AirWire^® LoRa Wireless Technology

Need to know how much diesel fuel is in the tank, how high the water level is under the bridge, or whether the chicken feed will last longer than the chickens?  Senix ToughSonic Level Sensors can now get these answers to your desk or mobile device quickly, safely and inexpensively using the emerging LoRa spread-spectrum wireless technology.

Tank Level

• Inventory
• Pickup or delivery
• Low and high alerts
• Open or closed tanks
• Many liquids & solids
• Benign & chemical liquids

Level & Flow

• Open channel flow
• Flumes and weirs
• Historical data logging

Bodies of Water

• Flood alarms & warnings
• Historical data collection
• Pond, stream, river levels
• Tidal monitoring

ToughSonic^® Sensors
Tough. Smart.
and now… Connected.

Field-proven sensors since 1990

What Is AirWire LoRa?

Senix wireless products carry the brand name AirWire. The wireless system described here is an emerging technology we call AirWire LoRa designed to operate at distances up to 10 miles depending on terrain, antenna elevation and line of sight. LoRa is derived from the words Long Range and handles many applications at low power, low cost and with good range performance.

Functionality

• Collect level data from monitor sites and put it to use
• Display and alert level or volume conditions
• Use in buildings or outdoors
• Real-time measurements
• 50,000-100,000 measurements on D-cell batteries
• Measure liquids up to 50-feet away with ToughSonic sensors

Cost Savings

• Less expensive than running conduit inside buildings
• No wiring or power needed at monitored sites
• No cellular connect charges within the LoRa network
• Reduce labor and increase safety with fewer site visits

Example Display

Why Use LoRa?

• Relatively long range handles many nearby applications
• Very low power consumption
• Ideal for measurement rates of a few times per hour
• Measure rate can be as fast as 15 seconds and scheduled to meet special needs
• High Security for privacy, measurement integrity and authenticity
• Data can be restricted to company LAN or connected to cloud services
• Conforms to latest IoT standards and can integrate with existing applications

AirWire Level Transmitter

The battery-powered Level Transmitter connects with and controls a Senix RS-485 interfaced ultrasonic level sensor, then sends each level measurement to the Receiver-Gateway. It maximizes battery life by operating for a very short period of time to power the sensor and send the data, then goes back to “sleep” until the next measurement. In that very short time the transmitter and receiver-gateway communicate to schedule the next measurement and collect service statistics.

• One or many transmitters can send level measurements to one Receiver-Gateway
• Attach to sensor cable or relocate to improve wireless range using extension cable
• Small IP66 enclosure with waterproof cable entry gland
• 50-100,000 transactions using three industrial D-cell alkaline batteries
• Battery alternatives and solar versions in development
• Intended for applications with measurement rates of a few readings per hour

  Level Transmitter Data Sheet

AirWire LoRa Receiver-Gateways

A Receiver-Gateway accepts level measurements from one or more level transmitters and can:

• Act as a web server to show levels to users on a LAN
• Send email alerts at high and/or low level conditions
• Inform each transmitter how long to sleep before the next measurement
• Log time-stamped levels for import to Excel or other applications
• Transfer level information to other applications either on the LAN or in the cloud

The Basic Receiver-Gateway is plastic housed with an internal antenna and is surface, wall or ceiling mounted. It can act as a server and/or Ethernet gateway, and can datalog 115,000 measurements (about 20 days at 15 minutes per measurement).

The Flex Receiver-Gateway is metal housed with a rear-attached bendable antenna and is surface mounted. It can act as a server and/or Ethernet gateway, and datalog up to 22.8 million measurements (over 10 years at 15 minutes per measurement). The antenna can be replaced with a coax cable to extend and elevate an indoor or outdoor antenna for increased range. Cellular gateway options are also available.

The Outdoor Receiver-Gateway is sealed in an IP67 aluminum housing with attached antenna designed for elevated mounting outdoors to increase system range performance. It can act as a server and/or Ethernet gateway, and datalog up to 22.8 million measurements (over 10 years at 15 minutes per measurement). Cellular gateway options are also available.

If the level transmitters are within range of Public LoRa services a cloud-based application can be used in lieu of the receiver-gateway. Similar or expanded features can be provided in a cloud-based architecture. Cloud-based services can also be provided simultaneously by transferring the level data stream through the receiver-gateway to the cloud.

The Receiver-Gateways are configured to customer-specific needs. Here are some possibilities for the Basic and Flex Receivers:

How We Work

A complete AirWire LoRa System has several components:

• Hardware: Sensor(s), Level Transmitter(s), Receiver-Gateway and associated accessories and options
• Software: Functional setup of the Receiver-Gateway to meet customer requirements
• Configuration: Initializing the required data fields that integrate the system components, and connect to any external customer systems
• Support: Senix can provide remote support or assist the user with changes or customization

Senix delivers complete ready-to-go systems, or supports customers who want to “roll their own”. Systems vary from simple one-tank displays to multiple tanks at multiple locations. To get started, enter your requirements below or call our team at 800-677-3649.