Computer-Aided Design of Alarm System - Research Paper Example

Design of Alarm System Using Computer Aided Design Name of Student: Institution: Summary This paper presents the design of alarm systems that can be used to improve the security of cars when they are parked by providing three alternatives and conducting an analysis of the most suitable option that should be implemented. The analysis of the car alarm systems incorporate a number of tasks such as the examination of the current market needs and the potential of the alarm system to address the needs of consumers. It provides the analysis of the current problems encountered in promoting the security of cars and a matrix analysis of the three alternatives. The three alternatives of alarm systems that are examined include: Short Message Service (SMS) based car alarm system, the Arm7 based Car Alarm System, and the Finger Print Based Car Alarm System. The performance specifications and feasibility analyses are conducted on the three alternatives of alarms to determine their effectiveness in enabling the achievement of security of the cars in which they are used. The specification areas that are examined include: function, performance, styling esthetics, production methods and materials, target market, maintenance, size and weight, cost, regulations, and quality standards. A matrix analysis is conducted to determine the most suitable design for use in the development of the car alarm system. The design of the most optimum alarm system is done by the use of AutoCAD software by creating the impression of the final alarm system that is recommended. Finally the procedure through which the CAD package was used to create the model is explained in the context of the features and commands that were used. Introduction Car security is a major challenge that is continuously experienced by car owners in both in the United States and other parts of the world. This is due to the incidences of car theft irrespective of the existence of high security alarm systems (Wani 2012). Security of cars is a major concern in offices, libraries, learning institutions, laboratories, and areas where public functions are taking place. Security systems are also regarded as important in the protection of cars which are major targets during car theft in order to prevent losses to individuals and companies. According to statistical evidence, there has been an annual increase in production of car in the same manner as the rate of car theft. A number of international and regional organizations have been involved in efforts to prevent incidences of car theft but with little transient relief (Singh et al. 2015). A number of car alarm systems use technologies such as Geographic Positioning Systems (GPS) that enable tracking the positions of cars while others use conventional alarms that are easily handled by car thieves. Some car alarm systems are associated with limitations such as difficulty to operate, high costs, and inefficiency in promoting the security of cars in which they are installed. As a result, it has been necessary to increasingly implement more alternatives of car alarm systems with the objective of promoting security of cars at affordable costs. This paper explains the relevance of SMS Based Car Alarm system, the 7Arm Alarm System, and the Finger Print Based Alarm Systems by examining their capabilities in addressing the needs of clients, presenting the most optimum solution for car security system, and presenting the use of AutoCAD in the design of the optimum solution. Report and Analysis Tasks LO1: Design Specifications that Meet Customer Requirements LO 1.1: Customer Requirements Presently, car owners experience the challenge of achieving higher security in their use of alarm systems due to the fact that the existing forms of alarms are constantly being studied by thieves and prevented from performing the task of promoting car security. Most cars owners have lost their cars due to the existence of inefficient alarm systems that do not perform their role when necessary such as when a car is accessed by authorized persons. The innovations in the design of car alarms are likely to contribute to a revolution in car security by promoting the level of detection of any suspicious activity such as access to cars by unauthorized persons (Singh et al. 2015). When the most effective car alarm systems have been put in place, it will be possible to achieve a number of outcomes such as protecting not only cars but also personal valuables in a cost-effective manner and prevent the ability to thieves to develop means of using them without the awareness of the owners. Most car owners who do not have car alarm systems as security measures also incur high insurance costs because the insurance companies opt to charge them higher costs during the acquisition of insurance coverage. A number of cars have alarms that can be taken into account when they seek insurance services but those who have older cars without insurance coverage usually incur high insurance costs. The installation of car alarms is an option that can be available to a number of drivers with increased affordability of insurance. This has resulted into the attempt of car owners to seek the most suitable car alarms for their cars. The current emerging technologies and globalization has resulted into increased access to information and availability of opportunities for the creation of car alarms systems which promote the security of cars. LO 1.2: Key features that The Design will incorporate The features that the new design will need to incorporate include the following: Alarm: This is the part of the alarm system that will produce sound when a stimulus exists that contributes to the ringing of the alarm. Electrical Circuit: This is the part of the alarm system that will connect the battery system, the alarm, and the lighting system. Battery: This is the section of the alarm system that will provide power for its operation. It is expected that a battery of 12 V will enable the performance of this function. The Sensor Point: This is the part of the alarm system that will contribute to the part that will sense a stimulus under consideration and complete the circuit to enable lighting of the lighting section and the ringing of the alarm (Shankar et al. 2015). The Lighting System: This is the section of the alarm system which will be used to determine whether it is operational and can perform the function of an alarm before the vehicle can operate. Stimulus: This is the action that will excite the alarm to sense a change in the environment and ring. LO 1.3: Other Products Available and their Pros and Cons The present types of alarm systems used in vehicles have been easily managed by thieves who have equipment that enable them to disable the alarms and prevent the detection of the stimuli such as an act of thieves who penetrate the alarms system. Many transportation companies use GPS technologies during performance of tracking of stolen vehicles by establishing their locations. On the other hand, there exist situations under which alarm systems such as the GPS have not been effective such as in operations of vehicles in underpasses and indoor car parking areas (Shankar et al. 2015). A number of cars still use the basic alarm systems that have been easily destroyed by thieves. For instance, most car alarms use the technique of tuning and adjustment. There may be a number of car alarm systems that have high sensitivity while others have the ability to withstand conditions such as earthquakes without being activated. Some forms of alarms have been neglected by the public because they can be falsely triggered. Some alarms have the weakness of little capability in interacting with the users. Furthermore, the basic alarms systems do not provide the means through which the stolen vehicles can be recovered. There is increased effort towards the development of powerful security systems by thieves for the purpose of countering the alarm security systems such as alarms. However, most cars are not aware of the new innovations in car alarm systems and incorporate the traditional alarm systems. Most effective alarm systems are also costly and are mainly acquired by those who have expensive cars (Shaikh and Kate 2012). It has been necessary to overcome these problems by devising security systems that use simple procedures from the design of the alarm systems until they are completed. LO2: Analysis and Evaluation of Possible Design Solutions and the Final Design Report LO 2.1: Possible Design Solutions/Design Specifications The new design of the car alarm system is intended to be one which has the following design specifications: Function: The designed alarm system is expected to be one which is able to ring when a suspicious activity is taking place in the car such as when someone tries to open and start the car without the authorization of the real owner. Performance: The alarm system is required to be one that has the ability to detect the slightest change in activity in the car such and create an effective warning such as the production of sound that can be heard at a fairly longer distance from the location of the vehicle (Shaikh and Kate 2012). The location of the alarm should be at the most important parts of the car which are more likely to be accessed by an intruder such as the door, the steering wheel, or the position of the start key. Styling aesthetics: The alarm system should be comfortable to use and should not cause unnecessary discomfort to the user such as occupying a major part of the internal section of the car. It should be one that is easy to operate and performs its functions without causing disturbance to other vehicle users or the public. Production methods & materials: The production methods and materials for the alarm system should incorporate readily available materials in the shops of materials that can be easily obtained without the need to find them in faraway location or the need to import them. The production method should be one that is easily understood and can lead to the creation of a well-functioning alarm without incurring major effort in its completion. Scale of production: The scale involved in the production should be for the users of cars in the location in which it will be produced. Consequently, the alarms will be produced in large scale to meet the needs of vehicle owners by stocking them in a store where they can be sold to the interested vehicle owners. Intended market: The target market for the car alarm will be private vehicle owners such as those who have cars and other kinds of vehicles that are occasionally left unattended. The market will also include vehicles owned by people for use during travel to work or during functions and ceremonies (Bonifacio 2015). Those who own vehicles that are usually parked in areas where security is a major issue will also be a target market. Maintenance: The car alarm should be easy to maintain and should not result into difficulties in replacing its components or performing other maintenance tasks. It should be one that can be easily reactivated to operate when it breaks down. Size and weight: the alarm should be of a reasonable size and should not occupy a major part of the internal or external part of the car. It should have a maximum size of about 12 X 6 centimeters. The alarm should be light in weights and should not contribute to a significant weight component of the car. The recommended weight for the alarm should be 200 grams. Cost: It is suggested that the alarm should be less costly compared with the existing alternatives. It should be priced between $80 and $150. This will ensure most car owners are motivated to acquire it for use in their cars and other vehicles that require to be fitted with alarms. Regulations: The car alarm that will be devised should be one that has the characteristics of an alarms recommended for use in cars. For instance, it should produce sound according to the regulatory standards and should be able to perform tasks that are restricted to provision of security to vehicles. Quality standards: The alarm should be able to remain functional for a long duration of time without experiencing operational challenges. It should also be able to ring when it comes into contact with the intended stimulus. LO 2.2: 3 Initial Ideas and Concept Ideas Idea 1: The first idea will be the use of a security system that uses a SMS form of alarm. In this system, it is suggested that a GSM modem will be installed in a car or automobile of interest as a means of avoiding car theft. Other components of the GSM modem will include: a microcontroller, a crystal oscillator, transistors, resistors, and capacitors, Diodes, Relay and Voltage regulators. The operation frequency of this modem is approximately 10MHz and the power supply unit is composed of a voltage regulator which performs the function of supplying 3.3 V to a modem and a microcontroller (Bonifacio 2015). A wireless communication will be created that connected the modem to a portable device such as a mobile handset. When the owner of the car leaves it in a particular location, the GSM modem is switched on so that any person who attempts to use the car without authorization is detected and the owner receives a text message which provides a notification about the suspicious activity. The principle on which this idea is based is that when the device is connected to the source of voltage of 12V, the LED light will be turned on and the microcontroller will search for the network around. If a network is found, the LED will blink sending AT command to the modem to determine whether any command has been executed. When the modem receives a call, it rings three times and the ignition system is opened. This creates the alarm that alerts the car owner of any suspicious activity in the car. Idea 2: The second alternative is the Arm7 based GSM alarm system which incorporates Face detection System (FDS) for determining whether the face of the driver is similar to the predefined face. This system is mainly useful in the night when the owner of the car is asleep and the FDS system detects the face of the person who tries to steal the car by means of a tiny camera. The FDS performs a comparison of the detected image with the predefined images and if they do not match, the owner receives the information via a Multimedia Message. This provides the owner with the information about the suspicious act of attempting to use the car. It also enables tracing the location of the person who has committed the attempted act of stealing the car by the use of a GPS system. Figure 1. A Framework of the ARM7 Alarm System Idea 3: In this idea, the suggested car alarm system will be a finger print detector alarm system at the door of the car in which it is used. This car alarms system is based on the concept of finger print as a method of performing detections at a high security level. Due to the fact that the skin on our palms have unique ridges that cause friction in different ways, the patterns of friction can be used to determine whether the user of the car under consideration is authentic or not. In this case, the door of the car in which the alarm is to be placed is fitted with a finger print scanner which ensures authentication of the user. This is more accurate and cost effective technique of verification which performs a comparison of a fingerprint scanning by comparing it with the enrolled fingerprint of the owner of the car to establish if they are from the same finger. A microcontroller is connected to the microcontroller which controls the scanning process. It is also connected to an alarm that turns on when a wrong person tries to open the door of the car. A new registration process can be done to authorize another person who is not the previous owner to use the car. LO 2.3: Matrix Analysis of the Ideas against Design Specifications and the Optimum Design Solution The following matrix was used to determine the most optimum solution for car alarm based on the analysis of the three ideas: SMS based alarm System, ARM7 Alarm System, and Finger Print Detector Alarm System. The scores for each attribute was rated between 1 (very low) and 10 (very high). This implies that the greatest score that could be obtained is 110 and the lowest was 11. SMS Based Alarm System ARM7 Alarm System Finger Print Based Alarm System Function 8 7 6 Performance 8 8 6 Styling aesthetics 7 4 9 Production methods & materials 5 4 7 Scale of production 4 9 3 Intended market 7 3 6 Maintenance 3 4 3 Size and weight 6 6 5 Cost 3 5 8 Regulations 8 6 7 Quality standards 9 7 5 TOTAL SCORE 68 63 65 Table 1. Matrix comparing the performance of the three ideas for car alarm system. From the above analysis, it is established that the most optimum design for the alarm is the SMS based Alarm system which has a score of 68 compared with 63 for the Arm7 Alarm system and 65 for the Finger print Detection alarm system. LO 2.4: Compliance Check The main reason why SMS Based alarm system is effective is that it enables the owner to detect whether a person who is unauthorized to use the vehicle tries to use it irrespective of the distance between him and the car. It also incorporates components that can be easily assembled at a low cost. The main improvements that will be made in the final design for the SMS based alarm system is the reduction of the size of the alarm system so that it occupies a smaller space in the car. The weights of the alarm will be reduced by eliminating components that do not have meaningful functions to the alarm system. LO: 2.5: Final Design of the Selected Idea The design layout will be as indicated in the diagram below. Figure 2. Layout of the SMS Based Car Alarm System LO3: Role of Computer Based Technology In Engineering Design LO 3.1: Key Features of a Computer-Aided Design Software The software that was used during the design of the car alarm system is composed of software and hardware components. The software that was used is AutoCAD which was installed in the computer system. The following are other software and hardware components that were vital in the achievement of the design: Windows Operating System: The Operating System that was relevant during the design is bot Microsoft ® Windows 7 SPI 32-bit and 64-bit. CPU: The CPU that is recommended for use during CAD is 32-bit 1GHz processor. 64-bit 1 GHz CPU processor can also be used (Bonifacio 2015). Memory: The memory that can enable the performance of CAD in a 32-bit operating system is 4 GB while in a 64-bit Operating system, the recommended memory is 8GB. Display resolution: A Display of 1360 x 768 is recommended for use during CAD. Pointing Device: The pointing device that can be used during computer aided design is a mouse which enables the performance of tasks such as; drawing, rotation, zooming, and panning. Digitizer: The digitizer that can be used during CAD design is Wintab-digitizer which can be obtained online by downloading. Disk Space: The disk space that can be used to facilitate CAD modeling is 3GB. LO 3.2: Designs of Engineering Drawings Ready for Manufacture Figure 3. Comprehensive System Layout for the Alarm Security System Figure 4. Hardware Assembly of the Alarm Figure 4. Flowchart of Operation of the Alarm Mar-17 Apr-17 May-17 Conducting Research   Design of the Component   Report of the project   Figure 5. Gantt Chart for the Design of the Car Alarm LO 3.3: Evaluation of Software that can be used during the Design Process The software that was used during the design of the SMS Based Car Alarm system is AutoCAD. This is software that enables the design of both 2D and 3D objects by selecting the respective command depending on the nature of the object to be designed. It has a drawing menu and editing menu as the main menus that are used during drawing Amusa, Nuga and Adetomi 2012). The drawing menu contains icons representing lines, rectangle, splines, ovals, ellipses, and other shapes which are the basis features used during 2D and 3D drawing. During the drawing of a system such as the car alarm system, AutoCAD can be used to draw a number of components of the system such as the 2D layout of the components and the electrical circuit for understanding the system performance and functioning. 3D design can be used to draw the actual location of different components that will be connected to constitute the overall alarm system. Conclusion This paper explains the problem of cars security and increased car theft and the relevance of alarms systems in promoting the security of cars. It states that the challenge of increased car thefts can be achieved by the implementation of the most effective car alarm systems. In order to determine the most optimum alarm systems for cars, three alarm system solutions are compared namely: the SMS based alarm systems, the ARM7 Based Alarm System and the Finger print based alarm system. The use of a comparison matrix is applied in determining the effectiveness of the alarm systems with respect to the performance specifications, resulting into the selection of the SMS based alarm system as the most optimum. A computer Aided design is used to design a framework in which the alarm system will be designed and its working principle. This paper also provides an analysis of AutoCAD by evaluating how it can be used during design activities for the car alarm system. Discussion The problem of security of cars is still a major challenge that car owners have to deal with due to increased effectiveness of cars thieves to steal cars with conventional alarm systems. Through continuous designs and analysis of the existing alarm systems and improvements of their designs, it is possible to achieve a more effective alarm system that is more likely to identify car stealing incidences and ensure the culprits are not successful in their efforts (Amusa, Nuga and Adetomi 2012). This study shows that despite the existence of a range of car alarm systems, the SMS based alarm system still proves to be an efficient approach for promoting the security of cars. Through design and improvements using software such as AutoCAD, it is possible to design an alarm system which can be acquired at low cost, complies with the performance standards, and traces any suspicious activity on cars such as attempted stealing. When these recommendations are put in place, the issue of cars stealing will be addressed and cars owners will be assured of safety of their cars. References Amusa, K.A., Nuga, O.O. and Adetomi, A.A., 2012. Design of SMS enabled car security system. Transnational Journal of Science and Technology, 2. Bonifacio, M.I.R., 2015. Biometrics based Attendance Checking using Principal Component Analysis. Shaikh, J.R. and Kate, S.M., 2012. ARM7 BASED SMART CAR SECURITY SYSTEM. International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology, 3(2), pp.210- 212. Shankar, A.A., Sastry, P.R.K., Ram, A.V. and Vamsidhar, A., 2015. Finger Print Based Door Locking System. International Journal Of Engineering And Computer Science, 4(3), pp.10810-10814. Singh, P., Sethi, T., Biswal, B.B. and Pattanayak, S.K., 2015. A Smart Anti-theft System for Vehicle Security. International Journal of Materials, Mechanics and Manufacturing, 3(4), pp.249-254. Wani, L.K., 2012. 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Some car alarm systems are associated with limitations such as difficulty to operate, high costs, and inefficiency in promoting the security of cars in which they are installed. As a result, it has been necessary to increasingly implement more alternatives of car alarm systems with the objective of promoting security of cars at affordable costs. This paper explains the relevance of SMS Based Car Alarm system, the 7Arm Alarm System, and the Finger Print Based Alarm Systems by examining their capabilities in addressing the needs of clients, presenting the most optimum solution for car security system, and presenting the use of AutoCAD in the design of the optimum solution.

Report and Analysis Tasks LO1: Design Specifications that Meet Customer Requirements LO 1.1: Customer Requirements Presently, car owners experience the challenge of achieving higher security in their use of alarm systems due to the fact that the existing forms of alarms are constantly being studied by thieves and prevented from performing the task of promoting car security. Most cars owners have lost their cars due to the existence of inefficient alarm systems that do not perform their role when necessary such as when a car is accessed by authorized persons.

The innovations in the design of car alarms are likely to contribute to a revolution in car security by promoting the level of detection of any suspicious activity such as access to cars by unauthorized persons (Singh et al. 2015). When the most effective car alarm systems have been put in place, it will be possible to achieve a number of outcomes such as protecting not only cars but also personal valuables in a cost-effective manner and prevent the ability to thieves to develop means of using them without the awareness of the owners.

Most car owners who do not have car alarm systems as security measures also incur high insurance costs because the insurance companies opt to charge them higher costs during the acquisition of insurance coverage. A number of cars have alarms that can be taken into account when they seek insurance services but those who have older cars without insurance coverage usually incur high insurance costs. The installation of car alarms is an option that can be available to a number of drivers with increased affordability of insurance.

This has resulted into the attempt of car owners to seek the most suitable car alarms for their cars. The current emerging technologies and globalization has resulted into increased access to information and availability of opportunities for the creation of car alarms systems which promote the security of cars. LO 1.2: Key features that The Design will incorporate The features that the new design will need to incorporate include the following: Alarm: This is the part of the alarm system that will produce sound when a stimulus exists that contributes to the ringing of the alarm.

Electrical Circuit: This is the part of the alarm system that will connect the battery system, the alarm, and the lighting system. Battery: This is the section of the alarm system that will provide power for its operation. It is expected that a battery of 12 V will enable the performance of this function. The Sensor Point: This is the part of the alarm system that will contribute to the part that will sense a stimulus under consideration and complete the circuit to enable lighting of the lighting section and the ringing of the alarm (Shankar et al. 2015). The Lighting System: This is the section of the alarm system which will be used to determine whether it is operational and can perform the function of an alarm before the vehicle can operate.

Stimulus: This is the action that will excite the alarm to sense a change in the environment and ring. LO 1.3: Other Products Available and their Pros and Cons The present types of alarm systems used in vehicles have been easily managed by thieves who have equipment that enable them to disable the alarms and prevent the detection of the stimuli such as an act of thieves who penetrate the alarms system.

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