# #025: Powered by Sunlight, Fenced by Software: Inside Monil's Cattle Collar

- Show: [Coredump Sessions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/coredump-sessions)
- Published: 2026-10-05
- Length: 58m
- Episode: 26
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/coredump-sessions/2026-10-05-025-powered-by-sunlight-fenced-by-software-inside-monils-cattle-collar
- Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/memfault/episodes/025-Powered-by-Sunlight--Fenced-by-Software-Inside-Monils-Cattle-Collar-e3ptrpd

## Summary

Torstein Nesse, co-founder and CEO of Monil, explains how his company builds solar-powered virtual fencing collars for livestock using Nordic nRF9160 and nRF52 chips alongside u-blox GNSS receivers. He details the low-power design challenges, the decision to use a dedicated GNSS module for performance, and the implementation of offline operation with buffered telemetry. The conversation covers a four-month network debugging challenge involving rural connectivity, the use of IMU sensors for animal behavior detection, and the business model combining hardware sales with subscriptions for farmer peace of mind.

## Chapters

- [0:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/coredump-sessions/2026-10-05-025-powered-by-sunlight-fenced-by-software-inside-monils-cattle-collar#t=2) Introduction: Torstein Nesse and Monil's Virtual Fencing
- [4:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/coredump-sessions/2026-10-05-025-powered-by-sunlight-fenced-by-software-inside-monils-cattle-collar#t=272) Torstein's Career: From Energy Micro to Silicon Labs Security
- [16:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/coredump-sessions/2026-10-05-025-powered-by-sunlight-fenced-by-software-inside-monils-cattle-collar#t=998) Founding Monil: Combining Low-Power Hardware and Sensor Fusion
- [24:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/coredump-sessions/2026-10-05-025-powered-by-sunlight-fenced-by-software-inside-monils-cattle-collar#t=1467) Product Mechanics: Sound, Electric Pulses, and GNSS/IMU Integration
- [31:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/coredump-sessions/2026-10-05-025-powered-by-sunlight-fenced-by-software-inside-monils-cattle-collar#t=1902) Hardware Selection: Nordic Silicon, u-blox GNSS, and Solar Power
- [41:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/coredump-sessions/2026-10-05-025-powered-by-sunlight-fenced-by-software-inside-monils-cattle-collar#t=2475) Software Updates, LTE-M Bandwidth, and Network Debugging
- [47:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/coredump-sessions/2026-10-05-025-powered-by-sunlight-fenced-by-software-inside-monils-cattle-collar#t=2840) The 4-Month Network Debugging Challenge and Telemetry System
- [53:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/coredump-sessions/2026-10-05-025-powered-by-sunlight-fenced-by-software-inside-monils-cattle-collar#t=3196) Safety Certifications, Magnetometer Calibration, and Business Model

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)
- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Monil (company)
- Nordic Semiconductor (company)
- Silicon Labs (company)
- Energy Micro (company)
- nRF9160 (chip)
- nRF52 (chip)
- u-blox (chip)
- LTE-M (other)
- GNSS (other)
- IMU (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Pet Tracking with IoT-Enabled Smart Collars | Halo Collar's Ken Ehrman](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2021-06-14-pet-tracking-with-iot-enabled-smart-collars-halo-collars-ken-ehrman) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [Low-Cost IoT Connectivity with Satellites | Wyld Networks’ Alastair Williamson](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2022-06-16-low-cost-iot-connectivity-with-satellites-wyld-networks-alastair-williamson) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [MQTT Anywhere, LoRaWAN Sheep Tracking, More DOOM on everything!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-electromaker-show/2023-09-25-mqtt-anywhere-lorawan-sheep-tracking-more-doom-on-everything) (The Electromaker Show)
- [Generic Nodes with Orkhan Amiraslanov](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-09-13-generic-nodes-with-orkhan-amiraslanov) (The Amp Hour)
- [Building A Low-cost Satellite IoT Solution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2022-07-07-building-a-low-cost-satellite-iot-solution) (Over the Air)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/coredump-sessions/2026-10-05-025-powered-by-sunlight-fenced-by-software-inside-monils-cattle-collar. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Coredump Sessions.