STMicroelectronics STM32G030C8T6
Sand-Based Teg Power Conditioning System
Overview
A compact, portable power conditioning system that harvests energy from a sand-based thermal storage TEG using an ultra-low voltage boost converter, manages energy storage with a supercapacitor, drives an LED load, and provides local real-time monitoring via an OLED/LCD display.
Saania SauhobooSystem architecture
SENSOR
POWER
MCU
ACTUATOR
DISPLAY
- TEG_SOURCE → BOOST_CONVERTERPowerLow voltage DC input from TEG to ultra-low voltage boost converter
- BOOST_CONVERTER → SUPERCAP_STORAGEPowerBoosted voltage charging the supercapacitor bank
- SUPERCAP_STORAGE → REGULATOR_5VPowerSupercapacitor bank supplying input to buck-boost regulator
- REGULATOR_5V → MCU_COREPowerStepped down 3.3V rail powering MCU via onboard LDO
- REGULATOR_5V → LED_DRIVERPowerRegulated 5V output powering the LED constant current driver
- MCU_CORE → HEATER_ACTUATORPWMPWM signal controlling MOSFET gate for 12V sand heater
- TEMP_SENSOR → MCU_CORESPISPI bus reading high-temperature thermocouple data
- OLED_DISPLAY → MCU_COREI2CI2C bus for local real-time monitoring display
- MCU_CORE → BOOST_CONVERTERADCMonitoring harvested input voltage and system current telemetry
Bill of materials
| Part number | Type | Component | Manufacturer | Package | Qty | Datasheet | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEP1-12643-0.8 | SENSOR | Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) Module Generates low-voltage DC from thermal gradient across sand storage | Ferrotec / Generic / Kryotherm | — | 1 | Pending | |
2 alternatives consideredAI verified | |||||||
| BQ25504RGTT | POWER | Texas Instruments BQ25504 Ultra-low voltage step-up DC-DC boost converter with MPPT | Texas Instruments | 16-VFQFN Exposed Pad | 1 | Matched | |
4 alternatives consideredAI verified | |||||||
| BCAP0010 P270 S01 | POWER | Maxwell / AVX Supercapacitor Bank (2.7V 10F x2) Bulk energy storage and voltage buffering | Maxwell Technologies | — | 1 | Matched | |
| TPS63060DSCR | POWER | Texas Instruments TPS63060 Buck-boost regulator providing stable 5V output rail | Texas Instruments | 10-WFDFN Exposed Pad | 1 | Matched | |
5 alternatives consideredAI verified | |||||||
| STM32G030C8T6 | MCU | STMicroelectronics STM32G030C8T6 Central processing, sensor data acquisition, and heater PWM control | STMicroelectronics | 48-LQFP | 1 | Matched | |
1 alternatives consideredAI verified | |||||||
| IRLB8721 | ACTUATOR | IRLB8721 N-Channel MOSFET + 12V Heater Cartridge Controls 12V DC power path to heat sand storage targeting ~150°C | Infineon Technologies | TO-220 | 1 | Matched | |
| MAX31855PMB1# | SENSOR | Maxim Integrated MAX31855 + K-Type Thermocouple Measures high temperatures up to and beyond 150°C | Analog Devices / Maxim Integrated | Bulk | 1 | Matched | |
5 alternatives consideredAI verified | |||||||
| SSD1306-220MT | DISPLAY | 0.96-inch I2C OLED Display (SSD1306) Displays real-time temperature, voltage, current, power, and system status | Shenzhen Lantu Micro Electric Technology Co., Ltd. | SMD, 18.54x15.24mm | 1 | Matched | |
3 alternatives consideredAI verified | |||||||
| TPS61165 | ACTUATOR | Texas Instruments TPS61165 or Discrete Constant Current Driver Drives indicator/load LEDs with a regulated constant current from 5V rail | Texas Instruments | — | 1 | Matched | |
1 alternatives consideredAI verified | |||||||
Build guide
6-8 hoursAdvanced
1
Procurement & Preparation
- Procure and inspect all electronic components including the STM32G030C8T6 MCU, BQ25504, TPS63060, TEP1-12643-0.8 TEG module, BCAP0010 supercapacitors, MAX31855, SSD1306 OLED, IRLB8721 MOSFET, and TPS61165 driver.
- Prepare the custom dual-layer Printed Circuit Board (PCB) layout, ensuring proper thermal relief on power planes connecting the IRLB8721 MOSFET and TPS63060 regulator.
- Prepare mechanical sand thermal storage assembly, integrating the 12V heater cartridge and K-Type thermocouple into the dry sand container, keeping the TEP1-12643-0.8 TEG hot-side flush against the thermal interface.
2
Hardware Assembly & Wiring
- Solder surface-mount power management ICs (BQ25504 boost converter and TPS63060 buck-boost regulator) onto the PCB along with their passive tuning resistors, inductors, and input/output ceramic capacitors.
- Mount and solder the STM32G030C8T6 microcontroller, decoupling capacitors, and programming header onto the central processing section of the PCB.
- Install the two BCAP0010 2.7V 10F supercapacitors in series to form the 5.4V bulk energy storage bank, connecting them to the V_SYS output of the BQ25504 and input of the TPS63060.
- Wire the thermal and actuation subsystems: connect the TEP1-12643-0.8 TEG to the BQ25504 input, the IRLB8721 MOSFET to the 12V Heater Cartridge and MCU PWM pin, and the MAX31855 thermocouple interface to the SPI bus.
- Connect the 0.96-inch SSD1306 OLED display to the I2C bus (SDA, SCL, VCC, GND) and wire the TPS61165 constant current driver to the 5V rail and LED load.
3
Firmware Setup
- Set up the STM32CubeIDE environment, configure the target processor for STM32G030C8T6, and initialize the system clock to 64 MHz using the internal high-speed oscillator (HSI).
- Implement the SPI peripheral driver to communicate with the MAX31855 sensor, and write the temperature acquisition routine to read high temperatures up to and beyond 150°C from the K-type thermocouple.
- Configure Timer 3 (TIM3) for PWM output generation (PWM_HEATER) to drive the IRLB8721 MOSFET gate, and write a PID control loop targeting a sand storage temperature of ~150°C.
- Implement the I2C master driver for the SSD1306 OLED display and the ADC input configuration to monitor the BQ25504 system voltage and power metrics.
- Compile and flash the complete firmware binary containing UI rendering, sensor polling, PID regulation, and telemetry logging to the STM32G030C8T6 via SWD.
4
Testing & Calibration
- Perform a continuity and power rail check using a digital multimeter. Verify that the TPS63060 outputs a stable 5V rail and the LDO outputs 3.3V to the MCU core without any short circuits.
- Verify the ultra-low voltage boost converter operation by applying a low voltage DC input (simulating the TEP1-12643-0.8 TEG) and checking that the BQ25504 successfully harvests energy into the supercapacitor bank.
- Power up the 12V heater cartridge subsystem via the IRLB8721 MOSFET under PID control, monitoring the sand temperature via the MAX31855 thermocouple to verify it stabilizes smoothly around ~150°C.
- Inspect the 0.96-inch OLED display output to confirm real-time rendering of temperature, voltage, current, power, and system operational status without glitches.
- Perform a complete system endurance test by cycling thermal storage charges, verifying LED load regulation through the TPS61165 driver, and confirming autonomous operation over multiple charge-discharge cycles.
Document
Sand-Based Teg Power Conditioning System
A compact, portable power conditioning system that harvests energy from a sand-based thermal storage TEG using an ultra-low voltage boost converter, manages energy storage with a supercapacitor, drives an LED load, and provides local real-time monitoring via an OLED/LCD display.
Design Overview
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Product Type | Sand-Based Teg Power Conditioning System |
| Key Functions | Low-voltage TEG energy harvesting and ultra-low voltage DC-DC boost conversion, 12V DC sand battery heater control targeting approximately 150°C, Voltage regulation and energy storage via supercapacitor, LED constant current driving for a regulated 5V output, Local real-time monitoring of temperature, voltage, current, power, and status via LCD/OLED display |
| Power Source | 12 V DC sand heater powered system with TEG energy harvesting |
| Connectivity | |
| Size | Compact, portable enclosure with a thermally insulated compartment for the power conditioning PCB, MCU, and display |
| Environment | Educational laboratory prototype |
| Difficulty | Advanced |
| Est. Time | 6-8 hours |
System Architecture
Power Topology: TEG input -> BQ25504 Boost Converter -> Supercapacitor Bank -> TPS63060 Buck-Boost Regulator (yielding 5V and 3.3V rails) -> 12V separate supply for Sand Heater managed by MOSFET.
Module List
| Module ID | Type | Name | Function | Voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEG_SOURCE | SENSOR | Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) Module | Generates low-voltage DC from thermal gradient across sand storage | 0.1V - 0.5V |
| BOOST_CONVERTER | POWER | Texas Instruments BQ25504 | Ultra-low voltage step-up DC-DC boost converter with MPPT | 3.3V |
| SUPERCAP_STORAGE | POWER | Maxwell / AVX Supercapacitor Bank (2.7V 10F x2) | Bulk energy storage and voltage buffering | 5.0V |
| REGULATOR_5V | POWER | Texas Instruments TPS63060 | Buck-boost regulator providing stable 5V output rail | 5.0V |
| MCU_CORE | MCU | STMicroelectronics STM32G030C8T6 | Central processing, sensor data acquisition, and heater PWM control | 3.3V |
| HEATER_ACTUATOR | ACTUATOR | IRLB8721 N-Channel MOSFET + 12V Heater Cartridge | Controls 12V DC power path to heat sand storage targeting ~150°C | 12.0V |
| TEMP_SENSOR | SENSOR | Maxim Integrated MAX31855 + K-Type Thermocouple | Measures high temperatures up to and beyond 150°C | 3.3V |
| OLED_DISPLAY | DISPLAY | 0.96-inch I2C OLED Display (SSD1306) | Displays real-time temperature, voltage, current, power, and system status | 3.3V |
| LED_DRIVER | ACTUATOR | Texas Instruments TPS61165 or Discrete Constant Current Driver | Drives indicator/load LEDs with a regulated constant current from 5V rail | 5.0V |
Design Schemes
Discrete Ultra-Low Voltage Boost and MCU Monitoring Architecture ★
Utilizes BQ25504 for cold-start TEG harvesting, STM32G030 for local telemetry and heater PWM control, and LTC3128 for supercapacitor energy storage management.
Trade-offs: Offers high flexibility and precise component-level control within budget, but requires more PCB routing area compared to heavily integrated PMICs.
Integrated PMIC & Advanced Telemetry Architecture
Employs an integrated energy harvesting PMIC (e.g., ADP5092) combined with ESP32-C3 for local display and optional wireless telemetry.
Trade-offs: Reduces component count and PCB footprint, but slightly higher quiescent current and higher chip cost.
Key IC selection
Ultra-low voltage energy harvesting boost converter
- Need: Start up from cold voltages as low as 300mV generated by the TEG under small thermal gradients and perform MPPT.
- Class: Switch-mode boost charger with integrated charge pump and input voltage regulation (MPPT)
- Shortlist: Texas Instruments BQ25504, Texas Instruments BQ25570
- Pick: Select BQ25504 for dedicated ultra-low-voltage boost harvesting with adjustable MPPT sampling thresholds.
Central system controller and telemetry hub
- Need: Low static power consumption, adequate GPIO/timers for heater PWM, I2C/SPI interfaces for sensors and display.
- Class: ARM Cortex-M0+ 32-bit RISC microcontroller
- Shortlist: STMicroelectronics STM32G030C8T6, Microchip ATSAMD21E18A
- Pick: Select STM32G030C8T6 for cost-effectiveness, robust peripheral set, and low power sleep modes.
High-temperature thermocouple front-end
- Need: Accurately measure temperatures up to and exceeding 150°C with cold-junction compensation.
- Class: SPI-compatible thermocouple digital converter IC
- Shortlist: Maxim Integrated MAX31855, Analog Devices MAX31856
- Pick: Select MAX31855 for direct K-type thermocouple digitization and simplified SPI master reading by the MCU.
Risk register
| ID | Area | Severity | Detail | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| r1 | power | high | Cold-start failure of the BQ25504 if the TEG initial thermal gradient is too small to provide the minimum startup voltage (~330mV). | Ensure TEG physical design guarantees a minimum open-circuit voltage threshold before enabling the boost converter, or incorporate a manual bootstrap mechanism. |
| r2 | thermal | high | Thermal runaway or overshoot past 150°C in the sand storage medium due to delayed heat distribution or localized heater hot spots. | Implement aggressive PID loop tuning in firmware, place the thermocouple in close proximity to the heater core, and add a hardware thermal fuse cut-off. |
| r3 | power | med | Supercapacitor voltage collapse under sudden 12V heater activation if energy extraction exceeds the TEG harvesting and storage capacity. | Implement a strict power-budget state machine in the MCU to lock out heater engagement unless supercapacitors are charged above a safe hysteresis threshold. |
Key Components
8/9 modules matched to real parts. See the BOM tab for the full component table.
Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) Module (TEP1-12643-0.8)
Rejected weak/wrong-class catalog hits; using web recommendation: TEP1-12643-0.8
Texas Instruments BQ25504 (BQ25504RGTT)
Candidate 1 (BQ25504RGTT) is an exact match for the primary MPN BQ25504 with an ordering suffix for reel packaging, from
Maxwell / AVX Supercapacitor Bank (2.7V 10F x2) (BCAP0010 P270 S01)
The candidate's MPN matches the primary MPN (BCAP0010 P270 S01) and the manufacturer matches Maxwell Technologies.
Texas Instruments TPS63060 (TPS63060DSCR)
TPS63060DSCR is a valid full orderable part number (DSCR indicates the standard reel packaging for the 10-pin VSON packa
STMicroelectronics STM32G030C8T6 (STM32G030C8T6)
The candidate STM32G030C8T6 exactly matches the primary MPN and preferred manufacturer.
Build Summary
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Estimated time: 6-8 hours
- Tools required: Anti-static wrist strap, Digital Multimeter, Magnifying glass, Reflow oven or Hot air rework station, Fine-tip soldering iron, Solder wire and paste
See the Build tab for the full step-by-step assembly guide.
Generated by YuanQi AI Design System · Query: Sand-based battery power conditioning system: low-voltage thermoelectric generator (TEG) input powered by a sand-based battery heater, ultra-low voltage DC-DC boost converter, voltage regulation circuit, energy storage supercapacitor, and an LED constant current driver.