BeAware
The art of minimizing power consumption
September 30, 2020
EKTOS has helped BeAware to create a sensor solution for real-time measurement of indoor air quality
BeAware has created a sensor solution for real-time measurement of indoor air quality. EKTOS has helped BeAware translate their unique product idea into a technically sound solution.
Ensuring the battery capacity for the battery powered version of the device as well as a cost effective production design have been two key focus areas for the engineering team at EKTOS.
With a team of engineers in Ukraine, two accredited test laboratories in Denmark, and production facilities in Ukraine EKTOS has the perfect setup for handling the entire process from designing the printed circuit board though international regulatory approval to mass production.
Managing the sensors
Besides the RHT, CO2, sound level, PIR, and light sensors, as an IoT device that sends data to an app, BeAware’s solution contains an RF module. When a battery is meant to keep the modules powered for years, the calculations for the power budget become complex.
In order to ensure minimal power consumption, the design of the power domains was carefully calculated, tested, and fine tuned at every stage of the development process from early bread-boards to the final prototype.
The cost of communication
Sigfox was chosen as the network technology to minimize the power consumption of the RF module while ensuring optimal coverage. Sigfox operates with very small data packages pushed to the cloud. When selecting the proper radio technology the trick was to strike a balance between the amount of data pushed to the cloud, the link budget, and the output power of the Sigfox transceiver. Selecting the right antenna and precisely matching it was a central part of the process.
IoT Denmark, the Sigfox operator in Denmark, has been helpful throughout the design process by giving access to the Sigfox back-end and consulting on the different subscription options. This has allowed the engineers to design the software to match the optimal subscription model.
E-ink as a power-efficient display
E-ink only consumes power when the display changes, like when a page is turned on an e-book. This is why e-ink is a power efficient solution for the BeAware device where the data on the display is updated every 10-15 second or less, if the PIR does not detect movement in the room. Despite the low power consumption the e-ink technology offers high contrast and ensures high readability even on a distance.
From prototyping to large scale production
During the design phase of the electronics circuits EKTOS’ engineers chose to only use easily available modules and components that could be mounted purely by machines. DFM, Design for Manufacturing, minimizes the production cost and complexity and ensures that the product is optimized for the production processes, in this case at TECHTO Electronics.
Similarly, during the design phase, frequent measurements of the radio performance and electromagnetic compatibility performance were carried out. IoT devices are covered by the Radio Equipment Directive (RED, former R&TTE) which stipulates a list of requirements to radio-enabled devices when they are to receive the CE-mark and be sold in the EU. At EKTOS we operate two test laboratories and are therefore very familiar with the requirements for CE-marking. We make sure to incorporate them early on in the design phase.
EKTOS har hjulpet BeAware med at skabe en sensorløsning til realtidsmåling af indeklima.
BeAware har udviklet en sensorløsning til realtidsmåling af indeklima. EKTOS har hjulpet BeAware med at oversætte deres unikke produktidé til en solid, teknisk løsning.
At sikre batterikapaciteten til den batteridrevne version af enheden og at udvikle et omkostningseffektivt produktionsdesign har været to centrale fokusområder for ingeniørene hos EKTOS.
Med et dedikeret ingeniør-team i Ukraine, to akkrediterede testlaboratorier i Danmark og produktionsfaciliteter i Ukraine, har EKTOS det perfekte setup til at håndtere hele processen fra design af printkortet og international myndighedsgodkendelse til masseproduktion.
Sensorer kræver strøm
Udover RHT-, CO2-, lyd-, PIR- og lys-sensorerne indeholder BeAware’s løsning også et RF-modul for at kunne sende data til en app. Komponenterne kræver strøm, så for at sikre, at et batteri kan holde enheden tændt i mange år, har EKTOS’ ingeniører arbejdet intenssivt med komplekse beregninger af strømbudgettet. Designet af domænerne blev testet og finjusteret under hvert enkelt trin i udviklingsprocessen fra tidlige prototyper til det færdige design.
Hvad koster kommunikation?
Sigfox blev valgt som netværksteknologi for at minimere RF-modulets strømforbrug og samtidig sikre optimal dækning. Sigfox sender meget små datapakker til skyen. Da radioteknologien skulle vælges, var fokus at finde balancen mellem mængden af ??data sendt til skyen, linkbudgettet og udgangseffekten af ??Sigfox-transceiveren. At vælge den rigtige antenne og nøjagtigt matche den var en central del af processen.
IoT Denmark, Sigfox-operatøren i Danmark, har været behjælpelig i hele designprocessen ved at give adgang til Sigfox-back-end og rådgive omkring de forskellige abonnementsmuligheder. Dette har gjort det muligt for ingeniørerne at designe softwaren, så den passer til den optimale abonnementsmodel.
E-ink, en strømbesparende skærm
E-ink bruger kun strøm, når skærmen skifter, ligesom når en side vendes i en e-bog. Dette er grunden til, at e-ink er en energieffektiv løsning til BeAware-enheden, hvor dataene på skærmen opdateres hvert 10-15 sekunder, men kun når PIR-sensoren registrerer bevægelse i rummet. På trods af det lave strømforbrug har e-ink-teknologien høj kontrast og god læsbarhed, selv på afstand.
Fra prototype til produktion i stor skala
I designfasen valgte EKTOS’ ingeniører kun at bruge let tilgængelige moduler samt komponenter, der ikke skal monteres manuelt. DFM-metoden, Design for Manufacturing, minimerer produktionsomkostningerne og kompleksiteten, så selve produktionen kan køre så effektivt som muligt – i dette tilfælde hos TECHTO Electronics.
I designfasen blev radioen samt elektromagnetisk kompatibilitet målt ofte. IoT-enheder er omfattet af radioudstyrsdirektivet (RED, tidligere R & TTE), som indeholder en række krav til produkter, der indeholder en radio-enhed, som produktet skal overholde for at kunne blive CE-mærket og solgt i EU. Hos EKTOS har vi to testlaboratorier og er derfor meget fortrolige med kravene til CE-mærkning. Vi sørger for at indarbejde dem tidligt i designfasen.
