WIRELESS MONITORING SYSTEMS
Communication systems and sensors
VISION
Wireless remote monitoring systems enable a vast array of sensors to be integrated with data communicated wirelessly from sensors and nodes to an onsite gateway, which in turn transmits the data of mobile LTE to a data server.
Wireless remote monitoring systems are not suitable for every monitoring project. In order to preserve the battery life of the system's sensors and wireless sensor nodes, wireless monitoring systems are unable to continuously take readings and send them to the data server. Instead, wireless remote monitoring systems take readings on a set interval.
The minimum reading frequency is dependant on each system but ranges between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. The maximum reading frequency is typically once every 24 hours. The more frequently readings are taken, the shorter the device battery will last. Device reading frequencies can be set independently of each other.
Remote monitoring systems consist of 5 key elements which need to be considered.
VISUALISATION
PLATFORM
DATA
SERVER
DATA
SERVER
LTE
GATEWAY
LTE
GATEWAY
WIRELESS
SENSORS & SENSOR
NODES
INTEGRATED CABLED
SENSORS
Not all systems provide for all 5 elements. Selecting a suitable remote monitoring system requires 4 key decisions to be made.
WHAT SENSORS DO I NEED FOR THE PROJECT AND AT WHAT FREQUENCY DO I NEED TO TAKE SENSOR READINGS?
DATA
SERVER
DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE ON THE VISUALISATION PLATFORM YOU WANT TO USE TO PRESENT SENSOR DATA?
LTE
GATEWAY
WHERE DO YOU WANT SENSOR DATA STORED? ON YOUR OWN SERVER OR ON THE REMOTE MONITORING SYSTEM PROVIDERS SERVER?
DO YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONFIGURE PROJECT CREATION, SENSORS LINKED TO A PROJECT AND SENSOR SETTINGS INDEPENDENTLY FROM THE SYSTEM PROVIDER?
Trimble Piconode - LS-G6-PICO-MON
Trimble Vibrating Wire Node 1-channel - LS-G6-VW-MON
Trimble Vibrating Wire Node 1-channel - LS-G6-VW-1M-MON
Trimble Analog 4-channel - LS-G6-ANALOG-4-MON
Trimble Digital Logger - LS-G6-DIG-2-MON
Trimble Tilt Sensor - LS-G6-TIL90-X-MON
Trimble Tilt & Laser Distance Sensor - LS-G6-LAS-TIL90-MON
Trimble Tilt Sensor - LS-G6-TIL90-I-MON
Trimble 4G Gateway 868MHz or 923MHz
Trimble T4D Geotech Software
Where systems provide for a data server, a monthly subscription is required for active sensor data to be stored. This price of the subscription and whether this is per sensor or per gateway differs from provider to provider.
The key consideration is that if you wish to store data centrally on your own server, there will be an unavoidable duplication of cost with these systems, paying to first store the data on their server, and to then subsequently pull the data to your server.
System Components
The table below provides a comparison between 7 of the leading providers in wireless remote monitoring systems.
Title | Frequency | Tilt Sensor | Digital Node | Vibrating Wire Node | Other Sensors | Fully Self Configurable | Replaceable Device Batteries | Device Battery Type | Gateway Power Supply | Gateway Power Consumption | Gateway Back-up Batteries | Provider Data Server | Visualisation Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
World Sensing | LoRa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Laser Tilt Sensor | Yes | Yes | 3.6V C Type | 48Vdc PoE or 12Vdc | 4.5W | Yes | No | No |
Monnit | LoRa | Yes | No | No | Wide array of sensor units | No | No | 3.6V AA Type | 5-12Vdc | 5W | No | Yes | Yes |
Trimble | LoRa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Laser Tilt Sensor | Yes | Yes | 3.6V C Type | 48Vdc PoE or 12Vdc | 4.5W | Yes | No | Yes |
Move Solutions | LoRa | Yes | No | Yes | Accelerometer / Deck / Vibrometer | No | Yes | 3.6V D Type | 37-57Vdc PoE or 12Vdc | 3W | No | Yes | Yes |
WiSen | 2.4Ghz or LoRa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Video Camera 1080p / Omni Tilt Sensor / Laser Tilt Sensor / Dynamic Displacement Sensor | Yes | Yes | 3.6V D Type | 7V ~ 32Vdc | 14W | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sencieve | 2.4Ghz or LoRa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Optical Displacement Sensor / 4G Camera Monochrome Still | No | No | 3.6V D Type | 12Vdc | 20W | No | Yes | Yes |
Ackcio | LoRa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Relay Node | Yes | Yes | 3.6V D Type | 12Vdc | 24W | Yes | No | No |
Are you looking for a quotation for a complete remote monitoring system?
We supply complete monitoring systems, pre-connected and pre-configured ready for installation onsite.