FPGA home appliance network controller

Abstract

In recent years, technological advancements have led to more intelligent appliances in the home environment. This project tries to create a FPGA Home Appliance Network Controller to enable a smarter home environment. Existing systems were studied to allow the design of a better system. The necessary hardware and software needed for a prototype universal home appliance controller was developed and tested. The system was designed around the Bluetooth protocol stack to allow easy access from mobile phones however this can also be done through normal personal computers. The FPGA was programmed to interface and have direct control over several attached appliances and sensors. The sensors enabled the monitoring of motion, light and temperature as well as allowing for home automation. All of this was controlled using a Java application on a smart phone. Java enables portability across several platforms, thus allowing different smart phones to be used with the system. The developed system was implemented and tested, with successful results. Several appliances were tested with the system, including interfacing with temperature and motion sensors to aid automation. The final implementation was confined in an insulating box to eliminate the risk of an electric shock due to the high mains voltage involved to power the appliances. As always when designing hardware, safety is of upmost importance and this was not neglected in this project. This innovative system, using an FPGA as its central hub, proved to be successful. Its relatively simple design, cost and flexibility makes it an ideal candidate for the future implementation of smart homes.