Working with controller
COYERO contracted us for developing functionality for the charging station controller. To get the task done, the company sent us an emulator for this device.
The controller is a piece of equipment built into the charging station. It is responsible for linking the electric current suppliers to the respective user's mobile device. It is the controller that measures the amount of electric energy consumed and shows the vehicle's state of charge.
The controller is always connected to the charging station and emits a signal that can be picked up by mobile devices. If the signal is strong enough, users get all the information about the chargers.
As experts, the Cogniteq team had to organize transferring data from the controller to the mobile device. It was done by providing support for two protocols in the controller:
・MQTT - if the devices communicate over the Internet.
・Bluetooth connection - if there is no Internet connection.
Providing an offline connection was quite a challenge. The given feature requires implementing the controller's logic via a Bluetooth connection.
So we used Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity technology, which minimizes the energy consumption and saves the phone's battery power. Bluetooth advertising assisted in delivering information from the controller to mobile devices.