6 Sep 2021

CO2 Monitoring with LoRaWAN or NB-IoT on Datacake

Simon Kemper

There are many different sensors available for the LoRaWAN and NB-IoT ecosystem. Some of them are battery powered and hardly bigger than a motion detector, others need an external wired power supply, but come with an integrated warning traffic light, which visualizes the CO2 concentration directly via the device, and which can directly warn the persons present on site about too high CO2 load.

But all sensors have in common that they need an evaluation software for the collection, display and evaluation of the measurement data collected by them. Without such software, the devices often remain functionless.

The Datacake IoT platform, thanks to its integrations for LoRaWAN and NB-IoT sensors, offers many possibilities for monitoring CO2 levels in buildings, offices, workplaces or other locations.

In the following article you will learn what possibilities the Datacake IoT platform offers for monitoring CO2 concentration in workplaces, office spaces or buildings and how easy it is to connect LoRaWAN or NB-IoT sensors to the platform.

Long-term Data Storage

Part of the Datacake IoT platform is a powerful time-series database that stores data from your connected sensors in high resolution over a long period of time.

Wide variety of LoRaWAN Devices

For the following LoRaWAN devices, you can find templates on the Datacake platform.

Teneo CO2 Stop Light
Elsys ERS CO2 / CO2 Light
SenseAir Explora CO2
Enginko CO2
Dragino LAQ4

LoRaWAN Network Servers Support

For various LoRaWAN Network Servers (LNS for short) pre-built integrations are available on the platform, which receive the data via webhook from the respective LNS.

Also, many LNS vendors have integrated the Datacake platform as a plug-in, so you don't have to do any complex configuration or programming when connecting LNS to Datacake.

For various LoRaWAN Network Servers (LNS for short) pre-built integrations are available on the platform, which receive the data via webhook from the respective LNS.

The Things Stack v3 / TTSv3
Helium
Loriot
Actility
Kerlink Wanesy
ChirpStack
KPN

Also, many LNS vendors have integrated the Datacake platform as a plug-in, so you don't have to do any complex configuration or programming when connecting LNS to Datacake.

Support for NB-IoT

Together with our partner Pikkerton GmbH we have implemented an integration for their NB-IoT sensors, which send data via MQTT to a broker. A template for their NBS-180 CO2 sensor is available on the Datacake platform and a connection can be done via a third party broker or a managed Datacake MQTT service.

Generic MQTT Integration

For other devices that use the MQTT protocol to connect to a platform, Datacake offers a generic MQTT integration. Here you can subscribe to any Topics via the platform and forward the data to the device using Payload Decoder.

Managed MQTT

If you need a MQTT broker for the integration of NB-IoT sensors, but you don't want to use an open broker and you don't have another broker at hand, we can add your own broker to a Datacake client.

Display room plans

Use the image widget and upload room plans or graphics, which you then place on your dashboards.

In an upcoming version, Datacake will allow you to overlay readings from your sensors directly on the room plan, creating interactive and easy-to-understand overviews.

Share your dashboards

Once you have created a global overview, you can publish it with a click of the mouse and share it with your customers via a custom link.

Global Dashboard for CO2 Monitoring in Restaurant

Click here for a demo of a CO2 installation in a restaurant:

https://app.datacake.de/dashboard/d/435e97fb-2d4d-4303-9dcc-9236dbe801ed

QR Code for Easy Access

Often sensors are placed in rooms where people are also present, but who then do not have access to the platform or measured values of the sensors. To prevent these people from having to register on the platform to get access, the Datacake platform offers view sharing via QR code.

Share your IoT Device Dashboards using QR-Code

Simply make a dashboard public and a QR code and a web address are available, which you can then stick directly on the sensor, for example.

Data export via automated report

Often customers, building managers or other responsible persons want an overview of daily or weekly measured values in summarized form as an Excel report.

Report Engine Editor

The Datacake platform offers this via the so-called report engine. Define time period, sensors and set an execution date. From then on, an export is automatically created on the date you define and optionally sent automatically by e-mail to freely definable recipients.

For more information, click here:

https://docs.datacake.de/portal/reports

REST API and GraphQL interface

Using the REST API and GraphQL interface of the Datacake backend, you can read out the long-term data of your CO2 sensors at any time. Thanks to the GraphQL interface, you already design the data as you need it during the query. Thus, you can connect third-party platforms, management systems or your own apps in no time.

Multi-Tenancy Features

The basic element of the Datacake platform is the creation of clients, whereby each client can hold different sensors and users, which can then also exist in parallel in several clients at the same time.

Use this feature in connection with CO2 monitoring to create separate areas for buildings, rooms or customers. The structure is flat, so no requirement remains open.