Smart Sensing, Foundation of the IoT/IIoT, is Maturing at a Rapid Pace

When connected to smart sensing solutions, vital data points can help organizations make informed decisions to optimize performance, prevent and solve problems, predict maintenance, and boost efficiency.

Whether you have one or several things to monitor in your industry application, deploying a versatile smart sensing platform makes sense. A platform that features different sensor types with several connectivity options and cloud or on-premises monitoring offers a better ability to collect all sorts of critical operational data.

It is possible to have multiple IoT sensing and connectivity platforms in one; for example, hardware and firmware (sensors, gateways, and accessories) with cloud and on-premises connectivity and software. Once deployed, you can efficiently collect, securely receive, and quickly act on IoT sensor data.

A wide array of sensors can monitor nearly any common or uncommon industry application. Consider sensors that track banana ripening, landfill waste temperature, bed bug heat remediation, or air velocity in a food processing plant’s HVAC system.

Wi-Fi, Power over Ethernet, and cellular sensors can monitor environmental conditions, power, motion, temperature, light, humidity, water, vibration, current, pressure, motion, gases, access, and more.

Figure 1. Some of the common and uncommon IoT applications. (Image: Courtesy of Monnit)

How Wireless Sensors Work

Monnit’s ALTA wireless sensors, for example, run on low power, have a longrange multi-frequency radio, and a flexible microcontroller with interference immunity. They send data through cellular or Ethernet gateways to cloud software, so you can remotely configure, monitor, and automate many operations.

Nearly every one of these sensors monitors temperature as well as its primary measurement. Some, like the advanced vibration meter, collect multiple data points. It measures vibration frequency, crest factor, velocity, displacement, acceleration, duty cycle, and temperature.

As examples of the versatility of what smart sensors can provide:

Wireless connectivity up to 2,000+ feet away through 18+ walls or floors when connected to the Monnit ALTA XL Gateway.
Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) integration for greater wireless range and intelligent signal interference tolerance with impairment immunity from physical obstructions, external radio frequency systems, and electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman 256-bit key exchange, 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), 256-bit Secure Hash Algorithm 3 (SHA-3), and Cipher Block Chaining (CBC) security.
Data logging of 2,000 to 4,000 readings if the gateway connection is lost (non-volatile flash, persists through power cycling).
Deliver firmware over-the-air (FOTA) updates and sensor settings configuration via the cloud.

Figure 2. Multiple sensor types and connectivity — wireless, cellular, Wi-Fi, and Power over Ethernet — provide the flexibility to meet varying applications. (Image: Courtesy of Monnit)

A Site Survey Tool can help you determine the best location with the strongest and highest quality signal for sensor placement. Monnit helps customers achieve National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) certification for our Standard Temperature, Low Temperature, and Humidity Sensors.

Flexible Long-Range Wireless Connectivity

The ALTA and ALTA XL Enterprise and Industrial IoT Cellular Gateways combine a 4G LTE CAT-M1/NB2 engine and Enterprise Ethernet platform with Monnit’s wireless access point network to aggregate and communicate sensor data.

Key features include:

IoT Gateways communicate with sensors up to one mile (line-of-sight) and 1,200 ft+ through 12+ walls (non-line-of-sight).
IoT Gateways (1-watt transmission strength) receive and send data 2,000 ft+ through 18+ walls in commercial building environments.
Security through Diffie-Hellman 256-bit Key Exchange and AES-128 CBC.
Support up to 100 sensors per gateway.
Uninterrupted data collection via onboard memory that stores and sends up to 32,000 sensor messages after an Internet outage.
LTE CAT-M1/NB2 for global use in bands 1–5, 8, 12, 13, 18–20, 25–28, 66, 71, and 85.
Firmware over-the-air (FOTA) software updates.
Location awareness add-on service from a GNSS chipset supporting GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, and QZSS satellites to collect data that can be distributed via an application programming interface (API).

Monnit Ethernet Gateways allow ALTA Sensors to communicate with iMonnit™ Software without a PC, accommodating various wireless IoT applications. Provide power and plug a gateway into an open Ethernet port with an Internet connection, and it automatically connects with our online servers.

Adapting the ALTA Framework to Various Applications

Our long-range software-defined wireless sensor framework is based on the Kelly Real-Time Operating System (KRTOS). Its code manages the real-time and non-time-critical processes for sensors and gateways. Like other embedded operating systems, KRTOS provides specific rules for different process elections, privileges, and access levels of processor resources.

Our framework manages two primary process types: one for the radio and the other for application-specific processing. The radio process has microsecond requirements for real-time operations to support frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) sequencing and timing.

Our application profile processes are written relatively generically so that all ALTA Sensors can periodically measure and create data points. Some sensing applications require stringent time-sensitive operations that differ from sensor to sensor. These operations can be performed efficiently because of the control our hardware and KRTOS allows.

Figure 3. Restaurant walk-in cooler temperature monitoring is among the most common IoT applications. (Image: Courtesy of Monnit)

There is also an application framework using KRTOS for precise time-controlled processes. It can handle diverse sensor applications and ease integration into the ALTA Platform.

Common functions, methods, and operations used by our sensors are supported. This helps engineers adapt new sensor applications to the platform and provide a standard management software interface with familiar functionality.

Circle™ Cellular IoT Sensors

These sensors combine sensor and gateway engines in one device and a chipset to connect applications to the IoT via cellular services. The sensors are designed for applications in remote locations that lack Internet infrastructure.

Low-power cellular IoT sensors:

Run on the CAT-M1 or NB-IoT networks for direct-to-cloud communication.
Measure and send two or more data points using various detachable leads.
Feature a robust cellular module and edge data processor.

Next™ Wi-Fi Sensors

Our second-generation Wi-Fi sensors offer a broad network range and strong signal.

Key features include:

Data from eight different sensor types up to 125 feet away through five walls.
Protocol: 802.11 b.
Range: 125 feet through five walls or 500-ft line of sight.
Frequency Band: 2.412–2.484 GHz.
Security: Open, WPA, WPA2, WPA3, and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)-128 Cipher Block Chaining (CBC) for sensor data messages.
Network Settings: Auto DHCP/DNS or Static.
Data Rate: Auto configures to the best rate for maximum range.

Figure 4. Smart sensors enable edge computing, which is key to an efficient sensing system. (Image: VectorMine/Adobe Stock)

PoE•X Sensors

Eleven different PoE•X Sensors plug into a building’s Power over Ethernet (PoE) infrastructure and remotely monitor critical systems. This data provides smart building insights to economize operations by conserving resources while enhancing comfort.

The sensors use the same PoE cable to both receive power and transmit data. This two-in-one capability optimizes space use and addresses broad layout needs and high-density sensor networks, such as those for data centers.

Advancements Influencing Smart Sensing

Technologies that were once considered futuristic are increasingly mainstream and are helping advance smart sensing in many industries.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Computer Vision (CV), and Machine Learning (ML) enable real-time data processing, advanced pattern recognition, and predictive analytics, leading to smarter automation, optimized efficiency, and informed decision-making.
Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality (VR, AR, and MR), and digital twins enhance immersive data visualization, real-time remote monitoring, and interactive control in IoT applications.
CAT-M1, NB-IoT, edge processing, and 5G cellular technologies offer faster, more reliable, and energy-efficient connectivity, supporting real-time data processing, extended device reach, and advanced automation.
Plug-and-play multisensors and microsensors provide seamless integration and connectivity, making IoT engineering and deployment more efficient and customizable.
Energy sourcing, harvesting, and battery innovation foster self-powered devices and extend sensor lifespans, leading to more sustainable and efficient IoT deployments.

Smart sensing excels as these and other complementary technologies evolve. A versatile smart sensing platform can prevent disparity and promote interoperability, adaptability, and customizability, allowing you to tailor it to fit one or many IoT applications.

This article was written by Brad Walters, Founder and CEO of Monnit. For more information, visit here or contact Mr. Walters at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..