Intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system, belong to industrial automation technical field.The system includes integrated 4G CAT.1 communication, RTC and the main control module of Flash, adaptive boost power management module, MOS tube low side drive's direct current motor module, and angle detection module consisting of gear and microswitch.Module is awakened by RTC timing, controls motor to execute oil discharge, and real-time acquisition current and angle data storage in local Flash;With network, try to upload data and synchronize clock, enter offline timing mode after continuous failure.The system integrates multi-band communication, intelligent hibernation, multi-dimensional fault diagnosis, remote configuration and efficient power management, solve the problem of traditional scheme communication single, diagnosis extensive, high power consumption, inconvenient maintenance, realize the automation lubrication of high reliability, long endurance, accurate control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the fields of industrial automation and Internet of Things technology, and in particular to a hardware control system for an intelligent single-point automatic lubricator. Specifically, it relates to a low-power hardware control system that integrates power management, wireless communication, motor control and data interaction functions, and is particularly suitable for single-point automatic lubricators in scenarios such as field equipment and industrial inspection. Background Technology

[0002] In modern industrial production and equipment maintenance, automatic lubrication systems are crucial for ensuring the long-term stable operation of mechanical equipment (such as bearings, guide rails, gears, etc.), reducing wear, and extending service life. Single-point automatic lubricators, as independent lubrication devices targeting specific lubrication points, are widely used in decentralized equipment, field machinery, and scenarios where laying pipelines is difficult due to their flexible installation and lack of centralized piping requirements.

[0003] However, current single-point automatic lubricators and their control systems still face numerous technical bottlenecks, hindering further improvements in their intelligence, reliability, and economy. Specific problems manifest in the following aspects:

[0004] 1. Limited Communication Capabilities and Insufficient Reliability: Traditional remote monitoring of lubricators relies heavily on single wireless communication technologies, such as 2G networks or early Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technologies. With the gradual decommissioning of 2G / 3G networks, devices dependent on these older networks face the risk of communication interruptions. Existing solutions often fail to achieve an adaptive balance between wide-area coverage, low power consumption, and the necessary high-speed data backhaul capabilities. More importantly, in field scenarios with unstable or interrupted network signals, the system often lacks effective offline operation and data storage mechanisms, leading to the loss of critical equipment operating data (such as lubrication cycles and fault alarms), rendering remote monitoring ineffective. Specifically, traditional solutions typically only attempt to connect to the network when the device is powered on or when reporting periodically; once the connection fails, the data is discarded, lacking persistent storage and retry strategies. For devices deployed in signal dead zones or remote areas with frequent network fluctuations, the effective data upload rate may be less than 50%, preventing maintenance personnel from obtaining continuous and reliable status information and severely impacting preventative maintenance.

[0005] 2. Inadequate Fault Diagnosis and Low Maintenance Efficiency: Existing systems typically only provide simple "work / stop" status or a single fault signal (such as "motor fault"). This rudimentary diagnostic approach fails to provide multi-dimensional fault parameters (such as precise motor current, rotation angle, and operating temperature), making it difficult for maintenance personnel to determine the specific type of fault (whether it's grease depletion, pipe blockage, or mechanical jamming) and its severity based on remote information. This results in a lack of targeted on-site maintenance, time-consuming and inefficient fault location, and may even lead to unnecessary inspections due to misdiagnosis, increasing maintenance costs. For example, when the system only reports "motor fault," maintenance personnel cannot distinguish whether the decrease in idling current is due to grease depletion or the surge in stall current caused by mechanical jamming, requiring them to physically visit the site. This not only wastes human and material resources but may also lead to secondary equipment damage or production interruption due to the failure to identify the fault in a timely and accurate manner.

[0006] 3. Limited power management solutions, resulting in poor battery life and compatibility: Many lubricator control systems are designed for specific battery types (such as a specific number of dry cell batteries or lithium battery packs), with fixed power conversion circuits. When changing battery types or coping with different input voltages, manual circuit adjustments or hardware module replacements are often required, increasing hardware complexity and cost. Furthermore, traditional linear regulators or simple switching power supply solutions have low conversion efficiency and high static power consumption, severely limiting the device's battery life when powered solely by batteries. Frequent battery replacements are a burden for devices deployed in remote or high-altitude locations. Existing linear regulator solutions experience a sharp drop in efficiency when battery voltage decreases, with a significant amount of energy dissipated as heat. Some simple Buck or Boost topologies have limited input voltage ranges, unable to adapt to a wide range of inputs from single lithium batteries to multiple dry cell batteries, limiting battery selection flexibility and increasing the difficulty of supply chain management.

[0007] 4. Insufficient Human-Machine Interaction and Maintainability: Users typically only passively receive data reported by the equipment through monitoring terminals, lacking the ability to remotely and actively configure equipment parameters (such as lubrication cycles, single oil injection volume, and alarm thresholds), resulting in poor flexibility. Furthermore, equipment firmware upgrades or debugging heavily rely on specific wired interfaces (such as Micro-USB and JTAG). These interfaces are easily damaged by dust, oil, and mechanical stress in harsh industrial environments, and their connection reliability is low, with signals susceptible to electromagnetic interference, causing inconvenience for batch programming on production lines and on-site maintenance. Traditional Micro-USB interfaces have limited plug-and-play lifespan and are prone to poor contact in oily environments; their fragile physical structure is easily damaged during frequent on-site debugging. JTAG and other debugging interfaces have many pins and complex protocols, requiring highly skilled production personnel, which is detrimental to large-scale production and rapid on-site diagnostics.

[0008] 5. Insufficient Angle Detection and Control Accuracy: Some existing solutions attempt to control oil discharge through simple timers, completely ignoring the effects of grease viscosity changes with temperature and pipeline resistance. This results in extremely inaccurate oil discharge control, leading to either insufficient lubrication accelerating wear or excessive lubrication causing waste and contamination. While solutions using precision sensors such as photoelectric encoders offer high accuracy, they are expensive and prone to failure in the inherent oil, dust, and vibration environments of lubricators, resulting in poor reliability. Time-based control methods are completely open-loop and cannot sense the actual mechanical execution results. High-cost encoder solutions present both cost and reliability challenges, making them difficult to promote in single-point lubrication scenarios requiring large-scale deployment and harsh environments.

[0009] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new type of intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system to systematically solve the problems mentioned above in terms of communication, diagnosis, power management, interaction and control accuracy, and to achieve more efficient, reliable, long-lasting, accurate and easy-to-maintain automated lubrication control. Utility Model Content

[0010] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of this utility model is to provide an intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system, which aims to solve the technical problems of traditional solutions, such as single communication mode and poor offline reliability, few and inaccurate fault diagnosis dimensions, inflexible power management and high power consumption, and insufficient human-computer interaction and maintenance convenience.

[0011] The above-mentioned utility model objective is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0012] This utility model provides a hardware control system for an intelligent single-point automatic lubricator, comprising: a main control module for executing the overall control logic of the system, the main control module integrating a 4G CAT.1 IoT communication unit, a real-time clock (RTC) unit, and a large-capacity non-volatile memory; a power management module electrically connected to the main control module for providing stable operating voltage to each unit of the system, the power management module including an adaptive buck-boost chip based on a single-inductor Buck-Boost topology, capable of automatically switching between boost and buck modes according to the input battery voltage to output a constant voltage; a DC motor drive module connected to the GPIO interface of the main control module for driving the actuator motor of the lubricator, the DC motor drive module adopting a MOSFET low-side drive topology, and a sampling resistor connected in series between the source and ground of the MOSFET to form a motor current detection loop; and an angle detection module for detecting the rotation angle of the actuator motor, the angle detection module including a metal gear mounted on the motor output shaft and a micro switch cooperating with the metal gear, the metal gear rotating one revolution. The microswitch is triggered to generate a preset number of pulse signals, which are connected to the external interrupt pin of the main control module; and a data storage and management module, implemented by the large-capacity non-volatile memory within the main control module, is used to store device operating data and is managed using a circular storage mechanism; wherein, the main control module is configured to: wake up from low-power sleep mode in response to the periodic interrupt signal generated by the real-time clock (RTC) unit; after waking up, based on the pre-stored configuration parameters, control the actuator motor to perform oil draining operation through the DC motor drive module; obtain the motor operating current in real time through the sampling resistor and obtain the motor rotation angle through the angle detection module; store the relevant data of this oil draining operation, including oil draining time, remaining oil volume, battery status, motor current and rotation angle, into the large-capacity non-volatile memory; attempt to upload the stored data to a remote server through the 4GCAT.1 IoT communication unit, and stop the upload attempt if the upload fails for a preset number of consecutive times; and re-enter the low-power sleep mode after completing the data storage and upload attempts.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the 4GCAT.1 IoT communication unit supports multi-band adaptive switching, and its radio frequency interface is connected to a flexible FPC antenna through an IPEX connector. The flexible FPC antenna is designed with impedance matching and embedded in the gap of the lubricator housing.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the angle detection module, the micro switch is triggered 8 times for every revolution of the metal gear.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the system further includes a fault diagnosis and protection module, which is configured by the main control module to: monitor the motor operating current and rotation angle in real time; when a motor stall, current exceeding a preset threshold, or angle feedback abnormality is detected, generate graded alarm information according to the type and severity of the abnormality; and send the graded alarm information to a remote server through the 4GCAT.1 IoT communication unit; wherein, the DC motor drive module further includes a freewheeling diode connected in reverse parallel with the two ends of the motor.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the power management module further includes a reverse connection protection circuit, an overvoltage protection circuit, an overcurrent protection circuit, and an overtemperature protection circuit integrated with the adaptive buck-boost chip.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the system further includes a program download and debugging interface, which adopts a Type-C physical interface and supports the USB 2.0 protocol. The power line and data line of the interface integrate low junction capacitance ESD protection diodes and common mode inductors.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the low-power sleep mode, the main control module maintains power supply only to the real-time clock (RTC) unit and part of the wake-up circuit, while the 4GCAT.1 IoT communication unit, the DC motor drive module, and the angle detection module are all in a power-off or deep sleep state.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the data stored in the data storage and management module also includes device error warning logs and network connection status change logs, and the stored data is verified using a CRC check algorithm.

[0020] According to one embodiment of this utility model, the system supports receiving configuration commands from a remote server via the 4G CAT.1 IoT communication unit to update the pre-stored configuration parameters. These configuration parameters include the oil discharge cycle, single oil discharge volume, and fault alarm threshold. The configuration commands employ encryption and verification mechanisms to ensure transmission security and command correctness. After updating the configuration parameters, the main control module performs parameter validity verification and immediately persists the new parameters upon successful verification, while simultaneously sending the update result back to the server.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the adaptive buck-boost chip is the TPS63020 chip from TI.

[0022] In summary, compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0023] Control accuracy and reliability are significantly improved:

[0024] A dual-closed-loop (current loop, position / angle loop) control system, composed of a current sampling resistor and gear pulse feedback, achieves precise sensing and control of the motor's operating status and lubrication execution. High current detection accuracy and small angle control error enable precise control of grease extrusion, effectively solving the problems of insufficient lubrication or grease waste caused by inaccurate control in traditional solutions. A low-cost gear-microswitch scheme achieves near-encoder angular resolution (e.g., 8 pulses / cycle corresponds to 45° resolution). Combined with precise software debouncing and pulse counting algorithms for motor start-up and stop processes, the overall grease discharge control error can be controlled within ±5%, far superior to the error exceeding ±30% that may occur with simple timing control methods.

[0025] Precise fault diagnosis and rapid response: Based on real-time monitoring and intelligent diagnostic algorithms using multi-dimensional parameters (current, angle), the system can accurately identify fault types such as stalled rotor, overload, and abnormal lubrication, assess their severity, and generate tiered alarms. In particular, the stalled rotor protection mechanism reduces the response time from several seconds in traditional solutions to less than 200 milliseconds, greatly reducing the risk of motor burnout due to stalled rotor overheating, resulting in a qualitative leap in overall system reliability.

[0026] Extremely low power consumption and outstanding battery life: The innovative intelligent sleep / wake mechanism keeps the device in a deep sleep state with microamp-level current for over 99% of the time. Combined with a high-efficiency adaptive buck-boost power management chip, the overall average power consumption of the system is extremely low. With three disposable mercury-free alkaline batteries connected in series, it can achieve an ultra-long battery life of several months to a year. Compared to traditional solutions and the more power-consuming 5G solutions, the battery replacement cycle is significantly extended, reducing long-term maintenance costs. Real-world testing shows that under typical conditions of once-a-day operation, 10-second operation per session, and one data upload attempt, the system's average operating current is 300mA, quiescent current is 25uA, and the conversion efficiency is above 90% across a wide load range, maximizing the guarantee of ultra-long battery life from the power supply side.

[0027] Overall cost reduction and enhanced compatibility and adaptability: A low-cost angle detection solution (gear + microswitch) replaces the more expensive encoder. A shared power supply compartment and adaptive circuit design reduce reliance on specific batteries and hardware spare parts costs. The large-scale application of the 4G CAT.1 module makes its single-device communication cost competitive. The system is compatible with various batteries and adaptable to harsh industrial conditions such as oil contamination, vibration, and temperature differences, reducing equipment failure rates and minimizing manual inspection frequency and workload. High hardware integration reduces the number of external components, shrinking the PCB area by approximately 30% and lowering single-board manufacturing costs. The rich software functionality does not significantly increase the performance requirements of the main control chip, allowing for the selection of more cost-effective general-purpose IoT communication modules, further controlling BOM costs.

[0028] Efficient and convenient communication and interaction: The 4G CAT.1 network has wide coverage, and the data transmission rate meets application requirements. It supports direct cloud access for devices without a gateway, making it particularly suitable for network monitoring of large-scale, dispersed devices in the field. The application of the Type-C interface makes program downloading and device debugging more convenient and reliable, improves the efficiency of batch programming on the production line, and enhances the interface lifespan and anti-interference capabilities. It effectively resists electrostatic discharge (ESD) interference in the industrial environment, greatly improving maintainability and flexibility throughout the product lifecycle and avoiding the high costs of equipment recalls or field upgrades.

[0029] The system is highly integrated, facilitating miniaturization: It utilizes a core module integrating MCU, communication, and storage functions, eliminating the need for an external MCU and related peripheral circuits, significantly reducing the number of hardware components and PCB area. This not only lowers power consumption and cost but also allows for a smaller overall control system size and weight, making it easier to integrate into the space-constrained single-point lubricator body. This simplifies wiring and enhances overall aesthetics and protection. The entire control system can be integrated onto a PCB no larger than 60mm x 40mm, and is protected using potting or molding processes to achieve an IP65 protection rating. It can be directly installed near exposed lubrication points without the need for an additional protective enclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a system architecture block diagram of this utility model.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the working process of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0033] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "top / bottom," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0034] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "equipped with," "sleeved / connected," "connected," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0035] The purpose of this utility model is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide an intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system, which aims to solve the technical problems existing in the traditional solution, such as single communication mode and poor offline reliability, few and inaccurate fault diagnosis dimensions, inflexible power management and high power consumption, and insufficient human-computer interaction and maintenance convenience.

[0036] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model adopts the following technical solution: an intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system, the core of which lies in the organic integration of technologies such as multi-band wireless communication, low-power sleep / wake-up, multi-dimensional fault diagnosis, remote interactive configuration, adaptive power management, and cost-effective DC motor closed-loop control through a highly integrated hardware architecture and intelligent control strategies. The system mainly includes the following key modules:

[0037] Main Control Module: This module is the brain of the system, and preferably uses an IoT communication module integrating 4G CAT.1 communication, a real-time clock (RTC), and large-capacity Flash memory as its core. For example, a communication module supporting the 4G CAT.1 standard can be selected, which integrates a high-performance ARM Cortex-R5 series MCU. This eliminates the need for an external independent MCU, significantly simplifying the hardware architecture and reducing overall power consumption and cost. This module directly controls the motor drive circuit through its general purpose input / output (GPIO) interface and uses its internally integrated analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to acquire the motor current sampling signal. When selecting a specific module, key considerations should be its current consumption in deep sleep mode, the erase / write life of the internal Flash (should reach more than 100,000 cycles), and the resolution and sampling rate of the ADC (12 bits or more recommended, sampling rate not less than 100Ksps). The module's communication frequency band should cover the mainstream operator frequency bands of the target market; for example, in the Chinese market, it should support B1 / B3 / B5 / B8, etc.

[0038] Multi-band wireless communication architecture:

[0039] Communication Module Integration: The core is a 4G CAT.1 IoT communication module. 4G CAT.1 technology balances bandwidth, power consumption, and cost, supporting maximum uplink and downlink speeds sufficient to meet the transmission needs of lubricator status data and alarm information, while mitigating the risks of 2G network shutdown. This module is compatible with multiple frequency bands of major global operators (such as B1 / B3 / B5 / B8), and can automatically switch based on signal strength and quality, ensuring reliable communication in vast outdoor areas. The module's network protocol stack supports TCP / IP, MQTT, CoAP, etc., facilitating direct connection to public or private cloud platforms. Its power consumption characteristics support PSM (Power Saving Mode) and eDRX (Extended Discontinuous Receive) modes, allowing it to enter an extremely low-power state during non-communication periods.

[0040] Antenna and Hardware Design: A flexible printed circuit (FPC) antenna is used, reliably connected to the RF interface of the communication module via IPEX Gen 1 connectors. The FPC antenna is small, thin, and flexible, allowing it to be cleverly embedded in the internal gaps of the lubricator housing without occupying additional space. Precise impedance matching (typically to 50 ohms) is implemented in the antenna design, effectively improving the receiving sensitivity and transmitting efficiency of the RF signal. To ensure that the antenna performance is not excessively shielded within the metal housing, non-metallic materials (such as plastic) or non-metallic windows can be used in the corresponding antenna area of ​​the housing. Simultaneously, the antenna placement should be kept away from high-current noise sources such as motors and power supplies to reduce interference.

[0041] Intelligent sleep / wake mechanism:

[0042] Offline operation capability: After the system is powered on for the first time and completes parameter configuration (remote configuration), it performs an initial oil draining operation. Thereafter, the system primarily relies on the built-in RTC for timing control. The RTC can be configured to generate an interrupt signal every preset wake-up cycle (e.g., 24 hours, one week, etc.). The RTC unit is typically powered by an independent 32.768kHz crystal oscillator with an accuracy of ±20ppm, ensuring long-term accurate timing. The wake-up cycle is fixed at 24 hours.

[0043] Workflow: When an RTC interrupt is triggered, the main control module wakes up from deep sleep mode. After waking up, the system first activates the necessary power rails, and then, according to the configuration parameters (such as the oil draining duration) pre-stored in Flash, controls the motor drive circuit via GPIO to start the motor for oil draining and lubrication. The wake-up process includes a stable power setup time and an MCU clock stabilization time; corresponding delays are required in the software to ensure stable and reliable subsequent operations.

[0044] Localized Data Storage: During and after the oil draining process, the system collects data in real time, including motor current, rotation angle calculated by the angle detection module, and battery voltage. All key data from this oil draining operation (including timestamp, draining time, estimated remaining oil volume, battery status, etc.) is immediately stored in the module's large-capacity Flash memory. Storage employs a circular queue structure with a fixed-size data record format. When the storage area is full, new data overwrites the oldest data. Each record includes a CRC16 checksum, allowing verification of data integrity during reading. To prevent premature wear and tear due to frequent erasure and writing of the same Flash sector, a wear leveling algorithm is implemented in the software to dynamically map logical record addresses to physical sectors.

[0045] Conditional Data Upload and Power Consumption Optimization: After data storage, the system attempts to activate the wireless function of the 4G CAT.1 module to upload the data to the cloud server and simultaneously synchronize network time to calibrate the local RTC. If the upload fails due to network issues, the system will count the failures. If the number of consecutive failures reaches a preset limit (e.g., 20 times), the system will pause the upload attempt to avoid rapidly draining the battery due to continuous connection attempts. Regardless of whether the upload is successful or not, after completing this process, the system will immediately shut down peripheral circuits such as wireless communication and motor drive, and re-enter a deep low-power sleep mode, keeping only the RTC circuit running, waiting for the next wake-up cycle. This "wake-up-work-store-(attempt upload)-sleep" cycle ensures that the device can continue to reliably perform core lubrication functions even when the network is poor or interrupted, and records the operating data completely locally. The upload strategy can be further optimized: for example, after consecutive failures, instead of completely stopping attempts, the upload attempt interval can be extended exponentially (e.g., 1 minute, 2 minutes, 4 minutes... up to the maximum interval), reducing power consumption while maintaining the possibility of reconnection. Meanwhile, when the number of stored but unuploaded data records reaches a certain amount, a brief wake-up can be attempted to upload them in batches at once, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0046] Multi-dimensional fault diagnosis system:

[0047] Real-time monitoring: The system continuously samples the voltage of the sampling resistor in the motor drive circuit via an ADC to monitor the motor's operating current in real time. Simultaneously, it processes the pulse signal from the angle detection module to calculate the motor's rotation angle and speed in real time. Current sampling requires software filtering (such as moving average filtering) to eliminate noise. Angle calculation requires debouncing the mechanical jitter of the microswitch, typically using a "two-step confirmation method." This involves delaying the detection of an edge change by a short period (e.g., 1ms) and then rereading the pin status to confirm its validity before counting.

[0048] Tiered alarm system: The main control module has a built-in diagnostic algorithm. When an anomaly is detected, it doesn't just report a "fault," but rather determines the fault type and severity based on multiple parameters. For example:

[0049] Stall detection: If a motor drive signal is detected, but the current instantaneously rises to a very high level (exceeding the threshold I_stall) and the angle feedback is zero or extremely small, and remains unchanged for a very short time (e.g., 100ms), then a stall condition is determined. The system will immediately cut off the motor drive and generate a "Severe - Mechanical Stall" alarm. The stall current threshold I_stall needs to be calibrated experimentally based on the specific motor model and drive voltage, and is typically 5-10 times the motor's no-load current.

[0050] Rapid protection mechanism: Protection mechanisms are integrated at both the hardware and software levels. On the hardware side, the drive circuit features overcurrent protection; on the software side, the stall detection response time is extremely short (less than 200ms), far exceeding the second-level response of traditional solutions, enabling rapid power cut-off and effectively preventing motor burnout due to prolonged stalling and overheating. The software protection cycle must operate at a sufficiently high frequency, for example, performing current and angle status checks every 1ms.

[0051] Remote interaction and configuration functions:

[0052] Remote two-way control: Users can send commands to the device via a cloud server through mobile apps, computer web interfaces, or other terminals to remotely query real-time status, modify lubrication cycles, single oil drain times, and other configuration parameters. Upon receiving the command, the device updates the configuration in its local Flash memory and executes the new parameters upon the next wake-up. The communication protocol must define a clear command format, response mechanism, and timeout retransmission strategy. Critical configuration commands (such as shutdown and factory reset) can be designed to require an additional authorization code or secondary confirmation to prevent accidental operation.

[0053] Reliable Program Download Interface: Utilizing a USB Type-C interface for program download and debugging. The Type-C interface supports reversible insertion, ensuring strong compatibility. In the circuit design, low-junction-capacitance electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection diodes are integrated at the front end of the Type-C interface's power line (VBUS) and data line (D+ / D-) to absorb instantaneous high-voltage static electricity and protect the internal chips. Simultaneously, a common-mode inductor is connected in series to effectively suppress common-mode electromagnetic interference (EMI) on the data line, ensuring stable and reliable program burning and debugging communication in harsh industrial electromagnetic environments, solving the problems of easy damage and signal distortion associated with traditional interfaces. The CC pin of the Type-C interface is configured as a device via a resistor. The common-mode inductor on the data line must be selected with appropriate impedance within the USB 2.0 signal frequency range, for example, an impedance of 90 ohms or higher at 100MHz, to effectively filter out high-frequency noise.

[0054] Power management optimization:

[0055] Adaptive Buck-Boost Power Supply: An integrated automatic buck-boost power management chip is used. This chip is based on a single-inductor, four-switch Buck-Boost topology. Its core advantage lies in its ability to automatically identify and seamlessly switch between buck, boost, and pass-through modes regardless of whether the input is a single lithium-ion battery (3.0V-4.2V), three dry cell batteries (3.0V-4.8V), or other DC voltage ranges. This ensures a stable and efficient DC voltage (e.g., 3.8V) for downstream systems such as the main control module and motor drive. This design achieves "plug-and-play" compatibility with various battery types without requiring hardware modifications. Chip selection should focus on its minimum startup voltage, maximum output current capability (to meet the motor's peak starting current), and light-load efficiency. For example, the TPS63020 chip, with an input voltage range of 1.8V to 5.5V, an output current capability of 2A, and a quiescent current of only 25μA, is ideal for this application.

[0056] High efficiency and protection design: This power chip maintains high conversion efficiency (typically >90%) across a wide load range and has extremely low quiescent current (as low as tens of microamps), significantly extending battery life. The chip also integrates input reverse connection protection, overvoltage, overcurrent, and overtemperature protection functions to ensure the safety and reliability of the power system. In peripheral circuit design, the selection of input and output capacitors is crucial for efficiency and stability; low-ESR ceramic capacitors should be used. The inductor's saturation current must be greater than the system's maximum peak current.

[0057] Shared battery compartment design: Physically, the design incorporates a shared battery compartment compatible with batteries of different sizes, further reducing hardware spare parts costs and storage complexity. The battery compartment can be designed to accommodate common 14500 (AA) or AA dry cell batteries via adjustable spring contacts or battery racks. The compartment cover features a waterproof sealing ring to ensure overall protection.

[0058] DC motor closed-loop control and low-cost angle detection:

[0059] Motor drive topology: Employs an N-channel MOSFET for low-side driving. This provides simple control and strong driving capability. A precision sampling resistor (e.g., 1 ohm) is connected in series between the MOSFET's source and ground to form a current sensing loop. A freewheeling diode is connected in reverse parallel across the motor coils to provide a discharge path for the back electromotive force generated when the motor is de-energized, protecting the MOSFET. The sampling resistor must have sufficient power; typically, a 330mW or higher alloy resistor in a 1206 package is selected. The freewheeling diode should be a fast recovery diode or a Schottky diode to quickly discharge energy.

[0060] Innovative detection solutions:

[0061] This invention abandons expensive and oil-sensitive photoelectric or magnetoelectric encoders. It employs a purely mechanical and electrical combination: a metal gear is mounted on the output shaft of the actuator motor. A microswitch is fixed beside the gear's meshing path. Each rotation of the gear actuates the microswitch's contacts eight times (assuming the gear has eight teeth), generating eight regular pulse signals. These pulse signals are connected to the external interrupt (EXTI) pin or high-speed counter input pin of the main control module. The main controller can accurately calculate the motor's rotation angle by counting the pulses (angle = number of pulses × (360° / 8) = number of pulses × 45°). This solution is extremely low-cost, robust, and resistant to oil, dust, and vibration, making it highly suitable for the harsh industrial environments where lubricators operate. Furthermore, its power consumption is significantly lower than that of active encoders. The microswitch must be a high-reliability, long-life (typically >1 million cycles) model, and its contact material should be arc-resistant. The gear and switch engagement must be finely adjusted to ensure clear and reliable triggering each time, without duplicate or missed triggers. To address potential false triggering caused by mechanical vibration, the software can incorporate gating based on the motor enable signal, processing angle pulses only during motor drive.

[0062] To make the scope of protection of this utility model more comprehensive, the following are alternative solutions for some technical features:

[0063] Communication module replacement: In scenarios with extremely low data transmission rate requirements but more stringent power consumption requirements, 4G CAT.1 modules can be replaced with NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) modules. Some NB-IoT modules also have built-in RTC and Flash memory, enabling low-power timed wake-up and local storage. In scenarios with good signal coverage, low latency sensitivity, and very small data volumes, unlicensed spectrum technologies such as LoRa can also be considered, but this requires building a separate gateway, increasing system complexity.

[0064] Storage Expansion Alternative: If longer-term historical data needs to be stored locally, a high-capacity SPI Flash chip can be connected externally via the SPI interface of the main control module to expand offline storage capacity. When selecting an external Flash chip, attention should be paid to its sleep current and read / write speed, and corresponding drivers and file management systems must be implemented in the main control software.

[0065] Power supply chip replacement: Automatic buck-boost converters (ABCs) can be replaced with similar products from other manufacturers, such as TI's TPS63070 and ADI's LTC3536. These chips also feature high efficiency, small package size, and wide input voltage range, making them suitable for space-constrained portable devices. Selection requires a trade-off between specific input voltage range, output current requirements, package size, and cost.

[0066] ESD Protection Alternatives: For scenarios with varying electrostatic interference risks, low-junction-capacitance ESD diodes can be replaced with ceramic gas discharge tubes (GDTs). GDTs offer higher current carrying capacity and may be less expensive, but their response time is relatively slow, making them suitable for applications with slightly lower protection requirements but potentially higher energy surges. Multilayer varistors (MLVs) can also be used for protection, offering a response speed and current carrying capacity between ESD diodes and GDTs.

[0067] Filter component replacement: Common-mode inductors can be replaced with ferrite beads for high-frequency interference suppression in specific frequency bands. Ferrite beads may offer better suppression of specific high-frequency noise and are smaller in size, making them suitable for environments with extremely limited circuit board space or where specific high-frequency interference sources are present. The impedance characteristic curve of the ferrite bead should be selected based on the frequency of the interference noise, and attention should be paid to the impact of its DC resistance on the signal level.

[0068] Angle detection alternatives: In applications requiring higher resolution and where environmental conditions permit, a combination of a Hall sensor and a multipole magnetic ring can be used to replace the microswitch. Hall sensors are contactless, have a long lifespan, and offer higher pulse density (e.g., tens of pulses per revolution), but are slightly more expensive than microswitch solutions and are sensitive to magnetic interference. Alternatively, low-cost sliding rheostats or potentiometers can be considered, sensing angle by measuring changes in resistance, but these present challenges related to mechanical wear and contact reliability.

[0069] Example 1

[0070] refer to Figure 1 The core hardware architecture of the intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system in this embodiment includes:

[0071] Main Control and Communication Unit: A 4G CAT.1 communication module (Quectel Wireless Solutions) model EC800K-CN is used. This module integrates an ARM Cortex-R5 core MCU, a multi-band LTE-FDD / TDD communication module, a hardware RTC, and 4MB of Flash memory. It connects to other peripheral circuits through its rich GPIO, ADC, UART, and SPI interfaces. The module's VCC power supply pin is connected to VCC_3V8. Its PWRKEY pin is controlled by a hardware RC circuit for power-on. The network status indicator pin NET_LED can be connected to an LED for local status indication. AT command and debug log output interfaces are virtualized as USART1 and USART2 via a Type-C interface, allowing direct USB connection to the computer; after installing the software driver on the computer, no additional USB-to-serial chip is required.

[0072] Power Management Unit: Employs TI's TPS63020 automatic buck-boost chip (input range 1.8V to 5.5V, output 3.8V). The positive terminal of battery BT1 (can be a 3.7V / 2750mAh lithium polymer battery or three 1.5V AA batteries in series) is connected to the input pin of the TPS63020. The chip's output is connected to an LC filter network (L1, C2, C3) to provide a clean 3.8V mains power supply (VCC_3V8) to the subsequent stages. Input capacitor C1 is 10μF, output capacitors C2 and C3 are 22μF, and inductor L1 is 2.2μH. The battery voltage is divided by resistors and fed to an ADC pin of the main controller for monitoring battery level.

[0073] DC Motor Drive Unit: Motor M is a miniature DC brushed motor (rated voltage 4.5V, no-load current 150mA, stall current 500mA). The gate of the driving MOSFET Q1 (model SI2302, withstand voltage 20V, on-resistance 57mΩ) is connected to the motor control GPIO (MOTOR_CTRL) of the main control unit through a current-limiting resistor R1 (100Ω). The source of Q1 is connected in series with a 1-ohm, 1% accuracy, 330mW sampling resistor R_sense to ground. The voltage across R_sense is fed to the ADC input pin (MOTOR_CURRENT) of the main control unit after passing through an RC low-pass filter network (R2 = 100kΩ, C4 = 0.1μF). A freewheeling diode D2 (MBR0540, Schottky diode) is connected in reverse parallel across motor M. To improve the driving capability, a totem-pole drive circuit can be added between the main control GPIO and the MOSFET gate. The ADC sampling frequency is set to 10kHz, which is sufficient to capture dynamic changes in current.

[0074] Angle detection unit: An 8-tooth metal gear is fixed on the output shaft of motor M. A normally open microswitch is fixed next to the rotating plane of the gear, positioned so that each time the gear rotates one tooth, it actuates the microswitch's rocker arm, closing the switch once. One end of the microswitch is grounded (GND), and the other end is pulled up to VCC_3V8 through an resistor R3 (100kΩ) and connected to the external interrupt input pin (ENCODER_PULSE) of the main control unit. Thus, each rotation of the gear generates eight falling edge pulses from high to low on the ENCODER_PULSE pin. A low-pass RC filter network (R = 100Ω, C = 0.1μF) is used to filter out high-frequency glitches.

[0075] The program download interface unit uses a 12-pin USB Type-C interface (using only USB 2.0 data pairs and VBUS). A TVS diode D3 (model SMF5.0A) is connected in parallel to ground on the VBUS line for transient overvoltage protection. A pair of common-mode inductors L2 (model SDCW2012-2-900TF, 90Ω@100MHz) are connected in series on the data lines D+ and D-, and a low-junction-capacitance ESD protection diode (TPESD0402G05V) is connected in parallel to ground on each line. The CC pin of the interface is configured as a DFP (downlink port) via a resistor divider. D+ and D- are directly connected to the USB_DP and USB_DM pins of the host control unit.

[0076] Antenna Unit: A custom-designed small-sized FPC antenna with a center frequency of 900MHz / 1800MHz and an impedance of 50 ohms is used. Its feed point is connected to the RF antenna interface of the main control unit via an IPEX-1 generation RF coaxial cable. The antenna is mounted on the plastic area inside the device housing, at least 5mm away from metal components for optimal performance.

[0077] System software workflow such as Figure 2 As shown, the specific steps are as follows:

[0078] S201: System power-on initialization.

[0079] The main control unit reads the configuration parameters (such as the oil draining cycle T, the single oil draining target angle A_target, and the current alarm threshold I_max / I_stall) stored in the internal Flash memory. If it is the first time using the system or the parameters are invalid (determined by a specific magic word or CRC checksum), it waits for remote configuration or enters the default configuration mode (e.g., T = 24 hours, A_target = 360°). The initialization process also includes clock tree configuration, peripheral initialization (GPIO, ADC, timer, interrupt controller), and watchdog timer enabling.

[0080] S202: Configure RTC, set the wake-up cycle to T, and then the system enters deep sleep mode.

[0081] At this time, only the RTC circuit and necessary interrupt wake-up circuit of the 4G module are powered, the RF function is turned off, and peripheral circuits such as motor drive are powered off, and the overall system current drops below 20μA. Before entering sleep mode, it is necessary to ensure that all unused peripheral clocks are turned off and all GPIOs configured as outputs are in a defined state (high or low) to avoid leakage.

[0082] S203: RTC timer reaches its peak, generating an interrupt and waking up the main controller.

[0083] The main controller initializes peripherals such as the system clock, GPIO, and ADC. After waking up, it first reads the RTC's calendar clock to obtain the timestamp of this wake-up.

[0084] S204: The main controller outputs a high level through the MOTOR_CTRL pin, turns on MOSFET Q1, and drives motor M to start rotating and draining oil.

[0085] S205: During the oil draining process, the main controller simultaneously performs two monitoring functions:

[0086] a) Sample the voltage across the pins of R_sense in real time using the ADC, and calculate the real-time current I = V_adc / R_sense.

[0087] After digital filtering, the ADC sampled values ​​are used to calculate the average current value every 10ms for real-time monitoring and recording.

[0088] b) Count the falling edges generated by the micro switch using the interrupt service routine of the ENCODER_PULSE pin to obtain the pulse count Count, and calculate the current rotation angle A_current = Count × 45°.

[0089] The interrupt service routine should be as short as possible, performing only counting and time stamping. Angle calculations and logical judgments should be handled in the main loop.

[0090] S206: Determine if the stopping condition is met. There are two stopping conditions; stopping occurs if either one is met:

[0091] a) Angle condition: A_current>=A_target (target oil displacement is achieved).

[0092] b) Fault protection conditions: Detection of stall (I>I_stall and A_current remains unchanged within 200ms) or continuous overcurrent (I>I_max for more than 500ms).

[0093] If the fault protection condition is triggered, the process immediately jumps to S210 (fault handling).

[0094] S207: When the target angle A_target is reached, the main controller sets MOTOR_CTRL low and turns off motor M.

[0095] After the motor is turned off, there is a short delay (e.g., 50ms) until the current drops to zero, thus completing one complete oil draining operation.

[0096] S208: Record the data for this run.

[0097] The wake-up timestamp, actual running time, final angle A_current, average current, peak current, battery voltage, and other data are packaged into a single data packet, and a CRC16 checksum is calculated. This data packet is written to a specific sector of the internal Flash memory using a circular queue. New data overwrites the oldest data. The corresponding sector must be erased before writing. To balance Flash lifespan and data importance, the design can be implemented where physical storage occurs every N data entries (e.g., 100 entries), with data cached in RAM during this period, but a power-loss protection mechanism is required.

[0098] S209: Attempt to upload data.

[0099] The 4G CAT.1 module initiates its radio frequency function, searches for networks, and connects to the preset cloud platform server. Upon successful connection, it uploads the latest data packets stored in S208 and receives the network time from the server to calibrate the RTC. Simultaneously, it checks the server for new configuration commands; if any are found, it receives and updates the configuration parameters in the local Flash memory. If the connection or upload fails, the failure count is incremented by 1. The upload process requires timeout control, for example, a 60-second time limit for the entire connection and upload process. It can also attempt to upload multiple historically unsuccessful data entries from the cache.

[0100] S210: Determine if the maximum number of consecutive upload failures has been reached (e.g., 20 times).

[0101] If the target is not reached, the process continues; if the target is reached, the system enters hibernation and waits for the next wake-up cycle to arrive, after which it will drain the oil and attempt to upload data again.

[0102] S211: System power-down preparation.

[0103] The 4G CAT.1 module enters deep sleep mode, awaiting the next RTC interrupt (S203). In the case of a fault jump to S210, after recording the fault log (including fault type, time, current, angle snapshot, etc.) to Flash, it also executes S211 to enter sleep mode. The fault log can be read upon the next successful upload or through the local interface. Before entering sleep mode, necessary interrupts (such as RTC interrupts) must be re-enabled, and the wake-up source must be configured.

[0104] Through the collaborative design of the above hardware and software, the system in this embodiment has successfully achieved intelligent single-point automatic lubrication control with high reliability, low power consumption, precise control, intelligent diagnosis, and easy maintenance.

[0105] The implementation principle of this utility model is as follows: This utility model discloses an intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system, belonging to the field of industrial automation technology. The system includes a main control module integrating 4G CAT.1 communication, RTC, and Flash; an adaptive buck-boost power management module; a DC motor module driven by a MOSFET on the low side; and an angle detection module composed of gears and microswitches. The main control module is woken up periodically by the RTC, controls the motor to perform oil discharge, and collects current and angle data in real time, storing it in local Flash. When a network is available, it attempts to upload data and synchronize the clock; after consecutive failures, it enters an offline timed working mode. This system integrates multi-band communication, intelligent sleep mode, multi-dimensional fault diagnosis, remote configuration, and efficient power management, solving the problems of traditional solutions such as single communication, crude diagnosis, high power consumption, and inconvenient maintenance, achieving highly reliable, long-lasting, and precise control of automated lubrication. Its innovation lies in organically integrating the high integration and low cost of the 4G CAT.1 communication module, adaptive wide-voltage power management, precise angle detection based on a simple mechanical structure, and intelligent fault diagnosis and offline endurance strategy based on dual parameters (current and angle) into a unified whole through a unique hardware and software architecture. This overall solution is not a simple addition of existing technologies, but rather it achieves a synergistic effect in solving the specific technical problem of "long-lasting operation, high reliability, monitorability, and maintenance-free operation of single-point lubrication equipment in harsh field environments," resulting in a technical effect that is significantly better than the simple addition of individual technologies.

[0106] The embodiments described herein are preferred embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. Therefore, all equivalent changes made to the structure, shape, and principle of this utility model should be included within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A hardware control system for an intelligent single-point automatic lubricator, characterized in that, include: The main control module is used to execute the overall control logic of the system. The main control module integrates a 4G CAT.1 Internet of Things communication unit, a real-time clock (RTC) unit, and a large-capacity non-volatile memory. The power management module is electrically connected to the main control module and is used to provide a stable operating voltage for each unit of the system. The power management module includes an adaptive buck-boost chip. The adaptive buck-boost chip is based on a single-inductor Buck-Boost topology and can automatically switch between boost and buck modes according to the input battery voltage to output a constant voltage. The DC motor drive module is connected to the GPIO interface of the main control module and is used to drive the actuator motor of the lubricator. The DC motor drive module adopts a MOSFET low-side drive topology and a sampling resistor is connected in series between the source of the MOSFET and ground to form a motor current detection loop. An angle detection module is used to detect the rotation angle of the actuator motor. The angle detection module includes a metal gear mounted on the output shaft of the motor and a micro switch that cooperates with the metal gear. Each rotation of the metal gear triggers the micro switch to generate a preset number of pulse signals. The pulse signals are connected to the external interrupt pin of the main control module. as well as The data storage and management module is implemented by the large-capacity non-volatile memory within the main control module. It is used to store device operation data and is managed using a circular storage mechanism. The main control module is configured as follows: In response to the periodic interrupt signal generated by the real-time clock (RTC) unit, wake up from low-power sleep mode; After being woken up, the DC motor drive module controls the actuator motor to perform the oil discharge operation based on the pre-stored configuration parameters. The motor operating current is obtained in real time through the sampling resistor, and the motor rotation angle is obtained through the angle detection module. The relevant data of this oil draining operation, including draining time, remaining oil volume, battery status, motor current and rotation angle, are stored in the large-capacity non-volatile memory. The system attempts to upload the stored data to a remote server via the 4G CAT.1 IoT communication unit. If the upload fails a preset number of times, the current upload attempt is stopped. After completing the data storage and upload attempt, it re-enters the low-power sleep mode.

2. The intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The 4GCAT.1 IoT communication unit supports multi-band adaptive switching, and its radio frequency interface is connected to a flexible FPC antenna via an IPEX connector. The flexible FPC antenna is designed with impedance matching and embedded in the gap of the lubricator housing.

3. The intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the angle detection module, the micro switch is triggered 8 times for every revolution of the metal gear.

4. The intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes a fault diagnosis and protection module, which is configured by the main control module as follows: Real-time monitoring of the motor's operating current and rotation angle; When motor stall, current exceeding preset threshold, or angle feedback abnormality is detected, graded alarm information is generated according to the type and severity of the abnormality. as well as The graded alarm information is sent to a remote server via the 4G CAT.1 IoT communication unit. The DC motor drive module also includes a freewheeling diode connected in parallel with the two ends of the motor in the opposite direction.

5. The intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power management module also includes a reverse connection protection circuit, an overvoltage protection circuit, an overcurrent protection circuit, and an overtemperature protection circuit integrated with the adaptive buck-boost chip.

6. The intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes a program download and debugging interface, which adopts a Type-C physical interface and supports the USB 2.0 protocol. The power line and data line of the interface integrate low junction capacitance ESD protection diodes and common mode inductors.

7. The intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the low-power sleep mode, the main control module only maintains power supply to the real-time clock (RTC) unit and part of the wake-up circuit, while the 4G CAT.1 IoT communication unit, the DC motor drive module, and the angle detection module are all in a power-off or deep sleep state.

8. The intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data storage and management module also stores device error warning logs and network connection status change logs, and the stored data is verified using a CRC check algorithm.

9. The intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system supports receiving configuration commands from a remote server via the 4G CAT.1 IoT communication unit to update the pre-stored configuration parameters, which include the oil discharge cycle, single oil discharge volume, and fault alarm threshold.

10. The intelligent single-point automatic lubricator hardware control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adaptive buck-boost chip is the TPS63020 chip from TI.

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