What a SensorLoop project looks like

Challenge

A team needs to measure soil moisture, tank level or temperature at spread-out locations with no power supply and no WiFi. Off-the-shelf loggers are either too power-hungry, too expensive per point, or cannot send data to their own dashboard.

What we set up

1. 1Requirements are frozen first: sensors, reporting interval, battery life target, enclosure and installation conditions.
2. 2A compact PCB is designed around a low-power microcontroller, a LoRa radio, sensor interfaces and a battery/solar power stage.
3. 3Firmware spends most of its time in deep sleep, wakes on a schedule, reads and filters the sensors and transmits a small payload.
4. 4A LoRa gateway forwards readings to the cloud, where they appear on a dashboard with low-battery and threshold alerts.

What the team gets

Challenge

An equipment maker wants to replace an old text display and a separate data logger with one touch-screen unit that shows machine status, stores data, and lets service engineers configure it from a browser.

What we set up

1. 1A suitable embedded Linux processor module is selected and a carrier board is designed for the required I/O, display and power input.
2. 2A minimal custom Linux image is built with only the packages the product needs, with a read-only root filesystem for robustness.
3. 3A local application talks to the machine controller over Modbus and publishes data to the cloud over MQTT.
4. 4A web interface served by the device handles settings, logs and firmware updates; the touch-screen shows the operator view.

What the team gets

Challenge

A product that has sold for years can no longer be built because key components are end-of-life or out of stock, and the board is costlier than it needs to be. The original design files are incomplete.

What we set up

1. 1The existing board is studied and, where needed, the schematic is recreated from the hardware.
2. 2Obsolete and single-source parts are replaced with available alternatives, and the BOM is reviewed for cost.
3. 3The PCB is re-laid out with design-for-manufacturing checks, keeping the same connectors and enclosure where possible.
4. 4Firmware is ported to the new microcontroller and the redesigned board is tested against the original behaviour.

What the team gets

Challenge

A three-shift spinning unit receives a large monthly bill but has no idea which section consumes what. PF penalties appear on some bills, and maximum demand occasionally crosses the contract demand after power cuts, when compressors and humidification plants restart together.

What we set up

1. 1Existing multifunction meters on the incomer and main feeders (ring frames, compressors, humidification, lighting) are daisy-chained on one RS-485 bus to a ModbusSudo gateway.
2. 2The energy dashboard is configured with the unit's tariff, contract demand and PF limits.
3. 3WhatsApp alerts go to the electrical supervisor for PF below 0.92, demand above 90% of contract and phase failure.
4. 4A daily report with section-wise kWh and cost is sent every morning to the owner.

What the team gets

Challenge

A packaged drinking water plant checks TDS with a handheld meter twice per shift. Between checks, a membrane problem or an open bypass valve can send out-of-spec water to the filling line, and there is no continuous record for quality audits.

What we set up

1. 1Online TDS/conductivity and pH transmitters with Modbus output are installed on the RO permeate line and the product tank.
2. 2The ModbusSudo gateway connects over 4G because the plant has no reliable WiFi.
3. 3Each point is named clearly in the dashboard (Tank 01 TDS, Tank 02 pH) with BIS IS 10500 bands and internal target limits.
4. 4Alerts with a short delay go to the operator first and to the plant manager if the value stays out of range.

What the team gets

Challenge

A facility management team looks after several buildings across a city. Each building has its own meters, DG set and water tanks, and monthly tenant energy statements are prepared by hand from meter photographs.

What we set up

1. 1A ModbusSudo gateway in each building reads the main incomer, floor or tenant meters and the DG set controller.
2. 2All buildings appear under one customer login, with an overview showing live load, today's energy and alerts for every site.
3. 3Monthly tenant-wise kWh reports are generated automatically in Excel and PDF.
4. 4Alerts for DG running beyond schedule, voltage problems and abnormal night load.

What the team gets

Challenge

A chemical unit must keep its effluent treatment plant within consent limits and show records during pollution-control inspections. Readings are logged manually, and the boiler and utility energy is not tracked at all.

What we set up

1. 1ETP pH, TDS, outlet flow and equalisation-tank level are brought into the gateway from Modbus and 4–20 mA transmitters.
2. 2The existing utility PLC is read over Modbus TCP for boiler and pump status.
3. 3Utility energy meters are added on the same RS-485 bus.
4. 4Out-of-range alerts and a daily ETP report with min/avg/max values are set up.

What the team gets