411: Batteries Get Upset

Embedded.fm · 5 May 2022 · 1h 07m · Episode 411

What this episode covers

Ethan Slattery, an embedded software engineer at Wildlife Computers, discusses the design and deployment of wildlife telemetry tags for marine animals like elephant seals and tuna. He explains how these devices use the Argos satellite network for one-way data transmission, relying on light-based localization and Fastloc GPS to track animal movement while managing extreme power constraints. Slattery details the engineering challenges of battery performance in cold, high-pressure environments, the durability of epoxy-encased hardware, and the rigorous testing required for long-term archival devices.

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