We have recently been working with Product Health to develop some hardware for monitoring battery banks in off-grid systems.

Product Health are working on remote monitoring of systems to ensure they are working and pre-empt any maintenance or repair which might be required.

The product specification was to build a low-cost, reprogrammable and accurate unit to measure current and voltage at a reasonably high sample rate and send that data, when called, via a communications interface.

Prototype board

After a number of test and bread-board prototypes, we designed and built a small batch of surface mount prototypes.

These units read DC current (via a shunt resistor) and voltage, along with temperature from a sensor probe. this can be stored locally or streamed to a monitoring system.

 

A basic, functional test program was written to show that all the peripherals are working.

Product Health will be using this in their range of monitoring systems. Data monitored by the kit will feed analytics that Product Health are developing with Oxford University to predict the life and health of batteries.

Product Health have won the IoT Launchpad competition. Government funding to support the UKs most exciting IoT startups. This kit will be used as part of the project.

If you have a renewable energy related project which needs a prototype designed, tested or built – please get in touch.