In our daily lives, temperature and humidity are the two important environmental parameters with which we interact most with nature. The collection and control of temperature and humidity are of great significance in production and experiment sites, as well as in residential and leisure places, especially for places with strict requirements on temperature and humidity such as server rooms, museums, cold storage, etc. Moreover, it is an inevitable trend to build remote wireless temperature and humidity monitoring systems in modern science and technology development. In this guide, we will help you to get to know more about IoT temperature and humidity sensors and help you choose the right one.
What is IoT temperature and humidity sensor
The smart temperature and humidity sensor is one of the IoT sensors designed to measure the temperature and humidity of indoor and outdoor environments. It measures the ambient temperature and humidity through a certain micro-controller interface such as Arduino or Raspberry Pi, and then converts the specific value into an electric signal or other required forms of information output that can be easily measured or processed according to certain rules, so as to meet the specific needs of users.
Since temperature and humidity have a close relationship whether from their physical quantity or in people’s actual life, so sensors that integrate temperature and humidity are produced accordingly. Generally, most of the smart temperature and humidity sensor on the market can measure the temperature and relative humidity in the environment. Due to their small size and high performance, you are able to find the application of IoT temperature and humidity sensors in various fields of production and life.
Features of LoRaWAN temperature and humidity sensors
An ideal IoT temperature and humidity sensor would be able to monitor ambient temperature and humidity at anytime and from anywhere. This feasibility and scalability enable these smart devices to serve various applications through wireless IoT technologies. There are a wide variety of temperature and humidity sensors on the market that are perfectly suited for particular applications in various scenarios.
In particular, LoRaWAN temperature and humidity sensors stand out among the best choice when it comes to monitoring the environment. With LoRa technology and LoRaWAN protocol, these smart devices can work both indoors and outdoors, and provide efficient remote wireless temperature and humidity monitoring solutions. Here are some features of the LoRaWAN temperature and humidity sensor:
- Prevalent temperature and humidity monitoring: indoors or outdoors
- Ultra-low battery power consumption, and extended operating life for up to 5-10 years
- Based on standard LoRaWAN protocol
- Support a wide range frequency plan
- Lower cost of implementation and easy installation
- Support low battery indicator
- Compact and sturdy form factor
How do smart temperature and humidity sensors work
After determining the IoT temperature and humidity sensor type, the corresponding measuring method and equipment can also be confirmed. The LoRaWAN IoT temperature and humidity sensor has become popular these days as it enables you to remotely monitor the temperature and humidity of the place where the sensor is placed with the help of your mobile device. These sensors are useful when you are away and need to monitor the temperature and humidity of a place.
The LoRa temperature and humidity environment monitoring solution is easy to deploy. After collecting the temperature and humidity data through the LoRaWAN end node, the gateway will upload the collected data to the cloud for processing and analysis. In this way, users can virtually view the temperature and humidity value of the working environment through mobile devices anytime, anywhere. It is also possible to query historical storage data. When the device detects that the temperature and humidity value are about to exceed the set range, it will notify the staff.
How to choose the right T&H sensor for your project
IoT temperature and humidity sensors vary greatly in principle and structure. The first concern is how to choose a suitable temperature and humidity sensor based on the specific measurement purpose, object and environment. In addition, there are many factors to take into consideration, including sensor performance, transmission distance, application scenarios, and ease of installation. Here are some basic criteria for your reference.
Determine the sensor type: To carry out specific measurement tasks, priority should be given to the principle of the IoT temperature and humidity sensor, which depends on a number of factors. As for which working principle of the sensor is more suitable, it’s necessary to take the measured object and its application scenarios into consideration.
Frequency response characteristic: The frequency range that can be measured are determined by the temperature and humidity sensor’s frequency response characteristic. If the smart sensor has a high frequency response, then the measurable signal frequency range will be wide.
Linear range: The linear range of the smart temperature and humidity device refers to the range where the output is in proportion to the input. As long as the linear range of the smart device is wider, its measurement range is is larger, and a certain measurement accuracy is ensured. After determining the sensor type, it is necessary to determine whether the measurement range meets the requirements.
Sensitivity: In general, it is desirable that the sensitivity of smart sensors should be as high as possible in the linear range of the IoT temperature and humidity sensor. In the case of high sensor sensitivity, the output signal corresponds to the measurement variation value will be relatively large, which can help signal processing.
Stability: The ability of a temperature and humidity sensor to maintain its performance over a period of time is called stability. What affects the long-term stability of the smart temperature and humidity device is mainly its working environment, as well as the sensor structure. Therefore, proper measures can be set in place to reduce the environmental impact.
Use cases of smart temperature and humidity sensors
As we mentioned above, these sensors are easy to deploy and install, so they can be found in a wide range of applications. Remote and real-time monitoring of ambient temperature and humidity is possible thanks to IoT. The following part will show you some of the best use cases for wireless IoT temperature and humidity sensors.
LoRaWAN temperature and humidity sensor is ideal for smart farming application. It can help realize precise management, remote irrigation control of modern agriculture, and further promote the construction of smart greenhouses. Farmers are enabled to monitor and control the temperature and humidity of the greenhouse anytime and anywhere. When the soil humidity is detected to be lower than the prescribed value, spray irrigation and water supplement shall be started immediately.
Data center monitoring
Data center is an important place for companies and institutions to store, process and share data. Since there are many electronic devices in the server room, the ambient temperature and humidity have a direct impact on their working state. The IoT temperature and humidity sensor is an essential part of the integrated data center monitoring system. When the detection value is too high, cooling and dehumidification measures are taken to ensure a proper working environment.
Cold chain transportation has extremely stringent requirements on temperature and humidity, especially for temperature-sensitive foods and pharmaceuticals. Whether the temperature and humidity are too high or too low, it is easy to cause food spoilage and reduce the efficacy of vaccines. The real-time monitoring of temperature and humidity can help relevant staff to get a real picture of the status of the cold chain items, and instant measures can be taken if there is any deviation from the specified temperature range.
Museum environmental monitoring
Most of the cultural relics and documents in the museum are very sensitive to the ambient temperature and humidity. Improper storage of cultural relics will severely reduce their storage life. The adoption of the LoRaWAN-based IoT wireless temperature and humidity monitoring system plays an important role in maintaining a suitable temperature and humidity for the museum.
How to install the IoT temperature and humidity sensors
The popularity of smart temperature and humidity sensors is due to their multiple advantages, the biggest of which is that they are smart both in application and implementation. Most of the IoT temperature and humidity sensors are ready to install and can be easily installed wherever measurements are required. High-performance, low-cost, energy-efficient smart sensors provide superior quality of service and reliable temperature and humidity measurements without any engineering or special equipment.
The cost to deploy IoT temperature and humidity sensors is primarily a one-time cost, as these sensors typically do not require any maintenance, have a long operating life, and are durable. Smart temperature sensors and humidity sensors based on LoRaWAN are more affordable than NB-IoT, and there are a few other technologies that can meet your needs. If you are looking for an easy to deploy all-in-one LoRaWAN temperature and humidity sensor, MOKOLoRa offers a robust and stable smart sensor with a long-operating replaceable battery that lasts up to 10 years.