Microcontrollers (MCU) are complete computer systems on a chip.

They combine an
arithmetic logic unit (ALU), memory, timer/counters, serial port, input/output (I/O) ports
and a clock oscillator
Circuit breakers are mechanical switching devices capable of breaking currents under
specified abnormal circuitconditions
A circuit breaker is an automatically-operated electrical switch designed to protect an
electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to
detect a fault condition and, by interrupting continuity, to immediately discontinue
electrical flow. Unlike a fuse, which operates once and then has to be replaced, acircuit
breaker can be reset (either manually or automatically) to resume normal operation.
Circuit breakers are made in varying sizes, from small devices that protect an individual
household appliance up to large switchgear designed to protect high voltage circuits
feeding an entire city.
This project is the related with the automation of currently available circuit breakers.
SCOPE OF PROJECT
This device is very useful to protect any electrical appliance from breakdown caused by
over current (or voltage).The overall system of electronics circuit breaker is more
dynamic than other circuit breaker as a current can be controlled according to the need of
the system.
The electronic circuit breaker is vastly used in:-
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO 8051 MICROCONTROLLER
When we have to learn about a new computer we have to familiarize about the machine
capability we are using, and we can do it by studying the internal hardware design
(devices architecture), and also to know about the size, number and the size of the
registers.
A microcontroller is a single chip that contains the processor (the CPU), non-volatile
memory for the program (ROM or flash), volatile memory for input and output (RAM), a
clock and an I/O control unit. Also called a "computer on a chip," billions of
microcontroller units (MCUs) are embedded each year in a myriad of products from toys
to appliances to automobiles. For example, a single vehicle can use 70 or more
microcontrollers. The following picture describes a general block diagram of
microcontroller.89s52: The AT89S52 is a low-power, high-performance CMOS 8-bit
microcontroller with 8K bytes of in-system programmable Flash memory. The device is
manufactured using Atmel’s high-density nonvolatile memory technology and is
compatible with the industry-standard 80C51 instruction set and pinout. The on-chip
Flash allows the program memory to be reprogrammed in-system or by a conventional
nonvolatile memory programmer. By combining a versatile 8-bit CPU with in-system
programmable Flash on a monolithic chip, the Atmel's AT89S52 is a powerful
microcontroller which provides a highly-flexible and cost-effective solution to many
embedded control applications. The AT89S52 provides the following standard features:
8K bytes of Flash, 256 bytes of RAM, 32 I/O lines, Watchdog timer, two data pointers,
three 16-bit timer/counters, a six-vector two-level interrupt architecture, a full duplex
serial port, on

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on-chip oscillator, and clock circuitry. In addition, the AT89S52 is designed with static
logic for operation down to zero frequency and supports two software selectable power
saving modes. The Idle Mode stops the CPU while allowing the RAM, timer/counters,
serial port, and interrupt system to continue functioning. The Power-down mode saves
the RAM con-tents but freezes the oscillator, disabling all other chip functions until the
next interrupt.The hardware is driven by a set of program instructions, or software. Once
familiar withhardware and software, the user can then apply the microcontroller to the
problems easily.
The pin diagram of the 8051 shows all of the input/output pins unique to
microcontrollers:
The following are some of the capabilities of 8051 microcontroller.
♣ Internal ROM and RAM
♣ I/O ports with programmable pins
♣ Timers and counters
♣ Serial data communication
The 8051 architecture consists of these specific features:
♣ 16 bit PC &data pointer (DPTR)
♣ 8 bit program status word (PSW)
♣ 8 bit stack pointer (SP)
♣ Internal ROM 4k
♣ Internal RAM of 128 bytes.
♣ 4 register banks, each containing 8 registers
♣ 80 bits of general purpose data memory
♣ 32 input/output pins arranged as four 8 bit ports 0-P3
♣ Two 16 bit timer/counters: T0-T1
♣ Two external and three internal interrupt sources
♣ Oscillator and clock circuits
For any electronics project the power supply plays a very important role in its proper
functioning.In this project we are using external A.C supply (

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(220 v) as input, this high voltage is converted into 12 Volts A.C by step down
transformer, then we use voltage regulators and filters with bridge rectifier to convert the
A.C into D.C voltage.For voltage regulation we are using LM 7805 and 7812 to produce
ripple free 5 and 12 volts D.C constant supply.
A circuit breaker capable of microcontroller-based fault detection having a backup circuit
for causing the circuit to trip in response to a microcontroller fault or a failure of a
regulated power supply powering the microcontroller. The circuit breaker includes an RC
circuit connected to an SCR. The resistor of the RC circuit is connected between the
anode and gate of the SCR, and the capacitor is connected between the gate and cathode
of the SCR. The microcontroller has a first pin coupled to the RC circuit, which is
initially in a high input impedance state. In the event of a microcontroller fault or power
supply failure, the capacitor will charge to a voltage sufficient to activate the SCR and
trip the breaker. If the microcontroller startup routine is successful, the pin is configured
as an output and is pulled low, shorting out the capacitor.
Abstract:
A circuit breaker capable of microcontroller-based fault detection having a backup circuit
for causing the circuit breaker to trip in response to a microcontroller fault, including a
timing circuit powered by a power supply and a microcontroller. The timing circuit is
electrically coupled to an SCR that causes the circuit breaker to trip. The timing circuit
includes a BJT coupled to the gate of the SCR. The microcontroller has a first output
coupled to the timing circuit and a second output coupled to the SCR. The first output is
coupled to a node between a resistor and a grounded capacitor in the timing circuit, and
the node is coupled to a gate of the SCR and to a base of the transistor. A voltage
develops at the node sufficient to cause the gate of the SCR to turn on unless the
microcontroller pulls the first high-impedance output to a logic low state.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Aspects of the present invention relates generally to circuit breakers with
microcontroller-based fault detection, and in particular, to a backup tripping function for
a circuit breaker with microcontroller-based fault detection.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a circuit breaker with microcontroller-based fault detection, a failure in the power
supply regulator circuit or the microcontroller itself can lead to an inability to detect
faults on the circuit being protected, leaving the load to which the circuit breaker is
connected unprotected and vulnerable. It is desirable to have a circuit breaker deny power
to the protected circuit if the circuit breaker does not have the ability to detect faults by
tripping as soon after power is applied as possible.
What is needed is a backup circuit that forces a microcontroller-based circuit breaker to
trip if the microcontroller does not start up correctly either due to a failure in the
regulated power supply or a fault in the microcontroller itself or both. Aspects and
embodiments disclosed herein are directed to addressing/solving these and other needs.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Two different backup timing circuit implementations are described. These backup timing
circuits ensure that an electronic circuit breaker will trip even if certain electronics within
the circuit breaker are unresponsive. The electronic circuit breaker includes a
microcontroller that analyzes current or voltage signals in a circuit and trips the circuit
breaker when those signals exceed certain thresholds or criteria. If the microcontroller
does not work at startup, the loads being protected by the circuit breaker become
vulnerable to certain types of electrical faults. In essence, the microcontroller represents a
“warning system” to detect certain types of faults which are not protected by the
mechanical thermal or magnetic components within the circuit breaker. The
microcontroller is powered by a separate power supply within the circuit breaker, and this
power supply derives its power from the current on the line. If the power supply fails, the
microcontroller will become unresponsive, so one of the backup timing circuit
implementations also bypasses the microcontroller if the power supply fails to operate
properly. The backup timing circuits disclosed herein bypass or override the “early
warning system” provided by the microcontroller if the microcontroller is unresponsive at
startup or because its power supply is unresponsive or both.
In a first implementation, a backup timing circuit is powered by a power supply in a
microcontroller-based circuit breaker. The timing circuit includes a transistor whose gate
is charged by a node that is also connected to a configurable pin of the microcontroller.
When the microcontroller is initially powered on, it runs through various startup and
diagnostic routines. During this startup process, the pin is initially in a high impedance
state. As a result, the node can build up a voltage across a capacitor that eventually
becomes sufficient to energize the transistor. If the microcontroller properly completes its
diagnostic and startup routines, then the microcontroller configures the pin to an output
and drives it low, shorting out the capacitor of the timing circuit and preventing the
transistor from turning on.
In a second implementation, a backup timing circuit is powered directly off of a rectified
line voltage. A microcontroller is powered by a separate power supply, but because the
timing circuit in this implementation is positioned upstream of the power supply, the
timing circuit can react even if the timing circuit is unresponsive. A pin of the
microcontroller is connected to a node of the timing circuit, which is also connected to a
gate of an electronic switching device that causes the electronic circuit breaker to trip.
Upon successful completion of the startup and diagnostic routines, the pin, initially in a
high impedance state, is driven low by the microcontroller, shorting out a capacitor of the
timing circuit thereby preventing the electronic switching device from turning on.
However, if the startup and diagnostic routines fail or if the power supply fails, the pin
will remain in a high impedance state, allowing a voltage to build up across the capacitor
of the timing circuit, until it is sufficient to energize the electronic switching device.
The foregoing and additional aspects and embodiments of the present invention will be
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of various
embodiments and/or aspects, which is made with reference to the drawings, a brief
description of which is provided next.

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