Austrian Hydro Power - GSM Communication

I was lucky to build a GSM communication System. The idea behind the project is an automatic monitoring device which is able to send alert signals to a master station.

In short words the reason for it: The AHP has to keep the "Drau" (a really nice river in carinthia - south Austria) reservoirs free of unwanted ballast. Else the flow speed of the water would increase and the amount of water which can be stored in the reservoirs would decrease. They are using diggers mounted on swimming pontoons to dig the ballast from the river ground into so called hopper barges. (see wikipedia).

The authorities requires at least 2 people steering such a hopper barge or a dead man alert system. This system detects if the captain is still alive and reacting. The captain has to move the helm or dip a foot button. If he isn't reacting an automatic alert state is entered. The anchour is gone and the engine stops (of course a few other thins happen too). Now this alert state has to be sent to the digger pontoon. There are more then one worker and therefore they can react and help the stranded hopper barge. Beside this automtic task the following main features should be realized:

• Automatic alert message
• Manual alert should be possible to send to the digger

• A testing procedure on the hopper barges to test the GSM connection

• The alert on the digger pontoon should be heard and sean by the workers

• The workers on the digger have to acknowledge this alert
• A LCD to show the states of the hopper barges

The project has been realized in 2 steps. First we built a prototype which was tested by the crew. Then we created the final communication units.

This was really the first project where I created every component from the design, schematics, board up to the software.