Custom Cortex Based IoT Gateway

Overview

Designed a production IoT gateway from scratch, including custom hardware, embedded Linux (Yocto), power electronics, and BACnet integration for large commercial buildings.

Context

Aquicore acquired Entic, and I transitioned as the only engineer responsible for the acquired hardware and firmware stack. I was tasked with both maintaining legacy systems and delivering a next-generation gateway device.

Problem

Aquicore needed a reliable, scalable gateway to collect data from large commercial HVAC systems using BACnet and Zigbee-based devices, while integrating cleanly into their analytics platform.

Constraints

• • Solo ownership of hardware and firmware
• • Mains-powered device with strict reliability requirements
• • Embedded Linux system with custom OS builds
• • Integration with existing analytics and data pipelines
• • Tight delivery timelines post-acquisition

Solution

I designed a custom production IoT gateway, fully independently. It featured a Custom PCB based on TI AM43xx Cortex-A processor, DDR memory, battery charging, and XBee 900 MHz radio integration. I also implemented a full SMPS design for mains-powered operation and built an Embedded Linux OS using Yocto. The solution included BACnet protocol support in C and Python and support for Zigbee-based electric metering devices.

Architecture (High Level)

BACnet / Zigbee Devices → Hub+ Gateway → Embedded Linux (Yocto) → Cloud Analytics Platform

My Responsibilities

• • Hardware architecture and PCB design
• • Power supply (SMPS) design
• • Embedded Linux (Yocto) development
• • Firmware and protocol integration
• • BACnet stack development and optimization
• • Platform integration and troubleshooting

Impact

• • Delivered a production-ready gateway used in commercial deployments
• • Improved data reliability and integration with Aquicore’s analytics systems
• • Enabled scaling of building data ingestion across large portfolios