Sounds like a great project.

I'm a controls engineer by profession. Generally, I would not implement closed loop control off a wireless device. There are a lot of factors that affect wireless comms. If you insist on this route, make sure there is a PIC at either end and a heartbeat so that the controller doesn't run away in the event of a comms loss.

And, if it is going through a hard wired network, make sure there is a PIC at either end and a heartbeat so that the controller doesn't run away in the event of a comms loss.


So, my favorite ways to connect to remote devices is directly through a wire.

What sensors did you have in mind? wind speed? Wind Direction? Rotor speed?

In general most industrial sensors (temperature and pressure) are 4-20ma which easily converts into 1-5vdc, which a pic can read. I'd expect you have a potentiometer that gives wind direction and you rotate the turbine into it. then you regulate the charge rate based on load (or lack of it)