called sketch which is burned in the software and then transferred to the board through USB cable.
• This board comes with a built-in bootloader which rules out the usage of an external burner for burning the code into the board.
• The bootloader communicates using STK500 protocol.
• Once you compile and burn the program on the board, you can unplug the USB cable which eventually removes the power from the board. When you intend to incorporate the board into your project, you can power it up using power jack or Vin of the board.
• Multitasking is another feature where Arduino mega comes handy. However, Arduino IDE Software doesn't support multitasking feature but you can use other operating systems like FreeRTOS and RTX to write C program for this purpose. This gives you the flexibility of using your own custom build program using ISP connector.

Arduino Mega 2560 Applications

Arduino Mega 2560 is an ideal choice for the projects requiring more memory space to used with more number of number pins on the board. Following are the main applications of the Arduino mega boards.

• Developing 3D printer
• Controlling and handling more than one motors
• Interfacing of number of sensors
• Sensing and detecting temperature
• Water level detection projects
• Home automation and security systems
• Embedded Systems
• IoT applications
• Parallel programming and Multitasking

That's all for today. I hope you have found this article useful. However, if you are unsure or have any question you can ask me in the comment section below. I'd love to help you according to best of my expertise. Feel free to keep us updated with your feedback and suggestions, they help us provide you quality work that resonates with your field of work and helps you keep coming back for what we have to offer. Thanks for reading the article.

Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi

Hello friends, I hope you all are fine and enjoying your lives. Today, I am going to share a comparison titled Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi. Actually, I have been receiving a lot of emails and comments from new engineering students that "we are new in embedded and we want to start our project so please tell us which one is better Arduino or Raspberry Pi?" So, I thought to write a post on Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi and in this post, I am going to make a detailed comparison between the two and will let you know, which one you should use in your project and why?

So, I hope that you are all aware of or at least have heard about these two boards, which are Arduino and Raspberry Pi. If you haven't heard yet then you must have a look at Arduino Official Site and Raspberry Pi Official Site. They will give you a basic overview of what these boards are. Anyhow, I am going to start it from the very basics so that you guys won't get into much trouble. So, let's get started with Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi:

Where To Buy?
No.	Components	Distributor	Link To Buy
1	Arduino Mega 2560	Amazon	Buy Now
2	Arduino Nano	Amazon	Buy Now
3	Arduino Pro Mini	Amazon	Buy Now
4	Arduino Uno	Amazon	Buy Now
5	Raspberry Pi 3	Amazon	Buy Now
6	Raspberry Pi 4	Amazon	Buy Now
7	Raspberry Pi Pico	Amazon	Buy Now
8	Raspberry Pi Zero	Amazon	Buy Now

Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi

I have created few points below and in each of these points, I have made the difference between these two boards. I have also mentioned their strengths and weaknesses and which one to use. Obviously, they both have their own importance so we can't say that one is better than the other. Instead, we are making a comparison between the two and then you will get a clear idea of which one you should use for your project. The selection of your controller board actually depends entirely on the nature of your project. Am I getting far :O don't worry if it's more to digest about Arduino Uno R3 Vs Raspberry PI 3, I am explaining them below in detail. :D

1. History

Arduino:

• The idea of Arduino was first presented by Massimo Banzi in Italy. That's why it's written Made in Italy on each of these boards. :)
• Banzi was a teacher at Interaction Design Institute Ivrea and the reason for designing these boards was to help his students by giving them an easy-to-use platform.
• So that, students don't waste much time over soldering etc and spend more time in designing the algorithms.

Raspberry Pi:

• Raspberry Pi was first invented by Eben Upton in the United Kingdom.
• He was also a teacher and he has the same reason for developing these boards.
• He also wanted to help his students so that they learn more out of it.
• Upton was a Professor at the University of Cambridge.

Obviously, they both have co-founders, who have helped them a lot in bringing these ideas to existence. So, let's move on to the next step of this Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi comparison.

2. Nature of Arduino & Raspberry Pi

Arduino:

• The Arduino boards are actually Microcontrollers boards but in a very easy-to-use form.
• Have you ever worked on PIC Microcontroller, Atmel or 8051 Microcontroller?
• If you have worked on standalone microcontrollers, you must be aware of Microcontroller basic circuit, which includes crystal oscillator and pull-up resistors, capacitors etc.
• Moreover, you also need the programmer/burner hardware using which you upload your code into these microcontrollers.
• But in Arduino, you don't need to use any of these. Arduino comes with a built-in programmer and an onboard basic circuit for powering up the microcontroller.
• So, what you need to do is simply plug Arduino board and start testing your code.
• So, in simple words, Arduino is nothing but a simple microcontroller board.

Raspberry Pi:

• Now if we talk about Raspberry Pi, it's a mini-computer and is actually termed a microprocessor.
• Raspberry Pi has onboard RAM, ROM, i/O Ports, USB Ports, HDMI Port etc.
• Seems quite powerful than Arduino but don't come to a conclusion right away :)
• But yes Raspberry Pi is like a small computer, obviously, it's not comparable with your Laptop or PC but it's really powerful.
• And the beauty of it lies in the small size and low price.
• The latest Raspberry Pi even has a RAM of around 3GB, which is quite a lot. I am using Note 3 Mobile and it has 3GB RAM. So, now you can get an idea of what it is capable of.
• As it's a small computer so you must be thinking what its operating system. When it comes out of the factory, it has no operating system on it but one can install any operating system like Linux, Windows etc.
• Normally it is used with Linux and its current operating system is called Raspbian.

So, from the above discussion, we concluded that Arduino is a Microcontroller board while Raspberry Pi is a mini-computer. Next, we are going to have a look at the type of Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi.

3. Types of Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi

Arduino:

• The first board developed by the Arduino company was Arduino UNO which uses Atmega328 Microcontroller but later on, they have developed many new boards.
• For example, now we have Arduino Ethernet Shield, Arduino Wifi Shield using these we can provide Internet access to our system.
• Recently they have also developed the Arduino YUN board, which also supports Linux just like Raspberry Pi.
• Arduino Due is another board that works on a 32-bit instruction set.
• So, in short, there are a lot of Arduino boards and by combining different boards you can accomplish anything.
• Suppose, you want to control your Fan via Wifi then you can use Arduino UNO with Arduino Wifi shield and you can easily design this IoT project and can control the fan over WiFi.

Raspberry Pi:

• Raspberry Pi doesn't have different boards for different tasks like Arduino.
• Like once there was Raspberry Pi Model A but then they added some more functionality like increased the RAM end so we have Raspberry Pi 2, Raspberry Pi 3 Raspberry Pi 4 etc.
• So, you can think of Raspberry Pi as a mobile, whose models come out with more enhancement.
• As I told you earlier Raspberry Pi is a small computer board so it already has everything in it like Wifi, Ethernet, USB Host etc.
• Raspberry Pi has recently launched a Microcontroller board called Raspberry Pi Pico, which is available for $4.

4. Programming Code

Arduino:

• For programming Arduino boards, Arduino has launched official software called Arduino IDE.
• Arduino uses C programming language with a slight difference in syntax from the original C.
• It has an extensive list of libraries(mostly third-party) for interfacing sensors and modules.

Raspberry Pi:

• Raspberry Pi can be programmed in any high-level programming language i.e. python, C# etc.
• Normally, python is used for programming purposes.

Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi - Which one you should prefer?

For a new Engineering student, who has just started his project. He always wonders which one I should use among these two. Should I go with Arduino or should I start working on Raspberry Pi? It's really a big question if you are new in this field. So, let me tell you one thing first, no one is better than the other, Arduino and Raspberry Pi both have their own importance. Now which one you should use, entirely depends on the nature of your project. So, let's take a look at projects for both of these boards. I think this Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi comparison is now going to take an interesting turn. :)

Arduino:

• Whenever you are working on some pure hardware-related project, in which you need to use different sensors, need to move your motors or actuators etc. then you should always go for Arduino because Arduino is a microcontroller and its best for hardware equipment controlling.
• That's why in most of the Electrical, Electronics, Mechatronics and Mechanical Projects, Arduino is preferred.
• It's not like you can't control sensors or motors on Raspberry Pi but it's too difficult in Raspberry Pi and quite easy in Arduino.
• Moreover, with Arduino, you can attach as many sensors as you want. In simple words, Arduino has a lot of I/Os.
• Once I have to work on a project, in which I have to control fifty relays so in that case I have used Arduino Mega 2560 which has around 60 input/Output Pins.
• But you can't control fifty relays with Raspberry Pi.
• So, in all the hardware projects where you don't need to do cloud computing, IoT etc. it's always preferred to use Arduino boards.

Raspberry Pi:

• Raspberry Pi is mostly used in computer software projects i.e. IoT, cloud computing etc.
• Like you have a project in which you need to send data over to some network, then in these types of projects, your first choice should be Raspberry Pi.
• I once had a project in which I have to design an online Home Automation system.
• So, in such projects, we just need to interface few sensors which we can do with the Raspberry Pi as it has few Input/Output Pins.
• But the main part of such projects is to send sensors data over to some network so Raspberry Pi is the right choice here.
• Although we can also use Arduino YUN in such projects as well but because Raspberry Pi is programmed in python so it's more flexible to use when it comes to cloud computing.
• Similarly, if you want to design some Face recognition project then Raspberry Pi comes in handy because we can easily install openCV on it as it's an OS (LINUX), we can install anything we want.

So, that's a kind of an overview on Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi, which I think you guys must have enjoyed. It was quite boring so that's why I have tried my best to make it as interesting as I can, but still, if you find it boring then I can't do anything. :) So, that's all about Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi, I hope you guys have got something out of it. Will see you guys in the next tutorial. Till then take care and have fun. :)