Dickson, a leader in temperature monitoring and mapping for pharmaceutical and healthcare markets, wanted to revamp their existing line of internet-connected temperature logging tablets. The loggers needed to be capable of posting data to the cloud via WiFi or Ethernet, as well as operating on battery power for extended periods. Additionally, the loggers were required to implement HTTPS communication for user security.

DMC specified and designed the necessary hardware and firmware to meet the needs of both low-power operation and high-level network communication. An NXP LPC1857 processor was chosen to allow the device to be capable of Ethernet communication, USB host and device modes, multiple serial interfaces, and SSL/TLS encryption. When on battery power, the LPC1857’s low-power features allow for increased battery life while maintaining data recording functionality. DMC also implemented an over-the-air firmware update system that allows new software patches to be pushed to devices in the field automatically.

The result is an internet connected temperature logger that can continue to operate through power outages while on battery backup. The logger also facilitates web viewing of historical temperature data from many locations.

Dickson is a manufacturing company of systems and devices to monitor and report on environmental conditions for medium to large healthcare, pharmaceutical, and medical device organizations. Dickson collects data, sends excursion alerts, and produces summary reports for more than 80,000 customers in over 100 countries worldwide.

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