Case Studies

Pump Controller with Building Management System Integration

Posted in Embedded Development & Programming, Product Development

Summary

MIFAB is a leading manufacturer of commercial and industrial plumbing and drainage products. They have launched a new automated grease interceptor that includes a custom electronic PCB control board. DMC worked with MIFAB on specifying the components of the system and designing the custom PCB and firmware that controls the system.

Solution

DMC combined our custom electronic design and development expertise with MIFAB’s vast industry knowledge to create a world-class controller for their grease interceptor. Custom electronics were chosen for this solution due to the high quantity the customer would like to produce at a lower cost.

DMC designed the custom electronic hardware and developed the software and firmware for the full product. Our experts designed the full enclosure and selected the components.

Pump-Controller-Digital-Image

We started with a full specification phase where we selected major components. We then designed the 3D modeling for the control box to ensure a perfect fit for all of the enclosed electronics. DMC collaborated closely with MIFAB during this stage to ensure all of the specifications were met.

Once this was complete, DMC moved onto the PCB and schematics design and the PCB layout. For the PCB, we used an ST MCU microcontroller. The board has ethernet that utilizes Modbus TCP protocol for integrating with the building management system. It has a COM file display so users can control the system, get feedback, and set alarms. It also has USB for field firmware updates, system configuration, and logging to flash drives. It controls various digital IOs.

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DMC’s engineers developed the firmware and then completed testing and validation before delivering initial prototype units. MIFAB then completed their own validation and testing with assistance from DMC.

The final step in the process was to work with MIFAB and outside vendors to move from prototype into full production. DMC and MIFAB continue working closely with these vendors to ensure consistent product volume is available for MIFAB’s customers.

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Customer Benefits

  • Cost-effective solution: Custom electronics provide a highly cost-competitive solution
  • Compact Design: Custom electronics allowed MIFAB to shrink the control box. Perfect for space-constrained installations
  • Self-Diagnostics: Numerous diagnostics are built into the device permitting quicker troubleshooting
  • Building Management System (BMS) integration: Building managers can easily view the status of the system from their control center

 

Technologies

  • Altium Designer
  • STM32 F429 MCU Microprocessor
  • Mbed OS
  • LCD display
  • USB Host for data logging and firmware updates
  • Modbus TCB
  • Building Management System Integration