Thread Mesh Network
cropled AG
We showed our client the way through the labyrinth of IoT standards.
The Client
Cropled AG is a swiss startup, that is revolutionizing indoor farming. Their main product "aurora" is an LED plant lighting solution, that is interconnected via IoT standards, and connected to the cloud. They have won multiple awards with their idea including the Zünder Award und Venture Kick.
The Challenge
Our customer wanted to connect its products to each other in a mesh network and had set its sights on Thread and Matter. We were tasked with evaluating these technologies in light of the use case and developing a proof-of-concept solution.
The Value
Thanks to a highly focused start phase and requirements analysis we managed to deliver exactly what the client wanted and on time. Our custom communication interface provides relieve for the existing, wireless communication standards, so that cropled AG now has a highly scalable technology in their portfolio, that sets them apart from the competition.
The Stack
Embedded C++20 — ESP32 — FreeRTOS — IEEE 802.15.4 — OpenThread — Matter — Multithreading — Multicore
The Product
Requirements analysis, conception, design, implementation and test of a Power-Line-Communication-Interface (PLC), that enables the communication among multiple ESP32 microcontrollers over their preexisting power cabling — FreeRTOS and C++20 based — Hardware debugging and in-the-field-adjustment — Custom device driver for the PLC transceiver — Customer-specific distributed consensus algorithm based on Raft — Communication interface for directed, full-duplex communication based on UART including the definition and implementation of a custom data packet structure — PLC based firmware duplication to enable OTA-style device firmware upgrades
The Feedback
Samuel
Tech Lead @ cropled AG
"Thanks to Moritz we have a functional product today, that distinguishes us from the competition. He fully convinced us with his enthusiasm, his extraordinary independence and reliability."
Michael
Chief Information Officer @ cropled AG
"Moritz is very professional and efficient. We were really impressed with his ability, to quickly and reliably solve complex problems. We highly recommend him and are looking forward to our future collaboration."