A Project Report On

SMART IRRIGATION SYSTEM WITH SOIL MOISTURE

SENSOR
Submitted for partial fulfillment of award of

DIPLOMA
In
Electrical Engineering
By

PRIYANKA (E20228832800035)
AVNEESH KUMAR (E20228832800017)
LAXMAN RAJPOOT (E20228832800007)
VINEET (E20228832800023)
SANJAY RAWAT (E20228832800012)

Under The Guidance of

Mr. Saurabh Gupta
(Project Incharge)

Mr. Santosh Kr. Kushwaha Mr. Saurabh Gupta

(H.O.D.) (Principal)

Session 2022-23

M.G. INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

LUCKNOW (2288)
SMART IRRIGATION SYSTEM WITH SOIL MOISTURE SENSOR

CERTIFICATE

Certified that the project work entitled “Smart Irrigation System with Soil Moisture Sensor” is
bonafide work carried out by Priyanka, Avneesh Kumar, Laxman Rajpoot, Vineet and
Sanjay Rawat in partial fulfillment for the award of 3-Year Diploma in Electrical Enginnering
from M.G. Institute of Management and Technology, Lucknow during the year 2022-23. This
project report has been approved as it satisfies the academic requirement and work carried out by
thm under by supervision and guidance.We wish him bright future.

Date: Mr. Santosh Kr. Kushwaha

(H.O.D of Electrical Engineering)

Date: Mr. Saurabh Gupta

(Project Incharge & Principal)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The satisfaction and euphoria that accompany the successful completion of task would be
incomplete without the mentioning of the people whose constant guidance and encouragement
made it possible. We take pleasure in presenting before you, our project, which is result of studies
blend of both research and knowledge.

We express our earnest gratitude to Mr. Santosh Kumar Kushwaha (Head of Department) and
all the faculty of the Electrical Engineering Polytechnic Department especially for their
intellectual support during my work.

I am thankful to Mr. Saurabh Gupta (Principal Polytechnic) for his constant support,
encouragement and guidance. We are grateful for his cooperation and his valuable suggestion.
Finally we express our gratitude to all other members who are involved either directly or
indirectly for the completion of this project.

PRIYANKA (E20228832800035)
AVNEESH KUMAR (E20228832800017)
LAXMAN RAJPOOT (E20228832800007)
VINEET (E20228832800023)
SANJAY RAWAT (E20228832800012)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.

CERTIFICATE ............................................................................................................................... ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................ iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. iv

LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... vi

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1-4

1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 2

1.2 Dangers of An Artificial Drought Brought about by Man ............................................ 2
1.3 Aim of the Project ......................................................................................................... 3
1.4 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................ 4

CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND & FACTS .............................................................................. 5-9

2.1 Facts about Indian Agriculture ....................................................................................... 6

2.1.1 Problems of Indian Agriculture ........................................................................... 6
2.1.2 Need for Agriculture ........................................................................................... 7
2.2 Existing System of Irrigation ......................................................................................... 8
2.3 Proposed System of Irrigation ....................................................................................... 9

CHAPTER 3: COMPONENT DESCRIPTION .................................................................. 10-25

3.1 Hardware Requirements ............................................................................................... 11

3.1.1 Diode ................................................................................................................. 11
3.1.2 Light Emitting Diode (LED) .............................................................................. 14
3.1.3 Resistance .......................................................................................................... 15
3.1.4 Capacitor ........................................................................................................... 17
3.1.5 DC Motor Pump ................................................................................................ 18
3.1.6 Relay Board ....................................................................................................... 19
3.1.7 BC547 Transistor .............................................................................................. 20
3.1.8 Soil Moisture Sensor ......................................................................................... 21
3.1.9 Rain Sensor ........................................................................................................ 23

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CHAPTER 4: SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION ................................................................. 26-30

4.1 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 27

4.2 Project Plan .................................................................................................................. 27
4.3 Working ....................................................................................................................... 27

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION .............................................................................................. 31-34

5.1 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 32

5.2 Advantages ................................................................................................................... 32
5.3 Applications of Project ................................................................................................ 33
5.4 Future Scope ................................................................................................................ 33
5.5 Limitations ................................................................................................................... 34

REFERENCE ............................................................................................................................... 35

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1: P-N junction in thermal equilibrium with zero bias voltage applied .................................. 12

Figure 3.2: Equilibrium, forward and reverse biased conditions in a p-n junction .............................. 12

Figure 3.3: P-N junction under forward and reverse bias ................................................................................. 13

Figure 3.4: Forward and reverse bias characteristics of a diode and it’s circuit symbol ................... 13

Figure 3.5: Different types of LEDs ........................................................................................................................... 14

Figure 3.6: Symbol of LED ............................................................................................................................................ 14

Figure 3.7: Light Emitting Diode (LED) ................................................................................................................... 15

Figure 3.8: Resistors Colour Codes ............................................................................................................................ 16

Figure 3.9: DC Motor Pump ........................................................................................................................................... 18

Figure 3.10: Relay Internal Structure ......................................................................................................................... 19

Figure 3.11: Relay Operational diagram .................................................................................................................. 20

Figure 3.12: Relay External Structure ....................................................................................................................... 20

Figure 3.13: Transistor ...................................................................................................................................................... 21

Figure 3.14: Soil Moisture Sensor ............................................................................................................................... 22

Figure 3.15: Rain Sensor .................................................................................................................................................. 23

Figure 4.1: Power Supply Setup ................................................................................................................................... 28

Figure 4.2: Relay Module and Moisture Sensor ................................................................................................... 29

Figure 4.3: Rain Sensor Module .................................................................................................................................. 29

Figure 4.4: Working Model ............................................................................................................................................ 30

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

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1.1 Introduction

The greatest crisis in modern day and age is a great disparity in the agricultural sector turnover.
The great losses incurred in agriculture: material losses or financial losses – most of them are
attributed to crop health and quality. If the crops are determined to be not up to par, this may
result in a loss. In order to prevent this, we need to maintain the quality of crops and keep them
at maximum health. On a practical basis, this is nearly impossible for a farmer who has large
lands to observe and maintain. However, this is currently being managed manually. There is a
danger in this; many of the labourers are preferring to work at white collar jobs, and as a result,
there is a large deficiency in manpower. This makes automated farming a necessary part of the
future. The greatest cause for the crops being not on par is improper irrigation (other than natural
calamities). If the irrigation issues are resolved, most of the problem is solved. Hence this is the
pinnacle point that needs to be renovated with technology. Automating this part of the process
will be extremely beneficial to farmers. The automated plant irrigation system will help to reduce
the work load on farmers, and help to keep the farmlands well irrigated at all times. Most of the
farmers all over the world suffer to maintain their crops with proper watering methods, but find
themselves helpless. This system will help farmers irrigate their lands even single-handedly,
without the need of additional manpower. Its user friendly simple circuitry will make the user
feel comfortable in using this system. The user only needs to install the circuit and sensors and
connect the pump to the circuit and its complete. The system will start functioning upon power-
up, and will need no trigger to keep it running.

1.2 Dangers of An Artificial Drought Brought about by Man

A drought is a period of below-average precipitation in a given region, resulting in prolonged

shortages in its water supply, whether atmospheric, surface water or ground water. A drought can
last for months or years, or may be declared after as few as 15 days. It can have a substantial
impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region and harm to the local economy.
Annual dry seasons in the tropics significantly increase the chances of a drought developing and
subsequent bush fires. Periods of heat can significantly worsen drought conditions by hastening
evaporation of water vapour. Researchers for the study, published in the journal Nature, found
that drought and extreme heat reduced crop yields by as much as 10% between 1964 and 2007.

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Extreme cold and floods did not result in a significant reduction in crop production, according to
the study.

The research provides key insight on the effects of climate on agriculture as policymakers
prepare for the number of extreme weather events to spike in the coming decades due to global
warming. The study, which evaluated the effect of 2,800 weather disasters on cereal crops like
corn, rice and wheat, suggests that the effects of drought worsened after 1985 and are expected to
continue to deteriorate in the coming decades. The study speculates that’s because of more
intense droughts driven by climate change, increased vulnerability to drought and changed
reporting methods, but couldn’t confirm any individual factor with certainty. Developed
countries experienced some of the most severe crop loss due to drought and heat, according to
the research. Crop production in North America, Europe and Australia faced nearly a 20%
decline thanks to drought and extreme heat, compared to less than 10% in Africa and Latin
America. Researchers attributed the disparity to a difference between the agricultural methods
employed in the different areas. Farmers in developed countries tend to grow crops uniformly
across large areas. Water shortage affects those crops uniformly. Growing a wide variety of
crops in a given region in the developing world mitigates the risk that all crops will be wiped out
thanks to a given weather event.

The impact of water shortage and extreme heat on food production has been a hot button topic in
development circles as the scientific understanding of climate change has grown. One recent
study found that climate change could drive an 11% decrease in crop yields and a 20% increase
in price by 2050 if countries do not stem their greenhouse gas emissions. And while developed
countries have the resources to adapt, their poor counterparts are often left hard hit when they
cannot produce adequate food during extreme weather events. This year’s El Niño, for instance,
has left millions in need of food assistance in places like Ethiopia where the majority of the
population depends on agriculture to make ends meet. Funding for efforts to adapt to climate
change, including by preparing farmers, has been a key focus of groups focused on the issue.

1.3 Aim of the Project

The motivation for this project came from the countries where economy is based on agriculture
and the climatic conditions lead to lack of rains & scarcity of water. Our country mostly depends

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on agriculture. The farmers working in the farm lands are solely dependent on the rains and bore
wells for irrigation of the land. Even if the farm land has a water-pump, manual intervention by
farmers is required to turn the pump on/off whenever needed.

The project aim is to detect the dryness in soil using sensors and provide water to the plants
appropriately. This project helps to maintain the plants quite easily. In this project we are
detecting soil moisture and need for Irrigation. The Aim of our project is to minimize this
manual intervention by the farmer. Automated Irrigation system will serve the following
purposes:

1) As there is no un-planned usage of water, a lot of water is saved from being wasted.
2) The irrigation is done only when there is not enough moisture in the soil and the sensors
decide when the pump should be turned on/off. This saves a lot time for the farmers. This
also gives much needed rest to the farmers, as they don’t have to go and turn the pump
on/off manually.

1.4 Problem Statement

Nowadays, despite being an agricultural country, the number of people who die of hunger is still
quite high. Access to food seems to be difficult, as price and quantity of food is still beyond the
capability of the lower middle class and lower class. Irrigation induced Crop failure is a major
cause of crop loss every year, and in the age of water crises, this has been elevated to great
levels. In order to keep up with increasing demand, farmers are required to increase crop
efficiency, by rapidly advancing technologies. In order to handle Irrigation issues, this system
has been devised and implemented. Usually, farmers need large scale manpower to irrigate large
lands simultaneously. However Automatic Plant Irrigation System (APIS) is an automatic system
that facilitates automated irrigation of lands simultaneously, upon need.

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CHAPTER 2

BACKGROUND & FACTS

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2.1 Facts about Indian Agriculture

Agriculture plays major role in the economy of the country. More than 70% of Indian population
relies on agriculture for their sustenance. As the contribution of agriculture to Gross Domestic
product is declining nowadays, we are in urge to increase crop productivity with efficient and
effective water usage. In agriculture irrigation is the important factor as the monsoon rainfalls are
unpredictable and uncertain. Agriculture in the face of water scarcity has been a big challenge.
There have been many systems developed using advanced technologies that help to prevent
excessive and scarce watering to crops and thereby increase the crop yield. There are some
parameters to determine irrigation of crops. Soil moisture and temperature of the field are the
most essential parameters. The electromagnetic sensors are used to detect soil moisture. This
method saves 53% of water compared to sprinkler irrigation. The sensor nodes continuously
sense the crop field and send it to the coordinator node. These are some methods that have been
used so far to improve irrigation system, decrease crop wastage and increase crop productivity.
In this work the system is developed using sensors to monitor crop - field. The water usage is
90% more efficient than any other traditional and other modern irrigation methods.

 About 70-72% of the total population of the country is dependent on agriculture.

 Approximately 58.2% of our population derives its livelihood from agriculture.
 It provides food to the second biggest population and the biggest population of cattle in
the world.
 Our agro-based industries are fully dependent on raw material provided by agriculture.
 Agriculture with its allied activities accounts for 45% of our national income.

2.2.1. Problems of Indian Agriculture

 The low productivity of our agriculture is mainly due to the difficulties faced by our
peasants.
 Indian agriculture is chiefly of subsistence type where a large manual labour is employed
to work on farms to grow just enough food for the needs of the family and very little is
left for marketing.

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 A major part of the Indian soil has been impoverished because it has been under plough
for the last 4000 or 5000 years.
 Deforestation, overgrazing and heavy rainfall have led to soil erosion. o Divisions of land
have led to fragmentation.
 The size of land holding is very small and uneconomic.
 The farmers are poor, illiterate and ignorant.
 They use primitive tool and out dated method.
 They lack financial credit and investment.
 Good seeds, fertilizers and improved technology are not available to them.
 They lack irrigation facilities and are still on the mercy of nature. o Most of the farmers
have no security against crop failure or less caused by nature.
 Generally farmers are uneducated and have no scientific approaches.
 Reporting weather conditions.

2.2.2. Need for Agriculture

 Agriculture plays a vital role in the growth of any state.

 The primary sector of an economy comprises agricultural and other activities and
contributes a significant amount to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
 Agriculture provides raw materials for many industries which form the backbone of the
nation.
 For decades, agriculture has been associated with the production of essential food crops.
At present, agriculture above and beyond farming includes forestry, dairy, fruit
cultivation, poultry, mushroom, etc. Today, processing, marketing, and distribution of
crops and livestock products etc. are all acknowledged as part of current agriculture.
Thus, agriculture could be referred to as the production, processing, promotion and
distribution agricultural products. Agriculture plays a critical role in the entire life of a
given economy.
 The major agricultural products can be broadly grouped into foods, fibres, fuels and raw
materials (such as rubber). Food classes includes cereals (grains), vegetables, fruits, oils,
meat, milk, fungi and eggs.

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 Over one-third of the world's workers are employed in agriculture, second only to the
service sector, although the number of agricultural workers in developed countries has
decreased significantly over the centuries.
 Crop produces hardware and software Systems that measure moisture, temperature, and
electrical conductivity in the soil. Their system tells farmers when and how much to
irrigate. The soil layer of the earth is critical in maintaining plant life, offering
mechanical support, and supplying water and nutrients. Soil functions as a major storage
mechanism of heat, collecting energy throughout the day and releasing heat to the surface
during the night. Over the course of a year, soil retains energy during warmer seasons and
releases heat to the air throughout colder seasons.

2.2 Existing System of Irrigation

The continuous increasing demand of food requires the rapid improvement in food production
technology. In a country like India, where the economy is mainly based on agriculture and the
climatic conditions are isotropic, still we are not able to make full use of agricultural resources.

The main reason is the lack of rains & scarcity of land reservoir water. The continuous extraction
of water from earth is reducing the water level due to which lot of land is coming slowly in the
zones of un-irrigated land. Another very important reason of this is due to unplanned use of
water due to which a significant amount of water goes to waste.

The existing system of manual irrigation is very inefficient in regard to solving these issues. In
modern drip irrigation systems, the most significant advantage is that water is supplied near the
root zone of the plants drip by drip due to which a large quantity of water is saved. At the present
era, the farmers have been using irrigation techniques in India through manual control in which
farmers irrigate the land at the regular intervals. This process sometimes consumes more water or
sometimes the water reaches late due to which crops get dried. Water deficiency can be
detrimental to plants before visible wilting occurs. Slowed growth rate, lighter weight fruit
follows slight water deficiency. This problem can be perfectly rectified if we use automatic
irrigation system in which the irrigation will take place only when there will be acute
requirement of water.

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2.3 Proposed System of Irrigation

All the lands to be irrigated manually are automatically irrigated by this system. When compared
to the previous system where farmers need to frequently and constantly keep monitoring the field
for signs of dryness, this system will reduce the time needed to be spent on monitoring the field.
It greatly diminishes the need for manpower by a great value. This system will be able to
function even when the owner is unavailable for a small period of time, hence ensuring proper
irrigation even in the absence of people. Also water will not be wasted during traversal.

In recent times, the farmers have been using irrigation technique through the manual control in
which the farmers irrigate the land at regular intervals by turning the water-pump on/off when
required. This process sometimes consumes more water and sometimes the water supply to the
land is delayed due to which the crops dry out. Water deficiency deteriorates plants growth
before visible wilting occurs. In addition to this slowed growth rate, lighter weight fruit follows
water deficiency. This problem can be perfectly rectified if we use Automated Irrigation System
in which the irrigation will take place only when there will be intense requirement of water, as
suggested by the moisture in the soil.

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CHAPTER III

COMPONENT DESCRIPTION

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3.1 Hardware Requirements

The hardware components required for the project are listed as follows:

 5V D.C. Motor Pump

 Soil Moisture Sensor
 606 Transformer
 27V Capacitor
 5V Relay
 1K Resistor
 2V LED
 IN 4007 Diode
 Transistor BC547
 5V Buzzer
 IC 7805 (5V Voltage Reguator)
 Switch
 Rain Sensor

3.1.1 Diode

A diode is a two-terminal electronic component that conducts electric current in only one
direction. A semiconductor diode is a crystalline piece of semiconductor material connected to
two electrical terminals. A vacuum tube diode is a vacuum tube with two electrodes: a plate and
a cathode. The most common function of a diode is to allow an electric current to pass in one
direction while blocking current in the opposite direction. Thus, the diode can be thought of as an
electronic version of a check valve. This unidirectional behavior is called rectification, and is
used to convert alternating current to direct current and to extract modulation from radio signals
in radio receivers.

When p-type and n-type materials are placed in contact with each other, the junction is depleted
of charge carriers and behaves very differently than either type of material. The electrons in n-
type material diffuse across the junction and combines with holes in p-type material. The region

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of the p-type material near the junction takes on a net negative charge because of the electrons
attracted. Since electrons departed the N-type region, it takes on a localized positive charge. The
thin layer of the crystal lattice between these charges has been depleted of majority carriers, thus,
is known as the depletion region. It becomes nonconductive intrinsic semiconductor material.
This separation of charges at the p-n junction constitutes a potential barrier, which must be
overcome by an external voltage source to make the junction conduct.

Figure 3.1: P-N junction in thermal equilibrium with zero bias voltage applied

The electric field created by the space charge region opposes the diffusion process for both
electrons and holes. There are two concurrent phenomena: the diffusion process that tends to
generate more space charge and the electric field generated by the space charge that tends to
counteract the diffusion.

Figure 3.2: Equilibrium, forward and reverse biased conditions in a p-n junction

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When the diode is forward biased, the positive charge applied to the P-type material repels the
holes, while the negative charge applied to the N-type material repels the electrons. As electrons
and holes are pushed towards the junction, the width of depletion zone decreases. This lowers the
barrier in potential. With increasing forward-bias voltage, the depletion zone eventually becomes
thin enough that the electric field of the zone can't counteract charge carrier motion across the p–
n junction, consequently reducing electrical resistance. The electrons which cross the p–n
junction into the P-type material will diffuse in the near-neutral region. Therefore, the amount of
minority diffusion in the near-neutral zones determines the amount of current that may flow
through the diode.

Figure 3.3: P-N junction under forward and reverse bias

Figure 3.4: Forward and reverse bias characteristics of a diode and it’s circuit symbol

When the diode is reverse biased, the holes in the p-type material and the electrons in the n-type
material are pulled away from the junction, causing the width of the depletion zone to increase
with increase in reverse bias voltage. This increases the voltage barrier causing a high resistance

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to the flow of charge carriers thus allowing minimal electric current to cross the p–n junction.
The increase in resistance of the p-n junction results in the junction to behave as an insulator.
The strength of the depletion zone electric field increases as the reverse-bias voltage increases.
Once the electric field intensity increases beyond a critical level, the p-n junction depletion zone
breaks down and current begins to flow.

3.1.2 Light Emitting Diode (LED)

LEDs are special diodes that emit light. LED devices are becoming popular because they
consume very less power than other light device. LEDs have been used in electronics circuit for
long time. They are available in red, yellow, green and multicolor and mainly used as indicators
in electronic devices.But the new technological makes it possible to have white LEDs. Super
bright LEDs made it possible to get more light with very low power consumption.

Figure 3.5: Different types of LEDs

Symbol & Structure of LED

Figure 3.6: Symbol of LED

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Therefore now LEDs find its use as a light source.LEDs are so far used in digital display ,
indicator on electronic instruments like TV, Computer.But now they started finding application
in making bulb, torch, and emergency lamps, traffic signal, street lights and so on.LEDs are
diode, which emits photons.

Figure 3.7: Light Emitting Diode (LED)

Advantages:

1) A Range of colors :- LED are available in variety of colours like a violet, blue, yellow, green,
orange, red and white.
2) Efficiency :- LED consumes very less energy they are very efficient than incandescent bulb.
3) Low maintenance :- LED does not necessarily need maintenance. Their rated life is 10000hrs.
4) Durability :- LEDs are extremely resistance to shock, vibration.
5) The low operation voltage of LEDs eliminats sparks.

Disadvantages:

1) The viewing angle is less.

2) Direct viewing into LED may damage your eyes.

3.1.3 Resistance

Resistance is inserted into a circuit in order to reduce the current or to produce a desired IR
voltage drop. The components for these uses, manufactured with the specific R, are resistors.The
two main characteristics of a resistor are its R in ohms and the voltage rating. Resistors are
available in a wide range of R values, from a fraction of ohm to many mega ohms. The power
rating may be as high as several 100watts.

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The power rating is important because it specifies the maximum wattage the resistance can
dissipate without excessive heat. Wire wound resistors are used where the power dissipation is
about 5 watts or more. For 2 watt or less, the carbon and wire wound resistors can be either fixed
or variable. A fixed resistor has a specific R that cannot be adjusted. A variable resistor can be
adjusted for any value between its 0ohms and its maximum R. An application for a variable wire
wound resistor is to divide the voltage from a power supply. A carbon composition variable
resistor is commonly used for control such as volume control in a radio. Hence there are many
types of resistors some of them are :

 Wire wound resistors

 Carbon composition resistors
 Carbon film resistors
 Metal film resistors
 Variable resistors

Resistors Colour Codes:

COMPOSITION TYPE RESISTORS:

FILM TYPE RESISTORS:

Figure 3.8: Resistors Colour Codes

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Band A: The first significant figure of the resistance value.

Band B: The second significant value of the resistance value.
Band C: The multiplier is the factor by which the two significant figures are multiplied to yield
the nominal resistance value.
Band D: The resistor’s tolerance
Band E: When used on composition resistors, band E indicates the established reliability failure
rate level. On film resistors, this band is approximately 1.5 times the width of the other bands,
and indicates type of terminal.

3.1.4 Capacitor

The function of capacitors is to store electricity, or electrical energy. The capacitor also functions
as filter, passing AC, and blocking DC. The capacitor is constructed with two electrode plates
separated by insulator. They are also used in timing circuits because it takes time for a capacitor
to fill with charge. They can be used to smooth varying DC supplies by acting as reservoir of
charge. The capacitor's function is to store electricity, or electrical energy. The capacitor also
functions as a filter, passing alternating current (AC), and blocking direct current (DC). This
symbol ( ) is used to indicate a capacitor in a circuit diagram. The capacitor is constructed
with two electrode plates facing each other but separated by an insulator.

When DC voltage is applied to the capacitor, an electric charge is stored on each electrode.
While the capacitor is charging up, current flows. The current will stop flowing when the
capacitor has fully charged. Commercial capacitors are generally classified according to the
dielectric. The most used are mica, paper, electrolytic and ceramic capacitors. Electrolytic
capacitors use a molecular thin oxide film as the dielectric resulting in large capacitance values.
There is no required polarity, since either side can be the most positive plate, except for
electrolytic capacitors.

These are marked to indicate which side must be positive to maintain the internal electrolytic
action that produces the dielectric required to form the capacitance. It should be noted that the
polarity of the charging source determines the polarity of the changing source determines the
polarity of the capacitor voltage.

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Types of Capacitors
There are various types of capacitors available in the market. Some of them are as follows:

 Mica Capacitor
 Paper Capacitor
 Ceramic Capacitor
 Variable Capacitor
 Electrolytic Capacitor
 Tantalum Capacitor
 Film Capacitor

3.1.5 DC Motor Pump

A DC motor is any of a class of rotary electrical machines that converts direct current electrical
power into mechanical power. The most common types rely on the forces produced by magnetic
fields. Nearly all types of DC motors have some internal mechanism, either electromechanical or
electronic, to periodically change the direction of current flow in part of the motor.

Figure 3.9: DC Motor Pump

DC motors were the first type widely used, since they could be powered from existing
directcurrent lighting power distribution systems. A DC motor's speed can be controlled over a
wide range, using either a variable supply voltage or by changing the strength of current in its

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field windings. A DC motor pump is essentially a DC Motor that is used to circulate water. The
internal structure is the same. The DC motor is encased in a waterproof plastic casing and the
shaft is used to drive an external arm that pumps water. The Pump requires a 5V supply, which
can be easily provided by batteries or AC supply.

3.1.6 Relay Board

A relay is an electrically operated switch. Many relays use an electromagnet to mechanically

operate a switch, but other operating principles are also used, such as solidstate relays. Relays are
used where it is necessary to control a circuit by a separate lowpower signal, or where several
circuits must be controlled by one signal. The first relays were used in long distance telegraph
circuits as amplifiers: they repeated the signal coming in from one circuit and re-transmitted it on
another circuit. Relays were used extensively in telephone exchanges and early computers to
perform logical operations.

Electromagnetic relays are those relays which are operated by electromagnetic action. Modern
electrical protection relays are mainly micro-processor based, but still electromagnetic relay
holds its place. It will take much longer time to be replaced the all electromagnetic relays by
micro-processor based static relays.

Figure 3.10: Relay Internal Structure

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Figure 3.11: Relay Operational diagram

Figure 3.12: Relay External Structure

3.1.7 BC547 Transistor

BC547 is a normal NPN (Negative-Positive-Negative) junction transistor. It is a BJT transistor

and is often used to satisfy the need of quick switching.

Followings are the key knowledge of BC547 that:

 BC547 is a bipolar junction transistor (BJT).

 It is kind of an NPN transistor.

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 It has three terminals: Emitter, Collector and Base.

 The maximum current gain of BC547 is 800A.
 The Collector−Emitter Voltage is 65V.
 The Collector-Base Voltage is 80V.
 The Emitter-Base voltage is 8V.

Figure 3.13: Transistor

BC547 has two operation status: forward bias and reverse bias. In the status of the forward bias,
the current can pass when the collector and emitter are connected. While in the status of the
reverse bias, it acts as a disconnect switch and current cannot pass.

BC547 is usually used for current amplifier, quick switching and pulse-width modulation
(PWM).

3.1.8 Soil Moisture Sensor

70 percent of the world’s freshwater withdrawals go towards irrigation uses. Close to 90 percent
of freshwater is used for irrigation in India. It is recorded that only 5 percent of water gets used
for domestic purpose in India. Despite that, farmers often obtain sub-optimal yields from their
crop due to improper irrigation management practices. What if farmers could monitor soil
moisture in their fields? It would help them take has informed decisions on irrigation and be
cost-effective too. By monitoring soil moisture, farmers can now optimize their water usage,

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increase produce yield, produce high quality crops, reduce water resource degradation and save a
lot of money.

Monitoring soil moisture will help farmers understand the actual soil water condition and how
much their crops need to use. Soil moisture sensors enable in taking informed irrigation
decisions on when to irrigate and how much water must be supplied to avoid low quality
production. With the help of soil moisture sensors, some of these questions that are commonly
asked by farmers are easily addressed.

 When is the best time for irrigation?

 How do I know if enough water has infiltrated the soil?
 What is the soil depth reached by irrigation water?
 Am I using too little water? Too much or, just right?
 How much water loss can I expect due to soil evaporation?
 Has the crop roots absorbed enough water?
 During days of no irrigation, how much reserve will be available for my crop?

Figure 3.14: Soil Moisture Sensor

Soil moisture sensors measure the volumetric water content in soil. Since the direct gravimetric
measurement of free soil moisture requires removing, drying, and weighting of a sample, soil
moisture sensors measure the volumetric water content indirectly by using some other property
of the soil, such as electrical resistance, dielectric constant, or interaction with neutrons, as a
proxy for the moisture content. The relation between the measured property and soil moisture

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must be calibrated and may vary depending on environmental factors such as soil type,
temperature, or electric conductivity. Reflected microwave radiation is affected by the soil
moisture and is used for remote sensing in hydrology and agriculture. Portable probe instruments
can be used by farmers or gardeners.

3.1.9 Rain Sensor

Nowadays, conserving water as well as its proper usage is essential in everyone’s life. Here is a
sensor namely rain sensor which is used to detect the rain and generate an alarm. So, we can
conserve water to use it later for different purposes. There are several methods available for
conserving water like harvesting, etc Using this method we can increase the level of underground
water. These sensors are mainly used in the field like automation, irrigation,
automobiles, communication, etc. This article discusses a simple as well as reliable sensor
module which can be available at low cost in the market.

A rain sensor is one kind of switching device which is used to detect the rainfall. It works like a
switch and the working principle of this sensor is, whenever there is rain, the switch will be
normally closed. The rain sensor module/board is shown below. Basically, this board includes
nickel coated lines and it works on the resistance principle. This sensor module permits to gauge
moisture through analog output pins & it gives a digital output while moisture threshold
surpasses.

Figure 3.15: Rain Sensor

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This module is similar to the LM393 IC because it includes the electronic module as well as a
PCB. Here PCB is used to collect the raindrops. When the rain falls on the board, then it creates
a parallel resistance path to calculate through the operational amplifier. This sensor is a resistive
dipole, and based on the moisture only it shows the resistance. For example, it shows more
resistance when it is dry and shows less resistance when it is wet. The pin configuration of this
sensor is shown below. This sensor includes four pins which include the following.

 Pin1 (VCC): It is a 5V DC pin

 Pin2 (GND): it is a GND (ground) pin
 Pin3 (DO): It is a low/ high output pin
 Pin4 (AO): It is an analog output pin

 Specifications

The specifications of the rain sensor include the following.

 This sensor module uses good quality of double-sided material.

 Anti-conductivity & oxidation with long time use
 The area of this sensor includes 5cm x 4cm and can be built with a nickel plate on the side
 The sensitivity can be adjusted by a potentiometer
 The required voltage is 5V
 The size of the small PCB is 3.2cm x 1.4cm
 For easy installation, it uses bolt holes
 It uses an LM393 comparator with wide voltage
 The output of the comparator is a clean waveform and driving capacity is above 15mA.

 Applications

The applications of rain sensor include the following.

 This sensor is used as a water preservation device and this is connected to the irrigation
system to shut down the system in the event of rainfall.

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 This sensor is used to guard the internal parts of an automobile against the rainfall as well
as to support the regular windscreen wiper’s mode.
 This sensor is used in specialized satellite communications aerials for activating a rain
blower over the opening of the aerial feed, to get rid of water droplets from the mylar
wrap to keep pressurized as well as dry air within the waveguides.

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CHAPTER IV

SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION

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4.1 Methodology

Implementation of the project required the design of the system developed in the design phase of
the project to be carefully implemented. The extensive implementation of automated systems in
agriculture has proven to successfully reduce cost. The operation of automated agricultural
system could potentially revolutionize the irrigation process and the way it has impacted the
commercial & industrial sectors. Thus, this project has been an expert or non-expert-system-
based method of field monitoring for detecting dryness & treatment of the field. The prototype
system food and beverage industry has the potential to be useful for the industry, seeking ways to
make agriculture cost effective. Furthermore, the ultimate beneficiaries of the project are the
farmers who are the backbone of an agricultural economy.

4.2 Project Plan

The most crucial phase of managing system projects is planning to launch a system investigation,
we need a master plan detailing the steps to be taken, the people to be questioned, and outcome
expected. The initial investigation has the objective of determining whether the user’s request
has potential merits the major steps are defining user requirements, studying the present system
and defining the performance expected by candidate system to meet user requirements. The first
step in the system development life cycle is the identification of need. There may be a user
request to change, improve or enhance an existing system. The initial investigation is one way of
handling these needs. The objective is to determine whether the request is valid and feasible
before a recommendation is reached to do nothing, improve or modify the existing system, are to
build a new one.

4.3 Working

This project consists of two sections: the external sensor unit, and the inbuilt processing unit. In
the external sensor unit, the basic requirement of sensing the moistness of the sand or soil
through capacitive reactance is performed, the arms of the sensor are able to detect resistance and
provide input to the IC.

When the soil becomes dry, it produces large voltage drop due to high resistance, and this is
sensed by the soil moisture sensor, and this resistance causes the operational amplifier to produce

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an output that is above the threshold value required. This causes the relay to change from
normally open to closed condition – The relay becomes on. When the relay is turned on, the
valve opens and water through the pipes rushes to the crops. When the water content in the soil
increases, the soil resistance gets decreases and the transmission of the probes gets starts to make
the operational amplifier stop the triggering of the relay. Finally the valve which is connected to
the relay is stopped.

Figure 4.1: Power Supply Setup

A transistor is used to drive the relay during the soil wet condition. 5V double pole – double
through relay is used to control the water pump. LED indication is provided for visual
identification of the relay / load status. A switching diode is connected across the relay to
neutralize the reverse EMF.

This project works with 5V regulated power supply for the internal blocks and uses regulated
12V power supply for the relay board. Power on LED is connected for visual identification of
power status.

First, the sensor probes are inserted in the soil at specific locations in the field, at a depth of 5cm
from the soil surface at regular intervals in the field. The wiring is made with protective covering
so that it is not harmed by any unexpected factors like rocks in the field.

Since wet soil is more conductive than dry soil, the soil moisture sensor module has a
comparator in it. The voltage from the prongs and the predefined voltage are compared and the

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output of the comparator is high only when the soil condition is dry. When the moisture in the
soil is above the threshold, the relay will be turned on. The relay coil gets energized and turns on
the motor. The LED is also turned on as an indicator. The soil begins to get supplied with water,
and the water content of the soil increases. When the moisture content of the soil increases and
reaches the threshold value, the output of the soil moisture sensor is low and the motor is turned
off. This prevents a case of over-watering. Rain sensor sense the rain and also cutoff the power
circuitry.

Figure 4.2: Relay Module and Moisture Sensor

Figure 4.3: Rain Sensor Module

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Figure 4.4: Working Model

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CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

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5.1 Conclusion

Irrigation becomes easy, accurate and practical with the idea above shared and can be
implemented in agricultural fields in future to promote agriculture to next level. The output from
moisture sensor and level system plays major role in producing the output. Thus the “SMART
IRRIGATION SYSTEM” has been designed and tested successfully. It has been developed by
integrating all the features of all the hardware components used. Presence of every module has
been reasoned above and placed carefully in order to contribute to the best working of the unit.
The system has been tested to function automatically, and to the best of its ability.

The moisture sensors measure the moisture level (water content) of the different plants. If the
moisture level is found to be below the desired level, the moisture sensor sends the signal to the
operational amplifier which triggers the DC Motor pump to turn ON and supply the water to
respective field area. When the desired moisture level is reached, the system halts on its own and
the DC Motor pump is turned OFF. Thus, the functionality of the entire system has been tested
thoroughly and it is said to function successfully.

5.2 Advantages

The main advantage of this project is that it has faster execution when compared to manual
execution of the process.

 It is simple, portable and provides high performance.

 It consumes less power
 Dryness can be easily detected in soil.
 Permits a non- expert to do the work of an expert.
 Improves productivity by increasing work output and improving efficiency.
 Saves time in accomplishing specific objective.
 This system ensures that the plants do not endure from the strain or stress of less and over
watering.
 This system saves labour cost and water up to 70%. The working of this irrigation system
covers over 40 crops spanning across 500 acres.

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5.3 Applications of Project

We propose an application to detect water deficiency state in soil based exclusively on sensor-
provided data. In an Automated Irrigation System, the most significant advantage is that water is
supplied only when the moisture in soil goes below a pre-set threshold value.

 This system can be used in roof gardens in highly populated areas where land is
expensive and gardening on rooftops seems like the only viable option left.
 The lawns of houses and public buildings can be maintained by these systems, thereby
reducing the need for human monitoring.
 The greatest application is in agricultural lands, where farmers are assisted greatly by
this. There is no need for the farmer to actually be present during operation.
 Gardens that need to be monitored in the absence of home owners require systems like
APIS. Home gardens that are maintained with large effort by home owners require proper
observation and maintenance. It can be provided by APIS.
 Irrigation in parks needs to be done even when people are not there to maintain the grass
or trees.
 Detection in this manner is cheap, non-invasive and can be applied on a population-wide
scale.
 The presence of technology in all aspects of life has enabled solutions to real life problem
that were either difficult or unfeasible

5.4 Future Scope

The application certainly is much more advantageous than the manual system. There will be no
bias in the regions being covered and the delay is kept as minimal as it can be.

 The operator does not require any previous training because of its user friendliness.
 The operator is free from any technical issues. Extremely simple design makes the circuit
easy to implement and maintain.
 Alterations in the system can be done easily if the process of the working changes in
future.

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 In future according to the user’s requirement it can be updated to meet the user
requirements.
 Smart Wifi Irrigation Controllers are next generation controllers that adjust your
irrigation system automatically using real-time weather information. Moreover, you can
control it from anywhere, anytime.

5.5 Limitations

 The system requires two different power supplies. While implementing in large fields,
industrial supply can be used to run the motor. In small gardens this may seem like a
large wastage.
 Needs a large amount of sensing equipment for very large irrigation areas.
 The system is not 100% reliable. Unexpected factors can cause errors, and it may in some
cases cause loss. Despite being good, it needs to be manually checked and maintained
once every few weeks.

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3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/capacitance
4. Klute, A. (ed.), 1986: Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 1: Physical a nd Mineralogical
Methods. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 1188 pp.
5. Knight, J.H., 1992: Sensitivity of time domain reflectometry measurements to lateral
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6. Magagi, R.D., Kerr, Y.H., 1997. Retrieval of soil moisture and vegetation characteristics by
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7. Marthaler, H.P., W. Vogelsanger, F. Richard and J.P. Wierenga,1983: A pressure
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8. Attema, Evert, Pierre Bargellini, Peter Edwards, Guido Levrini, SveinLokas, Ludwig
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operational land and sea services. ESA Bulletin 131: 10-17.
9. Bircher, S., Skou, N., Jensen, K.H., Walker, J.P., & Rasmussen, L.(2011). A soil moisture
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