Issue
162 January 2004
Remote
Observation Station
FUTURE
ENHANCEMENTS
Currently,
the station is operating reliably. It provides great
views of the local black bear and whitetail deer population.
I’m happy to report that the stories I had heard about
the local wildlife were true, and no fish have been
spotted.
There
are a variety of ways you could enhance this project.
For instance, you could add a simple bootloader to allow
in-field flash memory firmware upgrades. Presently,
I use a photocell as a light-level sensor to determine
when to turn the loads on and off for automatic operation.
You might want to add a real-time clock to allow for
timed operations. Another option is to add a maximum
PowerPoint tracking (MPPT) feature similar to the Peak
Power Controller developed by James McGuire and Thomas
Burke for the Motorola Flash Innovation 2003 Design
Contest. An MPPT feature could provide better impedance
match between the PV panel and the battery, and therefore
allow maximum power to be extracted from the panel.
Editor’s
Note: James McGuire and Thomas Burke won Distinctive
Excellence for their Peak Power Controller design. For
more information about their project, visit the official
Motorola Flash Innovation 2003 Design Contest web site
at www.circuitcellar.com/fi2003.
