Implementation of various industrial applications using soft-core Pico-Blaze controller on FPGA
Automation word come from the Greek word ?Automatos? meaning ?acting of oneself?. Automation is a technique of making a system operate automatically. Before 1760s there is no any machineries are available for the work. After 1760s the mechanical boom and the spinning machine were develop.
2025-06-28 16:27:47 - Adil Khan
Implementation of various industrial applications using soft-core Pico-Blaze controller on FPGA
Project Area of Specialization RoboticsProject SummaryAutomation word come from the Greek word “Automatos” meaning “acting of oneself”. Automation is a technique of making a system operate automatically. Before 1760s there is no any machineries are available for the work. After 1760s the mechanical boom and the spinning machine were develop. That reduce the human work and increase the productivity this advancement make the revolution industries that revolution are industry 1.0. The day by day the industry were go in advancement so nowadays the industries are work based on industry 4.0 and also the work are going on the industry 5.0. A general automation consist of sensor, controller, process and feedback. The sensor are taking the input condition, controller for processing on the input signal and generate the control/required signal, process block that convert the control signal in plant’s required form, feedback are used also sensor to sense the status of the output and the comparator for comparing input signal and the feedback signal . Figure 1 shows the general block diagram of the automation. The controller is the heart of the Automation. The controllers are in two configuration hard core and soft-core controller. When the controller is good then who operates the automation process in good way.
Figure 1 General block diagram of the automation process
The hard core physically implemented structure in silicon. The logical structure are fabricated in silicon that generate the required logic. They have in small in size, but the designing of hard-core processor are very difficult and time taking due to the different testes and the designing process are expensive. For that purpose, industries are moving forward to use soft-core processors. Soft-core processors are microprocessors that can be adequately described by programming usually in HDL, mainly Verilog or VHDL. This code can be synthesized using different tools depending on the manufacturer and can implemented on FPGAs.
Due to the many features of the soft-core processor as compare to the hard-core processor. Nowadays, industries preferring soft-core processors instead of hard-core processor. For that, we implement the most common industrial application liquid filling with soft-core processor. In sense of enhance some feature like accuracy, fast response, cost effective and so on in form of close loop system. They are also very helpful to move the industries from 4.0 to 5.0.
Project Objectives- Usage of soft-core processor instead of hard-core processor for industrial application?
- Implementation the bottle filling application with PicoBlaze soft-core processor.
The water filling application implements in both open and close loop system. However, we implement in a closed loop system to enhance the accuracy of the bottle filling.
Automatic bottle filling is most common industrial application in which automatically filling a liquid like (water, Soft drinks, oils etc.) into a bottle at fixed/required level. To implement the bottle filling application,we use the Xilinx soft-core processor Picoblaze. On sparton-3 FPGA, board. Program the sparton-3E FPGA as picoBlaze in HDL (Verilog). Then program the picoBlaze for the bottle filling application in C language. Figure 1 show the block diagram of the automatic bottle filling application they have four main blocks
- Input block
- Power supply block
- Controller block
- Output block
Input block has start button, stop button and the sensor for guiding the process. The start button for on/off the process, stop button (Emergency button) for stop the process in an unwanted situation, IR sensor is used to sense the position of the bottle and the level of the tank from where the liquid are cames. The power supply are used for powering the sparton-3E, to run the conveyer belt, to powering the sensors. PicoBlaze used to generate the output according to the inputs like as a controller. The output block have motor and solenoid valve. Stepper Motor for controllable running of the conveyor and the solenoid valve used to control the flow of the liquid.
IR sensor attaches to the front of the conveyer belt. When the bottle comes with its filling position, then the sensor changes its state. Produce the signal that, ‘The bottle of position’ and this signal stop the conveyer belt. PicoBlaze generate the signal to open/close the solenoid valve for programed time. After the bottle filled the picoBlaze re-run the conveyer belt and the same process were repeat. If the IR sensor of the tank detects the level of the tank is less than its working level that programmed that it generate the empty tank signal in the form of the red light on the tank and stop the process. When the pump starts to fill and the level comes to an allowable level, then the process again starts.
Figure 1: Block diagram of the automatic bottle filling application
Figure 2 show the physical representation of the bottle filling application.
Figure 2: Representation of the bottle filling application
Benefits of the Project- It helps in Advancement of industries.
- It boosts the Economy.
- It creates the Opportunities of the employment.
- Implementation of the Automation easy.
Redesigning of the hard-core controller is not possible, Its like a barrier in industry advancement so this issue were resolved by the soft-core processors they are re-designable.
Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry ManufacturingOther IndustriesCore Technology RoboticsOther TechnologiesSustainable Development Goals Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureRequired Resources| Item Name | Type | No. of Units | Per Unit Cost (in Rs) | Total (in Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total in (Rs) | 36200 | |||
| Spartan-3 starter Board | Equipment | 1 | 18500 | 18500 |
| Stepper motor with polley | Equipment | 1 | 2000 | 2000 |
| IR sensor | Equipment | 3 | 115 | 345 |
| Water pump with connection pipe | Equipment | 1 | 500 | 500 |
| Power supply | Equipment | 1 | 300 | 300 |
| 5mm led | Equipment | 6 | 2 | 12 |
| Jumping Wires | Equipment | 1 | 120 | 120 |
| load cell (10 Kg) | Equipment | 1 | 520 | 520 |
| 12V 1/2inch N/C Plastic Electric Solenoid Valve | Equipment | 1 | 1158 | 1158 |
| conveyor belt with frame | Equipment | 1 | 2500 | 2500 |
| push button | Equipment | 2 | 90 | 180 |
| water Gallone | Equipment | 1 | 485 | 485 |
| water Bottle | Equipment | 6 | 30 | 180 |
| screws, screw driver | Equipment | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |
| stand and connection wires (5 meter) and etc | Equipment | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |
| print and photocopy | Miscellaneous | 1 | 2000 | 2000 |
| Thesis books | Miscellaneous | 3 | 1800 | 5400 |