T113-S3 Power Data Acquisition Terminal Board ODM Case Study

Project Overview

For power distribution and smart grid applications, reliable field data acquisition is essential for monitoring electricity meters, sensors, and other electrical equipment.

In this project, KICKPI developed a custom embedded board based on the Allwinner T113-S3 for a power data acquisition terminal. The board was designed to collect data from multiple meters and field devices while providing Ethernet and 4G connectivity for remote data transmission.

The solution combines multi-channel RS485, Ethernet, 4G, CAN, UART, RTC and local storage with Linux support, providing a cost-effective platform for long-term industrial deployment.

Key Requirements

• Allwinner T113-S3 processor
• Multi-channel RS485 communication
• Gigabit Ethernet
• CAN and UART interfaces
• 4G communication
• RTC
• eMMC local storage
• Linux operating system
• Long-term stable operation
• Protection against ESD, EFT and electrical interference

Key Design Challenges

1. Multi-Channel RS485 Communication

The terminal needs to communicate with multiple electricity meters simultaneously. Therefore, the customized board required careful UART resource allocation and independent RS485 communication channels.

The hardware design also considered:

• RS485 transceiver control
• Communication direction switching
• Multi-device addressing
• Bus termination
• ESD and surge protection
• Communication error recovery

This architecture allows the terminal to collect data from multiple meters while maintaining reliable field communication.

2. Electrical Interference in Power Environments

Power distribution environments can expose embedded devices to ESD, EFT, surge, power fluctuations and RS485 common-mode interference.

To improve communication reliability, the RS485 interface incorporates a protection architecture such as:

RS485 → TVS Protection → Common-Mode Protection → RS485 Transceiver → UART → T113-S3

The protection design helps improve the board’s robustness when deployed in electrically noisy industrial environments.

3. Data Protection During Power Loss

Power data acquisition equipment may operate continuously in unattended environments. Sudden power loss must not result in the loss of important measurement data.

The system therefore uses local storage and a data protection mechanism:

Data Acquisition → Cache → Local Database → Power-Loss Protection → System Recovery → Data Resumption

After power is restored, the system can resume data collection and support data transmission to the remote platform.

T113-S3 ODM Hardware Solution

The final hardware architecture is based on:

T113-S3 + DDR3 + eMMC + Multi-Channel RS485 + Ethernet + 4G + RTC

The T113-S3 provides the processing platform and peripheral resources required for the application, while the customized PCB integrates the communication, storage, power and protection circuits required for field deployment.

Testing & Validation

Test Item	Acceptance Criteria
RS485 Communication	24-hour continuous communication without abnormality
Multi-Meter Acquisition	Complete and reliable data
Ethernet	Automatic reconnection
4G	Automatic network connection
RTC	Accurate system time
Power Recovery	No critical data loss
ESD	No system crash
High/Low Temperature	Normal operation
Aging Test	≥72 hours

To verify long-term reliability, the customized board was tested across communication, power recovery and environmental conditions.

These tests help validate the board’s stability before deployment in long-term power monitoring applications.

Project Results

The customized T113-S3 power data acquisition board successfully addresses the key requirements of the application, including:

• Multi-meter parallel data acquisition
• Reliable RS485 communication
• Protection against electrical interference
• Local data storage and power-loss protection
• Ethernet and 4G remote communication
• Long-term stable operation
• Cost-effective industrial deployment

The project demonstrates how the Allwinner T113-S3 can be used as the core platform for customized power data acquisition terminals and industrial IoT gateways.

Looking for a T113-S3 Custom Board?

KICKPI provides embedded board customization and ODM development services for industrial IoT, energy, smart grid and data acquisition applications.

From processor selection and hardware design to PCB development, interface customization and system integration, our team can develop a board based on your application requirements.

Looking for a customized T113-S3 board for your industrial or energy project? Contact KICKPI to discuss your requirements.