Automated 30-Minute Cyclic Pump Controller Using Arduino UNO
The FlowCycle Pump is an Arduino-based controller designed to automate precise cyclic timing intervals for laboratory pump operations. It was developed as part of a scientific study at the Center for Health Sciences (CCS) at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Brazil.
This project implements a 30-minute cyclic timer that switches a pump on and off at predefined intervals, providing visual feedback on an LCD and LEDs. The cycle only starts — or restarts — when the user presses the button, allowing flexible pausing during and between runs.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Research title (pt-br) | “Avaliação da capacidade oncoprotetora do CR35 em um modelo experimental in vivo de câncer de pulmão associado ao tabagismo” |
| Research title (en) | “Oncoprotective capacity of CR35 in an in‑vivo cigarette‑smoke‑associated lung‑cancer model” |
| Scientific goal | Evaluate whether the thiazolidine‑2,4‑dione derivative CR35 can prevent lung‑tumor formation in mice exposed to cigarette smoke and urethane, and investigate whether this protection involves modulation of the inflammasome pathway. |
| Circuit need | Automation the repetitive manual dosing procedures required by researchers, improving experimental consistency and freeing researchers from manual intervention. |
Explore and simulate the circuit directly on Tinkercad:
- Project Overview
- Interactive Circuit Diagram
- Features
- Repository Structure
- Getting Started
- Bill of Materials
- Project Roadmap
- References and Inspiration
- License
- Automated Timing: Precise pump cycling intervals (default: 2 seconds ON / 30 seconds OFF for 30 minutes).
- Flexible Pausing: Pause cycle during and between runs, which also will inform at what time did you pause it.
- One-button Operation: Simple user interface for starting and restarting cycles.
- LCD Feedback: Real-time status updates and countdown timers (MM:SS format).
- LED Indicators: Visual status indication (Green LED: Pump ON, Red LED: Pump OFF, Yellow LED: End of 30 minutes cycle and Pause state).
- Isolated Power Supply: Dedicated 6×AA battery pack for the pump ensures reliable operation without interference.
flowcycle-pump/
├── README.md
├── src/
│ └── FlowCyclePump.ino
│ └── display-liquid-crystal-for-4-pins/main.ino
├── images/
│ └── Circuit prototype layout images
├── docs/
│ └── Schematic_View.pdf
└── Component_List.csv
Follow the detailed schematic and layout provided in:
- Schematic PDF: docs/Schematic_View.pdf
- Breadboard Layout: images/circuit-off.png
- Clone this repository:
git clone https://github.com/Shellyda/flowcycle-pump.git- Open FlowCyclePump.ino or display-liquid-crystal-for-4-pins/main.ino from the
srcfolder in Arduino IDE. - Upload the sketch to your Arduino UNO.
- Press the push-button once to initiate the automatic cycle (default: 2 seconds ON / 30 seconds OFF for 30 minutes).
- After the cycle ends (30 minutes), the system waits 1 minute and then prompts the user to restart by pressing the button again.
See the included file Component_List.csv for detailed part specifications and sourcing.
| Qty | Component | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arduino UNO R3 | Microcontroller board |
| 1 | nMOS Transistor (MOSFET) | Low-side pump control |
| 1 | DC Motor | Simulate pump in circuit |
| 1 | LCD 16×2 (Parallel) | Display status messages |
| 3 | LED indicators (green/red/yellow) | State visualization |
| 1 | Momentary push-button | User interaction |
| 1 | 4 batteries, AA, no 1.5V Battery | Independent pump power |
| 4 | 220 Ω Resistor | General assembly part |
| 1 | 250 kΩ Potentiometer | General assembly part |
| 1 | 10 kΩ Resistor | General assembly part |
In Progress:
- Physical assembly and validation of the prototype.
Planned:
- Extensive testing within experimental protocols.
- Evaluation and reporting of system reliability and accuracy.
- Arduino-Based Timer for Aquaponics Pump
- Pomodoro-Style Study Clock - Science Buddies
- Video demonstrations:
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more information.
FlowCycle Pump is open-source hardware developed to enhance scientific research. You are welcome to fork this repository, open issues, pullrequests and contribute!