Touchscreen and Zigbee based wireless communication assistant for Dumb/Illiterates

INTRODUCTION
The main aim of this project is to construct a user friendly multi-language communication system for illiterate/dumb people traveling by Airlines. In this project we are building a device that helps them in expressing their needs with other language people (Air hostess) i.e. request them if we need any thing in the flight like coffee, tea, drinks etc.

FEATURES

Deaf and dump people also can interact with others. Can be used with any languages. Airlines assistance from the airhostess. Faster and secure data transmission.

Major Building Blocks

Regulated Power Supply Micro controller Touch Screen Sensor ZIGBEE module GLCD

Regulated Power Supply

Power supply unit is the basic requirement for electronic devices. We are making use of 5v regulated DC power supply. Since the device is a mobile unit the power should be provided using a battery. Power supply unit contains Battery : Its voltage is up to 9 volts .

Regulated Power Supply(cont..)

Rectifier: This converts AC to pulsating DC. Here we make use of rectifier to take care about the polarity. Filter: This Converts pulsating DC to DC

Voltage Regulator(7805): This regulates the 9v Dc to 5v Dc

Microcontroller
A microcontroller is a small computer on a single

integrated circuit consisting internally of a relatively simple CPU, clock, timers, I/O ports, and memory. Program memory in the form of flash, RAM and ROM is also often included on chip. Microcontrollers are designed for dedicated applications. Some microcontrollers may use four-bit words and operate at clock rate frequencies as low as 4 kHz, as this is adequate for many typical applications, enabling low power consumption (milliwatts or microwatts).

Microcontroller (conti)
Microcontrollers

usually contains general purpose input/output pins (GPIO). GPIO pins are software configurable to either an input or an output state. When GPIO pins are configured to an input state, they are often used to read sensors or external signals. Configured to the output state, GPIO pins can drive external devices such as LED's or motors.

Microcontroller (conti)
Many embedded systems need to read sensors

that produce analog signals. This is the purpose of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The analog to digital converter is used to convert the incoming data into a form that the processor can recognize. A less common feature on some microcontrollers is a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that allows the processor to output analog signals or voltage levels.

Touch Screen Sensor

A touch screen is any monitor, based either on LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) technology, which accepts direct on screen input. The ability for direct onscreen input is facilitated by an external (light pen) or an internal device (touch overlay and controller) that relays the X, Y coordinates to the computer. There are several basic types of touch screen sensors. Examples include capacitive glass touch screen sensors, resistive touch screens, and complete touch screen systems.

 In this project we are using 4 wire resistive touch screen sensor. In general, resistive touch screens provide 75% clarity. These are commonly available in market. Resistive touch screen sensor: Resistive touch screens are composed of two flexible sheets coated with a resistive material and separated by an air gap or microdots. When contact is made to the surface of the touch screen, the two sheets are pressed together, registering the precise location of the touch. Because the touch screen senses input from contact with nearly any object (finger, stylus/pen, palm) resistive touch screens are a type of "passive" technology.

 Touch screen sensors are used in many applications. Some touch screen sensors are used in pen digitizers for signature capture, smart phones, or personal digital assistants (PDAs). Other touch screen sensors are used in ATMs or portable game consoles. Specialized touch screen sensors can also be used in information appliances.

Applications of Four-Wire Resistive Touch Fourscreen:

Light industrial. Home appliances. Portable sport devices. Access control terminals. Portable medical devices

Zigbee
ZIGBEE is a wireless technology developed as an open global standard to address the unique needs of low-cost, low-power, wireless sensor networks. ZIGBEE is used for wireless communication that is we can send the data through air.(with out need of any physical connection between the transmitter and receiver.) The protocol allows devices to intercommunicate and be powered by batteries that last years instead of hours.

 The ZigBee protocol carries all the benefits of the 802.15.4 protocol with added networking functionality. The protocol was designed for integrators with an easy-to-use wireless data solution characterized by low-power consumption, support for multiple network structures and secure connections.

Advantages of ZIGBEE
ZigBee main advantage is its ability to be configured in so-called mesh networks with wireless nodes that are capable of multi-year battery lives. The Zigbee protocol was designed to be optimal for the control and sensor application space. It is less complex than Blue tooth, has superior power management. It has lower latency, lets devices join the network more quickly, and wakes up in milliseconds instead of seconds.

Applications of ZIGBEE
Home Entertainment and Control Smart lighting, advanced temperature control, safety and security, movies and music Home Awareness Water sensors, power sensors, energy monitoring, smoke and fire detectors, smart appliances and access sensors Mobile Services m-payment, m-monitoring and control, m-security and access control, m-healthcare and tele-assist

Graphical LCD
 

Graphical LCD is used to display the messages. LCD modules can be split into two groups: those that have builtbuilt-in controller and driver chips, and those that have only driver chips. LCD displays that do not have controllers are typically used with powerful hardware, such as a laptop computer, where a video controller is available to generate the complex drive signals necessary to run the display. Most color and large (greater than 320x240) monochrome displays are of this type. We are using 16/2 graphical LCD to display the messages. Most LCDs with 1 controller has 14 Pins and LCDs with 2 controller has 16 Pins (two pins are extra in both for back-light backLED connections)

Advantages of Graphic LCDs: LCDs: Download high quality fonts of any size, style or language easily and quickly Create graphics using primitives such as bitmaps, pixels, lines, rectangles and bar graphs. Software Control: Backlight & Contrast is adjustable in most models 4 different brightness settings General Purpose Output (20mA drive) Line wrap and Auto screen scroll Bar Graphs and Large Digits Speed settings

Actual Device Operation

This system is designed with a microcontroller which is the heart of the device. It is interfaced with a touch screen sensor and a Graphical LCD.The user provides input to the touch screen sensor. The input from the sensor is also displayed on graphical LCD for the acknowledgement of the user. This input is read by the controller and it converts the input into the desired language then it is transmitted.

QUERIES