Heating Equipment Management System

Gateway

We decided to move the main system logic to the server and significantly simplify the device itself. The gateway we designed transmits signals between the equipment and the internet and also processes special commands for interaction with the eBus. The device connects to boilers or other equipment via the eBus and can access the internet via Ethernet or Wi-Fi to exchange data with the server using the MQTT protocol.

At the initial stage, our engineer assembled a prototype of the future device using a PCB originally developed for a smart home system in another project. It is based on a similar microcontroller and has the necessary network interfaces (Ethernet and Wi-Fi), making it a perfect fit for this role. The assembled prototype allowed the team to study the specifics of the eBus and begin developing the embedded software even before the reference device arrived.

Interpreter

When transmitted from the equipment to the application or administrative panel and back, the data needed to be converted into a format understandable by each component of the system. To achieve this, we developed a standalone microservice—a small autonomous system element that interacts with other parts via interfaces. A microservice architecture divides the software into independent pieces. Each of them can be developed, tested, updated, and scaled separately. In addition to data conversion, the interpreter also schedules packet transmissions, generates and sends messages, reads and updates data on schedule, and performs other important functions.

Administrative Panel

We also developed a server application that allows users to:

• Manage the database;
• Configure parameters and templates for the equipment;
• Set up the display of equipment metrics in the mobile app;
• Support technical requests and collect technical information;
• Manage user subscriptions to additional services;
• Control user access to various system components;
• Automatically collect statistics from client equipment;
• Track equipment failures;
• Support communication between users, service centers, and technical support;
• Generate various technical reports.

Mobile Application

The team developed a smartphone application that allows the customer’s clients to remotely control the equipment and monitor its status in real time. The app users can register their equipment and its configuration in the server database, view the status of devices, adjust their operation, and receive various notifications related to their account.

Major Issues Resolved

Solution Versatility

Although the system was designed to work with devices via eBus, the client requested that the system be easily adaptable to new equipment models and other communication protocols. We implemented this feature in the administrative panel, most notably in the database scheme. On top of that, the team designed the interpreter to be able to handle unknown message types.

Application Flexibility

The customer offers a wide range of heating equipment, and all its parameters need to be displayed in the user application. Our task was to design the solution so that the client’s staff could independently configure what metrics to display for each device model. This required significant work, but we achieved the necessary flexibility. New equipment can be added to the list in the administrative panel. After that, the staff can select what parameters to display in the mobile app and where exactly. Thus, the client will not need to update the app for each new model—simply configuring the program will be enough.

Data Transmission to Equipment

eBUS is a digital control bus designed for data exchange between heating equipment and control devices. It is used in products from numerous manufacturers and allows combining up to 25 master and 228 slave devices into a single network. It was our first time working with this technology, so we had to study it carefully.

Extra research was required to understand what responses different equipment sends over eBus, as such information could not be found in their documentation.

Mobile Application Design

The customer requested that we pay due attention not only to the functionality of the system but also to the aesthetics of its components, particularly to the main screen of the mobile application. However, design is a creative process that requires many iterations and approvals. Therefore, our developer contacted the client to hear out their suggestions and discuss ambiguous aspects of the design. Then, the developer prepared templates based on the client’s requests, and they reviewed each proposed option together. The client explained what they wanted, and the developer adjusted the corresponding parameters to immediately see the results.

In the end, the customer chose the following design: the color of the circle reflects the difference between two parameters inside it.