Acqualink

Design an electronic board able to control water distribution units for irrigation. Usage data and authorisations for use have to travel long distances wirelessly, across areas with no public network infrastructure.

The device is built around 800 MHz radio transmission technology and a dedicated protocol. Particular care went into simplifying installation. A typical system involves hundreds of nodes spread across very large areas, and installation must not depend on the network topology. Each node can act as a source of information and equally as a repeater for information coming from the others. The very low power consumption , needed for the battery to last up to 10 years without maintenance, is also achieved through GPS synchronisation of the nodes, which switches on devices far apart from one another in unison, creating specific transmission windows that alternate with periods when the network is completely silent.

Transmission protocol design with GPS synchronisation.