Class Modular Sensors: Used in Outdoor IoT Monitoring

Mr. Neil Hancock
CTO Azonde, Aznode.com

Cerent Engineering Science Complex, Salazar Hall 2009A
4:00 PM

Abstract: The low-cost Internet of Things architecture is well suited for remote environmental monitoring. This talk covers a device designed to be low cost, solar powered, and used outdoors, for critical stream level monitoring in the drought stricken North Bay. The “open source” Stroud Water Research Center's "Modular Sensors" software and the Mayfly microcomputer facilitate environmental scientists collecting physical measurements from the “great outdoors”. Low-cost board level sensors using ADC, I2C or 1Wire are well understood and relatively low power. External transducers have a wider range of sensing, and require interfaces using the newer USGS SDI-12 three wire water world protocol, and the older stable Modbus 4wire RS485. Each brings new powering challenges. The software code and hardware definitions are stored in git, a distributed “Version Control System” allowing easy incremental traceable improvements. The package comes with technical debt that needs characterizing and analyzing.

Bio: Neil Hancock is a Chartered Engineer, active in circuit design and firmware for 40 years. For the first 20 years he worked with large companies in telecom equipment design and more recently in Internet of Things design for environmental monitoring. Neil volunteers as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Cotati, an Industry Advisor for SSU, is a long-term IEEE member, and enjoys short bicycle rides to coffee shops in Sonoma County. He received his BSc in Electronic Engineering, from City, University of London, United Kingdom.

Chartered Engineers (CEng) develop solutions to engineering problems using new or existing technologies, through innovation, creativity and change and/or they may have technical accountability for complex systems with significant levels of risk.