Modular Ultra-Low-Power IoT-Core - Bridging the Gap Between Power Electronics and Distributed Sensor Networks

In this paper, the authors present an innovative ultra-low-power IoT-Core that can be used as an extension for efficient DC/DC converters. The module equips the overall system with computation and communication capabilities for Industry 4.0 and IIoT applications without adding significant power requirements. The research focuses on optimizing energy consumption by taking an overarching view of hardware and software at the system level. In the active state, the IoT-Core can adjust its power consumption at runtime by matching the application demands to the existing energy budget. In sleep state, the module uses a novel Wake-Up Receiver in the 868 MHz frequency band with an average power consumption of 3.5µW, allowing the system to wake up in 32ms. The results are demonstrated on a DC/DC converter, with an efficiency of up to 99.8%, which uses the plug-and-play IoT-Core to become a smart device that can save additional energy when being in idle mode.