Problem
Data logging is an industrial control technology with several different applications and functions. No matter if the devices monitor temperature, humidity, voltages, or other environmental factors or signals of interest, they require consistent meter reading, often on a 24-hour cycle. Previously, data loggers had to be checked in person and data was recorded manually, a labor intensive task. Onset, a leader in data recording technology, reached out to AndPlus in search of a more efficient way to collect data from loggers by limiting site visits and increasing accessibility.
Solution
AndPlus engineered the MX Bluetooth (BLE) Gateway, a software to acquire data from an entire facility at once by utilizing Bluetooth’s wireless data exchange. When installed, this gateway would search for all Bluetooth signals in the area and determine which ones were data loggers. Once connected, the gateway was ready to pull data from all nearby devices. Rather than collecting data by checking each device individually, the Bluetooth gateway connected up to 100 loggers and could find devices as far as 100 feet away.
Because Bluetooth is a short-range wireless data exchange, the gateway collected programmed data from these devices and would then connect to a local WiFI or Ethernet network, instantly sending the data to cloud storage. This data would then be nearly instantly available to view from mobile software. For large buildings, groups of gateways could be installed, so if one MX Gateway has a poor connection to a logger, another gateway in the group can transmit data from that logger instead, expanding the coverage area.
Through the Intemp app, users had full range to decide the type and frequency of data collected. Alarms such as out-of-range measurements, low-battery warnings, and more could be detected by the MX Bluetooth gateway and sent to the app. Not only could data be recorded automatically and continuously, the app dashboard let users receive data through any mobile device. By collecting data via Bluetooth, all monitoring of this information could now be handled remotely, automatically, and viewed in real time.
Outcome
High-speed Bluetooth-accessible data loggers could now be placed anywhere in a facility and data could be recorded at any time, improving their usefulness in environmental control without having to develop a new logging product. Data acquisition and monitoring could be managed automatically and viewed immediately, two crucial improvements in efficiency that drastically reduces work burden. This integration makes recording more accurate and saves time, labor, and money. Furthermore, in highly sensitive environments, data can now be recorded without human disturbance, and real-time data display can help identify problems such as equipment failures or other abnormalities faster than before. This gateway technology can be effortlessly used for any facility needing environment monitoring: medical, agricultural, educational, storage, and more.
Technology Used
About Onset
About the Company
“Based on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Onset has been designing and manufacturing its data loggers and monitoring solutions on site since the company's founding in 1981.
Onset's mission is to be a global leader in data logger and monitoring solutions used to measure, record, and manage data for improving the environment and preserving the quality of temperature-sensitive products.” - Onset 2021
