IoT sensors have become critical to improving operational efficiency, reducing costs and enhancing worker safety.
Novotech has you covered with solutions for the most popular sensor types used on commercial, industrial and enterprise applications. Track temperature, humidity, pressure, light, and more.
Elements of our Sensor Solutions
Sensors
Sensors take readings at defined intervals and send data wirelessly to a gateway.
Gateway / Router
The gateway sends data to the cloud through via an ethernet or cellular internet connection
Dashboard
Sensor data is processed via cloud-based web and mobile applications. The dashboard exposes sensor data for alerts, analysis and optimization.
What would you like to Track, Sense or Monitor?
Humidity
Humidity sensors are electronic devices that measure and report the moisture and air temperature of the surrounding environment where they are deployed e.g., in air, soil, or confined spaces.
Who Uses a Humidity Sensor?
Cold storage management - humidity sensing ensures proper storage conditions for temperature-sensitive products such as food, beverage, and pharmaceuticals.
HVAC systems and office environments – enables Facilities Managers to efficiently monitor, measure, and adjust humidity to provide a comfortable and productive working environment.
High value assets - Humidity sensing is essential to ensuring proper conditions for valuable assets. For example, galleries, museums, and art collectors can maintain stable environmental conditions for their collections.
In many cases, humidity sensing is used in conjunction with other types of sensing (e.g., temperature, proximity, touch, water) to offer additional value-added services in smart buildings and facilities management contexts. Relative humidity is useful for many applications, like HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) and comfort optimization applications in Smart Buildings and Facilities Management.
Temperature
Temperature sensors monitor the ambient temperature of a particular area. It may be a room, a freezer, or the outside temperature. The sensor provides a regularly scheduled reading (such as once per minute) to alert the temperature moves outside of a pre-set range.
These sensors are often paired with a humidity sensor, especially for applications involving perishable food, the storage of natural materials (such as wood) or occupant comfort readings.
Use Cases for Temperature Sensors
The Food Chain
Each step in the food chain, including processing, storage, delivery and foodservice, requires some form of temperature monitoring to avoid spoilage. As the list suggests, monitoring can happen while goods are in transit, storage or processing.
Offices and Retail
HVAC systems require temperature data to control temperature, to maintain comfortable working conditions for employees and customers
Warehouse
Many products, from medicines and food to wood products, must be stored within a specific temperature range.
Where do You need to Monitor Temperature?
Based on the environment, a specific set of equipment is required:
- For most “carpeted environments,” standard commercial-grade gateways and sensors will suffice. These areas are relatively temperature/humidity controlled and serviced by reliable AC-based power.
- Durable sensors are required for mobile environments to handle the increased shock and vibration and a more comprehensive temperature range. In some cases, they may have to deal with fluctuations in voltage supplied by the vehicle.
- For remote fixed applications, apply the same principles as the mobile application. These sites are often powered by generators, producing a varying power level, and they may or not be HVAC-controlled.
Open-Closed Sensors remotely monitor door or window statuses. They send data to a router or hub which can alert via text, email, or call if a door or window has been left ajar or has been accessed when it shouldn’t be.
Use Cases for Open/Closed Sensors
Intrusion detection
Open-closed sensors can detect unplanned window or door openings.
Damage Control
Doors or windows inadvertently left ajar can permit inclement weather to enter a space causing damage.
Considerations for Where Sensors will be Used.
Based on the environment, a specific set of equipment is required:
- For most “carpeted environments,” standard commercial-grade gateways and sensors will suffice. These areas are relatively temperature/humidity controlled serviced by reliable AC-based power.
- For remote or industrial fixed applications, durable sensors can handle a wider temperature and humidity range. Remote sites may be powered by generators, producing a varying power level, and they may or not be HVAC-controlled.
Light sensors are electronic devices that indicate the intensity of daylight or artificial light. They convert light energy to an electrical signal output which is used to determine the level of light in a space.
Who uses a Light Sensor?
Homes and workplaces
In offices or smart homes, lighting can be controlled by actual daylight/sunlight instead of timers, schedules or Internet-based weather reports.
Greenhouse or Laboratories
In a greenhouse, the lighting system requires input from the light sensor on the level of light in the building. Based on the sensor data, the system can increase or decrease lighting to ensure optimal plant growth in a greenhouse or laboratory
Safety
Lack of sunlight can indicate when it may be time to turn on outdoor safety lights to improve the safety and security of your premises. This is especially important during daytime storms or inclement weather.
Considerations for Where Light will be Monitored
Sensing light is generally required in one of 2 environments. Each one has a specific set of hardware requirements as follows:
- For most “carpeted environments,” standard commercial-grade gateways and sensors will suffice. These areas are relatively temperature/humidity controlled serviced by reliable AC-based power.
- For remote or industrial fixed applications, durable sensors can handle a wider temperature and humidity range. Remote sites may be powered by generators, producing a varying power level, and they may or not be HVAC-controlled.
A pressure sensor is a device capable of measuring the pressure in gases or liquids. It leverages a pressure-sensitive element to determine the pressure being applied. It then converts the information into an output signal.
What are Pressure Sensors used for?
Determining pressure of the liquid in a tank
Gauge pressure sensors measure relative to the ambient atmospheric pressure. When the gauge sensor experiences a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, it is said to have a positive pressure. When the gauge sensor experiences pressure less than atmospheric pressure, it is said to have negative pressure.
Determining leaks in tanks
The second type, absolute pressure sensors, measure pressure in reference to absolute zero pressure (or a vacuum). Absolute pressure sensors are often used as altimeters and barometers to measure atmospheric pressure. They are also used for detecting leaks in sealed containers.
Differential Pressure Sensors
The third type of pressure sensor, differential sensors, use two different pressure ports and measure the difference in pressure in reference to each other. Differential pressure sensors are mainly used to detect differences in pressure in tubes and water mains and monitor filtration systems.
Considerations for Where Light will be Monitored
Pressure sensing is generally required in one of 2 environments. Each one has a specific set of hardware requirements as follows:
- For most “carpeted environments,” standard commercial-grade gateways and sensors will suffice. These areas are relatively temperature/humidity controlled serviced by reliable AC-based power.
- For remote or industrial fixed applications, durable sensors can handle a wider temperature and humidity range. Remote sites may be powered by generators, producing a varying power level, and they may or not be HVAC-controlled.
A proximity sensor is a non-contact sensor that detects the presence of an object (often referred to as the “target”) when the target enters the sensor’s field. Depending on the type of proximity sensor, sound, light, infrared radiation (IR), or electromagnetic fields may be utilized by the sensor to detect a target.
What are the Use Cases for Proximity Sensors?
Manufacturing
Proximity is important in object detection, position, inspection and counting on an assembly line.
Industrial
Part detection is used on industrial conveyor systems for inventory and quality assurance. Collision detection is also used on any mobile machinery.
Consumer
Diffuse sensors are used in public washrooms to control water flow, and capacitive proximity sensors are used as touch switches on consumer electronics and electrical switches.
Considerations for Where Proximity will be Measured
Based on the environment, a specific set of equipment is required to measure proximity.
- For most “carpeted environments,” standard commercial-grade gateways and sensors will suffice. These areas are relatively temperature/humidity controlled and serviced by reliable AC-based power.
- Durable sensors are required for mobile environments to handle the increased shock and vibration and a more comprehensive temperature range. In some cases, they may have to deal with fluctuations in voltage supplied by the vehicle.
- For remote fixed applications, apply the same principles as the mobile application. These sites are often powered by generators, producing a varying power level, and they may or not be HVAC-controlled.
