Simple Arduino based Automated Parking lot System

Kindle (E-book)

The purpose of this manual is to design and implement a Microcontroller based Parking system. This book is intended for those who are familiar with the basic instructions of any typical microcontroller and C language but want to challenge their knowledge by writing a more complex industrial program. In this case, preparing a control program for an AVR microcontroller and Arduino board to control a car parking system.

Note: By searching “simple Arduino based automated parking lot system” on YouTube, you will be able to watch a demo video of a smooth functioning prototype.

Sending an e-mail as directed in the preface section of the text with a proof of purchase will get you the main code for both projects. They come real handy when something does not work in your developed code.

Developing this project will give you an idea to either how to implement a relatively complex end year college project or give you enough hands on experience to apply for an entry level job on application of Microcontrollers with full confidence.

In this project, a microcontroller – or an Arduino board based system – keeps track of the number of cars parked (16 being the max number), shows the number of slots unoccupied, automatically raises the gate arm to allow cars into the parking lot or leave it. Other functions include keeping track of how much time a car has been parked and the time when a driver leaves the parking lot. As an ending process, the microcontroller will calculate the cost of parking for each car parked. When the amount is paid and the parking operator depresses a paid button, the exit arm gate is raised, and one unit is added to the total number of vacant cars in the parking lot. There is only a difference between the microcontroller based version and the Arduino one: in the Arduino version, a RFID module is used to record the entrance of a car into the parking lot as opposed to microcontroller based which detects the parking slot number by checking which limit switch is depressed when any designated car is parked at that slot. The schematic diagrams of all hardware circuits used in these projects are explained in the text.