Modular approach in sensor board design

Abstract

Designing a new sensor board is costly, especially for a production in a small quantity. By modularizing common functionalities, a large portion of the sensor board can be reused. In this work, we propose an Extension Board, a sensor board which is modularized into 3 parts. Power module, and MCU and RF module are shared, and only sensing module is redesigned for each sensor board. Diverse sensing modules are produced. The process was simple and inexpensive.

System Architecture Directions for Post-SoC/32-bit Networked Sensors

“…While the prototype and pilot favor modular hardware, production favors design-time hardware inlining [30]. This conclusion was affirmed by several platforms [8,38,49,87,89], following the 'reusable core' and 'application-specific daughter board' architecture.…”

“…(2) Integration of every component on a single board with careful power gating achieved a low-power, easy-to-use, and robust mote, while sacrificing modularity. The combination of the MSP430 and the CC2420 became a common choice for 16-bit motes, such as the Z1 [94], Epic [30], and kMote [49]. While Z1 is a complete board including sensors like the TelosB, the kMote and Epic motes separate the sensor board from the core for modularity.…”

“…In addition to the reduced complexity of the core, design-time application specialization removes all the traces and vias associated with unused I/O pins, further reducing complexity and manufacturing cost. This is in contrast with the expansion ports on conventional modular designs which must accommodate the maximum conceivable I/O demands [8,38,49].…”

High-fidelity environmental monitoring using wireless sensor networks

“…The system is composed of Node, Gateway, and Server. Node consists of Kmote, sensor, and extension board [2]. Gateway is composed of base node, and Linux program.…”