IEEE - 43488

IoT Based Automatic Electricity Monitoring and

Remote Load Control System using PIC18F4550
Md. Jakaria Islam Mozumder Surojit Ghosh
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology
Chittagong, Bangladesh Chittagong, Bangladesh
jakariaeee12@gmail.com S.Ghosh.EEE@gmail.com

Abstract—With the development in modern communication

technology, every physical device is now connecting with the II. RELATED WORKS
internet. IoT is getting emerging technology for connecting Many researchers implemented PLC [2,3] (power line
physical devices with the user. In this paper we combined carrier) with digital energy meter. There PLC (power line
existing energy meter with the IoT technology. By carrier) was used as the communication medium for
implementation of IoT in the case of meter reading for
transmitting the bills and consumed units to the authority.
electricity can give customer relief in using electrical energy. In
this work a digital energy meter is connected with cloud server
PLC or power line carrier carries the communication signal
via IoT device. It sends the amount of consumed energy of via the power line on the very frequency carrier such as
connected customer to webserver. There is a feature for 500khz to 1Mhz carrier signal. In previous transmission
disconnection in the case of unauthorized and unpaid system used PLC to communicate one substation with
consumption and also have option for renew the connection by another. For using PLC, a filtering system needed to present
paying bill online. We tried to build up a consumer and in the communication system. Moreover, harmonic distortion
business friendly system. had become challenging in the case of using PLC.

Keywords— IoT, Web-server, IoT device.

Other researcher used ZigBee and GSM protocol in
combination to design a modern metering system in
Malaysia [4]. Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) is a utility
I. INTRODUCTION company in Malaysia that deals with electricity distribution.
Automatic meter reading was designed in the past and They have two methods for metering their consumers.
still designing in various methods to simplify the existing For Large Power Consumers (LPC), they used GSM-
energy meter reading technique. Once electromechanical based Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) and for Ordinary
energy meter was used to indicate the consumed energy. Power Customer (OPC), they send a meter reading officer to
Those metering techniques were dependent on the elasticity get data manually. On their work they proposed a ZigBee [5]
of the springs attached to the dial. To overcome the based monitoring system for OPC and then ZigBee
mechanical failure and visitor reading failure in the case of transmitters from a group of OPC are connected to a central
meter reading digital meter or electronic meter was arrived. data collector. This central data collector is connected with
But billing process needed an observer or meter reader to the nearby GSM-based LPC AMR. Then data from group of
read out and listing the readings in their documents. In this OPC are transmitted to data server using nearby LPC GSM.
case there was no assurance in security and perfection in They had also faced some problems in connection of ZigBee
meter reading. For meeting up demand and keep pace with with microcontroller. ZigBee module’s serial engine is
the modern development in technology meter reading slower than microcontroller.
techniques are now being automated.
A group of researchers from India in 2016 proposed an
With the mass development in technology and gadgets, IoT based energy monitoring system which is based on
our daily life is getting involved with the internet. It is found Raspberry Pi and OCR (Optical Character Recognition) [6].
that 54.4% of world population [1] is using internet as their Here OCR optically reads the reading shown on the display
communication tool. Moreover, social life is also connected and send the readings to the microcontroller and
with internet. IoT is term which is inspired from the mass use microcontroller sends the data in server via Wi-Fi adapter
of internet. In general sense, IoT is said to be a system of connected with Raspberry Pi.
interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital
machines, objects that are provided with unique identifiers In another paper, author built a prototype that collected
and ability to transfer data over network without requiring the billing information by optical sensor and transmitted the
human to human or human to machine interaction. It is clear sensor information via ESP8266 [7]. In their work they used
that, with the help of IoT remote monitoring and control of TCP/IP protocol to send the information via WiFi
any machine or device will be easier for a user as the user transceiver. To maintain their real time data transmission
can have full access to perform the allocated task from any wireless router is needed to create internet connections
place with convenience. between ESP8266 module and the stationary server.

9th ICCCNT 2018

July 10-12, 2018, IISC, Bengaluru
Bengaluru, India
 IEEE - 43488

In this paper a system is developed that is IoT based larger amount of current flow through the branch resistance.
energy monitoring and load controlling system where mobile This lager current causes larger voltage drop across the
GSM network is used for not only monitoring the consumed branch resistance. Larger voltage gives logic high in the led
energy and controlling loads from remote location. The blink detection circuit output.
whole work is comprised of two sections: one is electrical or
hardware-based interfacings and software-based website Fig.3 shows the practical implementation of the blink
development. detection circuit. Here LDR sensor is covered with tape to
protect it from the ambient lightings. Every blink means
0.000625 KWh (Units).
III. SYSTEM OVERVIEW
Fig.1 depicts the overall overview of the proposed
system. In the proposed system blink information from the
digital meter is used to measure the consumed energy. The
number of blinks is collected from the digital meter by using
a LED-Blink collector circuit. Control unit act as data
collector and controller. Control unit collects the data
(number of blinks) and serially transmit the data using
UART protocol to the IoT module. IoT module sends these
data to the server via GSM mobile network. IoT module also
read back the commands from the server continuously while
it is updating collected data. The read commands from IoT Fig. 3. Implementation of blink detection circuit
module is also serially received by the control unit. The
control unit decide to continue or disconnect the consumer
connection on the basis of commands. As these data are V. DATA COLLECTION AND CONTROL
stored in a server, consumer can get update about their PIC16f877 is used to count the blink from blink detection
consumption from any remote location. Whole methodology circuit. PIC16f877 is continuously communicating serially
will be discussed on the following sections in this paper. with PIC18f4550. PIC18f4550 communicates with SIM900.
PIC18f4550 sends data and receives command from server
via SIM900. Here a handshake method is used in
communication between two PIC Microcontroller. PORTC0
from PIC18f4550 is connected with PORTC1 of PIC16f877.
When PORTC1 of PIC16f877 receives high signal from
PIC18f4550 via PORTC0, PIC16f877 serially sends the
number of blink to PIC18f4550. Then PIC18f4550 sends
blink number to SIM900.

Fig. 1. System overview.

IV. LED BLINK DETECTION

Fig.2 depicts the led blink detection circuit. The whole
circuit comprises with LDR (Light Dependent Resistance),
light source (LED on the digital meter).

Fig. 4. Circuit diagram for serial communication

Fig.4 illustrates the serial communication circuit between

PIC16f877 and PIC18f4550. Simulation is run on the Proteus
(Circuit Simulation Software).

Fig. 2. LED blink detection circuit

LDR is grounded via branch resistance. As the incident light

increases, resistance of LDR decreases linearly and then a Fig. 5. 5V Relay module

9th ICCCNT 2018

July 10-12, 2018, IISC, Bengaluru
Bengaluru, India
 IEEE - 43488

Fig.5 shows the 5V relay module that is used to

connection and disconnection of loads. Relay gets the signals
from PIC18f4550 and based on that signal it controls the
loads.

VI. IOT DEVICE AND AT COMMANDS

SIM900 GPRS module is used as the IoT device in this
project. It communicates with the web-server via GSM
mobile network. To establish the connection with the web
server AT commands are send to the GPRS module serially
using PIC18f4550.
Fig. 9. Users account page

Website is very user friendly and secured, it is responsive

website means webpage changes its scale in proportion to the
device size. Website link is “smartenergymeter.cf.” In the
website a new consumer can open an account to add their
meter to the energy monitoring system. They can access to
their password protected account to see their real-time
energy consumptions. In any case if user forget their
password there is an option for recovery the password using
their email address by clicking “forgot password” menu.
Fig. 6. SIM900 GPRS module

AT commands are serially sent to the GPRS module.

GPRS module functions as the given AT commands.

VII. WEB SEVER AND WEBSITE

Here Apache webserver is used. Database language is
MySQL. HTTP is a hypertext transfer protocol that uses
TCP/IP as transport protocol. TCP/IP protocol can be used to
transfer meter reading as hypertext via HTTP over a GPRS/ Fig. 10. Login for admin page.
GSM network [8]. Webserver is computer system that
process requests via HTTP, this could be GET or POST
request. Here GET request is used to send the blink
information to the database and POST request is used to read
back the data from the database by the GPRS module.
Fig. 11. Admin page.

Fig.10 and Fig.11 shows the admin section for the

webpage. In this section admin can remotely observe
consumer’s consumed energy, set limit, change the status of
the device to reconnect or disconnect the user.

VIII.SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION

Fig. 7. Screenshot of database in webserver.

Fig. 12. Complete system prototype.

Fig.12. depicts the complete system prototype. Here

Fig. 8. Homepage of the website. load is 400W. Two 100W bulbs and a 200W bulbs make

9th ICCCNT 2018

July 10-12, 2018, IISC, Bengaluru
Bengaluru, India
 IEEE - 43488

400W load. To test the performance monthly consumption household with small loads. For the bigger loads the reactive
limit is set at 20KWh, paid unit is set 0.08 KWh. In power measurement is important. Here reactive power
mathematically consumed energy should exceed paid unit in measurement feature and power factor penalty feature can
12 minutes but unfortunately it exceeds about 13 minutes be added in the case of design for the industrial and larger
and 40 seconds, means there is some little time gaps. This application. In the case of mass implementation more
time gap is little for 400W, but in the case of huge amount advanced mobile network based IoT device should be
of load it is a concerning issue. It occurs due to given time tested. For the development in data analysis and processing
delay between sending instructions and receiving in Smart Grid system IoT can play important role to collect
instructions by the SIM900. If faster IoT device is used the data from remote user and to accumulate data in the main
response will be faster. server [12].

IX. IMPACT OF THE WORK REFERENCES

Main objective and purpose of the implementation of the [1] Internet World Stats Usage and Population Statistics. [Online].
idea is to build a prototype which is comprised of existing Available: http://internetworldstats.com/stats.html.
digital energy meter and GSM/GPRS system. In previous [2] N. Miura, H. Sato, H. Narita, M. Takai, “Automatic Meter-Reading
System by Power Line Carrier Communication”, IEE Proceeding, vol.
work, some authors made prototype which used IoT as a 137, 1990, pp.25-31.
tool to transfer meter reading over the internet to make user [3] Alberto Sendin, Iker Urrutia, Mikel Garai, Txetxu Arzuaga, Noelia
aware and known of their consumption in both real-time Uribe, “Narrowband PLC for LV Smart Grid Services, Beyond Smart
based and a fixed-time-interval based. They have also Metering”, 18th IEEE International Symposium on Power Line
proposed for further improvement in the IoT based energy Communications and its Applications (ISPLC), 2014, pp.168-172.
metering system which would include a load control with [4] Ayro H. Primicanta, Mohd. Yunus Nayan, Mohammad Awan,
high Demand Side Management (DSM) [9]. In this paper an “ZigBee-GSM Based Automatic Meter Reading System”,
International Conference on Intelligent and Advanced Systems,2010,
effort has made to implement their idea which has created a pp.1-5.
function to the system that enables the remote load control
[5] ZigBee datasheet,“2.4 GHz IEEE 802.15.4/ZIGBEE RF Transciever”.
by both automatically and manually via GPRS network. [Online]. Available: http://www.ti.com/lit/gpn/CC2520.
Moreover, there are lots of exclusive features, such as: if a [6] Prachi H. Kulkarni, Pratik D. Kute, V.N. More, “IoT Based Data
client has forgot to monitor his bills periodically he will get Processing for Automated Industrial Meter Reader using Raspberry
a text message and an email to his account when he has 20% Pi”, International Conference on Internet of Things and Applications,
remaining of his permitted limits, a customer has option to 2016, pp.107-111.
purchase permeable energy limit on the website. Basically, [7] S Karthikeyan, P.T.V. Bhuvaneswari, “IoT Based Real-Time
the whole system along with the website and remote Residential Energy Meter Monitoring System” , Trends in Industrial
Measurement and Automation, 2017.
administration is built to implement the IoT with full
[8] Shi Jiong Yuan, “Remote Wireless Automatic Meter System Based
advantage to a consumer and the service provider. on GPRS Communication Software and Networks”, IEEE 3rd
Implementation of IoT along with energy monitoring system International Conference on Communication Software and Networks,
will make meter reading process more transparent and 2011, pp.667-669.
reliable and there will create a direct connection between [9] N. Toyin Surajudeen-Bakinde, S. Olufenka Ayodele, T. David
consumer and service provider. Moreover, it can enable an Oloruntoba, A. Okino Otuoze, N. Faruk, “Development of an Internet
opportunity to big data [10] analysis of consumed energy Based Prepaid Energy Meter”, IEEE AFRICON, 2017, pp.1370-1373.
which can make the gateway to establish AI tools [11], that [10] Atimad El Khaouat, Laila Benhlima, “Big Data Based Management
for Smart Grids”, International Renewable and Sustainable Energy
can easily detect any kind of unwanted or unauthorized load Conference (IRSEC), 2016
in the user-end and also can detect the approximate location
[11] Damminda Alahakoon, Xinghuo Yu, “Smart Electricity Meter Data
of fault more precisely as every meter can talk with each Intelligence for Future Energy Systems: A Survey”, IEEE
other. Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 2016, pp.425-436.
[12] Wei-Yu Chiu, Hongjian Sun, John Thompson, Kiyoshi Nakayama,
X. FUTURE IMPROVEMENT Shunqing Zhang, “IoT and Information Smart Energy Application”,
The presented system is basis on the real power IEEE Communications Magazine, vol.55, issue 10, 2017, pp 44-44.
consumption by the user as it is built for just regular

9th ICCCNT 2018

July 10-12, 2018, IISC, Bengaluru
Bengaluru, India