CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

There has been continuous quest for man to improve his well being through, reactions to problems and challenges posed by his environment. Over the years, attendants in the cafeteria/ fast food joints use to go from table to table in order to know what customers demanded before they could serve them. This was a very hectic duty and also slow mode of service. This has led to an overwhelming need for a device that will always display the customers’ need on each table.

This project design is simply used to display the items demanded by each customer. Each table has a remote with three by four set of menu selection. The processor is able to decode whichever button is pressed. The tables are numbered. Customer on every table orders the item he or she needed with the remote. Then, a screen in the kitchen is used to display the table number and the items demanded.

The major components used in this design are 8951 microprocessor, crystal oscillator, Electronic switches, Display units (LCD), Buffer (74244), 3-8 lines decoder (74138), and some other common readily

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available components. This project is microprocessor based, which is a dedicated or embedded controller. This microprocessor is used to control and display information in the device therefore it can be termed a micro controller because of the controlling function it performs. The type of micro controller used is the 8951 which is an 8051 family chip.

The 8051 micro controller has an external Read Only Memory (ROM) but the 8951 has an internal Rom. The 8951 Micro processor accesses external devices using all of its ports 0, 1, 2 and 3.The Rom inside the 8951 contains the program that the processor executes on boot up. The program contained in the processor should be debugged and troubleshot in order to get the device up and running, if not, any mistake in the program will lead to improper working of the device. The 8051 operates based on an external crystal oscillator which it uses to synchronize its operation.

A matrix of light emitting diodes is used in this prototype instead of liquid crystal display (LCD) to display the information contained in the program on the screen when the device is boot-up. This information is displayed in a form that can be understood readily by the user or the operator. As soon as an input is made using the remote control, an alarm sounds from a loudspeaker to alert the attendants in the kitchen or receptionists

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to enable them check the screen. The design is reliable and has high

efficiency as a result of the micro controller and some other components

used.

1.2       MOTIVATION

The system of going from table to table in organizations and hospitality

industries in our society and asking customers what they need is

worrisome and hectic to the society. One is disturbed the time it takes,

as well as the difficulty it poses to the attendants who work in such

places.  This  device  will  enable  the  attendants  to  see  the  items

demanded from any table by looking on a screen thereby reducing

queue and saving cost.

1.3  JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PROJECT

It has been observed that the usual practice of attendants enquiring from customers their needs before services are rendered in the hospitality industries are associated with many problems which includes:

Queue.

Increased cost (labour cost).

Loss of customers due to dissatisfaction in service.

Time wastage.

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To overcome these outlined problems, this prototype equipment is designed.

1.4             SCOPE OF THE WORK

This wireless menu selection system prototype is intended to request for x; y; z; services from customers in an organization. This research work aimed at constructing effective software and hardware for wireless menu selection system specifically has the following objectives: To produce a device that:

v Saves the time of going from one table to another to ask customers of their needs.

v Has program control remote, which helps to eliminate the use of switches and running of cables.

v Create a system that can reduce sensitivity and ensure integrity of the complete microprocessor system during all forms of environmental stress (shock, transient noise) etc.

v Removes queues associated with services in organizations and the hospitality industries.

The hardware construction is microprocessor- based.

1.5      SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of this research work is that the system designed can