Start here · Essential guide
Powering IoT Devices: Batteries, Mains and Harvesting
A plain comparison of the main ways to power a connected device, mains, batteries, wired data cables and harvested energy, and what each choice means for design.
Foundations and Building Blocks
Power and Batteries
Keeping devices running without constant maintenance.
Battery Life in Sensors: What Drains It
The usual reasons a sensor's battery runs out early: radio use, frequent reporting, cold weather, retries and leakage, plus how to estimate average current.
Choosing Battery Chemistry for Remote Devices
A general comparison of common battery types for remote IoT devices, by shelf life, temperature tolerance and rechargeability, with tips for matching cells to jobs.
Disposing of Connected Devices and Batteries Responsibly
Why used electronics and batteries should be recycled, and how to prepare connected devices for disposal, resale or donation by wiping data and handling cells safely.
Energy Harvesting for Self-Powered Sensors
How light, heat, vibration and radio energy can power tiny sensors, what each source can realistically supply, and the limits that shape harvesting designs.
How Long Should a Connected Device Last?
What to expect for the lifespan of connected devices, how software support windows can end a device's useful life early, and signs one is nearing the end.
Power over Ethernet for Connected Devices
How Power over Ethernet delivers data and electricity on a single cable, where it suits cameras and access points, and the limits on distance and wattage.
Sleep Modes and Duty Cycling Explained
How battery-powered devices stay asleep most of the time and wake briefly to measure and report, with a worked hypothetical example of the battery life effect.
Solar Powered Sensors in the Field
How to size a small solar panel and storage for outdoor sensors, with a hypothetical worked example and the common failure points such as shade, cold and dirt.
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