RU213607U1 - Multifunctional IoT controller - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to multifunctional IoT controllers, including programmable wireless logic controllers, designed to monitor and control electrical equipment. In particular, a multifunctional IoT controller can be used at manufacturing enterprises for remote monitoring of the operation status of technological equipment, production machines, machine tools, assemblies, as well as for managing these objects. In addition, the multifunctional IoT controller can be integrated into lighting systems, which allows remote monitoring of the operation status of lighting devices, remote switching on / off of lighting devices, and collecting data from electricity meters. With the help of several multifunctional IoT controllers, interactive maps of objects can be formed, which are monitored and controlled remotely. The multifunctional IoT controller consists of a microprocessor 1 with a software implementation of a real time clock 2, non-volatile memory 3, a modem 4 with an antenna 5, a SIM holder 6, at least two RS-485 interfaces 7 with terminals 8, LED indication 9, at least twelve discrete inputs 10, at least four outputs for controlling external objects 11, GNSS antenna 12, power connector 13, lithium-iron-phosphate battery 14, charge controller 15, power stabilizer 16, switching power supply 17, relay for controlling external objects 18, protective relay 19, transducer 20, discrete input power connector 21, case 22.

Description

Technical field

The utility model relates to multifunctional IoT controllers, including programmable wireless logic controllers designed to monitor and control electrical equipment. In particular, a multifunctional IoT controller can be used at manufacturing enterprises for remote monitoring of the operation status of technological equipment, production machines, machine tools, assemblies, as well as for managing these objects. In addition, the multifunctional IoT controller can be integrated into lighting systems, which allows remote monitoring of the operation status of lighting devices, remote switching on / off of lighting devices, and collecting data from electricity meters. With the help of several multifunctional IoT controllers, interactive maps of objects can be formed, which are monitored and controlled remotely.

State of the art

A multifunctional wireless controller is known from the prior art according to the patent for invention No. RU 2678157 C1 dated March 20, 2018. The invention is intended for collecting data from geographically remote objects and remote control of these objects. The invention is a controller containing a microprocessor with a software implementation of a real-time clock, a non-volatile memory for four independent archives, a USB interface, an RS-485 interface, a GSM/GPRS module with an antenna, four nodes for controlling external objects, a galvanically isolated six-channel node for matching input discrete signals, a four-channel current-to-voltage conversion unit, backup power and a temperature sensor.

This device has the following disadvantages.

Firstly, the location of the controller occurs using the GPRS system. The GPRS system is an add-on to the GSM mobile communication technology. Determining the location of the controller using GPRS is not reliable, since the accuracy of determining the location of the controller is highly dependent on the number and location of base stations in the GSM network. It is known that this method of determining the location provides a low positioning accuracy, in particular, the coordinates of the object may differ from the real location by 50-500 meters. It is worth considering that the claimed multifunctional IoT controller allows a possible error in determining the true location within 2-6 meters.

Secondly, in the specified controller, a lithium-ion battery is used as a backup power supply. It is known that this type of battery is characterized by a limited operating temperature range. In particular, a lithium-ion battery is subject to a significant decrease in capacity and current output at low climatic temperatures. So, in the absence of the main power supply, the lithium-ion battery as a backup power source does not provide the required operating time of the controller in an emergency state.

Thirdly, the specified controller does not have protection against negative environmental conditions.

The aforementioned multifunctional wireless controller according to the patent for invention No. RU 2678157 C1 dated March 20, 2018 has a number of general solutions in the design, but is not selected as the closest analogue, since the modem does not support IoT communication technology, on the basis of which In the modern world, the vast majority of IoT systems are being built.

The closest analogue is the universal modular IoT controller for the system of global monitoring and energy consumption management under the utility model patent No. RU 192192 U1 dated February 19, 2019. The utility model is a connection of storage devices, input-output devices, central processor devices, information transfer devices or other signals between these devices, and intended for use in systems for global monitoring and management of energy resources based on IoT technology. In particular cases, an IoT controller for a global energy monitoring and management system may include such parts as a microprocessor, non-volatile memory, several RS485 interfaces, a GSM / GPRS module for connecting the controller with an IoT center, a solid state relay for turning on and off external devices by commands of the central processor, discrete inputs for monitoring the status of external devices,

rechargeable battery.

The disadvantage of this IoT controller is also the insufficient reliability of the location of the controller, since location is used by the GPRS system. In addition, when the GPRS system fails, there is no backup module that allows you to determine the location of the controller. This IoT controller is also not protected from the negative effects of the environment.

Disclosure of the essence of the utility model

The technical task is to create a reliable multifunctional IoT controller capable of determining the location with the required accuracy, maintaining operation for a relatively long time in conditions of low climatic temperatures and negative environmental conditions.

The technical result is to improve the positioning accuracy of the IoT controller.

The technical result is achieved by the fact that the multifunctional IoT controller contains a microprocessor with a software implementation of a real-time clock, a non-volatile memory, a modem with an antenna, an RS-485 interface with terminals, discrete inputs, relays for controlling external objects, and outputs built into the housing and electrically interconnected. control of external objects, LED indication, charge controller, rechargeable battery, power stabilizer, power connector, GNSS antenna.

Reliability is the property of an object to keep in time within the established limits the values of all parameters that characterize the ability to perform the required functions in given modes and conditions of use, maintenance, storage and transportation. (GOST 27.002-89 Reliability in engineering. Basic concepts. Terms and definitions)

Unlike analogues, the multifunctional IoT controller has two options for determining the location at once: a GNSS antenna 12 and a modem 4 supporting the GPRS cellular standard. The GNSS antenna 12 is used as the main channel for determining the location of the controller, and modem 4 with support for the GPRS cellular standard is used as a backup, so the location of the multifunctional IoT controller will always be displayed at the control room even if one of the location systems fails.

The reliability of the device is determined by the accuracy of determining the location of the controller. As noted above, reliability is “the ability to perform the required functions in given modes and conditions of use”. The claimed multifunctional IoT controller can be installed, for example, in industrial workshops. Often, remotely from the control room, it is necessary to control and manage a group of energy consumers at once, for example, lighting and production machines. It is not always technically possible to connect, for example, machines and lighting to one IoT controller and in one place. Thus, a situation arises in which several multifunctional IoT controllers are installed in one workshop in a different location, and each of them is responsible for monitoring and managing certain energy consumers. The claimed multifunctional IoT controller, due to the introduction of a GNSS antenna 12, makes it possible to relatively accurately determine the location of the controller in comparison with GPRS positioning. To be more precise, the claimed multifunctional IoT controller is able, taking into account the error, to relatively accurately indicate its location to the operator of the control room, and therefore perform the function required from it in the given application conditions.

A multifunctional IoT controller should be considered reliable if it provides sufficient failover time. An emergency is a condition in which there is no main power supply, and the IoT controller is powered from a backup battery power source. The use of lithium-iron-phosphate battery 14 allows even under low climatic conditions to maintain the operation of the device for up to 60 minutes with the possibility of transmitting information about the location of the IoT controller to the control room.

The reliability of the controller, among other things, is achieved due to the execution of the case with IP65 protection, which prevents dust and splashes from entering the components of the backplane.

Brief description of the drawings

In FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a multifunctional wireless controller.

In FIG. 1 shows the following positions:

1 - microprocessor,

2 - real time clock,

3 - non-volatile memory,

4 - modem,

5 - antenna,

6 - SIM holder,

7 - RS-485 interface,

8 - terminals,

9 - LED indication,

10 - discrete inputs,

11 - outputs for controlling external objects,

12 - GNSS antenna,

13 - power connector,

14 - lithium iron phosphate battery,

15 - charge controller,

16 - power stabilizer,

17 - switching power supply,

18 - relay control of external objects,

19 - protective relay,

20 - converter,

21 - discrete input power connector,

22 - building.

Implementation of the utility model

The following describes in detail all the components of this utility model with reference to the drawings and the reference positions indicated on them for a more complete understanding of the scope and all technical aspects of the claimed technical solution by a person skilled in the art.

In FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a multifunctional IoT controller. All parts of the controller 1-21 indicated in Figs. 1 are placed on a cross-board, which is built into a common housing 22.

The multifunctional IoT controller consists of a microprocessor 1 with a software implementation of a real time clock 2, non-volatile memory 3, a modem 4 with an antenna 5, a SIM holder 6, at least two RS-485 interfaces 7 with terminals 8, LED indication 9, at least twelve discrete inputs 10, at least four outputs for controlling external objects 11, GNSS antenna 12, power connector 13, lithium-iron-phosphate battery 14, charge controller 15, power stabilizer 16, switching power supply 17, relay for controlling external objects 18, protective relay 19, transducer 20, discrete input power connector 21.

The microprocessor 1 provides processing of the information received from other parts of the IoT controller, as well as the running of the software-implemented real-time clock 2.

Real time clock 2 is implemented in software and is required for the IoT controller to work according to a given time schedule.

Non-volatile memory 3 acts as a storage for recording information about the operation of the IoT controller during periods when the modem 4 loses contact with the control room.

Modem 4 with antenna 5 serves to provide continuous two-way wireless communication between the controller and the control room. SIM-cards of any mobile operator are installed in the SIM 6 holder. Modem 4 supports the transmission of information using such cellular communication standards as GPRS, GSM, LTE and NB-IoT. Mostly, data transfer between the IoT controller and the control room is carried out exactly according to the NB-IoT cellular communication standard, since this communication standard can significantly reduce the power consumption of the IoT controller for data transmission to the control room due to small data transmission. In the event that the power supply is interrupted through the power connector 13, the IoT controller switches to the backup power mode from the lithium-iron-phosphate battery 14. Data exchange according to the NB-IoT cellular standard allows the IoT controller to communicate with the control room much longer than, for example, when exchanging data using the LTE cellular standard. This fact undoubtedly affects the reliability and performance of the IoT controller.

The RS-485 interface 7 with terminals 8 is designed to connect external devices with the same analogous interface, which allows you to connect, for example, electricity meters to the Iot controller and remotely receive information about the amount of electricity consumed directly from the control room.

LED indication 9 serves for visual awareness of the operation of the Iot controller. LED indication 9 informs about the presence of power at the power connector 13, about the operation of outputs for controlling external objects 11, about data exchange via the RS-485 interface 7, about the degree of charge of the lithium-iron-phosphate battery 14.

Discrete inputs 10 are galvanically isolated from external objects and receive discrete signals of the "on/off" type. Discrete inputs 10 can be used to monitor the state of various sensors and electrical consumers, for example, the state of an open / closed door, the state of the light on / off, the state of the machine on / off. The advantage of the claimed multifunctional Iot controller is the ability to connect up to 12 sensors to discrete inputs 10. The power connector for discrete inputs 21 is used to power the discrete inputs 10, while the electric current passes through the converter 20 to create a voltage of the required value.

Up to four objects are connected to the control outputs of external objects 11, for example, such as lighting devices and/or technological equipment.

The GNSS antenna 12 allows relatively accurate location of the Iot controller. At the same time, the location is determined precisely with the help of satellite systems, including such as GPS / GLONASS. It is known that modern satellite communication systems make it possible to establish the position of an object quite accurately. So the error of the GLONASS satellite communication system is 2 - 6 meters, and for GPS - 2 - 4 m, the average values can be considered from 2 to 6 meters. Further, to disclose the features of determining the position using the GNSS antenna 12, the GPS system is deliberately taken as the basis, but what has been said can equally be applied to the GLONASS system. As noted above, multifunctional Iot controllers are used to monitor the state of objects. A multifunctional Iot controller should be considered reliable if it allows you to indicate your location with the required accuracy, i.e. The Iot controller performs the required function in the specified mode and application conditions. Position indication with an error of 2 to 6 meters should be considered reliable and relatively accurate. The importance of accurate positioning is as follows. An example has already been given above, which indicated that several multifunctional Iot controllers can be installed within the same production room, for example, a production room with an area of about 200 sq.m. The operation status of the Iot controller is monitored at the control room. In the event of a power failure at power connector 13, the multifunctional Iot controller switches to emergency operation to consume power from a backup source - lithium iron phosphate battery 14. The control room operator needs to determine exactly which of the Iot controllers cannot work with full functionality and where to send the repair team. The GNSS antenna 12 with GPS positioning will be able to indicate the location of the Iot controller. For the analogs under consideration, location is determined using the GPRS system with an error of 50 to 500 meters, undoubtedly this system will not allow the operator of the control room to determine which of the several Iot controllers in one production room does not work with full functionality. The need for accurate positioning is even more pronounced when installing the Iot controller on electric lighting poles. The control room operator can pinpoint the location of an Iot controller that is out of order.

In addition, the reliability of the Iot-controller is achieved due to the simultaneous existence of two positioning systems - by GPS and by GPRS. In the event of a malfunction of the GNSS antenna 12, the modem 4 does not lose the functionality of determining the location using GPRS, and, conversely, if the GPRS cellular network signal is weak or the connection from the modem 4 with the control room is completely disconnected, the possibility of determining the location using GPS remains. An additional advantage of having a GNSS antenna 12 is the possibility of software implementation at the control room of the location map of the installed multifunctional Iot controllers. The implementation of the GNSS antenna 12 also allows the time on the Iot controller to be synchronized with the satellites.

The power connector 13 is used to connect the power supply of the multifunctional Iot controller from the 220V network.

Lithium-iron-phosphate battery 14 is a backup power source for the Iot-controller, and supplies power in an emergency state when the power is turned off from the main power source via power connector 13. Lithium-iron-phosphate battery 14 (LiFePO4) was chosen as the battery. The most important advantage of the lithium-iron-phosphate battery 14 in relation to the reliability of the Iot-controller in comparison with lithium-ion batteries is operation at low climatic temperatures. Low climatic temperatures are understood as temperatures from 0 to -30°C. The multifunctional Iot-controller is recognized as reliable if it is able to maintain communication with the control room for at least 60 minutes in conditions of low climatic temperatures. Lithium-iron-phosphate battery 14 is capable of long-term operation in the range from -30 to +50°C without reducing its performance. Lithium-ion batteries are capable of operating in the range from -20 to +60°C, but the performance is significantly reduced. The recommended operating range of a lithium-ion battery is from +15 to +25°C without performance degradation. It has been experimentally established that at -30°C a multifunctional Iot controller with a lithium-iron phosphate battery 14 is able to maintain operation in an emergency state for at least 60 minutes, while the same multifunctional Iot controller with a lithium-ion battery less than 30 minutes. In addition, lithium-ion batteries at negative air temperatures are not very capable of receiving a charge. Lithium-iron-phosphate battery 14 without damage to the resource endures the peak current of the load and charge, is less prone to natural degradation, has a minimum self-discharge and more than 2000 charge-discharge cycles up to a loss of capacity by 20%. Therefore, in terms of reliability, reliability and durability, lithium-iron-phosphate batteries outperform other lithium-ion batteries. Thus, embedding a lithium-iron-phosphate battery 14 into a multifunctional Iot controller can significantly increase the reliability and reliability of the entire device as a whole. The charge controller 15 serves to control the charging process of the lithium-iron-phosphate battery 14 and does not allow critical deviations in operating parameters and premature failure of the battery.

Power stabilizer 16 allows you to change the DC voltage. The power stabilizer 16 is applied as DC/DC. The switching power supply 17 is used to convert the input voltage from the power connector 13 to the value required by the components of the multifunctional Iot controller.

The relay for controlling external objects 18 is designed to receive and transmit commands coming from the microprocessor 1 to control objects connected to the control outputs of external objects 11. The protective relay 19 serves to prevent the failure of the multifunctional Iot controller due to abnormal operating modes of objects connected to control outputs of external objects 11. Abnormal operating modes of objects include short circuit, power surges. The control outputs of external objects 11 are used to connect to them various external electrical consumers - objects, there are supposed to be at least four of them.

Enclosure 22 has a degree of protection of the shell IP65. Housing 22 completely protects the internal parts of the controller from dust. Also, the body 22 protects the internal parts of the controller from negative environmental conditions, including from hitting them with water jets falling at any angle. This allows the controller to be operated both indoors and outdoors at low temperatures. Housing 22 protects the internal parts of the controller from possible temperature fluctuations. The execution of the housing 22 with a degree of protection of the shell IP65 certainly affects the reliability and non-failure operation. Dust and splash protection of the controller prevents moisture from entering the electrical connections of the controller, eliminates the deterioration of contact between the elements.

The operation of the device is as follows

Initial setup and connection

multifunctional Iot controller. A SIM card of any available mobile operator is installed in the SIM 6 holder. Sensors are connected to discrete inputs 10, which will be further monitored remotely. Objects are connected to the control outputs of external objects 11, which can later be controlled either by command from the control room or by setting the on / off according to a given schedule. Devices with RS-485 interface, such as electricity meters, are connected to terminals 8 of the RS-485 interface 7. A 220V network is connected to the power connector 13. The Iot controller is launched, accompanied by: glow

LEDs on the LED indication 9, establishing a connection between the modem 4 and the control room, establishing a GNSS signal - antenna 12 and the control room. The control room has a computer connected to the Internet. After the connection of the controller via modem 4 with the control room is established, the control room checks the display of the controller's location using the GPS/GLONASS systems. The controller is ready to go.

An example of the operation of a controller is its installation in a production room to control technological equipment and lighting equipment. Up to four units of process equipment can be connected to one controller. Up to twelve discrete sensors are connected to discrete inputs 10, which determine the state by type on/off. The operator of the control room, using the Internet connection via modem 4, sends a command to the controller. Through modem 4, the command enters the controller and turns on / off the electrical consumers connected to the control outputs of external objects 11. Full autonomous operation of the controller is possible without the intervention of the operator of the control room according to the program recorded in the microprocessor 1. Often to one controller due to the peculiarities of production lines it is not possible to connect all the necessary external objects. In this case, several controllers with different locations are installed in one room. It is in the case of using several IoT controllers that the need to determine their exact location using the GNSS antenna 12 is expressed. emergency emergency conditions. In the event of a power failure from connector 13, the IoT controller enters the emergency operation state. In this case, power is supplied from a lithium-iron-phosphate battery 14. In this case, the control of the outputs for controlling external objects 11 is unavailable. In this situation, it is critically important to have information at the control room about where and which IoT controller is not fully operational in order to manage objects connected to the control outputs of external objects 11. The IoT controller in question can continue to transmit information about its location in conditions of low climatic temperatures and negative environmental conditions before the arrival of the repair team. Upon the arrival of the repair team, the controller is brought into good condition and goes into normal operation.

Claims (1)

Multifunctional IoT controller containing a microprocessor with a software implementation of a real-time clock built into the housing and electrically interconnected, non-volatile memory, a modem with an antenna, an RS-485 interface with terminals, discrete inputs, relays for controlling external objects, outputs for controlling external objects, LED indication, charge controller, battery, power stabilizer, power connector, characterized in that a GNSS antenna is embedded in the controller circuit.

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