IOT prototype snowfall sensors for major distributor
Problem
A major distributor required snowfall measurement sensors with automated alerts for parking lots and walkways at a distribution center. The alerting system needed to function on a “pull” basis (instead of “push”) to notify snow plowing contractors of critical snowfall depths. These sensor systems had an operating temperature requirement of -40° C, supported by only a battery power source. No off-the-shelf snowfall sensors or IOT solutions are currently available to operate in these environmental conditions for extended periods of time.
Solution
Novum designed, developed, validated, and commissioned a phase 1 prototype group of extreme temperature snowfall measurement sensors within 3 months of project kick-off.
Selected Arduino MKR 1310 for main IOT controller to acquire data from sonar depth sensor and push to gateway via LoRaWAN
Utilized LoRaWAN IOT communication technology for long-range, low-power consumption capabilities
Built 2 LoRaWAN gateways and integrated Phoenix Contact cellular routers for redundancy and remote install
Performed in-house environmental testing in a deep freezer to -40° C to evaluate multiple battery sources, also utilizing mySQL and Grafana to provide real-time status of batteries and Arduino controller
