Grundfos MI 301

New Updated Wireless Remote Control for Grundfos Pumps

After several successful development projects through time, the collaboration between Grundfos and Develco is based on mutual trust. Already in 2012, Develco developed the first version of the remote control for Grundfos MI 301 within the agreed short deadline of seven months. Develco was responsible for development of the complete unit with electronics, embedded software, and mechanics for Grundfos MI 301 consisting of two parts:

  • A remote control that can communicate with both the pump equipment and a SmartPhone
  • An App on a SmartPhone with access to the pump equipment

For that reason, Grundfos contacted Develco when a component was no longer in production for the remote control for Grundfos MI 301, which communicates wirelessly with the Grundfos pumps and can change the setup of the pumps. Grundfos chose to update MI 301. The result is the new remote control, which Develco again has developed within the agreed short development time, as end-of-life of the outgoing component would result in a production stoppage.

The external mechanics of the remote control for Grundfos MI 301 are unchanged, while the internal electronics, radio technology, and infrared communication are updated. The old remote control for MI 301 communicated wirelessly via Bluetooth Classic. For the new remote control Develco has developed a completely new printed circuit board/PCB for wireless radio communication via the communication protocol Bluetooth Low Energy BLE, just as the infrared IR communication in MI 301 has been improved in co-operation with Grundfos’ own specialists.

Develco has been responsible for the development of the new remote control for Grundfos MI 301 and the subsequent approval of MI 301 in selected countries according to the latest global product standards and EU directives, according to which all Grundfos products are approved. In the development process Develco has also ensured that Grundfos MI 301 was fully developed for 0-series production according to Grundfos standards at an EMS partner in Thailand and ready for subsequent market introduction as the new remote control for the Grundfos pumps. During the update of Grundfos MI 301 Develco has co-operated closely with Grundfos’ own development department and Grundfos’ external developer of the App “Grundfos GO Remote”, which can be downloaded for free for both iOS and Android.

Remote Control for Grundfos MI 301
App Grundfos GO Remote for Grundfos MI 301

PRODUCT FACTS

  • Wireless link between Grundfos devices and Smartphones
  • Communication between Smartphone and MI 301 M02 via Bluetooth Low Energy BLE 5.1
  • Communication between MI 301 M02 and Grundfos devices via proprietary radio protocol “GLoWPAN” or infrared
  • Optimized Battery Lifetime

CUSTOMER STATEMENT

“One component was no longer in production, and we had the choice between phasing out the old version of the remote control for Grundfos MI 301 or launching a new updated remote control. To ensure the production we chose the update of the remote control but did not have the necessary internal resources for the development project at Grundfos. Therefore we continued the collaboration with Develco, which has developed the old version and has all documentation on the remote control. The development co-operation with Develco has been very good. Develco is a professional technology development partner with a strong project management, where everyone in the development team is open to the questions that naturally arise during a development process. In this way Develco has contributed significantly to the continued production and introduction in due time of the updated remote control for Grundfos MI 301”, says Lead Engineer Flemming Beck at Grundfos.