Hardware
One module, four form factors.
The critical physical foundation layer of our stack. One small, cost-effective module that makes a manufacturer's device intelligent, connected, and secure.
Evaluate EdgeThe module
The WattStack Edge
Patent pending
All WattStack hardware is built around a common central component, our Edge module. The Edge can solder onto the device's own PCB, mount on a carrier board, or ship within a standalone unit, but every option carries the same Edge, with the same radios and security architecture.
Fitting the Edge
Four ways to fit the Edge.
There are multiple ways to build the Edge into an energy device, ranging from soldering the module directly into a new device, in the factory, to deployment of standalone units retrofitted to an existing energy device.
Built-in Edge
The Edge is designed into the device's own board. The leanest route for a new product, and most cost effective long term. A manufacturer gets 30+ versatile I/O pins to talk to its systems, whatever bus the board speaks.
- •On the device board
- •SPI
- •I²C
- •GPIO
- •UART
Adapter Board
The Edge mounts on an adapter board and connects to the device over serial or Modbus, so a manufacturer adds WattStack without reworking its motherboard. Faster to build in, at the cost of the extra board.
- •Serial
- •Modbus (meter and device)
- •volt-free contact
- •4G dongle option
- •5 V
Hub
WattStack Hub is a standalone unit that consolidates devices on a site with multiple IO options, and it is the retrofit route for fleets of existing third-party devices. How many devices one Hub serves depends on the site's bus mix. It connects over the site's own network, wired or wireless, and where there is none a 4G dongle can be fitted on your own data plan.
- •Modbus (meter and device)
- •RJ45 WAN and LAN
- •USB
- •4G dongle option
- •USB-C powered
Display
WattStack Display is a standalone unit with a built-in touchscreen, intended principally as a secure, configurable companion device. Fit it alongside another Edge-enabled device to add a local control surface, rather than as a route of its own.
- •Serial
- •Modbus
- •volt-free contact
- •USB-C powered
Edge specification
What's on the module.
The Edge is both the connectivity module and the device controller, so a manufacturer does not need to specify a separate controller on the main board leading to potential for bill of materials cost offsets for fully integrated Edge options. Our innovative hardware architecture is patent pending.
- Radio processor
- A RISC-V network processor running a real-time operating system for reliable behaviour. It handles the HTTP and MQTT interfaces.
- Coordinator and hardware firewall
- A dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 at 150 MHz with 520 kB SRAM, running a real-time operating system. The trust boundary between device and network, where every message is inspected before it goes anywhere.
- OEM sandbox
- A second dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 at 150 MHz with 520 kB SRAM, running a real-time operating system. Runs the manufacturer's device code against the Edge SDK.
- Radios
- Wi-Fi 6, BLE 5.4, and Thread, built in on every SKU. One external antenna per module, attached to the radio processor.
- Device interfaces
- 32 GPIO pins carrying SPI at 10 MHz, I²C, hardware PWM and UART, plus 8 ADC channels at a combined 500,000 samples per second. All usable at once.
- USB
- USB host and device.
- Grid meter
- A dedicated Modbus link for a grid meter, separate from the device interfaces.
- Operating range
- 5 V supply, 4.5 to 5.5 V, 800 mW typical power dissipation. Specified for operation from -20 to +70 °C.
- Security
- Signed firmware verified at boot, all storage encrypted with a unique key per device, hardware-isolated OEM sandbox.
- OEM code
- Your device code, the driver with its capabilities and modes, is written in C against the Edge SDK and executes inside the OEM sandbox. The coordinator drives it with simple instantaneous commands handling all scheduling and complex user features.
Build the Edge in.
Tell us which route you are considering and we will get a sample to you, and talk through fitting the Edge into your device.