AUTOMATED IRRIGATION SYSTEM
Executive Summary
In present days, in the field of agriculture farmers are facing major problems in watering their
crops. It’s because they don’t have proper idea about the availability of the power. Even if it is
available, they need to pump water and wait until the field is properly watered, which compels
them to stop doing other activities – which are also important for them, and thus they loss their
precious time and efforts. But, there is a solution – an automatic plant irrigation system not only
helps farmers but also others for watering their gardens as well.
This automatic irrigation system senses the moisture content of the soil and automatically
switches the pump when the power is on. A proper usage of irrigation system is very important
because the main reason is the shortage of land reserved water due to lack of rain, unplanned use
of water as a result large amounts of water goes waste. For this reason, we use this automatic
plant watering system, and this system is very useful in all climatic conditions.
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Modern society is interlinked through a network of not only people, but their respective
electronic devices as well. The devices permeate people’s lives so thoroughly that it is rare to see
someone without an electronic device, be it a watch, a cellphone, a computer.
In this project an automation of farm irrigation and soil moisture control by Arduino
using soil moisture sensor and L293D module. This automatic irrigation system senses the
moisture content of the soil and automatically switches the pump when the power is on. A
proper usage of irrigation system is very necessary because the main reason is the shortage of
land reserved water due to lack of rain, spontaneous use of water as a result large amounts of
water goes waste. For this reason, we use this automatic plant watering and soil moisture
monitoring system and this system is very useful in all climatic conditions.
India is the agriculture based country. Our most of peoples are completely depended on
the agricultural harvesting. Agriculture is a source of employment of majority Indians and has
great impact on the economy of the country. In dry areas or in case of lacking rainfall, irrigation
becomes difficult. So, it needs to be automated for proper watering a plant and handled
remotely by farmer. When soil goes dry pump will start watering. The aim of the
implementation is to reduce water use and automatic irrigation can be used for save time and
low power monitor device.
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Acknowledgments:
The scope for this project was wide and the possibilities far. Without the support of the
sponsors, facilitator, and others, this project could not have been completed. Specifically, the
team would like to thank:
● Satish Raut advice and their continuing support for a developing project.
● Our families for their support through a time-consuming semester.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Introduction and Background 5
Introduction 5
Background 6
Chapter 2 - Solution Exploration and Selection 7
Section 1 - FAST Diagram 7
Section 2 – Objectives of the Project 8
Chapter 3 - Technical Work Performed 9
Section 1 - Hardware Design Efforts 9
Section 2 - Hardware Implementation 11
Chapter 4 - Benefits 18
Chapter 5 - Conclusions 18
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Chapter 1 – Introduction and background
Introduction
The main aim of this project was to provide water to the plants or gardening automatically using
555 IC . We can automatically watering the plants when we are going on vacation or don’t we have to
bother my neighbors, Sometimes the Neighbors do too much of watering and the plants end up dying
anyway. There are timer based devices available in India which waters the soil on set interval.
They do not sense the soil moisture and the ambient temperature to know if the soil actually needs
watering or not. Assimilation is that the artificial application of water to the land or soil It is used to
assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and re vegetation of disturbed
soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall. When a zone comes on, the water flows
through the lateral lines and ultimately finally ends up at the irrigation electrode (drip) or mechanical
device heads. Several sprinklers have pipe thread inlets on the lowest of them that permits a fitting and
also the pipe to be connected to them. The sprinklers are usually used in the top of the head flush with
the ground surface. As the method of dripping will reduce huge water losses it became a popular
method by reducing the labor cost and increasing the yields. When the components are activated, all
the components will read and gives the output signal to the controller, and the information will be
displayed to the user (farmer). The sensor readings are analog in nature so the ADC pin in the controller
will convert the analog signals into digital format. There are many systems are available to water savings
in various crops, from basic ones to more technologically advanced ones. For instance, in one system
plant watering status was monitored and irrigation scheduled based on temperature presents in soil
content of the plant.
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Background
On the hardware side, there are a number of products currently on the market that can perform
some of the requirements of this project. The Automatic Sprinkle System is the best example . The
Automatic Sprinkle System is a Connect microcontroller with a built-in Bluetooth module. It is able to
perform many of projects functions, such as communicating with wired and wireless sensors,
transmitting information to an Android device via Bluetooth, and storing data to an SD card. However,
the main problem with this solution, along with many others like it, is that the microcontroller must be
programmed to perform this operation. This makes the microcontroller an impossible solution for users
who don’t know how to program, and an impractical solution for those that can program, but don’t want
to. A better product would already have the code pre-compiled, the input ports clearly labeled, and
require little to no setup from the user.
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Chapter 2 – Solution Exploration and Selection
Section 1 – FAST Diagram
The complete system design with its logical components is more easily presented by utilizing the FAST
diagram. The FAST diagram is able to take what could possibly be a complicated project and break it
down to an easy to follow format. Having a recognizable format such as this enables the designer to best
focus their efforts on what is needed in the final product. The FAST diagram developed by the team is
shown below.
There are two functional components in this project. They are the moisture sensors module and the motor
driver for motor pump. The function of the moisture sensor is to sense the temperature content present in
the soil, and also it measure moisture level in the soil. The motor driver interrupts the signal to, water
pump supplies water to the plants. This project uses 555 IC board to controls the motor and monitor soil
moisture. Follow the schematic to connect the 555IC to the motor driver, and the driver to the water
pump.
The motor can be driven by a 12 volt battery, we can also supplies power from external source or from
Figure 2.1 - Fast Diagram
The Sensor Interface can be broken down into three main components: The Sensor Interface was
designed to accept a wide variety of sensors, analog, digital, wired and IC. Any of the sensors can also be
connected to another Bluetooth module to allow a wide variety of wireless sensors to communicate with
the central Sensor Interface microcontroller.
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Section 2 – Objectives of the Project
Monitor the moisture content of the soil using a soil moisture sensor and the water level of the tank using
a float switch.
Turn the motor ON when the soil moisture falls below a certain reference value and if there is enough
water in the tank.
Let’s begin to build our project – Soil Moisture Based Automatic Irrigation System.
Figure 2.2 - Automatic Irrigation System using Arduino
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Chapter 3 – Technical Work Performed
Section 1 – Hardware Design Efforts
The soil moisture sensor module used here have two output pins ( Digital output and Analog
output ). The output from the probe of the moisture sensor is compared with a reference value using a
lm393 comparator. The reference value can be changed by turning the potentiometer in the module. The
digital pin gives an active low output when the soil is wet. Here we are using the analog output from the
module by connecting it to one of the analog pins of Arduino. While using the analog output the wet
detection value can be set/adjusted within the program itself.
As shown in the circuit diagram, a float switch is connected to one of the analog pins of Arduino
and a 1K Ohm resistor is used to pulled up the line. Analog pins of Arduino can also be used as digital
inputs. The status of the tank is identified by checking the output of the float switch. Arduino reads the
voltage dropped across the pull up resistor for sensing the level of water in the tank. . And the pin links
to the base of a 555IC transistor which in turn drives the 9 V DC motor.
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Figure 3.1 - Automatic Irrigation System using Arduino Circuit
Appendix 3 – Technical Attachments
Price per
Site Part Description Unit Quantity Price Total
Mouser 10K variable Resistor 1
Mouser 1K Ohm Resistor 1
Mouser DC Motor 1
Mouser 5V Voltage Regulator 1
Mouser Soil Moisture Sensor 1
Mouser Relay 5v 2
Mouser 2.0 mm Red LED 3
Mouser Pipe 2
Mouser Cooper PCB 1
Mouser Battery 2
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Section 2 – Hardware Implementation
The circuit diagram of Automatic plant watering system is shown in figure 1 and is built around one of
the most popular IC, IC555. It also includes pump and other passive components. As the soil dries up, its
resistance increases causing the voltage at pin 2 of IC555 to fall below 1/3 Vcc. This activates the trigger
comparator and the output goes high, switching on the pump. The output remains high for the time
interval set by VR1 and is given by
The equation evolved for calculating the time interval is given below:
where R the resistance connected between power supply and pin 6 and 7 of timer IC 555 and is in ohms.
C is the capacitor connected between pin 6 and ground and is in microfarad.
For for adjusting the time interval we are using variable resistor instead of fixed resistor.
Let, if we use capacitor of value 470 uF and fixed variable resistor at center say 500 k-ohm the time will
be calculated as:
When, soil become dry enough to trigger water pump than automatic plant watering system is activated
for approx. 4.3 minutes.
Sensitivity of the circuit is adjusted by adjusting of the variable resistor VR2.
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1. 555 IC:- The 555 timer IC is an integrated circuit chip used in a variety of timer, pulse
generation, and oscillator applications. The 555 can be used to provide time delays, as
an oscillator, and as a flip-flop element. Derivatives provide two (556) or four (558) timing
circuits in one package
Fig :555 IC Pin Diagram
2. Relay:-
relay is an electrically operated switch. Several relays use a magnet to automatically operate a
switch, however alternative in operation principles are used, like solid state relays. Relays are
used wherever it's necessary to regulate a circuit by a separate low-power signal, or wherever
many circuits should be controlled by one signal. The essential relays were handling in long
distance communicate circuits as amplifiers, they unbroken the signal coming back in from one
circuit and re-transmitted it on another circuit.
Figure : Relay
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1. Soil Sensor:- Soil moisture sensors measure the humidity of water content in soil. Since the
direct hydrometric measuring of free soil wetness needs removing, drying, and coefficient of a
sample, soil wetness sensors live the meter water content indirectly by victimization another
property of the soil, like electrical phenomenon, non-conductor constant, or interaction with
neutrons, as a proxy for the wetness content.
Figure : Soil moisture sensor
2. Pipe:- Here it is used as a water channel, and pipe has been used for watering plant.
Figure :- Pipe
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3. PCB:- Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are thin boards made from an insulating material, with a
metal coated surface, sometimes on both the top and bottom. Etches are made in the metal with
acid to create pathways for electricity to travel among various components which are surface
mounted on the board with solder. The invention of printed circuit boards is one of the factors that
has enabled electronic circuits to be smaller, more compact, and contained on a convenient,
rugged board. Holes drilled into circuit boards allow components such as resistors and capacitors
to be inserted and soldered through automation.
Figure :- Printed circuit bords
4. Variable Resistor:-
A variable resistor is a resistor of which the electric resistance value can be adjusted. A variable
resistor is in essence an electro-mechanical transducer and normally works by sliding a contact
(wiper) over a resistive element. When a variable resistor is used as a potential divider by using 3
terminals it is called a potentiometer. When only two terminals are used, it functions as a variable
resistance and is called a rheostat. Electronically controlled variable resistors exist, which can be
controlled electronically instead of by mechanical action. These resistors are called digital
potentiometers.
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Figure :- Variable Resistor
5. light-emitting diode (LED):-
LED is a semiconductor light source that emits light when current flows through it. When a current
flows through the diode, electrons are able to recombine with electron holes within the device,
releasing energy in the form of photons. This effect is called electroluminescence. The colour of the
light (corresponding to the energy of the photons) is determined by the energy band gap of the
semiconductor. White light is obtained by using multiple semiconductors or a layer of light-emitting
phosphor on the semiconductor device. Parts of a conventional LED.
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Fig : Led Diagram
6. DC water pump:- An DC motor is an electrical motor driven by Associate in direct current
(DC). In figure: 5, The DC motor normally consists of two basic components, an outdoor
stationary stator coil having coils furnished with DC to supply a rotating flux, and an indoor rotor
connected to the output shaft manufacturing a second rotating flux. The rotor flux could also be
made by permanent magnets, reluctance striking, or DC or AC electrical windings.
Figure :- DC Motor
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7. Voltage Regulator:- A voltage regulator IC maintains the output voltage at a constant value.
7805 IC, a member of 78xx series of fixed linear voltage regulators used to maintain such
fluctuations, is a popular voltage regulator integrated circuit (IC). The xx in 78xx indicates the
output voltage it provides. A voltage regulator generates a fixed output voltage of a preset
magnitude that remains constant regardless of changes to its input voltage or load conditions.
There are two types of voltage regulators linear and switching
Fig :Voltage Regulator Diagram
8. . Resistor:- it is an electrical device may be a passive two-terminal electrical part that implements
resistance as a circuit component. In electronic circuits, resistors unit of measurement accustomed
reduce current flow, alter signal levels, to divide voltages, bias active components, and terminate
transmission lines, among completely different uses.
Figure :- Resistor
9. Battery :-
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An electric battery is a device consisting of one or more electrochemical cells with external
connections provided to power electrical devices such as flashlights, and electric cars. When a
battery is supplying electric power, its positive terminal is the cathode and its negative terminal
is the anode. The terminal marked negative is the source of electrons that will flow through an
external electric circuit to the positive terminal. When a battery is connected to an external
electric load,
Figure :- Battery
10. Battery cap:-
A battery assembled cap, a cylindrical battery with the cap and a method for making the same. ... The
vent cap is attached to the battery cover by a hinge connection which allows for play between the
vent cap and the battery cover and which allows for rotation of the vent cap.
Fig :Battery cap Diagram
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Benefits:-
Irrigation and watering play a substantial role in determining the quality and yields of farming.
More appropriate is the process of watering of the fields, more favourable are the end results. As
an agriculture farmer, one needs to be very precise with these tow above-said process.
Time saving.
No need Extra work Hard.
Save Water, Accordingly our Requirement of water, depends upon water level quantity
soil and crops.
Money Saving (Electricity bile + Water).
Chapter 5 – Conclusion
Thus the “Automated Irrigation system based on soil moisture using Arduino” has been designed
and tested successfully. It has been developed by integrated features of all the hardware
components used. Presence of every module has been reasoned out and placed carefully, thus
contributing to the best working of the unit. Thus, the Arduino Based Automatic Plant Watering
System has been designed and tested successfully. The system has been tested to function
automatically. The moisture sensors measure the moisture level (water content) of the different
plants. If the moisture level is goes to be below the desired and limited level, the moisture sensor
sends the signal to the Arduino board which triggers the Water Pump to turn ON and supply the
water to respective plant using the Rotating Platform/Sprinkler. When the desired moisture level
is reached, the system halts on it’s own and the water Pump is turned OFF. Thus, the functionality
of the entire system has been tested thoroughly and it is said to function successfully.
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