Microcontroller based self contained material loader

汉密尔顿塑料系统有限公司（HPSL）目前使用一个控制板来操作他们的料斗装载机，这是50年前设计的谨慎的数字组件。分立数字元件包括定时器集成电路（ic），计数器ic和其他逻辑门支持ic。这些部件的寿命随着时间的推移而减少；目前还不到6个月。亨伯团队将开发一种解决方案，使用一个微控制器，可以根据可能随时间变化的特定要求重新编程，带有液晶显示器（LCD）和带有模块化电源单元的电流驱动电路。拟议项目的重编程能力比以前的电路板有优势，因为它不会改变重编程的硬件，并保持低制造成本，这是HPSL特别要求的。

Hamilton Plastics Systems Ltd. (HPSL) currently uses a control board for the operation of their hopper loaders, which have discreet digital components designed fifty years ago. The discreet digital components include timer Integrated Circuits (ICs), counter ICs and other logic gate supporting ICs. The life span of these components has decreased over time; at present, it is less than six months. The Humber team will develop a solution using a microcontroller that can be reprogrammed based on the specific requirements that may vary over time, with a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), and electric current driving circuits with a modular power supply unit. The reprogramming capability of the proposed project has an advantage over the previous board as this one will not change the hardware for reprogramming as well as maintain a low manufacturing cost, specifically required by the HPSL.