A new new starter kit has been announced by EnOcean that speeds the development of batteryless wireless technology.
The starter kit includes a variety of energy converters and modules enabling simpler creation of energy-autonomous wireless sensors. It, helps users develop solutions for new application areas for energy harvesting technology — ranging from building automation through smart homes and smart metering to industry and logistics.
Batteryless wireless technology harvests energy directly from its surroundings — from light, differences in temperature or motion. This means that all products enabled by this technology are entirely maintenance-free, requiring no wiring or cabling, and are particularly flexible in implementation.
The starter kit includes a mechanical energy converter and a wireless module with integrated solar mini-cell. Sensors and wireless solutions developed using the kit will therefore be powered by the energy produced by pressing a button or through a light source.
Energy harvesting in an all-inclusive package
The kit consists of a switch module (PTM 200) for building services, components for different switch applications (PTM 330, ECO 200), a temperature sensor module (STM 330), a USB gateway (USB 300), PC software for visualisation (DolphinView Basic) and a sample case for industrial switching solutions.
With the switch module included in the kit it is possible to implement energy-autonomous wall mounted switches or handheld transmitters. Combining the PTM 330 wireless module with the ECO 200 mechanical energy converter is a basis for a variety of maintenance-free wireless switches in an industrial environment. The solar-powered STM 330 sensor can measure temperature in a room or on machinery, for example.
If a measured value is transmitted every 15 minutes for instance, 3.6 hours of charging in daytime and 200 lux are adequate for uninterrupted operation. When the energy storage mechanism is fully charged, the module is fully functional for four days in complete darkness. The USB 300 bidirectional gateway transfers both measured data and switch commands to a PC. Data is received over the DolphinView Basic software, which visualises all information on the computer, giving the user a real time view of all that is happening.
Varied, fast and flexible
The complete set enables virtually all application variations of energy harvesting wireless technology. Users can implement switches and interior temperature sensors plus a variety of industrial switches, such as wireless position switches, solutions to control gates or for condition monitoring. Additionally, the USB 300 opens the door to smart home and smart metering solutions for software developers.
EnOcean
