The client was a startup set up by a business group in southern Brazil to explore a new model for using parking spaces at small businesses.

The idea was to make use of spaces that sat idle at certain times. A bakery, office or other business could make its space available outside peak hours, letting a user find it, book it and pay for the time used through an app.

The business concept was defined. The main question was how to turn this idea into a reliable physical system able to operate on the street with low maintenance and stable communication.

The challenge was not just putting a barrier on the space

The system had to prevent unauthorized use of the space and grant access only to the authorized user at the right time.

That required evaluating different physical blocking mechanisms, unlocking methods and how the device would behave in real-world use.

The points analyzed included mechanical strength, the possibility of a vehicle driving over the device, vandal resistance, operation in rain and dust, waterproofing and ease of installation.

It was also necessary to plan for what would happen in a collision or mechanical failure. A device installed in the ground could not create an even bigger problem if hit by a vehicle.

How to detect whether a vehicle is really in the space

Another important point was reliable detection of the vehicle’s presence.

During the consulting work, different sensor technologies were researched and compared, considering range, sensitivity to the environment, installation, cost, power consumption and reliability.

Four sensing alternatives were analyzed so the client could compare the advantages and limitations of each before defining the product’s final architecture.

The sensor could not be chosen in isolation. The choice had to take into account the blocking mechanism, in-ground installation, environmental conditions and how the system would confirm a vehicle entering and leaving.

Electronic engineering consulting to define the communication

The communication architecture was also a central decision.

Technologies such as LoRa, LoRaWAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, GPRS, 4G, LTE-M/Cat-M and satellite communication were compared.

Each option had different consequences in cost, coverage, infrastructure, power consumption, maintenance and dependence on carriers or gateways.

We also analyzed the risk of adopting cellular technologies being phased out. The decision had to consider not only the coverage available at the time, but also the product’s expected service life and how mobile networks would evolve.

In some scenarios a local network could be enough. In others, a carrier-based or LoRaWAN solution could simplify installation. The consulting work showed the client under which conditions each architecture made sense and which limitations had to be considered.

App, QR code and unattended operation

The model called for the user to find an available space in the app, be guided to the location and have the device released automatically for the booked period.

Using a QR code was also considered, to serve users who did not have the app installed.

This level of automation required integration between the app, server, payment system, communication with the field device, presence sensor and blocking mechanism.

The goal was to keep the need for human intervention during normal operation to a minimum.

Cost was part of the engineering too

A technically sophisticated solution would be worthless if the cost of the device made the business model unviable.

So ECK also produced cost estimates for different production scenarios, allowing the client to assess initial investment, unit cost, system expansion, return and payback.

This analysis helped compare solutions that might look similar technically but had very different impacts when scaled to hundreds or thousands of spaces.

Consulting as decision support

ECK’s work was not to deliver a finished product, but to structure the engineering problem and present the technically viable paths.

Sensors, communication, mechanics, environmental protection, installation, operation, technology evolution and costs were all analyzed.

As a result, the client had a clearer view of the risks and alternatives before investing in product development.

This is one of the main goals of electronic engineering consulting: reducing trial-and-error decisions and letting development start from an architecture that fits the real problem.

Learn more about ECK’s electronic engineering consulting.