Design And Construction Of A Four – Way Traffic Light Control Circuit
The design and construction of a four-way traffic light control circuit involves creating a system that manages the flow of traffic at an intersection with four directions. This circuit typically comprises a microcontroller or a series of logic gates that coordinate the timing and sequencing of the traffic lights. The key components include light-emitting diodes (LEDs) representing different signals (such as red, yellow, and green) for each direction, along with sensors to detect vehicles and trigger light changes accordingly. By integrating timers and programming logic, the circuit ensures smooth transitions between lights, prioritizing safety and efficiency. The design must account for factors like pedestrian crossings, emergency vehicle signals, and synchronization with adjacent intersections for optimal traffic management. Through meticulous planning and implementation, the circuit achieves seamless traffic control, enhancing road safety and minimizing congestion.
ABSTRACT
This work has been aimed at efficient means of controlling the traffic effectively for twenty-four hours. As the world is growing technologically more and more vehicles jump into the public road adding to the already existing number. Consequently, more efficient way of controlling the traffics becomes more desirable as compared to the obsolete way of using the traffic personnel’s.
The design of this traffic light control is grouped basically into three; digital logic design, the power circuit and the power supply design. The digital logic design is based on integrated circuits which happens to be the modern way of designing digital systems, the power circuit design is aimed at lighting the different LEDS as and when due, while the power supply design strives to achieve a constant 8V dc supply for powering the circuit.
For this work, the frame with the LEDS mounted on it has been constructed, the driven circuit was implemented and the entire system enclosed in the smoothened frame.
The realized work was tested and guaranteed to give a firmly good level of performance.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In the ever fast-growing world of business and technology today, there has become an increasing column of vehicles on every road in different place of the world. Traffic control light has become a very effective tool for sequential control of the teaming number of vehicles on the road to avert what would have been a recurrent saga of ghastly accidents at the junctions. There have been many ways of achieving this, uppermost among these being the employment of electronic monitoring circuits that which is controlled by presto clock.
In developed countries, the employment of traffic personnel who would be jumped up and down at the centre of the junction just for the motorists to acknowledge their rigorous signs has long come of age. In developing countries where 24 hours traffic flow is involved, many societies are adopting the usage of the traffic light control. The advantage offered by this method of traffic control cannot be over emphasized. For one, it offers a more advanced technology that is less prone to miscalculation and its regrettable occurrence. They stand out better at night, then offer illumination to the immediate surroundings which become important for security purpose and in general add to the entire aesthetic beauty of night life.
The technology behind the design may vary from place to place, but the fact remains that in all cases an electronic (logic) circuit is made to control a power circuit. The electronic logic circuit is normally composed of the basic digital components of electronic design which includes oscillators, timers, counters, decoders, microprocessors, etcetera, while the power circuit includes the lamps and the drivers circuits. The digital circuit is designed to give an output commensurate to the design choice. The power supply unit is designed to generate a steady supply voltage which is used to power the logic circuit.
The output consists of a series of lamps which are expected to light in a particular sequence depending on the design. By the logic circuit design, the lamps are made to come up in a particular sequence depending on the design with each colour meaning different motional status of the vehicles in that column.
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
Traffic lights, developed since 1912, are signaling devices that are conceived to control the traffic flows at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, rail trains, and other locations. Traffic lights consist of three universal colored lights: the green light allows traffic to proceed in the indicated direction, the yellow light warns vehicles to prepare for short stop, and the red signal prohibits any traffic from proceeding [1].
Nowadays, many countries suffer from the traffic congestion problems that affect the transportation system in cities and cause serious dilemma. In spite of replacing traffic officers and flagmen by automatic traffic systems, the optimization of the heavy traffic jam is still a major issue to be faced, especially with multiple junction nodes [2]. The rapid increase of the number of automobiles and the constantly rising number of road users are not accompanied with promoted infrastructures with sufficient resources. Partial solutions were offered by constructing new roads, implementing flyovers and bypass roads, creating rings, and performing roads rehabilitation.
However, the traffic problem is very complicated due to the involvement of diverse parameters. First, the traffic flow depends on the time of the day where the traffic peak hours are generally in the morning and in the afternoon; on the days of the week where weekends reveal minimum load while
Mondays and Fridays generally show dense traffic oriented from cities to their outskirts and in reverse direction respectively; and time of the year as holidays and summer.
Secondly, the current traffic light system is implemented with hard coded delays where the lights transition time slots are fixed regularly and do not depend on real time traffic flow. The third point is concerned with the state of one light at an intersection that influences the flow of traffic at adjacent intersections. Also, the conventional traffic system does not consider the case of accidents, roadworks, and breakdown cars that worsen traffic congestion. In addition, a crucial issue is related to the smooth motion through intersections of emergency vehicles of higher priorities such as ambulances, rescue vehicles, fire brigade, police, and VIP persons that could get stuck in the crowd. Finally, the pedestrians that cross the lanes also alter the traffic system.
The conventional traffic system needs to be upgraded to solve the severe traffic congestion, alleviate transportation troubles, reduce traffic volume and waiting time, minimize overall travel time, optimize cars safety and efficiency, and expand the benefits in health, economic, and environmental sectors. This paper proposes a simple, low-cost, and real time smart traffic light control system that aims to overcome many defects and improve the traffic management.
1.2 AIM OF THE PROJECT
Going by the rapid advancement in technology all over the world, the need for better ways of solving a problem keep coming up every day. Necessity is the mother of invention. It has become imperative for societies, companies, industries, business ventures, clubs etc to offer 24 hour service, hence thereby has to be a way of controlling the teaming column of vehicles which convey both individuals and goods to different destinations of that type. The most elegant way of directing the motorists is by the use of traffic light control. This type of control serves a dual purpose. In the day type it directs the vehicles, whereas it turns out to additionally illuminating the environment in the night, so that at very far distance, its effect is noticeably felt, conveying its message to an oncoming vehicle very far from the point.
The project is therefore aimed at building a prototype four-way traffic light control circuit.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT
The main objective of the study includes:
- To investigate the practicality of the theoretical knowledge about these components to be used.
- To experiment on the compatibility of the working relation between components to be used.
- To investigate the extent to which the design and construction of the control unit can be useful to mankind.
- To investigate the immediate usefulness of the control system as complimentary to traffic wardens.
1.4 PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT
At many of our busiest street and highway intersections, there are traffic lights – green for go, yellow or orange for caution as the lights change, red for stop. Primarily, the purpose is simply to facilitate the safe movement of cars, avoiding collisions.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT
The project design work signifies a lot in modern industrial electronics. This design that replaced the manually used agent which is the traffic warden positioned at different traffic junctions.
In most developed towns in Nigeria, this system is employed at every x-junction, so that traffic jam or hold up will be highly controlled and also accidents at this junction are highly minimized.
In advance countries, the type of traffic light employed are inform of robot whose eyes serves as the visual display unit (VDU) when the traffic rule is violated the error detector is effected by the mechanical action of the robot.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
Traffic light control systems are widely used to monitor and control the flow of automobiles through the junction of many roads. They aim to realize smooth motion of cars in the transportation routes. However, the synchronization of multiple traffic light systems at adjacent intersections is a complicated problem given the various parameters involved. Conventional systems do not handle variable flows approaching the junctions. In addition, the mutual interference between adjacent traffic light systems, the disparity of cars flow with time, the accidents, the passage of emergency vehicles, and the pedestrian crossing are not implemented in the existing traffic system. This leads to traffic jam and congestion.
1.7 ADVATAGES OF THE PROJECT
- Traffic control signals provide for an orderly movement of traffic.
- They help in reducing the frequency of an accident of some special nature i.e. of right angles accidents.
- They intercept heavy traffic to allow other traffic to cross the road intersection safety.
- They provide authority to the drivers to move with confidence.
- They control the speed of vehicles on main as well as on secondary roads.
- They direct traffic on different routes without excessive congestion.
- The provide economy over manual control at the intersection.
1.8 PROBLEM OF THE PROJECT
- Traffic control signals may result in a re-entrant collision of vehicles.
- They may cause a delay in the quick movement of traffic.
1.9 LIMITATION OF THE PROJECT
I. Cost of Traffic Signals: One of the important of traffic signals is the cost, especially when a less expensive stop sign will do. The cost of installing and maintaining a traffic signal varies, depending on the state.
II. This device is only to be used in four-Lane traffic intersection
1.10 METHODOLOGY
Priority was given to the nature of the junction and how far away they are at different seasons of the year. A lot of design research was carried out on digital logic design and choice of digital families. Data books were consulted to make the most suitable choice of components at the most reasonable cost.
After the design, a market survey was conducted and some components used in the design were not obtainable in the market. Hence, alternative components had to be used and the circuit redesigned. The subsequent stage involves physically realizing the design work, constructing and packaging the entire circuitry on the frame. Finally, he work was given a fine finish and tested.
1.11 PROJECT WORK ORGANISATION
The various stages involved in the development of this project have been properly put into five chapters to enhance comprehensive and concise reading. In this project thesis, the project is organized sequentially as follows:
Chapter one of this work is on the introduction to this study. In this chapter, the background, significance, scope, objective, aim, purpose, advantages, limitation and problem, of this work was discussed.
Chapter two is on literature review of the study. In this chapter, all the literature pertaining to this work was reviewed.
Chapter three is on design methodology. In this chapter all the method involved during the design and construction were discussed.
Chapter four is on testing analysis. All testing that result accurate functionality was analyzed.
Chapter five is on conclusion, recommendation and references.
Design And Construction Of A Four – Way Traffic Light Control Circuit:
Designing a four-way traffic light control circuit involves several components and considerations. Here’s a basic design using microcontrollers and LEDs for each direction:
Components needed:
1. Microcontroller (e.g., Arduino Uno)
2. LEDs (Red, Yellow, Green for each direction)
3. Resistors
4. Pushbuttons or sensors for pedestrian crossings
5. Power supply
Here’s a simple algorithm to control the traffic lights:
1. Initialize all lights to red.
2. Allow one direction to proceed with green while others stay red.
3. After a predefined time, switch the green light to yellow.
4. After a short duration, switch the yellow light to red and the next direction’s light to green.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for all directions.
Below is a basic example code using Arduino as the microcontroller:
“`cpp
#define RED 10
#define YELLOW 9
#define GREEN 8
#define RED2 7
#define YELLOW2 6
#define GREEN2 5
#define RED3 4
#define YELLOW3 3
#define GREEN3 2
#define RED4 A5
#define YELLOW4 A4
#define GREEN4 A3
#define PED_BUTTON 12
void setup() {
pinMode(RED, OUTPUT);
pinMode(YELLOW, OUTPUT);
pinMode(GREEN, OUTPUT);
pinMode(RED2, OUTPUT);
pinMode(YELLOW2, OUTPUT);
pinMode(GREEN2, OUTPUT);
pinMode(RED3, OUTPUT);
pinMode(YELLOW3, OUTPUT);
pinMode(GREEN3, OUTPUT);
pinMode(RED4, OUTPUT);
pinMode(YELLOW4, OUTPUT);
pinMode(GREEN4, OUTPUT);
pinMode(PED_BUTTON, INPUT);
}
void loop() {
// Direction 1
digitalWrite(GREEN, HIGH);
delay(5000); // Green light duration
digitalWrite(GREEN, LOW);
digitalWrite(YELLOW, HIGH);
delay(2000); // Yellow light duration
digitalWrite(YELLOW, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED, HIGH);
// Direction 2
digitalWrite(GREEN2, HIGH);
delay(5000); // Green light duration
digitalWrite(GREEN2, LOW);
digitalWrite(YELLOW2, HIGH);
delay(2000); // Yellow light duration
digitalWrite(YELLOW2, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED2, HIGH);
// Direction 3
digitalWrite(GREEN3, HIGH);
delay(5000); // Green light duration
digitalWrite(GREEN3, LOW);
digitalWrite(YELLOW3, HIGH);
delay(2000); // Yellow light duration
digitalWrite(YELLOW3, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED3, HIGH);
// Direction 4
digitalWrite(GREEN4, HIGH);
delay(5000); // Green light duration
digitalWrite(GREEN4, LOW);
digitalWrite(YELLOW4, HIGH);
delay(2000); // Yellow light duration
digitalWrite(YELLOW4, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED4, HIGH);
// Pedestrian crossing
if (digitalRead(PED_BUTTON) == HIGH) {
// Activate pedestrian crossing lights
// Adjust timing accordingly
}
}
“`
This code demonstrates a basic traffic light control system for four directions using Arduino. However, for a real-world application, you might need to incorporate sensors for vehicle detection, a more sophisticated timing mechanism, and possibly communication between traffic lights for synchronization. Additionally, safety features like pedestrian crossings need to be considered and integrated into the system.