IoT-Enabled Smart Grid Monitoring and Control: A Comparative Study of Arduino-Based Automatic Source Selection and MATLAB GUI Simulation

Abstract

The rapid evolution of Smart Grid technologies has been accompanied by the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, enabling real-time monitoring, intelligent decision-making, and autonomous control of power systems. Such advancements are particularly critical in hybrid energy networks where distributed resources such as photovoltaic (PV) systems, inverters, batteries, and conventional generators must be coordinated to ensure efficiency, reliability, and resilience. However, one of the key challenges lies in developing low-cost yet effective platforms that can both demonstrate real-world switching and protection mechanisms and provide flexible environments for simulation, analysis, and education. This paper presents a comparative analysis of two complementary implementations for Smart Grid monitoring and control: an Arduino-based automatic source selector, and a MATLAB GUI-based power system simulator. The Arduino prototype demonstrates practical hardware-level switching between grid, generator, and inverter sources, with integrated protection mechanisms against over-voltage and undervoltage conditions, and real-time monitoring through LCD output. In contrast, the MATLAB GUI simulator provides a software-based environment for dynamic visualization of system states, parameter manipulation through interactive sliders and toggles, and graphical representation of AC/DC waveforms and battery charge profiles. Comparative evaluation highlights that while the Arduino system offers real-world applicability, deployability, and IoT-ready integration with sensors, the MATLAB simulator excels in flexibility, scalability, and pedagogical value for education and research. The findings reveal that combining hardware-oriented prototyping with software-centric simulation provides a cost-effective and holistic approach for smart grid innovation, validation, and capacity building, particularly in developing contexts where both operational reliability and academic training are equally critical.