EC Sensor Not Working Suddenly?

Hardware
1

Hello All, we have had an EC sensor deployed in the field for over 2 years… been working great since day 1.

Last month, after we swapped batteries, it stopped working suddenly (lithium batteries were a week old).

Since then, we have tried replacing batteries, tried to reset to factory settings (R+C for 15 seconds), and we are getting NO payloads of any kind. The red light on the sensor, however, does flash when R is pressed.

We will do a bit more testing with other gateways and antennaes, but what would be the next step? RMA?

Thank you!

2

It sounds like the sensor is transmitting but the transmission is not being received. What are you using to receive the data from the sensor? A Gateway or a Modem?

I would try bringing the sensor within just a few feet of the gateway or modem, then hit reset and see if you get any data. If it works in close proximity it could be out of range at the install location or possibly the Wireless module or antenna could be damaged.

Let us know what you find.

Thank you,
Travis Elliott

3

Hi Travis,

Here is an update on the extensive troubleshooting we performed on-site today.

  • Gateway/Base Station: We confirmed no changes occurred with the original base station or edge computer. To isolate the issue, we brought a secondary gateway right next to the sensor (about 5 feet away). We were able to get a signal, but it was exceptionally weak, showing an RSSI of only -66 at that close range.
  • Power Issues: We tested the unit on both external power and fresh batteries without success. Notably, we observed that the batteries depleted abnormally quickly. It died a week after batteries were swapped.
  • Physical Condition: There is absolutely no water damage or physical wear, as the sensor is kept in a double enclosure. It worked perfectly for two years and failed shortly after a routine battery swap, with no one touching it in the interim.
  • Antenna & Hardware: We bypassed all existing extensions and connected a brand new 900 MHz NCD antenna and antennae connector directly to the XBee module. We also verified there were no loose connections.
  • Configuration: We performed another factory reset and used Node-RED to verify the transmission power was explicitly set to high.

Unfortunately, none of these permutations resolved the issue. We have pulled the sensor from the field and brought it back.

Please let us know the prompt next steps. If you would like the unit back for an RMA, we can submit that and get it shipped ASAP. If your team has any advanced troubleshooting steps we can try on the bench, we are open to that, provided it does not consume excessive time.