Revolutionizing Smart Buildings with Raspberry Pi-powered Intelligent Control Systems
Summary
A Chinese smart building solution provider is a well-established player in the industry with over 15 years of experience and strong software development capabilities. Collaborating with Seeed, they have developed an intelligent control system for multi-story office buildings using adaptive control methods that provide a constant and comfortable environment. The system employs Raspberry Pi-powered hardware, EdgeBox-RPi-200, and reTerminal DM.
Key Info
Seeed Solution: EdgeBox-RPi-200, reTerminal DM
Industry: Smart Building, Energy Management
Pilot Project: China
Challenge
The team faced several challenges while developing and deploying the solution. Firstly, the system needed to be highly stable due to the large deployment scale and expensive downlink connection, which was caused by several water pump motors. Secondly, the system needed to be open enough to allow them to install their own industry software. Thirdly, the system needed to have an HDMI output for an external large-screen display, which will be settled in the central operator room for status displaying. Finally, the system needed to run stably 24/7, with high power efficiency requirements.
Solution
The team came to Seeed while seeing the latest Raspberry Pi-powered HMI and chose a Raspberry Pi-powered controller and HMI based on Linux architecture to overcome these challenges. The system can run 24/7 with low power consumption, solving the issue of high power consumption in the customer’s original solution. The open-source system of Raspberry Pi allowed customers to easily and quickly port their software and system to hardware devices in just two or three days, running smoothly and stably. Additionally, Seeed’s Raspberry Pi-powered HMI and edge controller provided significant cost-down advantages. The reTerminal DM and EdgBox-RPi-200 could provide almost the same stability and control performance at a lower cost compared to the customer’s current product, which is priced at $1700+. The reliable industrial design of reTerminal DM and EdgeBox-RPi-200 allowed them to run stably 24/7.
The reTerminal DM is connected to the controllers, which are then connected to on-site equipment such as the heating and cooling system. The DM is connected to a large screen via HDMI, which allows for real-time viewing of on-site equipment status and human-machine interaction. For instance, power on/off and user inspections can be performed. When necessary, the DM can perform downlink control (built-in control logic, self-made software, web-based software), such as closing or adjusting device parameters, to realize intelligent and efficient adjustment of the entire building system.
Result
Customers have highly praised the product design and are satisfied with the system’s stability and performance, stating that they love the product. The use of Raspberry Pi-powered hardware has enabled the team to develop a highly flexible, scalable, and cost-effective solution that meets the needs of the customer and the industry. The system has proven to be reliable and efficient in controlling the building’s environment, providing constant and comfortable temperatures, and promoting energy savings.
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