The Sensor Network Museumtm - Flecktm series
Manufacturer Documentation: Fleck Overview [pdf]
The Fleck series of nodes have been developed at CSIRO ICT Centre, Australia since the end of 2003. Similar to, and inspired by, the Mica-2 mote, the Flecks were designed to overcome limitations in those devices by providing:
- One board solution, screw terminals give access to digital and analog channels
- Robust expansion board interface inspired by PC/104 standard, two electrical connectors for stability and the ability to bolt the boards together, and stackable
- Integrated solar charging, just connect solar cell and batteries to terminals
- Single connector to allow for programming and access to serial ports
- Long-range radio based on 430 and 915MHz radio chips (nRF903 and nRF905) from Nordic Semiconductor. Range over 1000m with a λ/4 whip antenna.
The group is particularly focussed on outdoor applications where long range and energy self-sufficiency are critical. Some applications also involve mobility, particularly for tracking animal position.
Fleck1
The first generation using Atmega 128 and nRF903 radio.
Fleck2
An integrated version of the Fleck1, using Atmega 128 and nRF903 radio, with GPS and inertial sensor in a (large) single board format.
Fleck3
The second generation using Atmega 128 and nRF905 radio.
Expansion boards
All Fleck nodes can be fitted with expansion boards which are stackable. We have currently developed more than 15 expansion boards:
- DSP with audio and video capture capability
- GPS using ublox chipset
- Inertial sensor with triaxial accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer
- Soil moisture sensor interface: gypsum block and Echo capacitive sensor
- Water quality sensor interface: pH, EC, Redox
- Strain gauge
- Microclimate: temperature, humidity, PAR, soil moisture
The most significant ones are described in more detail below.