DOGFEEDER WITH NOTIFICATION AND CONTROL VIA SMS

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A Project Study Presented to The Faculty of the College of Information Technology and Engineering De La Salle Lipa

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In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING

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by DEL RIO, ARGUS F. LALUNIO, WILSON Z. MIRASOL, IVAN C. March 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES Chapter 1 page i

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Introduction Objectives of the Study Significance of the Study Conceptual Background Scope and Delimitations of the Project Definition of Terms REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES Review of Related Literature Review of Related Studies Synthesis METHODOLOGY Pre-design Stage Design Stage Development Stage Testing Stage

1 3 4 5 9 10

12 20 22

26 26 27 28

BIBLIOGRAPHY

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 2 3 4 5 6 Conceptual Framework Conceptual Framework of the Proposed Project Full-bridge circuit typically used in strain gauge transducers Petmate Caf Feeder The ERGO 8 day feeder Petmate Le Bistro Electronic Portion-Control Automatic Pet Feeder 7 Block Diagram of Research Methods and Procedures 19 25 page 6 8 17 19 18

Chapter 1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Introduction

Dogs have been known as man's best friend. Owning a dog can be a positive, enjoyable experience for the entire family. Dogs bring companionship and joy to any family. The time and effort spent caring for dog will be returned by a lifelong loyalty and friendship that will be received from them. Dogs, like humans, are highly social creatures and possess a strong desire to communicate and interact with people. They easily fit in peoples lives and interests and can easily adjust to just about any environment with proper training. (Kingston, 2004) Owning a dog requires responsibility and commitment from the owner. Understanding these responsibilities are essential and it is very important to think about the time, effort and expense required for their proper care. It is important that people take care of them like a family member, which includes providing proper food to eat, cleaning, proper grooming, and also providing some entertainment. One important factor on pet care is feeding. Feeding your dog a proper diet is one of the most important things to know about how to take care of a dog. Most dogs need to be fed once or twice a day depending on the breed of the dog. The amount and type of food is taken into consideration for them to have a

well balance meal. Proper feeding will ensure that the pet will grow strong and healthy. Feeding the dog everyday is a responsibility that the entire pet owner should take; however the busy schedule, lack of time and everyday stress, the owners tend to become forgetful or exhausted when doing the simple task. Also when the owners location is far away from the dog, feeding the pet manually is impossible. With this problem, different types of dog feeders are available on the market to solve this problem, making sure that each pet has access to food throughout the day. Some of these dog feeders are the gravity type feeder wherein the food falls into the bowl as the dog empties the bowl, but does nothing to control the amount of eaten by the pet. Also the food sometimes clogs the chute of the feeder preventing food from being dispense. Another type of feeder is the disk type wherein the cover lid rotates and serves food. Since the device has no chute then the owner does not need to rely on the feeder to measure amount of food. The common complaints on this kind of feeder are the poor construction which allows the pet to tear the feeder apart and to access all of the food and frequent battery replacement. (Heil, 2008) With these complaints, the proponents realized the idea of having an automatic dog feeder with weight sensor that can regulated amount of food being dispense at any preset time. The project study is also able to send

notification and receive control via SMS from persons concerned with the cell phone as the medium of communication between the user and the system. The project is called Dog Feeder with Notification and Control via SMS. With the use of cell phone which is economically and readily available as means of transmitting via SMS, it is possible to inform the concerned person in the shortest time possible when their dog is fed on time. Also with the use of GSM technology, it is possible to control the system anywhere and anytime. Objectives of the Study The project study entitled Automatic Dog feeder with Notification and Control via SMS aims to design and develop a system that can automatically provide food to the dog and send notification to the concerned persons and allow wireless control through SMS. Specifically, the study sought to: 1. Construct a weight sensor circuit that will measure the weight of food being dispense. 2. Design and develop a microcontroller based system that will process data and control the quantity of food and the period of time that the machine will dispense food. 3. Integrate GSM application that will provide notification and wireless control through SMS. 4. Implement uninterrupted power supply for the dog feeder system. 5. Test and evaluate the effectiveness of the project.

Significance of the Study The project study entitled Automatic dog feeder with notification and control via SMS offers a solution to pet owners who value quality, in combination with thoughtful, efficient design, allowing this study to easily program a diet customized for the pet's optimum health, and to make adjustments as they mature. It also offers a wireless monitoring technique via text messaging. Replacing manual or free-feeding with an automated solution will profoundly improve the time together, and peace of mind of the owner while away. The project will contribute a great importance to the following people: For the dog owner The project study can help the owner feed their pet even when they are away. This project can serve as a solution to pet feeding and can help the owner to manage their pet easily. For the proponents The proponents will gain more knowledge and experience to improve their skills. The conduct of the project study will enable them to apply their knowledge and skills learned from previous ECE programs. For the educator and students This project can serve as additional information conducive for learning. This will also serve as supplementary information that can help develop their knowledge and skill regarding wireless technology, GSM networking, microcontroller programming.

For the future designer This project can be used for future reference for other similar projects. This project can also be used as a topic for enhancement and development of the system using other technologies and theories. Conceptual Background

Automation is used in a wide variety of systems in which there is a significant substitution of mechanical, electrical, or computerized action for human effort and intelligence. In general usage, automation can be defined as the technologies concerned with performing a process by means of programmed command combined with automatic feedback control to ensure proper execution of instructions. The resulting system is capable of operating without human intervention. Short message service or SMS as it is commonly called is the capability of a cellular terminal to send and/or receive alphanumeric messages within a few seconds where GSM coverage is available. One message can compose of 160 characters or 140 bytes in length. With this the user are able to exchange with other digital cellular network. SMS is now increasingly becoming popular as a messaging service. More than a paging service, when GSM coverage is unavailable, a message is stored by the network and immediately sent when coverage area becomes present. (Peersman, 2000)

Considering the situation about the difficulties encountered in manually feeding the dog, automation could be use to solve such problem. Having a wireless technology can also be helpful by sending notification and control. Given this situation and technology, the proponents of the study aim to design and develop an automatic dog feeder with the idea of having an SMS notification and wireless controlling of the system.

Conceptual Paradigm

Figure 1 illustrates the conceptual paradigm of the design project that will serve as guide in conducting the study.

INPUT
Manual pet feeding Automation of machine and process SMS communication

PROCES S
1. Data gathering: RESEARCH INTERVIEW CANVASSING ACQUIRED SUPERVISION 2. Software design 3. Hardware design 4. Development 5. Actual Testing 6. Evaluation Figure 1. Conceptual Paradigm

OUTPU T

Automated dog feeder with notification and control via SMS

In Figure 1, manual pet feeding, automation of machine and implementation of SMS communication technology are the concept that would be used by the proponents project study. Considering this input of the project study, the proponent will go through the gathering of data. Research is the basic part of any study where all studies will undergo research process. In the process of designing this project study, the proponent will also seek guidance and supervision by interviewing professional electronic engineer, technicians and veterinarians. The proponent will canvass for the cost of the equipment and acquire passable administrative assistance from the proponents project study adviser. The proponents will have conceptual product enhancement, comparison, standards compliance and consultations. They aim to generate comprehensible data, design and develop automated dog feeder with additional features and high-quality standard, and most essentially, accomplish all the requirements. The expected output of the proponents effort is an automatic dog feeder with the idea of having an SMS notification and wireless control.

Figure 2. Conceptual Framework of the Proposed Project

In Figure 2, the whole system was shown in the conceptual framework. This shows a more detailed process of how the project will function. The dog feeder system will operate with the aid of dc power supply. To begin with, keypad is to be used to input the time when will the machine dispense food and the amount of food to be dispense. The information will be directed to the microcontroller unit (MCU). The MCU will process data and send signal to the device to dispense food at any preset time. Upon dispensing, the device will then give time duration for the pet to eat their food. After the time duration, the device will send SMS notification that shows amount of food taken and time of dispensing. A weight sensor will be used to monitor the amount of food. The device can also be controlled by sending SMS through a cellphone commanding the device to dispense food. The GSM module will process the

data from the SMS sent by user. Then the GSM module will send a signal trough the MCU which commands the dog feeder to dispense food. Scope and Delimitations of the study The proponents was able to defined the scope and delimitations to be able to know the ability and limitations. The study will mainly cover the following: a. The studies concerning about the automation of machines and processes. b. The concept of a close loop system to have an accurate output. c. The concept of microcontroller unit as the controlling element of the system. d. The study will also be concerned with wireless data transmission through GSM technology for notification and control via SMS. e. The project study will only use modules for GSM, microcontroller and weight sensor. f. The weight sensor will be used as the sensing element of the project study. g. The study will only cover the kind of dog that eats dry food. h. The device can provide food for one week. The study has the following delimitations: a. The project study can be made to feed multiple dogs but the design of the project study will focus only on feeding one dog.

b. The dispenser is capable of dispensing both dry food and wet food, but the prototype will only use dry food specifically commercial dog foods. c. The study will not consider the eating habits of dogs. d. The study will not provide visual representation in notification process. Definition of Terms

The following terminologies are defined to have a clear perspective on the words that had been used in this study: Automation .It is the use of computers to control industrial machinery and processes, replacing human operators. It is a step beyond mechanization, where human operators are provided with machinery to help them in their jobs. Dispenser.One that dispenses or gives out, especially a machine or container that allows the contents to be removed and used in convenient or prescribed amounts. Feedback.The process of returning a part of the output of a circuit, system, or device to the input, either to oppose the input (negative feedback) or to aid the input (positive feedback) GSM.It is known as the Global System for Mobile Communications (originally from Group Special Mobile) and the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world.

Microcontroller Unit.Is a functional computer system-on-a-chip. It contains a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. Microcontrollers include an integrated CPU, memory (a small amount of RAM, program memory, or both) and peripherals capable of input and output. Module.A separable component, frequently one that is interchangeable with others, for assembly into units of different size, complexity or function Sensor.A sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an instrument. SMS.It stands for short message service. It is also often referred to as texting, sending text messages or text messaging. The service allows for short text messages to be sent from one cell phone to another cell phone or from the web to another cell phone. Strain gauge.A load cell translates loads or forces into measurable electrical output. Strain gauges are placed in the elastic element to sense the strain induced by the load applied on the load cell.

Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Review of Related Literature

In completing this project study, the proponents have found the following studies and literature as relevant to the system being proposed. The theories and descriptions have been taken as guidance in completing this project. This chapter will present and give an overview about some application that uses SMS application, the use of weight sensors and other related project that use microcontroller as the main controller. Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) Mobile phones connect to the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) by locating the cells of different sizes which includes macro, micro, femto, umbrella and pico cells in the network surroundings. Macro cells are the largest cells that cover radio signals. Micro cells cover a small geographical. Pico cell is a wireless communication scheme and also cover a small geographical area. Femto cell is a small base station designed to provide the needs of minor business area. The application of GSM is dependent upon its frequency. All 2G and 3G cell phones have GSM. 2G mobile technology has brought a revolution to the mobile technologies so that the 2G technologies replace by 3G technologies like EDGE and UMTS (GSM Technology, 2010).

GSM Module GSM module accept SMS request from a mobile user. The GSM modem can receive and respond from this SMS request through the help of this module. The user can enable or disable the communication with the GSM modem. Particularly in the communication of GSM modem, the user should enable the communication and it is only disable when the database is updated or edited (Bhoir, 2011). Mobile phone An electronic device often referred to as a cellular phone. Mobile telephone is a type of shortwave analogue or digital telecommunication. It uses a radio wave or satellite transmission to connect in a wireless communication network. It provides voice communications, Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS), and newer phones may also provide Internet services such as web browsing and e-mail (Abdul, 2010). Mobile phones works based on the concept of wireless technology and cell networking. It picks up signal from the cellular system means division of city into a cell. Each cell has its own base station where this base station has the radio equipment to spread the mobile frequency used in a city. Large number of base station is necessary in a city to function the mobile phones easily. Mobile phones have special codes which

identify the phones number and network operator of individual mobile phone (Cell Phones, 2006). Short Message Service Short message service or SMS as it is commonly called is the capability of a cellular terminal to send and/or receive alphanumeric messages within a few seconds where GSM coverage is available. One message can compose of 160 characters or 140 bytes in length. With this the user are able to exchange with other digital cellular network. SMS is now increasingly becoming popular as a messaging service. More than a paging service, when GSM coverage is unavailable, a message is stored by the network and immediately sent when coverage area becomes present (Cvetkovic, 2000). SMS message are handled by short message service center which is maintained by the cellular provider for the end devices. Binary data can also be sent over the air via text message. Typically, the application on the phone that handles messages containing binary data. Some of this is downloading of ringtones, on or off of animation and exchange of picture messages (Brown, 2007). Microcontroller Microcontrollers are special purpose computers. It is dedicated to perform one specific program at a time. The program is stored on the read-only memory. It has a low power rating which consumes about 50

mill watts. A microcontroller also takes input from the device it is controlling and controls the device by sending signals to different components in the device (Singh, 2008). A microcontroller is an expensive single-chip computer. It is capable of storing and running a program. The microcontroller contains a central processing unit (CPU), random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), input/output (I/O) lines, serial and parallel ports, timers and other built in peripherals, such as analog to digital (A/D), and digital to analog (D/A).It has the ability to store and run unique programs that makes it extremely versatile. Its ability to perform math and logic function allows it to imitate sophisticated logic and electronic circuits (Iovine, 2004). Microcontroller can also be classified in terms of programming as Flash Devices and One Time Programmable Devices. Flash devices are microcontroller which can be reprogrammed or which allow the program to erase. One Time Programmable devices are microcontroller which can be programmed once or when the program is wrong the microcontroller cannot be used again (Smith, 2006). Strain Gauge Configurations Strain gauges are sensing devices that change resistance at their output terminals when stretched or compressed. It is normally connected to a solid material to measure its dimensional changes when put into

compression or tension. Strain gauges are often used in measuring pressure, tension and force. Strain gauges have a characteristic gauge factor that is defined as the fractional change in resistance divided by the strain (Gyorki, 2005). Poisson effect in honour of the French scientist Simeon Poisson takes place when an object is subjected to mechanical strain, it contracts or expands. Spring element that exhibits Poisson effect is used with the addition of strain gauge that varies its electrical resistance. Stress is measured by attaching a spring element with the strain gauge to the surface that contract or expands where the mechanical change is determined by the gauge. The applied force will vary the electrical resistance of the strain gauge, the intensity of the force applied is proportional to the intensity of the electrical resistance varied (Maloney, 2004). Wheatstone Full-Bridge Circuit with Strain Gauge Sensor A Wheatstone bridge is used to convert force or loads into electrical output. Gauges are placed in the elastic element to sense the strain induced by the load applied on the cell. A greater sensitivity will rise out when more than one gauge is used. A basic full-bridge circuit typically used in strain gauge transducers is illustrated in Figure 3 (Maloney, 2004).

Figure 3.Full-bridge circuit typically used in strain gauge transducers

Commercially available dog feeder There are many different types of pet feeders on the market today attempting to solve the problem of making sure that each pet has access to a healthy amount of food throughout the day, regardless of the owners schedule. The following are samples of commercially available dog feeders. Petmate Caf Feeder The most basic pet feeder is a gravity feeder, which consists of a hopper full of food which falls into a bowl as the bowl is emptied by the pet. This type of feeder as shown in figure 4 is not meant to control portion sizes or access to the food. The most common complaint being that the food hopper can be knocked off by the pet. (Hail, 2008).

Figure 4.Petmate Caf Feeder

The ERGO 8 day feeder The advantage of this type of feeder over the gravity-type feeders is that there is no chute to get clogged with food, and the owner does not need to rely on the feeder itself to measure how much food will be served, since the owner places the exact amount to be fed in each compartment. The device operates by rotating the lid when the programmed time is reached. the ERGO 8 day feeder is shown in figure 5. The problem with this device is that it has a poor construction which allow pet to tear the feeder apart and allowing access to the food, requires frequent change of battery and cover rotates rather than the base. (Hail, 2008)

Figure 5. The ERGO 8 day feeder

Petmate Le Bistro Electronic Portion-Control Automatic Pet Feeder This pet feeder holds 4.5 pounds of food and can dispense portions from cup up to 3 cups. This device can be program to dispense food up to 3 meals per day. The device can be programmed to respond to regular meal times and amounts. The most common complaints about this type of feeder is that the programming is very difficult and is lost when the batteries are removed, the smallest portion of food is too large for some pets, and that the food gets jammed in the chute leaving the pet hungry. The figure 6 illustrates the Petmate Le Bistro Electronic PortionControl Automatic Pet Feeder. (Hail, 2008)

Figure 6. Petmate Le Bistro Electronic Portion-Control Automatic Pet Feeder

Review of related study

Foreign study A study entitled SMS Based Wireless Home Appliance Control System for Automating Appliances and Security by Sikandar et al.(2009), demonstrated two sub-system for automating appliances and security purposes via SMS. The appliance control subsystem enables the user to control home appliances using SMS. The system is capable to instruct user via SMS, from a specific cell number, to change the condition of the home appliance according to the users needs and requirements. The second system is about security alert which is achieved in a way that on the detection of intrusion the system allows automatic generation of SMS thus alerting the user against security risk. System allowed the provision of security such that system took no action against the instruction received from unauthorized number. The required task was performed only when the pre-configured number instructed the system. The study entitled A Proto-Type for Home Automation Using GSM Technology by Srinivasa (2010), utilizes the technology of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) to control electrical device at home from a remote location using a mobile phone. This is achieved by

sending an SMS to a receiver present at home which is in turn connected to a hardware kit. The SMS then received by the receiver is transmitted to the microcontroller using a serial port. The microcontroller then reads the

message received and controls the appropriate device. The study made use of a microcontroller specifically AT90S8515 microcontroller with an assembly language coded program which is stored in a built-in flash memory of the microcontroller. A relay circuit is use for protection against strong reverse current. The GSM modem served as the transmitter/receiver of the system. Local Study Abdul et al. (2010), conducted a project study entitled SMS Based Water Level Monitoring System is a device that can detect and monitor the level of water and with the use of cell phone, it will warn the people concerned for the shortest time possible when water is in critical level. The proponents used a mechanical type of sensor specifically the water level sensor. The proponents made use of the combination of the conductivity system and the float system. They used plastic floater to easily float in the water having sensor switch connected in the floater. The system is composed of Zilog Encore Z8F6421 as microcontroller, BenQ as the GSM Module, Buzzer and three switch sensor with floater. The sensor was connected to the ground to be activated and it sends the signal to the Zilog Encore Z8F6421 microcontroller. There were three levels of warning message and when the third level of warning message was activated the system sent a warning message to the BENQ GSM module and an irritating buzzer will activate to warn the concerned people.

Bonares, et al. (2007) conducted a project study entitled SMS Integrated Home Security System demonstrated the use of GSM technology by designing a security device that can monitor and at the same time send SMS informing the concerned person automatically through the network provider, when there is fire, smoke, and intruder inside the home in the shortest possible time . The sensors will serve as the switches of the security system. When one of the sensors is triggered it will send a digital signal to the microcontroller. The microcontroller will then facilitate the whole process in sending the message to the mobile equipment then to the network provider until it reaches the destination or the cell phone of the owner. Synthesis

Two groups of researchers made use of the same concept of controlling devices using GSM technology. The research entitled SMS Based Wireless Home Appliance Control System (HACS) for Automating Appliances and Security made use of a GSM module as a transceiver of the device. PC is used as the controlling element of the device. The study entitled A Proto-Type for Home Automation Using GSM Technology also uses a GSM module as a transceiver of the device. This study is able to control their respective devices at home from a remote location by a simple mobile phone. This is achieved by sending an SMS to receiver present at home which is in turn connected to a

hardware kit. Both studies are related to this project study since all study uses a GSM module as a means of connection between the user and the device. Also through SMS, the studies are able to control their respective devices wirelessly. The concept of notification via SMS was implemented by two more study; they only vary in the sensor use for the triggering of notification. The project entitled SMS based water-level monitoring system is uses a floater that will activate a switch once the water reach a certain level. By using GSM module specifically a, BenQ as the GSM module, notification is then sent to the GSM network to the concerned person through SMS. The controlling element used Zilog family. Another study entitledSMS Integrated home security system uses a sensor that will activate when fire, smoke or intruder is detected. Upon activation notification will be sent through the GSM network using a GSM module as a transmitter for SMS sending. Both studies are related to this study since both studies are able to send notification regarding a certain situation or event using SMS as a means of communication between the user and the devices.

Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY
This chapter present and discuss the procedures and the methodology used for the design and development of the Automated Dog Feeder with Notification and Control via SMS. The study will be constructed under the descriptive type of research and applied type of research. Creswell (1994) stated that the descriptive type of research is to gather information about the present existing condition. This type of research allows the proponents to gather information from other existing related studies which are relevant to the project study and further investigation may be conducted when important new issues and questions arise during the duration of the study. Applied type of research will be undertaken to solve practical problems rather than to acquire knowledge for knowledge sake. According to Malik (2008), applied type of research deals with practical problems. This type of research uses basic research; past theories and knowledge to solve an existing problem arise from the study. To achieve the reliability, functionality and well-organized model, the proponents give consideration to the four different stages namely: pre-design stage, design stage, development stage and testing stage.

Pre-design Stage Review and Evaluation of existing commercially available dog feeder Research about the study Conducting an interview on technical persons

Design Stage Designing the layout of the study Consideration of necessary components Program flow chart

Development Stage Hardware Development Fabrication of PCB layout Familiarization of the components Program Development Consultation with the professionals Developing necessary program language

Testing Stage Performance and efficiency testing of the design project Testing of the program developed Actual simulation of the design project

Figure 7.Block Diagram of Research Methods and Procedures

Pre Design Stage

To develop the project study, goals will be set in order to create the design project study and the proponents will make a brain storming in order to know the focus of the design project. Gathering of different related studies serve as a source to come up with various applications related for the design project. The proponents evaluate commercially available dog feeder and will consult different articles, websites, magazines and books which help in accomplishing the success of the design project. To improve the design conceptualization of the project study, the proponents will interview some technical persons typically in the field of Electronics Engineering and Computer Programming. Also upon gathering the important data consideration of the availability of components that can be used will be considered.

Design Stage

Through comprehensive plans and analysis of the project study, the proponents will come up with the layout of the design. In this stage, proponents will deal with the diagram and design of the components necessary in the project study. This also includes the development of block diagram, component costs and the availability of the components.

This stage will incorporate with the programming stage where a computer programming language will be use to acquire the program that functions according to the design project. Development Stage

Plans from the design pre-design and design stage will be used to achieve the goals in this stage. At this stage necessary components will be purchased and fabrications of PCB layout for the circuits will be completed for the actual construction of the project study. Hardware Development For hardware development, the proponents will use the block diagram to come up with the overall design and fabrication of the Automated Dog Feeder with Notification and Control via SMS. This would involve the familiarization of microcontrollers that are available in the market. For the selection of the microcontroller the proponents will be considering the price and specifications that has been used in other studies and that would fit our application. The hardware consists of GSM module, load cell sensor and microcontroller. The display will be an LCD display. A keypad will accept the input parameters to operate the feeding machine.

Program Development For the program development, consultations with the professional in the field of programming will be conducted. Different approaches will be considered that can help to accomplish the project study. The software will involve the programming language that depends on the microcontroller chosen. If possible programming language will be explored by the proponents. Testing stage

After the designing and developing stage of the project study, the performance and efficiency of the Automated Dog Feeder with Notification and Control via SMS will be tested. The proponents will do different testing procedure for the different design circuits then the output of each will be compared to the expected outcome. The whole system which includes the device and the created programs will be tested through the actual simulation of an Automated Dog Feeder with Notification and Control via SMS. The program should be able to facilitate the simulation and perform every instruction properly.

B i b l i o g ra p h y

Books Bhoir, D. Surve, F. & Unnikrishnan, S. (2011). Advances in computing, communication and control. Proceedings of the international conference, icac3 2011 (pp. 125). Mumbai, India: springer heidelberg dordrecht . Brown, J. Shipman, B. & Vetter, R. (2007). SMS: The Short Message Service. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. Gyorki, R. (2005). Strain sensor basics and signal conditioning tips. United State of America: Mc GrawHill Companies. Iovine, J. (2004). PIC Microcontroller Projects Book 2nd Edition. United States of America: Mc GrawHill Companies. Maloney, T.(2004). Modern Industrial Electronics 5th Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA: Pearson Prentice-Hall, 2004 Singh A.(2008). Microcontroller and embedded system:New Age International. Smith, W. (2004). Pic in practice: a project-based approach. Jordan Hill, Oxford: Elsevier linacre housel.

ELECTRONIC SOURCES

Cell Phones.(2006). Retrieved February 26, 2011 from http://cellphones.org/blog/tag/cell-phones/ What is GSM Technology?. freewimaxinfo. (2010). Retrieved March 11, 2011, from http://www.freewimaxinfo.com/gsm-technology.html

UNPUBLISHED SOURCES

Abdul, F. Asfour, M. Dela Cruz, B. Macarrubo, V. & Palafox, P. (2010).SMS based water-level monitoring system. Unpublished manuscript, Bayombong, Nueve Viscaya

Bonares, A. Jacinto, D.(2007).SMS integrated home security system. Unpublished manuscript Cvetkovic,S. Griffiths, P. Spear, H. Peersman, C. (2000).The Global for Mobile Commmunications Short Message Service. Unpublished manuscript.Sheffield University, United Kingdom Hail, R. McCarthy, K. Rege, F. & Rodriguez, A. (2008).Smart Pet Feeder. Unpublished manuscript.Boston, MA Khan, A. Shehzadi, E. Sikandar, M.(2009). SMS Based Wireless Home Appliance Control System(HACS) for Automating Appliances and Security. Unpublished manuscript, Rawalpindi, Pakistan Madan Mohan, R. Prasad, S.D.V. Srinivasa, B.(2010). A Proto-Type for Home Automation Using GSM Technology. Unpublished manuscript, Allahabad