Replacing batteries for thousands of wireless devices is both expensive and troublesome, so keeping these devices usable is crucial.
In this article, we will analyze three ways to improve the battery life of wireless IoT devices:
▲Using a high-capacity battery to increase power
▲Intelligent sleep mode, lower power consumption
▲Continue to supply power
1. Increase power by using a high-capacity battery
Sometimes, simplicity and directness are the best solutions. Adding a larger capacity battery is undoubtedly a clear way to extend battery life—a larger battery can supply more energy.
Common battery types for IoT devices are CR2032 button batteries and AAA batteries. Both types are readily available, meaning they can be easily purchased in bulk. However, they are not the only options.
The slightly larger CR2450 and CR2477 button batteries have more energy than the CR2032 button batteries, but they are slightly more expensive. However, CR2477 button batteries are not commonly found in everyday stores, and are even difficult to find in electronics retailers.
Size 7 or larger AA batteries also have the advantage of being readily available and can be easily purchased in everyday goods.
In terms of battery capacity, the CR2032 button cell has a capacity of 250 mAh, which is only half that of the CR2450, while the CR2477 typically has a capacity of up to 1000 mAh.
According to eCpD, the lifespan of a 250mAh CR2032 button battery can be measured in years, depending on the usage, but this largely depends on how and how much data the device collects or sends.
II. Intelligent sleep mode for lower power consumption
Regardless of the battery type, IoT devices consume energy, and energy consumption directly affects the lifespan of the device. Therefore, it is crucial to consume as little energy as possible.
However, optimizing the energy consumption of wireless IoT devices is very difficult because many factors affect how energy is consumed, and these factors may change over time.
Hardware - Component Level
According to YiHua Information, the first step in optimizing energy consumption is selecting energy-efficient hardware components. Familiar IoT systems, such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi, are not optimized for energy consumption. They tend to use higher power and are therefore generally unsuitable for large-scale IoT deployments in the real world. The key to selecting components is to check the product manual to understand the power consumption figures listed therein.
However, the power consumption listed in the product manual does not represent the actual power consumption, as the final power consumption depends on how the device is used. For example, a high-power sensor that is only used a few times a day may consume less power than a low-power sensor that is always on.
The only way to determine the actual power consumption of hardware is to measure it. Ideally, this measurement should be performed while the system is operating as expected.
We found that the best tool for performing this type of power consumption measurement breakdown is OtiiArc. It can provide a detailed view of hardware power consumption and pinpoint the root causes of energy consumption.
Software-device level
In terms of efficiency, software is of paramount importance, because no matter how energy-efficient the hardware is, it is ultimately controlled by the software. If the software does not make full use of the hardware, all hope will be dashed.
This software not only controls external devices such as sensors, but also the wireless connections and microprocessors that run the software. When hardware is optimized for high energy efficiency, the software's sleep scheduling becomes extremely important. (Source: IoT Home Network) If the software can enable these devices to sleep as much as possible, it can double or even triple the device's lifespan.
The operating system on the microprocessor controls system sleep time in seconds, but sometimes it schedules for a wider range of events. For example, in one of our recent IoT deployments, the device was only intended for daytime use. This means the device could enter deep sleep at night and completely shut down all functionality, which would double its lifespan.
III. Continue to supply power
Because power consumption is a complex issue, various unexpected situations can occur when deploying devices, especially when deploying thousands or more devices. For example, network connectivity conditions at the deployment site may cause some devices to consume more power than expected, thus shortening their lifespan.
Being able to detect faulty devices early means that their batteries can be replaced sooner, thus reducing the risk of data loss.
The intelligent power consumption monitoring system enables us to collect power consumption data from all devices to identify any devices consuming more power than expected. These devices are highlighted in the user interface, allowing operators to locate and fix them before the problem escalates.
