Design and implementation of an embedded home surveillance system with zero alert power using a photovoltaic array

In this paper we design and implement an embedded home surveillance system with zero alert power using a photovoltaic array. Traditional surveillance systems suffer from an unnecessary waste of power and the shortcomings of memory conditions in the absence of invasion. In this design we use Pyroelectric Infrared sensors (PIR) and pressure sensors as the alert group whose power is supplied by the photovoltaic array in both those windows and doors where an intruder must pass through. These low-power alert sensors wake up the low-power MCU (Micro Controller Unit) which implements the power management for those ultrasonic sensors and PIR sensors located indoors. This state transition method saves a large number of sensors required for the alert power. We also use the Majority Voting Mechanism (MVM) to manage the sensor groups to enhance the probability of multiple sensors sensing. After the MCU sends the sensor signals to the embedded system, the program starts the Web camera. Our sensing experiment shows that we reduce the system´s power consumption.