Mage Control Systems

Intelligent Technology Platform Collaboration

Mage Control — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 14:03:27 +0000

Mage Control Systems Ltd, have been working closely with solutions provider, Autonomous iOt, based in North Lanarkshire, on the development of their ‘Intelligent Technology Platform’. Autonomous design and manufacture an intelligent platform of products powered by renewable energy offering lighting, communications, monitoring, and analytics with value-added services that are Meta City ready. Developed and designed to be a plug-and-play solution whereby the hardware and functionality can be added or removed depending on customer requirements.

Both Electronics and Software Design Engineering teams at Mage Control Systems have contributed to this project, providing key experience and expertise from a range of technical backgrounds. Mage Controls’ work to date in the renewables sector has included projects covering condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and motion control solutions.

Mage Control Systems Software Engineer working on the Autonomous iOt test rig.

We were delighted to get to work with the team at Autonomous iOt, providing crucial R&D as they plan to take their new product offerings to markets at home and abroad.

To date, the team at Mage Control have designed and developed a suite of bespoke embedded electronics and intelligent software for Autonomous iOt’s Intelligent Technology Platform. Developing, from the ground up; novel sensing and communication systems, intelligent device performance systems, and the capability for complete remote access to the on-board data. Specific to the customers’ requirements the team at Mage Control have produced:

Wind Power Converter;

Featuring smart charging electronics design, the Mage Control designed Wind Power Converter will take power from the wind to charge and store energy on a battery via the Power Controller. It is capable of converting wind to power efficiently with a max rating of 150W.

An integrated electrical brake serves to protect the wind turbine from rotating too quickly in stormy weather, protecting critical mechanical components from sudden failure. Additionally, a built-in sensor array provides real-time monitoring of the converter’s performance and health.

Solar Power Converter

Similar to the Wind Power Converter, this device is capable of taking power from the wind to charge and store energy on a battery via the Power Controller. It is capable of converting wind to power up to 180W efficiently with a max rating of 280W. As with the Wind Power Converter, this Solar Power Converter features built-in sensing technology for real-time monitoring of the converters of performance and health.

Power Controller

This device acts essentially as the brains of the operation and intelligently combines outputs of both the Solar Power and Wind Power Converters to efficiently charge the battery. The Power Controller can autonomously switch between charging primary battery storage, should this load become too discharged, to charging a backup battery for continuous performance.

As with both Solar Power and Wind Power Converters, this design features built-in sensing technology for real-time monitoring of performance and health.

Via an onboard embedded processor, this Power Controller can;

Encapsulate battery monitoring + sensing technology
Control the power conversion in both controllers through live analysis of all sensed data. It controls the battery charging and real-time telematics over 4G to the Cloud.
Perform maximum power point tracking (MPPT) where applicable to extract as much energy as possible from the solar and wind power available
Wirelessly communicate all sensed data to lighting/camera controllers
Shut down power to lighting/camera controllers in lowest power state so to conserve energy efficiently

Lighting and Camera Controllers

The Lighting Controller contains a driver for up to 20x 3W LED modules either in parallel or series, allowing for bright lighting at energy-efficient levels. This device can also control LED brightness controlled by an operator accessing the entire platform through a back-office dashboard.

The Camera Controller is capable of streaming live camera feeds via 4G for surveillance or storage in the Cloud. If needed it can also broadcast Wi-Fi networks for local troubleshooting and can be controlled remotely by communicating with a remote dashboard over 4G. The controller autonomously regulates battery voltage to power the onboard cameras.

These smart connected controllers feature integrated Wi-Fi and 4G capabilities for local and remote control/communication, allowing operators real-time access to critical system performance data

Autonomous iOt Intelligent Technology Platform in-situ in Scottish Highlands

Living Hours Accreditation Pledge

Mage Control — Mon, 23 May 2022 11:10:25 +0000

Mage Control Systems Extend Living Wage Commitment To Provide Living Hours

Mage Control Systems have joined SSE, abrdn, 1st Alliance Credit Union, Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, Dear Green Coffee Roasters North Lanarkshire Carers Together and ACS (Advanced Clothing Solutions) as an accredited Living Hours employer in Scotland. We are the 8^th employer to receive this accreditation in Scotland and the 15^th in the UK (and the 1st in our home town of East Kilbride!)

The Living Hours accreditation requires employers to both pay the real Living Wage (£9.90/hr) to all their employees over the age of 18 and commit to providing at least four weeks’ notice for every shift, with guaranteed payment if shifts are cancelled within this notice period.

Living Hours employers also provide a guaranteed minimum of 16 hours every week (unless the worker requests otherwise), and a contract that accurately reflects hours worked.

Mage Control Systems recently celebrated its 3-year anniversary of becoming an accredited Living Wage employer after joining the network in April 2019. The company has a strong commitment to promoting staff wellbeing and choosing to become Living Hours accredited was the next logical step to ensure their employees are provided with security of hours alongside the real Living Wage.

Research published last year by the Living Wage Foundation showed that 11% of workers in Scotland are in insecure work and paid below the Living Wage. This is approximately 300,000 workers. The Living Hours standard was created to ensure that people have predictable working patterns and income, enabling them to better plan their lives.

In July 2021 Living Wage Scotland began delivering the Living Hours accreditation programme to increase the number of Scottish employers recognised for offering Living Hours alongside a real Living Wage. Mage Control Systems is the fifth employer to benefit from the scheme which is delivered through the Living Wage Scotland programme at the Poverty Alliance and is funded by the Scottish Government.

Janet Menzies, Operations Director at Mage Control Systems said:

“We are absolutely delighted to receive accreditation as a Living Hours employer. Fair and supportive working practices are crucial to our inclusive team culture and also to the well-being of our staff.

To also discover that we are one of the first companies in Scotland to be recognised in this way is really affirming. It is even more exciting to hear that Mage Control Systems is the first company in both South Lanarkshire and in East Kilbride to be accredited.

We would love to encourage more local businesses to apply for Living Hours accreditation showing a meaningful commitment to the highly valued people in all of our organisations.”

Christine McCaig from Living Wage Scotland said:

“There are over 2500 Scottish-based employers that are committed to paying at least the real Living Wage, and it’s fantastic to see Mage Control Systems take further steps to protect their workers from low pay and insecure work by becoming Living Hours accredited.

The values that led them to commit to the real Living Wage are the same values that have led to their expanded commitment to fair work at a time when workers need it most.”

#TeamMage celebrating the Living Hours accreditation alongside local MSP, Collette Stevenson.

Commenting, East Kilbride MSP Collette Stevenson said:

“It was great to visit Mage Control Systems again and to congratulate them on their Living Hours accreditation.

“Mage is an amazing, innovative company and an East Kilbride success story. Despite all the challenges of recent years, the business continues to grow. Alongside that growth, Mage is committed to its staff – and it’s excellent to see the dedication to pay employees the real Living Wage and ensure they have fair working hours and notice of shifts.

“I hope other local companies will follow Mage’s lead and ensure employees have excellent conditions. I look forward to seeing Mage continue its success while cementing its role as a great East Kilbride employer.”

Minister for Employment and Fair Work Richard Lochhead said:

“I am pleased to see Mage Control Systems continued commitment to paying the real Living Wage and I congratulate them on gaining Living Hours Accreditation today. They are joining a growing number of employers who are taking additional steps to protect their workers from low pay and insecure work.

“I encourage other Living Wage Accredited employers to look at the scheme and, like Mage Control Systems, sign up to become Living Hours accredited.”

Ice Drill Controller and Data Logging System

Mage Control — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 15:06:19 +0000

Powering climate change research

As part of the Antarctic Survey, an American university research programme sought technical support from Mage Control Systems for a high-powered motor drive to power the drill responsible for cutting ice cores.

The embedded electronics powering the motor and the motor itself, had to be rated to -50^oC and be capable of reaching depths of up to 3km. This was deeper than their current equipment could achieve.

The new system was designed to provide a new drill motor, motor controller and communication systems using a custom LabVIEW HMI.

New features of the system were as follows:

9 axis attitude sensing – capable of sensing anti-torque, and other vibrational modes
Borehole pressure monitoring
High power density electronics
High precision adaptive control
BLDC in place of a brushed motor

A new high voltage, high-speed communication system was implemented to work with the accompanying LabVIEW HMI.

The final design for the motor drive has since been upgraded with expanded functionality by our engineers, attracting interest from others working on similar projects across the globe.

We welcome further enquiries about this product and look forward to working with others to achieve their goals.

HV/LV Cable Analyser

Mage Control — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 14:18:20 +0000

Non-Invasive Analysis for High Voltage Armoured Cables

Mage Control Systems has developed a non-invasive cable analyser – a completely new and unique tool – as part of an OFGEM funded Open Innovation call for Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN). Initially, SPEN sought a new solution that could:

Detect the live status of buried armoured cables such as P.I.L.C, Waveform, PICAS, CORAL, CNE, XLPE
Determine the voltage level – whether high or low – within a live cable (0V – 33kV)

Mage Control Systems was responsible for designing and assembling a set of handheld sensor clamps, designed to fit numerous cable diameters as well as a processor box to determine the results.

Using bespoke, innovative magnetometers coupled with inertial technology, the device does measure non-invasively cable statuses: i.e. Non-Energised, Voltage-Energised or Current-Energised.

The cable analyser will also allow detection of voltage levels within the cable and the number of conductors and cores present. This device will enable the defective section of cable to be pinpointed within a distance of 1cm.

Our team is now exploring further design opportunities for its HV/LV cable analyser in both gas and marine environments.

FADEC for Gas Turbines

Mage Control — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 13:00:13 +0000

Engine and turbine control for groundbreaking UAVs

The future of flight is with electric propulsion and we’re proud to be making huge leaps in innovative design for this sector. Mage Control Systems is currently designing a bespoke solution that does not currently exist, requested by a company seeking to revolutionise the future of UAV flight.

As UAV development continues to soar within industrial and consumer markets, the demand for increased capability will follow. Mage Control Systems stands at the forefront in this growing sector with our range of in-house technologies, expertise and unique design services.

Mage Control Systems was chosen as a design partner by our aerospace client to work alongside our senior engineers with their extensive experience in aerospace and defence sectors. Our engineering expertise is also drawn from safety-critical firmware development, advanced algorithm creation and mathematical modelling, setting the company apart from most other design SMEs.

We are responsible for the design of both the Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) and Power Management Unit (PMU). The FADEC essentially serves as the engine control unit for the UAV and monitors various parameters in order to achieve optimal performance. The PMU serves to control the electrical power BUS system.

The design team at Mage Control Systems has consolidated a number of separate PCBs onto only two units by means of a stacked PCB assembly. The tightly coupled FADEC and PMU allow for the fast, dynamic rate of change of engine control and power balancing functions under variable load conditions. Our unrivalled high-power density designs are perfectly suited to meet the project requirements for a complex battery/generator solution.

Our key expertise is both in high-power electronics and motion control for hardware design; essentially, this is achieved via the development of complex control laws and algorithms using state of the art tools such as MATLAB, Simulink and associated toolchains. Development using these tools allows for fault-free automatic code generation to meet DO-178C standard.

The PMU and the FADEC systems utilise a very fast processor loop cycle period for efficient space-vector modulated sinusoidal commutation – the electronics are rated up to 200,000RPM. The system is also fully dual-redundant (from processor to bridge to motor feedback) and the electronics have been designed to meet the required DO-254 standard. The hardware is also designed to meet DO-160G standard.

We are keen to grow our network in this evolving sector and would welcome any enquiries from those looking to develop similar products. Please get in touch at enquiries@magecontrol.com.

Ministerial Visit

Mage Control — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 11:30:56 +0000

Ministerial Visit

We had the pleasure of presenting The Scottish Government Trade, Investment and Innovation Minister Ivan McKee MSP with some of the ground-breaking technology and in-house innovations we’re working on at Mage Control Systems Ltd.

We are proud to be contributing to wider Business Growth and diversity with our commitment to the Scottish Business Pledge.

Special thanks also to our local MSP Linda Fabiani and Collette Stevenson, Depute Lord Provost of South Lanarkshire Council for coming along to hear from directors Janet & Matthew and meet some of #TeamMage.

A few comments from the guests on the day –

Linda Fabiani MSP: “I have been fascinated at the work that Mage Control Systems does – truly innovative, cutting edge technology. I know the minister was very impressed with the rapid expansion of the company and their ethos of good employee relations and responsibility to the community. This company is a real East Kilbride success story that I am sure will go from strength to strength.” From East Kilbride News.

Ivan McKee MSP: “Delighted to visit Mage Control as part of a wider engagement programme to support business growth and build a fairer more prosperous Scotland” From Twitter.

Precision Instrumentation

@rycramweb — Sun, 19 May 2019 09:33:48 +0000

In hospitals worldwide

Mage Control Systems redesigned the electronics for the legacy HemaTechnologies ESR STAT™ PLUS sedimentation rate analyser, designing for improved accuracy and performance, lower unit production cost and higher reliability. New, modern and advanced features include:

Advanced algorithmic control – increased speed, accuracy and sample rate testing per cycle
Modern interface options – USB and Ethernet while maintaining legacy adapters
Improved power performance
Reduced unit production cost

This work is a prime example of Mage Control System’s capability to understand the requirements around trends and technological advances that require the upgrade of already highly successful legacy products, helping our customers to remain clear market leaders.

Inertial Navigation

@rycramweb — Sun, 19 May 2019 09:25:59 +0000

Stable control in an unpredictable environment

Working with Thistle Design, this project required the expert development of a north seeking gyro-compass as a functional demonstrator for testing MEMs internal sensors for Thales Optronics, Glasgow as the end customer.

Work produced a test bed, delivered to bespoke specifications that gave the customer the technology required to test inertial sensing technologies being developed.

Expertise in precision, high accuracy embedded motion control technology led the design that integrated:

Low noise analogue design
High scan rate
A to D conversion
Provision of all hardware, software and electronics elements
HMI development using Labview
Integrated logging system

This work was completed utilising detailed knowledge of internal processing algorithms and the know-how to couple the Labview HMI with an integrated logging system.

Robotic Control and Actuation

@rycramweb — Sun, 19 May 2019 09:23:12 +0000

Electronics for groundbreaking medical robots

We are working with Thistle Design and a group of industry and academic partners to develop Morow Ltd’s prototype robot that will enable people to learn to walk again after experiencing a stroke. The project’s main aim is to produce a working model that can be used for clinical trials.

The Motorised Rehabilitation of Walking (MoRoW3) robot’s motion control system actuates machinery by utilising proprietary control algorithms and advanced adaptive control techniques.

Phase 1 of the development is now complete and Mage Control System’s work included:

Precision servo control and all electronics
Algorithms for walking motion
HMI development for use with medical tablet
High power density hardware design
Safety critical coding to DO178C standard

Mage Control Systems are delighted to have taken part in Phase 1 of the project and are pleased to note that we continue to be involved in Phase 2. The focus now is to add further functionality to the robot that will enable the already proven motion control system to respond more specifically to the nuances of individual patient biometric profiles.

Harsh Environment Electronics

@rycramweb — Sun, 19 May 2019 09:14:50 +0000

High temperature electronics for downhole tools and communication

We are listening to the demands from oil, gas and well intervention markets for downhole tools that can operate reliably and accurately in increasingly harsh, high temperature environments. The requirement to make tools and resources more robust and higher performing has inspired us to design the electronics that will drive these tools beyond current capabilities.

Currently, we already have electronic designs for a motor drive controller and an intelligent sensing and communication data logger for downhole use that will comfortably operate at 210°C.

We are now developing the next generation of our technology for downhole tools that will operate at 230°C. Using unique design and production methodologies, we can leverage the knowledge and expertise gained by the team at Mage from both the oil & gas and aerospace & security sectors, benefitting from the best technologies of both worlds.

Our current data logger PCB uses CAN BUS and RS 485 to intelligently sense and monitor function, performance and status. It can capture data over extended periods, analysing and storing it by clever utilisation of unique capture algorithms.

If you want to discuss how the developments of our new technology could boost your performance and productivity, we’d like to hear from you – please contact us. We are currently gathering expressions of interest and looking for partners who may wish to test our newly developed prototypes with a view to early adoption.

Mage Control Systems

Intelligent Technology Platform Collaboration

Living Hours Accreditation Pledge

Ice Drill Controller and Data Logging System

Powering climate change research

HV/LV Cable Analyser

Non-Invasive Analysis for High Voltage Armoured Cables

FADEC for Gas Turbines

Engine and turbine control for groundbreaking UAVs

Ministerial Visit

Ministerial Visit

Precision Instrumentation

In hospitals worldwide

Caption

Caption

Inertial Navigation

Stable control in an unpredictable environment

Robotic Control and Actuation

Electronics for groundbreaking medical robots

Harsh Environment Electronics

High temperature electronics for downhole tools and communication