Cloud Connector Gateway to Monitor Energy Usage

The Problem Statement

With its avant-garde solutions to manage and monitor energy usage, the client wanted to design a prototype custom hardware which would be interfaced with their proprietary signals. Also, the hardware termed as cloud connector would upload the data to the client’s platform to ensure better monitoring & optimization. The client approached KritiKal Solutions to develop hardware that would support the M2M/IoT market for the measurement of flow, level, pressure, temperature & Voltage supply.

Screenshots

The Solution

KritiKal Solutions armed with a talented embedded workforce and cutting-edge lab facility, designed and developed a hardware gateway module built on the ARM Cortex-M4 Controller. To be useful across various energy intelligence and monitoring solutions (developed by the client themselves), this cloud connector can measure various types of sensor data thereby removing the need for a separate device for a different type of sensor.

KritiKal team incorporated an ADC Chip in the hardware that can measure the analog current and Voltage signal with accuracy of 1% and used GSM/GPS module that supports Qaud band frequency for worldwide GPS and GSM communication.

Technical Specifications:

• Analog sensing Inputs: 4X 4-20mA (fully differential Inputs) with accuracy of 1% and optical Isolation of 3KV

• 2 X 0.8V-30VDC (fully differential Inputs) with the accuracy of 1% with optical Isolation of 3KV

• Digital Sensing Inputs: Pulse Counter(0-30V), Voltage and dry contact triggering (Detecting ON/OFF)

• Digital Outputs: 2 X DO for driving relay, Open collector

• Serial Interface: 1X RS485 having optical Isolation (6kV contact and 8kV air discharge protection)

• 1X RS232 with isolation of 8kV

• 1X RS232 for debugging

• Memory: 16Mb on board flash for programming and data logging

• Cellular(GSM/GPRS): Quad band module support (850/900/1800/1900MHz), Network technologies 2G/3G, EDGE, GPRS, HSPA

• Network Redundancy: Device should support dual SIM slots.

• Ethernet & USB Port

• Hardware supports OTA (Firmware upgrade over the air)

• LED Indications: Power LED indication, Network LEDs, Communication LEDs (RS485 and RS232)

• GPS Module Interface

Benefits Delivered

Through KritiKal’s M2M/IoT–compliant–cloud connector or gateway hardware module, the problem of interfacing with proprietary signals has been sorted out. Now, monitoring and tracking of flow, level, pressure, temperature & voltage supply can be easily done with high accuracy, for applications like diesel level monitoring, process instrumentation in manufacturing, etc. Also, real-time intelligent alerts over email or mobile can be sent.