Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Computing Methodologies and Communication (ICCMC 2018)
IEEE Conference Record # 42656; IEEE Xplore ISBN:978-1-5386-3452-3
A User-Friendly Low-Cost Mobile App Based Home
Appliance Control And Circuit Breaker
Hasan U. Zaman, Rafiunnisa, Arafat Muhammad Shams
Department of ECE, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
hasan.zaman@northosuth.edu, arafat.shams21@gmail.com, rafinisa2012@gmail.com
Abstract— Along with the constant improvement of different
electronic devices, the safety of technicians has also become a
matter of great concern, as the lives of technicians are at risk
while they work by switching off the circuit breakers, because
even after the circuit breaker has been turned off, someone can
unknowingly turn it on while the technician is still working.
There must be a system for ensuring security for the technicians.
Also, people do not like having to walk to switches all the time to
turn on/off appliances such as fan/light/air conditioner. It results
in wasted energy because of unnecessarily keeping appliance on.
To solve these problems, we came up with a system with
password controlled circuit breakers and wireless control of
home appliances using an Android app. It replaces the
traditional circuit breaker on/off system with a password
controlled system, where nobody can turn on the circuit breaker
without the password. Remote control of the home appliances
helps the user save electricity. It also enhances the quality and
comfort of life. The system also includes a home security
mechanism against illegal intrusion using a password controlled
door lock system and a mechanism for detecting dangerous gas
leakages. The system is built using an Arduino mega
microcontroller, a Bluetooth module, a matrix 4x4 keyboard, a
methane gas sensor and an Android mobile application. The
whole system can be made compact in an integrated system.
Keywords— Arduino, BT, Mobile Phone App, Fire Alarm,
Automated Door Lock, Password Controlled Circuit Breaker
I. INTRODUCTION
As the electrical components are being upgraded day by
day, the safety of electricians has also become an important
issue along with it. Generally, electricians turn off the main
line of the circuit breaker before working on any home
appliance. So, it is very important for them to make sure that
nobody else turns it back on when the electrician is working on
any of the home appliances. At the same time the people at
home also want a comfortable life. After researching about
these requirements of people, we came up with a solution. We
are confident that our system will be able to serve a wide
variety of people and make the life of the users easy and
comfortable.
In the designed system, two categories of people will be
benefited. One benefitted group will be the electricians who
will be able to turn off the circuit breaker by using a password
controlled interface with a display while working on electrical
home appliances. Another category is the general group of
users who will be able to control the home appliances by using
the mobile app. They will also be able to avoid the dangers of
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gas leakage, because the methane gas sensor will help them
turn off the gas stoves if they mistakenly keep gas stoves on. In
the absence of this safety system, the turned on gas stove may
fill up the kitchen with gas and when the stove is turned on, it
can cause a fire explosion.
II. EXISTING SYSTEMS
There had been a great amount of home automation and
power efficiency related work as they are becoming easy to
afford and also available to many engineers to work with. In
addition to that, internet of things made it easier for us to work
with electronic devices and android based mobile phone
applications. Different types of home security devices are
implemented that supports RFID and also wireless data
communications facility. Many Bluetooth controlled mobile
applications has also been made which can only support one or
two purposes. Many of the systems are made to control the
brightness of light and also many are there to control the speed
of fan. Some are implemented to make the entrance of the
home secure with video monitoring options. Most of them
focused either on home automation or the security.
Most of the existing systems do not provide any facility of
password controlling the circuit breaker in a compact way like
our one and also they do not support the home automation and
security in one system [1]. Most of them are already
implemented systems that do not provide low cost maintenance
facility and are not user friendly.
Some existing systems use Dual Tone Radio frequency for
implementing the systems, which is not feasible because
sometimes it gets interrupted by other wireless frequency
signals [2].
Many existing systems use GSM technology which can
interrupt its activity for lack of networks as in remote areas the
mobile network is not that strong and also they may not be
available all the time for different types of service works.
Along with these there is always a risk of not having the proper
amount of service efficiency in case of GSM network because
they do not have the easy and convenient design like Bluetooth
communication [3]. The amount of power consumption by the
GSM based devices are also high compared to Bluetooth
devices used in the designed system.
Therefore, there is a real necessity of a system that can
avoids these shortcomings and is more useful to users.
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IEEE Conference Record # 42656; IEEE Xplore ISBN:978-1-5386-3452-3

III. PROPOSED SOLUTION Fig. 1. Mobile Application Interface of the system

Our proposed solution uses HC-05 Bluetooth module, If the entered password is found correct against the stored
because Bluetooth connections are generally not interrupted by password, the main line will be turned on. Fig. 1 shows the
other wireless signals. The designed system integrates the mobile application interface of the system. The mobile
multiple feature in one by combining password controlled application has buttons to control the electrical home
circuit breakers for technician safety, remote control of home appliances. These buttons work as push buttons.
appliances using a convenient mobile app, avoidance of illegal
intrusion into the home and detection of dangerous leakage.
Overall, the system is easy to use and low cost. Usage of this
system will help develop smart homes of the future.

IV. SYSTEM DESIGN

This home automation system consists of two main
hardware components: the cell phone and the Arduino BT
board. The cell phone hosts the Python script which enables the
user to access the home appliances and also the control
commands for the appliances. This Python script
communicates with the Arduino BT board and sets up an ad-
hoc communication protocol between the two devices, which
allows controlling the behavior of the Arduino BT board.
Table I shows the list of components used in the system and
their prices.

TABLE I. COMPONENTS’ PRICE LIST

No. Name Cost (BDT)

1 Relays 600
Fig. 2. Process design block diagram of the project
2 Arduino Board 1300
3 Mobile Phone 5000 Fig. 2 shows the block diagram of the system and the
4 Buzzer 50 interconnection and signal flow between sub-blocks of the
5 Breed Board 50 system. The Bluetooth receiver sends signal to the decoder and
the decoder sends signal to the microcontroller. The statuses of
6 Keypad 200
activities that happens in the microcontroller are shown with a
7 Methane Gas Sensor 300 LCD display.
8 Wires 150
Total 7650
= US $92.70

Arduino Mega has been used as the main component of this

system. A 4x4 keyboard has been used for the convenience of
entering password. The entered password is checked with the Fig. 3. Methane gas sensor.
password stored in the system. The stored password can be
changed by the admin only by using the proper admin Fig. 3 shows the methane gas sensor that has been used to
password. ensure the safety of the home.
The main design features of the system have been described
here.

A. Password and Main Power On/Off

Whether the main line is active or not depends on the
acceptance of the password, but ultimately the connectivity to
the home appliances depends on the relays. The statuses of the
relays decide if the electrical components are on or off. If the
main line is turned on it will be indicated by a red light [4]. The
same way if the main line is off, the red indicator light will turn
off.

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 Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Computing Methodologies and Communication (ICCMC 2018)
IEEE Conference Record # 42656; IEEE Xplore ISBN:978-1-5386-3452-3
B. Bluetooth Connection Establishment
The block diagram in Fig. 2 shows the way the system
works. As this diagram shows, the system works by
implementing connection with the Bluetooth module. When the
Bluetooth module gives clearance for the connection, the
mobile phone application can be used to control the system [5].
V. OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM
The operation of the system happens by interfacing the
Bluetooth module with the mobile phone application along
with the voltage regulator and the methane gas sensor [6].
A. Pin Connection and signal transfer
Pin 3 is connected with the BT Module and the other pins
are mostly connected to the methane gas sensor. The relay
modules are connected with pin number 6 and 7. Signal
transfer happens by communicating through these connections.
B. Keypad Operation
In this project, the keypad is used for entering the
password. The necessary inputs for selecting the types of users
are also selected with the help of the keypad. Pin 5 and 6 are
used in controlling the system. They also help make the system
communicate with the Bluetooth module and the mobile phone
application.
C. LCD Screen Operation
The LCD display shows the current state of all types of
switches and relays [7]. All of these result in a compact and
handy system which is also user friendly at the same time. At
first, the command goes from the mobile phone application.
Fig. 4. Flowchart of the operation process
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D. Bluetooth Module Operation
After the BT module is turned on, the mobile phone
application connects with the BT Module and the connection
between the Arduino and the mobile phone is established. After
that, the mobile phone application gets the accessibility to
control the electrical home appliances.
E. Status Display of the Switches
The LCD display shows the state of the switches. The
keypad is also combined with the functionality of the mobile
phone application activities. When the code receives the signal
from the keypad of the password controlling option, the system
finds its way out to work with the commands simultaneously.
F. Door Lock System
Android application is used to enter the password and a
relay to lock or unlock the electric door, which is indicated by a
lamp. Any wrong attempt to open the door (by entering the
wrong password) will issue an alert, indicated by a lamp.
G. Gas Sensor Signal Operations
When the methane gas sensor gets any kind of signal of
presence of methane gas, the buzzer connected to port4 turns
on, which is coded at the same way on the microchip of the
Arduino board and it works according to it.
H. Home Appliances Operations
The 12V DC motor is powered by a 12V power adaptor. It
is also controlled by the relays which are connected with the
Arduino board. They wait for the command from the Arduino
which is used to access the circuit by anyone [8].
Fig. 5. The display is asking for the prompt from the user
Fig. 5 shows that the display is showing the status of the
electrical components. The system is able to find a way to
control the necessity of the power connection of the display by
itself. It also figures out the connectivity of the system and the
overall condition of the system. The necessary work functions
are coded in the embedded system to provide the best possible
response time which is further discussed in the results and
discussion section of this paper. The project works in a unified
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IEEE Conference Record # 42656; IEEE Xplore ISBN:978-1-5386-3452-3
way to serve the users and make their lives comfortable along
with the available facilities that it offers.
After a password is entered, the system verifies it. It also
allows updating the password through the admin mode [9].
From the flowchart in Fig. 4, we can see that after the
application starts, with a static IP Address the application, with
the help of mobile phone, tries to establish connection with the
Bluetooth module. After successfully establishing connection
with the Bluetooth module, it stays in “idle” mode and waits
for the command from the user.
When the user enters any command, it is passed to the
electrical components for execution. The system automatically
checks whether the user wants to enter the system as a regular
user or as an admin. The system checks the facilities available
for that type of particular user. Thus the functionality and
operation of the system help the user get a proper indication of
the functionalities available to them.
Fig. 6 shows that to change the password, it is necessary to
enter the system as an admin. By entering the old password the
admin can update the system with the new password and thus
the system works with the new password for the next time.
Fig. 6. Step by step password entering process
VI. METHODOLOGY
The designed project has the capability of turning on or off
the main circuit breaker of a home with the help of a 4x4
matrix keyboard. It also has the BT board used for Bluetooth
connectivity of the mobile application with the Arduino board.
The Bluetooth module has a capability of connecting within 0
to 100 meters, along with a 2.4 Mbps data transfer rate and 32
GHz. We have connected the home appliances with the
Arduino board through a relay. The user is allowed to control
the home appliances via the mobile application.
We have also added a LCD screen which displays the status
of different home appliances. This particular system is made in
a way so that the keypad for entering the password for turning
off the circuit breaker is easily accessible by the electrician. A
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silencing button is added just beside the keyboard. If the
methane gas sensor turns on and the need of the alarm finishes,
the buzzer can be silenced by the silencing button.
VII. DESIGN SETUP
The Arduino controlled home appliance system works with
fire alarm sensor and a set of relays along with keypad for
password control of the system. The system also have the
electrical components connected to it, so the command signals
can go to the receiver [10]. The system takes the command
from the mobile phone with the help of the mobile phone
application. The electrical home appliances are connected with
the different switches of the relays along with the Arduino
board.
Fig. 7 shows the electrical circuit diagram of the system.
Here the circuit diagram shows that connection among the
relays, HC-05 Bluetooth module and the Arduino mega along
with the electrical home appliances.
Fig. 7. Connectivity diagram of the system
A. Use of Efficient Connection
The mobile phone application is connected with the system
via a Bluetooth module. The system serves the user in an
efficient way with swift response. The system also works with
the built in I2C connection protocol. I2C connection uses pin2
and pin3. The system is equipped with a buzzer connection.
The buzzer is turned on by a signal from the Arduino board.
B. Methane Gas Sensor and BT Module
The Arduino board is connected the methane gas sensor.
There is also connectivity with the HC05 BT Module and the
keypad of the Arduino system.
C. Use of Alarm Silencing Button
The system works properly along with the silencing button
described in the previous section. It is connected with the
Arduino boards’ different pin number along with the
corresponding coding in the memory of the microcontroller
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IEEE Conference Record # 42656; IEEE Xplore ISBN:978-1-5386-3452-3
which is embedded in the Arduino Mega’s main memory
system.
VIII. RESULTS AND DISCUSSON
The slow and inefficient response of the traditional
switching system can be diminished with the help of the
proposed home automation system. The loss of power
consumption can be reduced by using this automatic system
and also the response time has been improved a lot by efficient
coding work. We researched thoroughly for interfacing the
components to achieve quickest and optimal functionality of
the system. The response of the relay switches have been
excellent.
Fig. 8. Circuit is on with relays and light
Fig. 8 shows that by turning on the relays, it turns on the
electrical components and the light is also on. One drawback of
the system is that it is unable to work outside home or offices.
That is, if someone tries to connect their mobile phone
application with the system from outside the home, it will not
be able to connect with the system
Combination of the GSM mobile network would make the
system able to work from outside the home but the amount of
power consumption would increase quite a bit. This particular
system also fulfills our purpose sufficiently.
A. Adopts User Friendly Functionality
The designed system offers a user friendly environment
along with the device facilities and the electrical components.
B. Compact Design
The system incorporates the process of controlling the all
the electrical components in a compact way.
C. Disabled people’s helping hand
The designed system will be very convenient for disabled
people to use, because the mobile app control feature will give
them the ability control the home environment without having
to reach the switches.
D. Faster Response Capability
This system provides fast response time which is shown in
Table II. The data indicate that innovative home automation is
possible with the available resources.
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TABLE II. COMPONENTS’ RESPONSE TIME
Particulars a. Light b. Fan c. Door lock
(Milliseconds)
Input time 150 200 250
Response time ~ 250 ~ 250 ~ 260
Table II shows the response time of the electrical
components and we see that the light and the fan are respondin
250 ms but the door lock responds in 260 ms. All the electrical
components respond fast enough to have a comfortable control
of the system.
Fig. 9. A full phase view of the project structure
Fig. 9 shows a frontal view of the project. We see that the
password pressing keypad is on the left side of the main
structure of the project. The miniature furniture models are also
shown inside the structure.
IX. CONCLUSION
The designed system provides a complete solution for
automatic control of home appliances and technician safety
using password based operation of the circuit breaker. The
buzzer based gas safety system makes the environment even
safer. Its inclusion of secure admin mode makes the system
easy to use. The microcontroller based control of the whole
system makes it easy to build and cost effective. Efficient
microcontroller coding has resulted in fast response time. As a
whole, the designed system should help people achieve a more
secure, convenient and comfortable life style in this modern
era. This system should be especially helpful to elderly and
disabled people.
X. FUTURE WORK
The system can be enhanced to make it work with both
GSM and Bluetooth connection simultaneously. That is, a
controller can be added for checking the available connections.
If the Bluetooth connection is available, it will work with the
Bluetooth connection. If the Bluetooth connection is not
available it will work with GSM connection. This way it will
be able to work under all conditions.
Voice control can also be added with this system, so the
user does not have to press any button to issue commands
rather just say the commands. The system can also be used to
work with other home appliances of the exterior portion of the
home. It can also be enhanced to connect itself with a
predefined mac address of the Bluetooth module.
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 Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Computing Methodologies and Communication (ICCMC 2018)
IEEE Conference Record # 42656; IEEE Xplore ISBN:978-1-5386-3452-3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We are grateful to our course instructor Dr. Hasan U.
Zaman for his cordial help to make this project successful.
TechShopBD and RoboTechShop were also helpful in
providing use with the necessary components on a timely basis.

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