Calibrating Wireless Light Sensors.
The light sensor needs to be calibrated once received. Keep in mind that the light sensor detects if there is light or no light, not light intensity. (For light intensity measurements, please refer to our LUX sensor.)
To calibrate the light sensor, put the sensor in the area where you want to monitor for light presence. Make sure the light level is where you want it in the area because when you calibrate the sensor, it will consider that level as light, and anything less than that level as dark.
1. Login to your iMonnit account with the credentials provided.
2. Select the "Light Presence" sensor from your sensor list.
3. Click on the "Calibrate" tab in the main sensor window.
4. With the sensor online, place it where you want it and set your light level.
5. Select the condition you want to know about from the pull down menu. (Your options are "Aware when light" and "Aware when dark.")
6. Wait for your sensor to check-in again for the settings to take place.
Get Optimal Range From Your Wireless Sensors Through Network Reset
Getting the best range from your sensors can require a bit of trial and error. In this Tip, we discuss resetting your sensor network to assure your system is operating on the most optimal RF frequency in your region, giving you the most range possible. Once you have completed this process, you may also want to look at the following FAQs:
Prior to Monnit shipping your wireless network, your sensors are tested in our lab. This means we form and operate the network in-house. Upon set-up, the sensors and gateway lock onto the most clear RF channel for our facility and begin communicating. The next time the sensor network is plugged in (presumably when you are installing the sensors), your network is still locked onto the same channel that was optimal in our test facilities. However, that may not be the optimal channel for YOU in YOUR location. Thus, we recommend you reset the network prior to deploying the sensors. This will help you achieve the best range for your sensor deployment.
For USB Gateways Using iMonnit Online Software
- Start the iMonnit gateway software
- Insert the USB dongle and wait for the network to go active
- Select "Reset Network" from the gateway software and wait until the status again says "Network Active"
- Begin putting the batteries in the sensors
For USB Gateways Using Monnit Express Software
- Start the Monnit Express software
- Insert the USB dongle and wait for the network to go active
- Go to the pull down menu titled "File" and select "Reset Network," and wait until the status again says "Network Active"
- Begin putting the batteries in the sensors
For Ethernet Gateways Using iMonnit Online Software
- 1. Install your Ethernet gateway as per the instructions from your Quick Start Guide
- 2. Select "My Account" from the main header
- From the Sensor Network list, select the edit pencil of the gateway you wish to reform the network.
- From the options below, select "Reform Network" and wait until the Ethernet gateway has processed the command and reset itself. You will know this is complete once all three LEDs on the Ethernet gateway are green again.
- Begin inserting the batteries into your sensors.
Your sensor network is now operating on the most optimal RF channel available in your area.
Calibrating Wireless Temperature Sensors
Did you know that you can calibrate a wireless temperature sensor to make it more accurate for your application? The Monnit wireless temperature sensor is accurate to +/- 1°C (1.8°F) and calibration to the sensor's working environment provides even greater accuracy. To calibrate your sensors, open your favorite browser and login to your iMonnit account at www.imonnit.com.
- Once logged into the system, go to the "Sensor List" panel and click on the name of the temperature sensor you want to calibrate.
- From the sensor information window, click on the Calibrate tab.
- Make note of the last reading the sensor returned.
- Enter the actual temperature that the sensor should have returned.
- Click the "Calibrate" button.
It will take the sensor 2 heartbeats to fully calibrate. Do not attempt any further calibrations until at least 2 heartbeats have elapsed. The calibration function is a linear calibration so it is recommended that you calibrate the sensor in the environment that it will be measuring. (It is not advised to calibrate a temperature sensor to room temperature and then place the sensor in a cooler or freezer.)
Enable or Disable Email or SMS Text Alerts from the iMonnit System.
Did you know that you can enable or disable email and text alerts for wireless sensors on your network. iMonnit has a global feature that allows you to stop email and text message notifications from being sent from the iMonnit system. To turn this feature on and off, open your favorite browser and login to your iMonnit account at www.imonnit.com.
- Once logged in, from the top pull-down menu, find and select "My Account"
- On the left hand side, find "Sensor Networks" and select the edit pencil next to the network for which you would like to the notifications turned off
- The second feature down is titled "Send notifications for this Network"
- If notifications are being sent, deselect the check box. If notifications are NOT being sent, select the check box.
- Click "Save"
Configuring Multiple Wireless Sensors Simultaneously through the iMonnit System
Did you know that you can make setting up your Monnit WIT wireless sensors easier by configuring multiple sensors at the same time? The iMonnit system allows you to configure any sensors of the same type simultaneously. To get started, open your favorite browser and login to your iMonnit account on www.imonnit.com.
- Start by clicking on "Configure Multiple Sensors" at the bottom of the sensor's list window.
- Next select the type of sensor's you want to configure.
- Select all the sensors that you want to have the same settings.
- Configure the settings that you want to apply to all of the selected sensors.
- Click "Save All" at the bottom of the page.
Proper Orientation of Wireless Antennas
In order to get the best performance out of your Monnit WIT Wireless Sensors, it is important to note proper antenna orientation and sensor positioning. Antennas should all be oriented in the same direction, pointing vertically out of the sensor. If the sensor is mounted flat on it's back on a horizontal surface, you should bend the antenna as close to the sensor housing as possible giving you the most amount of antenna pointing vertical. You should make the antenna wire as straight as possible, avoiding any kinks and curving of the wire.
For optimum signal strength determine the height at which the majority of your sensors will be mounted at and position the wireless gateway at the same height. The sensor signal strength will reduce if the sensors are positioned higher than the wireless gateway. Also sensors should be at least 3 feet away from each other and the wireless gateway to function properly.
Correct Antenna Orientation
Antennas should all be pointing vertically and devices should be at least 3 feet apart.
What Can You Discover With Monnit WIT Wireless Sensors?
When you begin using Monnit WIT Wireless Sensors you probably purchased them for a specific purpose. Maybe it was to track refrigerator temperatures or to know if there is a plumbing leak. While using the sensors for these applications, you may discover new information about your facility or home that you didn't know before.
Real World Applications:
We were recently contacted by a company that is using our Monnit WIT Wireless Sensors to monitor areas of a building that are not in use. The sensors were purchased to be used as an alerting system to let building maintenance personnel know if the heating system fails, helping them avoid plumbing issues from frozen pipes. When the company looked at the data coming from the sensors, they realized that their control system was setup incorrectly and that the building was heating at night when not needed.
This company began to wonder if there were other areas of their facility that may not be operating as they believed and now use Monnit WIT Wireless Temperature Sensors to monitor areas such as IT servers, office space and storage areas to optimize temperatures for cost savings. They also use Monnit WIT Wireless Light Sensors after realizing they had issues with lights being left on continually in unoccupied areas. Using Monnit WIT Wireless Sensors around their facility has lead to substantial operating cost savings.
Where Can You Use Wireless Sensors?
Here are a few ways Monnit customers are currently using Monnit WIT Wireless Sensors.
- Boiler temperature monitoring to detect boiler failures or excessive heating.
- Warehouse temperature monitoring to avoid frozen fire suppression systems.
- Monitor vacant commercial property temperatures to avoid frozen pipes.
- Summer/winter (vacation) property monitoring for frozen pipes or excessive heat.
- HVAC system monitoring to detect failures or heating / cooling issues.
- Monitor temperature of K9 units (dog collar's and kennel).
- Art gallery and museum temperature monitoring.
- Art gallery and museum humidity monitoring.
- Art gallery and museum light metering.
- Heat remediation of bed bugs (extermination).
- Freezer and cooler temperature monitoring to detect failure and prevent food spoilage.
- Server room temperature monitoring.
- Cadaver storage cooler temperature monitoring.
- Greenhouse temperature and humidity monitoring.
- Hotel, motel and resort water heater leak detection.
- Residential and commercial water heater leak detection.
- Sink and toilet leak detection.
- Frozen or burst water pipe monitoring.
- Reservoir level monitoring.
- Sump and well monitoring.
- Basement water monitoring.
- Boat bilge pump monitoring.
- Commercial property "lights left on" electricity management.
- Residential property "lights left on"electricity management.
- Greenhouse solar and light level tracking.
- Commercial property door and window access.
- Residential property door and window access.
- Bank owned foreclosure properties access monitoring.
- Restricted area monitoring.
- Shipping cargo bay door monitoring.
- Garage door monitoring.
- Asset tracking and monitoring.
- Location tracking of school buses.
- Fleet vehicle management and tracking.
- Machinery and motor RPM tracking.
- Production line position tracking.
- Barn door access monitoring.
- Pharmaceutical refrigerator temperature tracking and monitoring.
- Restaurant freezer / cooler temperature monitoring.
- Freezer / cooler doors left open.
- Convenience store cooler doors (to determine if they are not closed all the way).
- Forklift seat switches.
- Motor and machinery monitoring to determine how often a machine is in use.
- Environmental monitoring.
- Humidor monitoring.
- Customer service request button.
- Hotel / motel front desk call button.
- Bathroom needs cleaning (service call button).
Want to share how you use Monnit WIT Wireless Sensors? Email us at info@monnit.com
Monitoring hard to access locations without the need for a power outlet.
While wireless sensors are powered by batteries and can be used a great distance away from the wireless gateway or access point, you may still find yourself needing to place a wireless gateway or access point in a hard to access location that does not have a power outlet. For example, you may need to place a wireless gateway in an attic, crawl space or sump in order to receive a signal from sensors used in those areas. Sometimes you may luck out and have a power outlet in these areas to supply the needed power to your gateway. In the event that you don't, Monnit provides an option for the MonnitLink Ethernet Gateway that allows the unit to be powered over an Ethernet cable.
MonnitLink Ethernet Gateway With Power Over Ethernet:
Power over Ethernet or PoE technology is a system that allows you to pass electrical power safely, along with data, through Ethernet cabling. To use PoE technology with a MonnitLink Ethernet Gateway all you need to do is purchase the PoE version of our gateway and run a PoE enabled Ethernet cable to the location where you would like to place the unit (up to 300 ft). Place the unit in a place where it will be away from water and extreme temperatures and plug the Ethernet cable into the back of the unit. Now you can ensure that hard to access locations can be monitored without the need for running new power supply lines.
What does the “x” mean next to a sensor name in the monitoring software?
When using the iMonnit User Interface or Monnit Express software, you may notice the "Edit" icon change to show a small red "x" in the bottom right corner. The "x" signifies that a sensor configuration has been changed in the software and is queued to update the sensor hardware configuration on its next heartbeat. Once a sensor's configuration has been changed on the wireless sensor hardware, the icon will change back to it's original form. When a sensor has configurations waiting to be written to the hardware, some items may be grayed out in the configuration panels. If an item is grayed out, it means that sensor configurations affecting that value are waiting to be written and the value can not be modified until the sensor hardware has been updated. If a sensor's "Edit" icon does not return to its original state, it can be caused by any of the following.
Sensor Availability:
Because Monnit sensors are battery powered it is critical that the radio remains inactive between transmissions to conserve power. If transmissions from the sensor are increased and left listening for continual communication, the battery life is severely impacted. This forces the software to pass sensor updates to the sensor only after the sensor has turned on its radio and listens for an acknowledgment. During the acknowledgment, the gateway will notify the sensor that the software has a configuration update and from there the network can communicate the updates to the sensor. At this point the sensor acknowledges the configuration update and the software marks the transaction complete (removing the pending transaction flag).
If a sensor is out of range from the MonnitLink Wireless Gateway, communication with the sensor will be lost until it has returned within range. Once the sensor is within range it should automatically update on its next heartbeat. If it does not, you may need to locate the sensor and power cycle it by removing the battery, waiting 30 seconds then re-inserting the battery.
Gateway Lag:
Out of the box, MonnitLink wireless gateways are configured to communicate with the software application once every five minutes. (It uses the same communication protocol as your web browser does while communicating to your bank.) Because of the five minute gateway heartbeat, there is a lag (delay time) between the time the user saves the configuration settings in the software and the time the gateway receives the updates. After the gateway has acknowledged the updates they are queued to update during the sensor's next heartbeat communication. Once the sensor receives the configuration update it will communicate the success back to the software, which will mark the "Pending" transaction as complete returning the "Edit" icon to its original state.
Understanding the Battery Graphic in the iMonnit™ User Interface.
Monnit offers two sensor products with different battery options. The Monnit WIT is our least expensive, and most common sensor line and is powered by a CR2032 lithium-ion battery and has 250mA hours worth of energy. The Monnit WIT2 is powered by two AA lithium-ion batteries and provides the user with 3,000 mA hours worth of energy.
The battery graphic in Monnit's software solutions (iMonnit, Monnit Express and Monnit Enterprise) is represented by five different images:
- Above 75% it shows Full
- Above 50% it shows Three Quarters
- Above 25% it shows Half
- Above 10% it shows One Quarter
- Above 0% it shows red
- At or below 0% it shows Empty
The percentages are configured per the following table:
| Battery Type | 0% | 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 100% |
| CR2032 | 2.7V or < | 2.75V | 2.8V | 2.85V | 2.9V | 3.0V or > |
| 2 AA Lith Ion | 2.4V or < | 2.55V | 2.6V | 2.8V | 2.9V | 3.0V or > |
Monnit uses linear interpolation for all values between the given points. For example, a battery voltage of 2.95 is between 2.9 and 3.0. The battery percent is half way between 75% and 100% (or 87.5%) so the display will be rounded to 88%.
Because the power reservoir is small in the CR2032, the voltage can fluctuate between reads. This can cause the reading to change from 50% to 0% by only having a .15V drop at the time of the battery read. For example, if the network encounters any interference and the sensor has to transmit more than once, the battery will display lower than subsequent readings that didn't have to send retries.
A benefit to AA batteries is that they will show a much smoother curve as the batteries drain due to the larger power reservoir.
