Powercast targets wireless power for datacentre monitoring
Powercast has signed a deal with inventory management firm Asset Vue to use wireless power for datacentre sensors.
The deal sees Powercast customise its wireless power technology for condition monitoring of server racks without the need for wires or batteries. This allows large AI clusters, which can have 100,000 server boards, to be monitored more closely without adding to the complexity of the datacentre.
The Powercast PCT100 and PCT200 RFID Sensor Tags are already used for indoor climate control in facilities, integrating RFID technology with sensors for temperature, humidity, and light levels. These tags are designed to accommodate varying monitoring needs, supporting one, two, or all three sensors on a single tag that are powered up by an RF signal. This wireless power then allows the data to be transmitted back to a standard RAIN RFID reader.
The custom datacentre tags measure 69.85mm x 44.45mm x 6.35mm, half the size of the current sensors, to fit into server racks. The antenna has also been redesigned to avoid interference from the metal racks and still provide long range wireless power to the sensors.
RAIN RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology uses the RFID readers used in inventory management, logistics and retail applications to connect to the internet any item bearing an RFID tag, allowing users to identify and locate all such items. Adding Powercast’s wireless RF-energy-harvesting chips and sensors enables real-time smart monitoring of the tags.
The standard RAIN RFID readers emit an RF signal that’s similar to that of Powercast’s RF wireless power transmitter so these readers can substitute for the transmitters.
Powercast’s Powerharvester PCC110 receiver chip embedded in the RFID sensor tags harvests RF and data sent over the air from any RFID reader within range, which can be up to 40 meters depending on the application. A single RFID reader can power many tags at once located over a large area as long as they’re within range. Readers can be fixed infrastructure installed in the ceiling, or handheld readers used by employees.
The Powerharvester chip then converts the RF to usable DC to both power the tags and communicate data. A microcontroller and sensors receive power, measure conditions, and report that data back to the reader.
Peel-back adhesive on the backs of the RFID sensor tags make them easy to install anywhere.
“Asset Vue wanted an affordable, maintenance-free asset monitoring system for its datacentre that didn’t require sensors to be hardwired or ongoing battery maintenance,” said Charles Greene, COO and CTO of Powercast. “They knew our technology did that, so they asked us to customize a system for them; specifically, they needed precise monitoring of extreme temperature and humidity to prevent failure of mission-critical equipment they store on metal server racks, and the ability to quickly locate tagged items on those crowded racks.”
Powercast provides engineering and productization services when customization is needed. “We already have a ‘Find Tag’ feature with LEDs to easily locate equipment, but we modified our technology to meet Asset Vue’s other needs,” said Greene. “First, to keep equipment cool, we halved the size of our RFID tags to facilitate more airflow on the server racks. Second, because metal can diminish an RF signal and server racks are made of metal, we redesigned our RF receiving antenna to minimize interference from metal.”
The wireless power RFID system is currently in beta testing at Asset Vue, and Powercast plans to roll it out later this year.
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