Date: Time:
Electronic design today is about creating systems of purpose, innovation, and that are just plain fun. Classical training of electrical engineering, understanding today's cutting edge technology, and an in depth understanding of the system to be created are resources Electronic Realization brings to bear on electronic design.
Standing on the shoulders of many like Ohm, Kirchoff, Nyquist, and Faraday gives the appearance all around of limitless possibilities. ER depends on classic wisdom to realize the possibilities while keeping an eye on the limits of today's innovative technologies to integrate unique electronic solutions into your real world.
ER's current design provide motion analysis utilizing micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), micro powered operation, close proximity networking (CPN), and integrates it all with "smartphone" technology. Both Apple and Android can communicate over the established RF protocol ANT+ which, therefore, lends their resources to ER's design. New applications written in conjunction with this design could incorporate digital signal processing, rich graphical interface, and of course telecommunication for wide range of dynamic solutions.
February 10th, 2012
5 Node ANT+ Network
You are viewing a 3D model of a 5 node network capable of motion analysis. Each node of the network communicates 4 degrees of freedom through applied accelerations upon each axis of a triple axis accelerometer, and rotation in the plane of the board through a single axis gyroscope.
The four digital words, rotation, and three accelerations, are communicated over the wireless protocol ANT+ via a 2.4GHz radio transceiver.
Each node is autonomous, powered by a single Li coin cell rechargable battery.
This design has been manufactured and is available in quantity, please call for a quote or any other questions.
Special Thanks to MediaElements.JS, for their solution to an HTML5 audio/video container.
September 18th, 2011
ANT+ Android
ANT+ is an established RF protocol very similar to Bluetooth, so similar in fact, only one radio transceiver is required, as in the case of TI's CC2567. These chips are being integrated into smartphone technology to keep pace with the current demand of BT devices, but incorporating the ultra low power RF protocol of ANT+. The demand for devices incorporating ANT+ communication and smart sensors is increasing and can be better understood when visiting Android and fitness based forums.
ANT+ coupled with any of the sensors available today make for interesting personal area networks (PAN), but let us not limit ourselves only to this idea of close proximity networks (CPN). The mind's eye can easily see that CPN could be associated with cars, animals, robotics, etc. One emerging application of note is quick commerce the ability to pay a merchant with one's smartphone which is already on hand.
The CPN nodes are small, feature rich, and consume a minimum of power, making them ideal for design of complex networks operating for a couple of years on a single charge. The nodes, whatever they sense and communicate, can be economically produced and distributed. The networks can be as simple as peer to peer, 20 kbps, and as complex as a few hundred nodes in the same RF space sharing simple data, rates of a few Hertz.
Some companies producing smartphones have integrated ANT+ communication into their platform while third party companies, Wahoo Fitness, have been developing PAN hardware nodes and the applications consumers are requesting in the market of real time fitness level monitoring.
Apple's iPhones has enjoyed greater success with the application of ANT+ than has Android, notably the iPhone has not integrated the ANT+ hardware into Apples circuitry as of yet. Wahoo currently accomplishes this communication with a dongle, Wahoo key, attached to Apple's iPhone. A variety of sensors communicating over ANT+ are available from many brand names, Garmin, Adidas, and Nike to name a few.