FlatMesh™: A Proven Intelligent Sensor System for Complex Environments
At a technical level, FlatMesh™ has been tested and proven over a decade of deployments in highly demanding environments, and prior to that, in five years of research at University College London, one of the world’s most respected engineering universities.
The proprietary communications protocol is based on the industry standard IEEE 802.15.4 PHY and MAC layers, operating in the global 2.4GHz ISM band. Deployed as part of an integrated system that can incorporate many sensor types, FlatMesh™ is ideal for complex applications such as construction sites or buildings where obstructions are common and accidental damage to parts of the wireless monitoring system is possible.
Nodes communicate to find the optimal route, transmitting data to the gateway in a series of “hops”. In the event of a sensor node or gateway dropping out for any reason the other nodes will find an alternative route; this provides a significant level of robustness and redundancy. It also enables highly flexible deployment configurations, particularly in comparison to hub and spoke wireless alternatives.
Continuous improvement to the sensor interface and wireless algorithms has resulted in ultra-low power consumption and very long battery life, with many sensor nodes capable of lasting up to 15 years while taking precision samples every 30 minutes and relaying messages through the mesh.
Gateways are pre-configured so the system will function as soon as it is installed. Users can choose from connection options including USB or RS232 connection to local equipment, or connectivity via an integrated solar powered cellular gateway. Alternatively, where mains power is available, the FlatMesh system can be connected directly to other databases, data loggers or industrial PCs.
The system is highly intelligent and enables remote users to interact with nodes and the gateway, for example to re-configure the frequency of readings. Data are transmitted to our user-friendly WebMonitor™ data visualization software or can be sent to many widely used third-party data viewing platforms.
FlatMesh™ intelligent monitoring users benefit from many years of technical development and experience gained in a wide range of challenging applications. With tens of thousands of sensors around the world running on FlatMesh™ technology, you can be confident that you are using a reliable system built on quality, precision and durability.
