IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, Vol. 36, No.
2, MAY 1990
CONTROLLER FOR VEHICLE AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Nanyang Technological Institute, Singapore
Abstract
A microprocessor-based con-
troller for vehicle air-
conditioning system is
described in this paper.
The controller monitors the
condition of the vehicle,
and turns on the engine and
air-conditioning unit of
the vehicle at a preset
time. The controller con-
sists of a Remote Control
Unit and a Residential
Unit.
Introduction
Vehicle air-conditioning is
a very common feature in
tropical countries.
However, the air-
conditioner can only be
switched on when the driver
is in the vehicle. This can
be very uncomfortable for
the driver and passengers,
especially if the vehicle
has been under the hot sun
for some time, which is not
uncommon in tropical
countries. If the air-
conditioner can be switched
on for a short interval
before the driver enters
the vehicle, it will be
much more comfortable.
This paper describes a sys-
tem that is developed to
Contributed Paper
Manuscript received January 24, 1990
T. H. Ooi, K. T. Lau
C. H. Lim
Caltron Pte. Ltd., Singapore
switch on the air-
conditioner at a preset
time. This entails switch-
ing on the engine of the
vehicle to rotate the com-
pressor of t h e air-
conditioning unit. If the
vehicle is not being en-
tered after a time period,
the engine and air-
conditioner will be
switched off by the system.
A microprocessor-based con-
troller for vehicle air-
conditioning h a s b e e n
developed [l]. It consists
of a control unit resident
in the vehicle to control
the on/off switching of the
engine and the air-
conditioning unit. The con-
trol unit consists of a
control panel which serves
as a medium for the user to
communicate with the
microprocessor and a dis-
play to feedback to the
user. A remote control unit
with transmission through
radio wave is also
developed (Fig. 1)
Design Considerations
The microprocessor-based
controller is designed to
be able to monitor the con-
dition of the vehicle prior
to switching on the engine.
0098 3063/90/0200 0066$01.00 0 1990 IEEE
Ooi, Lau and Lirn: Controller for Vehicle Air-conditioning System 67

In addition, it switches 4-digit seven segment LCD.

on/off the engine of the To convert the parallel BCD
vehicle and air- code into serial digital
conditioning system at a signal, a data serializer
preset time or upon activa- is used. This is to cater
tion. A remote control unit for the serial nature for
for the user to remotely RF transmission. The baud
send commands to the con- rate for the serial data is
troller is also developed. 110 bits/sec. The FM
modulator r e c e i v e s t h e
Since the medium of trans- serial data stream and
mission is through air, modulates them using FSK
signals from any transmit- technique. The carrier
ter can be picked up by the frequency is centred around
residential set. There is, 144.3666 M H z , w i t h a
therefore, a need for a frequency deviation of 4
scheme to ensure that each kHz. The RF frequency is
remote control unit and obtained by using a 3rd
residential unit form a overtone crystal to get
unique pair. The coding of 48.1222 MHz. A frequency
the commands and control of multiplier and a bandpass
the vehicle is performed by filter are then used to get
digital circuitry. Trans- the 3rd harmonic of the
mission of data is achieved crystal. The RF transmitter
by the analog circuitry consists o f s t a g e s o f
using RF transmission. amplifiers, including a
Frequency S h i f t Keying class c power amplifier to
(FSK) technique is employed amplify the RF signal to
to modulate the data. The obtain 3 0 0 mW of transmis-
carrier frequency of the sion power. The signal is
transmission system is then filtered and trans-
144.3666 MHz with a devia- mitted through the trans-
tion of 4 kHz. mitting antenna.

System Description Residential Control Unit

Remote Control Unit Signal from the Remote Con-
trol Unit is transmitted
Fig. 2 shows the block through air and is received
diagram of the Remote Con- by the antenna of the
trol Unit. The keypad al- Residential Control Unit.
lows the user to send com- This signal is demodulated
mands and data to the and decoded by the residen-
microprocessor. A 4 x 4 tial unit. The miaroproces-
matrix keypad is used for sor then executes the com-
the unit. The encoder scans mands issued and controls
the keypad and when it the vehicle accordingly.
s e n s e s t h a t a k e y is Fig. 3 shows the block
depressed, it encodes the diagram of the Residential
depressed key into a BCD Control Unit. T h e FM
output. The display decoder receiver has a band-pass
decodes the BCD data and filter centred around
the data is displayed on a 144.3666 MHz. Signal com-
 IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, Vol. 36, No. 2, MAY 1990

I DISPLAYI

~~

RESIDENTIAL CONTROL UNIT

Fig. 1 Block diagram of controller f o r vehicle

air-conditioning system

111_1
DI S PLAY

l-7
DECODER
L I 7

1 1 J

Fig. 2 Block diagrani of Kemote Control Unit

Ooi, Lau and Lim: Controller for Vehicle Air-conditioning System 69

ing out from this filter is transmitter is shown in

amplified and further fil- Fig. 4. The oscillator-
tered before it is passed modulator circuit is
through a mixer to produce designed t o produce a
an IF of 10.7 MHz. The 10.7 sinusoidal wave centred at
MHz signal is then filtered 48.1222 MHz, a frequency
and amplified again before deviation of at least 1.333
it is passed to a second kHz away from the centre
mixer to produce the second frequency, an output signal
IF of 455 kHz. Following of at least 100 mV rms, and
filtering and amplifica- a frequency stability of up
tion, this second I F is to 10 ppm. The oscillator-
passed to the demodulator. modulator circuit is shown
The function of the FM in Fig. 5a and is a varia-
demodulator is to convert tion of the Pierce oscil-
the FSK signal back to lator. The 48.1222 MHz
digital signal. The quartz oscillator is of the
demodulator takes in the IF series resonance type [2].
signal and restores the The frequency modulation
serialized digital signal. circuit c o n s i s t s o f a
A pulse shaping circuit is diode, a fix capacitor C1
used to clean up the dis- and a trimmer capacitor C2
torted digital signal (Fig. 5a). The biasing of
before conversion to paral- the oscillator-modulator
lel form for processing by was set to 3.1 V. This
the microprocessor. The biasing gives the best sine
microprocessor is the main wave output while still
controller for the air- maintaining oscillation.
conditioning system. The The frequency tripler cir-
control panel and display cuit diagram is shown in
is used to provide local Fig. 5b. This circuit
communication with the triples t h e o s c i l l a t o r
microprocessor. frequency to obtain the
required carrier frequency
of 144.3666 MHz. The output
RF Transmitter Design of the frequency tripler
consists of a bandpass
The transmitter is designed filter of relatively high
to transmit 300 mW over a Q-factor. This is designed
maximum range of 1 km. A 1 to pass only the third har-
km range was chosen because monic of the input signal
this distance is reasonable frequency of 48.1222 MHz.
for FM transmission from a The fundamental and other
building to one or two car higher harmonics are at-
parks away. An oscillator tenuated sharply by the
stage of frequency 48.1222 high Q and narrow-band
MHz, a tripler which brings bandpass filter. The best
the frequency to 144.3666 biasing point for this cir-
MHz, two stages of class-A cuit was found to be in the
amplifier followed by a region of 5.6 V where the
class-C amplifier was used amplitude of the third har-
to obtain the required monic is at its maximum.
power for transmission. The T h e t w o - s t a g e class-A
block diagram for the RF tuned-amplifier i s t o
70 IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, Vol. 36, No. 2, MAY 1990

I .-

r
AIR-CON .(
SYSTEM
I
4
I CONTROL
PANEL
I

Fig. 3 Block d i a g r a m of Residential Control Unit

1 Tripler
lass A Class C

FM modulatot &
os ci Ilat or ci rc u it
I--- FROM SERIAUZER

Fig. 4 Block diagram of RF t r a n s m i t t e r

Ooi, Lau and Lim: Controller for Vehicle Air-conditioning System /I

provide further amplifica- receive a carrier frequency

tion of the weak signal of of 144.3666 MHz. The volt-
the 144.3666 MHz signal at age gain of the receiver up
the output of the tripler. to the detector has been
The power available at the designed to be 1200 or 62
output of the tripler is dB. The gain for each block
approximately 0.3 mW. To is as shown in Fig. 6. The
obtain 300 mW for transmis- front-end amplifier i s
sion, the two-stage class-A preceded and followed by
tuned-amplifier and one- filtering stages for selec-
stage class-C amplifier tive filtering off the un-
t h e r e f o r e provide ap- wanted image signal at
proximately 30 dB of power about 122.9666 MHz which
gain. A telescopic 1/4 wave may be present in the en-
antenna of approximately 50 vironment. Only the desired
ohm is used. Grounding is RF frequency centred about
provided by the chassis. 144.3666 MHz is passed
through. The preceding fil-
tering stage also acts as a
RF Receiver Design coupling network for the 50
ohm antenna and the front-
The block diagram of the RF end amplifier. The front-
receiver is shown in Fig. end amplifier provides suf-
6. It consists of a front- ficient gain to the very
end amplifier, a local os- weak RF signals of the or-
cillator producing a der of 0.3 uV. The gain of
frequency of 133.6666 MHz, this stage is 17 dB, The
a mixer and some filter mixer produces an inter-
stages for producing the mediate frequency of 10.7
first IF frequency of 10.7 MHz from the mixing of the
MHz, two stages of IF RF signal and the local os-
amplifier blocks at cillator signal. The RF
frequency of 10.7 MHz, an signal has a carrier
IC containing a second lo- frequency of 144.3666 MHz
cal oscillator, a second and the local oscillator
mixer, a second IF has a frequency of 133.6666
amplifier of 455 kHz, and MHz. This mixing frequency
an FM IF detector for of 133.6666 MHz is obtained
detecting the FM signals, through a third overtone
a 455 kHz ceramic filter, crystal oscillator and a
an active low pass filter tripler circuit. The mixing
stage and a Schmitt trigger action will produce the
for shaping the pulse and 10.7 MHz IF frequency and
adjusting the pulse signal other i n t e r m o d u l a t i o n
levels. The car radio an- products. The 10.,7 MHz
tenna may be used as the quartz crystal filter is a
receiving a n t e n n a , if very high Q filter with
available. Otherwise, the high selectivity suitable
rear windscreen heater ele- for narrow band filtering.
ment may be used, though Signals other than 10.7 MHz
the performance is not as are heavily attenuated. A
good as the radio antenna. commercially available
filter is selected for the
The receiver is designed to following characteristics:
 IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, Vol. 36, NO. 2, MAY 1990

t 1 2 V

C3 CRYSTAL L

T
It.
2-69pF
I-
0 3.3uH
::

:
2-220

I
Zok o h m

I -/
2-65pF

Flg. 5b Frsqu-ncy Trlplor clrcult

SECOND LOCAL 455KM

OSCILUITOR CERAW I C
CRYSTAL FILTER

SECOND IF STAGE

I
COKTAINING SECOND LOCAL PULSE
OSCILLATOR. SECOND WIXER, SHAPING
SECOND I F A H P L I F I E R .
RECOVETIED
lldB AUDIO
(Conversion g a i n )

Fig 6 Block d i a g r a m o f r e c e i v e r
Ooi, Lau and Lim: Controller for Vehicle Air-conditioning System '3

a pass bandwidth of +/- 7.5 user. A 4 x 4 keypad is

kHz, a stop bandwidth of 65 used in this project. A
dB at +/- 17.5 kHz, and a keypad encoder is used to
25 kHz channel spacing. The encode the keypad input.
IF amplifier provides the The display decoder does
main voltage gain to the IF t h e necessary decoding
signal. The first amplifier before the data is dis-
has a voltage gain of 22 dB played. Since the transmis-
while the second provides a sion is through air, the
gain of 13 dB, giving a to- residential unit may
tal of 35 dB. The IF IC receive information from
together with the second any source. A scheme is
local oscillator crystal designed for the unit to
take care of the conversion recognize t h e intended
to second IF of 455 kHz. A transmitted signal. This is
455 kHz ceramic filter is done by assigning a unique
used to provide a clean IF identification code to each
before detection. The IC pair of transmitter and
has a built-in FM detector. receiver. This identifica-
The detector output is then tion code is transmitted
amplified and buffered to together with the data. For
the audio output. The ac- the residential unit the ID
tive lowpass filter fil- code is carried out by
ters off the high frequency software. The data will
noise from the audio output only be accepted from the
and amplifies the signal encoded data stream once
before it is being shaped the received code matches
by the Schmitt trigger. The the ID. The format of
digital signal that has transmission consists of a
been shaped is then in- start bit, 8 data bits, and
verted using software to a stop bit. Each time a
produce the same digital transmission is made, 2
pulse that was sent by the bytes of information are
transmitter. sent out. The first byte is
8 bits of ID, and the
second byte consists of
D i g i t a l Circuitry another 4 bits of ID and 4
bits of BCD representing
The input section of the the key being depressed.
Remote Control Unit con- The rate of transmission
sists of digital circuitry for the input unit is 110
and they include a keypad bits/sec. A serializer is
and encoder, display used to transform the data
decoder and display unit, into a serialized format
and a parallel to serial for RF transmission.
converter. The basic func-
tion of the digital input The digital design of the
device is to provide a Residential Control Unit
means of communication be- consists of a controlling
tween the user and the section, a serial-to-
microprocessor. The com- parallel converter, a dis-
mands and data to the play section, and an inter-
microprocessor are entered facing section linking the
through the keypad by the system t o t h e o u t s i d e
14
world. A microprocessor and
related memory is used for
the controlling section.
The serial data received is
converted to parallel form
by a Universal Synchronous
/Asynchronous Receiver
/Transmitter (USART)
before being input to the
microprocessor. Asynchron-
ous serial communication
is used because of the ir-
gular data transmission.
System software
To run the microprocessor,
a software program was
written. The program con-
sists of a main program and
several routines, each per-
forming a specific task.
The main tasks include in-
itializing the USART, han-
dling of interrupts,
processing of stored data,
checking of identity codes,
time keeping and updating,
checking of preset time,
control panel interface,
display c o n t r o l , and
vehicle interface. The main
program will start off by
initializing the system RAM
and the USART. It then
process the rest of the
tasks listed above in a
sequential manner, with the
exception of the iterrupt.
Basically, when new data is
present, an interrupt will
b e i n i t i a t e d by t h e
hardward. The microproces-
sor will then respond by
taking in the data through
the interrupt program and
store it in the RAM. It
then returns to the main
program and process the
data through another sub-
routine.
IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, Vol. 36, No. 2, MAY 1990
Evaluation and Results
For the transmitter, the
power of transmission ob-
tained was 290 mW. The RF
carrier frequency was tuned
to 144.3666 MHz. The FM
signal was 144.3666 MHz + 4
kHz for OV modulation and
144.3666 MHz -
4 kHz for 5V
modulation.
The RF frequency of the
receiver w a s tuned t o
144.3666 MHz +/- 4 kHz. The
RF input sensitivity was
0.4 UV (12 dB SINAD). The
local oscillator frequency
was 133.6666 MHz at 330 mV.
The first and second IF
frequencies were 10.7001
MHz and 455 kHz respec-
tively.
conclusion
A controller for vehicle
air-conditioning system was
described in this paper. As
can be s e e n from t h e
evaluation and results ob-
tained, the controller per-
formed to specifications.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to
thank Goh P H and Goh S C
for their contributions
during t h e development
phase of this project.
References
1. Goh P H and Goh S C, "A
Microprocessor-Based Con-
troller for Vehicle Air-
Conditioning System", FYP
Report, NTI, Feb. 1989.
Ooi, Lau and Lim: Controller for Vehicle Air-conditioning System

2. Salt, D, Hy-Q Handbook

of Quartz Crystal Devices,
van Nostrand Reinhold (UK)
Co. Ltd., 1987.

K T Lau is a lecturer in
the School of EEE, NTI,
Singapore. Prior to this,
he was with National Semi-
conductor C o r p o r a t i o n ,
California, USA and
Hewlett-Packard (M) Sdn.
Bhd., Malaysia. He received
his engineerin'g degrees
from Cornell University.
T H Ooi is an Associate Lau is a member of the
Professor in the School of IEEE.
Electrical and Electronic
Engineering (EEE), Nanyang
Technological Institute
(NTI), Singapore. He was
formerly with Intel and
I T T Transelectronics ,
Malaysia. Ooi received his
BSc and MSc degrees from
the National Taiwan Univer-
sity , Taipei, Taiwan. He
also graduated from the
Philips International In-
stitute, Eindhoven, the
Netherlands in Electronics. C H Lim is Director for En-
gineering at Caltron Pte.
Ltd., Singapore. He is also
an adjunct senior lecturer
in the School of EEE, NTI,
Singapore. He was formerly
with the Singapore Techni-
cal Institute. Lim received
his BSc(Hons) degree from
the University of Singapore
and MEng degree from the
Netherlands Universities
Foundation for Interna-
tional Cooperation.