Design and Implementation of the Secure Glow System on an Artix-7 FPGA

The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has catalyzed the demand for sophisticated smart home systems that enhance security, convenience, and energy management. However, conventional microcontroller-based solutions often face performance bottlenecks due to their inherent sequential processing capabilities, which can introduce latency in critical real-time applications. This paper presents ”Secure Glow,” a novel hardware-accelerated home automation system designed to overcome these limitations. The system is built on a hybrid architecture that synergistically combines a NodeMCU (ESP8266) microcontroller with a powerful Artix-7 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). This dual-platform approach delegates high-level user interface tasks, such as keypad input processing, to the microcontroller, while leveraging the FPGA for computationally intensive, parallel processing tasks. The core functionalities of Secure Glow are twofold: a robust, secure access control mechanism and an intelligent, presence- activated lighting system. The security module features a 4×4 matrix keypad for passcode entry, with authentication logic managed by the NodeMCU. Upon successful verification, a command is transmitted via UART to the Artix-7 FPGA, which then actuates a servo motor to control a door lock. The system incorporates a security lockout feature to thwart brute-force attempts. The energy- management module utilizes a passive Infrared (IR) sensor to detect human occupancy, enabling the FPGA to automatically control room lighting. This ensures that energy is consumed only when necessary, significantly reducing power wastage. The entire control logic for peripheral management, including the servo motor, IR sensor, and an LCD feedback display, is described in Verilog HDL and synthesized for the FPGA using the Xilinx Vivado Design Suite. The implementation demonstrates the superiority of FPGAs in handling multiple concurrent operations with deterministic timing, resulting in a highly responsive, secure, and energy-efficient smart home solution that is both scalable and reconfigurable for future enhancements.