Monnit sensors?

Anyone tried bringing data from a Monnit gateway into PAC control? It looks like their ethernet gateways have an option to hit a URL for data. They also have MODBUS support. Their industrial sensors look pretty nice…

If you have a chance to look them over, please let me know if you have any suggestions on the easiest route to get data. I am looking to replace some antiquated temp/humidity sensors in my greenhouse. Thanks in advance!

I worked on a project for a customer using their industrial digital wireless units and serial modbus gateway using 485 into a SNAP-PAC-R1. It was fairly straight forward for pulling registers and as far as I’m aware the units are still going strong after 2 years.

Take a look at Banner Engineering. They are the largest sensor manufacturer in the US. They have been offering wireless sensor solutions for a long time.

+1 for Banner
It’s all we use. Great stuff and a wide assortment to fit practically any need.

It looks like the gateway supports direct communication via TCP/IP, an alternative to hitting a URL in the cloud.

http://resources.monnit.com/content/documents/userguides/Monnit-Real-Time-TCP.pdf

Substantially less expensive than Banner, if I’m looking at it right…

I bought a Monnit sensor and ethernet gateway to play around with. Nice form, but less than kind config options. Out the box, you can not have a sensor reading at less than 10 minute intervals. In my world, that is useless. I could do better by walking through on occasion and sticking my finger in the air. To get intervals under 10, you have to purchase add’l software or by the modbus gateway and configure yourself. Then at that point, they are unsure how their batteries will hold up. I am sending them back. Am I crazy to think that most users of a sensor network would want readings in less than 10 minute intervals?
Regardless, I have started down another path. Along the whole IoT idea, I am going to build my own sensor network using Arduino or Galileo/Edison plus zigbee. I was initially “too good” to consider such options, but then I started paying more attention. Options galore and countless configs. Low power, solar, ethernet/modbus/zigbee/wifi/analog/serial/whatever. That and I get to dust off my c or c++ hat. I am sold!

I don’t have any experience using any of these, but have you looked into any of the EnOcean sensor/transmitters? They use some form of energy harvesting/solar and there are gateways available to modbus. However, transmit range doesn’t look very far on them.

Weidmuller had a great brochure explaining how their products work in energy management/harvesting industries. I can’t seem to find it. I have used their WAVE TTA measurement signal transducer in a lab setting to monitor speeds above and below set thresholds.

This is an interesting thread.

We have just implemented these sensors and gateway for flammable gas alarms, CO monitors, vent alarms, etc. The safety officer has the gateway programmed to report any alarms so they can be logged and investigated.

Could something like this be set up on a soft PAC to just sit on the network and log the incoming data and perhaps generate a display for quick reference of overall alarm conditions? (ideally this would be a very boring display)

klibberton, in short, if the sensor or gateway supports ModbusTCP (which some in this thread indicate they do), then yup.
You can run SoftPAC and use the ModbusTCP toolkit and get the data.

From there, you can chose to run PAC-Display, or groov Server for Windows (or both) and have emails sent and data logged.

I have used Monnit sensor but I prefer Symcod temperature NEURON-AIR sensor solution that offer more flexibility and a better accuracy (+ - .5°C without calibration)… The communication with the gateway can be RS232, USB, Modbus TCP, TCPIP ASCII (text) … The distance between Master / Slave is around 2km without obstacle. The sensor case is IP65 … it can be installed easily everywhere ! No software to buy or subscription … You buy the product and the rest is 100% free :wink: