Digi Connect Sensor expands wireless connectivity with either no power or low power

Digi Connect Sensor

Digi International, has introduced Digi Connect Sensor, a battery-powered, enterprise-ready, cellular gateway solution for wireless connectivity at locations with either no power or low power.

In offering a plug-and-play solution, Connect Sensor allows for remote sensor monitoring to be deployed in environments previously considered too harsh, remote or not economically viable. With versatility and flexibility to accommodate off-the-shelf sensors, such as flow, level, pressure and environmental conditions, the newly announced cellular gateway solution will help make sensor use ubiquitous.

Because it provides remote monitoring without the need for additional infrastructure, power supplies or third-party applications, Digi Connect Sensor is ideal for energy, water, industrial and government installations that need to expand monitoring capabilities due to oversight requirements, or to increase operational efficiencies, as well as implement Industry 4.0 or Smart City initiatives.

Featuring integration with Digi Device Cloud, Connect Sensor allows individual companies, systems integrators and IoT solution providers to easily offer vastly expanded monitoring capabilities and deliver new levels of visibility. With cellular connectivity at each sensor and low cellular data usage rates, Connect Sensor also eliminates the need to configure local wireless networks and makes it cost effective for data backhaul.

Connect Sensor also works with Digi’s Connect Wizard, a first-of-its-kind mobile application for this type of battery-powered gateway. The application uses a Bluetooth connection to provide local installers, technicians or drivers with instant feedback on sensor values via Android and iOS smartphones or tablets. This provides local personnel with immediate status on possible actions and replaces the need for outdated LCD displays.

Endress+Hauser, a supplier of industrial measurement and automation equipment, recently selected Digi Connect Sensor for its inventory management solutions to offer a complete solution for connectivity of industrial sensors in remote locations.

Providing an optimal combination of incorporating low-cost sensors capable of multiple uses, data transport via global cellular networks and power available wherever it is needed, Digi Connect Sensor key features include:

  • Flexible power source options: Features a long-lasting, non-rechargeable battery with two to three-year average life, sleep mode to conserve power between sensor readings and the option to power from an external source using the internal battery as backup power. As a result, users have the flexibility to make the device self-powered, or take advantage of existing power supplies, including solar.
  • Cellular choice: For global connectivity, Connect Sensor is available in 3G HSPA+ with 2G fallback. North American users can also choose an LTE CAT 1 version.
  • Supports LTE CAT 1: With support for LTE CAT 1, the band specifically created for IoT and M2M communications, Connect Sensor devices are highly efficient, require less power and are optimised for data transfer.
  • Sensor variety and flexibility: Multiple I/O options and simultaneous connections offer solution flexibility to address multiple sensor-based environments. Connect Sensor can work with virtually any 4/20mA, Analog Out, Digital Out or Pulsed Output sensor, and can power multiple external sensors, eliminating the need for external supplies or batteries.
  • Enterprise-grade security: Security may be implemented at the device, transport and platform level.
  • Appropriate for harsh environments: Features weather-proof NEMA 4 enclosure to protect sensors from the elements, as well as ATEX Group 2 and UL Class 1 Division 2 ratings.
  • Increased awareness and customised reporting: Integration with Digi Device Cloud provides visibility and centralised management for all Connect Sensor devices; Device Cloud also serves as the platform for sensor data collection.
  • Increased levels of customisation: Configurable read/report intervals and customisable alarms provide alerts when sensor value is above or below threshold levels.

“There’s an insatiable appetite for data along with an increased need to extend operational visibility,” said Joel Young, chief technology officer, Digi International. “With Connect Sensor we’ve created a practical, self-powered, remote monitoring solution that takes advantage of existing cellular data transport networks. Enterprises can now place sensors in locations where it simply wasn’t previously possible in order to obtain valuable feedback and better manage their operations in remote or harsh environments that lack power.”

Digi is exhibiting at booth #1439 at the Sensors Expo and Conference, taking place June 21 – 23, 2016 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, Calif. During the conference, Digi will be demonstrating the Connect Sensor as well as the Digi Connect Wizard mobile application.

Comment on this article below or via Twitter: @IoTNow_ OR @jcIoTnow

RECENT ARTICLES

Enhance EV charging performance with cellular connectivity

Posted on: March 28, 2024

Electric vehicles (EVs) are steadily growing their market share at the expense of internal combustion engine vehicles. The growth is fuelled by several factors. Perhaps most importantly, prices for EVs have started to drop as competition in the industry is intensifying. New players and models are emerging, prompting several established EV makers to lower their

Read more

Panasonic and Jasmy unveil Web3 Platform for IoT data control

Posted on: March 28, 2024

Panasonic has joined forces with Jasmy (JASMY) blockchain to introduce a Web3 platform that will facilitate the connection of personal data on the Internet of Things (IoT). The collaboration between the Japanese-based blockchain and Panasonic Advanced Technology was initiated in February, but the official announcement was made on March 26.

Read more
FEATURED IoT STORIES

What is IoT? A Beginner’s Guide

Posted on: April 5, 2023

What is IoT? IoT, or the Internet of Things, refers to the connection of everyday objects, or “things,” to the internet, allowing them to collect, transmit, and share data. This interconnected network of devices transforms previously “dumb” objects, such as toasters or security cameras, into smart devices that can interact with each other and their

Read more

The IoT Adoption Boom – Everything You Need to Know

Posted on: September 28, 2022

In an age when we seem to go through technology boom after technology boom, it’s hard to imagine one sticking out. However, IoT adoption, or the Internet of Things adoption, is leading the charge to dominate the next decade’s discussion around business IT. Below, we’ll discuss the current boom, what’s driving it, where it’s going,

Read more

9 IoT applications that will change everything

Posted on: September 1, 2021

Whether you are a future-minded CEO, tech-driven CEO or IT leader, you’ve come across the term IoT before. It’s often used alongside superlatives regarding how it will revolutionize the way you work, play, and live. But is it just another buzzword, or is it the as-promised technological holy grail? The truth is that Internet of

Read more

Which IoT Platform 2021? IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide

Posted on: August 30, 2021

There are several different parts in a complete IoT solution, all of which must work together to get the result needed, write IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide – Which IoT Platform 2021? authors Robin Duke-Woolley, the CEO and Bill Ingle, a senior analyst, at Beecham Research. Figure 1 shows these parts and, although not all

Read more

CAT-M1 vs NB-IoT – examining the real differences

Posted on: June 21, 2021

As industry players look to provide the next generation of IoT connectivity, two different standards have emerged under release 13 of 3GPP – CAT-M1 and NB-IoT.

Read more

IoT and home automation: What does the future hold?

Posted on: June 10, 2020

Once a dream, home automation using iot is slowly but steadily becoming a part of daily lives around the world. In fact, it is believed that the global market for smart home automation will reach $40 billion by 2020.

Read more

5 challenges still facing the Internet of Things

Posted on: June 3, 2020

The Internet of Things (IoT) has quickly become a huge part of how people live, communicate and do business. All around the world, web-enabled devices are turning our world into a more switched-on place to live.

Read more