Energy harvesting technology helps track animals
e-peas worked with Dutch systems integrator SODAQ on the development and implementation of livestock monitoring hardware for Brisbane-based mOOvement.
mOOvement’s smart tracker acquires data on cattle herds’ position and grazing patterns and can set alarms if individual animals are stationary or have breached boundaries. The tracker is attached to one of the cattle’s ears. The tracker has an accelerometer, a LoRa communication module (with built-in MCU), a GPS transceiver and a passive NFC tag.
The size and weight of the unit had to be low, restricting the surface size of the solar panel (19mm x 43mm), which would need to generate 0.089W. This required an ultra-efficient power management system. The units also have to be robust, with an expected lifespan of 5 years.
The full project took two years, with e-peas’ involvement lasting a year. The high energy conversion rate and the small footprint of the dual LDO regulated-output AEM10941 met this key criterion, as well as supporting a prolonged operational lifespan even in the Australian Outback, where exposure to extreme temperature conditions would be expected. Thousands of tracking units have already been deployed, with plans to scale further up in the near future.
More information
https://e-peas.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/PB_AEM10941_REV0.1.pdf
Related news
TTI adds Alps’ energy harvesting switches
Energy harvester is only one millimetre thick
Open-source environmental sensing and asset tracking solution
Tiny certified sub-GHz module enables proprietary networks for enhanced security
If you enjoyed this article, you will like the following ones: don't miss them by subscribing to :