Team MEGR3171 3-Photon security: Faisal Alsarraf, Timothy Groff, Ayoub Rustum

Published April 14, 2019

IoT Home Security Project

A simple IoT project using Particle Photon devices and an ultrasonic sensor to detect the unauthorized opening of your home's main door.

IntermediateFull instructions provided15 hours1,787

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Particle Photon

Solderless Breadboard Half Size

Ultrasonic Sensor - HC-SR04 (Generic)

Male/Male Jumper Wires

LED (generic)

Through Hole Resistor, 470 ohm

Resistor 1k ohm

Software apps and online services

Particle Build Web IDE

IFTTT Maker service

Story

As an IoT project designed for the MEGR 3171 Instrumentation class, we've chosen to go with the idea of designing a simple home security system using three Particle Photons, an HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor and the IFTTT app.

This system would operate as follows: The Photon with a sensor attached to it is placed against the wall behind the main door of the home, and is activated along with its components. As the door opens, it would normally swing towards the Photon, enabling the sensor to detect the close proximity of the opened door. Photon one would then publish an event that would be picked up by Photon 2, which would then forward it to Photon 3. Each of the three Photons is linked with the IFTTT app, which sends a notification to the Photon handler's phone when this intrusion is detected.

This project could in theory be made with a single Photon, but a project requirement was to display that every Photon is able to communicate with the other two Photons involved. To achieve this, a white LED was attached to each Photon's breadboard, as it would be activated along with the built in blue D7 LED according to the following order:

Photon 1: published event lights Blue LED on Photon 2 + White LED on Photon 3.

Photon 2: Published event lights Blue LED on Photon 3 + White LED on Photon 1.

Photon 3: Published event lights Blue LED on Photon 1 + White LED on Photon 2.

This would in terms satisfy the requirement of three-way communication across all involved devices. Pictures of the three Photons can be seen below:

1 / 3 • Photon 1 - Faisal's

The "Response" part of the project was done by utilizing the IFTTT app. Each one of the three handlers (Ayoub, Tim, and I) have connected our Photon's events with the built in IFTTT notification system, so that our phones would tell us whenever an Intrusion was detected.

Google Sheets was also connected using the IFTTT app to Photon 1, so that a row of data displaying the published event and time of publication would be added every time an intrusion was detected to keep track of all times of intrusions. This log can be accessed here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_-qLNTm3qlY_xCkIlmfUm9kpe_EwzXkbzrTXjcJliqg/edit?usp=sharing

The configuration the IFTTT applets used in this project are shown below, where each user has his own notifications connected to his Photon's event, in addition to the Google Spreadsheets log being connected to Photon 1.

1 / 4 • Photon 1 - Google Spreadsheet Applet

The code for the project is provided below, as well as schematics, pictures and a video demonstrating the operation of the security system. We hope you enjoy!

Project Demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW1cnpVj6-E&feature=youtu.be

(Note: Copy and Paste the Youtube link in your browser search bar if the hyperlink isn't working.)

Code

unsigned long sensorData;
unsigned long startingTime;
long lastTimer;
bool opCheck; 

void setup() {
    pinMode(D7, OUTPUT); //LED1: Built in LED will be used for messages coming from Third Photon.
    pinMode(D3, OUTPUT); //LED2: Added LED will be used for messages coming from Second Photon.
    pinMode(D2, OUTPUT); //TrigPin: This will be used as the trigger for the sensor.
    pinMode(A2, INPUT); //EchoPin: This will be used as the echo pin for the sensor.
    attachInterrupt(A2, echoPin, FALLING); //Falling Edge interrupt attached including echo pin function time
    
    Particle.subscribe("TimGroff3171", myHandler);
    Particle.subscribe("AyoubRustum3171", myHandler2);
}


void loop() {
    if (opCheck == false && millis() - lastTimer > 1000 ) { //To Check the operation of the system
        opCheck = true; //Check if theres no operation for over a second
        
        sensorData = 0; 
        lastTimer = millis(); //Set current time for the timer
        
        digitalWrite(D2, HIGH); //activate trigPin to send wave
        delayMicroseconds(10); //10 microseconds needed for wave to be sent and bounced back
        digitalWrite(D2, LOW); //Turn off trigPin
        
        startingTime = micros();  // get time now for start
    }

    if (sensorData) { //When sensor gets under certain threshold, publish command to friend's Photons:
        if (sensorData < 2000) { // This data is what ultrasonic sensor reads. 2000-3000 found to be ideal range for this application.
            Particle.publish("FaisalAlsarraf3171", "Intrusion");
        }
    
        else { //Do nothing if sensor data is over the threshold
        }
    
        opCheck = false; //Resetting the operation check variable
        sensorData = 0; //Resetting the sensor data value
        delay(10); //Providing a 10 millisecond delay to avoid issues
    }
}


void echoPin() {
    sensorData = micros() - startingTime; //Time function for echo pin
}


void myHandler(const char *TimGroff3171, const char *data) { //Light White LED when data is received from Tim's Photon
    digitalWrite(D3, HIGH);
    delay(1000);  
    digitalWrite(D3, LOW);
    delay(10);
}


void myHandler2(const char *AyoubRustum3171, const char *data) { //Light Built in Blue LED when data is received from Ayoub's Photon
    digitalWrite(D7, HIGH);
    delay(1000);  
    digitalWrite(D7, LOW);
    delay(10);
}

void setup()
{   
    Particle.subscribe("FaisalAlsarraf3171", myHandler);
    Particle.subscribe("AyoubRustum3171", myHandler2);
    
    pinMode(D7, OUTPUT);   // Primary (Blue) Built in LED
    pinMode(D4, OUTPUT);   // Secondary (White) LED
}
void myHandler(const char *FaisalAlsarraf3171, const char *data) { 
    digitalWrite(D7, HIGH);
    delay(1000);  
    digitalWrite(D7, LOW);
    Particle.publish("TimGroff3171", "NotifyPhotons");
    delay(10);
    
}
void myHandler2(const char *AyoubRustum3171, const char *data) { 
    digitalWrite(D4, HIGH);
    delay(1000);
    digitalWrite(D4, LOW);
    delay(10);
}

void setup()
{   
    Particle.subscribe("FaisalAlsarraf3171", myHandler);
    Particle.subscribe("TimGroff3171", myHandler2);

    pinMode(D7, OUTPUT);   // Primary (Blue) Built in LED
    pinMode(D2, OUTPUT);   // Secondary (White) LED 
}

void myHandler(const char *TimGroff3171, const char *data) { 
    digitalWrite(D7, HIGH);
    delay(1000);  
    digitalWrite(D7, LOW);
    Particle.publish("AyoubRustum3171","SendMessage");
    delay(10);
    
}

void myHandler2(const char *FaisalAlsarraf3171, const char *data) { 
    digitalWrite(D2, HIGH);
    delay(1000);  
    digitalWrite(D2, LOW);
    delay(10);

    
}

IoT Home Security Project

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Story

Schematics

Fritzing Diagram for Photon 1

Fritzing Diagram for Photons 2 and 3

Code

Code for Photon 1

Code for Photon 2

Code for Photon 3

Credits

Faisal Alsarraf

Timothy Groff

Ayoub Rustum

Comments

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IoT Home Security Project

IoT Home Security Project

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Story

Schematics

Fritzing Diagram for Photon 1

Fritzing Diagram for Photons 2 and 3

Code

Code for Photon 1

Code for Photon 2

Code for Photon 3

Credits

Faisal Alsarraf

Timothy Groff

Ayoub Rustum

Comments

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