Long Range Wireless (LoRa) Leak Detector

LoRa Wireless Leak Detector IoT Edge Device

Extreme Low-Power, Long-Range Wireless Battery Systems

The situation for this global industrial diaphragm pump manufacturer was that one of their key pump lines is taylor-made for remote and rugged environments. While that has been an asset for selling pumps into all kinds of heavy industrial environments, these locations have none of the key infrastructure components to add connectivity to their product line. This challenge was to select a technology solution that could hold up to the environment, get the data out of a densely metal environment reliably, alert key maintenance stakeholders when the pumping condition change, and do this all without wiring and connected power demands.

The DE Solution:

  • Complete PCB hardware platform
  • Enclosure design for rugged exhaust port application
  • LoRa wireless to gateway to cloud
  • Firmware design and integration
  • Cloud app integration
  • Low power, rechargeable Li Ion battery – over 1 year of battery life on a single charge
  • Supports US and European markets

Customer:

  • Global manufacturer of industrial diaphragm pumps

The DE Team Win:

  • 500’ wireless range in heavy industrial factory settings, 1 mile range in remote, line-of-site locations
  • Extremely rugged application at the end of pump exhaust port (30G peak vibration)
DE Design Works Leak Detector

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Frequently Asked Questions

What business problem did the LoRa leak detector product solve?

Undetected water leaks cause billions of dollars in commercial and industrial property damage annually. Traditional wired detection systems are expensive to install and limited to specific locations. The LoRa leak detector was developed to provide affordable, battery-powered, wireless protection at any location — under equipment, along pipe runs, or at floor drains — without the cost of running cable or WiFi infrastructure. The product enables facility managers to catch leaks within minutes, before damage escalates to a significant loss event.

Why was LoRa chosen over WiFi or cellular connectivity for this product?

LoRa was selected for three reasons: battery life, range, and cost. A LoRa node transmitting a sensor reading every 10 minutes can operate 5–10 years on two AA batteries — impossible with WiFi or cellular radios. LoRa signals penetrate concrete floors and walls, providing reliable coverage across multi-floor commercial buildings from a single gateway. And unlike cellular, LoRa requires no per-device SIM or data plan, eliminating ongoing carrier costs that would make deployment at scale economically unviable.

What embedded firmware architecture powers the leak detection system?

The firmware runs on a low-power ARM Cortex-M microcontroller in a state-machine architecture: the MCU wakes from deep sleep, samples the moisture sensors, evaluates threshold conditions, and either returns to sleep (no leak) or transmits an alert frame via the LoRa radio. The LoRaWAN stack handles radio duty cycle compliance, adaptive data rate, and join procedure for the network. Firmware updates are delivered over-the-air (FUOTA) using the LoRaWAN FUOTA standard, enabling field updates without physical access to deployed nodes.

How does the product send alerts and integrate with cloud platforms?

Sensor nodes transmit LoRaWAN packets to a gateway, which forwards data to The Things Network or a private LoRaWAN network server via HTTPS. The network server delivers decoded payloads to a cloud backend via webhook or MQTT. The cloud application applies business logic (alert thresholds, maintenance schedules), stores historical data, and delivers notifications via SMS, email, or push notification. REST API endpoints allow integration with building management systems, CMMS platforms, or facility dashboards.

What did DE Design Works contribute to the product development process?

DE Design Works was responsible for the full electronics stack: schematic design for the sensor node PCB (MCU, LoRa radio module, power management, sensor interfaces), PCB layout optimized for low-power and RF performance, embedded firmware development (LoRaWAN stack integration, sensor drivers, power management FSM), production test fixture design, and DFM review for contract manufacturing. DE Design Works also supported FCC Part 15 pre-compliance testing and coordinated with the LoRa Alliance for LoRaWAN certification of the end device.