The term ‘remote working’ has popped up a lot recently.
Spurred on by the pandemic, companies have taken advantage of the latest technologies and moved their teams away from the usual workplace. Even now that lockdown restrictions are lifting, many companies are looking to make this new way of working a more permanent fixture.
But it is not just the workplace that is becoming increasingly remote and digitalised. These days, most tasks can be digitised in some way, and there is a growing demand for tools that allow people to carry out day-to-day activities from any location.
As this trend continues its upwards trajectory, electronics will play a crucial role in keeping the world connected.
Increased connectivity with the IoT
Sensors are key to digitising applications and provide a range of data, which can help to enhance safety or simply improve convenience. For example, sensors can measure temperature, regulate pressure, gauge distance, and detect smoke amongst a myriad of other uses.
The ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) is another core part of remote solutions. Combined with sensors, IoT offers a whole new level of connectivity. As an example, sensors can be used to monitor the temperature of commercial fridges and freezers. But unless these sensors are connected, someone still has to check and record the temperature manually. The IoT allows the data captured by the sensor to be recorded and stored in the cloud, enabling real-time alerts and superior remote monitoring.
Connected devices have been a mainstay in consumer electronics for many years now — from smartphones to smartwatches and other forms of wearable technology. But over the years, devices with connectivity capabilities have found their way into numerous applications as more and more industries seek digital transformation.
The medical sector is increasingly using sensors and the IoT to facilitate remote patient care and communication between doctors and patients. And connected scientific instruments allow laboratories, universities and other research hubs to connect their instruments to networks that can be monitored from anywhere in the world.
Sensors can also be used in oil, waste or septic tanks to measure liquid cases; when connected to the IoT, workers can monitor levels in the tanks remotely. Even asset tracking and other security applications can now be carried out instantly and remotely thanks to the IoT.
Understanding the requirements of connected devices
Until recently, most of these devices have run on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or cellular — the same networks and protocols that support mobile communications and the internet.
However, computers or phones have completely different network requirements to distributed devices such as embedded sensors, which often need to connect in areas away from the traditional infrastructure and a convenient power supply. When using the internet, we also access large volumes of data at irregular intervals. But remote sensors send small packets of data at regular intervals — the complete opposite.
Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWAN), such as Sigfox and LoRa-based standards, are specially designed to send small amounts of data from numerous low-power devices — such as sensor endpoints — at longer intervals. The protocols in these networks also have specific long-range capabilities and less interference than Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
At EC Electronics, we have vast experience in manufacturing printed circuit board assemblies and cable assemblies for these types of devices, as well as technical knowledge of working with Sigfox and LoRa-based platforms.
We also understand how important control, consistency and reliability are within this field, which is why we only manufacture electronics to the highest quality levels, including IPC-A-610 standards for printed circuit board assemblies and IPC/WHMA-A-620 for cable assemblies. In explosive atmospheres and high-risk environments, it is particularly important that the components and sub-assemblies used within systems are intrinsically safe. Our Quality Management System (QMS) is certified to EN ISO/IEC 80079-34:2018 in line with IECEx and ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU, ensuring our products meet these requirements.
It is due to this commitment to delivering exceptional electronics manufacturing services that our customers have come to rely on us to support their projects — from product realisation through to completion.
To speak to a member of the team about your next project, get in touch today.
