Power System Design Trade-Offs in a Wild Animal Tracking Ear Tag

This paper gives details on the design and trade-offs of a power system for a wild animal ear tag. Ear tags report on the location (and movement over time) of animals. Location and movement studies lead to the understanding of animal behavioral patterns, which aid in their conservation effort. With the advent of microelectronics, ear tags for wild animals are now viable. Biologically, an animal's behavior is not influenced if it cannot feel the tag mounted on an ear. Deployment of ear tags (as opposed to collar tags) has brought many engineering challenges which includes battery life, update rate, and transmission range. Not only must the tag be small and light weight, it must also work off sunlight, be bump and mud resistant, transmit over tens of kilometers, and work in high ambient temperatures. This article explores the interplay between the power requirements of the ear tag with relationships to environmental and physical constraints.