Spring 2019

EGEE-406 Assignment 1 Traffic Light Controller Design

Objectives

• Application Design concept

• Finite-State Machine
• Arduino hardware
• Arduino IDE
• Switches
• LEDs

Functional Specifications

This Traffic Light Controller supports an intersection of two one-way traffics: one is north-
bound, and the other is east-bound.

Each street has an Indication Light which consists of a Red light, a Yellow light, and a Green
Light.

The green light indicates the traffic is permitted.

The Yellow light indicates the traffic permission is about to end.

The Red light indicates traffic is prohibited.

The duration for the Green light is 1 minute if there is vehicle detected in the other
direction. Otherwise the Green light stays on.

The traffic light changes from Green to Yellow and then to Red. The duration for the Yellow
light is 7 seconds.

The Red light in one direction stays ON the entire time while the other direction traffic light
is Green and Yellow plus 1 additional second for safety, after which the Red light is turned
off and the Green light is turned ON.

The system may be placed in one of three modes:

• normal-operation mode: system operates normally as described.

• test-mode: used to verify the condition of all the lights. The system continuously
cycles through by turning each light ON for 1 second in sequence: north R, Y, G, east
R, Y, G and repeat.
• standby-mode: used when there is a malfunction that prohibits the system from
operating normally. In this mode all lights are OFF except the Yellow lights in both
directions blink 1 second ON, 1 second OFF continuously.

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Design Constraints

• Hardware platform: Arduino Uno or equivalent

• Vehicle sensing: one NO type switch for each street direction, open=no vehicle,
closed=vehicle detected
• Lights: discrete Red, Yellow, Green LEDs, or single RGB LED for all three colors
• Operating mode selection:
o pushbutton switch 1: NO type, normal (open), test (closed)
o pushbutton switch 2: NO type, normal (open), standby (closed)

Report (100 points total)

The report must be created using a word processor. Charts and Flow-charts must be in
electronic form. No hand-written or sketches are allowed.

The report must be saved in PDF format to be submitted in Titanium. Titanium is set up to only
accept PDF file.

Submit the report before the due date and time which are posted on Titanium. Late report will
not be accepted.

Answer and provide the followings:

1. Which design approach do you use? (top-down or bottom-up), explain why?

2. Design specifications
3. Schematic diagram
4. Data-Flow Graph
5. State-Transition Diagram of the Finite-State Machine
6. Software Flow-Chart
7. Program source code (in text format, not a screen capture image)
8. A picture of the hardware prototype set up showing:
a. north light (red, yellow, green; or RGB led)
b. east light (red, yellow, green; or RGB led)
c. vehicle sensor pushbutton switches (for north and east traffics)
d. operating mode selection pushbutton switches
9. Conclusions:
a. Did your design satisfy all requirements? Elaborate and explain the shortfall if
any.
b. What challenges did you encounter? and what did you do to resolve them?
c. Did you become more familiar with Arduino hardware platform, design tools
such as the IDE, and the C-programming language after this project?
d. After completing this project list everything that you can think of to improve
your design if you are asked to design it all-over again. For each item provide a
brief detail on why you think it will help improve the design.

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