We created this training considering four different applications & most of the hardware you will see in the industry will be around these applications.

• Process automation.
• Data logging.
• Remote Monitoring.
• Remote Controlling.

The purpose was to train an individual so that, whenever they have a project requirement around the application, as mentioned earlier, they should be capable of designing the hardware considering the application requirement.

In the first question, we have already discussed industrial automation. Similarly, process automation is nothing but making processes automatic. To do this, we design electronics systems.

To make the process automatic, we generally need external input, or the system needs to generate some output to control external devices.

The external input can be digital or analog, and an external sensor or instrument can generate this input. So, to understand the information or to read the input, we need some circuits.

Examples of external inputs.

• Switch or button connected to the system (Digital input).
• Temperature or pressure sensor (Analog input).

In the same way, we need some circuits to generate some output or to trigger an external process (again, which can be analog or digital).

Examples of system-generated outputs.

• Switching on the water pump (Digital output).
• Controlling motor speed (Analog output).

So, overall in process automation, we need to design a hardware.

• Which takes digital or analog input.
• Process that input using a microcontroller or microprocessor.
• Decide to generate digital or analog output.

So, in this training, we will deal with the above three points and the design process using a microcontroller & external circuit.

As the name indicates, data + logger. It means a device or hardware which is responsible for storing the data. Now the question comes, which data and why do we have to store the data?

Let's answer the first question. The devices deployed in the field can collect different types of data.

• The data can come from sensors (temperature, pressure, humidity, etc.) or instruments (external devices) connected to the hardware. We can call this type of data as external data.
• The data can also be internal. Ex. device timestamp, the internal temperature of hardware, the voltage of the battery, system frequency, MCU load, etc.
• Overall what type of data it will be, depends on the application for which we have designed the system, and accordingly, the source & kind of data will change.

Now let's understand why we have to store the data. There could be multiple reasons why we need to keep the data.

• We may need to store it for future analysis.
• We may need to store it to encounter the system-related issues to make the next version of the system even better.
• We may need to store it to investigate past accidents (Ex. the Black box present in an airplane is a data logger).

The overall data logger is a kind of hardware that stores the data for future use.

We need interfaces to read external input and generate output to automate the process. Also, we need some communication interfaces to communicate with the external machine or hardware.

Following are the interfaces we are covering in this training.

• 0-10v digital input.
• 0-10v analog input.
• 0-10v digital output.
• 4-20mA receiver.
• RS232 interface (communication).
• RS485 interface (communication).

Remote monitoring means monitoring (observing) the process remotely (From a long distance), and similarly, remote controlling means controlling the process remotely without being physically present in the field.

The purpose of most IoT devices is the same. They are either used for remote monitoring or remote control.

Example.

Remote monitoring.

• Monitoring the water pump status remotely.
• Monitoring the temperature, pressure, humidity & motor speed remotely.

Remote controlling.

• Controlling the water pump remotely.
• Controlling the temperature, pressure, humidity & motor speed remotely.

So, in this training, we will see how to monitor & control different processes using wired medium (RS232 & RS485) and wireless medium (WiFi & Bluetooth).

There is a reason why we built hardware around the Arduino platform.

We created training with the purpose of showing the entire development process, which includes both hardware development & firmware development.

Generally, most hardware designers understand how to design hardware but don't know how to program the hardware to make a specific section work.

That's why covering the programming process as simple as possible was essential to give a comprehensive insight into how hardware and firmware work together.

Arduino is simple; you don't have to dive deep into programming to write code for a specific application. So, having a superficial understanding of programming is enough to create an application, which is very important from a beginner's point of view.

So, we wanted to show how to program different sections available on hardware without getting too involved in the programming complexity & Arduino was the perfect solution. That's why creating hardware compatible with the Arduino ecosystem was essential.

The IC used on the hardware is the same IC that is present on the Arduino Mega board (ATMEGA256).

Knowledge of electronics basic components is preferable but not mandatory. All the software/tools that you need for the training would be shared with you during the training as and when you need it.

Our website has a dedicated FAQ page; please check all the available questions. If you still need further assistance, you can always reach us at [email protected], and we will be glad to help you.