Active Control System Schematic

Context

This week’s deliverable is a wiring diagram for the scale model. This includes wiring for both the active control mechanisms and the weir flow distance sensing.

Overall, the diagram is organized with inputs on the left and outputs on the right. Also, power is supplied from a 5V source at the top of the diagram; this will be in the form of a rechargeable power bank in the actual model.

On the left, there are three sources of input: two push buttons and an ultrasonic sensor. The top button is a reset button, which will set both active control mechanisms’ gates to starting position z=0. The bottom button is a stop button, which will pause the gate. The ultrasonic sensor will be placed above the weir and used to determine flow by measuring the distance to the water head within the weir. All these inputs flow into the Arduino microcontroller where they are processed through the various digital pins.

The systems had two outputs: in the form of stepper motors as one for each basin / active control mechanism. Each motor also requires a control board, which interfaces signals from the micro-controller to the motors.

This circuit is very subject to change and should be considered a prototype for testing since nothing is finalized.