Low-power-consumption enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway

Abstract

A low-power-consumption enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway belongs to the technical field of industrial Internet of Things communication, and is characterized by comprising a main control module, a communication module, a power supply module and an acquisition module, the main control module comprises a low-power-consumption microprocessor, an external clock and an extended memory; the communication module comprises a 4G communication module and an enhanced antenna system; the power supply module comprises an isolation power supply, a synchronous step-down converter and a time-sharing power supply unit; and the 4G communication module is electrically connected with the time-sharing power supply unit. Through combined arrangement of the main control module, the communication module, the power supply module and the acquisition module, low-power-consumption and long-endurance data acquisition operation is realized, the low-power-consumption and signal enhancement design is suitable for remote areas, especially scenes without traditional commercial power supply, adopting a battery or small photovoltaic power supply and unstable 4G signals, the construction and operation cost can be greatly reduced, and the system is suitable for popularization and application. Popularization and application are facilitated.

Description

A low-power enhanced 4G smart energy harvesting gateway Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of industrial Internet of Things communication technology, and in particular relates to a low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of IoT technology, 4G is widely used for remote communication in the field of industrial data acquisition and communication. The construction cost is relatively low, but the following problems exist in actual operation: 1) Power consumption defects: The power consumption of traditional Cat-4 modules is greater than 2W during continuous transmission, resulting in a maintenance cycle of less than 3 months in battery-powered scenarios, which is not conducive to application scenarios where power supply is difficult; 2) Signal attenuation: The efficiency of conventional PCB antennas in metal chassis is less than 40% (Band41 band), and the communication interruption rate in weak signal areas is greater than 40%.

[0003] It is evident that existing gateway devices suffer from high power consumption, insufficient network coverage, complex configuration, and poor scalability, severely hindering the widespread application of IoT technology in fields such as energy management and environmental monitoring. Ordinary 4G modules consume significant power and are prone to communication interruptions in remote or unstable signal areas, affecting data real-time performance and integrity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention aims to solve the above problems and provide a low-power, high-reliability data acquisition gateway, which is particularly suitable for remote monitoring and control needs in fields such as energy, environmental protection, and smart cities. It aims to reduce operation and maintenance costs and improve the efficiency and stability of data transmission through technological innovation.

[0005] The low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway of this utility model includes a main control module, a communication module, a power supply module, and an acquisition module;

[0006] The main control module includes a low-power microprocessor, an external clock, and extended memory; the external clock and extended memory are both electrically connected to the low-power microprocessor; the low-power microprocessor is electrically connected to the aforementioned acquisition module.

[0007] The communication module includes a 4G communication module and an enhanced antenna system; the 4G communication module is electrically connected to the enhanced antenna system; the 4G communication module is electrically connected to the aforementioned low-power microprocessor.

[0008] The power module includes an isolated power supply, a synchronous buck converter, and a time-sharing power supply unit; the isolated power supply is electrically connected to the aforementioned synchronous buck converter and the time-sharing power supply unit respectively; the synchronous buck converter and the time-sharing power supply unit are both electrically connected to the aforementioned low-power microprocessor; the aforementioned 4G communication module is electrically connected to the time-sharing power supply unit.

[0009] Furthermore, the low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway of this invention includes an enhanced antenna system comprising an external dual-band whip antenna and a built-in FPC compensation antenna; the external dual-band whip antenna and the built-in FPC compensation antenna are electrically connected to the 4G communication module via a switching switch; the 4G communication module is electrically connected to the aforementioned low-power microprocessor via the switching switch. Adaptive switching of the dual antennas can be achieved according to the signal status via the switching switch, effectively reducing communication power consumption.

[0010] Furthermore, the low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway of this utility model includes an external clock comprising an RTC chip and a backup battery; the RTC chip is electrically connected to the backup battery; by setting the backup battery, the RTC chip can be reliably operated for a long time, adapting to the use in remote areas without mains power supply.

[0011] Furthermore, the low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway of this utility model includes an acquisition module comprising an RS232 unit and / or an RS485 unit; the RS232 unit and / or RS485 unit can be used to simply and reliably acquire data from connected instruments or sensors, resulting in low cost and high stability.

[0012] Furthermore, the low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway of this utility model has an RS485 interface circuit with surge protection in the acquisition module.

[0013] The low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway described in this utility model achieves low-power, long-endurance data acquisition through the combination of a main control module, a communication module, a power supply module, and an acquisition module. Its low-power and signal-enhancing design is suitable for remote areas, especially in scenarios without traditional mains power supply, using batteries or small photovoltaic power supply, and where 4G signals are unstable. It can significantly reduce construction and operation costs and is suitable for widespread application. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the data acquisition gateway structure according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0015] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the dynamic power consumption management process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 3 is a connection diagram of an application example of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0018] This embodiment discloses a low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway, as shown in Figure 1, including a main control module, a communication module, a power supply module, and an acquisition module. The main control module includes a low-power microprocessor, an external clock, and extended memory; the external clock and extended memory are electrically connected to the low-power microprocessor; the low-power microprocessor is electrically connected to the acquisition module; the acquisition module includes an RS232 unit and an RS485 unit. The communication module includes a 4G communication module and an enhanced antenna system; the 4G communication module is electrically connected to the enhanced antenna system; the 4G communication module is electrically connected to the low-power microprocessor. The power supply module includes an isolated power supply, a synchronous buck converter, and a time-division power supply unit; the isolated power supply is electrically connected to both the synchronous buck converter and the time-division power supply unit; the synchronous buck converter and the time-division power supply unit are both electrically connected to the low-power microprocessor; the 4G communication module is electrically connected to the time-division power supply unit. The external clock includes an RTC chip and a backup battery; the RTC chip is electrically connected to the backup battery.

[0019] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the enhanced antenna system includes an external dual-frequency whip antenna and a built-in FPC compensation antenna; the external dual-frequency whip antenna and the built-in FPC compensation antenna are electrically connected to the 4G communication module via a switching switch; the 4G communication module is electrically connected to the aforementioned low-power microprocessor via a switching switch.

[0020] In this embodiment, the low-power microprocessor is an STM32U575RGT6; the low-power microprocessor has a flexible power supply range of 1.71V to 3.6V; the RTC chip of the external clock has a monthly clock error of less than 1 second; the extended memory uses 16Mb SPI flash. The 4G communication module uses Quectel EC200U-CN (supporting Band 1 / 3 / 5 / 8 / 34 / 38 / 39 / 40 / 41).

[0021] In this embodiment, the isolated power supply unit is a URB2405JMD-3W with an input of 9-36VDC and an output of 5V; the voltage conversion unit is a TPS62840, which supports stepping down 5V to 1.8~3.3V; and the time-sharing power supply unit is a SI3865DV, which supports independent control of the 4G radio frequency circuit.

[0022] The RS232 and RS485 units in the acquisition module support multiple protocols such as Modbus, Profinet, and IEC 60870-5-104.

[0023] The low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway disclosed in this embodiment supports 9-36V DC power supply, adapting to power supply methods such as batteries, switching power supplies, and photovoltaics. The power supply outputs a stable 5V DC power through an isolated power supply, which is then converted to a dynamically adjustable 1.8V-3.3VDC output via a synchronous buck converter. This output is connected to the low-power microprocessor VDD_SMPS to power the main control module. The stable 5V DC power supply powers the time-sharing power supply unit, which in turn powers the communication module system.

[0024] During data acquisition, the main control module starts the data acquisition and transmission task according to the clock setting. The data is acquired from the connected instruments or sensors through the RS232 and RS485 units. The low-power microprocessor stores the real-time acquired data into the extended memory and then transmits the data to the host computer acquisition platform through the communication module.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, when there are no data acquisition or transmission tasks, the system is in deep sleep mode, with the 4G baseband turned off and the RTC clock retained (core voltage drops to 1.8V, standby current is 0.8mA, and standby power consumption is as low as 1.44mvA). According to the host computer connection settings, a heartbeat monitoring is performed every 30 minutes. The system wakes up from sleep mode, starts the 4G baseband, and performs a heartbeat handshake with the host computer (low transmit power mode, core voltage 2.5V, system current 18mA, operating power 45mvA). Data acquisition is performed every 6 hours. The system wakes up from sleep mode, starts data acquisition, and starts the 4G baseband to complete data transmission (accelerated transmission mode, core voltage 3.3V, system current 95mA, operating power 313.5mvA).

[0026] In addition to the external whip antenna, the enhanced antenna system also has a built-in FPC compensation antenna. A switching switch is provided between the two types of antennas, which can realize an adaptive working mode that allows the built-in, external, and internal and external antennas to be used independently, ensuring the stability of data transmission and effectively reducing power consumption.

[0027] The data acquisition gateway described in this embodiment is applied at an intermediate node of a long-distance pipeline in Inner Mongolia. It needs to monitor the transmission pressure and flow rate, maintain a heartbeat connection every 30 minutes, and upload data every 24 hours. The site is located in the field without mains power, as shown in Figure 3. It is powered by a low-temperature battery and can operate continuously for more than two years. The pressure transmitter and flow meter are connected to the low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway described in this embodiment via shielded twisted-pair signal cables. A 12V lithium-ion battery provides power to the system, and the real-time acquired data is accessed to the acquisition platform via a wireless 4G network.

[0028] The system uses a matching ER26500mAh lithium-thionyl chloride battery. The average daily power consumption of the system is calculated as follows:

[0029] 24*1.44+(2*24*10 / 86400)*45+(60 / 86400)*313.5=35mAH,

[0030] Theoretically, the battery replacement cycle is 26500 / 35 = 757 days ≈ 2.07 years.

[0031] As can be seen, the low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway described in this embodiment can effectively solve the problems of high power consumption (average daily power consumption of 35mAh) and weak signal communication interruption of traditional 4G gateways in remote areas.

[0032] The above application examples are only one specific application of the low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway described in this utility model. Therefore, this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A low-power enhanced 4G smart energy harvesting gateway, characterized in that: The system includes a main control module, a communication module, a power supply module, and a data acquisition module. The main control module includes a low-power microprocessor, an external clock, and extended memory. The external clock and extended memory are electrically connected to the low-power microprocessor. The low-power microprocessor is electrically connected to the aforementioned data acquisition module. The communication module includes a 4G communication module and an enhanced antenna system. The 4G communication module is electrically connected to the enhanced antenna system and the aforementioned low-power microprocessor. The power supply module includes an isolated power supply, a synchronous buck converter, and a time-division power supply unit. The isolated power supply is electrically connected to both the synchronous buck converter and the time-division power supply unit. Both the synchronous buck converter and the time-division power supply unit are electrically connected to the aforementioned low-power microprocessor. The aforementioned 4G communication module is electrically connected to the time-division power supply unit.

2. The low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway according to claim 1, characterized in that: The enhanced antenna system includes an external dual-frequency whip antenna and an internal FPC compensation antenna; the external dual-frequency whip antenna and the internal FPC compensation antenna are electrically connected to the 4G communication module via a switching switch; the 4G communication module is electrically connected to the aforementioned low-power microprocessor via a switching switch.

3. The low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The external clock includes an RTC chip and a backup battery; the RTC chip is electrically connected to the backup battery.

4. The low-power enhanced 4G smart energy acquisition gateway according to claim 3, characterized in that: The acquisition module includes an RS232 unit and / or an RS485 unit.

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