The right sensor for your needs
minion can be configured so that it is equipped with the right sensor technology for your specific application. Three integrated sensor variants are currently available, precisely tailored to typical measurement tasks in industry, infrastructure and mobility, as well as an analogue adapter input that lets you use standard industrial sensors with a 4–20 mA output. And that’s just the beginning: the sensor system is being continuously developed further. Here is an overview.
Vibration & temperature
Detects e.g. imbalance, misalignment, impacts, changes of position, and more.
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Measure vibration with the minion vibration sensor
Typical applications:
- Monitoring of motors, pumps and fans
- Condition monitoring
Key features:
- Measurement range from 2 to 1,000 Hz, configurable to the application
- Detects imbalance, impacts, shocks and changes in position
- Intelligent wake‑up function for detecting critical states even during idle phases
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Measure temperature and humidity
Typical applications:
- Monitoring ambient conditions in technical rooms and distribution cabinets
- Use at outdoor sites and shafts, e.g. greenhouses or livestock sheds
- Climate control for semi‑stationary units with changing locations
Key features:
- Temperature measuring range from −20 to +80 °C with an accuracy of ±0.2 °C
- IP65/IP67 protection for demanding industrial environments
- Low drift for stable, accurate data acquisition over long periods
Radar sensor
Typical applications:
- Level measurement in tanks and containers
- Distance measurement in industrial applications
- Monitoring of liquid and solid levels
Key features:
- Measurement range from 200 m to 2 m with high accuracy
- Robust housing with IP65/IP67 protection
- Suitable for use in harsh industrial environments
Adapter for external analogue sensors
Typical applications:
- Retrofitting existing equipment
- Combination of internal and external sensors (e.g. switching pressure + climate sensors)
Key features:
- Three precise analogue inputs for 4–20 mA signals
- Self‑sufficient monitoring via direct cloud connection and battery operation
- IP65/IP67 protection for use in demanding industrial environments
The most important questions
Yes. The minion is currently available in four sensor variants:
- MV001 – vibration & temperature
- MH001 – temperature & relative humidity
- MF001 – radar (distance / level)
- MD001 – analogue adapter for 4–20 mA industrial sensors
Additional measurement principles are currently under development. This means: if your measurement principle (e.g. pressure, flow, rotary angle, chemical concentration) is not listed, that does not necessarily mean it is impossible — please contact us and we will clarify whether a future variant is planned. Many applications can already be solved today with the “analogue adapter” (MD001).
Yes. Using the analogue adapter (MD001), standard industrial sensors with a 4–20 mA output can be integrated directly into the minion system. You use the minion’s gateway, battery and cloud platform and connect your existing sensor.
Note: When using your own sensors, the following points must be clarified:
- Interface: Is the sensor delivered with 4–20 mA, voltage, pulse or digital output? (The minion adapter supports 4–20 mA with an operating voltage of 12 V.)
- Calibration & accuracy: Your sensor must meet the requirements you need (e.g. temperature range, measurement accuracy).
- Parameterisation & integration: The incoming sensor current value is converted into a meaningful process value in the gateway or in the cloud. This process value can then be linked to alarm rules, thresholds or further logic if required.
Yes. In the factory configuration, the minion measures, for example, every 60 minutes and transmits once a day to the cloud. You can adjust settings such as measurement and transmission intervals via the cloud or API (or app).
Note: Battery life depends heavily on the measurement and transmission interval. Shorter intervals → more transmissions → higher energy consumption. Therefore a compromise must be found between measurement frequency and battery life.
Recommendation: Define before use: “How often do I want to measure?” and “How often do I want to transmit data?” – e.g. for critical systems, measure every 15 min and transmit once per hour. Often it is smarter to extend the transmission intervals but to receive notifications immediately and outside the regular schedule when alarm thresholds are exceeded.
If the minion cannot transmit due to a mobile network outage or missing connection, the measured values are initially stored locally on the device. They are transmitted automatically later – or can be read out via the app or cloud.
Typical causes of missing data may be:
- no or poor mobile network coverage
- battery almost empty
- incorrect installation (e.g. unstable surface)
- sensor fault
- incorrect parameterisation
Recommendations:
- Set up an alarm rule in the cloud: “No data transmission for X hours”
- Carry out regular service checks: – battery status – network quality – device status / sensor function
This ensures that malfunctions are detected and resolved at an early stage.
Any questions left?
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