Design and implementation of vending machine embedded control system using FPGA

Abstract

In modern world, the usage of automated vending machines is increased rapidly as a result of the latest life style. Vending machines can dispense small different products such as beverages, snacks, cigarette, consumer products, lottery tickets, train tickets, gems and even gold to consumers automatically after a currency or credit is inserted by the customer into the machine. The majority of vending machines are implemented using CMOS, SED, Microprocessor and Microcontroller technology that are inefficient in terms of power and speed. Compared to previous technologies, The FPGA based vending machines are reprogrammable, flexible and more advantageous in terms of speed, response and power consumption. FPGA based machine can be reprogrammed without the need to change the whole architecture when enhancing the model of machine. In this paper, FPGA based vending machine is designed and implemented on FPGA board which can provide multiple products. The proposed FPGA based machine supports three items and three currencies and provides products when the required amount is inserted into the machine and returns the change when the amount is further than the price of the product. The machine is supporting cancel function where the consumer is able to ignore the request and the inserted currency any time. The proposed vending machine conceptual model is designed in VHDL and implemented using altera DE2 development board.