Wireless Technology
Track and trace for dogs and cats
Traceability enables customers to track the route their components take through the supply chain. And many pet owners would be happy if their four-legged friends could be just as easily tracked, because it's not uncommon for runaway pets to be lost. Many of them are found again, but many remain lost forever. To prevent this, Swiss company HergTech AG has developed the petpointer. Daniel Barth, senior marketing manager, wireless at Rutronik talks about how they assisted with the development of the petpointer
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ased on the experience of the Swiss national lost pets service, up to 30,000 cats and dogs disappear each year in the alpine nation. Whether it's a companion of many years, the children's best friend, or a valuable thoroughbred; the feeling of not knowing where your pet is at any given time is always a tense one. To enable owners to find out where they are in future and recover their faithful friend quickly, HergTech AG, supported by the Swiss national lost pets service and by Swisscom, has initiated a development project for a pet tracking device. Rossell Engineering has been appointed to manage the project. Rutronik has supported the project from conception, component selection and configuration to the review of the layout to the optimisation of the hardware and software functions. Two wireless components form the
core of the pet tracker – a GPS module for positioning and a cellular wireless module that can be used to transmit the detected positioning data to a server.
“The technology of the end product should be very smart and easy to use,” explained Hanns Fricker, CEO & founder of HergTech AG. “It should also be compact and lightweight to avoid being a nuisance to the pet. The power consumption must also be as low as possible to ensure that it remains functional as long as possible on a battery without the need to recharge it. It is also important that serial production and an attractive end product price be possible.”
The GPS module – smart, economical, precise
Based on these specifications, Rutronik recommended the GNS601 as a GPS module. With a base surface of 16x16mm and a precisely tuned, high-sensitivity patch antenna measuring 15x15mm, it satisfied the stringent space requirements. Added to this is its low-power design, which is further optimised by the integrated AlwaysLocate power management system. This continuously adapts the power draw to the environment and motion states to
supplementary satellite-based systems, such as WAAS, EGNOS, GAGAN, MSAS and QZSS, support other satellite navigation systems, in particular GPS or GNSS, to increase the reliability, precision and availability of the positioning. The module can determine positions in just a few seconds thanks to the use of A-GPS with EPO (Extended Prediction Orbit) and EASY (Embedded Assist System) algorithms. The latter can operate without resources or data from the host.
GSM/GPRS module The GE866-QUAD module from Telit was selected as the GSM module. With a size of 221mm² or 15x17mm and an LGA form factor, this is one of the smallest GSM/GPRS modules on the market. Thanks to quad-band functionality (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), it is designed for global use, enabling owners to keep an eye on their four-legged friends even as they travel. Equipped with an interpreter for Python script languages and a processor core in the GSM/GPRS engine, the customised application can be executed directly in the module, making
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achieve an optimum balance between the fixed rate, the energy consumption and the positioning precision. With a typical 66mW at 3.3V and an integrated voltage regulator, the receiver can be powered using one Li-ion battery.
Despite its low dimensions and power
draw, the GNS601 achieves excellent sensitivity of -165dBm in navigation and tracking mode. It has excellent dynamic transmission properties at high speed, while its MTAIC (multi-tone active interference canceler) provides active protection against signal interference. The module uses GPS for positioning and draws upon correction data from the SBAS (Satellite-Based Augmentation System) to optimise navigation. These
the GE866-QUAD ideally suited to tracking devices. Its high level of energy efficiency with power consumption of just 2µA in rest mode and 0.8mA in registered but inactive state is ensured by 1.8V GPIOs (general purpose input/output). Another advantage is the conformal protective coating, which makes the module more powerful, more resistant and lighter – important characteristics for a component that should be carried through wind and rain, ideally without the animal noticing. The first prototypes were still too large
and were therefore not adequately suitable for mass production. “A great deal of experience and creativity was necessary for the final mechanical and electronic configuration,” said Jaime Rossell of Rossell Engineering, thinking back. “We benefited greatly from the know-how that the Rutronik engineers contributed from many of their projects. The broad line card also meant that there were proper specialists for all components, meaning that we were able to coordinate the entire design with Rutronik perfectly and derive the maximum possible benefit.” The field application engineers, field sales engineers and product marketing not only supported the project management company Rossell Engineering but also the equipping company, Guggler AG in Marly, and the end customer, HergTech AG.
The missing dog poster – a thing of the past
The “petpointer” has now entered production and is available on the market. The robust and watertight housing measures 14 square centimeters and can be attached to any ordinary pet collar. From here, the petpointer transmits position data from 220 countries around the globe – including from enclosed spaces – to a server, which enables the pet owner to access the data from any smartphone, laptop or PC. Customers must subscribe for the mobile communication service, which includes an unlimited number of queries in the home country and abroad and costs a fixed 26 centimes a day (flat rate). The dog or cat owner can set themselves how often they wish to determine their pet's location. Thanks to its refined design concept, the battery is enough for five to seven days when queried once an hour. Further refinements are already in the pipeline, and aim to make it even smaller and more energy-efficient in particular.
www.rutronik.com Components in Electronics July/August 2016 23
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