Related to Embedded Firmware & Control and Schematic & PCB Design
Industrial equipment telemetry: measurements, diagnostics and data from the equipment you already run
Micro Digital Engineering adds measurement, monitoring and communication to existing industrial equipment: interfaces to its sensors and signals, a controller that collects and checks the data, local logging and diagnostics, and the link to the systems you already use. The work starts from what has to be measured, the interfaces the equipment offers and where the data has to go. We do not provide a cloud platform or a ready-made software service: the result is engineering hardware and firmware integrated with your systems.
Confidential task? We sign an NDA before you share technical files.
Can you add monitoring to equipment that was never designed for it?
Usually, yes. We first establish which signals and parameters are accessible — existing sensors, control signals, supplies, communication ports — and which new sensors are needed. A controller is then designed to read them without disturbing the equipment’s own operation, and the data is logged locally or passed to the system you specify.
What the work covers
Measurement interfaces
Inputs for the equipment’s existing sensors and signals, new sensors where they are needed, with isolation and protection so that the equipment’s own circuits are not affected.
Controller and firmware
A controller, typically based on STM32 microcontrollers, that acquires, filters and checks the measurements, detects limit violations and events, and keeps time-stamped records.
Data logging and diagnostics
Local storage of measurements and events, diagnostic information about the equipment and about the telemetry unit itself, and readout for service staff.
Local functions
Local indication, alarms and diagnostic functions. Any control actions or changes to existing protection functions are defined and agreed as a separate engineering scope.
Integration with existing systems
Transfer of the agreed parameters to a supervisory, monitoring or maintenance system over the interface and protocol agreed for the project.
Service and analysis tools
PC tools for configuration, readout and analysis of the recorded data: Python for data acquisition and processing, Java for desktop service applications.
What is not part of this service
- A proprietary cloud platform, hosted dashboards or a software-as-a-service product.
- Support for every industrial protocol: the protocol is agreed for each project, based on the receiving system.
- Changes to the safety functions of the equipment: telemetry observes and reports; any change to control or protection is a separate, agreed scope.
How the result is verified
Measurement channels are checked against reference values with calibrated measurement equipment, the logged data and events are compared with the conditions applied, and the data transfer is tested with the receiving system or an equivalent set-up. The unit is then tested on the equipment under acceptance criteria agreed with you.
PCB fabrication is performed by specialised manufacturing partners. Prototype component assembly, bring-up, debugging and verification are carried out in-house by our engineering team.
What you receive
| Deliverable | Format | How it is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Telemetry requirements | Document: parameters, rates, interfaces, receiving system | Review and written approval |
| Hardware design | Schematics, PCB, BOM | Design review |
| Firmware | Source code with build instructions | Tests on the prototype and on the equipment |
| Interface description | Document: data, formats, protocol | Tests with the receiving system |
| Service tools, when in scope | PC application with instructions | Use on the unit |
| Prototype units, assembled in-house | The agreed number of units | Acceptance tests on the equipment |
| Test report | Document | Results against the requirements |
How the project runs
- The parameters to be measured, the rates, the available interfaces and the receiving system are defined.
- The equipment’s signals are assessed from its documentation and, where needed, by measurement on a unit.
- The architecture of the telemetry unit is agreed.
- Hardware and firmware are developed; prototypes are assembled and brought up in-house.
- Measurement channels and data transfer are verified on the bench.
- The unit is tested on the equipment and handed over with its documentation.
See how we work.
What to send us
- A description of the equipment and the parameters you need to monitor.
- Available documentation: schematics, signal lists, communication ports.
- The system that has to receive the data, and its interface.
- Constraints: space, power, environment, cabling.
Common questions
Which protocols do you support?
The protocol is agreed for each project from the interface of the receiving system. We do not claim support for every industrial protocol; the agreed one is implemented and tested.
Will the telemetry interfere with the equipment?
It is designed not to: inputs are isolated and protected, and the equipment’s own control and protection are not changed unless that is agreed as a separate scope.
Do you provide a cloud dashboard?
No. Data is delivered to the system you specify, or logged locally and read out with service tools.
Can telemetry be added during a redesign?
Yes. It is often added as part of a functional redesign of legacy electronics.
Related services
- Embedded firmware and control — controller firmware.
- Schematic and PCB design — interface and controller boards.
- Functional redesign of legacy electronics — when the electronics are redesigned at the same time.
- Custom electronics development — when the telemetry unit is a new device in its own right.
Discuss the telemetry task
Describe the equipment, the data you need and where it has to go.
Confidential task? We sign an NDA before you share technical files.