Cleanroom controls that kept running without the PC

When a room condition drifted, operators needed a clear trail of what changed and when. We added timestamped setpoint-change and alarm logs to the LabVIEW screen alongside live temperature, humidity, and room-pressure readings exported automatically to spreadsheet-ready files.

While the four-fan demonstration stored logs on the local workstation, our follow-on facility proposals weighed local logging against remote network access—accounting for the hosting, IT setup, and ongoing maintenance remote monitoring would require.

As the client explored scaling controls across multiple cleanrooms—each with independent setpoints and alarm thresholds—they also asked what a stripped-down system using simple on/off switching for fans and lights would save compared with full variable-speed control.

Our engineering and cost comparison showed why cheaper circuit boards wouldn’t automatically yield a cheaper installation: a low-cost central relay panel required electricians to pull individual power runs from every fan and light back to one cabinet, whereas placing distributed controllers at each unit slashed facility wiring enough that total installed cost approached the full speed-control architecture. Accounting for electrical switching loads and installation labor alongside part prices gave the client an honest basis for comparing those proposals.

Alongside our paid cleanroom work, RTSystemDesign used internal R&D time in 2014 to design a separate product concept for a compact, modular wireless sensor built to log environmental conditions and make readings accessible remotely.