Smart Sensor Firmware, Web and Mobile App Design and Development

Suprabit_wo_name
Suprabit
  • Score Case study score
    4.4
  • Date Published
  • Reading Time 3-Minute Read
SB-dashboard-tool-screenshot

Suprabit developed the firmware, the mobile app and dashboard for a multi-sensor device used in room automation scenarios.

Smart Sensor solution

Fusion mesh multi-sensor for ideal room climate monitoring

Background

Suprabit is an innovative IoT, mobile, blockchain and cloud provider that is supporting our Swiss-based client in implementing smart building management solutions. One of them is the Smart Sensor solution – a multi-sensor for room automation for which Suprabit developed the firmware, the mobile app and the dashboard web app.

Challenge

The main goal of Smart Sensor is to monitor the room climate and environment and for that purpose, it contains a number of sensors for measuring the following:

  • temperature
  • humidity
  • volatile mixed gases
  • presence/motion
  • brightness (light intensity)
  • noise level

Outputs from sensors are linked together for more precise information on the state of the room (sensor fusion). The sensor is mounted on the ceiling and has an LED ring to visualize the room status to the users. Each color indicates a different state of room occupancy, air quality or cleaning necessity. The device also has a touch button for erasing the flash memory, resetting the device or choosing the mode of operation. Smart Sensor is commissioned using the in-house Bluetooth mobile application while the in-house dashboard tool is used for monitoring the outputs and the states of the sensors.

Our Solution

The Smart Sensor is an “IoT ready” device since it’s implementing MQTT communication via IP/Ethernet. Among others, the following technologies and interfaces are used:

  • Bluetooth Mesh – networking of the sensors
  • Bluetooth Beacon – indoor geo-localization
  • NFC – powerless commissioning/parameter copying
  • UART – firmware update
  • MQTT – publish/subscribe concept
  • Ethernet
  • Over-the-Air update

Bluetooth Mesh technology supports server and client models which means there are two types of devices in the network: 1 gateway and up to 16 nodes. It allows wireless networking of the measured values between the devices (node-to-node communication). Bluetooth Beacon is used for the interaction with the mobile application user and enables localization of the device in the room. Additional Bluetooth Mesh devices can be integrated with the Smart Sensor and additional measured variables can be integrated.

Our Work/Approach

Firmware

The embedded application is made in C/C++.

Mobile application

The mobile application is used for the commissioning of devices in the field. They are communicating over Bluetooth Low Energy and are providing a color mapping option for precise recognition of each node. The technologies used in building the mobile application are React Native and Expo.

Dashboard

The Dashboard Tool represents the visual feedback to facility managers that displays the room and the sensors’ statuses. It provides an option for serial flashing of the device, sending the parameters’ configuration to the sensor, reading the log output and animating the devices. Also, it allows for specifying the local or public MQTT broker to which the Smart Sensor is connected. The Tool is made as a progressive web application which means it could be installed on the desktop as a shortcut or as a mobile app and is built with React.