What had to be solved
The task was to organize regular remote data collection from an infrastructure object without permanent on-site specialists: mechanical loads, climate parameters, vibration, power state and communication state.
Projects / Measurements, sensors and data acquisition
Field infrastructure monitoring system
Distributed autonomous monitoring system for remote energy-infrastructure objects: field sensors, local radio network, gateway, battery and solar power, diagnostics and server-side data transfer.
What the project reached
The project reached a field-system level: several autonomous sensor types, a gateway, firmware, power supply, diagnostics and operating materials for long autonomous operation.
Project materials
Photos and working materials
Engineering context
Important constraints
Sensor modules are installed directly on an energy-infrastructure object.
The system has to work for a long time outdoors in low temperatures, humidity, vibration and a strong electromagnetic environment.
The system measures mechanical, temperature, climate and vibration parameters.
Sensor modules have to keep power consumption low between measurement cycles.
Several sensor types communicate with a field gateway over a local radio network.
Work done
What was included
Circuit design for autonomous sensor modules and a field gateway.
Strain-gauge measurement path with a 24-bit ADC.
Battery and solar-panel power with state diagnostics.
Local radio channel between sensors and the gateway.
Low-power firmware with a sleep-measure-transfer cycle.
Operating materials for field deployment and service.
Details
Engineering project description
System composition
The system is built as a network of measurement devices. Sensor modules are installed on the object, operate from their own power sources, send measurements to a field gateway, and the gateway forwards data to a server over cellular communication.
The project included modules for mechanical-load monitoring, controlled-element temperature, ambient temperature and humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, vibration and power-state diagnostics.
Measured parameters
- mechanical load on the monitored node
- temperature of the monitored element and ambient temperature
- humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and wind direction
- vibration and dynamic events
- battery, solar-panel and radio-link state
Measurement path and firmware
For mechanical-load monitoring, the system uses a strain-gauge bridge and a specialized 24-bit ADC. The measurement path is powered only during the measurement interval; after data transfer the module returns to a minimum-power state.
- wake-up by real-time timer
- power-up of the required measurement circuits
- data acquisition from the ADC or digital sensor
- radio-packet formation and transfer to the gateway
- peripheral shutdown and return to sleep mode
Power, communication and operation
Node power was a separate part of the project: batteries, solar panels, charge controllers, reverse-current protection and switched voltage-measurement circuits for battery diagnostics.
The design accounted for low temperatures, moisture, precipitation, vibration, limited physical access, electromagnetic interference and reliable operation after many sleep and wake-up cycles.
Practical value
The system replaces periodic manual checks with regular remote monitoring. The operator can see not only the current state but also parameter changes over time: rising load, worsening power state, communication loss, temperature changes or unusual vibration behavior.
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