1 Table of Contents

1.

SD card .................................................................................................................................................. 2
1.1

Need .............................................................................................................................................. 2

1.2

Protocol ......................................................................................................................................... 2

1.3

FAT16 file system .......................................................................................................................... 2

1.4

Connection with the PIC18F4620 ................................................................................................. 2

1.5

Library function used .................................................................................................................... 3

1.5.1

Mmc_Fat_Init ........................................................................................................................ 3

1.5.2

Mmc_Fat_QuickFormat ........................................................................................................ 3

1.5.3

Mmc_Fat_Assign ................................................................................................................... 3

1.6
2

Data in .txt file ............................................................................................................................... 3

LABVIEW Application ............................................................................................................................ 4

2.1

Advantage ..................................................................................................................................... 4

2.2

Simplicity but still attractive ......................................................................................................... 4

2.3

Main interface ............................................................................................................................... 4

2.3.1

Programming and blocks used .............................................................................................. 5

1. SD card

1.1 Need
It was one of our deliver to store data in some storage device. Storage on remote side was a challenge
for us because first we were advised to store data in USB stick. It was complete project itself because it
required complex routines to store data in it. Then to simplify the task we ordered SD card modules.

1.2 Protocol
It works on SPI protocol. It consists of 4 data pins and 2 power up pin.

1.3 FAT16 file system

At first we thought to store data in raw form. But then we had to make an application in computer to
retrieve data from the card which could be hectic. Therefore we implemented FAT16 file system using
the MikroC compiler MMC_FAT16 library.

1.4 Connection with the PIC18F4620

SD card module
MOSI
MISO
SCK
CS

Microcontroller
SDO
SDA
SCL
To any digital pin for enabling the module

1.5 Library function used

1.5.1

Mmc_Fat_Init

1.5.2 Mmc_Fat_QuickFormat
To format with FAT16 file system. This should be done once in coding.
1.5.3

Mmc_Fat_Assign

This is the main function. As it created file, open it, keep on appending the input data. \n can be used
to move to the next line.

1.6 Data in .txt file

Data is being stored in the card in the following format.
*temperature,humidity,barometric pressure, seconds, minutes, hours, gas threshold
*30,65,18824, 7, 4, 4,203,
*30,67,93493, 7,10, 4,110,
*30,66,93474, 7,11, 4,110,
*30,65,93472, 7,12, 4,0 ,
*30,65,93476, 7,13, 4,1 ,
*30,60,93466, 7,14, 4,0 ,
*27,83,93463, 7,37, 4,1 ,
*27,81,93460, 7,38, 4,0 ,
Time in above data is the time stamp when the data was taken at remote site from the RTC at the
remote site.

2 LABVIEW Application
Data coming from the remote station and the coordinated coming from the GPS part are shown on an
application in LABVIEW.

2.1 Advantage
If our client is buying our product, he has no need to buy LABVIEW with it. We will be giving the client an
executable file of LABVIEW application. There is no need to LABVIEW in the clients machine. They just
need a freely available runtime environment from the official website of LABVIEW to help the
executable to be executed.

2.2 Simplicity but still attractive

It is easy to do graphical programming in LABVIEW for the beginners in GUI fields. It has attractive blocks
to perform different functions.

2.3 Main interface

Raw strings coming from the remote module and GPS part are shown in the top left corner. GPS data
raw string starts from @ and sensors data raw string starts from *. This is just to differentiate
between the two coming string and make the programming simple. Then there are different numerical
indicators and graphs showing the behavior of the coming data over a period of time. You can also see a
map showing the location of the remote module using the data coming from the GPS.

2.3.1

Programming and blocks used

2.3.1.1 Serial communication and strings start detection

Left side blocks are for serial configuration and serial read, a MATLAB script to keep showing data on
screen while switching from one message to other, and the blocks on the right side are for @ and *
detection with some string indicator blocks. Then the same blocks on right side named SCAN STRINGS
FOR TOKENS are used to separate the each sensor data from the both strings.
2.3.1.2 Google URL for map
Google provide us with a URL, most of the things in that URL are constant; mean no need to change, but
we can change coordinates, dimensions of the map, zoom etc. Two main blocks of the LABVIEW were
used to pin point the location of the remote module on the map

Data coming from the user (like zoom), data coming from the remote modules GPS (coordinated), and
some constants like www etc were concatenated using the block in above figure on left side and then
that string representing a URL was displayed on in-built webBrowser window.

2.3.1.3 Graphs

Data coming in the form of humidity, temperature, barometric pressure sensors is plotted continuously
using the above blocks.