A Knowledge-Based Battery Controller for IoT Devices

Internet of things (IoT) devices are often located in difficult-to-access places without connection to the electrical grid. For this reason, some IoT devices usually incorporate a small stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system to power only the IoT device. However, several IoT applications involve using other components, such as instrumentation, electrical motors, lighting bulbs, etc., which require additional electrical power. The objective of this study was to design and implement a battery controller integrated into a constrained resource device that allows powering not only other components of the IoT application but also the IoT device. In this way, the IoT device controls and monitors the PV system and executes other IoT applications such as lighting. Results show that the designed controller exhibits efficient behavior when compared with other regulators and can be integrated into resource-constrained devices, improving the life of batteries and reducing cost.