Precision Electronic Technologies Supplier Award
2017 was a big year at Successful Endeavours. Lots of new projects and some world first products as well as operating out of our New Premises in Narre Warren and adding some staff. One of the things that makes it possible for us to complete Product Development project quickly is the local Australian suppliers that support us so well.
So it is with great pleasure that we awarded Precision Electronic Technologies with our Supplier Award for 2017 for offering us both the flexibility we needed and very rapid turnaround so our clients could get to market on time and secure new business because of that.
This was particularly important for two projects in particular.
IND Technology EFD SWER
IND Technology provide Early Fault Detection systems for the electrical distribution grid. These devices use the atomic clocks in the GPS network to time synchronise 250MHz sampling of electrostatic transients in the distribution grid and logging that, some FFT results and some other calculations to determine where in the grid there is activity typical of pending equipment failure due to things like partial discharge. They also get some statistics on overall grid health levels. The data is logged and uploaded at one second intervals.
So find potential faults early before you have shrapnel, unplanned outages or a fire.
The 3-phase version won the PACE Zenith Award for Best Networking Implementation for Australia in 2016.
This new version does the same thing but for rural SWER (Single Wire Earth Return) networks and are solar powered. There was a tight installation deadline to get them into the field before the fire season started.
So four new PCBs designed including an eight layer PCB for the FPGA and 250MHz ADC sampling IC. And built in four weeks to first samples for testing. Because of that Precision Electronic Technologies made it possible for IND Technology to meet their delivery schedule.
So flexibility, on time delivery and fast turnaround made an impossible project possible.
arcHUB
The second project was the Active Reactor arcHUB Smart City Sensor. This is a new type of device that does not need an electrician to install it. They can be solar powered or primary battery powered with field life of up to 5 years and a huge range of possible sensor options.
In order to bid on local council smart city projects the product development had to happen quickly and the manufacturing as well. Again, Precision Electronic Technologies came through turning around two new PCB designs rapidly so that we could complete the development and have enough units for a first trial deployment. As a result, Active Reactor won the contract for their first Smart Cities deployment.
So again, agility and responsive supply allowed another Australian manufacturing success.
And also lead to the arcHUB Smart City Sensor being nominated for the Agilent Award for Innovation in Analytical Science for Australia in 2017.
Here is a list of features you won’t find combined together in conventional devices:
- battery operated (either solar charged or primary cells)
- minimum two year battery life for standard AA cell alkaline batteries
- 10+ day running time if solar charging is lost
- up to 20 days on board non-volatile storage
- compact form factor
- multiple sensor types per node (up to 20)
- sensor area network to minimise data costs
- over the air firmware upgrades
- over the air configuration updates
- variable sample rates and upload timing
- still has to be low cost to make and also run
- easy to install
So here is the range of sensors already trialled:
- wind speed (external anemometer attached)
- sunlight level
- night light level (street light monitoring etc)
- temperature
- PM2.5 particulate levels
- PM10 particulate levels
- Gases CO, H2S, SO2, NO2, H2S
- Humidity
- People counting (PIR based anonymous counting)
- Soil moisture levels (external probe)
- USB charger current (for usage analysis)
It is also the HUB and coordinator of a Sensor Area Network that can include modules that can measure any of the above as well as:
- vibration
- shock
- movement
- water level
- GPS location
- counting any device or system that has a pulse output
- analogue voltage measurements (AC and DC)
- Sound and Noise
Launching a new electronics product is never easy, but working with the right design team and suppliers can give you a much better chance of success. So we commend Precision Electronic Technologies for their excellent service and look forward to bringing many more new products onto the Australian and world markets in partnership with them.
Successful Endeavours specialise in Electronics Design and Embedded Software Development, focusing on products that are intended to be Made In Australia. Ray Keefe has developed market leading electronics products in Australia for more than 30 years. This post is Copyright © 2018 Successful Endeavours Pty Ltd.