Hardware

Overview

The SkyNet is a hardware-dependent system that includes an onboard transmitter and a receiver. The system employs an Arduino-compatible, ESP32-based, LoRa-enabled development board manufactured by HelTec Automation, offering an array of integrated features to streamline the development cycle and meet design criteria.

Core Components: Transmitter and Receiver

The primary components of the system are the onboard transmitter and receiver, both of which utilize the WiFi LoRa 32 (V2) development board by HelTec Automation. Detailed product information can be found on HelTec's website.

Features and Selection Criteria

The WiFi LoRa 32 (V2) board supports LoRa, WiFi, and Bluetooth, and includes integrated Li-PO management. This board was chosen due to its built-in capabilities that significantly simplify the development process while ensuring that all design criteria are met. Additionally, it is quite cost-effective, with a price of only $25.

Onboard Transmitter and Sensor Suite

The transmitter is interfaced via the i2c protocol with a BerryGPS Board, which offers a comprehensive suite of sensors such as:

• Gyroscope - LSM6DSL
• Accelerometer - LSM6DSL
• Magnetometer - LIS3MDL
• Barometric and Temperature Sensor - BMP388
• GPS - uBlox CAM-M8

Data Transmission and Reception

The data collected from the sensor suite is subsequently transferred to the receiver through LoRa technology. The receiver then prints the data over the serial interface.