Smart Heat Pump Controller

Smart controllers enhance heat pump functionality by providing remote access, energy monitoring, air quality sensing, and advanced automation features. These controllers optimize energy usage, improve indoor air quality, and offer seamless integration with smart home ecosystems through wireless communication technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth^®, meeting the growing demand for eco-friendly, intelligent systems.

This cost-effective, low-power smart controller design is suitable for any heat pump, such as this smart heat pump design. It utilizes a feature-rich MCU and diverse wireless components, allowing users to adjust thermostats, set temperature schedules, and monitor energy consumption and air quality.

System Benefits:

• Provides a complete heat pump indoor unit for a fully integrated design, reducing time to market.
• Features a fully integrated, high-performance, cost-optimized dual motor control system for precise compressor and fan RPM/torque control, with optional AI/ML future enhancements (Reality AI) for predictive maintenance.
• Includes a pressure sensor in the heating/cooling refrigerant system to optimize energy management.
• Offers optional features like air quality sensors for O₃/NO₂, temperature, and humidity.
  • Arduino Nicla Env sensor board provides an indoor air quality sensor for TVOC, eCO₂, temperature, and humidity (e.g. per room/heat zone)
• Supports IoT communication via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and optional LTE-M/NB-IoT.
  • The indoor control unit can exchange parameters with the heat pump via digital I/Os, CAN bus I/F, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth for flexible control options.
• Integrates high-efficiency power factor correction (PFC) to reduce operational costs.