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An investigation of silicon-based tandem solar cells incorporating Al-doped ZnO (AZO) and Cu2O metal oxides, via two of the most efficient methods of optical modeling, specifically ray tracing and transfer matrix algorithms, was performed. The simulations were conducted based on specialized software, namely Silvaco Atlas and MATLAB, as well as on OPAL2 simulation platform. The optical analysis involved the calculation of the spectral curves for reflectance, absorptance and transmittance for different thicknesses of the thin film layers constituting the cell. It was established the optimum thickness of the AZO layer based on the minimum reflectance and maximum transmittance. Moreover, several materials were investigated in order to determine the optimum buffer layer for the tandem solar cell, based on optical modeling. The optical parameters of the ZnO/Cu2O top subcell were optimized, in order to achieve the highest conversion efficiency of such heterojunction solar cell.

In this paper, using the blending (Coons) method, we generate some families of free-form surfaces feasible in civil engineering, industries of airplanes, ships, automobiles, industrial and artistic objects, scientific researches and others. The possibility of designing free-form surfaces with the aid of computers has led to new methods for defining surfaces of the following types: Bezier [3], spline [3], Shepard [13], blending (Coons and Gordon) [8], [3] and others.

This paper describes a solution for the remote teaching of courses and laboratory work in the COVID-19 pandemic. This project implemented several communication solutions so that students have access, from home, to applications running on computers in the laboratory, to the workstations there and can see what happens during the experiments. For this, communication solutions based on VPN (Virtual Private Network) tunneling, gateway based port forwarding or proxy servers were used. In order for the students to see what was happening in the laboratory, during the experiments, a group of surveillance cameras mounted next to each work stand was used. Communication with them was designed to allow more participants to attend these laboratory experiments, regardless of where they connect to the network. To create the system, a server computer was used that runs the LINUX operating system, the paper presenting the practical solutions needed to configure the applications that provide all these services. This system is used, starting with the autumn of 2020 within the department of which the authors are part, to teach an appreciable number of disciplines that require the realization of practical works on computers and laboratory stands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive 2012/19 / EU refers to the appropriate recycling of electrical and electronic equipment waste. The objectives of this directive are to preserve, protect and improve the quality of the environment, protect human health and use natural resources in a prudent and rational manner. In this context, the intelligent separation / sorting of waste has a principal role. Thus, the integrated circuit board waste can be separated using sorting systems based on both specific sensing elements and computerized visual inspection. Optical sorting is the automated process of sorting solid products using cameras and / or optical sensors. By using their principles and proper software, objects can be sorted by their color, size, shape, structural properties and chemical composition. In this paper is presented an automatic sorting system on the conveyor belt, according to the size and color of the components from a dismantled PC motherboard. The application was made with a FX1S- 14MR PLC from Mitsubishi Electric, and was based on the use of infrared optical barriers and color sensors. For the storage of the sorted components in the container, electro-valves using air under pressure were used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a microcontroller based application allowing color analysis of several materials and remote monitoring of a sorting system. The solution presented provides data acquisition for color temperature and object proximity and transmits those parameters to a main system, displaying of these parameters. Application also allows locally control and data exchange using communication protocols, such as ASCII serial streaming or, TCP/IP over Ethernet. The solution consists of hardware and software components. Hardware component consist of an ARM microcontroller (STM32 family), as CPU main unit, digital color sensor, communication interface and a block of several MOSFET based switches, that are used to control solenoids of pressured air valves. Pieces of plastic materials that need to be sorted sequentially pass through a conveyor belt and are analyzed by the color sensor. Depending on color, each piece of material will be blowed off to appropriate section of a clustered container. After each puff, controller transmits a data frame to the main control unit, providing several information about color and number of the analyzed pieces. Another optical sensor detects the presence of pieces at first of the bend, allowing controller to transmit the start and stop commands to the inverter that control the conveyor's motor. Communication is provided by using RS485 serial interface. This application example works as stand alone but can be part of a complex Recyclable Materials Management and Sorting System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a microcontroller based application allowing remote monitoring of a home / residential hot water heating system. The solution provides multiple data acquisition points for upstream / downstream water temperature, fresh air temperature and pressure, that can be locally displayied. Application also allows supplementary local control for protection and data exchange, using communication protocol, such as Modbus TCP/IP over Ethernet. The solution consist of hardware and software components in a true SCADA based system integration. Hardware component consist of an AVR microcontroller, as CPU main unit, integrated circuit analog temperature sensors, a MEMS pressure sensor and a block of four relays, all available for local or remote control and protection. Due to standard Modbus data communication protocol implementation, any SCADA software application package can be used. In this example project, Kepware's OPC server provides communication and Data Access and KEP's INFILINK-HMI is used to make virtual graphic interface. This example can run as a stand alone application, oras a part of a small Home Automation, or a complex Power Management System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a microcontroller based application allowing remote monitoring of a small residential weather station and control four relays. The system provides data acquisition of several weather parameters, locally displaying of these and data exchange using SMS over GSM/GPRS mobile communication network. The solution consists of hardware and software components. Hardware component consist of an AVR microcontroller as CPU main unit, different sensors, such as, wind speed, rain, temperature, pressure, humidity and a block of four relays, all available for general purpose local or remote control (window blinds, mobile roofs etc.). Using standard short message to send requests and receive measured and status parameters, over GSM communication network, any mobile phone can be used as monitoring station. In this example project, a GSM modem provides two way data communication using standard ASCII string based AT commands. This application example can be used independently, or as a part of a Home Automation System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a patient monitoring system that was implemented by combining a pulse meter circuit with a PLC ALPHA2 and a modem GSM. Using the proposed application, one can send alarms to the mobile phone of the monitoring staff within a hospital, especially when they have to leave the patients' monitoring room. The system, which works in real time, is designed and implemented so that the pulse rate is measured with a dedicated sensor, the output signal is then sent to a programmable logic controller that includes a GSM modem, and processed so that, in the end, in state of alarm, an alert SMS message is sent to the mobile phones of the persons on the list of users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a microcontroller based application allowing remote monitoring of a small residential photovoltaic panel. The system provides multiple points data acquisition for voltage and current, localy displaying of these parameters and data exchande using Modbus TCP/IP over Ethernet communication protocol. The solution consist of hardware and software components in a true SCADA based system. Hardware component consist of an AVR microcontroller as CPU main unit, analog Hall effect current sensors, a temperature sensor and a block of four relays, all available for general purpose local or remote control (protection, disruption etc.). Due to standard Modbus data communication protocol implementation, any SCADA software application package can be used. In this example project Kepware's OPC server provides communication and Data Access and KEP's INFILINK make graphic interface. This application example can be part of a small Home Automation, or a complex Power Management System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design and development of a low cost, flexible system, dedicated to electro-oculographic applications. This virtual instrumentation system is based on the electrical signal generated by the human eye, which is amplified, filtered and then gathered by a National Instruments data acquisition board. A LabVIEW application was implemented in order to detect eyes movement directions and the blinking. The obtained signal has a low noise level and the algorithm permits to use it in a lot of biomedical applications like those of assistive communication for people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper is presented an audio mixer done with Digital Potentiometers ordered an ATmega 328 microcontroller. A function has been implemented whereby all signal sources to be brought to the same level by pressing a button. Also, the level can be adjusted separately for each channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a solution to make simple and cheap data acquisition devices with USB interface and embedded TFT color display. Device can be used as analog or digital data acquisition system, oscilloscope and spectral analyzer etc. The example presented below, tested on Atmel's Atmega328 and Texas Instruments's CC2530 microcontroller development boards, act as simple one channel oscilloscope and spectral analyzer for power network electrical signals frequencies up to about 5000 Hz. For graphical displaying data, one 320x240 pixels 2.2" color TFT based on ILI9341 controller. There are three main software parts described below, microcontroller and display configuration routine, analog acquisition and digital conversion of electrical signal, data string processing and spectral analyzing and finally displaying the results on local TFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract:The International Electrotechnical Commission's IEC 62056-21 standard suite describe direct local connections physical layer and communication protocols used for Electricity energy metering -Data exchange for meter reading, tariff and load control. This article describe a simple meter reading example, using optoisolated serial readout circuit and a software application using OPC Client/Server environment solution. The system contains an energy meter (Actaris ACE 5000 family), one optoisolated serial adapter connected to a process computer via serial communication port. The computer runs an application developed under OPC Server environment, used for interface, channel protocol and device configuration and data acquisition reasons. OPC server environment can integrate different devices interfaces and communication protocols and provides different parameter values as abstract information. These information may be transferred to another computer station and used to be displayed by hardware or software based HMI device, as can be see below. Some tricks and configuration details are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an alternative to the collecting of data, measured at a meteorological station which uses a programmable controller and a GSM modem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The data acquisition process has the role of transposing physical phenomena from the real world into analogue and digital electrical signal for further processing, analysis and storage of the measurement data. This paper proposes a data acquisition system based on a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) for voltage and current monitoring in a DC circuit. Two interfacing methods are presented. The first method consists of interfacing the system by means of a specialized graphical terminal. The second method is realized by connecting the system to a PC terminal trough the serial RS-232 interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents one way of operating a garage door by using a programmable logic controller (PLC), a Global System for Mobile (GSM) modem and a mobile phone as remote controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]