ProSight Sensor to Dashboard Guide for IoT Monitoring System Design and Industrial Dashboard Software
- Aug 5
- 10 min read
A good monitoring system looks simple from the outside. A sensor measures something, the data appears on a dashboard, and alarms notify the right people when conditions move outside the acceptable range.
The work behind that simple result is where most projects succeed or fail.
A ProSight system connects field measurements to cloud dashboards so operators, maintenance teams, and asset owners can see what is happening without standing beside the equipment. The process starts well before any device is installed. It begins with choosing the right measurement, matching it with the right sensor, selecting the best communications network, and building a dashboard that gives people clear information rather than noise.
This guide walks through the full sensor-to-dashboard process, from the first measurement decision through to commissioning and testing.
Start with the measurement that matters
Every strong IoT monitoring system design starts with a clear measurement goal.
Before selecting hardware, define what the system needs to know and why. This keeps the project focused and prevents a dashboard full of data that no one uses.
Common ProSight measurements include:
Water level in tanks, dams, sumps, channels, and reservoirs
Pressure in pipework, pumps, filters, and compressed air systems
Flow rate through water, wastewater, fuel, or process lines
Temperature in cold storage, process equipment, sheds, or remote assets
Humidity in storage areas, greenhouses, or production spaces
Vibration on pumps, motors, fans, and rotating equipment
Run status for pumps, generators, compressors, and packaged plant
Digital states such as open, closed, fault, trip, or overflow
The key question is not only “what can we measure?” It is “what decision will this measurement support?”
A tank level measurement may support refill scheduling. A pressure reading may reveal blocked filters or pump faults. A temperature measurement may support compliance checks. A vibration trend may help plan maintenance before equipment fails.
Define the measurement in practical terms:
The asset being measured
The normal operating range
The values that count as warning or critical
How quickly conditions can change
Who needs to see the data
What action should follow an alarm
This first step shapes every later decision. A fast-moving pressure system needs a different setup from a slow-changing rainwater tank. A remote dam site needs different communications from a factory floor with nearby power and signal coverage.
Match the sensor to the application
Once the measurement is clear, choose a sensor that can survive the environment and produce useful data.
The right sensor is not always the most expensive one. It is the one that matches the physical conditions, accuracy needs, mounting location, and maintenance expectations.
Choose the sensor type
Different measurements call for different sensor technologies.
Measurement | Common sensor options | Practical selection points |
Level | Ultrasonic, hydrostatic pressure, radar, float switch | Consider foam, turbulence, vapour, tank shape, and access |
Pressure | Gauge pressure transmitter, differential pressure transmitter | Match pressure range, media compatibility, and process connection |
Flow | Magnetic, ultrasonic, pulse output meter, turbine meter | Consider pipe size, liquid type, straight pipe length, and power |
Temperature | RTD, thermistor, thermocouple | Match temperature range, response time, and probe style |
Vibration | Accelerometer, vibration transmitter | Consider mounting surface, frequency range, and machine type |
Digital status | Dry contact, relay input, voltage input | Confirm signal type and isolation needs |
For analogue measurements, ProSight devices commonly receive signals such as 4 mA to 20 mA, 0 V to 10 V, pulse, or digital inputs. The sensor output must match the ProSight input type or use a suitable interface.
Check the environment
Field conditions can be harsh. A sensor may need to handle:
UV exposure
Rain and washdown
High humidity
Dust
Salt air
Vibration
Electrical noise
Chemical exposure
Temperature extremes
Use suitable IP-rated housings, cable glands, connectors, and mounting hardware. In outdoor Australian sites, sun exposure and water ingress often create more issues than the electronics themselves.
Confirm the measurement range
Select a sensor range that covers both normal and fault conditions.
For example, if a pressure line normally runs between 300 kPa and 500 kPa, a 0 kPa to 1,000 kPa transmitter may give useful resolution while still allowing headroom for higher pressure events. A range that is too wide may reduce detail. A range that is too narrow may clip readings during abnormal conditions.
Good sensor selection gives the dashboard clean, stable values from day one.
Choose the best connectivity for the site
After the sensor is selected, decide how the data will reach ProSight. Connectivity has a direct effect on coverage, power use, cost, and reporting interval.
The three common options are 4G, NB-IoT, and LoRaWAN.
Use 4G when coverage and data volume matter
4G suits sites with mobile coverage and monitoring needs that may require more frequent updates or larger data packets.
It is often a good fit for:
Pump stations
Treatment plants
Industrial sites
Remote equipment with mains power or solar power
Assets that need frequent reporting
Sites where firmware updates or richer diagnostics are useful
4G generally provides higher bandwidth than NB-IoT or LoRaWAN. The trade-off is higher power use, so battery-only sites need careful design.
Use NB-IoT for low-power mobile network monitoring
NB-IoT suits low-data applications where devices send small packets at longer intervals. It uses licensed mobile network infrastructure and can perform well in some locations where standard mobile data is less suitable.
It is often used for:
Water meters
Tank levels
Environmental readings
Slow-changing utility assets
Battery-powered monitoring nodes
NB-IoT can support long battery life when configured correctly. Coverage must still be checked at the exact installation point.
Use LoRaWAN when a long-range private or public network is available
LoRaWAN is useful for low-power sensors that send small amounts of data over long distances. It can connect to a public LoRaWAN service where available, or to a private gateway installed on site.
It is often a good fit for:
Farms and rural properties
Council assets spread across an area
Large industrial sites
Environmental monitoring
Low-power remote sensors
LoRaWAN works best when message sizes and reporting intervals stay modest. It is not ideal for high-frequency data or large payloads.
Compare the options before committing
Connectivity | Best suited to | Main advantage | Watch point |
4G | Frequent reporting and richer device communication | Higher bandwidth | Higher power use |
NB-IoT | Small packets from low-power devices | Good battery potential | Coverage varies by site |
LoRaWAN | Long-range, low-data monitoring | Low power and flexible networks | Gateway or network access required |
A site survey is valuable. Check signal strength where the antenna will actually be mounted, not just at ground level or near a vehicle.
Configure the device and transmission interval
With the sensor and connectivity chosen, the ProSight device can be configured.
This step turns hardware into a working sensor-to-cloud solution. It tells the device what signal to read, how to scale it, how often to sample it, and how often to send data.
Set the input type and scaling
The device needs to understand the raw signal from the sensor.
For a 4 mA to 20 mA level sensor, the configuration may map:
4 mA to an empty tank
20 mA to a full tank
The scaled value to metres, litres, percentage, or another useful unit
For a pressure transmitter, the device may scale the analogue input to kPa, bar, or psi, depending on the site standard.
Digital inputs need clear state names. Instead of showing `0` and `1`, the dashboard should show labels such as `Pump Running`, `Pump Stopped`, `Valve Open`, or `Fault Active`.
Choose the sampling and transmission interval
Sampling and transmission are related, but they are not always the same.
Sampling is how often the device reads the sensor. Transmission is how often it sends data to ProSight.
A slow-changing tank may only need updates every 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 60 minutes. A pump pressure system may need much shorter intervals. A vibration or fault monitoring system may need event-based reporting as well as scheduled updates.
Shorter intervals give more detail, but they also use more power and data. Longer intervals save power, but may miss fast events.
Set the interval based on:
How fast the process changes
How soon someone needs to respond
Battery or solar capacity
Network type
Data cost
Alarm requirements
For remote battery sites, avoid reporting more often than needed. For critical assets, make sure the interval supports timely response.
Build a dashboard people will actually use
A dashboard should make the system easier to operate. It should not force users to interpret raw engineering values unless they need them.
ProSight dashboards can turn field measurements into clear views for operations, maintenance, compliance, and management. Good Industrial dashboard software presents the right level of detail for each role.
Start with the asset view
A useful dashboard often begins with the asset or site.
For example, a water storage dashboard might show:
Current tank level
Percentage full
Estimated volume
Recent trend
Pump run status
Last communication time
Active alarms
A pump station dashboard might show:
Inlet level
Discharge pressure
Pump status
Flow rate
Runtime
Fault state
Alarm history
Use names that match the site. Operators should see `North Bore Tank` or `Transfer Pump 2`, not generic device labels.
Use trends to show behaviour over time
Current values are useful, but trends explain what is changing.
Trend charts help identify:
Gradual leaks
Rising pressure drop across a filter
Tank refill patterns
Pump cycling
Temperature drift
Network dropouts
Set chart time ranges that suit the process. A cold room may need hourly and daily views. A reservoir may need weekly and monthly views. A pressure transient may need much shorter windows.
Keep the layout simple
A good dashboard answers three questions quickly:
What is happening now?
Is it normal?
Does someone need to act?
Use colour carefully. Green, amber, and red can work well when the meaning is consistent. Avoid filling the screen with too many gauges. A clean trend, a current value, and a clear alarm state often work better than a crowded panel.
Set alarm thresholds that reflect real action
Alarms are only useful when they lead to action. If thresholds are too tight, people start ignoring notifications. If they are too loose, problems go unnoticed.
Start with the normal operating range defined in the first step. Then set warning and critical levels based on the action required.
For tank level, this might mean:
Warning low level when refill planning should begin
Critical low level when supply risk is high
Warning high level when overflow risk is possible
Critical high level when immediate action is required
For pressure, this might mean:
Low pressure warning for poor supply or pump issues
High pressure warning for blockage or valve problems
Critical high pressure for equipment protection
Add delay and hysteresis where needed
Some signals fluctuate. Without delay or hysteresis, alarms may chatter on and off.
Delay means the value must remain outside the threshold for a set time before the alarm fires. Hysteresis means the value must return past a reset point before the alarm clears.
For example, a tank level may trigger a low alarm at 20% and clear only when it rises above 25%. This prevents repeated alarm changes around the same value.
Decide who receives each alarm
Not every alarm needs to go to every person.
A maintenance fault may go to a technician. A compliance alarm may go to an operations manager. A critical overflow alarm may go to several contacts.
Define:
Alarm name
Trigger condition
Delay
Reset condition
Notification method
Escalation path
Expected response
This makes alarms part of the operating process, rather than background noise.
Commission and test the complete system
Commissioning proves that the system works from the sensor through to the dashboard and alarm notifications.
Do not treat commissioning as a quick power-on check. Test each link in the chain.
Check the physical installation
Start at the field device.
Confirm:
Sensor is mounted securely
Process connection is sealed
Cable glands are tight
Polarity and wiring are correct
Antenna is mounted in a suitable location
Enclosure is sealed
Power supply is stable
Labels match the dashboard names
Poor wiring or water ingress can make a well-designed system unreliable. Field checks save time later.
Verify measured values
Compare the dashboard value with a known reference where possible.
For a tank, compare against a manual dip, sight glass, or known fill level. For pressure, compare against a calibrated gauge. For temperature, compare against a trusted thermometer.
If the field value and dashboard value do not match, check:
Sensor range
Input type
Scaling
Units
Wiring
Calibration offset
Dashboard display settings
Test communications
Confirm the device sends data at the expected interval. Check the last communication timestamp and trend history.
If communications are weak, adjust the antenna position, check cable losses, or consider a different network option. A system that works only when the enclosure door is open or when conditions are perfect needs attention before handover.
Test alarms from end to end
Force or simulate alarm conditions safely.
Confirm:
The dashboard changes state
The alarm triggers at the correct threshold
Delay settings work as intended
Notifications reach the right people
Alarm messages are clear
Alarm reset works correctly
Escalation behaves as planned
Record the results. A simple commissioning sheet with values, timestamps, and outcomes can be valuable later when troubleshooting or expanding the system.
Hand over the system with clear operating rules
A ProSight system is most valuable when people know how to use it.
Handover should include more than login details. It should explain the measurement purpose, dashboard layout, alarm meanings, and basic checks.
Include:
Asset names and locations
Sensor type and range
Network type
Reporting interval
Dashboard pages
Alarm thresholds
Notification contacts
Basic fault checks
Support process
Also decide who can change settings. Alarm thresholds, reporting intervals, and dashboard layouts should be controlled so changes do not create confusion.
A simple review after the first few weeks can help refine the system. Real operating data may show that an alarm threshold is too sensitive, a chart needs a different time range, or a reporting interval can be reduced to save power.
What a successful ProSight build looks like
A successful ProSight build is not just a connected sensor. It is a complete path from field measurement to clear decision.
The process is straightforward when handled in order:
Select the measurement that supports a real action.
Choose a sensor that suits the range, environment, and signal type.
Pick 4G, NB-IoT, or LoRaWAN based on coverage, power, and data needs.
Configure the device so raw signals become useful values.
Build dashboards that show current state, trends, and asset context.
Set alarm thresholds that match real response actions.
Commission the system from sensor to cloud before handover.
When each step is done properly, ProSight becomes more than a remote monitoring tool. It becomes a dependable way to see assets, catch issues earlier, and make better day-to-day decisions without unnecessary site visits.
.png)
Comments