Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
71 Automatic Light Switch
 Andrew Kim
Ruize Sun
Sun Lee
 Eric Tang design_document1.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
presentation1.pptx
proposal1.pdf
video
#Automatic Light Switch

Team Members:
- Sangsun Lee- Sangsun2
- Andrew Kim- Akim229
- Ruize Sun- Ruize2


# Problem

Many buildings and rooms still use traditional, non-smart light switches, requiring individuals to manually turn lights on and off. Upgrading these switches to smart ones typically involves removing the existing switch and installing a smart light switch in its place. However, for people living in rented rooms or apartments, this option may not be feasible, as they do not own the property and are often restricted from making permanent changes to the electrical fixtures.

This limitation creates a challenge for renters or those in temporary living arrangements who want the convenience and energy-saving benefits of smart lighting systems without violating lease agreements or incurring high installation costs. Moreover, current solutions for retrofitting smart functionality are either limited in functionality, expensive, or complicated to install, making them inaccessible to the average tenant. As a result, there is a growing need for innovative, non-invasive solutions that enable smart functionality without requiring structural modifications to existing light switches or electrical wiring.

# Solution

The solution to this problem is to design a smart switch that can be easily mounted over the existing light switch without requiring any modifications to the electrical wiring or permanent changes to the property. This smart switch would fit seamlessly over the traditional switch, allowing users to control their lights both manually and remotely.

To enhance convenience, we will also develop a companion mobile app that allows users to control the smart switch wirelessly. This solution ensures that renters can enjoy the benefits of smart lighting without violating lease agreements, while also offering an affordable, non-invasive, and user-friendly experience.

# Solution Components

Subsystem- Voice Control:
We will be adding voice recognition modules on the STM32 microcontroller. The two main modules will be MP23ABS1 and STEVAL-MIC008A, which includes microphones and allows DSP solutions to implement voice control. We will also be using X-CUBE-AUDIO-KIT as the software expansion to code the DSP algorithm to recognize specific sounds in order to control the light switch. With the Voice Control, the user can ask the device to turn the light on/off.

Subsystem- Wifi:
We will be adding an ESP32 microcontroller or Inventek ISM43362-M3G-L44. This will act as a WIFI module that will connect the device to wifi, so that with the app, you can control the device from anywhere. Or just buy a wifi-enabled STM32 Board.

Subsystem- App:
Use an emulator to develop and test. We will be coding in Java to develop the app, which will contain a simple on/off switch that connects to the light switch through wifi, which will then send signals through the Wifi subsystem microcontroller.

Subsystem- Power Subsystem:
Use double AA batteries and a battery case.

Subsystem- Mechanical Subsystem:
We will design a box to cover the home switch. Inside the box, we will use Stepper Motor (NEMA 17) and Gear Transmission to control the home switch. The motor can be controlled by the app. We will design a gear and place two rods on the gear to clamp the switch. As the gear rotates up or down, the rods will move up or down, thus driving the switch to move up and down. If the motor does not have enough force to turn the switch, we will try to extend the rod as much as possible and use the principle of leverage to reduce the required torque.

# Criterion For Success

Our Solution can seamlessly turn the light on and off without any delay. Using wifi, can control the box from a far distance. Can control the box’s functionality of turning the light on and off by voice control.
Our idea is different from previous solutions because we are implementing a voice control, Wifi, and an app’s functionality, so that the user can seamlessly turn the light on/off with out any use of body movement, from any distance away, and with just the touch of a button in the app.

Tesla Coil Guitar Amp

David Mengel, Griffin Rzonca

Featured Project

# Tesla Coil Guitar Amp

Team Members:

* Griffin Rzonca (grzonca2)

* David Mengel (dmengel3)

# Problem:

Musicians are known for their affinity for flashy and creative displays and playing styles, especially during their live performances. One of the best ways to foster this creativity and allow artists to express themselves is a new type of amp that is both visually stunning and sonically interesting.

# Solution:

We propose a guitar amp that uses a Tesla coil to create a unique tone and dazzling visuals to go along with it. The amp will take the input from an electric guitar and use this to change the frequency of a tesla coil's sparks onto a grounding rod, creating a tone that matches that of the guitar.

# Solution Components:

## Audio Input and Frequency Processing -

This will convert the output of the guitar into a square wave to be fed as a driver for the tesla coil. This can be done using a network of op-amps. We will also use an LED and phototransistor to separate the user from the rest of the circuit, so that they have no direct connection to any high voltage circuitry. In order to operate our tesla coil, we need to drive it at its resonant frequency. Initial calculations and research have this value somewhere around 100kHz. The ESP32 microcontroller can create up to 40MHz, so we will use this to drive our circuit. In order to output different notes, we will use pulses of the resonant frequency, with the pulses at the frequency of the desired note.

## Solid-state switching -

We will use semiconductor switching rather than the comparably popular air-gap switching, as this poses less of a safety issue and is more reliable and modifiable. We will use a microcontroller, an ESP 32, to control an IR2110 gate driver IC and two to four IGBTs held high or low in order to complete the circuit as the coil triggers, acting in place of the air gap switch. These can all be included on our PCB.

## Power Supply -

We will use a 120V AC input to power the tesla coil and most likely a neon sign transformer if needed to step up the voltage to power our coil.

## Tesla Coil -

Consists of a few wire loops on the primary side and a 100-turn coil of copper wire in order to step up voltage for spark generation. Will also require a toroidal loop of PVC wrapped in aluminum foil in order to properly shape the electric field for optimal arcing. These pieces can be modular for easy storage and transport.

## Grounding rod -

All sparks will be directed onto a grounded metal rod 3-5cm from the coil. The rest of the circuit will use a separate neutral to further protect against damage. If underground cable concerns exist, we can call an Ameren inspector when we test the coil to mark any buried cables to ensure our grounding rod is placed in a safe location.

## Safety -

Tesla coils have been built for senior design in the past, and as noted by TAs, there are several safety precautions needed for this project to work. We reviewed guidelines from dozens of recorded tesla coil builds and determined the following precautions:

* The tesla coil will never be turned on indoors, it will be tested outside with multiple group members present using an outdoor wall outlet, with cones to create a circle of safety to keep bystanders away.

* We will keep everyone at least 10ft away while the coil is active.

* The voltage can reach up to 100kV (albeit low current) so all sparks will be directed onto a grounding rod 3-5cm away, as a general rule of thumb is each 30kV can bridge a 1cm gap.

* The power supply (120-240V) components will be built and tested in the power electronics lab.

* The coil will have an emergency stop button and a fuse at the power supply.

* The cable from the guitar will use a phototransistor so that the user is not connected to a circuit with any power electronics.

# Criterion for Success:

To consider this project successful, we would like to see:

* No safety violations or injuries.

* A tesla coil that produces small visible and audible 3-5cm sparks to our ground rod.

* The coil can play several different notes and tones.

* The coil can take input from the guitar and will play the corresponding notes.

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