Design and construction of automatic quiz buzzer system

Project Abstract

This research project focuses on the design and construction of an automatic quiz buzzer system. The system is intended to be used in quiz competitions to facilitate a fair and efficient way of buzzing in to answer questions. The project employs a microcontroller-based design that incorporates user-friendly features for both the quiz master and the participants. The automatic quiz buzzer system consists of multiple participant units and a central control unit. Each participant unit is equipped with a buzzer button and an LED indicator to signify who buzzed in first. The central control unit is responsible for managing the buzzer system, keeping track of the order in which participants buzz in, and displaying the current participant who has the right to answer. The system is designed to prevent multiple participants from buzzing in simultaneously by disabling the buzzers after the first participant has buzzed in. This ensures that only one participant can answer a question at a time, maintaining the integrity of the quiz competition. Additionally, the system features a reset button to clear the buzzer queue and start a new round of questioning. The user interface of the central control unit is designed to be intuitive and easy to use for the quiz master. It displays the participant number who buzzed in first and provides visual feedback through LEDs. The central control unit also includes a timer function to set time limits for participants to answer questions, adding an element of urgency to the quiz competition. Overall, the automatic quiz buzzer system aims to enhance the quiz experience by providing a reliable and efficient way for participants to buzz in and answer questions. Its user-friendly design and smart functionalities make it a valuable tool for quiz competitions in educational institutions, corporate events, and entertainment venues. The system's ability to manage buzzer queues, prevent simultaneous buzzing, and display real-time information ensures a smooth and fair quiz competition for all participants involved.

Project Overview

<p> </p><div><p><strong>1.0</strong>&nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>INTRODUCTION</strong></p><p><strong>1.1 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; </strong><strong>BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY</strong></p><p>&nbsp; Quiz buzzers are used often at places like educational institutions where it is required for game shows and also in live quiz competitions broadcasted via television. A quiz buzzer allows any user to press the switch quickly in response to a question posed during competitions that are conducted in schools and colleges. The pressed switch gives a buzzing sound or alarm for some duration of time and the reaction time is very small. Buzzer can also be used in different applications such as annunciator panels; electronic metronome microwave oven and other house hold application.</p><p>Conventional systems require human intervention to decide which team has pressed the button and this system can be erroneous and even biased. Another problem arises when two members pressed the button at a negligible interval and it is difficult to guess who has pressed the buzzer first. Here we designed an automatic quiz buzzer system such that when more than one team presses the buzzer, the delay is accurately taken into account and number is displayed. We build the circuit using a microcontroller which scans the input from push buttons and displays the corresponding number on a display device. It is a simple circuit with minimum number of components and</p><p>sans any complexities. The microcontroller takes into account the time delay between two buttons and the accurate number is displayed. Even though this system is only for 8 teams, more teams can be added by using another set of 8 push buttons.</p><p>&nbsp;<strong>1.2 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; </strong><strong>AIM AND OBJECTIVE</strong></p><p>&nbsp; The aim of this project is to designed and construction of automatic quiz buzzer system such that when more than one team presses the buzzer, the delay is accurately taken into account and number is displayed.</p><p><strong>1.3 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; </strong><strong>JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY</strong></p><p>&nbsp;The circuit is a simple embedded system with a set of 8 push buttons being the input devices, a microcontroller as the controller and the output devices being a buzzer and a display. The whole operation is carried out by a microcontroller through a program written in C language and dumped inside the microcontroller. When one of the buttons is pressed, the buzzer starts ringing and the corresponding number is displayed on the liquId crystal display.</p><p>&nbsp; A quiz buzzer circuit can be implemented in several ways with the use of various controllers. These controllers include 555 timer and microcontrollers. The 555 timer based buzzer circuit is a simple and low-cost device wherein the time duration is determined by the resistorand capacitor value (RC constant). A microcontroller based buzzer circuit is a programmable timer wherein the time duration can be varied by changing the program code of the microcontroller.</p><p><strong>1.4 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;SCOPE OF THE STUDY</strong></p><p>&nbsp; The whole design process involves six steps. First step requires designing the circuit; the second step is drawing the circuit on any software like Proteus. The third step involves writing the code using high level language or assembly language and then compiling it on a software platform like Kielu Vision. The fourth step is dumping the code in microcontroller and fifth step is simulating the circuit. The circuit involves using five major components – a Microcontroller, 8 SPST push buttons, a buzzer and liquid crystal display. The microcontroller used in this case is AT89C51, an 8 bit microcontroller manufactured by Atmel.</p><p><strong>Reset Circuit Design</strong></p><p>The reset resistor is selected such that the voltage at the reset pin, across this resistor is at minimum of 1.2V and the width of the pulse applied to this pin is greater than 100ms. Here we select a resistor of 100K ohms and a capacitor of 10uF.</p><p></p></div><h3></h3><br> <br><p></p>