Sample of final exam design problem (this is not the only question..

there will be some other

questions.
Smart-Grid is a new concept that is an emerging technique to reduce power consumption in smart homes.
“According to David J. Leeds, smart grid analyst at Greentech Media’s GTM Research, the smart grid is
a system comprised of three layers: the physical power layer (transmission and distribution); the data
transport and control layer (communications and control); and the applications layer (applications and
services) [1]. A Remote-Controllable and Energy-Saving Room Architecture based on ZigBee
Communication was designed to control the OFF-Power Energy [2]. The figures below show the basic
building blocks of the proposed system [2]. The design and implementation of one of the control
mechanism for standby power reduction was reported in [3].

If the above systems are utilized, 10% of consumed energy will be saved. Professor Rashid, University of
West Florida, was one of the distinguished speakers in the AUS- power conference that was held in Nov,
2009 said “the annual USA power installation is 500 Billion US$. If we can save 10% by reducing the
OFF-power consumption, then we can save 50 Billion US$ per year.”

The bottom line is controlling and managing the energy consumption using the recent development in

embedded controllers and wireless communications such as Zigbee protocol and GPRS mobile networks.

1. Smart grids –a smart idea, Journal of renewable energy focus September/October 2009.
2. IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, Vol. 55, No. 1, FEBRUARY 2009.
3. IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, Vol. 54, No. 1, FEBRUARY 2008.
 So Be Smart and be part of the Smart Grid
The system below was published in the IEEE Transaction on Consumer Electronics by Al-Ali and Al-
Rousan in 2004. The architecture is to control eight home appliances as show in the table below. The
appliances are connected to timers’ Port T0-T7, Port A and Port B of HCS12. The timers’ port is an input
port where the home owner can control his home appliances using manual switches. The home appliances
are interfaced via Port B through relays. Assume each appliance consumes 500 watts when it is ON and
when consume x watts when it is in standby mode (see table below for stand-by consumption):

1. Write a main program to turn ON the appliances using manual switches via non- interrupt timer
functions SW07- SW00. [ 25pts]

2. Interrupt Service Routines: While the main program is running, if any appliances are switched
OFF using one of the SWs [SW07-SW00], the corresponding timer will interrupt the main
program on the negative going edge of the switch and jump to the corresponding interrupt service
routine (ISR). [ 40 pts]

In the interrupt service routine:

¾ You should read the power consumption of the corresponding appliance via the feedback
signal using the respective ATD channel as shown in the figure below (ATD07 –
ATD00).
Assume that the ADCs initialization functions are included in the header file with 8 –bit
resolution. No need for configuring the ATD control registers.

¾ Then check if consuming power is equivalent or less to the stand-by-power, you should
then turn OFF the corresponding appliance using the respective Port-B bit.

SW07 SW00

T07…...………….T00

HCS12
Microcontroller

PP07: Stand-by-Power ON/OFF

PP00: Stand-by-Power ON/OFF