Republic of the Philippines

CENTRAL LUZON STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Department of Information Technology
Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

AUTOMATED MUSHROOM
FARM MONITORING SYSTEM

A Capstone Project
Presented to the
Faculty of the Department of Information Technology

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the course INTECH 495b
IT Capstone Project 2

By:
Pantilanan, Nadine B.

Pico, Roel Beejay J.

Ramones, John Paul R.

May 2021

i
 Automated Mushroom Farm Monitoring System

Pantilanan, Nadine B.
Pico, Roel Beejay J.
Ramones, John Paul R.

Disclaimer:

“This project is submitted to the Department of Information Technology, College of

Engineering in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course ‘INTECH 495b IT

Capstone Project 2’ under the program of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology

at the Central Luzon State University, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. It is the

product of our own work except where indicated in the text. The project report or any

portion thereof including the source code, or any section may be freely copied and

distributed provided that the source is acknowledged.”

ii
 APPROVAL SHEET
This Capstone Project entitled AUTOMATED MUSHROOM FARM MONITORING

SYSTEM proposed and submitted by Nadine B. Pantilanan, Roel Beejay J. Pico, John Paul
R. Ramones in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course for INTECH 495b-IT
Capstone Project 2, has been examined and found in order and is hereby recommended
for acceptance and approval for requirements for the course BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL ORAL PRESENTATION COMMITTEE

MS. MARIA ISABEL M. SANTOS

Chairman
_________________
Date Signed

DR. KHAVEE AGUSTUS W. BOTANGEN MR. KARLO CHRISTIAN G, BOLISAY

Adviser/Member Technical Critic/Member
________________
________________
Date Signed Date Signed

Accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

DR. KHAVEE AGUSTUS W. BOTANGEN

IT Dept, Dept Chair
_________________
Date Signed

DR. THEODY B. SAYCO

CEN, College Dean
_________________

iii
Date Signed

iv
 CERTIFICATION OF MANUSCRIPT EDITING

This is to certify that the undersigned has read, reviewed and edited the

manuscript of NADINE B. PANTILANAN, ROEL BEEJAY J. PICO and JOHN

PAUL R. RAMONES entitled “AUTOMATED MUSHROOM FARM

MONITORING SYSTEM” as a requirement for the completion of the INTECH 495b-

IT Capstone Project 2. This further certifies that the scope of editing is within the

technical preparation of manuscript only. This certification is issued to the

aforementioned researchers for English Critic requirements.

Issued this _6_th day of _June_,2018, Science City of Munoz Nueva Ecija.

Kimry Danielle Gonzales

Officer-in-Charge, Center for Research, Publication, and Intellectual Property
Lyceum of the Philippines University-Laguna

v
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE ii

APPROVAL SHEET iii

CERTIFICATION OF MANUSCRIPT EDITING iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS v
CHAPTER I BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT 1
A. Introduction 1
B. Problem Statement 2
C. Objectives of the Study 3
D. Scope and Limitation 3
E. Importance of the Study 6
F. Definition of Terms 7
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE, STUDIES, AND
EXISTING ALTERNATIVES 9
A. Related Literature 9
B. Synthesis of the Reviewed Literature and Studies 16
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY 19
A. Planning 20
B. Analysis 22
C. Design 24
D. Development 26
E. Integration and Testing 27
F. |Implementation and Evaluation 27
G. Maintenance 28
CHAPTER IV RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 29
A. Planning 29
Gantt Chart 29
Interviewing User Management 30
Fishbone Diagram 32

vi
 B. Analysis 33
Developing a Feasibility Study 33
Technical Feasibility 33
Economic Feasibility 35
Operational Feasibility 38
Flowchart of the current operation 39
Conceptual Framework 40
System Requirement Checklist 41
C. Design 42
Data Flow Diagrams 42
Context Diagram 42
Data Flow Diagram (Top Level) 43
Exploded Data Flow Diagram of Process 1 (Humidifier Module) 45
Exploded Data Flow Diagram of Process 2 (Water Refill Module) 46
Exploded Data Flow Diagram of Process 3 (Display Module) 47
Use Case Diagram 48
Network Diagram 49
Electronic Schematic 50
User Interface Design 52
D. Development 57
Coding 58
E. Integration and Testing 59
Functionality 59
Usability 60
Maintainability 60
Portability 60
F. Implementation and Evaluation 61
G. Maintenance 65
CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSION and RECOMMENDATION 66
A. Summary 66
B. Conclusion 67

vii
 C. Recommendation 68
REFERENCES 70
APPENDICES 72

viii
 CHAPTER I
BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

A. Introduction

Agriculture is a significant aspect of the Philippine economy. As technology

continually evolves, agriculture techniques also improve. To elevate our food adequacy

levels, we really need to harness state-of-the-art tools, systems, and technologies to

modernize and industrialize Philippine (Dar, 2020). Various agriculture sectors use

wireless sensors that result in substantial positive results on crops, increased yield, and

save labor costs. With the introduction of the Internet of Things, agriculture industries

also improved. Internet of Things has revolutionized technologies and devices that will

benefit agricultural productivity. For instance, there are already devices that can measure

various quantities such as soil moisture, the volume of water amount and temperature.

These technologies are beneficial since agricultural productivity is highly dependent on

the right amount of these various factors.

Mushroom farming, just like any other farms, can be benefited using IoT. The

usual manual activities can be eased by leveraging the use of various available sensing

devices. Sensor technologies can accurately monitor the major ecological factors that

affect stalk height, stalk diameter and cap size in mushrooms hence enables the regulation

of air temperature, humidity, and compact materials (Bellettini, et al., 2016).

There are several problems that may arise when the ecological factors (e.g.,

temperature, humidity, soil pH level) are not monitored and regulated (Bellettini, et al.,

1
2016). For instance, high moisture content in the substrate will result in difficult

breathing for the mycelium, inhibiting perspiration, rendering the development of fruiting

body impossible. Even with elevated inoculum amounts or number of holes in mushroom

cultivation packages, resulting in the development of non-desired organisms such as

bacteria and nematodes. Low moisture content will result in the death of the fruiting

body. The effects of those problems are indeed undesirable because it affects the

production. Moreover, manually performing monitoring and regulating tasks can be

laborious especially on large-scale mushroom cultivation (Marshall & Nair, 2009).

To address the concerns mentioned above, the researchers proposed an automated

mushroom monitoring system to be developed. The system comprises a Do-It-Yourself

(DIY) humidifier that automatically increases the humidity when required. It uses sensors

to obtain data from the surroundings, which is attached to a microcontroller. The system

processes all data and provides the farmer with information through a device equipped

with an internet. Mushroom farming could be monitored online, hence enabling the

maintenance of optimal farm conditions with minimal time and labor.

B. Problem Statement

Most current small-to-medium scale mushroom farms in the country are

performing their monitoring and management task manually. In particular, the proponents

conducted a site survey and observed the processes being done at Tin Top Mushroom

Farm, which is one among the many existing small-to-medium scale mushroom farms.

There are two main observations. First, regulating the humidity and temperature is done

2
by manually spraying water. Second, a farmer needs to enter the fruiting area of the farm

to monitor both temperature and relative humidity.

Those two above mentioned tasks are labor intensive and require frequent

performance. The proponents intend to reduce farmer’s workload by automating some

process of concern.

C. Objectives of the Study

The study aims to design and develop an Automated Mushroom Farm Monitoring

System that will reduce the workload of farmers in monitoring and managing mushroom

farms.

Specifically, it aims to:

● Lessen the manual labor by replacing the manual way of spraying water with an

automated humidifier;

● Monitor temperature and relative humidity in real-time;

● Provide an online platform to access the environment information;

● Provide spreadsheet of the environment data gathered from the online platform.

D. Scope and Limitation

The study's scope involves monitoring the environment of the mushroom center

and automation of a humidifier. The features of the system are limited only to the

following:

3
1. Monitoring Module

● Data is gathered using relative humidity, and temperature sensors.

● To display real-time environment information accessible online and on an LCD

display.

2. Humidifier Module

● Automatically switch on and off a DIY humidifier based on the gathered data by

the humidity sensor and automatically set the required humidity.

● Automatically refill the container when the water supply is low.

3. Account Module

● The online platform is secured by user authentication.

The study was initiated during a global pandemic caused by COVID-19, so the

researchers are restricted or delayed in performing things that need to be done. Aside

from the pandemic going-on the researchers have limited funds for the project.  The

project was developed for a small-to-medium mushroom farm.

The settings of the automation have been pre-programmed and can only be altered

by changing the program code. The data gathered by the project is directly displayed to

the LCD module and IoT Platform. The rate of humidity dispersion within the mushroom

fruiting room is not estimated. The temperature and humidity data gathered by the sensor

reflects the value obtained by the DHT-11 sensor’s location. The researchers were not

4
able to determine which mist maker to be used with regards to support a specific size of

the mushroom house. The project does not include a backup power whenever there will

be any power interruption and does not include an auto-power on. The project is also

limited in information tracking only through opening the website and mobile application

and does not include notifying the users.

The intended plan was to create a server-based system that can control the devices

and would serve as the data depository (database). This type of system would make the

device's operation dependent on the server. Those devices are the Arduino Uno, sensors,

mist makers, fan, and solenoid valve which needs maintenance and consumes electricity,

much more on the server unit. It should also generate a data analytics feature that could

help the farmer have an insight to the farm environment.

The study began while a global pandemic still uncontrolled with increasing cases.

The researchers were first optimistic in the development of the project. But during the

development, the researchers were limited by the imposing threats by the pandemic,

government laws and economic situation. Adjustments were made to the intended plan,

the researchers had to become flexible.

The researchers found an alternative plan by coding directly to the Arduino unit to

make it independent from any external system. The alternative plan used a software as a

service which is the ThingSpeak Platform to make the data accessible on the internet. The

data was transformed into graphical form such as graphs that can be easily understood. It

5
also has a feature to produce a data sheet of all the data sent to the platform. The IoT is a

secure platform, and it has free services.

An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) was planned to serve as the back-up

power for the Arduino unit. The researchers have not purchased the said item due to the

cost.

Cutting down the server unit from the intended plan reduced the project cost and

electricity consumption of a small mushroom farm. Using the free service of ThingSpeak

is also a viable alternative for a server unit. Thus, one of the most important purposes of

the project is to lessen the expenses in the operation of the farm.

E. Importance of the Study

To the farm owners, the project will serve a large contribution to small-to-

medium mushroom farms. The device will still run with or without an internet

connection. The project will help to monitor environmental information of the fruiting

house whether the farmer is in or away from the farm if he/she has access to the Internet.

The project reduces the manual way to maintain temperature and relative humidity and

decreases the risk of overwatering or underwatering the fruiting bags and replaces them

with an automated humidifier to maintain the right environment for mushroom

production. The mushroom farm will also benefit from the project by preventing

contamination of fruiting bags that will damage the production of mushrooms. It also

6
lessens the labor work and time in spraying water on fruiting bags. Therefore, farmers

will be able to use this time for other concerns on the farm.

         To the researchers, the project was an opportunity for them to learn new

knowledge that they never experience during class. Developing the project was both an

opportunity and a challenge to the researchers and it helped them to improve their skills

despite the limiting conditions of the new normal. The project helps the researchers to

come up with new plans for them to be able to solve a certain problem in developing the

project. The researchers also able to test theories from developing the project. The

researchers also gained an understanding of the processes in mushroom farming and how

different factors can affect the growth of mushrooms.

F. Definition of Terms

For vivid understanding of this paper, the following terms are defined:

a. Diode – is a semiconductor device that essentially acts as a one-way switch for

current.

b. Fruiting Bag – also known as incubation bag and fruit spawn bag. This could be

polypropylene (PP) bags, bottles, or jars. Substrate is inserted in the bag. It is

where the mushroom will grow.

c. Humidifier – is a machine that adds moisture to the air by evaporating water.

d. Incubation – Period when the mushroom mycelium slowly grows through the

substrate.

7
e. Internet of Things (IoT) – is a system of interrelated computing devices,

mechanical and digital machines.

f. Microcontroller – is a compact integrated circuit designed to govern a specific

operation in an embedded system like Arduino.

g. Photosynthesis – the process by which green plants and some other organisms

use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.

h. Relative Humidity – the amount of water vapor present in air expressed as a

percentage of the amount needed for saturation at the same temperature.

i. Relay – are electric switches that use electromagnetism to convert small electrical

stimuli into larger currents.

j. Sensor – a device which detects or measures a physical property and records,

indicates, or otherwise responds to it.

k. Solenoid Valve – are electromechanically operated valves and are used to control

the rate of flow in fluid or air.

l. Substrate – Organic materials with high lignin content that supports the growth

and development of mushroom fruiting bodies.

m. ThingSpeak – is an IoT analytics platform service that allows you to aggregate,

visualize, and analyze live data streams in the cloud.

n. ThingView – is a mobile application provided by ThingSpeak that allows you to

view channels from the ThingSpeak Platform from your smartphone.

8
 o. Transistor – a semiconductor device with three connections, capable of

amplification in addition to rectification.

CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE, STUDIES, AND EXISTING
ALTERNATIVES

A. Related Literature

This chapter is a discussion of the literature and results of other related research,

studies, and existing alternatives to which the present study is related. This gave the

researchers enough background in understanding the study.

The studies collected and reviewed are presented under the following headings:

1. Smart Agriculture using IoT

2. The Requirements for IoT based Agriculture and Farming Activities

• IoT in Agriculture: Examples

❏ Precision farming using sensors:

❏ Smart Greenhouses

❏ Monitoring Livestock

❏ Farm management systems

3. Advantages and Disadvantages of IoT based Monitoring System

4. IoT in Mushroom Farming

9
Smart Agriculture using IoT

According to an article by the Digiteum Team (2019), Smart Agriculture is one of

the newest developments in the IoT sector. It intends to use the data collected to analyze

the correct methods for different agricultural processes. Smart agriculture shall enable

farmers to use their lands efficiently, make processes faster and agile, use fertilizers and

pesticides in a controlled quantity, gaining maximum yields, obtaining insights, making

predictions and analyzing risks for future use based on previous data etc. A wide range of

smart agriculture and IoT enabled products are available in the market (e.g., sensors,

drones, consoles, automatic sprinklers, etc.) If used correctly, IoT can bring a new

environmental revolution.

The Requirements for IoT based Agriculture and Farming Activities

There are must-haves to successfully achieve an IoT based agriculture

(Ratnaparkhi, et al., 2020). The most critical and fundamental prerequisite for IoT

systems to function is reliable internet connectivity. The connection must be dependable,

able to withstand a variety of weather conditions, and be accessible throughout the area.

Correct sensors are also needed to meet the requirements. These sensors can be purchased

commercially or made to order. Before putting sensors to long-term use, it's important to

make sure they're of good quality. Another requirement is the data analysis tools. These

10
are tools to analyze data using various algorithms and machine learning to gain predictive

insights are needed in addition to the sensors. This is the foundation of all precision

agriculture techniques. Lastly, the software program should have enough protection to

avoid data theft. The program should also be simple to use and affordable to farmers. It is

the responsibility of the users to ensure that sensors are maintained at regular intervals.

They are delicate devices that need minor maintenance such as cleaning and battery

replacement.

IoT in Agriculture: Examples

Smart farming use cases are discussed in Chalimov (2020). Listed below are the

examples mentioned in their article.

1. Precision farming using sensors

The most important part of agriculture is knowing the capabilities

of the soil, nutrients required for plant growth and amount of moisture

required in the soil. Agricultural sensors are made for these requirements.

Their main purpose is to collect data throughout from the sowing season to

harvesting. There is a sensor for all types of purposes (e.g. CO2 content,

NPK content, air temperature, solar radiation, soil mapping, etc). The

combination of acquired data from all these sensors is used for analysis of

which type of crop to grow on, part of the field, the most suitable type of

irrigation, correct amount of water required, what type of fertilizer is

11
 required, early detection of diseases in crops and much more. Sensors are

sometimes installed on drones, vehicles, directly into the soil or on high

level areas according to their use.

2. Smart Greenhouses

In greenhouses, IoT is used to track the environment within the

greenhouses, measure plant growth, plant requirements, light level,

humidity, and temperature, all without the need for human interference.

Greenhouses are often maintained using cloud servers that use real-time

data.

3. Monitoring Livestock

Keeping livestock is an expensive operation, but IoT makes it easier.

Owners may monitor their cattle's exact position, growth rate, diseases

they may have contracted, daily food, water, and nutrition requirements,

sleep cycles, and distinguish healthy from sick cattle. Poultry farming,

apiculture, and pisciculture, for example, may all benefit from the same

technology. This needs very little labor and saves a lot of money.

4. Farm management systems

IoT is used to handle storage, logistics, sales and purchases, repairs, and

waste management, among other things. Using their smartphones, the farm

owner can easily access all of this information in one location.

12
Advantages and Disadvantages of IoT based Monitoring System

A study on IoT based monitoring and environment control system (Mohammed,

et al., 2017), reviewed the advantages and disadvantages in the integration of IoT in

software systems.

First, since the device architecture is built on an open-source platform, it has a

low capital cost. Second, it is simple to use and migrate data. The third one is that it can

be expanded. The system could be modular, making it simple to expand the number of

data/sensors.

However, there are also drawbacks to the system that must be considered. Remote

monitoring is dependent on internet connection quality. Also, a data security issued in

IoT is not confidential. If the device handles highly sensitive data, the data verification or

encryption may be needed, which necessitates the use of a complex algorithm at the

server and nodes.

IoT in Mushroom Farming

There are various applications of IoT in mushroom farming. In Marzuki & Ying

(2017), a system is presented for monitoring and controlling mushroom farms. It has a

circuit with a monitoring function that includes a monitoring function that enables the

13
user to monitor temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, light intensity in a

mushroom farm wirelessly and control the sensors' mushroom farm condition feedback.

Their monitoring system obtains data from the sensors and sends the data to ThingSpeak

online cloud for monitoring and storage. Also, users can access the data anytime via the

Internet, and they can download the data into a CSV file for further analysis. They also

designed an Android app interface for easy data monitoring.

Another system that has sensors to monitor the necessary parameters that utilizes

microcontrollers and actuators is in Pravinth, Rozario, Santhanakrishnan, & NS (2018).

The program is written to monitor and to automate the farm. The microcontroller does

both the process and sends the sensor's data and the actuator's status to the server. In the

server, a dashboard displays the status of the farm.

The IoT-based Monitoring and Environment Control System for indoor

cultivation of oyster mushrooms used Arduino Mega as a controller to integrate data from

the sensor and send it to the IoT platform through a WiFi module (Mohammed, et al.,

2017). The ThingSpeak IoT platform visualizes the data submitted. It is available to

Android or IOS apps linked to the same platform. The data received on mobile apps is

displayed in sensor value, a graph in the time domain for visualizing the data trend and

used as a control parameter to the connected device.

The IoT Based Monitoring System for White Button Mushroom Farming uses an

ATMEGA328 microcontroller unit called NodeMCU (Subedi, Luitel, Baskota, &

Acharya, 2019). This microcontroller uses a base for live monitoring of temperature,

14
humidity, soil moisture, and light intensity of the farm. It sends the data to the end

devices via the cloud through NodeMCU. The data thus obtained are almost equal and

calibrated according to standard measurements of the weather station. The data of

primary sensors, such as temperature and humidity, are sent to IoT platforms to access

and monitor.

In a separate study conducted by Azimi, Buyamin, Mokji, & Abidin (2018), the

Internet of Things-based Smart Environmental Monitoring for Mushroom Cultivation

developed an environmental control agriculture system that will increase crops'

production. It is done by taking the environmental data and storing it using the Internet.

The data collected are temperature, humidity, and CO2 level. The system managed to

collect the environment data, and the HT-2000 Data Logger device compares this data to

check for accuracy and reliability. The control system inside the device is automatically

triggered if the environmental conditions are not in optimum condition. This functionality

is also present in the proposed system. This system requires a stable internet connection

to ensure that the data is sent to the Internet.

In another study by Singh, Anand, Simran, & Sushma (2020), the Smart

Mushroom Cultivation using IoT fetches each dark room's real-time data status where the

mushrooms are grown to the main controller - the system's brain in the cloud. The system

uses the Dripline Irrigation System for the room's solenoid valve connections. They use a

Dripline Irrigation System because mushrooms require a significantly less amount of

water. When the relay module is on, the solenoid valve opens and distributes water.

15
Every 15 seconds, the bed's moisture content is measured, and the controller receives this

data.

B. Synthesis of the Reviewed Literature and Studies

The collection of foreign studies provides information to the proponents

that their study has similarities with other widely used systems. The study proposes a

system that will include sensors to receive data from the environment of a fruiting house.

Microcontroller, Relays, and LCD display will also be included in the system. The

researchers will also create a device to maintain the correct environment for the fruiting

house. While the choice of microcontrollers chosen in the other studies is diverse, much

of the studies used ThingSpeak as the software for display (Marzuki, A., & Ying, S.,

2017; Azimi, Buyamin, Mokji, & Abidin, 2018; Mohammed, et al., 2017) Each of the

studies include the use of sensors and has both desktop and mobile access. A few of the

studies offers offline availability (Pravinth, Rozario, Santhanakrishnan, & NS, 2018;

Singh, Anand, Simran, & Sushma, 2020), but what sets the system apart from other

studies is that it is accessible offline and also has a DIY humidifier. The table below

illustrates the similarities and differences of the system to the other studies mentioned in

this chapter.

Table 1. Comparison of the system to other studies

16
 SOFTWARE SEN DESKTOP MOBILE AVAILABL DIY
SOR ACCESS E HUMIDIFIER
CONTROLLER USED FOR S APP
OFFLINE
USED DISPLAY

Proposed Arduino ThingSpeak ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

System Uno

Environmental Arduino ThingSpeak ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌

Monitoring Uno
and
Controlling
System for
Mushroom
Farm with

Online
Interface

Intelligent Raspberry Android ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌

Mushroom Pi App and
Monitoring Web UI
System

IoT-based Arduino ThingSpeak ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌

monitoring and Mega
environment
control system
for indoor
cultivation

of oyster
mushrooms

IoT Based Node Blynk ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌

17
Monitoring MCU
System for
White Button
Mushroom
Farming

Internet of Node ThingSpeak ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌

Things-based MCU
Smart
Environmental
Monitoring for
Mushroom
Cultivation

Smart Raspberry Dynamic ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌

Mushroom pi 3B+ website
Cultivation
using IoT

18
 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

The researchers initiated the study in November 2020, months after the Bayanihan

to Heal as One Act (Republic Act No. 11469) of the Philippines has expired since June.

The country is still in Code Red Sublevel 2 and Nueva Ecija under the Modified General

Community Quarantine. This type of quarantine has the least severe restrictions, yet it

has an uncertain due date. Nevertheless, the researchers must conform to the mandated

requirements throughout the study despite of COVID -19.

In consideration of the concerns mentioned above, the researchers decided to use

a methodology that fits perfectly to develop a system with almost constant variables, such

as in mushroom farming environment conditions and will eliminate iterative methods.

The Traditional System Development Life Cycle (Kendall & Kendall, 2011), with seven

(7) stages, which includes (A) Planning, (B) Analysis, (C) Design, (D) Development (E)

Integration & Testing (F) Implementation, (G) Maintenance as shown on Figure 1 shall

be used in the project. This methodology shall impose lesser risk amid the pandemic by

limiting human contact. Nevertheless, this methodology widely is used by the software

industry to design, develop, and test high-quality software.

19
 Figure 1. System Development Life Cycle

The Traditional SDLC methodology also known as the Waterfall Methodology

involves a rigid structure that demands all system requirements.

A. Planning

Planning is the first stage of the Systems Development Life Cycle. This stage

includes the Preliminary Investigation, Gantt Chart, Interviewing User Management, and

the Fishbone diagram.

Preliminary Investigation

20
 During the preliminary investigation, the researchers performed data gathering,

brainstorming, study of the operations, and observations to develop the fishbone diagram,

Gantt chart and reference to conduct the actual interview. Proof of the existence of the

client/business such as photos are taken.

Gantt Chart

Gantt chart is created to schedule the main activity using bars as representation.

The length of each bar represents the relative length of the activity in weeks. The

activities will be labeled as complete, in-progress or not started to provide an overview

on the progress of the capstone project.

Interviewing User Management

The researchers create interview questions for the owner of Tin Top Mushroom

Farm. The questions can be answered on actual interviews or other forms of

communication like on Facebook Messenger. The researchers will be asking close-ended

and open-ended questions not limited to the following:

● What are the processes you do in the Tin Top Mushroom Farm?

● What is the output/outcome of those activities?

● Do you encounter problems in performing those processes? What are

they?

● What are the effects of those problems?

● How do you remedy or solve those problems?

● What are your daily tasks in the farm?

21
 ● How often do you have to perform those tasks within a day?

● What do you use to monitor the environment?

● Are there times you can’t monitor the farm?

The actual interviews will be recorded and the replies in the Facebook Messenger

will also be transcribed into a word document.

Fishbone Diagram

The fishbone diagram, also known as the Ishikawa Diagram, is a visualization

tool for categorizing the potential causes of a problem to identify its root causes. The

researchers identify the main problem, its causes in the conducted interview, and the

researchers' observation. The place in the head is the main problem, and its causes will be

categorized and placed on the body.

B. Analysis

In this phase, all requirements of the project are analyzed and documented in a

specification document and a feasibility analysis is done to check if these requirements

are valid. Analysis stage includes Developing a Feasibility Study, Flow Chart of the

Current Operation, Conceptual Framework, and System Requirements Checklist.

Developing a Feasibility Study

The feasibility study is used to gather broad data for the members of management

that in turn enables the researchers to decide whether to proceed with the study. The

22
researchers will do the project feasibility of the proposed system using three assessments:

operational, technical, and economical feasibility.

1. Technical Feasibility

Technical feasibility is where the researchers find out whether it is

possible to develop the new system given the current technical resources. The

researchers will determine whether there is technology in existence that meets the

specifications by identifying the existing devices used.

2. Economic Feasibility

Economic feasibility is where the necessary resources are considered, like

the total cost of the system's development, which will be derived from the

estimated cost of hardware and the estimated cost of software development tools

to be used. The tangible and intangible benefits of the proposed system will also

be determined.

3. Operational Feasibility

Operational feasibility will be dependent on the human resources available

for the project and involves projecting whether the system will operate and use

once installed and how the researchers help the users fully utilize the system's

functionality. The researchers will determine the different methods on how the

system's users can utilize their full potential.

Flowchart of the current operation

23
 The current operations will be graphically visualized through flowchart diagrams

to determine the series of steps in performing a specific operation used in a Mushroom

Farm.

Creating the Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework design would identify the main components of the

system. Each individual package will signify a different class that will be documented

prior.

System Requirement Checklist

System requirement checklists are the included features of the system. The

researchers will identify four of the system requirements: input, process, output, and

control. The data to be added or gathered sent to the system will be determined as input.

The different user and system processes involved in the proposed system will be

identified. The output will be those processed data, which can be control other devices or

display reports. The user's capabilities to manipulate data or how the system and its

components behave will be identified under control.

C. Design

The design functions and operations will be described, including screen layouts,

process diagrams, and other documentation. The output of this stage will describe the

new system as a collection of modules or subsystems. The researchers will construct Data

Flow Diagrams, User Case Diagram, Network Diagram, Electronic Schematic, and User

Interface Designs.

24
 Data Flow Diagram

A Data Flow Diagram (DFD) is graphically characterized by data processes and

flows in a business system. It depicts the broadest possible overview of system inputs,

processes, and outputs, which correspond to those of the general systems model. The

researchers will use three (3) Data Flow Diagrams, namely, Context Diagram, Top-Level

Diagram, and the Exploded Data Flow Diagram.

1. Context Diagram

A context diagram is an overview of a system, including basic inputs, the

general system, and outputs. The researchers will use this chart to show the

highest level in a data flow diagram, which contains only one process

representing the entire system, the entities involved and the data flows.

2. Top Level Diagram

Top Level Data Flow Diagram (DFD) or Diagram 0 is the context

diagram's exploded diagram. The researchers will construct a diagram with three

to nine processes, entities, and data flows. The processes will be the different

modules of the system.

3. Exploded Data Flow Diagrams

The top-level diagram will be expanded to sub-process new lower-level

data flows. Each exploded diagram will only use a single sheet of paper. By

25
 exploding DFDs into subprocesses, the researchers will fill in the details about

data movement.

Use Case Diagram

The Use Case Diagram reflects the view of the system from the perspective of a

user outside of the system which includes the actors and their relationships. The

researchers will use the diagram to represent system functionality, the requirements of the

system from the user’s perspective.

Network Diagram

A network diagram is a visual representation of the network architecture. Some

components of the system will be connected through a Wireless Local Area Network.

The researchers will map out the structure of the system network with a variety of

different symbols and connections necessary to display a clear view of the network

design.

Electronic Schematic

Electronic Schematic will represent the electrical circuit as it shows the

components and interconnections of the circuit using standardized symbolic

representation. The presentation of the interconnections between circuit components does

not necessarily correspond to the physical arrangements in the finished system. A

diagram for the electronic plan will be created.

User Interface Design

26
 Designing a User Interface is the process of defining how the system interacts

with the external entities. The researchers will select the appropriate charts available in

the IOT platform to display the environment data and device status.

D. Development

The development of the system mainly revolves on the Internet of Things. The

researchers will study the technologies to be integrated into the system. IOT is a

combination of programming and electronics. The electronics side involves Arduino

microcontroller and the connected sensors, creation of the DIY humidifier, use of relays,

solenoid valve, and other components. Dealing with electronics would be prone to

irreversible failures such as burning down circuitries, leading to more cost and

electrocution.

Programming the Arduino microcontroller, the researchers will use an Arduino

IDE software that runs on C++ programming language. The IOT Platform to be used is

ThingSpeak it is a free/subscription service that displays charts accessible online.

E. Integration and Testing

Testing will be important to make sure all the functions of the system work in the

way they are intended to work. The system will be tested by the different Software

Quality Characteristics (ISO 9126) namely Functionality, Usability, Maintainability and

Portability.

27
 F. |Implementation and Evaluation

The researchers coordinated with a local mushroom farm namely Tin Top

Mushroom Farm to further test and evaluate their prototype system. The owner of Tin

Top Mushroom farm agreed to test the system in their establishment. The researchers will

install the system along with the components, conduct a seminar to explain the system

functionalities and trainings to properly operate the system. The researchers will conduct

an evaluation after testing the prototype system. The researchers will be asking again a

close-ended and open-ended questions regarding after test:

● Does the system work?

● Are you satisfied with the power of the device?

● How do you find the usability of the application?

● What can you say about the system’s adaptability to the environment?

● What can you say or suggest to the design of the device and as a whole?

● Will you invest in this kind of system?

The researchers will provide documentation or instruction on operating the

system. The documentation will include lists of the devices including the sensors,

microcontroller used, and others.

G. Maintenance

The researchers will keep in-touch with Mushroom Farmer whenever they can

implement the developed system in a real mushroom farm. Contact details will be

28
included in the document, so whenever the mushroom farmer requires assistance, he/she

is free to contact the researchers anytime and set an appointment.

The provided documentation to the mushroom farmer will include instructions of

installation if any device fails, so that the mushroom farmer can buy the right material

and perform replacement.

29
 CHAPTER IV
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results of the methodology and the significance of such results were
presented in this part.

A. Planning

Gantt Chart

The researchers will follow the scheduled activities indicated in Figure 2.

Activities can be done in their free time on the scheduled week. The researchers will have

separate tasks and the output of each task will be analyzed by other members within the

set schedule.

WEEKS
STAGE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Planning

Analysis

Design

Development

Integration &
Testing

Implementation

Maintenance

Finished On-progress Not-started

Figure 2. Gantt Chart

30
Interviewing User Management

Below are the gathered ideas based on the answers of the organization’s owner:

1. What are the processes you do in the Tin Top Mushroom Farm?

- Cleaning sawdust from furniture, substrate preparation, planting,

maintaining humidity, and harvesting.

2. What are the outputs/outcomes of those activities?

- Fresh mushrooms, processed mushrooms like mushroom longganisa and

mushroom chips.

3. Do you encounter problems in performing those processes?

- Contamination, too much moisture in the fruiting bags

4. What are the effects of those problems?

- It can possibly kill the seeds to be planted, Insects might also enter the

fruiting bags and can cause worms.

5. How do you remedy or solve those problems?

-Maintain cleanliness and humidity inside the growing house.

6. What are your daily tasks in the farm?

-Maintaining natural light and humidity enough that it isn't hot, Watering

also which depends on the weather.

7. How often do you have to perform those tasks within a day?

31
 - Watering should be done once or twice a day if it is rainy, and 3-4 times

if it is sunny which has 3-4 hours intervals.

8. What do you use to monitor the environment?

- I used to have a hygrometer for monitoring the humidity and

temperature. But since it's broken, I'm already familiar with the

mushrooms, I can identify if the mushrooms are already lacking in

moisture.

8. Are there times you cannot monitor the farm?

-Yes, when I go out.

The interview revealed how labor-intensive mushroom farming is based on Mr.

Tumampo’s experience. Failure to perform the right procedures will lead to poor harvest

and the worst, no harvest. Several devices were mentioned to monitor the environment,

like the 3-in-1 soil temperature, moister & light meter, and the hygrometer to mitigate

this failure. However, they recently broke used for the temperature and humidity inside

the fruiting center. So, he relied on experience and based on the mushroom color change

to determine if it is needed to spray water.

32
Fishbone Diagram

Temperature &
Humidity
Manually Regulate
Temperature

LABOR INTENSIVE
Customers to
Entertain Seminars
to attend
Monitor Customers to
Environment Entertain

Figure 3. Fishbone Diagram

The People refers to themselves while managing their time in between attending

seminars, entertaining customers, and monitoring the farm. Sometimes the employee has

to work overtime to finish tasks that they have to do.

33
 The Process pertains specifically to the work that they do when needing to

entertain customers and manually monitor the environment within the process. The

proposed system shall increase their productivity by utilization of work.

Environment Control means specifically manually regulating the temperature and

humidity inside the mushroom farm that serves as an additional work.

B. Analysis

Developing a Feasibility Study

Technical Feasibility

The researchers identified some devices used to monitor the growing house

environment conditions with the specification and purpose shown on Table 2.

Table 2. Sample Devices Used to Monitor Environment Condition

Device Name Specification Purpose

 3 in 1 Soil Moisture Sunlight
pH Meter
● It can test the pH value,
moisture and light intensity
one at a time of the soil.
● No Battery Needed for
Garden Plants
● pH value of the soil compost
is identified.
● Light intensity in the
growing room is measured.

Hygrometer Temperature and ● Temperature and Humidity ● Placed inside the growing
humidity meter Meter with Alarm Clock room to identify the
temperature and humidity of
the room

The devices satisfy a mushroom farm's needs to monitor the environment but do

not satisfy the system's requirements to perform all its objectives. The researchers

34
enumerated most of the materials and devices needed for the system development that

would help meet this study's objectives. The materials and devices identified in which

module will be used, such as the Humidifier Module and the monitoring module.

The materials needed for the humidifier module are available from the indicated

e-commerce stores and another typical electronics store shown in Table 3.

Table 3. Materials needed for the Humidifier Module

.
ITEM Available at
Power Extension cables Shopee
Local Electrical shop
Ultrasonic Humidifier/Mist Maker Shopee

IP68 waterproof fan Shopee

Local Electrical shop
Container MegaBox Storage Shopee
Market
Solenoid valve Shopee

PVC Pipes and PVC connectors Shopee

Electric tape Electric shop

Glue stick School supplies store

Glue gun School supplies store

Soldering iron Local Electrical shop

The materials needed for the controlling devices are available from the indicated

e-commerce stores and another typical electronics store shown in Table 4

Table 4. Materials needed for the controlling devices

ITEM Available at
Arduino Uno Board Electronik Hub
Relays Electronik Hub

35
 Bread board Electronik Hub

Power adapter Lazada & Shopee

USB cable Electronik Hub

Arduino unit container Walter Mart

Connection Wires Lazada & Shopee

WIFI module (ESP-8266) Lazada & Shopee

Temp & Humidity Sensor (DHT-11) Electronik Hub

Ultrasonic Sensor/Distance Sensor Electronik Hub

The materials needed for the monitoring module are available from the indicated

e-commerce stores, and electronics store shown on Table 5.

Table 5. Materials needed for the Monitoring Module

Item Available at
LCD Screen 16x2 Electronik Hub (Cabanatuan City)
I2C Interface Electronik Hub (Cabanatuan City)
Complete Computer set with wifi module or Lazada & Shopee
Laptop

Economic Feasibility

To determine the study's economic feasibility, the researchers estimated the cost

of each item needed and then computed the total estimated cost of the system

development. System development costs are subdivided into two: the hardware and

software are shown in Table 6 and Table 7, respectively.

Table 6. Estimated Cost of Hardware

36
 Item Unit Price Qty Price
DHT11 Temperature & 180.00 1 180.00
Relative Humidity
Sensor Module
HC-SR04 Ultrasonic 140.00 1 140.00
Sensor
LCD Screen 16x2 220.00 1 220.00
I2C Interface 110.00 1 110.00
Mini Breadboard 140.00 1 140.00
Male-Female 5.00 8 40.00
Connection Wire
Male-Male Connection 5.00 17 75.00
Wire
Solenoid Valve 400.00 1 400.00
Adapter 12V 300.00 1 300.00
Relay 4 Channel 350.00 1 350.00
Additional Connection 5.00 10 50.00
wires
PVC Coupling ½ with 10.00 2 20.00
Tread
Ecodex Elbow ½ PVC 10.00 1 10.00
Plain
PVC Elbow ½ with 12.00 1 12.00
Thread
Container box 88.00 1 88.00
Teflon Tape 10.00 1 10.00
Coupling / Clamp 30.00 1 30.00
Quick connector PVC 250.00 1 250.00
Pipe Adapter
UME DC Jack Adapter 50.00 1 50.00
12V 1V AC/DC 82.00 2 164.00
Adapter Charger
Polyolefin Heat Shrink 93.00 1 set (328 pcs) 93.00
Tube
80 x 25 mm 12 V PC 30.00 1 30.00
Fan
Outlet 65.00 1 65.00
Plug 25.00 1 25.00
Single Head Mist Maker 349.00 2 698.00
Fog Machine Atomizer
Storage box 280.00 1 280.00
Outlet 60.00 2 120.00
Plug 10.00 3 30.00
Copper wire 54.00 (per yard) 4 216.00
Ceiling receptacle 64.00 1 64.00
Complete Computer set 10,000.00 1 10,000.00
with wifi module or
Laptop
ESP - 8266 (Wifi 74.00 1 74.00
Module)

37
 Connection Wire 500.00 1 set 500.00
(Assorted)
Blue PVC Pipe 140 1 140.00
Bulk Head 30 2 60.00
9V 1amp AC/DC 125.00 1 125.00
Adapter Charger

TOTAL 5159.00/ 15,159.00 (if

complete computer set
included)

The researchers divide the total cost among members to acquire all the hardware

needed.

Table 7. Estimated Cost of Software

Name Purpose Acquisition Price

Arduino IDE contains a text editor for writing code, a Open source Free
message area, a text console, a toolbar
with buttons for common functions and
a series of menus.
Google Chrome An internet browser used to access the Open source Free
system.

ThingSpeak (IoT An IoT platform used to display Data Software as a Free/

Platform) and Charts from the device service Subscription

All software needed can be acquired for free through the internet.

Tangible Benefits

The main benefit to mushroom farmers through the system’s help is the

automated humidifier, which be activated automatically. The system will provide real-

time environmental data such as the relative humidity and temperature inside the growing

room.

38
Intangible Benefits

Based on the proposed Automated Mushroom Farm Monitoring System the

following benefits can be drawn:

1. The optimal humidity for mushrooms to grow will be always maintained.

2. Reduce the possible cause of contamination.

Based on the analysis of information gathered, the system is economically

feasible.

Operational Feasibility

The system will work continuously with regular system maintenance. The

system's interface will be user-friendly. The researchers will present a clear description of

the functionalities of the system. The researchers will make sure that the design is user-

friendly. The researchers will be open to user feedback and suggestions in improving the

demonstration during the Implementation Stage of the system and design.

If the system will be implemented to the Tin Top Mushroom farm, Mr. Tumampo

owns and operates a computer laptop using office productivity tools and browsing the

internet. Therefore, he is familiar with computers. He is also aware of emerging

technologies in mushrooms and the basic concept of IOT. It should be easy for Mr.

Tumampo to grasp how to operate the system. Therefore, the system is operationally

feasible.

39
 The proposed system is feasible through different feasibility studies: Technical,

Economic, and Operational.

Flowchart of the current operation

START VISIT MUSHROOM GROWING ROOM

ESTIMATE TEMPERATURE AND

HUMIDITY IN THE MUSHROOM
GROWING ROOM

NO
IF HUMIDITY IS LOW AND
TEMPERATURE IS HIGH

YES

MANUALLY SPRAY

END

Figure 4. Flow of the current operation

40
 The farmer interviewed had a device to monitor temperature and humidity inside

the fruiting room. The device broke and no longer uses the device, instead he uses his

senses and experience to determine whether he needs to spray water or not. During dry

season the farmer manually sprayed water three (3) to four (4) times a day, while on wet

season with at most twice (2) daily.

Conceptual Framework

DEVICES

SENSORS ARDUINO UNIT

INTERNET

IOT PLATFORM

Figure 5. Conceptual Framework.

The main components of the system are the sensors, Arduino unit, devices, internet,

and the IoT platform. The sensors will read the environment and send the acquired data to

the Arduino unit. The Arduino unit will process the data and will send commands to the

other modules including the relays. The information will be sent to the internet with the

use of the Wi-Fi Module and directed to the IOT platform with the help of the API key.

41
 The conceptual framework design would identify the main components of the system.

Each individual package will signify a different class that will be documented prior.

Systems Requirement Checklist

Input

The input from the environment shall be obtained using the DHT11 Temperature

and Humidity Sensor and HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor. The temperature can acquire from

0°C to 50°C while humidity ranges from 20% to 90%. The mentioned sensor controls if

the mist maker should function. The Ultrasonic Sensor on the other hand, shall control

the water level inside the DIY humidifier enclosed in a container box.

Control

The IoT platform to be used is ThingSpeak. The platform offers a login

authentication that serves as a security feature. It regulates the users what can and cannot

access.

The control of data is programmed using the Arduino IDE. When the humidity is

lower than 80% the mist maker and fan will turn on, but if it is above or equal to 90% the

mist maker and fan turns off. The Ultrasonic sensor monitors when the water inside the

box should refill. It will send a command from the microcontroller to the solenoid valve

to open when water level is low.

42
 Process

The process revolves mainly on controlling the humidity inside the mushroom

house. The functions of the mist maker, fan, and solenoid valve varies from the data

acquired from the sensors which then will be displayed in the browser and LCD monitor.

Output

The output of all the sensor data will be displayed in the ThingSpeak IoT platform

dashboard. The data will be visually represented by line charts. Through line charts, data

change over-time will be visible. Another way to view the data will be at the LCD

monitor at the Arduino enclosure. The IoT platform has the feature to export a

spreadsheet file containing all the data sent by the Arduino unit.

C. Design

Data Flow Diagrams

Context Diagram

There are seven (7) entities namely temperature & humidity sensor, ultrasonic

distance sensor, user, solenoid valve, fan, mist maker and LCD monitor with a small

square shape, while the system is denoted by zero (0) by a big rectangular shape. The

different data sent to and from the system is represented by arrowed lines.
43
 TEMPERATURE DATA

SIGNAL TO SOLENOID SOLEN OID VALVE

TEMPERATURE & 0
HUMIDITY HUMIDITY DATA
SEN SOR

SIGNAL TO FAN FAN

ULTRASONIC
D ISTA NCE WATER LEVE L DATA AU TOMATED MUSHROOM FA RM MON ITORING
SEN SOR SYSTEM
SIGNAL TO MIST M AKER MISTMAKER
LOGIN CREDENTIALS

U SER
DATA TO LCD
LCD MON ITOR
ENVIRONMENT DATA

Figure 6: Data Flow Diagram: Context Diagram

The entity Temperature & Humidity sensor sends temperature and humidity data

into the system. The ultrasonic distance sensor also sends water level data into the

system. The entity user sends login credentials to the system and receives environment

data from the system. The system will send signal to solenoid valve, signal to fan, signal

to mist maker and data to LCD.

Data Flow Diagram (Top Level)

The system is now divided into three (3) modules namely Humidifier module,

Water refill module and Display module and denoted by numbers 1, 2, and 3

respectively.

44
 H UMIDITY DATA

1 SIG NAL TO MISTMAKER

TEMPERATU RE &
HUMID ITY Humidifier M odule
SEN SOR MISTMAKER

WATER LEVEL DATA

SIG NAL TO FAN

2 FA N

WATER LEVEL D ATA

U LTRA SONIC
TEMPERATU RE D ATA

H UMID ITY DA TA

D ISTA N CE
SEN SOR W ater Refill M odule
SIGNAL TO
SOLEN OID VA LVE
SOLEN OID VALVE

3
D ATA TO DISPLAY LCD MON ITOR
U SER

Display Module

LOG IN CREDENTIA LS

EN VIRON MEN T DA TA
WATER LEVEL D ATA

Figure 7: Data Flow Diagram: Top Level

The Temperature & Humidity Sensor entity sends Humidity data and Ultrasonic

Distance Sensor entity sends water level data to Humidifier module and Display module.

The Ultrasonic Distance sensor also sends water level data to the water refill module. The

Temperature & Humidity sensor also sends temperature data to the display module. The

entity Mistmaker and Fan receives a signal from the Humidifier module. The entity

Solenoid Valve receives a signal from the Water Refill module. The entity LCD monitor

receives data from Display module. Lastly the entity User sends Login credentials to the

display module and receives back environment data.

45
Exploded Data Flow Diagram of Process 1 (Humidifier Module)

Process 1 named Humidifier module is now exploded into three (3) subprocesses.

The subprocesses are named Receive Data, Analyze Data and Create Command which

are denoted by 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 respectively.

H UMIDITY DATA
TEMPERATU RE &
HUMID ITY 1.1
SEN SOR

WATER LEVE L DATA RECEIVE DATA

U LTRA SONIC
D ISTA N CE
SEN SOR
RECE IVED D ATA

1.2

ANALYZE DA TA

MISTMAKER ANALYZED INFORMATION

COMM AND MISTMAKER 1.3

FA N COMMAND FAN CREATE COM MAND

Figure 8: Exploded Data Flow Diagram of Process 1 (Humidifier Modifier Module)

The Temperature & Humidity Sensor entity sends Humidity data and Ultrasonic

Distance Sensor entity sends Water Level data to the process Receive Data, then sends

received data to process Analyze Data. Process Analyze Data then sends the analyzed

46
information to process Create Command, which then sends command to entity Mist

maker and command to entity Fan.

Exploded Data Flow Diagram of Process 2 (Water Refill Module)

The process two (2) named Water Refill Module has now exploded into three (3)
subprocesses. The subprocesses are namely Receive Data, Analyze Data and Create
Command.

2.1
ULTRASONIC
DISTANCE W ATER LEVEL D ATA
SENSOR
RECEIVE DATA

REC EIVED D ATA

2.2

AN ALYZE DATA

AN ALYZED IN FO RM ATIO N

2.3

SOLENOID VALVE
CREATE COM MAN D

C OMM AN D SOLEN OID VALVE

Figure 9: Exploded Data Flow Diagram of Process 2 (Water Refill Module)

The Ultrasonic Distance Sensor entity sends the water level data to the process

Receive Data. The process receives data then sends the received data to the next

47
subprocess named analyze data, where the data will be analyzed. Then the Analyze

process sends the analyzed information to the next subprocess named Create Command.

Finally, the create command subprocess will send the Command to the entity Solenoid

Valve.

Exploded Data Flow Diagram of Process 3 (Display Module)

The process three (3) named Display module has now exploded into two (2)

subprocesses. The subprocesses are named Receive Data and IOT Platform. The two

subprocesses are denoted by 3.1 and 3.2 respectively.

H UM ID ITY D ATA

TEM PERA TU RE D ATA 3.1

TEMPERATURE &
HUMIDITY R EC EIVED D ATA LCD MONITOR
SENSOR
RECEIVE DATA
W ATER LEVEL D ATA

ULTRASONIC R EC EIVED D ATA

DISTANCE
SENSOR
3.2

USER
LOG IN C RED EN TIALS
IOT PLATFORM

EN VIRON M EN T D ATA

Figure 10: Exploded Data Flow Diagram of Process 3 (Display Module)

The four (4) entities will play a role in this process. First starts at the Temperature

& Humidity Sensor entity sends Humidity and Temperature data and Ultrasonic Distance

Sensor entity sends water level data to subprocess Receive Data. After receiving data, it

48
will send received data to the LCD display, the received data will also be sent to the IOT

Platform. Whereas the entity User sends Login Credentials to the IOT Platform and sends

back the Environment data.

Use Case Diagram

There are two (2) actors and three (3) use cases in the use case diagram.

The actors are named User and Sensors. The use cases are Login, View data and Send

Data.

LOGIN

VIEW DATA

USER SENSORS

SEND DATA

Figure 11: Use Case Diagram

The User actor is associated with the login use case, then the login is associated

with the view data in the IOT Platform after successful login. The user actor is also

associated with the view data which is the LCD monitor. The sensor actor is associated

with the Send Data use case as the primary source of data of the system.

49
 Network Diagram

INTERNET THINGSPEAK SERVER

ROUTER

SMART PHONE

ARDUINO UNO
LAPTOP

Figure 12: Network Diagram

The system can be standalone and for the purpose of making the data portable, the

data is sent to an IOT platform named ThingSpeak. The connection to the internet is

required to send the data.

The Arduino Uno is connected to the router wireless via WIFI. Then the router

must be connected to the internet which then sends the data from the Arduino Uno to the

ThingSpeak servers. The ThingSpeak server now allows the users that may be anywhere

50
in the world could be a laptop, desktop computer or Smart phones as long as it is

connected to the internet to view the data sent by the Arduino Uno.

Electronic Schematic

The electronic schematic is consisting of sensors, the DHT11 Temperature,

Humidity Sensor and the HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor, Arduino Uno Board, 4 Relay

Module, ESP-8266 ESP-01 Wi-Fi Module, Liquid Crystal Display module attach with an

I2C module, and wires to connect each other. Also, includes an LD1117 Voltage

Regulator to convert 5-volts to 3.3-volts.

51
 Figure 13: Electronic Schematic

Starting with the Arduino Uno Board, a GND pin and 5-volt pin are connected to

each module. Eight Digital pins and two Analog pins are used to connect with other

modules.

For the DHT11 Temperature and Humidity Module, DATA pin is connected to

Digital pin 11, VCC pin is connected to 5-volt pin and GND pin is connected to the GND

pin of the Arduino Uno Board.

For the HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor, ECHO pin is connected Digital pin 4,

TRIGGER pin is connected to Digital pin 5, VCC pin is connected to 5-volt pin, and

GND pin is connected to the GND pin of the Arduino Uno Board.

For the 4 Relay Module, INPUT1 is connected to Digital pin 8, INPUT2 is

connected to Digital pin 9, INPUT3 is connected to Digital pin 10, VCC pin is connected

to 5-volt pin, and GND pin is connected to the GND pin of the Arduino Uno Board.

For the LCD-I2C module, SDA pin is connected to Analog pin 4, SCL pin is

connected to Analog pin 5, VCC pin is connected to 5-volt pin, and GND pin is

connected to the GND pin of the Arduino Uno Board.

For the ESP8266-ESP01 Wi-Fi Module, LD1117 voltage regulator must be

included to convert 5-volt power from the Arduino Uno Board to 3.3-volt to prevent

damage to the Wi-Fi module. The VIN pin of the LD1117 is connected to the 5-volt pin

52
of Arduino Uno Board, GND pin of the LD1117 is connected to GND pin of Arduino

Uno Board.

For the Wi-Fi Module, TX pin is connected to Digital pin 2, RX pin is connected

to Digital pin 3, VCC pin and CH_PD/EN pin is connected to 3.3-volt output of LD1117

and GND pin is connected to GND pin of Arduino Uno Board.

User Interface Design

Designing a User Interface is the process of defining how the system interacts

with the external entities. The researchers will select the appropriate charts available in

the IoT platform to display the environment data.

53
 Figure 14: ThingSpeak Platform

The figure shows the Channel page of the ThingSpeak platform. Indicated above

is the channel ID, author, access type, date when the channel was created, last entry in the

channel, and the total number of entries. This is also the page where the user can add

visualizations, widgets, and export the recent data. Most importantly, this is the page

where the information gathered from the device is displayed.

Figure 15: Temperature Output

The figure above is the webpage container that indicates the temperature in the

unit Celsius. Below the unit is the amount of time of that certain temperature.

54
 Figure 16: Temperature Graph Chart

The figure shows the temperature dynamic chart that updates automatically when

the temperature data gathered from the sensors change.

Figure 17: Humidity Graph Chart

The figure shows the humidity dynamic chart that updates automatically when the

humidity data gathered from the sensors change.

55
 Figure 18: Humidity Output

The figure above is the webpage container that displays the humidity in

percentage. Below the unit is the amount of time of that certain humidity.

Figure 19: Water Level in Centimeter from Sensor Output

56
 The figure shows the container that shows the distance of the water level sensor to the

water itself in centimeters. Below the unit is the amount of time of that certain distance.

Figure 20: Water Level in Centimeter from Sensor Graph Chart

The figure is a presentation of the water level sensor dynamic chart that updates

automatically when the water distance gathered from the sensor changes.

57
 Figure 21: ThingView Application

The figure is the mobile application provided by ThingSpeak. It will show the

current humidity level, temperature, and water level received from the fruiting room.

D. Development

Before the development of the system, the developers attended webinars, online

courses, watched video tutorials, and web posts to gain knowledge about the devices they

used for the project. The development of the system has been divided into several phases.

The start of each phase depends on when the material or device needed has been

acquired.

The first phase of development includes using a DHT-11 sensor to get the

temperature and humidity. Tested the ultrasonic sensor to get distance data. The

developers programmed the Arduino board to turn the light bulb on or off using the

sensor. This was the first time the team worked with live wire without proper equipment

and precaution. Later, the Temperature and humidity data are displayed in the LCD.

Customizing the Arduino enclosure and arranged all components inside (Refer to

Appendices E.1).

The second phase of the development primarily revolved in the creation of the

DIY humidifier. It includes customizing the water container, placement of mist maker

and fan. Created the connection of electric components to the DIY humidifier to the

Arduino unit. Then, added the program in the Arduino to control the devices (Refer to

Appendices E.2).

58
 Third phase of the development included the installation of the solenoid valve and

fan to the DIY humidifier and connecting it to the Arduino unit. The program to control

the solenoid valve and fan was included (Refer to Appendices E.3).

Fourth phase of the development was the integration of the ESP-8266 module to

the Arduino. This phase allowed the connection of the Arduino to the internet. Using the

IOT platform - ThingSpeak the data is accessible to the internet (Refer to Appendices B.1

& B.2).

Coding

To write a code for the Arduino Uno Board, the developers used Arduino IDE.

When it comes to writing the code, declaring variables is very common practice for

programmers. The developers declared variables for the Relays, Ultrasonic Sensor,

DHT11, and Wi-Fi Module that will be used for specific processes and specific pins in

the Arduino board. It also included pre-programmed libraries for the DHT11 module and

LCD module (Refer to Appendices G.1).

The setup () function is where the pin configuration of the Arduino board is set.

Serial Monitor, LCD, and DHT11 will first begin. The developers have also written a

code for the internet connection using serial input at 115200 baud rates. Once connected,

the ultrasonic sensor will check that water level of the container (Refer to Appendices

G.5). If the water level is low, then it will send signal to relay to open the solenoid valve

until it reaches its highest level. It will also display to the LCD module if the device is

connected to the internet and if the refilling is already done (Refer to Appendices G.2).

59
 The loop () function is where the device will be running for a long period of time.

It will use DHT11 to read the temperature and humidity of the environment and display

the data in the LCD module and check the water level of the container. The developers

included conditions to be used if the humidity inside the fruiting house is below 80% and

above 90%. If it is below 80% it will turn on the mist maker and fan and turns off if it is

above 90% (Refer to Appendices G.3).

For sending data to the ThingSpeak Platform, the developer first created a

condition whether the device is connected to the internet or not. If there is no internet

connection, the device will still run smoothly but it will not send data to the IoT platform.

If there is internet connection, the device will be able to send data to the Platform (Refer

to Appendices G.4).

Integration and Testing

The system has been tested by the different Software Quality Characteristics (ISO

9126) namely Functionality, Usability, Maintainability and Portability.

Functionality

● Sustainability – Monitoring systems are sustainable to mushroom farms

to increase their productivity.

● Accuracy- since the system uses live sensors, the information displayed

on the LCD and sent to the ThingSpeak platform will be accurate.

60
 ● Interoperability – The system displays the humidity and temperature that

can be used for other purposes besides the humidifier that could control

the environment.

● Security – The ThingSpeak platform has user authentication that is used

for security.

● Functionality compliance – The developers used materials that are

inexpensive but also appropriate to use and does not compromise quality.

Usability

● Understandability- ThingSpeak is a user-friendly platform.

● Learnability – The system is considered how an average farmer can learn

how to use the device.

● Operability – The sensors and devices are placed inside a container for

safety and portability.

● Attractiveness – the wires are well placed inside a box.

Maintainability

● Analyzability – Problems that might occur shall be identified by the

developers in advance and materials to be replaced in case.

● Changeability – since the devices are programmed by the developers, it

shall be able to change according to preferences.

● Stability – the system operates if there is enough power needed.

61
 Portability

● Adaptability – The system can adapt to the normal environment

conditions in the country and can adjust with minimal changes.

● Installability – The whole kit does not require much space.

● Co-existence – the system can co-exist with the usual things in a

mushroom farm with good elevation.

● Replaceability – Materials to be replaced can be found easily in electronic

shops or online shops like Shopee and Lazada.

● Portability – The kit can easily be placed in flat space and is not too

sensitive if kept well.

E. |Implementation and Evaluation

With the help of Tin Top Mushroom Farm, the researchers can test the system

inside of their fruiting house. First, the researchers explain how the system works by

setting up the system outside of the fruiting room first before testing the system inside the

fruiting house. The researchers explain the system from start to finish and show outputs

of the system.

62
 Figure 22: Setting up the Device before Testing

The figure shows the researchers setting up the device before testing inside the

fruiting house.

The researchers then start testing the system inside the fruiting house. The

researchers are being careful to test the system inside the fruiting house to avoid any

damage from the fruiting bags.

63
 Figure 22: Testing system inside of Fruiting house

After testing the system, the researchers interviewed the owner of the mushroom

farm, Mr. Christopher Tumampo for evaluation of the project. Stated below are the

questions of researchers followed by Mr. Tumampo’s answers:

1.Does the system work?

-Yes

64
2. Are you satisfied with the power of the device?

-Yes. It really increases the humidity because it produces cold mist.

3. How do you find the usability of the application?

-Great. Because even when you're out you'd be able to know the state of

humidity inside your growing house.

4. What can you say about the system’s adaptability to the environment?

- If this is implemented in a growing house, it will help a lot knowing you

dont have to water the fruiting bags anymore. You can manage to do other

things important to be more productive.

5. What can you say or suggest to the design of the device and as a whole?

-You should enlarge the container along with the fan. Minimize the use of

electrical outlets for less risks of electrical problems.

6. Will you invest in this kind of system?

-Possibly, because humidity is what mushrooms mostly need. The fruiting `

bags will produce yields in a continuous manner and also better quality of

mushrooms.

65
 Mr. Tumampo has shared his thoughts and helpful recommendations regarding

the system. It also creates opportunities to improve the system that can be helpful in

further studies.

The researchers constructed an evaluation survey based on the ISO characteristic

of the system (Refer to Appendices H.1). They have used a Likert scale type of survey

that contains ordinal data. Therefore, to get the overall impression of the results, the

mode or the most common score for each question shall be determined. Mr. Tumampo's

survey indicated his satisfaction regarding the system's presence of quality. The results

are as follows:

13.64% - Strongly Agree

68.18% - Agree

18.18% - Neutral

0% - Disagree

0% - Strongly Disagree

Based on the tester's response, we can conclude that the most common response

of Mr. Tumampo is that he agrees that the system has existing quality (Refer to

Appendices H.3).

F. Maintenance

Once there is a chance to implement the developed system, the researchers will

still keep in touch whenever the owner wants technical help with the system or

66
replacement of materials. The proponents will continue to give support whenever there is

a problem in the system for them to be able to use the system to its full potential.

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION and RECOMMENDATIONS

A.    Summary

67
 The primary objective of this research is to develop an IoT based

mushroom farm monitoring system. The project was made to decrease the labor

intensity regarding the farm processes. The researchers used SDLC methodology

to minimize human interaction during the pandemic.

The system consists of the Arduino device, connected sensors, creation of

the DIY humidifier, use of relays, solenoid valve, and other components. The

Arduino device was programmed with Arduino IDE, C++ as its programming

language. ThingSpeak is a IoT platform used for the displaying of information, it

is a free service accessible online.

As for testing, Tin Top Mushroom Farm owned by Mr. Christopher

Tumampo, has been very helpful to the researchers to conduct studies at their

farm. The researchers were able to apply the established method in a real

mushroom farm.

The project started from a simple idea to a reality within the span of eight

(8) months. The researchers overcome the challenges of the new normal. Plans

did not always go as they are supposed to be, but the team adjusted for the

changes. The documentation for the finished project has been completed. The

developed project has been tested on a mushroom farm and it was able to gather

the temperature and humidity inside the fruiting room and the data was accessible

to the mushroom farmer on-site or online. The humidifier automatically increases

the humidity of the room whenever it drops below the optimal humidity condition

68
 for the mushroom. The water container used by the humidifier is also

automatically refilled when the water level is too low.

 B. Conclusion

Although the project did not go as smoothly as anticipated by the

researchers, they were able to find solutions to the problems that arose during the

system’s progress. There were unexpected issues in regard to the device causing

thermal shutdowns and damage materials, but it was solved by analyzing the root

cause of the problem and proper replacements.

With enough research and trials in each of the SDLC phases (Planning,

Analysis, Design, Development, Integration & Testing, Implementation, and

Maintenance), the objectives of this project have been met. The project can lessen

manual labor by replacing the manual way of spraying water using the automated

humidifier, not worrying the reserved water will be depleted because of the

included automatic water refill. The temperature and relative humidity of the

fruiting house is being monitored real-time on-site and online using an IOT

Platform. It will be able to acquire all the data sent from the platform into a

spreadsheet file. It is expected that mushroom farmers will benefit from the

system and increase their productivity.

         C.  Recommendations

69
 The team had a big dream while planning the project but has been limited

by a couple of challenges.  Like other systems, the project has limitations and

there will always be room for improvements. 

It is an important factor that the Carbon dioxide level and light intensity

present inside the fruiting room must be monitored because it also affects the

mushroom growth, so air quality sensors and phototransistors could be used. This

can be developed and added to the project. A form of data depository would open

a lot of possibilities such as history tracking, data analytics and much more, it

could be cloud based or on-site. For a larger mushroom house, the researchers

recommend a much larger, much stronger mist maker for a large-spaced room,

compared to the two head mist maker this project used. A notification feature will

be a useful factor when the farmers want to be notified if there are some

thresholds that have been reached. The project can also be integrated into a LAN

based system where internet dependency is not required. As for power

interruptions, they would also like to recommend including a back-up power

supply.

During testing and evaluation, the researchers encountered some flaws that

needed to be addressed if the project is continued in the future. The researchers

advise to minimize the use of electrical outlets. If it cannot be avoided, it should

be placed in a safer location where it is more unlikely affected by the moisture

that the device produces so there will be less risks of electrical issues. The

70
researchers recommend that the design is well planned with enough

futureproofing.

Robots, aerial photographs, and GPS technology can all be used in the

future of agriculture. Farms would be more productive, effective, secure, and

environmentally friendly because of these advanced devices, precision

agriculture, and robotic systems (Vats, De Clercq, & Biel, 2018). The researchers

recommend the use of these innovative technologies for continuous upgrading

processes in mushroom farming.

71
REFERENCES
Azimi, S., Buyamin, S., Mokji, M., & Abidin, M. (2018, June). Internet of Things based
Smart Environmental Monitoring for Mushroom Cultivation. Retrieved from
Research Gate:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325010990_Internet_of_Things_based_
Smart_Environmental_Monitoring_for_Mushroom_Cultivation

Bellettini, M., Fiorda, F., Maieves, H., Teixeira, G., Avila, S., Hornung, P., & Ribani, R.
(2016, December 18). Factors affecting mushroomPleurotusspp. Retrieved from
Science Direct:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319562X16301814

Chalimov, A. (2020, July). IOT IN AGRICULTURE: 8 TECHNOLOGY USE CASES

FOR SMART FARMING (AND CHALLENGES TO CONSIDER). Retrieved from
Eastern Peak: https://easternpeak.com/blog/iot-in-agriculture-technology-use-
cases-for-smart-farming-and-challenges-to-consider/

Dar, W. (2020, August 15). DA speeds up digitalization of agri sector, farmers’ registry.
Retrieved from Philippine Information Agency:
https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1050395

Digiteum. (2019, June 17). Is IoT the Future of Agriculture? Retrieved from Digiteum:
https://www.digiteum.com/iot-agriculture/

Kendall, K. E., & Kendall, J. E. (2011). System Analysis Design (8th Edition). In K. E.
Kendall, & J. E. Kendall, System Analysis Design (8th Edition). Camden, New
Jersey.

Marshall, E., & Nair, N. (2009). Publications. Retrieved from Good and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations: http://www.fao.org/3/i0522e/i0522e.pdf

Marzuki, A., & Ying, S. (2017, August). Environmental Monitoring and Controlling
System for Mushroom Farm with Online Interface. Retrieved from Research Gate:

72
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319601529_Environmental_Monitoring
_and_Controlling_System_for_Mushroom_Farm_with_Online_Interface

Mohammed, M., Azmi, A., Zakaria, Z., Tajuddin, M., Isa, Z., & Azmi, S. (2017). IoT
based monitoring and environment control system for indoor cultivation of oyster
mushroom. Retrieved from https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-
6596/1019/1/012053/pdf

Pravinth, R. S., Rozario, R., Santhanakrishnan, N., & NS, K. (2018, June). Intelligent
Mushroom Monitoring System. Retrieved from Research Gate:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327644608_Intelligent_Mushroom_Mo
nitoring_System

Ratnaparkhi, S., Khan, S., Arya, C., Khapre, S., Singh, P., Diwakar, M., & Shankar, A.
(2020, November 6). Smart agriculture sensors in IOT. Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214785320387447#!

Singh, S., Anand, S., Simran, & Sushma, S. (2020). Smart Mushroom Cultivation using
IOT. Retrieved from IJERT: https://www.ijert.org/research/smart-mushroom-
cultivation-using-iot-IJERTCONV8IS11053.pdf

Subedi, A., Luitel, A., Baskota, M., & Acharya, T. (2019, November). IoT Based
Monitoring System for White Button Mushroom Farming. Retrieved from
Research Gate:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338439512_IoT_Based_Monitoring_Sy
stem_for_White_Button_Mushroom_Farming

Vats, A., De Clercq, M., & Biel, A. (2018, February). Agriculture 4.0 -The Future of
Farming Technology. Retrieved from https://www.oliverwyman.com/our-
expertise/insights/2018/feb/agriculture-4-0--the-future-of-farming-
technology.html?fbclid=IwAR0_h8hHu9-
4TiJytvT_Ex1iBriRON09Y_DZA3_jooxhKkLPPdzyKU_tnrk

73
APPENDICES

A. List of Tables and Figures

A.1. LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Comparison of the system to other studies

Table 2. Sample Devices Used to Monitor Environment Condition

Table 3. Materials needed for the Humidifier Module

Table 4. Materials needed for the controlling devices

Table 5. Materials needed for the Monitoring Module

Table 6. Estimated Cost of Hardware

Table 7. Estimated Cost of Software

A.2 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. System Development Life Cycle

Figure 2. Gantt Chart

Figure 3. Fishbone Diagram

Figure 4. Flow of the current operation

Figure 5. Conceptual Framework.

Figure 6. Data Flow Diagram: Context Diagram

Figure 7. Data Flow Diagram: Top Level

Figure 8. Exploded Data Flow Diagram of Process 1 (Humidifier Modifier Module)

74
Figure 9. Exploded Data Flow Diagram of Process 2 (Water Refill Module)

Figure 10. Exploded Data Flow Diagram of Process 3 (Display Module)

Figure 11. Use Case Diagram

Figure 12. Network Diagram

Figure 13. Electronic Schematic

Figure 14. ThingSpeak Platform

Figure 15. Temperature Output

Figure 16. Temperature Graph Chart

Figure 17. Humidity Graph Chart

Figure 18. Humidity Output

Figure 19. Water Level in Centimeter from Sensor Output

Figure 20. Water Level in Centimeter from Sensor Graph Chart

Figure 21. ThingView Application

Figure 22. Setting up the Device before Testing

Figure 22. Testing system inside of Fruiting house

75
B. Sample Input/Output/Reports

B.1. Serial Monitor in Arduino IDE

76
B.2. ThingSpeak Dashboard

77
B.3. ThingView Dashboard

78
B.4. Exported Channel Data from ThingSpeak

79
C. User Guide

80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
D. Screen Layouts

93
94
E. Test Results

95
96
E.1. Read Temperature and Humidity and Display in LCD

E.2 DIY Humidifier

97
E.3. Ultrasonic Sensor Read and Refilling Test

98
E.4. PVC Tube installation in DIY Humidifier

99
F. Pictures showcasing the data gathering, investigation done

F.1. Tin Top Mushroom Farm Establishment

100
F.2. Water Spray Used

101
 F.3. Fruiting Bags

F.4. Compost/Substrate and the 3 in 1 Soil Moisture, Sunlight, PH meter

102
F.5. The 3-in-1 Soil Moisture, Sunlight, and PH meter

103
F.6. Arranged Fruiting Bags in the Fruiting Center

104
F.8. The Hygrometer - Temperature and Humidity meter

105
F.9. Fresh Harvested Oyster Mushroom

106
F.10. Researchers with Mr. Tumampo after testing the system

107
G. Relevant Source Code

108
 G.1 Setup Variables

G.2. Setup Pin Configuration, Internet Connection, Refilling of Humidifier

109
G.3. Loop. Read temperature and humidity, Display to LCD

G.4. Send humidity, temperature, distance data to ThingSpeak

110
G.5. Check Distance Function

111
 H. Evaluation Tool/Test Documents

Automated Mushroom Farm Monitoring System

EVALUATION TOOL

Please indicate a check mark under the column that best describes your response
for each item. Please use the rating below:

5- Strongly Agree 4 - Agree 3 - Neutral 2-Disagree 1–Strongly Disagree

*System – Devices and IoT Platform

*IoT Platform - ThingSpeak and ThingView.

Characteristic Sub- Explanation Rating

Characteristic 1 2 3 4 5
Functionality Suitability The system can perform its tasks.
(Ex. Automated monitoring of
temperature and humidity & provide
misting when humidity is low)
Accurateness I am satisfied with the correctness of
data gathered
(Compared to the previous method of
gathering temp & humidity data)
Interoperability The ability of computer systems or
software to exchange and make use of
information.
(How well the Arduino unit and the IoT
platforms perform together)
Security IoT platforms can prevent
unauthorized access.
Reliability Maturity Most of the faults in the system been
eliminated over time.
Fault Tolerance The system is capable of handling
errors or ease of troubleshooting.
Recoverability The system can resume working and
restore lost data after failure?
Usability Understandabilit Operating the system is easy to
y comprehend.

112
 Learnability The system is easy to learn for it to be
used.
Operability The system can be used without much
effort required.
Attractiveness The system’s hardware and software
design look good.
(Ex. The system is presentable)
Efficiency Time Behavior The system responds quickly.
Resource The system utilizes resource efficiently.
Utilization
Maintainability Analyzability The faults in the system can be easily
diagnosed.
Changeability The system can be easily modified.
Stability The system can continue functioning if
the changes are made.
Testability The overall system can be tested easily
inside the growing house.
Portability Adaptability The system can adapt to other
environments apart from the insides of
the growing house.
The system can be installed easily
inside the mushroom house.
Installability
The mobile application can be installed
easily in your mobile phone.
Conformance The device along with the IoT
Platforms comply with portability
standards.
Replaceability The system can be replaced with other
systems.

H.1. Automated Mushroom Farm Monitoring System Evaluation Tool

113
H.2 Google Form of the Evaluation Tool

114
 Automated Mushroom Farm Monitoring System

EVALUATION TOOL

Please indicate a check mark under the column that best describes your response
for each item. Please use the rating below:

5- Strongly Agree 4 - Agree 3 - Neutral 2-Disagree 1–Strongly Disagree

*System – Devices and IoT Platform
*IoT Platform - ThingSpeak and ThingView.

Characteristic Sub-Characteristic Explanation Rating

1 2 3 4 5
Functionality Suitability ✓
Accurateness ✓
Interoperability ✓
Security ✓
Reliability Maturity ✓
Fault Tolerance ✓
Recoverability ✓
Usability Understandability ✓
Learnability ✓
Operability ✓
Attractiveness ✓
Efficiency Time Behavior ✓
Resource ✓
Utilization
Maintainability Analyzability ✓
Changeability ✓
Stability ✓
Testability ✓
Portability Adaptability ✓
Installability Installation of system ✓
inside mushroom house
Installation of mobile ✓
application
Conformance ✓
Replaceability ✓

H.3. Mr. Tumampo’s Response

115
I. One-Page Curriculum Vitae per team member

116
117
118