Virtual Simulation and Embedded Module of Mobile

Phone Using Modified Braille Display

Mohamed Iqbal.M, Padma Balaji.L, Jayakar.M , Gokul.P, Karthik Kumar.R, Jairam.R
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Technology
Coimbatore - 641010
Email: mohdiq_m@yahoo.co.in
Abstract Mobile phone embedded with recent
technologies play a major role in day to day life of everyone
in the world and thus shrinking the world with the well
connected network. Yet there are people who have not been
able to relish and benefit from the advanced technology.
One among those deprived are the visually challenged
people. Therefore an attempt has been made to develop a
simple user friendly and cost effective mobile phone by
which the visually challenged can save the numbers, make
calls, receive calls and the most important is that they can
easily feel the display. Initially, the function of the mobile
phone incorporated with Braille display has been virtually
simulated using LabVIEW. The simulation has been
performed by creating the graphical nodes of mobile phone
set up in LabVIEW front panel. The simulated mobile
phone incorporated with Braille display model has been
implemented using PIC16F877A microcontroller and SIM300 GSM module. The embedded hardware module of
mobile phone for the visually challenged people has been
validated for ease of its operation with all possible features.
The details of simulation of mobile phone using LabVIEW,
and embedded module have been furnished in this paper.
Keywords - Mobile phone, Modified Braille display,
LabVIEW, GSM module, Microcontroller, Embedded
module.

phones and the expensive Braille compactable mobile

phones, a cost effective and compact mobile phone with
Braille display has been devised. Generally the Braille
system consists of 6 pins which operate in linear motion. We
have devised a module consisting of 5 pins Braille display. It
is cheap, portable and can be operated using a battery.
II. MODIFIED BRAILLE DISPLAY
Braille system was first developed by Louis Braille
in the year 1821 [1]-[4]. Braille system consists of small
rectangular blocks called cells. Each cell can denote a
character. Braille is a system in which the raised dots are
arranged in cells. Any combination of one to six dots may
be raised within each cell and the number and position of
the raised dots within a cell conveys to the reader the letter,
word, number, or symbol the cell represents. There are 64
possible combinations of raised dots within a single cell.
There are three different grades of Braille. In the
grade-1 Braille display, the maximum possible type of
arrangement of the dots within a cell portrays either a letter
or a number, or a punctuation sign, or a special Braille
composition sign. Individual cells in this grade will not be
able to represent words or abbreviations. Due to this flaw to
shorten words, books and other documents composed in
grade-1 Braille are bulky and bigger than generally printed
text. Grade-1 Braille is mentioned in Figure 1

I. INTRODUCTION
In India, about 15 million out of 37 million visually
challenged people are found in India. The recent
technologies in Braille displays are found to be very
expensive for a middle class visually challenged person to
afford it. There are lot of features incorporated in the Braille
phones proposed by various mobile phone manufacturing
companies but these features makes it complex to use and
not so user friendly for the visually challenged people. The
phones that are available in the market are user friendly for
normal people yet many of the visually challenged use it
with difficulty and struggle with its basic operation . The
common man avails the basic mobile phone for an affordable
cost while a middle class visually challenged person has to
spend a lot for a basic and compact Braille mobile phone,
since the cost of Braille display by itself is very expensive.
To bridge the gap between the cost of the normal mobile

Figure 1 Grade-1 Braille

Grade-2 Braille system was proposed and introduced

as a space-saving alternative to replace the grade-1 Braille.
In this system a cell is able to represent a brief form of a
word. There are many combinations of cells created to

represent general and common words. This made the Grade2 popular than the Grade-1.The Grade-3 Braille system is
essentially a system of Braille shorthand. Since it was not
standardized it is not used in publications. Nevertheless,
they are used by individuals for their personal convenience.
It consists around 300 word contractions. In addition, the
space-spacing between the words and paragraphs is reduced
so as to shorten the length of the final document. Even
though there are so much of advancements in technology to
establish an electronic Braille displays, but they are highlypriced. The recent technologies in Braille displays are,

Electro-Mechanical Braille displays

EAP Braille displays

Since the above mentioned technologies are very
expensive, it has been proposed to develop a cheap and
portable Braille display in this paper.

language. LabVIEW creates user interfaces, also known as

front panels in the program, into the development cycle [5].
The subroutines are precisely known as virtual instrument
generally termed as VI in LabVIEW. The virtual
instruments consist of three parts namely a block diagram,
front panel and connector pane. Data can be inserted or
extracted from the running virtual instrument, and the front
panel can be used as a programming interface. The VI can
run as a program. It also define the inputs and outputs of
the block. In other words, a software engineer has the option
to either program certain parts by themselves or use the
already pre-programmed components that LabVIEW offers.
Also the graphical option makes it possible for
nonprogrammers to build programs by simply connecting
and moving the virtual representation of the tools that they
are familiar with.
Simulation of Mobile phone in LabVIEW

The basic concept behind the Braille display is to make

the visually challenged person feel the motion of the pins
and sense the number or an alphabet. In the proposed Braille
display, the linear motion of the pins has been changed into
rotational motion using small size motors so that the visually
challenged person can feel the letter or an alphabet. Motor is
a cheap and best electro-mechanical device which will make
the visually challenged person sense the character. Motor
works on the principle of Electro-magnetic induction and so
it requires an electrical input which can even be fed by a
battery source. Small and low rated DC motors are used so
that the overall size and power consumption of the Single
cell Braille display are reduced.Usually Braille system
consists of 6 pins but for a Simple Basic Mobile 5 pins will
be sufficient to convey the message to the visually
challenged people. In the proposed Braille display 4 pins are
used to denote the letter or the number and the last pin is
used to denote various call commands as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 - Modified Braille code list

III. LABVIEW
LabVIEW is a graphical software that uses
graphical programming language [5]-[8]. It uses graphical
icons to write program instead of text line programming,
The graphical language is a dataflow programming

LabVIEW2012 has been used to simulate the

working of mobile phone with Braille display because there
is no skill level restriction in LabVIEW. LabVIEW has been
chosen for the basic understanding as it is a graphical
programming language. The Front panel of the phone as
shown in Figure 3.The front panel consists of simulated
mobile phone with three main parts viz.,

Keypad

Braille display

Alpha numeric display to show the AT commands

Figure 3 - Front panel of the simulation model of the mobile

phone

Keypad
Keypad consists of fifteen Boolean keys placed
like 4x4 matrix keypad. An event structure that senses the
mouse down action is used. So, when a key is pressed using
the mouse its corresponding character is sent to the Alpha
numeric display in the front panel and at the same time it is

stored in a string. This block is placed inside a while loop to

get multiple data.

call, message and various other notifications through its

USART. It is simple to program a microcontroller to control
GSM module through At commands[7].

Braille display
Braille Keypad
Braille display consists of five Virtual LEDs
which are the five pins of modified Braille display. When
the key is pressed, the key is sensed and its corresponding
data is sent to the five Virtual LEDs that resembles the
Braille display. Inbuilt block event structure is used to
convert the alphabets and numbers into modified Braille
code.

It is an arrangement where a set of buttons are

present through which the numbers can be dialed and the
calling commands are operated. A 4x4 matrix keypad with
buttons upon which the Braille codes are embedded is
provided. This makes the user feel the keypad and making it
user friendly for dialing and calling purpose.

Alpha numeric display to show the AT commands

Single cell Braille Display

Alpha numeric display is used to check the AT

command output and to check the keypads functionality.
When the call command keys viz., Call connect and Call
end keys are pressed, the number is concatenated with the
phone number that is entered and sent to the Alpha numeric
display. Thus, any error in the programming part can be
detected using the Alpha numeric display.

It is a single character display unit which epresents

the key entered by user. This display cell consists of
electromechanical pins which gets activated and rotates to
indicate the character or number entered.The user can feel
the rotation of these pins Visually impaired people have a
contact live with those pins to feel and identify the number.
Buzzer

IV. EMBEDDED MODULE

The Embedded module of the Mobile phone consists of
the following major components [9].
Micro controller
GSM Module
Braille Keypad
Single cell Braille display
Buzzer
Speaker and microphone
Micro controller
A Micro controller is a programmable integrated
chip. Generally micro controller has registers, I/O ports,
memory, USART, timer, interrupts and some other features
based on type of chip. It is usually programmed based on the
application it is used. It is an important part in any embedded
system. It finds it's application in controlling devices,
monitoring systems, embedded system and in various other
areas. The microtroller is programmed using PIC C
Compiler and then this programmed chip is installed in the
system.
GSM module
A GSM module is an mini mobile because it does most of
the job of a mobile.By using this, one can make calls, send
message, access internet through GPRS, manage phonebook
and many other features [10]-[12]. The module is controller
by software using a PC or by a microcontroller. It is
controlled by AT commands which are send through
USART and module also replies the status and incoming

An electrical signaling device which produces

sounds based on the inputs is given to the device. Buzzer is
used here for alerting the user with ringtones when the
mobile phone receives an incoming call. It is an economical
buzzer that is used rather than the high end buzzer available
in the market.
Microphone and speaker
These are the audio input and audio output devices
that provide the interface for communication of voice calls.
The speakers and microphones are accompanied with filter
circuits. The filter circuits enhance the voice clarity in the
communication process between users.
V. EMBEDDED C PROGRAM
Embedded C program is used to program this phone.
The Programming part consists of few functions,
initialization of ports and GSM module registers and few
arrays to store numbers [13]. Interrupts, Serial
communication and Ports of the Micro controller are used.
The functions that are incorporated in the program and the
description of each function are given below. The sequence
of operation of mobile phone using embedded C program is
also been shown in flowchart as Figure 4
SenseKey()
Convert2Braille()
Storeph_no()
Serial_recieve()
ATcommands()

Figure 4 - Flow chart of Embedded C program

A. SenseKey()
The key pressed in the 4x4 Matrix keypad is sent to the
Micro controller using this function. A 8-bit port is used to
interface the keypad with the micro controller. It performs
two actions. The first operation is to fetch the 4-bit input data
from the keypad and the second operations is to send the data
to the Micro controller via ports.
B. Convert2Braille()
The key pressed is sensed and stored in a 8-bit digital
data. A 5-bit digital data is needed as a input to the single
cell Braille display. This work is done by the function stored
in the micro controller and it sends the 5-bit data to the
Braille display through the ports. The Braille displays the
key pressed instantaneously.
C. Storeph_no()
The keys pressed must be stored in a memory in order to
send it to the GSM Module. So, the function Storeph_no()
stores the phone number pressed in a array and saves it so
that it can be retrieved whenever necessary.
D. Serial_recieve()
The communication with the GSM module is via a serial
communication and hence it is necessary to use serial receive
function. Its function is to receive everything from the GSM
module. It detects the incoming call and other messages from
the GSM module.
E. AT Commands()
The AT command function is used to send the data
serially to the GSM module. It attaches the phone number
and other data into AT commands and sends it to the GSM
module. The GSM module processes it to make calls and
other call commands

Programming for Microcontroller

#include<headerfile1.h>
#include<headerfile2.h>
SenseKey();
Convert2Braille();
Storeph_no();
Serial_recieve();
ATcommands();
/* Function definitions*/
void main()
{
Initialization of variables;
While (1)
{
If (keypress==1)
{
SenseKey (); /*senses which key is pressed*/
Storeph_no (); /*stores sensed key in memory*/
Convert2braille (); /*access the memory & sends signal to
the brailledisplay*/
//this takes for every key pressed and braille display reacts
for every key
}else{
Serial_recieve();
If (UART==ring)
{
SenseKey();
If (keypress==callkey)
ATCommands(callkey);
If (keypress==endkey)
ATCommands (endkey);
}
Sensekey();
If (keypress==callkey)
ATCommands(callkey);
}}}}

VI. VIRTUAL SIMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

Mobile phones with modified Braille display
concept have been programmed using graphical nodes in
LabVIEW. After the completion of arrangements of
graphical nodes in front panel and connector pane, the VI is
ready for virtual simulation. The complete block diagram of
the simulation of mobile phone is shown in the Figure 5. If
the button is pressed in the front panel the corresponding
Braille code is displayed by the virtual LED. After the call
or end key is pressed the AT commands are generated for
serial communication to the GSM module which is seen in
the alpha numeric display. In addition to validate the key
pressed, voice is added which gives voice output for each
key pressed which is still more helps to confirm the working
of the program. In order to implement the proposed model a
PIC16F877A- Micro controller and Sim 300 module as the
GSM module are used. The PIC 16F877A is an 8-bit
controller with inbuilt ADC (Analog Digital Converter),
USART (Universal Synchronous Asynchronous Receiver
and Transmitter), Timers, Comparators, CCP (Capture
Compare and Pulse Wave Modulation) modules, SSP
(Synchronous Serial Port) with SPI (Serial Port Interface)
and I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuits) [14].
Embedded C is used to program it. The keypad is
connected to the Port B of the PIC. The Sim300 module is
connected to the USART of the PIC 16F877A through the
pins RC6 (Transmission) and RC7 (Reception). The Braille
display is connected to the Port D. 5 pins of the Port D are
utilized. The GSM module - Sim300 has a SIM slot and a
GPRS options too [12]. It has the provision to connect the
module directly to the speaker and the microphone via a
filter circuit. The Sim300 module responds to the AT
commands that are sent to it from the PIC 16F877A through

a serial transmission. First the PIC 16F877A and Sim300

must be initialized. CCS Compiler is used to program the
Microcontroller. In PIC Microcontroller initialization of the
ports B, C and D is done using the registers Port B, Port C
and Port D respectively. The Ports are configured as input
and output ports using their respective TRIS Registers [14].
Next, initialization of the USART is done. Through USART
the SIM300 is initialized by sending the AT commands. The
complete hardware setup consisting of PIC16F877A, GSM
module- SIM 300 along with the modified Braille display
has been shown in the Figure 6.
The PIC 16F877A controls the whole system.
When a key is pressed, the Microcontroller senses the
number or the command that is assigned to the key through
Port B. When the pressed key represents a number the
controller stores that number in an array, and sends the
Braille code to the Braille display. After entering the
number the user can connect the call by sending the AT
command that contains the entered the number with it
through serial communication. This is achieved by
concatenating the AT command with the entered phone
number. When there is an incoming call to the phone, the
Sim300 sends a signal that is received by the
Microcontroller. The signal from Sim300 consists of the
callers identity that is stored in an array. Meanwhile the
buzzer rings and the vibrator connected to the phone start s
to vibrate so that the visually challenged person can sense it.
The callers identity stored in the array is sent to the Braille
display. If the visually challenged user press the call connect
key, the call is connected by sending the AT command
ATA to the Sim300 module.

Figure 5 - Block Diagram of the Virtual Simulation Model of the mobile Phone

Figure 6 - Complete Hardware Setup

The keypad has a key to correct the edit number the

number dialed earlier. When the phone number is entered the
user can modify the phone number using this key. This is
done by erasing the last content of the array which stores the
phone number and the array index is decremented. Thus, the
proposed mobile phone with Braille display has been found
through simulation and hardware implementation that, it is
simple, user friendly and cost effective for the visually
challenged people.
VII. CONCLUSION
In this paper, an attempt has been made to develop the
user friendly and cost effective mobile phone for the visually
challenged people. The module consisting mobile phone
along with Braille display has been created in the front panel
environment and simulated using LabVIEW platform. Then
the embedded module comprising of the same components
has been implemented using microcontroller and GSM
module by programming the microcontroller using
embedded C program. Using this embedded module the
mobile phone for the visually challenge people has been
validated. It has been found from simulation results and
hardware implementation that the visually challenged people
can also be well connected with the people across the globe
with the proposed mobile phones using modified Braille
display. Efforts are still made to incorporate more features in
the proposed mobile phone so as to compete with the mobile
phones available in market without compromising the ease
of use.
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