Applications and Experiments with eBlocks Electronic Blocks for Basic Sensor-Based
Systems
eBlock is an electronics block.
It can define as embedded system building block used in sensor based system.
Enable non-experts to build basic small- scale sensor based system.
Introduction
Commercial motes/sensor nodes
Commercial Mote Example:
PRICE??
Complicated:
◦ Sensor Node on Buoy System
◦ Check temperature, wave height, humidity, and so on.
Applications…
• Simple:
– Wide range and closed to daily usage.
– Counting Cars, Customer
Monitoring, Object Locator and so on.
Commercial Sensor Node eBlock
a) Expensive a) Cheap
b) Complicated b) Simple
c) Required technical base end user
d) Enable non-technical base end user to operate
d) General purpose d) Specified purpose
e) Handle Complex Application e) Suitable for simple application
Sensor Node Vs eBlock
•It is not mean to replace sensor node but e-Blocks can also be used in conjunction with sensor network nodes as a means to combine several sensor block inputs before sensor data enters a sensor network.
Defined four types of blocks:
◦ Sensors
Simple 1/0 (yes/no) output
◦ Logic/state
Take at least one 1/0 inputs from others block and generate at least one output.
Allow configure using DIP switch.
Introduction to e-Block
◦ Communication
A splitter:
Wireless transmitter or receiver that can replace by wired connection.
Wired or wireless is depend on application.
◦ Output block
Include LED, buzzer, electric relay
Example Applications:
In the medical arena, institutions such as hospitals or nursing homes must
ensure the safety of their patients.
Able to observe simple activities of patients by nurse or doctor.
Use in monitoring nocturnal (night) endangered species.
Typically, scientists study species by first trapping individual animals, photographing the animals, and
attaching a tag such that the scientists can identify the animals later.
Prohibited by law from trapping the endangered species animals.
An alternative: set up a feeding station including a
simple sensor-based system to detect motion at night and trigger a camera to take a photograph of the
animals as they feed.
Developed e-Blocks to address the need of enabling non-technical user to build basic sensor-based systems.
Used components, such as buttons, light sensors, motion sensors, LEDs, buzzers, etc., and added a low-cost, low power
preprogrammed processor to execute the block’s function and communication
protocol.
Building e-Block…
LDR-light dependent resistor
LED- Light emitting diode
Microcontroller
Simple Light detecting circuit:
Example microcontroller circuit:
The e-blocks modules that form by several blocks:
Basic set of an e-blocks
e-Blocks at end user side…
Conducted experiments to determine
whether people of varying skill levels could build basic sensor-based systems effectively using e-Blocks.
Three skill levels:
◦ Beginner- Student with no programming or electronics experience.
◦ Intermediate-Student that have basic
knowledge but no experiences in electronics.
◦ Advanced-Student that have electronics knowledge and experiences.
Experiments…
Experiment using physical prototypes
◦ Students had 15 minutes to follow a small written tutorial describing how to build e-Block systems before building their own systems.
Experiments…
Experiment using graphic simulator
◦Students were given a short step by-step tutorial illustrating the basic idea of e-Blocks, how sensors interacted with one another, how to select blocks from a library, and how to draw wires to connect the various blocks within the simulator.
Sensor to output
◦ Required the user to select the appropriate sensor and output blocks and connect those blocks to implement a particular application.
Results with difference type of
sensor system…
Sensor with logic
◦ Required the user to use at least two sensors and to feed sensors’ outputs through a logic block
before connecting to an output.
Results with difference type of
sensor system…
Sensor with state
◦ Required the user to connect a sensor with a state block and then an output.
Results with difference type of
sensor system…
Sensor with logic and state
◦ Require user to connect multiple sensor through logic and state block before connecting to an
output block.
Results with difference type of
sensor system…
Developed sets of electronics block that called e-block.
Experiment done towards various level of student to show the effectiveness of the e- block.
