Otto Wireless and WTronix have entered into a joint venture to develop and market a versatile and affordable programmable industrial GPRS modem – the SIMPRO900.
This is thought to be the first commercially available ChipSIM-capable industrial modem in South Africa, and has been designed to provide developers with a generic hardware platform on which to develop their applications, and to retain control of all their software IP.
Chris Viveiros, Otto Wireless GM, comments: “We have a network of developers that we call on for the development of customer applications, and they have been requesting a standardised hardware platform with built-in wireless communications which can be used for developing customer applications. We also get a lot of demand for dual-SIM modems and modems that have a level of intelligence above the normal.
“The intention is that these developers will become familiar with this product, which will reduce design time. It will also reduce the overall cost of development due to the affordability of the locally developed platform.”
According to Viveiros, the modem is also useful for end users who have legacy hardware and need a basic level of intelligence on the modem itself in order to manage the interface and maintain a GPRS connection without external input.
Says Viveiros: “We partnered with WTronix for the development of the modem, as we have worked with them on various projects over the past five years. Their development has proved to be strong and their products stable. Together, we were able to produce a prototype within two weeks, and the finished product was delivered within five weeks, which was really impressive.”
Walter Senekal, Wtronix MD and the designer of the SIMPRO900, explains the modem features: “The modem is based on an STMicroelectronics ARM core, allowing for custom development and compatibility with equipment protocols. The core is connected to SIMCom’s flagship SIM900 GSM module, as well as to an internal Micro SD card so that developers can also store their own data on the device.
“We have tried to include as much flexibility as possible, so the modem has a USB and serial port which can be converted to RS-485 for industrial use. The device has 2 user-configurable I/Os which can also be an SPI bus, a second serial bus, digital inputs or digital outputs.”
“One of the features we had a high demand for was dual-SIM functionality, which we have included by means of two options – a ChipSIM which can be populated or not, as well as a SIM card holder. Populating both simultaneously provides the dual-SIM functionality,” Senekal adds.
The modem is provided with free onboard software, including a form-driven interface for full configuration of the modem including dual-SIM functioning, automatic TCP socket connection (client and server), regular power down reset (variable time intervals), SMS reset, missed call reset and serial port setup.
The form-driven interface features drop-down menus, so no coding knowledge is required to configure the modem. All this functionality allows non-technical end users to configure the modem with ease. This onboard software also serves as a framework for developers to use when writing their own embedded code for the ST ARM core.
“This platform is unique in that a customer can now go to a developer and get a customised product designed, manufactured and branded to specific requirements, and own the entire product,” explains Viveiros.
“Otto Wireless Solutions simply provides the hardware platform and basic functionality, and the developer is responsible for any support services including web services, data monitoring and other support functions. The modem is also a perfect fit for non-technical clients who need a modem which initiates and maintains its own connection.”
In conclusion, Viveiros adds: “Otto Wireless carries stock of the product so orders can be fulfilled immediately. Large orders can usually be fulfilled within five working days. This is another factor that can significantly reduce the development time and cost for the end client.”
For more information contact Chris Viveiros, Otto Wireless Solutions, +27 (0)11 791 1033, [email protected], www.otto.co.za
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