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Sensors powered by energy harvesting key to IoT success
The internet of things relies on getting good quality sensor data at the right time in the right format, which is why energy harvesting wireless sensors are of special interest, writes Matthias Kassner
by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly, Aug. 04, 2015 –
Energy harvesting wireless sensors have sparked a dramatic rise in interest, since they represent a reliable and easy‑to‑install technology that delivers the essential input data on which the whole internet of things (IoT) model depends. Creating a sensor node that handles the essential data capture, processing and transmission with the minimal energy that can be harvested from the environment is a challenge.
There are three key tasks in energy harvesting wireless sensors: generating (harvesting) the required energy, sensing and processing environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, position) and wirelessly transmitting the collected information. All three tasks need to be optimised together to provide viable solutions.
Energy-efficient system design
The most common forms of energy harvested by IoT sensors are kinetic, solar and thermal (see box, opposite). All three harvesting technologies provide comparatively small amounts of energy (typically in the microampere range). Power-optimised system design is therefore essential to enable wireless sensors based on these energy sources.
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