Telemetry – position and sensor data from equipment on the move
Much of the equipment that needs watching does not stand still in a factory hall. It sits on a barge, a trailer, a remote pumping station or a vessel. Then you need two things: to know where it is, and to know how it is doing. That is what telemetry is about – collecting data from equipment at a distance.
Simple tracking: Copenhagen Trackers Cobblestone
Sometimes position is all you need. Cobblestone from Copenhagen Trackers is a small GPS tracker with a built-in SIM card that sends its position over the mobile network. According to the manufacturer, the battery can last around four years with one position per day, and even longer with less frequent tracking. It is water- and dust-tight (IP67) and has no monthly subscription fee.
That makes it relevant for equipment that needs to be found again – containers, trailers, machines or valuable equipment moved between sites – without running power to it.
More than position: Teltonika RUT with GPS
When the equipment also has control systems and sensors, more is needed. Teltonika makes industrial routers that connect equipment to the mobile network. The RUTX50 uses 5G and has built-in satellite positioning supporting GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou.
The router can talk Modbus with PLCs and sensors on site and pass the data on using MQTT and HTTPS, among others. It can also act as a bridge between Modbus and MQTT. Teltonika's RMS platform makes it possible to monitor and update many routers remotely.
So you get both the position and the measurements from the same box – pressure, level, temperature, operating status or alarms – over a fast and stable mobile connection.
From raw data to overview in Ignition
Data only has value when someone sees it. Ignition is built on open standards such as MQTT and SQL, and is well suited to collecting data from equipment spread over a large area. Position and sensor data can be shown together in screens that work in the browser and on mobile, stored as history and used for alerts when something deviates.
That makes it possible to answer questions such as: Where is the equipment now? Which units have not reported for a while? How has operation developed over the last week?
How Elio can help
Elio puts the whole chain together: choosing trackers, routers and sensors, setting up secure communication, and building screens, alerts and history in Ignition. We are a Gold Certified Ignition integrator, and we also build the network and IT solutions around it.
Do you have equipment in the field you want a better overview of? Read more about SCADA, IT & networks or contact us.