Lynx-30: Simulation-Driven Low-Power Long-Range Camera Trap System
Overview
Lynx-30 is a low-power wireless camera trap system designed around the ESP32-CAM module. The system combines motion detection, infrared illumination, and efficient power management to provide battery-powered image capture for wildlife monitoring and remote sensing applications.
The project was developed using a modular hierarchical design approach and includes complete schematic capture, PCB layout, BOM generation, and manufacturing-ready Gerber files.
Features
- Low-power battery-powered operation
- ESP32-CAM image capture and wireless connectivity
- PIR-based motion detection
- Infrared illumination for night operation
- High-efficiency TPS63060 power architecture
- 5V and 3.3V regulated power rails
- PMOS-based power gating for IR LEDs
- Hierarchical schematic design
- Manufacturing-ready PCB design
- Support for 2-layer and 4-layer PCB stackups
System Architecture
Battery ↓ TPS63060 Buck-Boost Converter ↓ V_SYS_5V ├── ESP32-CAM ├── IR Illumination └── LDO Regulator ↓ V_SYS_3V3 ├── PIR Sensor └── Control Logic
Hardware Components
Main Controller
- ESP32-CAM AI Thinker Module
Power Management
- TPS63060 Buck-Boost Converter
- 3.3V LDO Regulator
Motion Detection
- PIR Sensor Module
Illumination
- IR LEDs
- PMOS High-Side Switching Circuit
Interfaces
- UART Programming Header
- MicroSD Storage
Power Architecture
The system uses a TPS63060 high-efficiency buck-boost converter to generate a regulated 5V rail from battery input.
The 5V rail supplies:
- ESP32-CAM
- IR illumination circuit
A secondary LDO regulator generates a 3.3V rail for:
- PIR sensor
- Control logic
- MOSFET gate drive circuitry
PCB Stackup
2-Layer Version
- Top Layer: Components and signal routing
- Bottom Layer: Ground plane
4-Layer Version
- Layer 1: Signal routing
- Layer 2: Ground plane
- Layer 3: Power plane
- Layer 4: Signal routing
Design Tools
- KiCad
Project Structure
Lynx-30-Camera-Trap │ ├── Documentation │ ├── Project_Report.pdf │ ├── System_Architecture.pdf │ └── Design_Notes.pdf │ ├── KiCad │ ├── Schematics │ ├── PCB │ └── Libraries │ ├── Gerbers │ ├── BOM │ └── BOM.csv │ ├── Images │ ├── PCB_Top.png │ ├── PCB_Bottom.png │ ├── PCB_3D.png │ └── System_Block_Diagram.png │ └── README.md
Deliverables
* Complete hierarchical schematic
* PCB layout
* BOM (Bill of Materials)
* Gerber files
* Pick-and-place files
* PCB 3D render images
* Engineering documentation
Future Improvements
* Deep sleep optimization
* Solar charging capability
* Machine learning-based object detection
* Cloud connectivity
* LoRa communication support
* Environmental sensors integration
Applications
* Wildlife monitoring
* Security surveillance
* Remote sensing
* Smart agriculture
* IoT edge devices
Author
Engr Umer Mohammed**
Electrical and Computer Engineer
Specialization: Power Engineering
Designed using professional PCB design practices with a focus on low-power embedded systems and manufacturable hardware.