Design and Development of a Hardware Platform for connecting Sensor-oriented Machine Elements in Industrial Networks

Type of work:

Master Thesis

Assignment:

During this thesis, the student will design a gateway system that integrates multiple communication and power-transfer technologies within a unified hardware platform. The gateway will feature a 100BASE-TX Ethernet Power-over-Ethernet (Poe) interface to ensure reliable wired connectivity and compatibility with standard network infrastructures. In addition to conventional data communication, the system will incorporate a transmitter for wireless power transfer based on magnetic resonance coupling, enabling efficient energy delivery to nearby devices without physical connections.

At the core of the system, an NXP i.MX RT1064 MCU based on the Cortex-M7 architecture will be employed to manage system control and data processing. To support versatile wireless communication, the design will include two distinct Bluetooth System-on-Chips: the Nordic nRF54L15 and the Silicon Labs BGM260P, allowing for comparative evaluation, multi-protocol support, or concurrent operation scenarios.

The hardware will be realized as a custom printed circuit board (PCB) that not only integrates all functional components but also incorporates advanced power analysis and power gating capabilities. These features will enable detailed measurement and optimization of energy consumption across different operating modes, supporting both performance evaluation and energy-efficient system design.

Skills:

• PCB design (Ki-CAD)
• RF circuit design
• C programming

Supervisor:

Johannes Feldmann

Student:

Marco Mörz

Year:

2026