A system is required to monitor and control petroleum flow through a section of a pipeline. The system should store flow rate statistics over a 24-hour period, including the maximum and minimum flow rates on an hourly basis and the hours in which the maximum and minimum flow occurred. The system should also record total flow over a 24-hour period and transmit daily data bulletins via a satellite link. The link can also be used to receive incoming control signals to open or close a valve controlling fuel flow through the pipeline section. The system is battery powered with a requirement for a 2-year battery life.

(i) Design an LPC1768 mbed microcontroller based solution to this problem, giving a hardware block diagram of your solution and provide a brief explanation, in your own words, of the role of the major components. Assume a flow rate sensor is available which produces pulses at a rate proportional to the fuel flow rate. [4 marks]

(ii) Identify the various tasks that need to be carried out and explain in your own words, how they are implemented in your solution. Identify techniques by which power consumption may be minimised. [6 marks]

(iii) The output of the flow rate monitor is connected to mbed pin DIP30. Configure the appropriate LPC1768 control registers such that the pulses from the flow rate monitor are accumulated by Timer 2. [6 marks]

(iv) Long fuel pipelines are at risk from thieves, who tap in to the pipe and steal fuel. How could your system be further developed to detect this? [4 marks]