Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-3, Issue-2, 2017
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in
Arduino-ZigBee Based Protection
System for Underground Mine Workers
Savan Padaliya 1 Mithila S. Zodape 2 Kalpesh Desai 3 Akash Fofandi 4
1, 3, 4
Student, Department of Electrical Engineering, GCET College, Vallabh Vidyanagar,
Gujarat, India
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, GCET College, Vallabh
Vidyanagar, Gujarat, India
Abstract: This work proposes a safety scheme for
coal mining industry using sensors, Arduino and
ZigBee. The Work built safety scheme with precise
remote monitoring and tracking is the most suitable
lifesaving system for underground mining
environment. The ARDUINO based underground
sensor module continuous monitors and transmits
data to the tracking module using ZigBee. The voice
unit attached to underground sensor module gives an
emergency command based on the analysis of
monitored parameters. In addition, the tracking
module helps to locate workers through the signal
relayed by ZigBee protective device. Thus the safety
system for coal mining region with the ability to
track and alert via voice command forms a complete
protective system for underground labours.
1. Introduction
Safety is the most vital part of any type of
industry. Negligence in the safety part may cause
damage to high-quality equipment hampering of
production or may cause loss of human beings also
in extreme cases. In the mining industry, safety and
security are the fundamental aspects of all. To avoid
any type of unwanted phenomena all mining industry
follow some basic precaution and phenomena.
Communication is the most vital key factor today, to
monitor different parameters continuously and to
take required action accordingly to avoid any type of
hazard related to human resources. To avoid loss of
material and damaging of workers health, security
and safety system as well as the reliable continuous
communication system is essential in the interior of
the underground mines. To improve security, safety,
and productivity in underground mines, a reliable
communication system must be established between
workers and a fix base station. The communication
network must not be interrupted at any moment and
at any condition. Inside underground mines, the
wired communication network system is not so
effective. The reliable and long life of conventional
communications system in mining environment have
always been a problem. Inside mines due to the
uncomfortable situation the installation cost and
Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
maintenance cost is high for wired communication
networks. It is very difficult to reinstall the wired
communication system inside mines after a damage
due to any reason. If due to some reason any wire of
the communication network damages, it may cause
temporary interruption of the continuous process or
may cause a long-term breakdown of the system.
Due to roof slide, if by any means some workers
trapped inside mines, it is very much required to
maintain the continuity of the communication
system. It is very important to know the actual
position and condition of the trapped workers. To
monitor other parameters during this condition it is
very much necessary to maintain the communication
system as usual. According to the development of
mine monitoring system to accurately detect
temperature, pressure, flammable and poisonous gas
and to track underground miners and vehicles in real
time have significant meaning to safety production
and rescue of the underground mine disaster.
Coal mine safety monitoring system based on
wireless sensor network can timely and accurately
reflect the dynamic situation of staff in the
underground regions to ground computer system.
But, using this popular radio communication inside
mines has some disadvantages. When radio signals
are transmitted, diffraction, multi-path, and scattering
are very serious. So, wireless communication is the
need today for the rapid, flexible, safe, uninterrupted
process in underground mines.
There are different other research idea proposed
by various people on wireless communication. In, a
network called chain-type wireless underground
mine sensor network (CWUMSN) is recently
proposed which consists of three kinds of sensor
nodes: sensing nodes, cluster head nodes, and a base
station deployed on both sides of the tunnel at
regular intervals to monitor the underground
environment and locate the miners. But, those
communication methods having specific technology
lacks in practical application in underground mines.
Page 1668
Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-3, Issue-2, 2017
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

For the successfully wireless data transmission, in 12MHz operating frequency. More information of
this work, the ZigBee specification is utilized. There ARDUINO microcontroller is given in further
has been the increment in the utilization of ZigBee context.
standard, in particular for building automation and
industrial controls since its release in 2004. Though The data receiving terminal of ZigBee and
the specification was available publicly in 2005, data transmitting terminal are cross-connected to the
people prefer using this standard among different microcontroller corresponding transmitter and
wireless protocol for diversified applications. receiver terminals TxD and RxD respectively. No
extra component like MAX232 and MAX233 is not
2. Description of the scheme required between these connections. This is the
advantage of ARDUINO. If the structure of UART
The system can be divided into two sections. First (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter)
is hardware circuit that is attached to the body of the system is completed, sending and receiving signal is
mine workers. This may be fitted with the safety possible using ZigBee, after installing the necessary
helmet of the workers also which should be software. The RESET pin of ZigBee is used to
mandatory in the space of any underground mines. provide an optional reset facility of the user through
An additional stand by the system can be fitted with a reset button. A transistor is used for this purpose.
the wrist of the underground mine workers if
required. The circuit has sensor module consisting of
some MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems)
based sensors that measure real-time underground
parameters like temperature, humidity concentration Temperature
of different gases the etc. Gas concentration is meant sensor
for the harmful gases like methane and Carbon-
monoxide (co) etc. Some of the gases are toxic and Humidity
some are inflammable. An Arduino controller is used sensor
with the sensors to receive the sensor output and to
take the necessary decision. The microcontroller can Arduino
Other sensor ZigBee
store data’s as required by the user for maintaining of Module
records. Transcei
Voice codec
-ver
Once the temperature is more than the safety level
set at microcontroller, microcontroller decodes beep
alarms through the headset speaker connected with
the controller. Again, once the measured Humidity Board attached to
value is more than the safety level set at Underground miners
microcontroller, it decodes different type of alarms.
Similarly when gas concentration over the preset
value, microcontroller decodes hooter alarms. In all
such cases, this will send an alarm through an urgent
message and alarm sound to the ground control
terminal through ZigBee. For the voice CODEC the
low size, low power, CMX639 is used which is a
continuously variable slope delta modulation
(CVSD) digital voice communication systems. With
its powerful and selectable coding algorithms, 8kbps
to 128kbps data/sampling rates, supported internal Computer ZigBee
clock signals makes it changeable. It has analog module
input interface with the encoder that connects the Transceiver
microphone and microcontroller and also an analog
output interface with the decoder that connects
speaker/headset and microcontroller. Communication
through these encoding and decoding of voice and
alarm signals is effectively established with the help Ground control system
of microcontroller (preferably ARDUINO). The
microcontroller data is transmitted through two
separate boards i.e. ZigBee transmission. Module to
the data collector or receiver module. The Figure 1. General Block diagram of the scheme
microcontroller used here is ARDUINO with

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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-3, Issue-2, 2017
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

3. Brief introduction of components XCTU is a free multi-platform application

designed to enable developers to interact with Digi
3.1 ZigBee RF modules through a simple-to-use graphical
interface. It includes new tools that make it easy to
set-up, configure and test Zigbee RF module. XCTU
include all of the tools a developer need to quickly
get up and running with ZigBee. A unique feature
like graphical network view, which graphically
represents the ZigBee network along with the signal
strength of each connection and the ZigBee API
frame builder which intuitively help to build and
interpret API frame for ZigBee being used in API
mode, combine to make development on the ZigBee
platform easy than ever.

3.2 DHT 11 (temperature and humidity

sensor)

DHT11 Temperature and Humidity Sensor

ZigBee is a wireless network that is aimed at
features a temperature and humidity sensing with a
remote control and sensor applications which are
measure digital signal output. By using the digital-
best suited for operation in bad radio environments
signal-acquisition system (DAS) and temperature &
and in isolated locations.
humidity sensing technology, it ensures reliability
and excellent long-term stability. This sensor
ZigBee is the most popular industry wireless
includes a resistive type humidity measurement
mesh networking standard for connecting sensors,
component and NTC temperature measurement
instrumentation and control systems. It is a
component, and connects to a high-performance 8-bit
specification for communication in a wireless
microcontroller, offering excellent quality, fast
personal area network (WPAN). ZigBee is an open,
response, anti-interference ability and cost-
global, packet-based protocol designed to provide an
effectiveness. Each DHT11 element is strictly
easy-to-use architecture for secure, reliable, low
calibrated in the laboratory that is extremely accurate
power wireless networks. ZigBee and IEEE 802.15.
on humidity calibration. The calibration coefficients
4 are low data rate wireless networking standards
are stored as the program in the OTP memory, which
that can eliminate the costly and damage prone
is used by the sensor’s internal signal detecting
wiring in industrial control applications. Flow
process. The single wire serial interface makes
control equipment can be placed anywhere and
system integration quick and easy. Its small size, low
communicate with the rest of the system. It can also
power consumption and up-to-20 meter signal
be moved from the network don't care about the
transmission making DHT11 the best choice for
physical location of the sensor, pump or valve.
various applications. This is a 4-pin single row pin
ZigBee builds on the IEEE standard 802.15.4 which
package. It is necessary to connect and special
defines the physical and MAC layers. ZigBee is
packages can be provided according to users’
defining the application and security layer
request.
specifications enabling interoperability between
products from different manufacturers. In this way,
ZigBee is a set of the 802.15.4 specification.. 3.3 ARDUINO

Software used for testing ZigBee: XCTU

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 1670

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-3, Issue-2, 2017
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

Arduino is common term for a software company, Program code for interfacing DHT11 and
project, and user community that designs and display with ARDUINO:
manufactures computer open-source hardware, open-
source software, and microcontroller-based kits for
building digital devices and interactive objects that #include <dht11.h>
can sense and control physical devices. dht11 DHT11;
The first Arduino was introduced in 2005, aiming #define DHT11PIN 2
to provide a low cost, easy way for novices and #include <LiquidCrystal.h>
professionals to create devices that interact with their LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 7); //2 to 7 change
environment using sensors and actuators. Common for lcd
examples of such devices intended for beginner
hobbyists include simple robots, thermostats, and void setup()
motion detectors. {
Arduino boards are available commercially in pinMode(2,OUTPUT);
preassembled form, or as do-it-yourself kits. The digitalWrite(2,1);
hardware design specifications are openly available, pinMode(3,OUTPUT);
allowing the Arduino boards to be produced by digitalWrite(3,0);
anyone. Adafruit Industries estimated in mid-2011 lcd.begin(16, 2);
that over 300,000 official Arduinos had been Serial.begin(9600);
commercially produced and in 2013 that 700,000 }
official boards were in users' hands.
void loop()
{
3.4 LM016L: LCD display Serial.println("\n");
int chk = DHT11.read(DHT11PIN);
Serial.print("Read sensor: ");
switch (chk)

{
case DHTLIB_OK:
Serial.println("OK");
break;
case DHTLIB_ERROR_CHECKSUM:
Serial.println("Checksum error");
break;
This is the commonly used LCD display. It can
case DHTLIB_ERROR_TIMEOUT:
be used very simply and interface too. It is the 16x2
Serial.println("Time out error");
LCD.
break;
default:
4. Work Serial.println("Unknown error");
We have done our work in a step by step manner. break;
First, we tried all the connection, meant to say check }
those connections. Like Arduino to Sensors, Arduino
to LCD-display, Arduino to ZigBee and after that all Serial.print("Humidity (%): ");
together. Serial.println((float)DHT11.humidity, 2);
lcd.write();
Serial.print("Temperature (°C): ");
Serial.println((float)DHT11.temperature, 2);
delay(1000);
}

Figure 2. Connection of ZigBee with Arduino

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 1671

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-3, Issue-2, 2017
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

Figure 6. Values of Humidity and Temperature at

Figure 3. Connection of DHT11 with Arduino receiving end side

6. Future scope
• This system can be easily extended with
ZigBee wireless image transmission facility
in future
• It will improve measurability of
underground environment and extend
accurate position of miners.
• In future, with the help of ZigBee module
and GUI (graphical user interface), we can
avoid railway accidents, road accident,
submarine accidents etc.

Figure 4. Connection of ZigBee and DHT11 with

Arduino

5. Testing Results
We have performed the testing operation in two
ways. First one by software simulations and the
second one by actual hardware.

7. Conclusions

Figure 5. Values of Humidity and Temperature at The traditional mine security system can be
sending end side effectively replaced by the surveillance and safety

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 1672

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-3, Issue-2, 2017
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

system proposed in the paper. This paper gives a

system related to safety and security of underground
mines. The system is reliable, faithful, uninterrupted,
economical and user-friendly. A larger area and more
depth inside hazardous underground mines are now
can be covered and accidents can be controlled
effectively. The system combined the low-power,
low-cost ZigBee based high-frequency wireless data
transmission technology. The sensor and ZigBee
module can be preferably installed in mines
(routers).Proper monitoring and communication are
possible between the employees and the monitoring
site which can help to take appropriate actions more
rapidly and smartly.

8. References
[1] The 8051 Microcontroller and Embedded
Systems: Using Assembly and C
Mazidi, Mazidi and McKinlay
[2] Arduino Microcontroller Guide, W. Durfee, University
of Minnesota ver. oct-2011

[3] Arduino UNO manual

[4] DHT11 Humidity & Temperature Sensor, D-Robotics
UK, 30, July 2010

[5]ZigBee RF Modules User Guide by Digi

XBEE2, XBEEPRO2, PRO S2B

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 1673