Smart office

Development kit connects Bluetooth/LPWAN devices

Tue, Jan 15, 2019

Support for concurrent communication over Bluetooth Low Energy and Sub-1GHz wireless allows users of the STEVAL-FKI001V1 dual-radio development kit to build and connect IoT devices like smart sensors, finders and trackers. These devices can be configured, updated, remotely monitored and tracked using various network topologies, protocols and services, confirms STMicroelectronics.

The development kit is for use by IoT developers in projects from smart homes and smart buildings to asset tracking, energy management, smart farming and industrial monitoring and control use.

The kit includes ST’s BlueNRG-1 Bluetooth system on chip and S2-LP sub-1GHz transceiver. The dual-radio architecture enables simultaneous operations on a variety of radio-frequency bands and protocols such as Bluetooth Low Energy or proprietary 2.4GHz, Sub-1GHz, and Sigfox.

According to ST, users can create smart objects that connect to each other locally through mesh or point-to-point connections and support flexible ways of connecting to the Cloud. For instance, a sensor ecosystem for a smart home could be created with local sensor networking leveraging either Bluetooth Low Energy or Sub-1GHz wireless link and the whole system is then connected to the Cloud through a local gateway or directly via a seamless Sigfox ubiquitous link, for surveillance or remote monitoring purposes.

The BlueNRG-1 Bluetooth 5.0 certified kit allows configuration or modification of device settings during installation or maintenance and permits monitoring of networked node sensors through an app running on any Android or iOS device.

The sub-1GHz S2-LP transceiver allows local networking as well as LPWAN installations including global Sigfox connectivity, which allows capabilities such as real-time notification of events. Sigfox-ready networking can be used to track and remotely localise devices or assets.

The kit can be expanded through its Arduino Uno V3 connectors with ST’s X-Nucleo offering, including expansion boards with MEMS sensors, motor control, GNSS receivers or industrial I/O and power drivers.

The STEVAL-FKI001V1 development kit is interoperable with the recently announced BlueNRG-Tile board. This combination can allow users to build end-to-end smart-sensor networks, including the sensor node, local gateways and Cloud connectivity.

Leveraging the BlueNRG-1 SoC’s versatile interfaces and low-power Arm Cortex-M0 core with 256kbyte of embedded program memory, users can connect their own choice of external sensors and process the data acquired locally in real time. The STEVAL-FKI001V1 has a software development kit (SDK) that simplifies development to reduce time to market, yet preserves the flexible, scalable nature of the design. It could also be used in conjunction with the ST BlueNRG-Mesh software package to create extensive networking on a large-scale installation, advises ST. Over the air (OTA) firmware updates are possible via the Bluetooth Low Energy connection.

Based on a ready-to-use WS2118 RF dual-radio module from Jorjin, the STEVAL-FKI001V1 provides a pre-certified solution for developers to quickly move from early concept-feasibility phase to prototyping, field trials and volume production. The programmable low-power radio module has flexible power management and wake-on-event capability that allows multi-year lifetime from a small primary battery, says ST.

http://www.st.com

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Adesto partners with Watson to predict energy analytics

Tue, Jan 15, 2019

Smart buildings can be enhanced with insights into energy management and other operational data through services running on the IBM Watson IoT platform, says Adesto at the launch of its SmartServer IoT edge server platform.

Through its recent acquisition of Echelon, Adesto has been selling its open embedded IoT platform into the building automation and energy management industry for over two decades. The SmartServer IoT edge server platform features built-in device and data management for sensors, meters, actuators and controllers in buildings, through traditional and emerging protocols including BACnet, LonWorks and Modbus.

The IBM Watson IoT platform is a managed, cloud-hosted service designed to make it simple to derive value from IoT devices. It enables organisations to capture and explore data for devices, equipment, and machines, and discover insights that can drive better decision-making. When combined with the seamless connectivity of data from Adesto’s SmartServer IoT, engineers can provide facility managers with deep insights into energy consumption and other operational aspects of a building.

“IBM Watson IoT Platform enables customers to maximize the value of their physical assets,” said Sanjay Tripathi, VP of strategy and business development, IBM IoT. “Adesto’s SmartServer IoT provides the critical connection from industrial data to our platform so that customers can perform powerful analytics on their data. We are delighted to work with Adesto to demonstrate our combined capabilities, and we look forward to making the solution available to customers in the buildings sector.”

Adesto will demonstrate this revolutionary capability for building integrators, facility managers and property owners in its booth C5234 at the AHR Expo in Atlanta, Georgia (14 to 16 January) and at Embedded World, Nuremberg, Germany (26 to 28 February, booth 4A:124).

http://www.adestotech.com

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Microswitch saves space in building automation

Wed, Nov 28, 2018

With the launch of the D2F-5 subminiature switch, Omron Electronic Components Europe says it has introduced its smallest ever microswitch with 5A rating.

The D2F-5 microswitch will push designers to minimise the application size, says the company. The rating of 5A means that the subminiature switches are suitable for high current applications. They have a minimum durability of 10,000 actions.

The D2F-5 switch measures just 5.7 x 12.7mm and a height from 5.5mm, depending on the operating lever chosen. The switches incorporate a snapping mechanism with two highly precise split springs that ensure long service life, assures Omron, while flux penetration is prevented by using insertion moulded terminals. The D2F-5 switch is available in variety of terminal variations including self-clinching PCB, left angled, right angled terminals, solder terminals and compact solder terminals.

Applications include building automation, ventilation and temperature control, safety and security, smart meters, lifts and elevators.

Omron Electronic Components Europe supplies electromechanical PCB relays, as well as components such as micro switches, MOSFET relays, DIP switches, photomicrosensors and connectors. Its portfolio of technologies includes MEMS based pressure, flow and thermal measurement sensors, human face and gesture recognition modules, vibration and tilt sensors.

Omron Electronic Components Europe supports its customers in Western and Eastern Europe, Russia and the CIS through eight regional offices, a network of local offices and partnerships with specialist, local, regional and global distributors.

http://components.omron.eu  

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Development of a smart city concept at Munich Airport

Mon, Nov 05, 2018

Munich Airport and the renowned Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have reached an agreement to work together in the development of the LabCampus Innovation Center at Munich Airport.

Plans to launch the LabCampus future project–an innovation lab on the airport campus that will promote cooperation between companies and across industry boundaries–were announced by Munich Airport in March of this year. Starting on November 1, the renowned Senseable City Lab, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), will be on board to provide conceptual support for the establishment and development of the new innovation campus. Under an initial three-year cooperation agreement, the MIT Senseable City Lab, based in Cambridge, MA, will act as a research partner, supporting the team in Munich as it turns the campus into an innovative smart city. The goal is to build an ideal urban environment offering optimal conditions for people and companies to work together efficiently, creatively and–above all–under one roof. This will provide a setting to design and develop products and services for the world of the future and to test them onsite. To make this a reality, LabCampus GmbH will work with MIT to establish a future-ready infrastructure right from the start, focusing on state-of-the-art technologies in the areas of energy, mobility and urban planning as well as the connectivity between them for optimal sustainability and livability for the users.

“This cooperation is a major milestone for our innovation site,” says Dr. Marc Wagener, Managing Director of LabCampus GmbH. “We will be working with MIT researchers to study and evaluate the most important trends and digital technologies that can benefit us in the development and successful implementation of a smart city concept.” Prof. Carlo Ratti, Director of the MIT Senseable City Lab is also delighted: “This is an excellent opportunity for us to be involved in creating a smart city from the earliest stages. It gives us a chance to look ahead and weave everything, including future needs, into the infrastructure from the very beginning.”

MIT Senseable City Lab is the first global player outside of Europe to sign a cooperation agreement with LabCampus GmbH. Research institutions that have signed on as innovation partners include FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg and the Hasso Plattner Institute as well as the Fraunhofer Institute, which is also exploring the possibility of renting space at LabCampus. LabCampus is engaged in detailed talks with other international groups, too. For more information: www.labcampus.de

Caption: Dr. Marc Wagener (left), Managing Director of LabCampus GmbH and Professor Carlo Ratti, Director of MIT Senseable City Lab, signing a cooperation agreement on November 1, 2018 (Copyright: Munich Airport)

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