The Connector for Wireless Sensors is a wireless sensor interface expander for the MobiusFlow Gateway or MobiusFlow Virtual Cloud Gateway. It sends and receives data between a range of wireless sensors and actuators, and a MobiusFlow Gateway.

The connector has multiple options for both upstream and downstream connectivity.

All data telegrams are checked for integrity before being securely forwarded to a MobiusFlow Gateway. In addition to TLS, each connector is configured with a pre-shared key ensuring that it is paired with the correct gateway.

Architecture

The Wireless Sensor Connector collects data from sensors and sends data to actuators via standard wireless sensor protocols such as EnOcean, Workplace Occupancy, IQRF and LoRaWAN, and sends this data securely to a MobiusFlow Gateway or MobiusFlow Virtual Cloud Gateway using the MQTT based MobiusFlow Sensor Protocol.

Once the data has been received by a MobiusFlow Gateway it is decoded and the associated MobiusFlow object is updated with the latest sensor readings which can then be processed by the gateway.

The diagram below shows this architecture.

Connectivity Options

Upstream (connector to gateway)

 *Available Q4 2020 

Downstream (connector to sensors)

All connectors have two module slots. One wireless sensor protocol radio can be installed in each slot so it is possible to have two* protocols in each connector e.g. EnOcean and IQRF.

*Available Q4 2020 

**The NB-IoT or LTE-M option is installed in module slot 2 so only one wireless sensor protocol can be installed if you are using NB-IoT or LTE-M.

Part Numbers

The required part number can be determined from the diagram below. 

For example, a connector with European frequency radios, WiFi and PoE, and EnOcean in slot 1 and WPO in slot 2 would have part number EXT00121

Power Supplies

There are three* options for powering connectors. Only one supply is required but it is possible to have more than one connected. 

Connectors and Indicators

Powering up the Connector

After applying power the Power OK indicator will illuminate. The Connector will run though its self-check routine where all of the indicator lamps will illuminate in a linear pattern. If this does not happen check that your power supply is switched on and properly connected.

After the self-check routine, either the 5 to 24vdc Power, USB Power, or PoE Power indicator will illuminate. In addition the Module 1 Present and Module 2 Present indicators will illuminate if modules are installed in those slots.

If the Connector has been configured correctly it will attempt to connect to the network and MobiusFlow Gateway.

Configuring the Connector

The Connector is configured using a web browser to view the configuration pages served by the Connector's onboard web server. To activate this web server press and hold the Configuration Button using a small pin. Release the button as soon as the MobiusFlow Connected indicator starts flashing rapidly (ten times per second).

Once the Connector is in configuration mode it will create a WiFi access point. Using a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop search for a WiFi network with the same name as the Connector's serial number (the serial number can be found on a label on the side of the Connector). Enter the WiFi password if required to complete the WiFi connection.

Open a web browser and type 192.168.4.1 into the address bar and hit enter. The Connector configuration Home page will load. 

Configuration Home Page

The Home page has the following options: Configure Network - select an upstream connection method and network settings  Manage Certificates - add and remove certificates for secure TLS connections Configure Mobius - configure the connection to the MobiusFlow Gateway Set Config Mode Password - set the configuration mode WiFi password About - view information such as installed modules, network MAC addresses and, version numbers Reboot Device - reboot the Connector to apply the settings

Configure Network Page

The Configure Network page has the following options: Select Network Type - select the upstream connection method. Options are WiFi, Wired, NB-IoT, or LTE-M. Only available options are shown. WiFi, NB-IoT, or LTE-M settings sections will become visible at the bottom of the page if you select on of these types Select TCP/IP Mode - select via DHCP or Manually to choose how TCP/IP settings are configured. If you select DHCP the TCP/IP settings section below will be hidden TCP/IP Settings - this section will only be visible if you have selected to manually assign an IP address. Set the IP address, Subnet Mask, Network Gateway and DNS Server addresses for your network WiFi Settings - this section will only be visible if you have selected to WiFi Network as the connection type. Enter the WiFi SSID and Password. You can scan for networks to see a list of available WiFi networks. Choosing one from the list will populate the SSID field Save - click Save to save these settings Cancel - click Cancel to ignore any changes

Manage Certificates Page

The Manage Certificates page allows you to paste in certificates for TLS and has the following options: CA Certificate - paste in your server's root certificate. This is required for TLS. The default CA certificate is DST Root CA X3 which is used by MobiusFlow Virtual Cloud Gateways Client Certificate - paste in your client certificate if required Private Key - paste in your client certificate's private key if required Save - click Save to save these settings Cancel - click Cancel to ignore any changes Note: private keys with a passphrase are not currently supported

Configure Mobius Page

The Configure Mobius page is used to setup the connection between the Connector and a MobiusFlow Gateway. It has the following options: Mobius Service Settings (SID) - the MobiusFlow Service ID that this connector will be assigned. This must be unique and not conflict with any service ID on the Gateway.  Mobius Service Settings (PSK) - the pre-shared key used to add a second security layer to TLS connections and provide message integrity for non TLS connections. This PSK is also used by the Gateway to ensure that the Connector is authorised to connect Addr / URL - the TCP/IP Address or URL of the Gateway Port - the TCP/IP Port that has been configured in the Sensor Gateway Service on the Gateway Security - select whether TLS and Client Certificates should be used. Before selecting these options ensure that you have added the relevant certificates Description - an optional field which maps to the Description field in the Connector Status Object in the Gateway Location - an optional field which maps to the Location field in the Connector Status Object in the Gateway Save - click Save to save these settings Cancel - click Cancel to ignore any changes

Set Config Mode Password Page

The Set Config Mode Password page allows you change the configuration mode WiFi password. Enter a new password and confirm it. The password must be at least 8 characters long. Click Save to update the password or Cancel to ignore any changes  Note: It is not possible to recover this password if you forget it. You will have to perform a factory reset

About Page

The About page shows details such as the MAC Addresses of the network interfaces and which modules are installed. Where applicable, additional information such as the EnOcean chip ID are also shown

Factory Reset

It is possible to factory reset a Connector. This will clear all settings including the configuration mode WiFi password.

To reset the Connector, hold in the Configuration Button for 6 seconds. The MobiusFlow Connected indicator will start to flashing rapidly to indicate that the Connector is in configuration mode. Do not release the button until you see the power up self-check indicator light pattern.

The default values are as follows (all other settings are blank):