iMatrix Systems, an American company specializing in IoT solutions, has recently introduced a new line of temperature and humidity sensors tailored for various applications such as food and produce storage, transport monitoring, pharmaceutical, and smart agriculture sectors. These sensors, known as the 'NEO' series, are designed to accurately measure temperature (-40 to 125°C) and relative humidity (0 to 100 percent). They offer great value in refrigeration and HVAC systems, where maintaining precise control over temperature and humidity is crucial for ensuring product quality and minimizing energy consumption. According to Greg Phillips, the CEO of iMatrix Systems, the NEO series sensors excel at swiftly and precisely detecting fluctuations in temperature and humidity levels. This capability is particularly advantageous in dynamic refrigeration environments such as cold storage and refrigerated transportation. By effectively monitoring and maintaining optimal conditions, these sensors contribute to reducing spoilage and enhancing the overall quality of stored items.
The NEO series sensors utilize the Nordic Semiconductor's nRF52832 System-on-Chip (SoC), which boasts a powerful 64MHz, 32-bit Arm Cortex M4 processor equipped with a floating-point unit (FPU). This processor provides ample computational resources to oversee the sensors and capture temperature and humidity data. Leveraging the Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) connectivity of the SoC's 2.4 GHz multiprotocol radio, the collected data is transmitted to a gateway and subsequently to the iMatrix Cloud platform. Users can conveniently access this platform to review sensor data in near real time, enabling them to promptly address any deviations from the acceptable temperature or humidity thresholds. The Cloud platform also offers additional functionalities, including data analysis, visualization tools, device registration, firmware updates, and remote configuration.
Energy efficiency is a notable feature of the NEO series temperature and humidity sensors, as they can operate for up to three years before requiring battery replacements. This extended battery life is attributed, in part, to the exceptional low power characteristics of the Nordic SoC. The nRF52832 SoC's 2.4 GHz radio exhibits peak RX/TX currents of just 5.5mA and incorporates a fully automatic power management system. Phillips highlights the appeal of the nRF52832 SoC, citing its combination of energy efficiency, processing power, memory capacity, wireless connectivity, and user-friendly nature. He also notes that the SoC is supported by a comprehensive Software Development Kit (SDK) that encompasses drivers, libraries, and sample code to facilitate software development for product designers. The SDK additionally provides debugging, profiling, and code optimization tools, simplifying the process of creating high-quality software for the chip.
