Real time cable theft alarm system with GPS for fault localization

Author

Tanga, Kundai J.

Title

Real time cable theft alarm system with GPS for fault localization

Abstract

Cable theft remains a persistent challenge in many power distribution systems, especially in developing regions, leading to severe power outages, revenue losses, and service interruptions. This project presents the design and implementation of a real-time cable theft alarm system integrated with GPS for fault localization. The system aims to detect cable tampering or faults promptly and notify the relevant authorities with precise geographical coordinates to enable swift response. The proposed system is built around the ESP32 microcontroller, which coordinates data from multiple sensors, including vibration sensors and relay-based voltage monitoring circuits. When abnormal vibration is detected or voltage is lost due to cable theft or tampering, the ESP32 processes the input and activates the GSM module to send SMS alerts. Simultaneously, the NEO-6M GPS module retrieves the current location, which is embedded in the alert message for accurate fault pinpointing. The system monitors different zones—Zone A, B, and C—each representing separate sections of the cable line. In addition to SMS alerts, the system includes a dashboard built using XAMPP, PHP, and MySQL. This interface displays real-time status updates of each zone and records fault history in a structured database. The integration of vibration detection, GPS-based localization, and a user interface dashboard makes the system comprehensive and practical for deployment. Testing showed that the system can detect faults within seconds, accurately capture GPS coordinates, and display the status of cable zones in real time. Despite challenges such as GPS signal limitations indoors and initial vibration sensor sensitivity, the system performed reliably under various conditions. The outcome demonstrates a scalable, low-cost, and efficient solution for addressing the growing problem of cable theft in critical infrastructure.

Date

June 2025

Publisher

BUSE

Keywords

Cable theft detection

Real-time cable monitoring

GPS fault localization

Power distribution security

Supervisor

Eng. Marufu.