“We use TELIT GL868 V2 GPRS module because of its excellent performance under trying conditions.” said Yuktix founder Rajeev Jha. “This module has best cost vs. performance in its class and availability of python engine provides a good way to process asynchronous events via SMS.”
Rajeev Jha, Founder & Director, Yuktix Technologies Private Limited
Yuktix Technologies was founded in October 2013 and has indigenously developed hardware and software to capture and communicate data from sensors. At Yuktix we are breaking the entry barrier to sensor based data capture in any domain as we have developed IP that can be used as ingredients to create multiple solution templates. Using our sensor hardware, communication software and cloud software expertise, we can solve a wide variety of data capture problems across verticals.
If data is in a remote region, Yuktix device also has off-grid solar powered option that can store data locally and transmit it via GSM/GPRS to the cloud from where you can access it from anywhere anytime. Yuktix solutions are truly off-grid and and should work 24/7 and incorporating Telit in our design has helped achieve the right uptime for connectivity.
Problem:
Unlike the cities in Europe and North America, Indian cities lack good local weather data. Imported weather stations cost more money and support from manufacturers on ground is not good. It is very difficult to obtain data from stations run by government agencies. For our solar powered Automatic Weather Station we needed a hardware and software template that can give better performance at a reasonable price.
Solution:
The company has developed a “generic” sensor data acquisition device that can operate on solar, battery or AC power. It has GSM/GPRS, Ethernet, RS485 and ZigBee communication options.
Most important, It comes with firmware and out-of-the-box cloud connectivity, enabled by a Telit modem, which meant that gathering data from sensors is a real plug and play proposition. In order to create solar powered automatic weather stations all we had to do was add weather sensors to the device instead of doing the development from scratch.
Yuktix is using Telit GL868 V2 GPRS modules inside the stations. GL868 was chosen because it provides a good price-to-performance ratio and tests showed that it generated a better signal than its competitors. In addition the Python engine provides a good way to process asynchronous events via SMS.
Yuktix initiated the Bangalore Open Weather Project in 2014 and currently it comprises a network of sixteen weather stations, each collecting weather information such as temperature, humidity, rain and in some cases other variables like wind speed from various Bangalore locations. More stations are in the offing
These stations collect environmental data every 15 seconds and up to 12 samples are taken for each transmitted reading. They provide data on par with the standards set by the IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) and the World Meteorological Organization.
Data from these stations is sent to a server every three minutes, where it is processed, and the resulting information enables citizens and climate researchers to get open access to weather and microclimate data. It paves the way for weather dialogue and discourse about improving the quality of life in the city..
The same station can become an air quality or water quality stations by adding different sensors. These stations can serve as a ready-to-deploy template for smart cities and urban monitoring.
Yuktix can help climate research groups; government agencies and private parties meet their goals of sensor based data gathering. With our ready to use sensor catalog, the cost of design and programming is significantly reduced. The advantage of doing this as your own system is that you can optimize the system to exact requirements thus saving cost.
The weather station was a good fit for Yuktix as it showcases the versatility and quick go to market of our device. All we have to do is add weather sensors to the device to create solar powered automatic weather stations instead of doing the development from scratch.
Our next steps include providing rain alerts and flood warnings to make commuters life easy in the city.
