Year 3 Project

 28/01/2026 After exams, I resumed work and retested the temperature system to ensure everything still functions correctly after the break. 30/01/2026 I connected the ultrasonic sensor for water level detection. The sensor was powered from 5V and GND rails, with TRIG connected to GPIO 18 and ECHO connected to GPIO 19. I wrote code to calculate distance based on pulse duration. Initially, the distance values were inconsistent because of incorrect timing calculations. After adjusting the code and checking the speed of sound constant, the readings became stable. The logic implemented was: if the measured distance is 3 cm or less, the pump turns ON; otherwise, it stays OFF.

The crowdfunding pitch video was done during Christmas break. Nothing else. 

 1/12/2025 I finalised the heating setup. Instead of using only one heater, I combined both the submersible rod heater and the side mounted heater in parallel, both controlled by Relay Channel 1. This improves heating efficiency and ensures faster temperature stabilisation. 7/12/2025 December update was submitted. 

23/11/2025 I started testing the water pump system. The first pump was connected to Relay Channel 3 (GPIO 27) using the same COM and NO switching method. Although the pump worked correctly, it was too powerful for the aquarium size and drained water too quickly. 25/11/2025 The second pump, which has lower power and flow rate, was tested. This pump provided slower and more controlled water movement, making it more suitable for partial water changes. I decided to use this pump for the final system.

18/11/2025 I had a meeting with my supervisor to discuss the current progress of the project. At this stage, I had successfully tested the temperature and pH sensors and started working with the relay module. During the meeting, he advised me to continuously adjust my project schedule as I progress. Some tasks may take longer than expected, while others may be completed faster. Therefore, it is important to update the timeline regularly instead of strictly following the initial plan. This made me review my Gantt chart and slightly adjust the expected durations of certain work packages, especially hardware testing and debugging. 

  3/11/2025 I tested both heating and cooling working together. The system successfully switched between heater and fan depending on the temperature reading. I also improved the code structure by separating sensor reading functions from control logic. This will make integration easier later.  9 /11/2025 November update was submitted.

20/10/2026 This week I did not carry out physical work on the hardware. Instead, I focused on planning the overall logic of the system. I created a flowchart to describe how the automated aquarium system should operate once all modules are integrated.