Advanced Microcontroller based Mini Projects

The microcontroller is a small and self-contained computer on-chip that can be used to build several low-cost and less-complex projects. As the microcontroller based mini projects are of low cost and can be implemented in less period, most of the students prefer this controller-based mini-projects to improve their knowledge with innovative ideas. A Microcontroller is built internally with some special functional features and is programmed by using Embedded C language. These controller projects are implemented in different categories such as embedded electronics, robotics, electrical, and instrumentation. This article presents some microcontroller-based mini projects with or without circuit diagrams for a wide variety of applications.

Microcontroller based Mini Projects

The list of microcontroller based mini projects is discussed below. These microcontroller based mini projects are very helpful for ECE and EEE students of engineering.

Password-Based Digital Locking System using Microcontroller

This project demonstrates a password-based locking system using a microcontroller. In this password-based locking system, if a wrong password is entered, then the microcontroller doesn’t allow the user to access the appliance or any other system.

The power supply circuit provides the power to the whole circuit by rectifying, filtering, and regulating the mains AC supply to the circuit operating range. The microcontroller is programmed with a predefined password in the Keil software using embedded C language. A Matrix keypad and LCD are interfaced with the microcontroller for entering the password and for displaying the authentication information, respectively.

When a user enters the password from the keypad, it sends that code to the microcontroller wherein the code is compared with the predefined one. If the password matches, then the LED by giving indications displays the information as “Password Matched” on the LCD, or else it shows “Password Mismatched”. This password can also be modified by changing the code of the microcontroller.

This is one of the microcontroller-based mini-projects useful for third-year students, and this project can be further implemented by using RFID technology as an extension for the fourth year.

Traffic Light System Controller using Microcontroller

Traffic congestion is a major problem in cities. Due to this heavy traffic, routine commuters often get delayed for their day-to-day activities, and as a result, the productivity of the workers, their timings, and routine work schedules get affected. Particularly for the travelers and tourists traveling thus become a menace, and thus affects their activities as well. To overcome this traffic-related congestion, the implementation of a microcontroller-based mini project on the traffic signal light system controller is being discussed here. This particular system is designed to reduce the demand for vehicle use and to improve mobility and safety.

The project is developed to meet the requirements of a solid-state traffic light controller by using a microcontroller as the main controlling element, and LEDs for indication purpose. The microcontroller is programmed such that the time and phrase are adjusted and displayed using a seven-segment LED display.

In the above circuit, a seven-segment display is used as a counter display, and three LEDs are used for traffic light operation. A Microcontroller is the brain of this entire project and is used to initiate the traffic signal at the junction. This circuit makes use of a crystal oscillator for generating clock frequency pulses. The LEDs are connected to the Port zero of the microcontroller and are powered with a 5v battery supply. The seven-segment display is connected to the port2 of the microcontroller with a common anode configuration.

The LEDs get automatically switched on and off by making the corresponding port pin of the microcontroller high, which is set while programming the microcontroller. At a particular instant of time, only the green light holds and the other lights remain off, and after some time, the changeover from green to red takes place succeeding the yellow LED to glow. This process continues as a cycle and the timing for changing the LEDs can be displayed with the help of a seven-segment LED display.

This project can also be further implemented as a final-year project by developing a traffic light controller system in four ways of the road. These are the two simple mini projects with circuits. You can also get further ideas about the mini-projects from the below 8051 based mini-projects’ list.

Wind Turbine Controller

This project implements a system for controlling wind turbines because electricity can be generated from wind energy. So it can be used to reduce the utilization of normal energy in an effective way. This project uses a PIC 16F877A microcontroller. In this project, the 7A of the highest current can be easily controlled using the charge controller. This system can be built with a small battery, LCD & alarm which indicate the battery charging status.

Ultrasonic Range Finder

This project implements an ultrasonic range finder which is used to measure the distance with the help of 8051 microcontrollers. The range of measuring is up to 2.5 meters with 1 cm accuracy.

Stepper Motor Speed Control using AT89S52 & ULN2003

This project implements a system to control the speed of a stepper motor using AT89S52 & ULN2003. There are different renewable energy sources available like wind, solar, etc. In this project, the implementation of stepper motor control can be done using 8051 microcontroller & ULN2003 by applying the solar tracking system. The sun-tracking can be done using light dependent resistors & this motor is driven through the AT89S52 microcontroller.

Industrial Conveyer Belt Object Counting System

This project implements a counting system for industrial conveyer belt. The main concept of this project is to count the objects which are passed automatically via a conveyor belt. By using this project, time and manpower can be saved. The main components used in this project are sensors like LASER, LDR, and DC motor, microcontroller, and LCD.

The working principle of this conveyor belt mainly depends on these two sensors because these two play a key role in counting the objects. The microcontroller used in this project can drive the LCD to display the objects

Monitoring System for Car Battery in Real-time

This project implements a monitoring and alerting system of the low battery of a car in real-time. The main objective of this project is to design a monitoring system of a battery which gives an alert when the battery has less voltage.

This project can be built with a microcontroller by connecting voltage and temperature measurement circuits. This project is used in hybrid vehicles, UPS, electric vehicles, etc.

Transformer Monitoring System

The transformer is an electrical device that is used in power conversion as well as distribution systems. But monitoring of transformer parameters is very important like current, temperature, and voltage. So the proposed system implements a system for monitoring the transformer parameters. In this project, the Zigbee protocol is used for wireless data transmission.

Scrolling Display for Message with Digital Alpha-Numeric

This project designs a scrolling display using a microcontroller to display the short as well as long messages in public locations such as railway stations, buses, etc. The supply used for this system can be done using solar energy. This system uses a display based on the LED dot matrix and this system is extremely useful as well as efficient because it works with solar energy with a battery for backup.

Three Phase Induction Motor Control using PWM

This project is used to control the 3-phase induction motor based on the PWM technique and microcontroller. These motors are applicable in several consumers as well as industrial-based applications. The technique used to control this motor is stator frequency control.

But induction motor control using a PIC microcontroller is used in different industries like textile, cement, and chemical where the required speed can be attained. In this project, the PIC microcontroller is used to generate the required signals of PWM. For wireless communication, it utilizes FM signals.

Top Microcontroller Based Mini Projects

Microcontrollers are small and economical computers developed to employ it in some precise tasks like- displaying temperature details in microwave’s LED, or receiving or sending data with the help of remote control. Microcontrollers are integrated into those objects which require controlling from the user’s end. These mini projects are extremely vital for the electronics and electrical students during their course of engineering studies. There are many projects implemented based on the microcontroller for engineering students. Here we are giving some of the microcontroller-based project ideas.

Automatic Bidirectional Visitor Counter Using 8051 Microcontroller (AT89C51)

A visitor’s counter that can alter its position in any direction, just by controlling of an up-down lever, this is called as an up-down counter. The visitor’s counter circuit can count up numbers from 9999 to 0 & visa-versa, both in up and down manners depending upon the position of the up-down lever. It can be brought into play to calculate the number of cars entering a parking space in the upward mode at the entry gate.

In the downward mode, it can calculate the number of cars leaving the parking area by decrementing the counting at the departure gate. It can also be employed at the gates of a party hall and other places of the public like malls, etc. This circuit of the visitor’s counter is classified into three major groups: Microcontroller, counter display & sensor. The sensor is employed to examine a disruption and supply input to the microcontroller which will run the counting process either in up or down mode according to the up-down lever setting. The same calculation is exhibited on a pair of the 7-segment display with the aid of a microcontroller.

8 Candidate Quiz Buzzer Using 8051 Microcontroller (AT89C51)

This system of quiz buzzer is extensively brought into play in colleges, schools, and Television shows. The players who buzz the buzzer quickly are allowed to answer the question. Sometimes it turns extremely complex to make out which team of players has buzzed the buzzer soon; this situation arises when two groups of players bang the buzzer within an exceptionally small gap of time. In this situation, the verdict can be influenced owing to human interference.

 The quiz buzzer accessible here is employed to evade the above-mentioned difficulty. This quiz buzzer hinders the input given by the other buzzer as soon as the initial buzzer is banged. This quiz buzzer can be brought into play for a maximum of 8 groups of players. It is developed by making use of a microcontroller (AT89C51) which is of 8051 families.

Microcontroller Based Control of Three Phase Induction Motor Using PWM Technique

The pace of the induction motor can be managed in several ways. The stator frequency control is one of the easiest techniques to keep the pace of the Induction motor in control. The microcontroller based system for pace controlling can be employed in different domains like textile, cement, or chemical industry to run the machine as per the speed required.

This is a secured loop mechanism and the pace of the machine will be controlled involuntarily by employing of feed-back from the machine in rpm terms, the inductive sensor’s magnet can be co-related with the microcontroller effortlessly and can sense the rpm of the machine and provide it to the microcontroller in the digital figure as a feed-back from an induction motor.

Microcontroller Based on Public Garden Automation

The chief trouble faced now-d-days are the misuse of electricity & water. At times, owing to negligence and at times it’s done deliberately. Our Garden Automation project aids to conquer all these issues. In this system the microcontroller installed starts automatically approx 4.00 pm turns the water supply ON & keeps the supplying water for few hours.

After some time the entrance gate is opened with the help of a motor driver administered by the Microcontroller. Approx 6.00 pm the lights are turned ON depending on the output of the LDR and the lights stay glowing till the entrance gate is shut.

A buzzer is installed in the system which helps to alarm the public that the garden is about to close in a few minutes. The entrance gate is closed by the motor driver all lights are turned OFF except one, which will be glowing the entire night. In the morning all lights will be turned OFF depending upon LDR output sent. These are the number of steps occupied in the functioning of the automated garden circuit. The microcontroller is employed to administer the functions of all other devices and to control the operations.

Microcontroller Based Data Logger

This project is a great blend of analog & digital electronics. This assignment is intended to accomplish the supplies of the industrial applications, domestic applications. This project comprises of parameters screening, parameter storing. PC incorporation is one of the key attributes of this project in which different data such as parameter values, time & date are supplied to the PC utilizing a hyper terminal.

Here we employed a Microcontroller which is the heart of the project. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and EEPROM are also utilized majorly for storing & displaying purpose. This project consists of 2 modules.

• Data Monitoring
• Data Storage

LCD will exhibit the parameter values. The next module is known as parameter storage. It can be employed to amass in the memory of the parameter values. To store values we are using EEPROM memory IC. Later we can see these values by using a keypad. This system is very helpful as at times it’s tricky to calculate the parameter values physically and also this provides accurate results.

Master-Slave Communication

Master-slave communication project screens and manages the different parameters employing the RS-232 practice. Three slave micro-controllers are connected with a Master microcontroller. This system is a multiple slave yet solo master communication transmitting system that is appropriate for systems where data stored are in the form of short messages and & required to be retrieved at several locations concurrently.

As messages are transmitted to all the points in the system, this project is particularly suitable to systems where uniformity in the messages received at all the points is required. In this situation, all points are informed of the refusal; guaranteeing the data uniformity all across the system. Messages sent all points nodes, act to the message when “message identifiers” indicates to act. Though, all Points contribute to signifying whether the message sent was correct or not, thereby raising the bus reliability.

Alcohol Detection with Vehicle Controlling

Several road accidents are happening owing to alcohol drunk drivers. Therefore Alcohol Car detection project is intended for the security of the public in & out of the car. This alcohol detector is in the car. The main element in the project is the Alcohol sensor. If the car driver is drunk then it is sensed by the sensor. Comparator IC receives a signal from the Alcohol detector.

The output from the comparator is transferred to the micro-controller. Micro-controller the heart of this circuit gives elevated pulse to the buzzer and then the buzzer is switched ON. At a similar time relay is switched OFF. Cause of this ignition the car is disabled.

Interfacing GSM Module with 8051 microcontrollers (AT89C51) without Using PC

This project shows a technique to interface the GSM module with a microcontroller (AT89C51) without using a computer to transfer AT orders to the unit. In this project, the microcontroller transfers a set AT order to the GSM or GPRS unit. The order sent & response along with result codes retrieved is displayed on LCD. This eradicates the function of the computer and just microcontroller is required.

The AT commands are sent to verify the communiqué with the unit. A result code “OK” is received if the unit & microcontroller are associated appropriately. If any unit or SIM is not functioning, the result code “ERROR” is displayed.

Digital Dice Using 8051 Microcontroller (AT89C51)

Here we are demonstrating a project to create an electronic digital dice with the aid of a 7 segment microcontroller of 8051 families. The digital dice circuit can be alienated into 2 parts:-

• The microcontroller unit – it encloses a micro-controller circuit
• The seven-segment unit – this unit encloses a 7 segment circuit which is connected to the microcontroller

This circuit of this project exhibits the figures from 1 to 6 constantly and it stops at the place where the user requires and restarts again from a similar place with the subsequent user instruction.

Distance Measurement Using Infrared Sensor with ADC0804 & 8051 Microcontroller (AT89C51)

Infrared sensors are used in various electronic devices. It is commonly employed as a hurdle detector; its output is in analog form & is converted by using a comparator.  This project portrays a method to employ the sensor’s results in its usual analog type. Therefore, together with sensing the hurdle, exact remoteness can also be measured. This is attained by sending the IR sensor output through an analog-digital converter (ADC0804). The ADC is attuned to obtain approximately exact remoteness measurements. The distance measured is showcased on the LCD. The ADC and LCD are connected with a microcontroller (AT89C51) of 8051 families. This distance measurement project majorly comprises of 3 units:

• A sensor module
• ADC component module
• The LCD module

Microcontroller Based on Mini Projects’ List

1. Control of an Electrical Device with Triac and Optically Isolated Diac Using IR Remote
2. Implementation of a Digital Real-Time Clock with a Microcontroller and LCD
3. Industrial Wireless Device Control System Using RF
4. Advanced Automatic City Street Control System Using Microcontroller
5. Bluetooth Technology-Based Industrial Security System Using Android Mobile
6. Over Speed Alert System Using GPS Speedo Meter
7. Real-Time Child Monitoring and Alarm System Using Radio Frequency
8. Indication System of Train/Bus Station with LCD Display Using GPS
9. Security Access Control System Using Microcontroller
10. PIR Sensor Based Real-Time Burglar Alarm System
11. Digital over Voltage Protection System for Industrial Loads with Microcontroller
12. GSM Based Cell Phone Tower Base Station Safety System
13. Industrial Fault Monitoring Detection System Using GSM
14. GSM Based Toxic Gas Detection
15. Illumination of Automatic Lamp Controller with High Power/Intensity LED Lighting using Light Dependent Resistor
16. Digital Alpha-numeric Scrolling Message Display Using Microcontroller
17. Industrial Device Control System Using Embedded Real-Time Clock
18. PC Based High Voltage Fuse Blown Indicator with Display
19. Overflow Indicator of the Garbage and Waste Collection Bins using GSM
20. Fault Detection System of Power Transformer Parameter Using GSM
21. 8051 Microcontroller Based Weather Monitoring System
22. DTMF Telephone Line Based Home Automation Control System
23. GSM Technique Based Car Black Box Using Microcontroller
24. High Precision Temperature Indicator Using DS 1820
25. RFID Based Stop Arrival Indicating System with Rolling Display for Bus
26. Smart Card Based Hotel and Lodging Management System Using Microcontroller
27. Real-time Elevator Control System Using Microcontroller
28. Microcontroller Based Multi-Pattern Running Lights
29. Monitoring and Control System of Automatic Irrigation Water Supply
30. GSM Based Advanced Automatic Vehicle Crash Notification
31. Mobile Phones Based Real-Time Industrial Process Control and Monitoring
32. Automatic Gun Control System and Surveillance Target Acquisition
33. RF Based Wireless Accident Indication via Vibration Sensors
34. Digital Card Dash Board with Data Recording Facility Using Microcontroller
35. Monitoring and Low Voltage Alert System of Real-Time Car Battery
36. Geographical Location Identification System with Microcontroller and GPS
37. Microcontroller Based Two Channel Digital Frequency Meters
38. Power Saving System in Corporate Road Ways with Time
39. Microcontroller Based Standalone Secured Money Transfer From Account to Account
40. Fire Monitoring System in Petro-Mechanical Industries Using Microcontroller
41. Automobile Exhaust Gas Pollution Checking With Zigbee Application
42. PIC Microcontroller Based Density Traffic Signal System
43. Infrared Sensor-Based Car Parking Guard Circuit
44. GSM Based Green House Monitoring System
45. Zigbee Communication Based Inter-Vehicle Communication System
46. RFID Based Automated Traffic and Parking Management System
47. GSM and RFID Based Acoustic Camera Positioning With Pan Zoom
48. GSM and GPS Based Wild Life Monitoring and Location Indicators For Visitors
49. Designing of Real-Time Medical Monitoring System on Intra-Body Communication
50. Wheel Chair Control through Eyeball for Physically Handicapped Person
51. Generation of Electrical Power Using Foot Steps
52. Intelligent Glass Breaker Detector Using Microcontroller
53. IR Communication Based Modern House Automation (AC/DC)
54. GSM and GPS Based Accident Messaging System
55. Finger Print Identification Security System Using Biometrics
56. Driving License Management System by Finger Print Authentication
57. RF Module Based Wireless Motor Speed Controller
58. Wireless Sensor Network for Sewage Monitoring Using Zigbee
59. Heartbeat Monitoring System with Pacemaker Using Radio Frequency Techniques
60. Zigbee Based Wireless Surveillance and Safety System for Mine Workers

These are all microcontroller based mini projects for ECE students. The list given here provides the best of the lot list of projects for third and final year engineering students. We hope that this is the best list you got from us through this article and further anticipate any technical help from you while you implement these projects. For any queries, assistance, and comments, you can comment in the commenting section given below.

Photo Credits

• Digital lock system by digitaldoorlocks
• Traffic light system by wineyard
• Password based digital locking system by blogspot
• Traffic light system controller by blogspot
• Quiz Buzzer by clker