M2M Machine to Machine

GSM phone – 15 years on a single charge of an AA battery

Not to bad. Link to the description of the phone.
http://www.intomobile.com/2012/05/16/spareone-phone-lasts-15-years-single-aa-battery/

Nevertheless I am working on a 65 gram bird tracker with the target to run endless. Right now Eneloop batteries are in use. Eneloop offers a self-discharge of 25% within 3 years. If the self-discharge is linear, then after 15 years 23,7 % capacity is left. Such a AA cell offers 2400 mAh hours. After 15 years will be still 577 mAh left.
The phone promise 10 hours talk time. 10 hours talk are 5 hours transmit and 5 hours receive? I am not sure. Anyhow a state of the art GSM module discharge the battery with 230 mA during maximum power level of 2 Watt. 2400 mAh / 230 mA = 10,41 hours. So after charge the 10 hours are possible and after 15 years we have 577 mAh / 230 mA = 2,5 hours transmitting time left.
The AA batteries are public at the link as below. Just calculate yourself.
http://www.eneloop.info/products/batteries.html
Anyhow, this phone could run endless too. It just has to use energy harvesting by solar or temperature delta.

70mm x 40 mm GSM / GPS tracker

The sketch I made during a three day technical training related to GNSS (GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS). The PCB can be even smaller, but this will minimise the efficiency of the antennas. The GPS chip antenna would like to have a ground plane of 22,5 mm left and 22,5 mm right. 22,5 mm x 2 x 40 mm means 1800 mm2 ground plane for the GSM antenna. Nevertheless, I can make it even smaller, but I can´t cheat the physics.

Wireless M2M training for free: May 22-24, Dortmund, Germany

Developers that are interested in can get 1 to 3 days trainings on Wireless M2M free of charge. Nevertheless the 3 days training you can book for Berlin later on as well.

22 – 24th. of May in Dortmund and 25 – 27th. of Sep. in Berlin
Form for registration: http://www.box.com/s/lakuesy1po/1/247810095/1928331089/1

Please excuse that the text at registration form is in German language. All lessons of the suppliers are in English. My lessons are in German or English language. As soon one non German listener will stay at the event, I will offer English. The copies of the PowerPoint presentation are in English language like usual.

• Day 1: Positioning: GPS, Glonass, Galileo, Beidou, WIFI, Bluetooth Smart and GSM cell locating
• Day 2: Controlled by Smartphone: WIFI, ANT+, Bluetooth Smart, NFC, GPRS, HSPA
• Day 3: Internet of Things

Who can´t make it to stay in Dortmund or Berlin has the freedom to ask for an appointment at local office. Last but not least, I can help with webinars on the topics you want. Just drop an email to harald.naumann (at) gsm-modem.de and tell me your wishes.

WiFi, Bluetooth, GSM? Whatever happened to X10?

The question as below reached me after publishing the Home Automation Solution on the Google TV box on different channels. http://www.gsm-modem.de/M2M/m2m-componets/home-automation-on-google-tv-box/

I would like to share it with you.

WiFi, Bluetooth, GSM? Whatever happened to X10? Thanks for the links Harald. They are definitely applicable to M2M!

The TV box we got from Google helps with WIFI and Ethernet. The camera pictures in the video are out of a webcam in my city.

The video also shows the dimming of light and changing the colour. It is an emulation. The next video will show it live. The further step is a web server with control of LEDs on PCB connected by WIFI to the Google TV box. The final step is to offer the LED PCBs with WIFI module and controller in a web shop to everybody.

I will replace my old furniture to new and will order it without lamps or LEDs.

These LEDs in a row are on a PCB with 25 cm length. 25 cm are the standard length for illumination in our local shops for furniture. Everybody can have the some fun at home like me.

The final step in home automation is the creating of rapid prototyping hardware. Some piece of hardware that can be easily copied or redesigned. My home is fully covered by WIFI. I already bought a small WIFI powered webcam on Monday. This camera offers e-mail, FTP and DynDNS. It could be a part of the home automation project later on. Some birds build a nest directly next the door to our veranda. The bad news is that the last little bird died Tuesday night. Anyhow, European blackbirds are breeding up to four times a year. Hopefully they will come back. If they come back I will offer a “blackbird cinema” based on Google TV box to everybody.

Other topic is the drainage pump at our home. Shall I monitor it with by WIFI or by some meshed ISM network on 868 MHz? I am not sure. On WIFI I am ready fast. On 868 MHz I can save power. Anyhow, I will keep you posted.

X10 is not that popular in Germany. Anyhow, the TV Box has USB and Ethernet as well.

Android@Home – From Sweet Home to affordable Smart Home
http://www.gsm-modem.de/M2M/m2m-componets/android-at-home-smart-home/

Just replace the mentioned tablet to the TV box and order the Chipkit TDGL002 listed here:
http://www.gsm-modem.de/M2M/m2m-componets/iot-avl-smart-home-aal-m2m-and-m2m2p-on-arduino/

An Arduino X10 tutorial you get here:
http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/x10

Do not use the origin Arduino because the Chipkit TDGL002 already offers USB host with drivers for Android accessories. The Chipkit TDGL002 is estimated with USD 30. If you order the TDGL003 then you’ll never run out of pins and interfaces.

Do you have X10 running at home?

Home Automation on Google TV box

As promised some days ago, the video about the Google TV box in Home Automation is ready.

On 22th. of May the wireless road-show will start in Dortmund. In Dortmund we will show the home automation application on Google TV box live. Developers that are interested in can get 1 to 3 days trainings on Wireless M2M free of charge. Nevertheless the 3 days training you can book for Berlin later on as well.

22 – 24th. of May in Dortmund and 25 – 27th. of Sep. in Berlin
Form for registration: http://www.box.com/s/lakuesy1po/1/247810095/1928331089/1
Please excuse that the text at registration form is in German language. All lessons are in English.

• Day 1: Positioning: GPS, Glonass, Galileo, Beidou, WIFI, Bluetooth Smart and GSM cell locating
• Day 2: Controlled by Smartphone: WIFI, ANT+, Bluetooth Smart, NFC, GPRS, HSPA
• Day 3: Internet of Things

The further step in home automation is the creating of rapid prototyping hardware. Some piece of hardware, that can be easy copied or redesigned. My home is full covered by WIFI. I already bought a small WIFI powered webcam on Monday. This camera offers email, FTP and DynDNS. It could be a part of the home automation project later on. Other topic is the drainage pump at my home. Shall I monitor it with by WIFI or by some meshed ISM network on 868 MHz? I am not sure. On WIFI I am ready fast. On 868 MHz I can save power. Anyhow, I will keep you posted.

Who can´t make it to stay in Dortmund or Berlin has the freedom to ask for an appointment at local office. Last but not least, I can help with webinars on the topics you want. Just drop an email to harald.naumann (at) gsm-modem.de and tell me your wishes.

Home Automation on Google TV Setup Box

I just would like to inform you that I will launch a Home Automation application on the Google TV Setup Box next week. HA already got a high interest at Droidcon in Berlin.. Maybe you or friends are interested in HA as well.

The next step will be the upload of a video that shows apps like:
* Climatic data out of a bunker in Berlin – Live data
* Tracking of pets, people and cars in Berlin – Live data
* Photo-Voltaic system – Live data
* Webcams in my city – Live data
* RGB-LEDs on WLAN (demo – live data will follow)

Developers that are interested in can get 1 to 3 days trainings on Wireless M2M free of charge.
22 – 24th. of May in Dortmund and 25 – 27th. of Sep. in Berlin
Form for registration: http://www.box.com/s/lakuesy1po/1/247810095/1928331089/1

Please excuse the text in German. All lessons are in English.
Day 1: Positing: GPS, Glonass, Galileo, Beidou, WIFI, Bluetooth Smart and GSM cell locating
Day 2: Controlled by Smartphone: WIFI, ANT+, Bluetooth Smart, NFC, GPRS, HSPA
Day 3: Internet of Things

The 2nd day is for Android developers of most interest.The bad news are that I am not able to stream the content to Internet. Maybe somebody has a proposal for streaming in Berlin. Thx in advance.

BTW, I will have my heart rate belt connected to Razr Droid and my TV with the setup box in Dortmund with me.

Comparison of NFC, Classic Bluetooth, Bluetooth Smart and WLAN

Presentation at Droidcon 2012 in Berlin

16 slides about short range radio links inside an Android device for download:
http://www.box.com/s/d538e0081ff656c3d899

The focus of this presentation is on Bluetooth Smart. Bluetooth Smart was called WiBree years ago. Later on it was renamed to Bluetooth Low Energy also called Bluetooth 4.0. Four names for the same technology. Bluetooth Smart is not compatible to the Classic Bluetooth 2.0, 2.1 or 3.0. Nevertheless the Motorola Razr Droid is supporting both – the Classic Bluetooth and the Bluetooth Smart Standard. The iPhone 4S and the iPAD2 are supporting Bluetooth Smart as well. Last but not least several laptops are supporting Bluetooth Smart too.
The benefit of Bluetooth Smart is its ultra low power consumption. This is made by a clever power on/off of the transceivers. The Bluetooth Smart Master and the Bluetooth Smart Slave knows each other and power on and off in the same time. The data packages are small and big enough to forward the temperature of your body or your heart rate. With the proximity profile of Bluetooth Smart your key-fob will lock your laptop as soon yo leave your desktop. BTW, a keyboard for your PC will run 10 years on one two AA cells. All mentions examples push a short burst with length of up to 32 bits and go to sleep immediately. The presentation for download shows the differences in communication speed and the differences in the synchronisation between master and slave also. Bluetooth Smard is synchronising much faster. This feature is saving a lot of power too.

If you have interest in an own Buetooth Smart (Bluetooth Low Energy)  solution, a face to face meeting or a local training of your development team,  then just drop an email to harald.naumann (at) gsm-modem.de or use the form.

Android smart phone controlled by NFC

There is a nice free of charge NFC app at Android market. The author offers the source code as well.

NFC app features

• enable/disable air plane mode on tag detection
• start an external app on tag detection
• enable/disable Bluetooth on tag detection
• enable/disable WiFi on tag detection
• switch ring tone on/off on tag detection
• set alarm on tag detection

Read more here

I will use this news at my presentation at Droidcon in Berlin. Maybe we will meet each other on the 13th or 14th of March in Berlin as well.

Quick Start Guide for Wahoo Heart Rate Belt and Motorola Razr Droid

Please follow the described steps carefully to save time by powering on your Android heart rate demo application on your Motorola Razr Droid.

Nordic nRF8002 Heart Rate Monitor on Motorola Razr Droid

1. Preparing your Motorola Razr Droid

• Go to the Android Market and download the app called nRF HRM Demo to your Android Smart Phone.
  https://market.android.com/details?id=com.nordic.ble
• Install the app on your phone. Do not start it for now.

2. Power on your Wahoo Heart Rate Belt

• The Wahoo Heart Rate Belt will be powered on automatically by wearing it at your body. It has no On/Off pin!

3. Go back to your Motorola Razr Droid

• Go to “Settings” -> “Wireless & Networks” -> “Bluetooth Settings”
• Press scan for devices
• Select the belt out of list and click it
• Start the nRF HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) Demo at you phone

4. Motorola Razr Droid with running HRM demo

Please be aware that this photo is a photo montage. As soon you move the Wahoo Heart Rate Belt away from your body the Bluetooth Smart transceiver will be powered off.

I assume that the upper mentioned steps are close the same for the Nordic nRF8001 evaluation kit. I got the nRF8001 development kit this weekend as well, but I can´t use it because my nRFgo motherboard I loaned to one of my customers for testing the ANT+ ICs of Nordic. The nRFgo motherboard is supporting several other Nordic ICs. Anyhow, sooner or later I will have a complete Bluetooth Smart evaluation kit at my office. I will keep you posted for sure.
There are several Bluetooth Smart, Bluetooth 2.1, Wifi and NFC projects in parallel guide-lined by myself. The next event for a face to face meeting is at Embedded World in Nuremberg. I will stay all three days at the booth of Rutronik. Some days later I will talk about Bluetooth Smart, Bluetooth 2.1, Wifi and NFC at Droidcon in Berlin.

Face to face meeting with me can be arranged at:

• Embedded World / Nürnberg  28.2 – 1.03 (3 days)
  • Exhibition of latest wireless technologies and examples.
  • http://www.embedded-world.de/ Rutronik Hall 1, Stand 318
• Droidcon / Berlin 13. – 14.03 (2 days)
  • Wireless links around your Smart Phone. NFC, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Smart, ANT+ and WIFI. Difference in range, power consumption, latency. Examples for applications
  • http://de.droidcon.com/session/comparsion-radio-links-inside-android-device-and-examples-applications
• Cebit / Hannover 6. – 10.03- (5 days)
  • Big event about communication just 45 minutes far away from my home. I will use this event for customer meetings and learning about latest wireless technologies. The opening this year will be done by Mr. Eric Smith (Google) and Dr. Angela Merkel (Federal Chancellor/ Germany)
• LTE Seminar / Berlin 20.03 (1 day)
  • Tests, Approvels in US, EU and other regions. Embedded LTE antennas and design in.
• Hannover Industry Fair 23. – 27. 04 (4 days)
  • Big exhibition related to latest technologies close to my home.
• Rutronik Wireless Roadshow Düsseldorf 22.05- 24.05 (3 days) and Rutronik Wireless Roadshow Berlin 25.09 – 27.09 (3 days)
  • Day 1: Postining on GNSS like GPS, but Glonass, Beidou, Galileo and QZSS as well. Non GNSS locating by WIF, Bluetooth Smart, active RFID up to GSM locating
  • Day 2: Wireless links around your Smart Phone. NFC, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Smart, ANT+ and WIFI
  • Day 3: Internet of Things: GSM, GPRS, HSPA, UMTS, WIFI, ZigBee, 6LoWPAN

If you have interest in an own Buetooth Smart (Bluetooth Low Energy)  solution then just drop an email to harald.naumann (at) gsm-modem.de or use the form.

Smart Home – HA Home Automation on Open Source

Since a few month I am pushing Smart Home and HA. I am able to support my customers with several kinds of wireless technologies like:

• 6LoWPAN
• ZigBee up to ZigBee IP
• Bluetooth 2.1, 3.0 and 4.0
• Proprietary protocols on 433, 868, 915 and 2400 MHz (pear to pear, star and meshed)
• WIFI

Maybe Google’s employees are already testing the Smart home on WIFI and Bluetooth.

Google employees testing the smart home and home entertainment?

https://plus.google.com/u/0/104073440961325292775/posts

Nevertheless I can´t wait for Smart Home or HA software made by Google. I have to go ahead now. One of my customers offers a patented LED light control system. The other is in continuous-flow water heaters. A further customer is in lamp business as well. The next is looking for a door and/or garage door opener. All of them are open and would like to co-operate and to share. I can help with:

The WIFI modules of mine supporting:

• WIFI module with TCP/IP or UDP/IP on AT command interface, by stack on micro controller and by drivers for Linux, Android and Windows XX
• WIFI module with embedded web server
• WIFI module with embedded low power micro controller and SPI, I2C, GPIO and ADC

What I missed was open source Home Automation software. The open source software called FHEM is already running direct on the popular WIFI router of AVM called Fritzbox.

Local HA server FHEM

http://fhem.de/fhem.html

Fritzbox with FHEM

http://www.avm.de/en/press/announcements/2011/pi_cebit_hausautomat.php3

Cloud based solution on Nimbits

http://www.nimbits.com/

Before I go ahead I would like to ask the community for other open source projects for the Smart Home / Home Automation. Thx in advance for any feedback.