IoT / 2023
Distributed Sensor Mesh
A low-power connected system for predictive maintenance in harsh environments.
The Problem
Industrial equipment failure often occurs unpredictably in areas with intermittent connectivity. The client needed a way to predict these failures without relying on a constant broadband connection or replacing the existing machinery.
Constraints
- 01. Intermittent connectivity: The system must queue data locally when offline.
- 02. Power interruption: Nodes must run on battery backup for up to 48 hours.
- 03. Limited memory: The microcontroller has extreme memory constraints.
- 04. Real-world sensor noise: Heavy vibration in the environment leads to dirty data.
Architecture
[VERIFY: Interactive system diagram goes here. Example: Sensor Node -> Edge Router -> Cloud Aggregator.]
Engineering Decisions
Why MQTT instead of HTTP? Given the intermittent connectivity, MQTT’s lightweight publish/subscribe model and QoS levels ensured that critical telemetry was delivered once the connection was re-established, without the overhead of HTTP headers.
Outcome
- 99.9% telemetry delivery rate despite network dropouts.
- 45% reduction in unplanned maintenance downtime.
- System scaled from prototype to 500+ active nodes in production.
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