In Development: The Alto Product Family

The AltoNovus suite of sensors operates both outdoors and indoors, using power-efficient components and intelligent power management. With a modular design, they are based on a common core control board, to which a range of sensors can be attached, with a radio/communications module that is configurable to the User’s operating environment: 

  • Ultra-low standby power (650nA) with Real Time Operating System. 
  • Learning mode to optimise battery life. 
  • Highly configurable. 
  • Can be GPS enabled. 
SEE THE ALTO-T30 SEE THE ALTO-E40 SEE THE ALTO-S30
BATTERY CAPACITIES

AltoNovus uses batteries of the following size and capacities: 
◾AAA - 1200 mAh
◾AA - 3000 mAh

Battery life is determined by the number of functions the device has to perform.  The examples below give the amount of power the device uses during one year of operation.  The battery sizes above show the total amount of power available. 
  • Idling - 700nA = 6.2 mAh / year.
  • Motion detection - 5uA = 44 mAh / year.
  • GPS fast fix - 0.09 mAh per fix (add GPS idle current below).
  • GPS slow fix - 0.3 mAh per fix (no GPS idle current needed).
  • GPS fast fix idle current - 6uA = 53 mAh / year.
  • Typical SIGFOX transmission 0.1 mAh.
  • Typical LoRa transmission 0.05 mAh.

For example, using AAA batteries (1200 mAh), taking 12 GPS fixes and SIFGOX transmissions a day, the total power used is: 
  • Idling - 0.02 mAh / day.
  • Motion detect - 0.12 mAh / day.
  • GPS fast fix - 1.08 mAh / day.
  • GPS fast fix idle current - 0.15 mAh / day.
  • SIGFOX transmission - 1.2 mAh / day.
  • Total = 2.57 mAh / day.
  • Hence battery life would be approx 467 days = 1 year and 3 months.

Using AA batteries (3000 mAh) in the example above, longevity would be multiplied by 2.5 times. Using 2 GPS fixes and transmissions a day would take battery life to over 10 years. 


LOW POWER CORE

AltoNovus uses the lowest power processor cores on the market. By combining these with a sophisticated Real Time Operating System (RTOS) and object orientated software design, complex solutions can be realised efficiently and effectively. Advanced power management features ensure that the lowest power is used to achieve the required functionality. Battery lifespans over 10 years are easily achievable and so maintenance is reduced or even eliminated. 

MICROCONTROLLER

Ultra compact, 0.5mm BGA device (4.5mm x 4.5mm). 
Up to 512K Flash. 
Up to 64K RAM. 
Up to 24MHz. 

OPERATING SYSTEM

Pre-emptive RTOS (Real Time Operating System). Supporting multiple tasks, queues etc. 
Software in C / C++. 
Realtime clock support. 

POWER FEATURES

Numerous active power management features for largest power consuming devices, plus a unique active power learning to monitor individual device usage and optimise long term power consumption. 

Active microcontroller current consumption of approx 50uA / MHz. 

Idle current consumption of approx. 700nA. (Idle in the RTOS, this includes full RAM retention and a real time clock running. Actual figure comes from our T30 tracker with LPWAN radio module fitted. Other device configurations will vary from this). 

Resumption time from Idle approx 5uS. 

Battery technologies that have shelf lives of 20 years.