Control system for solar arrays
Distributed control system consisting of mini-rack modules each containing a CPU board, a motor control board and digital I/O boards. Each module controls a solar array; the system consists of approximately one hundred modules linked together by an RS485 serial line or on a LonWorks network.
The CPU board is based on a 32 bit SuperH microcontroller by Renesas (IDE: HEW.)
The application firmware of the CPU board makes use of the FreeRTOS real-time operating system and handles the solar array motion (both azimuth and tilt) and communication with the control center (via RS485 - Modbus protocol - or LonWorks.)