Abstract:
The need to design an automatic process for the automation of a locally
designed oil stripping process, has developed because of the effective use of it
in the farming industry. Automatic control must be applied to the system to make
it stable, without increasing the costs of the project in the form of equipment,
training and maintenance.
The Adam-5000 controller can be used in conjunction with a PIC microcontroller
to carry out the monitor and control function on the system. The Adam-5000 is
going to do all the direct monitor and control functions on the system, while the
PIC is responsible for all control instructions to the Adam-5000 and the
processing of the data. By using a PIC in conjunction with an Adam-5000 and a
RS232 communication medium between the two, automatic control can be
carried out on the system, without drastically increasing the costs.
The Adam-5000's analog input modules are responsible for the logging of all
data variables, after which the data is sent to the PIC microcontroller via the
RS232 communication medium. The PIC processes the data accordingly to the
control structure, from where it sends control instructions via the RS232
communication medium to the Adam-5000. By making use of its Relay module,
the Adam-5000 will now carry out all direct control instructions on the system. To ensure that the operator is conscious of problems in the system, indirect control
is also carried out through an alarm and LED indications.
The communication protocol of the PIC and Adam-5000 are going to be
discussed as part of the physical- and datal ink layer of the OSI module. The
study shows that the protocol meets most of the requirements of these two
layers by sending data with flow control and an error correction structure over an
international standard physical layer. The study shows further that by making use
of inexpensive methods [See paragraph 4.1], the control system controls all
critical elements of the process to accomplish a stable controlled system.
