ECK took part in the development of the electronic control system for a multiparameter buoy for environmental monitoring, deployed at Pampulha Lake in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

The project was carried out for Sea Odyssey, a company specializing in buoys and systems for aquatic environments. The goal was to build an autonomous platform able to measure water quality at different depths and transmit the data remotely to a monitoring center.

Multiparameter buoy: power and embedded control

The buoy used solar panels and batteries, allowing autonomous operation for long periods. An embedded system based on an ST ARM Cortex-M3 managed power, communication, positioning and control of the whole assembly.

Measurements at different depths

To take measurements at different depths, we developed an automated winch system using a 24 V automotive winch adapted for the application.

Probe position control used a 1024-pulse-per-revolution optical encoder combined with a zero-point reference system. This mechanism made it possible to control the length of cable paid out, correct accumulated position errors and avoid damage to the cable or the probe itself.

The system also monitored the winch motor current using Hall-effect sensors, making it possible to detect abnormal operating conditions and protect the mechanism.

Communication, location and security

Remote communication was handled by a Telit GPRS modem, while a Telit GPS module provided the buoy location and was part of the security and monitoring system.

Data collected by the probe was sent to a central station, making it possible to track water quality parameters throughout the depth of the lake.

When the environment becomes part of the engineering

Operating continuously on a lake brought challenges that rarely show up on a development bench.

One of them was quite unexpected: a caiman known locally as Chico showed a keen interest in the probe installed on the buoy. Since the measurement equipment was very valuable, a mechanical protective cage had to be built around the probe.

Another major issue was exposure to lightning. In an open area such as the lake, lightning-induced surges could reach the electronics and instrumentation, requiring additional protection measures.

The buoy also spent long periods without direct supervision. For this reason, we implemented an anti-intrusion and anti-theft security system, including remote monitoring of the electronics compartment.

High humidity, permanent exposure to the outdoor environment and the need to operate without frequent intervention also demanded special attention to the selection of components, suppliers, connectors and materials.

Integration for a real environmental application

The project was developed in roughly three to four months and was an important experience for ECK in electronic systems for remote environmental applications.

More than simply acquiring data from a probe, it required integrating solar power, motion control, instrumentation, GPS, GPRS, security and embedded electronics.

This is exactly the kind of project where engineering has to deal not only with the technical specification, but also with real operating conditions. See other electronic engineering projects developed by ECK.

In a multiparameter buoy, the integration of sensors, positioning, communication and power management matters as much as each individual instrument. The system has to coordinate measurements, record the depth associated with each sample and keep operating under varying solar generation and communication conditions. This architecture brings different environmental variables together on a single acquisition platform, making monitoring campaigns easier in locations where installing fixed infrastructure would be more complex.