Digi Connect Sensor User manual

Digi Connect® Sensor
User Guide

Revision history—90001491
Revision Date Description
K May 2018 Updated battery percentage information.
L October 2018 Updated range specifications: Connect Sensor product
specifications.
M April 2019 nAdded LEDinformation.
nAdded information about the external power source
and battery usage.
N May 2019 Added gasket lubricant information.
P December 2019 Removed HART® protocol information as it is no longer
supported.
Trademarks and copyright
Digi, Digi International, and the Digi logo are trademarks or registered trademarks in the United
States and other countries worldwide. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the
property of their respective owners.
© 2019 Digi International Inc. All rights reserved.
Disclaimers
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a
commitment on the part of Digi International. Digi provides this document “as is,” without warranty of
any kind, expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of fitness or
merchantability for a particular purpose. Digi may make improvements and/or changes in this manual
or in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this manual at any time.
Warranty
To view product warranty information, go to the following website:
www.digi.com/howtobuy/terms
Send comments
Documentation feedback: To provide feedback on this document, send your comments to
[e-mail].
Customer support
Digi Technical Support: Digi offers multiple technical support plans and service packages to help our
customers get the most out of their Digi product. For information on Technical Support plans and
pricing, contact us at +1 952.912.3444 or visit us at www.digi.com/support.
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 2

Contents
Digi Connect® Sensor
Get started
Learn about Connect Sensor product components 8
Verify product components 8
Connect Sensor LEDs 11
Connect Sensor ports and buttons 13
Wake Connect Sensor 14
Set up a Connect Sensor 15
Safety information 15
Activate the SIMcard 16
Assemble Connect Sensor 17
Install the magnet mount 19
Configure the cellular connection 20
Check the cellular connection 22
Wire the I/O sensors 23
Add a device to Digi Remote Manager 23
Technical specifications
Maximum power and frequency bands 25
Connect Sensor product specifications 25
Cell modem transmit (TX) output power 26
Hardware
Battery inspection 27
Battery life 27
Battery percentage ranges and replacement 27
Battery passivization 28
Battery percentage and external power 28
CSENSE Continuous Monitoring power source 28
Connect Sensor hardware replacement 29
Firmware
CSENSE Continuous Monitoring firmware 30
Enable CSENSEContinuous Monitoring 31
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 3

Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 4
Enable continuous monitoring on digital input 31
Enable continuous monitoring on analog input 32
Configure the buffer time for continuous monitoring 32
Configure pins and protocols
Enable and configure analog inputs 34
Enable and configure analog power outputs 35
Enable and configure a digital input 36
Enable and configure a digital pulse counter 37
Enable and configure a digital output 38
Enable and configure a digital power output 39
Enable and configure the Modbus protocol 40
Enable and configure a serial power output 42
Modbus station addresses and locations 42
About analog and digital input options 44
Alarms 44
Hysteresis 45
Custom scaled sensor values 46
Oversampling 49
Schedule options 49
Immediate 49
One-Time 50
Recurring 50
Configure Connect Sensor device settings
Configure cellular options 51
Configure Remote Manager settings 52
Configure battery life percentage alarms 52
Battery life alarm and alarm notification 53
Create a battery life alarm for Connect Sensor devices 53
Configure the global battery alarm for a device 58
Configure internal temperature settings 60
Configure local interface settings: CLIand Bluetooth 60
Configure device (report) settings 61
View device information
View device information in Remote Manager 63
View battery life for a device in Remote Manager 64
View device and sensor data streams
Use Remote Manager to view device and sensor data streams 65
About data streams 65
View device data streams 66
Use the mobile app to view sensor data streams 67
Connect Sensor maintenance
Firmware updates 69

Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 5
Update the firmware using Remote Manager 69
Update firmware from Connect Sensor 70
Update the firmware using the CLI 70
Battery replacement 72
Remote Manager option definitions for Connect Sensor
Analog Current Loop Input and Voltage Input option definitions 74
Analog Power, Digital Power, and Serial Output option definitions 77
Cellular option definitions 78
Device Cloud option definitions 78
Device (report) settings option definitions 79
Digital Input option definitions 81
Digital Output option definitions 82
Toggle digital output on alarm 82
Digital Pulse Counter option definitions 84
Global Alarm Settings option definitions 85
Internal Temperature option definitions 86
Local Interface Settings option definitions 87
Modbus Protocol Settings option definitions 87
Data stream definitions
Group definitions for Connect Sensor data streams 90
Connect Sensor device-specific (ts1 and ui) data stream definitions 91
Analog input (ain and cl) data stream definitions 92
Analog (avout), digital (dvout1),and serial power output data stream definitions 93
Digital input (din1) data stream definitions 94
Digital output (dout1) data stream definitions 95
Digital pulse counter (pcnt1) data stream definitions 96
Temperature sensor (temp1) data stream definitions 96
Modbus (modb1) data stream definitions 97
Data streams for Modbus protocol 99
Use the CLI with Connect Sensor
Open a terminal program and use CLIcommands 100
Use the CLIto view status information for the device 102
Verify cellular network coverage using the CLI 102
View battery life using the CLI 103
CLI commands
fwupdate 105
status 105
set 106
Analog input CLI commands 107
Digital input CLI commands 110
Digital output CLI commands 112
Digital pulse counter CLI commands 113
Analog and digital power output CLI commands 115
Cellular CLI commands 116
Remote Manager CLI commands 118

Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 6
Internal temperature CLI commands 119
Modbus CLI commands 121
Troubleshooting
Connect Sensor LEDs for troubleshooting 122
Device not responding 122
Check the battery 122
Reset the device 122
Restore factory defaults to the device 123
Device not connected to the cellular network 123
Verify SIM configuration 123
Check cellular antenna 123
Verify cellular network coverage 123
Check battery life 124
Device does not connect to Remote Manager 124
Device does not appear in the mobile app 124
Verify Bluetooth connectivity 124
Reset the device 125
Regulatory information
FCC certifications and regulatory information 126
Declaration of Conformity (DoC) 126
CE mark (Europe) 127
Safety notices 128
Installation considerations 129
Warnings: Explosion hazards 130
RF exposure statement 131
UL/cUL conformity 131
Special conditions for safe use (ATEX) 131
ATEX marking 132

Digi Connect® Sensor
Connect Sensor is a low-power cellular sensor gateway for wireless drop-in networking to remotely
monitor industrial environments and control systems, such as pipeline flow, air pressure, and light
levels. To power Connect Sensor, use either the internal battery or an external power source, such as
solar panels, for setups with no power or limited power.
Connect Sensor includes an external input/output (I/O) interface inside a waterproof enclosure for
connecting third-party sensors. The sensors gather information (sensor readings) from their
environment, and Connect Sensor reports that information to Digi Remote Manager® using a low-
bandwidth cellular connection. You can sign in to your Remote Manager account to view the reports or
use the Digi Connect Wizard app on a mobile device and pair it with a nearby Connect Sensor to view
real-time sensor and device data in the field.
Note Make sure there is adequate cellular network coverage where you plan to install the gateway
before purchasing cellular service.
This guide shows you how to:
nSet up and maintain Connect Sensor
nUse Remote Manager to configure external sensors and data reports
nView sensor data and Connect Sensor system information
See the Digi Connect Sensor I/O Wiring Guide for details about wiring analog or digital I/O sensors and
power to Connect Sensor.
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 7

Get started
Use the following sections to get started with Connect Sensor.
1. Learn about Connect Sensor product components
2. Set up a Connect Sensor
3. Add a device to Digi Remote Manager
4. Configure pins and protocols
5. Configure Connect Sensor device settings
Learn about Connect Sensor product components
These sections include a list of Connect Sensor components, and reference information about the
Connect Sensor LEDs, ports, and buttons.
Verify product components
Connect Sensor includes the following components:
Component Description
Connect Sensor
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 8

Get started Learn about Connect Sensor product components
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 9
Component Description
Battery
Connect Sensor uses a lithium metal battery. The
battery voltage is almost consistent from initial use
to near the end of the battery's useful life. See
Battery inspection for lithium battery safety
considerations.
Note The battery is included for all versions except
for the -N versions.
SIMcard
The SIMcard can be activated or replaced by an
activated SIMcard from your cellular service
provider.
Note If you have purchased Digi Bundled Services,
the SIMcard is activated by default.
Gasket lubricant
See Assemble Connect Sensor.
Optional accessories
The following accessories are available through Digi International Inc. For more information, visit the
Digi Connect Sensor product page.
Component Description
Cellular antenna
Note This antenna is PN 76000926 and is an indoor-
only antenna. Only outdoor-rated antennas should be
used outdoors. For more information about antenna
options, see the Connect Sensor product page.
Magnet
Used for manually waking the device.

Get started Learn about Connect Sensor product components
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 10
Component Description
Magnet mount accessory pack
The pack includes four screws, and four magnets
separated by plastic discs. See Install the magnet
mount for installation instructions.
CAUTION! The magnets are extremely
powerful. Keep magnets separated. If
they touch each other they are difficult
to separate. Use caution when handling
the magnets to avoid injury due to
pinching.

Get started Learn about Connect Sensor product components
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 11
Connect Sensor LEDs
Connect Sensor has four LED indicators to monitor Bluetooth connection, sensor activity, cellular
connection, and battery life. If Connect Sensor is powered and all LEDs are off, it is in sleep mode.
Note The LEDindicators only light up when you wake the device by manual intervention: pressing the
Wake button on the device or using a magnet. When the device wakes up to take and push readings,
the LEDs do not light up since no one may be physically present to see the LED start-up sequence. See
Wake Connect Sensor for more information about the LEDindicators start-up sequence.
Item LED Description
1 Bluetooth Indicator light for Bluetooth communication:
nYellow blinking: Bluetooth is on and Connect Sensor is
discoverable. The LED blinks for up to 30 seconds.
nYellow solid: A Bluetooth device is attached.
nNot lit: No Bluetooth devices were found or attached.
Note Bluetooth must be enabled on the Connect Sensor for the
Bluetooth LEDto light up. See Configure local interface settings:
CLIand Bluetooth.
2 Sensor reading Indicator light for the sensor(s):
nGreen blinking: One or more sensors are reading the
environment.
nNot lit: The LED turns off when readings are complete.

Get started Learn about Connect Sensor product components
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 12
Item LED Description
3 Cellular Indicator light for the cellular network connection:
nSolid purple: Connect Sensor is waking.
nRed blinking: Searching for the cellular network.
nBlue:
lBlinking: Connected to the cellular network and
attempting to communicate with Remote Manager
lSolid light: Successfully sent data to Remote
Manager. LED turns off after a few seconds.
4 Battery Indicator light for battery function:
nSolid purple: Connect Sensor is waking
The following patterns are based on the Global Alarm >
Battery Life setting in Remote Manager:
nRed blinking: Indicates battery life is less than or equal to
the Battery Life alarm.
nBlue blinking: Indicates battery life is greater than the
Battery Life alarm.

Get started Learn about Connect Sensor product components
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 13
Connect Sensor ports and buttons
The following figure shows the controls for setting up and configuring Connect Sensor.
Item Name Description
1 Console port Connects Connect Sensor to a computer using a USB
type A to B cable for access to the command line
interface (CLI).
2 Battery port Connects the battery wire to power Connect Sensor.
3 Wake button Wakes Connect Sensor. See Wake Connect Sensor.
.4 Factory button Removes all configuration changes and restores
Connect Sensor to its original factory default settings
when you press and hold it for 3 seconds. If you press
this button, but do not hold it down, the device briefly
wakes and returns to sleep mode, and no settings are
affected.
5 Reset button Restarts the device when it is not responding to input
(from the CLI or otherwise). Pressing this button does
not remove previous configuration changes.
6 Battery tray Holds the battery in place.
7 SIM card tray Connects the SIMcard to Connect Sensor. A SIM card is
inserted by default.

Get started Learn about Connect Sensor product components
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 14
Item Name Description
8 Cellular antenna port Connects an external cellular antenna to Connect
Sensor.
9 Input/Output (I/O) interface Wire analog or digital input and output sensors or power
to this interface. For more information, see the Digi
Connect Sensor I/O Wiring Guide.
10 Cable glands Thread sensor cables through these openings into
Connect Sensor.
Wake Connect Sensor
If Connect Sensor is powered and all LEDs are off, it is in sleep mode. You can wake the device
manually, if needed.
Note The LEDindicators only light up when you wake the device by manual intervention: pressing the
Wake button inside the device or using a magnet. When the device automatically wakes up as
scheduled to take and push readings, the LEDs do not light up since no one may be physically present
to see the LED start-up sequence. See Connect Sensor LED start-up sequence.
Manually wake the device
To wake the device, you can either swipe a magnet across the top of the device, or press the Wake
button inside the device.
When you wake Connect Sensor, the LED buttons are activated as the device wakes up. The start-up
sequence is described below.
Connect Sensor LED start-up sequence
The LEDindicators light up in a predetermined sequence when you manually wake the Connect
Sensor. For a description of where the LEDs are located on the device, see Connect Sensor LEDs.

Get started Set up a Connect Sensor
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 15
1. Press the Wake button inside the device or swipe a magnet across the device.
2. The cellular and battery LEDs light up purple for one second and then turn off.
3. The sensor LED blinks green as readings are taken and then turns off when readings are
complete.
4. If Bluetooth is enabled, the Bluetooth LED blinks yellow for 30 seconds. If a Bluetooth device is
attached, the Bluetooth LED turns solid and remains lit.
Note If Bluetooth is not enabled, the Bluetooth LED does not light up.
5. Connect Sensor takes and pushes data readings.
a. The Connect Sensor takes a battery life reading. The battery LED blinks either blue
or red, depending on the status of the battery life.
b. The cellular LED blinks blue until the connection to Remote Manager is complete.
c. The Connect Sensor pushes the data. When the data transfer is complete, the
cellular LED is solid blue.
d. After a few seconds, the cellular LED turns off.
CLIcommands and waking Connect Sensor
You can connect a USB cable from a computer to Connect Sensor and use CLIcommands to perform
actions on the device.
Connect Sensor has a 30-second timeout period between when a CLI command has been entered and
the command is processed. When Connect Sensor has finished processing the command, the device
goes to sleep, and "zzz... " appears in the terminal program.
If you press the Wake button or use a magnet to wake Connect Sensor during this 30-second timeout
period, the LED lights will not be activated, as the device is already awake. Make sure "zzz..." appears
in the terminal program before you try to wake the device.
See Open a terminal program and use CLIcommands for more details about this process.
Set up a Connect Sensor
Complete all of the tasks in this section in order to set up a Connect Sensor.
1. Review safety information
2. Activate the SIMcard
3. Assemble Connect Sensor
4. Configure the cellular connection
5. Check the cellular connection
6. Wire the I/O sensors
Safety information
The following safety information provides guidelines when assembling the Connect Sensor device. For
additional safety guidelines, see Safety notices.

Get started Set up a Connect Sensor
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 16
CAUTION! The device is sensitive to electrostatic discharge (ESD).
The Connect Sensor device must be maintained only by Digi or a Digi qualified technician. Before
assembling the device, note the following:
nTo avoid the risk of the battery falling into a protected area, do not assemble the device in the
installation area.
nMove the device to a non-hazardous and unclassified area before opening the enclosure and
connecting the hardware.
nAlways use the designated battery, model number 76000912, from Digi International Inc.
nAllow only a trained technician to replace the lithium thionyl chloride batteries used in Connect
Sensor.
nPrior to installation, the battery should be inspected for any signs of damage. If the battery
appears to be damaged or is dropped during the installation, do not use the battery and
dispose of it properly. See Battery inspection for more information.
nYou may be required to have a licensed electrician install or perform maintenance on this
equipment. Always follow applicable local, state, and federal codes and guidelines.
Activate the SIMcard
Follow this step if you need to activate your SIMcard. You can skip this step if:
nYou purchased bundled services, and therefore have a pre-activated SIM card.
nYou are using an activated SIMcard (standard size) from your cellular service provider.
Activate the SIM card provided by Digi
Connect Sensor has a SIM card inserted in the device by default. To use a cellular connection, you
must activate the inserted SIM card.
1. Note the Connect Sensor IMEI number. The IMEInumber is on the label on the device and on
the box the device was shipped in.
2. Activate the SIMcard.
a. Call Digi International Inc. at 952-912-3444 or 877-912-3444.
b. Press 3 for the Technical Support option.
c. Select the wireless data plan activation option. You will be asked to provide the
Connect Sensor IMEI number.
Activate a SIMcard not provided by Digi
You can activate a SIMcard from your cellular provider or from a supplier other than Digi.
1. Your SIM card provider will need the following information:

Get started Set up a Connect Sensor
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 17
nConnect Sensor IMEI number: The IMEInumber is on the label on the Connect Sensor
device and on the box the device was shipped in.
nSIM card number: The SIMnumber is printed on the SIMcard.
2. Call your SIMcard provider to activate the SIMcard.
Assemble Connect Sensor
This section describes how to assemble Connect Sensor. Be sure to complete these steps before
wiring sensors to the I/O interface.
CAUTION! This product contains a lithium metal battery. Prior to installation, the
battery should be inspected for any signs of damage. If the battery appears to be
damaged or is dropped during the installation, do not use the battery and be sure to
dispose of it properly. See Battery inspection for more information.
Make sure you have the following equipment available:
nActivated SIMcard: See Activate the SIM card
nBattery
nCellular antenna
Note You must use a passive (non-amplified) antenna with Connect Sensor.
Follow these steps to assemble Connect Sensor:
1. Open the Connect Sensor enclosure.
2. If desired, replace the existing SIM card with an activated SIMcard (standard size) from your
cellular service provider.
Note You can skip this step if you are using the existing SIM card inserted in the device.
a. Orient Connect Sensor to match the picture below.

Get started Set up a Connect Sensor
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 18
b. Unlock the SIM card tray by gently pushing the metal bar toward the bottom of the
tray.
c. Open the SIMcard tray by pulling the tray up from the top or right side of the tray.
CAUTION! Do not pull the SIMcard tray up from the left side or use a tool to
open the tray. These actions may damage the SIM detect switch, which is
beneath the left side of the tray.
d. Remove and discard the existing SIM card from the SIMcard tray.
e. Insert your own SIM card into the SIMcard tray, with the metal contacts face-down
and the flat edge inserted into the holder.
f. Press the SIMcard tray onto the board.
g. Lock the SIM card tray by gently pushing the metal bar toward the top of the
SIMcard holder.
3. Connect the cellular antenna.
4. Insert and connect the battery.

Get started Set up a Connect Sensor
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 19
5. Apply the gasket lubricant on the gasket to properly seal the device.
a. Retrieve the gasket lubricant kit that was provided with the product components.
b. Open the lubricant pouch and use the swab to apply a thin coating of the lubricant
onto the gasket.Makesure to completely cover the black surface of the gasket.
There is no harm in applying a thicker coating, as the lubricant cannot harm the
device.
6. Close the cover on the device. The cover snaps into place.
7. Optional: Install the magnet mount to the bottom of Connect Sensor if you have purchased this
accessory. See Install the magnet mount.
Note It is recommended that you complete configuration, including verifying cellular and Remote
Manager connectivity, before wiring external sensors to Connect Sensor. See the Digi Remote Manager
User Guide for information about Remote Manager.
Install the magnet mount
You can install a magnet mount on Connect Sensor so that you can securely place the device on a
metal object.
Make sure you have the following equipment available:
nMagnet mount accessory pack. See Verify product components for purchasing information.
nAppropriate screw driver.
Note You can skip this step if you did not purchase the magnet mount accessory pack.

Get started Set up a Connect Sensor
Digi Connect® Sensor User Guide 20
1. Turn Connect Sensor to access the bottom of the device.
2. Remove one magnet from the set of four magnets in the accessory pack.
CAUTION! The magnets are extremely powerful. Keep magnets separated. If
they touch each other they are difficult to separate. Use caution when handling
the magnets to avoid injury due to pinching.
3. Place the magnet on one corner of the device. Be sure to match the hole in the magnet to the
hole in the corner.
4. Remove one of the screws from the accessory pack.
5. Using the screwdriver, screw the magnet onto the device.
6. Repeat this process to screw the remaining magnets onto the corners of Connect Sensor.
When you have completed this process, a magnet should be screwed onto each corner of the
device.
Configure the cellular connection
Note If you purchased Digi Bundled Services, the cellular connection is already configured on your
Connect Sensor and you can skip this section.
Connect Sensor is configured with a default APN that you need to change to register Connect Sensor
on the cellular network for your cellular service provider. Use the command line interface (CLI) to
initially configure the cellular connection.
Before you begin, make sure you have the following required equipment and information:
nComputer running a terminal emulator program
nUSB type A to B cable
nAPN from your cellular service provider
To register Connect Sensor on a cellular network: