Operation

Overview

Thingsee ENVIRONMENT operates continuously once installed, automatically measuring environmental parameters, motion, and magnetic field changes. This multipurpose sensor combines six sensor types, each with specific monitoring capabilities and applications.

Automatic Operation

Normal Operation

Once powered on and connected to Wirepas mesh network, Thingsee ENVIRONMENT:

1. Measures continuously - All sensors active (temperature, humidity, pressure, light, accelerometer, magnetic switch)
2. Reports changes - Event-driven when thresholds exceeded
3. Sends periodic updates - Hourly heartbeat regardless of changes
4. Manages power automatically - Optimizes battery life
5. Self-heals network - Reconnects after temporary disruptions

No Manual Intervention Required

• Fully autonomous operation
• Automatic network reconnection
• Self-adjusting for network conditions
• Event-driven efficient reporting

Measurement Parameters

Temperature

Range: -40°C to +85°C
Operating Range: -20°C to +50°C (battery specification)
Accuracy: ±0.3°C
Event Threshold: 0.5°C absolute change (default)

Interpretation

Temperature Applications

• Climate control verification - Ensure HVAC maintaining target temperatures
• Cold chain monitoring - Food, pharmaceutical storage compliance
• Server room monitoring - Prevent equipment overheating
• Energy optimization - Identify over-heating or over-cooling
• Seasonal patterns - Track temperature trends over time

Humidity

Range: 0 - 100% RH
Accuracy: ±5% RH
Event Threshold: 2% RH absolute change (default)

Interpretation

Humidity Applications

• Mold prevention - Alert when > 60-70% RH sustained
• Material preservation - Museums, archives (maintain 40-60% RH)
• Comfort monitoring - HVAC optimization
• Condensation risk - Cold storage or temperature transition zones
• Building health - Early warning for moisture intrusion

Barometric Pressure

Range: 300 - 1,200 hPa
Absolute Accuracy: ±1 hPa
Precision: ±0.005 hPa (high precision mode)
Event Threshold: 20 hPa absolute change (default)

Interpretation

Typical sea-level pressure: 1013 hPa
Altitude adjustment: Pressure decreases ~12 hPa per 100m elevation
Weather patterns: Rising pressure = improving weather, falling = deteriorating

Pressure Applications

• Weather monitoring - Predict weather changes (local trends)
• Floor detection - Identify device location by altitude (~0.5m resolution)
• HVAC pressure - Building pressure differentials
• Altitude tracking - Verify sensor placement in multi-story buildings

Example: Ground floor = 1013 hPa, 3rd floor (10m up) ≈ 1011.8 hPa

Ambient Light

Range: 0 - 100,000 lux
Event Threshold: 10,000 lux absolute change (default)
Note: Indicative measurement, not calibrated for absolute accuracy

Typical Light Levels

Light Applications

• Occupancy inference - Lights on/off indicates presence
• Energy monitoring - Track lighting usage patterns
• Daylight harvesting - Reduce artificial lighting when daylight sufficient
• Security - Unexpected light changes (intrusion)
• Operational status - Lighting in production areas

Important: Light sensor provides relative measurements. Use thresholds to detect on/off transitions rather than absolute lux values for critical applications.

Accelerometer (Motion/Vibration/Position)

Detection Modes:

• Standard Mode: Orientation and position changes
• Machine Usage Mode: High-frequency vibration detection (50Hz sampling)

Standard Mode Operation

Measurement: X, Y, Z-axis gravity (G-force)
Range: 0-16G
Event Reporting: Changes in orientation or position

Applications:

• Asset movement detection (moved or tilted)
• Cabinet/door opening (orientation change)
• Impact detection (dropped or struck)
• Position verification (upright, sideways, upside-down)

Interpretation:

• Static values represent sensor orientation relative to gravity
• Z-axis = 1G (sensor horizontal, face up)
• X or Y-axis = 1G (sensor vertical on edge)
• Combination values (sensor angled)

Machine Usage Mode Operation

Measurement frequency: 50Hz (20ms intervals)
Vibration range: 128mG - 8G (standard) or 16G (high movement)
Reporting interval: 1 minute (when activity detected)
Battery life: Up to 4 years

Applications:

• Equipment usage detection - Vibration indicates machine running
• Predictive maintenance - Track operating hours vs. idle time
• Anomaly detection - Unusual vibration patterns
• Usage-based scheduling - Service based on actual runtime

Typical vibration levels:

• Idle/off: < 128mG (no vibration)
• Light vibration: 200-500mG (small pumps, fans)
• Moderate: 500mG-2G (motors, compressors)
• Heavy: 2-8G (impact machinery, presses)

Enabling Machine Usage Mode: Contact support@haltian.com with sensor ID and application details.

Magnetic Switch

Technology: Magneto-resistive sensor
Detection: Changes in magnetic field from permanent magnet or high DC current
Event Reporting: Count of state changes (open/close cycles)

Applications

Primary use: Door and window open/close monitoring

Detection logic:

• Magnet nearby (< 15mm) = Door/window closed
• Magnet removed (> 15mm) = Door/window opened
• Counter increments with each state change

Additional applications:

• Security monitoring (intrusion detection)
• Access control (door usage tracking)
• Climate control (window left open alerts)
• Asset security (cabinet tampering)

Understanding the Counter

• Initial value: 0 (or last reported count)
• Increments: +1 for each state change (open→close or close→open)
• Example: Counter = 10 means 5 full open/close cycles
• Use: Track door usage frequency, detect stuck doors (no counts)

Important: Position magnet and sensor carefully during installation. Test alignment by checking state changes in IoT Studio.

Reporting Behavior

Event-Based Reporting

Measures every 5 minutes, reports when thresholds exceeded:

Reporting logic:

1. Sensor measures all parameters every 5 minutes
2. If any parameter exceeds threshold → immediate report
3. Report includes all current values (not just changed parameter)
4. Prevents data flooding (maximum one event per 5 minutes)

Time-Based Reporting

• Hourly update: All measurement values every 60 minutes
• Battery status: Every 6 hours
• Purpose: Continuous data flow even in stable conditions

Machine Usage Mode Reporting

When Machine Usage Mode enabled:

• High-frequency sampling: 50Hz (accelerometer only)
• Reporting interval: 1 minute (when vibration detected)
• Idle detection: No reports when no vibration (< 128mG threshold)
• Other sensors: Continue standard 5-minute/hourly reporting

Battery impact: Higher power consumption due to 50Hz sampling. Expected life: 4 years vs. 5 years in standard mode.

Monitoring in Haltian IoT Studio

Real-Time Dashboard

Access current and historical data:

1. Log into IoT Studio: https://iot.haltian.com
2. Navigate to Devices: Select your Thingsee ENVIRONMENT sensor
3. View Dashboard: Real-time values and historical graphs

Dashboard Features

• Current values: Latest measurement for all active sensors
• Historical trends: Time-series graphs (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly)
• Multi-parameter view: Compare temperature, humidity, light, vibration simultaneously
• Threshold indicators: Visual alerts for limit violations
• Battery level: Remaining capacity percentage
• Network status: Signal strength (RSSI), last seen timestamp
• Magnetic switch counter: Total open/close cycles
• Data export: Download historical data (CSV format)

Alert Configuration

Set up automated alerts for:

• Temperature outside comfort or safety range
• Humidity levels risking mold growth (> 70% RH)
• Light changes indicating unexpected occupancy
• Door/window openings during off-hours
• Equipment vibration anomalies (Machine Usage Mode)
• Low battery warnings

Alert delivery:

• Email notifications
• SMS alerts (if configured)
• Webhook integrations to third-party systems

Operational Best Practices

Daily Monitoring Activities

• Review dashboard for anomalies
• Check alert notifications
• Verify all sensors reporting
• Confirm network connectivity (RSSI values)

Weekly Analysis

• Analyze trends across all sensor types
• Compare to previous weeks
• Identify patterns:
  • Temperature/humidity cycles
  • Lighting usage schedules
  • Door access patterns
  • Machine operation schedules

Monthly Review

• Review battery levels (all sensors)
• Verify sensors still reporting correctly
• Long-term trend analysis
• Optimize alert thresholds based on learned patterns

Application-Specific Operation

Climate Monitoring

Key metrics: Temperature, Humidity, Pressure

Daily:

• Verify HVAC maintaining target ranges
• Check for anomalies (sudden drops/spikes)

Weekly:

• Analyze temperature stability
• Humidity trends (seasonal changes)
• Energy optimization opportunities

Alerts:

• Temperature < 18°C or > 26°C (adjust for use case)
• Humidity > 70% RH (mold risk)

Door/Window Monitoring

Key metric: Magnetic Switch counter

Interpretation:

• Counter increasing regularly: Normal door usage
• Counter static: Door not used (verify not stuck)
• Counter very high: Heavy traffic area
• Unexpected increase: After-hours access (security)

Best practice:

• Note baseline usage (counts per day)
• Alert on deviation from normal patterns
• Combine with temperature (open window = temperature drop)
• Combine with light (door opening = light change)

Machine Usage Tracking

Key metric: Accelerometer (Machine Usage Mode)

Interpretation:

• Vibration detected: Machine operating
• No vibration: Machine idle or off
• Total hours: Calculate from 1-minute reports

Applications:

• Utilization tracking: Operating hours vs. total time
• Maintenance scheduling: Service after X operating hours
• Anomaly detection: Unexpected vibration patterns
• Energy auditing: Correlate operation with energy usage

Example calculation:

• 480 vibration reports in 24 hours = 480 minutes = 8 hours operation
• Utilization: 8/24 = 33% duty cycle

Lighting and Occupancy

Key metric: Ambient Light

Interpretation:

• High lux (> 300): Lights on, likely occupied
• Low lux (< 50): Lights off, unoccupied
• Transitions: Track on/off times

Applications:

• Occupancy inference: Light on correlates with presence
• Energy management: Identify lights left on unnecessarily
• Security: Unexpected light changes after hours
• Daylight optimization: Reduce artificial light when natural light sufficient

Limitations: Light sensor not calibrated. Use for relative changes and on/off detection, not precision lux measurements.

Battery Management

Battery Life Expectations

Factors affecting battery life:

• Reporting frequency (primary factor)
• Mesh network density (routing for others)
• Signal strength (poor = more retransmissions)
• Operating temperature (cold reduces capacity)
• Battery quality

Battery Monitoring

Dashboard indicators:

• Battery percentage displayed
• Low battery warnings at 20%
• Critical battery alerts at 10%

Replacement planning:

• Schedule replacements at 20% remaining
• Keep spare batteries in inventory (AAA alkaline)
• Plan coordinated replacements for sensor zones

Battery Replacement Procedure

See Installation Guide - Battery Replacement for detailed steps.

Key points:

• Use Varta Industrial Pro AAA (recommended)
• Observe correct polarity
• Device will rejoin network automatically after replacement
• Wait up to 10 minutes for first data after battery change

Network Health Monitoring

Signal Strength (RSSI)

Monitor signal quality in IoT Studio:

Troubleshooting Connectivity

Sensor not reporting:

1. Check battery level
2. Verify gateway operational
3. Review signal strength (RSSI)
4. Check last seen timestamp
5. Add intermediate router if signal poor

Intermittent connectivity:

• Monitor for RF interference sources
• Verify mesh network density (< 20m spacing)
• Review gateway uptime
• Check for physical obstructions (doors closing)

Seasonal Considerations

Summer Operation

• Higher humidity levels expected
• Increased light from longer days
• Monitor for over-cooling (energy waste)

Winter Operation

• Lower humidity (heating dries air)
• Less natural light (shorter days)
• Battery performance may decrease in cold areas

Battery Performance in Cold

• Below +10°C, battery capacity reduces
• Install in climate-controlled areas when possible
• More frequent replacement in cold zones

Support and Operational Questions

For operational assistance:

• Email: support@haltian.com
• Troubleshooting: See Troubleshooting Guide
• Configuration: See Configuration Guide
• How-To Guides: General operational guidance

Related Documentation

• Installation Guide - Physical setup and mounting
• Configuration Guide - Threshold and mode customization
• Specifications - Technical details
• Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions