IoT Pet Tracking Collar Firmware

Senior Firmware Engineer · 2023 · 8 months · 5 people · 1 min read

Developed firmware for GPS tracking collars and smart pet products using ESP32 and FreeRTOS, improving product reliability

Overview

Developed firmware for IoT pet products including GPS tracking collars and smart bowls. Implemented optimized architecture and rigorous testing processes

Problem

Product reliability issues with existing firmware. Needed better architecture and testing to meet consumer expectations

Constraints

  • Battery-powered (need power optimization)
  • GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi integration
  • AWS OTA updates
  • Consumer product cost constraints

Approach

Used C/C++ on ESP32 with FreeRTOS. Improved architecture and implemented rigorous testing. Integrated GPS sensors, Bluetooth, and OTA update services on AWS

Key Decisions

Use ESP32 with FreeRTOS

Reasoning:

Built-in WiFi/Bluetooth, low cost, large ecosystem, FreeRTOS for reliable scheduling

Alternatives considered:
  • Nordic nRF52840 - Good but more expensive
  • Custom PCB - Higher development cost

Tech Stack

  • C/C++
  • ESP32
  • FreeRTOS
  • GPS
  • Bluetooth
  • AWS IoT
  • OTA Updates

Result & Impact

  • GPS collars, smart bowls
    Products Shipped
  • Significant
    Reliability Improvement
  • AWS OTA updates
    Cloud Integration

Improved product reliability through optimized architecture and rigorous testing processes

Learnings

  • ESP32 + FreeRTOS excellent for IoT devices
  • AWS OTA requires careful architecture for reliability
  • Consumer products need rigorous testing for reliability
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