HyQuest Solutions IoTa LTE-M User manual

IoTa SensorNode
User Manual

© 2022 HyQuest Solutions 2
Table of Contents
Glossary + Abbreviations 4II
III Scope of Delivery 5
IV Safety Instructions 6
I Disclaimer 3
V Specific Safety Instructions 7
Part I Introduction 8
Part II Installation 9
Part III Configuration 10
3.1 HyCommunicator – General Description ................................................................................................ 10
3.2 HyCommunicator for IoTa SensorNode .................................................................................................. 10
3.2.1 Downloading Configuration Software .............................................................................................. 10
3.2.2 Connecting to the Device ..................................................................................................................... 11
3.2.3 Device Selection Screen (start-up) .................................................................................................... 11
3.2.4 Device Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 12
3.2.5 Device Measurement Testing and Visualisation .......................................................................... 13
3.2.6 Device Integrations ................................................................................................................................ 14
3.2.7 Device Configuration ............................................................................................................................. 14
Part IV Operation 27
4.1 Power Supply .................................................................................................................................................. 27
4.2 Connecting an SDI-12 Sensor .................................................................................................................... 28
4.3 Connecting a Pulse Signal to the Counter Input .................................................................................. 28
4.4 Connecting an Antenna ................................................................................................................................ 29
4.5 Data Transmission ........................................................................................................................................ 29
4.5.1 LoRa ............................................................................................................................................................ 29
4.5.2 LTE-M .......................................................................................................................................................... 29
Part V Maintenance 30
Part VI Troubleshooting 31
6.1 Device Stops Operating .............................................................................................................................. 31
6.2 Device Stops Transmitting Data .............................................................................................................. 31
Part VII Repair 32
Part VIII Technical Data 33
Part IX Obligations of the Operator and Disposal 34
9.1 Obligations of the Operator ....................................................................................................................... 34
9.2 Dismantling / Disposal ................................................................................................................................ 34

Copyright Notice: No parts of this work may be
reproduced in any form or by any means without the
written permission of the publisher. HyQuest
Solutions waives copyright for users to print out
parts of the documentation in hard copy for their
own use only.
Trademark Notice: HyQuest Solutions (HS) and
KISTERS products and services referred to in this
document are trademarks or registered trademarks
of HyQuest Solutions or KISTERS AG. Other product
names used may or may not be the trademarks of
their respective owners.
© 2020 HyQuest Solutions, a KISTERS Group
Company. Any rights not expressly granted herein
are reserved.
The information provided in this manual was deemed
accurate as of the publication date. However, updates
to this information may have occurred.
This manual does not include all of the details of
design, production, or variation of the equipment
nor does it cover every possible situation which may
arise during installation, operation or maintenance.
HyQuest Solutions shall not be liable for any
incidental, indirect, special or consequential damages
whatsoever arising out of or related to this
documentation and the information contained in it,
even if HyQuest Solutions has been advised of the
possibility of such damages.
Any errors found in any HyQuest Solutions product
should be reported to HyQuest Solutions where
every effort will be made to quickly resolve the
problem.
This document is public.
3© 2022 HyQuest Solutions
I Disclaimer

II Glossary + Abbreviations
Term
Explanation
LoRa
from “Long Range”, a proprietary low-power wide-area network modulation technique
LoRaWAN
LoRa Wide Area Network, networking protocol built on top of the LoRa radio modulation technique
LTE-M
Long Term Evolution for Machines, a type of low power wide area network (LPWAN) radio
technology standard
LPWAN
Low Power Wide Area Network, both LoRa/LoRAWAN and LTE-M are LPWAN technologies
SDI-12
Serial Digital Interface at 1200 baud, an asynchronous serial communications protocol for smart
sensors, SDI-12 sensors reply to commands send by the data logger, the standard also specifies
supply voltage and current and including modes for low-power operation
USB
Universal Serial Bus, an asynchronous serial communication protocol for peripheral devices
4© 2022 HyQuest Solutions

© 2022 HyQuest Solutions 5
III Scope of Delivery
§ IoTa SensorNode
§ Pole Mount
§ 2 × Cable Ties for pole mounting
© 2022 HyQuest Solutions 5

§ Read the user manual including all operating instructions prior to installing, connecting and powering up the HyQuest
Solutions IoTa SensorNode. The manual provides information on how to operate the product. The manual is intended
to be used by qualified personnel, i.e. personnel that have been adequately trained, are sufficiently familiar with
installation, mounting, wiring, powering up and operation of the product.
§ Keep the user manual on hand for later reference!
§ If you encounter problems understanding the information in the manual (or part thereof), please consult the
manufacturer or its appointed reseller for further support.
§ HyQuest Solutions IoTa SensorNode is intended to be used in hydrometeorological or environmental monitoring
applications.
§ Before starting to work, you have to check the functioning and integrity of the system.
§ Check for visible defects on the IoTa SensorNode, this may or may not include any or all of the following mounting
facilities, connectors and connections, mechanical parts, internal or external communication devices, power
supplies or power supply lines, etc.
§ If defects are found that jeopardize the operational safety, work must be stopped. This is true for defects found
before starting to work as well as for defects found while working.
§ Do not use the HyQuest Solutions IoTa SensorNode in areas where there is a danger of explosion.
§ The present user manual specifies environmental/climatic operating conditions as well as mechanical and electrical
conditions. Installation, wiring, powering up and operating the HyQuest Solutions IoTa SensorNode must strictly
comply with these specifications.
§ Perform maintenance only when tools or machinery are not in operation.
§ If guards are removed to perform maintenance, replace them immediately after servicing.
§ Never make any electrical or mechanical diagnostics, inspections or repairs under any circumstances. Return the
sensor to the manufacturer’s named repair centre. You can find information on how to return items for repair in the
relevant section of the HyQuest Solutions web site.
§ Disposal instructions: After taking the HyQuest Solutions IoTa SensorNode out of service, it must be disposed of
in compliance with local waste and environmental regulations. The HyQuest Solutions IoTa SensorNode is never to be
disposed in household waste!
§ Inputs and outputs of the device are protected against electric discharges and surges (so-called ESD). Do not
touch any part of the electronic components! If you need to touch any part, please discharge yourself, i.e. by touching
grounded metal parts.
IV Safety Instructions
© 2022 HyQuest Solutions 6

V Specific Safety Instructions
© 2022 HyQuest Solutions 7
§ Warning! The lithium-ion battery may only be used under the conditions specified in this user manual. Using
the lithium-ion battery under conditions outside the limits specified in this user manual may result in personal injuries
and damage to the battery.
§ The lithium-ion battery must always be kept in a well ventilated, dry, clean and dust-free environment. Never expose
the battery to fire, water or solvents.
§ The lithium-ion battery is installed and used in an enclosed housing. The housing is equipped with a pressure-
compensation gland. Make sure that nothing prevents the pressure compensation gland from operating. Especially do
not clog or block the gland, remove the gland and replace it with a closed cap or similar.
§ Overvoltage, wrong wiring, reverse polarity of the terminals or short circuits between the terminals may
damage the lithium-ion battery which can be extremely dangerous.
§ The hazard symbols and safety instructions on the battery label must be observed and must never be removed from
the battery.
§ In case of exceptional heat development during operation, the lithium-ion battery must be disconnected and
removed.
§ In case of battery leakage, the leaking electrolyte must never come into contact with skin or eyes. In case of
skin contact, the affected area has to be cleaned with water and soap immediately. In case of eye contamination, the
affected eye must be thoroughly rinsed with clean water immediately. In both cases, a doctor must be consulted
without delay.
§ In case of swallowing of leaking electrolyte, a doctor must be consulted immediately.
§ Please note the markings of the polarities on battery terminals and connection terminals
§ Dirty battery terminals must be cleaned with a dry and clean cloth.
§ At the end of its service life, the lithium-ion battery must be disposed of according to legal provisions.
§ Warning! The lithium battery must not be mechanically damaged. A damaged lithium-ion battery must never
be installed or used.
§ Warning! The battery terminals must not come into contact with electroconductive objects.

© 2022 HyQuest Solutions 8
Introduction
1Introduction
In an Internet of Things (IoT) network, a sensor node collects data from one or several sensors. HyQuest Solutions’ IoTa
SensorNodes interconnect sensors with data management software by means of adding modern wireless connectivity to
digital sensors.
IoTa SensorNodes are available in two variants: one for LTE-M and one for LoRaWAN communication.
IoTa SensorNodes are battery-powered and operate autonomously for several years on a single battery charge. IoTa
SensorNodes collect data from sensors connected via SDI-12 and Counter inputs. Between readings of the input channels,
the integrated low-power microprocessor falls into hibernation. To further reduce power consumption, SDI-12 sensors
are powered only to make a reading and then switched off.

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Installation
2Installation
Installation is easy: IoTa SensorNodes are equipped with a removable pole mount bracket and mounting holes for wall
mount applications. UV-proof cable ties are delivered for quick installation on vertical poles and horizontal rods. The IoTa
SensorNode can be installed in portrait or landscape position.
Figure 1 – IoTa SensorNode in portrait view with labelled
connectors at the bottom
The device is equipped with 3 connectors:
§ SMA: standard male SMA connector for SMA antennas, see Connecting an Antenna for details
§ Counter: connector M12 A-coded male 4-pin screw-connection; use for a device that generates pulses, such as a rain
gauge, see Connecting a Pulse Signal to the Counter Input for details
§ SDI-12: connector M12 A-coded male 8-pin screw-connection; use for a device with a SDI-12 output, see Connecting
an SDI-12 Sensor for details
Note: The fourth item is a pressure-compensation gland. It ensures pressure equalization through controlled venting.
Avoids build-up of moisture due to negative pressure/vacuum inside the housing when air cools down. Do not modify,
perforate or otherwise mechanically alter the gland!
Figure 2 – Connecting a signal cable(left) and the antenna
(right)
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Configuration
3Configuration
The IoTa SensorNode can be configured locally or remotely using HyQuest Solutions’ HyCommunicator Windows software
(free of charge).
§ HyCommunicator – General Description
§ HyCommunicator for IoTa SensorNode
3.1 HyCommunicator – General Description
HyCommunicator provides a framework for implementing on-site device (data logger/sensor) configuration.
3.2 HyCommunicator for IoTa SensorNode
HyCommunicator is a desktop application that can be used to configure the IoTa LTE-M or LoRa devices through their
USB-ports.
Connected devices are automatically recognised. In case that your device is not showing up, click on the (?) button in the
connection screen, this will open up a guide on how to ensure a device connection.
While the USB cable is connected the device will be in configuration mode and will not transmit any data. Upon
disconnecting the device will resume data transmission.
§ Downloading Configuration Software
§ Connecting to the Device
§ Device Selection Screen (start-up)
§ Device Overview
§ Device Measurement Testing and Visualisation
§ Device Integrations
§ Device Configuration
3.2.1 Downloading Configuration Software
In order to configure the device, download the HyCommunicator device configuration client.
You will need a USB Micro-B cable in order to connect the device with the computer on which the configuration client is
installed.
Operating System
Download Link
Windows 7, 8, 10, 11 (x64)
https://hyconnect.kisters.de/config/download/HyComm.e
xe
Functionality
§ Device information overview
§ Visualise stored measurement data
§ Run integrations to automatically bind the device to datasphere or other services.
§ Easy SDI-12 configuration for supported sensors.
§ Diagnose errors messages related to sensors / manually trigger measurements.
§ Change the device’s configuration:
§ Measured parameters
§ Measurement intervals
§ Etc.
§ Save / load configuration files
§ Perform firmware upgrades
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Configuration
3.2.2 Connecting to the Device
Simply run the provided Windows installer and connect the IoTa device through a USB Micro-B cable to the computer
running HyCommunicator.
Once connected, you might see a notification that your computer is updating its drivers. Once this automatic installation is
complete you will be able to see the device in HyCommunicator.
While the USB cable is connected the device will be in configuration mode and will not transmit any data. Upon
disconnecting the device will resume data transmission.
3.2.3 Device Selection Screen (start-up)

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Configuration
Note
Description
1
Buttons left to right:
§ Scan for Bluetooth devices
§ Scan for USB/Wi-Fi devices: Click to scan USB/Wi-Fi devices.
§ Options
§ Device connection guide: Guide on things to check when a device is not found.
§ Offline configurations: Allows for the creation of configurations while not connected to any devices.
§ Settings: Menu to configure the automatic device configuration features of HyCommunicator.
2
Found devices are displayed here, select one to connect to that device.
3
HyCommunicator version info
3.2.4 Device Overview
Measurement and transmission intervals of both 30 minutes means that every 30 minutes the enabled interfaces are read
out and this data is instantly transmitted.
Note
Description
1
Menu sidebar, click to access other pages.
2
Found devices are displayed here, select one to connect to that device.
3
What and when data is measured.

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Configuration
Note
Description
4
Info on the device’s internal storage.
Click on the bin to clear the internal device measurement data storage.
5
How and when data is transmitted.
6
If enabled, some upload servers can be contacted to retrieve information on the data transmissions of the
device.
3.2.5 Device Measurement Testing and Visualisation
Note
Description
1
Adjust the time range displayed on the graph. Click to open a selection menu.
2
Trigger manual measurements:
§ Single one-time measurement of all enabled interfaces.
§ Series of measurements at specific intervals, note: this does not affect the normal measurement cycle as
configured on the device.
3
Load stored data from the device. Enabling “unsent data only” will only display the values that were not
transmitted yet when loading stored data.
4
Click to clear the graph. Internal data is not wiped.

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Configuration
Note
Description
5
Legend with the measured interfaces listed, click on a time series name to hide/show that interface’s data in
the graph.
3.2.6 Device Integrations
Note
Description
1
Devices can be integrated with certain platforms. In order to access these, you must be registered with the
platform and have a registration key.
Supported Platforms:
§ datasphere:
§ data management system, cloud-based, operated by KISTERS. https://www.datasphere.online
3.2.7 Device Configuration
This chapter contains the following subsections:
§ Saving and Loading
§ Inspect Configuration Issues
§ Configuration: General
§ Configuration: Measurements
§ Configuration: LoRa Transmissions
§ Configuration: LTE Transmissions
§ Configuration: GSM
§ Configuration: Radio Access Technology
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Configuration
§ Configuration: Time and Date
§ Configuration: Firmware Updates
3.2.7.1 Saving and Loading
Note
Description
1
Click on the folder button to load a configuration from either:
§ The connected device
§ A configuration file on your computer.
§ The device type defaults (reset)
Click on the save button to save the current configuration to either:
§ The connected device
§ A configuration file on your computer.
2
Inspect configuration issues automatically detected by HyCommunicator with your configuration. See
chapter Inspect Configuration Issues for more information.
3
Click to access pages for various parts of the configuration.
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Configuration
3.2.7.2 Inspect Configuration Issues
Note
Description
1
When seeing this notification appear, the configuration you have open has one or more settings that can
cause the device to not operate as you intended. Clicking on the INSPECT button will open a detailed
dialog.
2
§ Issues along with a brief explanation are shown here.
§ Some issues will have a FIX button that can automatically edit your configuration to resolve the issue.

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Configuration
3.2.7.3 Configuration: General
Note
Description
1
The ID of the device, used for identifying transmissions from this device.
Changing this value can cause transmission to be discarded on remote systems.
2
Configure how often the device measures and transmits data.
Measurement Interval:
§ Value given in minutes
Transmission interval:
§ Decides how many measurements are done before the device sends out its data.
§ Value given in number of measurement intervals, below the calculated transmission interval is shown in
minutes.
§ IoTa LORA: This value must be set to 1 due to LoRa package length limits.
§ IoTa LTE-M: This value can be increased to save power and transmit multiple stored measurements in
one go.

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Configuration
3.2.7.4 Configuration: Measurements
Note
Description
1
Enable/Disable the SDI-12 interface.
Having this disabled will make the device not record any SDI-12 data
2
Clicking on the magnifier will start an SDI-12 device scan. The device will automatically detect any
connected SDI-12 sensors.
§ Once the device scan is started, and you have found all the devices you need, you can click FINISH to
stop the scan and show your sensors.
§ Supported discovered SDI-12 sensors will allow you to perform a quick-setup. Clicking the button will
open a dialog to configure the measurement:
3
Both manually and automatically (supported sensor) added SDI-12 measurements will be displayed here.
Add SDI-12 measurements manually by clicking the + button.
4
Some SDI-12 sensors will require to be powered for some time before being able to perform a
measurement, here the time in seconds between power-on and starting a measurement can be set.

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Configuration
Note
Description
1
Enable/Disable the battery interface.
Having this disabled will make the device not record any battery data.
2
Enable/Disable the pulse counter interface.
Having this disabled will make the device not record any pulse counter data.
Every pulse on the pulse input will increase the value by 1*<factor>+<offset>
Each time the device performs a measurement, the value is reset to 0.

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Configuration
3.2.7.5 Configuration: LoRa Transmissions
Note
Description
1
Device set to use LoRa transmission
2
LoRa device EUI, unique generated token used for registration.
3
Use OTAA (recommended) or ABP LoRa Modes.
4
App / Join EUI key for OTAA registration.
5
Application key for OTAA registration.
6
Which data rate to use, see LoRa Advanced for enabling adaptive data rates.
In order to manually register the device through OTAA to a LoRa Network you will need to pro-vide the network the
device’s LoRa DEUI (Note 2). If unsure how to do this, consult your LoRa Network’s manual or support. The network in
return will hand you an Application Key (AppKey) and Application EUI (AppEUI), which will need to be filled in at their
appropriate fields in the device configuration software (Note 4 and 5). Also note the additional information in the table
below, as you might be required by your LoRa network to provide this information.
LoRa Version
V1.0.2
Regional Parameters Version
V1.0.2-Rev B