A reusable platform for automation
Our Zigmation work explored how one programmable device platform could support different automation needs. Garden monitoring, irrigation, lighting and room monitoring were example applications considered in the concept. We designed around the common needs of sensing, communication and control.
A mainboard with practical interfaces
Our team brought Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, 1-Wire, CAN bus and power-line communication into the platform design. Relay control, analogue-to-digital inputs and opto-isolated inputs addressed the connection between an application and the equipment it needed to monitor or operate. Storage, display options, programmable buttons and an Arduino header were also part of the design.
Zigmation mainboard and hardware-interface design.
Embedded software and connected probes
Microsoft Micro Framework provided the programming approach. We considered the mainboard and connected probes together, so applications could work with sensor information and control outputs through the platform. This linked embedded programming with the physical connections required by an automation task.
From engineering layout to product concepts
We developed system and board-interface diagrams alongside enclosure concepts. These outputs helped connect the technical layout with the physical product direction. Zigmation remained a prototype/beta project; the work described here does not imply commercial manufacturing or deployment at scale.
What this work demonstrates
The project brought embedded software, sensor integration, communication and product design into one engineering exercise. That experience informs how we approach a new IoT requirement: identify the application, choose the right interfaces and plan how hardware and software will operate together.
The challenge
Zigmation explored a reusable automation platform that could be adapted to different tasks without starting with a separate hardware design for every application.
The approach
Our team designed a programmable mainboard, connected probes and multiple hardware interfaces, bringing embedded software and product concepts into a prototype/beta platform.
The contribution
We produced system diagrams, board-interface designs and enclosure concepts for a reusable IoT platform, connecting software programmability with practical inputs, outputs and communication options.
