Lighting is the largest item of electricity consumption. The implementation of new technologies makes it possible to reduce the energy bill as well as the operating cost. Having an intelligent lighting system allows both the economic and commercial development of society, and guarantees adapted and more modern lighting.
In this work, we created a control and management system for the exterior lighting using creative, intelligent and autonomous methods. The project allows control room operators to monitor the system and interact when needed. Our project is subdivided into three major parts, ordering, data processing, and action. The first part is carried out in two modes, manual and controlled with a graphical interface. The second is processed by a microcontroller, an Arduino-nano in our case. As for the third part, it does the action of controlling three poles through the opto-triacs for full and half lighting.
The inputs-outputs available on the arduino card must be handled with great care. In order to control the three poles manually, we use galvanic isolation between the inputs of the microcontroller and the outside world. In other words, there will be no electrical connection between the arduino board and the external devices and the transfer of information will be done by light using an electronic component called 'optocoupler'. The mode controlled by the graphical user interface that does not require optocoupler inputs, because the microcontroller will be directly controlled by RS232 type serial communication by using MAX232 integrated circuit.
For the controlled mode, we are going to use the dimmer principle within MOC3023 optotriac integrated circuit and BTA16-600B triac . A dimmer is an electronic device designed to regulate light output of incandescent and halogen lamps with special dimming ballasts. A light dimmer works by essentially chopping parts out of the AC voltage. This allows only parts of the waveform to pass to the lamp. The brightness of the lamp is determined by the power transferred to it, so the more the waveform is chopped, the more it dims. The BTA16-600B triac output is driven by the ULN2803 via the MOC3023 optotriac.
Azero crossing control is needed for phase cutting. This is a circuit that tells the Arduino when the sinus-wave goes through zero and therefore gives a defined point on that sinus wave. The zero crossing is directly derived from the rectified mains AC lines – via an 4N35 optocoupler and gives a signal every time the wave goes through zero. Because the sine wave first goes through double phased rectification, the zero-crossing signal is given regardless whether the sinus wave goes up through zero or down through zero. This signal then can be used to trigger an interrupt in the Arduino.
The graphical application of our project has a rather sketchy design. It is divided into two windows, the first consist connection window, and the second is for the main control interface. On this control interface, there are basically three tabs, connection and serial connection status, control, and operating mode.
Thus, we can consider some improvements here and there to make this project more efficient thanks to current and voltage sensors in order to have an exact consumption of each lighting mast. The basic idea is very promising and we were able to materialize this idea by realizing a system of control and management of external lighting containing several poles of lighting.