Programmable Controller Design for Toy Car

The recent trends towards programmable logic design to implement large segment of their custom logic, either that logic is a simple combinational, sequential as complex finite state machine or I/O port. Widespread availability of programmable logic device has brought custom logic design capabilities

Project Title

Programmable Controller Design for Toy Car

Project Area of Specialization

Robotics

Project Summary

The recent trends towards programmable logic design to implement large segment of their custom logic, either that logic is a simple combinational, sequential as complex finite state machine or I/O port. Widespread availability of programmable logic device has brought custom logic design capabilities to individual and smaller companies to build custom or semi-custom Integrated Circuit (IC). Also programmable logic technology advances rapidly, and manufacturers are continuously offering devices with increased capabilities and speeds. An Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), is mostly used for special purposed IC while programmable logic devices (PLD) that is an alternative to ASIC.  Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLD) are well suited to applications involving control logic, basic state machines. Once a task requires many hundreds and thousands of flip flops, CPLD rapidly become impractical to implement the design. Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) directly address these large resources likes on-chip delay look loops, look up tables, also implemented as small SRAM array for implementation.  The proposed project implements an automated toy car which can be updated according to the applications. The controller of the toy car based on FPGA, which is programmable hardware. The programmable controller can be updated for military purpose where human cannot reach or dangerous to walk. Also an additional feature in this toy car can be sensing the landmine using some sensor and this information can be transferred to the Bluetooth transmitter to connect to smartphone applications. The controller will have two output signal to accelerate the front wheels and back. Also one output signal as break. This controller also implements that the toy car can have capability to avoid obstacle using sensors. The toy car can run also on road which is not balanced

Project Objectives

1. A programmable controller core which can be used for general purpose as well as special purpose features of toy car, which can be amendable to war area automated robots that can follow instruction by Bluetooth link.
2. The programmable feature of the automated toy car will use the FPGA as a programmable device.
3. To understand the hardware programmable language and flow of implementation of FPGA hardware.
4. Develop skill to design small automated system for the environment where human cannot reach or war area. Also this toy can also military personal to clean landmine area without going in person there.
5. To promote digital IC design in Pakistan, that lead to develop very cheap and environment friendly equipment to support our nation either in daily life or in sensitive situation when human are not allow to go there.

Project Implementation Method

Design the controller finite state machine diagram and table. Write the design block in Veriog/VHDL for the finite state machine. Write Stimulus block to test the design block of the controller. Verify the design after simulation in Modelsim. The next task is the selection of the FPGA board that allow all these features and also have small area. As the target is small toy car which can have much big wheel so that it can move on unbalanced roads. Once the FPGA programming performed, the operation of the programmable controller can be confirmed by providing input by switches, while the controller output will be directed to the Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) to show a response from the finite state machine of the Toy car. Now the toy car can used from any model and modified according to our required input and output pins requirement. The final or most critical step is to demonstrate the practical toy car by with an FPGA board inputs and output connection with toy cars. Also side sensors are need to be mounted and input shall be provided to the programmable controller to consider in the finite state machine design.

Benefits of the Project

1. Contribute to the industry as an automate toy car, that can be used for wheel chair controller as well as war oriented area, where human cannot go.
2. A successful development of this toy car lead to Startup Company, which can offer a programmable controller for wheel Chair which can follow the instruction.
3. This project may contribute in industry as an automated war area toy car robot.
4. This will improve the skilled worker for the software and hardware oriented programming for programmable controller as softcore.
5. The country digital IC design will be boosted and more hardware based toy car will be available at much cheaper to save the import for the industry.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

A programmable hardware controller implemented on FPGA board and interfaced to the modified toy car to track a straight path. Also front and back will be of the toy car will be mounted with sensor to avoid an obstacle. The sensor output will be input to the FPGA based programmable controller.

More feature like will added after the first successful operation or movement of the toy car. The proposed toy car can have feature of war oriented area robot if mine sensor will be place under the toy car and a Bluetooth chip transmitter will mounted on the FPGA interface to transfer the data from the controller to smartphone Bluetooth receiver. Finally an app can be designed on the smartphone to get complete data regarding the surrounding of the robot. If more than one programmable controller toy car used, the Internet of Thing (IoT) can also be created to work in groups with other member for much faster operation.

Final Deliverable of the Project

HW/SW integrated system

Type of Industry

Security

Technologies

Robotics

Sustainable Development Goals

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Required Resources

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