Startup in the field of consumer IoT solutions

Our team engineered a smart ventilation system. It consists of small devices that are installed on all air inputs which forcibly regulate the air distribution. This solution allows the tenant to maintain a defined, steady, temperature throughout their house or apartment (accuracy +/-0.5 0C).

Software

We created a mesh network based on the OpenThread protocol and exchange data in it. This network is able to hold up to 32 devices in one network (16 sensors + 16 air vent duct grille boards). The goal of this system is to achieve the same temperature everywhere under variable conditions (for instance: a room with a window, warmed by the sun, must be compensated for). The main feature – all network devices are equivalent routers, they all have the ability to expand the network. At the same time, everything was optimized to work up to what is theoretically achievable for the next 2-year period. We used Bluetooth for the configuration. Using a smartphone, the user can settle the system to the required temperature and connect any node to collect network logs. It’s based on the NRF52840 MCU.

Hardware

Two types of printed circuit boards were developed and used in the project: a temperature sensor and a smart air vent duct grille board (based on the desired size and location of the user’s components). Since the system has a wireless communication method our team also created custom antenna design according to space limits to reach the best performance fit in limited space. All items were designed to be maximally compact.