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Sensor troubleshooting guide

Sensor troubleshooting guide

Owned by Sergio Karijodinomo
Last updated: Mar 29, 2023 by Julie Isebaert
11 min read

Difficulty: expert

Learning Objectives

After reading this article, you’ll be able to:

  • Understand basic sensor workflow

  • Identify different stages of where data can be “stuck”

  • Ask the right questions to identify where your sensor data goes missing

  • Know where to turn to to solve the issue

Understanding the flow

In general, https://spacewell.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/WM/pages/492666 can be described as this: sensors send data to a platform/data cloud (for example LoRa sensors send their data through a LoRa gateway to the LoRa Sensor Cloud, whereas proprietary sensors send their data to relevant platform), and Workplace picks up the data from that platform.

 

Broken down in smaller steps (More information on how this workflow is set up: https://spacewell.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/WM/pages/492237 ):

  1. sensor data needs to be communicated to the gateway,

  2. before entering the data cloud,

  3. where it will be picked up by the Workplace platform,

  4. where the data moves through Spacewell internal tools, before being stored in 15 minute time slots in the data warehouse,

  5. so that it can be visualized on a Workplace touch point (GO, Workplace App, Kiosk App, ...).

  6. Additionally, data moves through even more tools (overnight) before it's available in the Workplace Dashboards or in the Replay.

This means that there are many stages in which data can get "stuck" or not be communicated and stored in the Workplace Platform.

 

Below questions will help you understand in which stage you're missing data, and what you can do about it.

Questions to ask when you're missing data

Question 1: Do you notice data is not coming into the Workplace Platform during an installation?

Did you follow the instructions on Installation & Quality Assurance (Install and Configure Gateways and Sensors) ?

  • Hub installed and confirmed working before sensor activation?

  • Was the Sensor activation done in a location where the gateway can be reached?

  • Check if the location mapping was done correctly

  • Verify that there are no typo’s in the sensor ID’s

  • …

 

Question 2: Are all sensor affected?

(For some examples/concrete cases, check below chapter "Example Cases")

  • Yes

    • Hub offline (if only 1 site) (check ports, network and switch, physical hub)

    • Global problem (check other tenants)

  • Partial

    • Hub offline (check ports, physical hub)

    • in order to determine of the issue might be a Sensor vendor problem (is data coming into sensor platform, eg LoRa sensor platform, PointGrab Platform, Airthings), see question 3

  • No

    • Sensor specific, see question 3

 

Question 3: Check at which stage the data is missing? (follow below workflow)
(For some examples/concrete cases, check below chapter "Example Cases")

Workflow to follow about where data is missing

1. Check the data on the GO live floor plan

  • Go to https://go.cobundu.com

  • Login with tenant specific credentials

  • Select the relevant floor

  • (optional: Select the relevant sensor type in "View By")

  • Check the state of the floorplan

  • Check if the color of the location corresponds with the color of the data values of this sensor type (open legend; verify colors in Live floorplan settings)

  • Check dashboards

    • See troubleshooting list per Dashboard under Dashboards

2. Check How to monitor Sensor Health in Studio

  • Go to https://studio.cobundu.com/

  • Login with your credentials

  • Select Devices

  • Search the affected sensor

    • is the sensor ID correct (in hexadecimal?) and complete? Is a dash separating every 2 characters?

  • Check the sensor ID

  • Check the last seen

  • Open the Device Detail Page

    • Check the channel

    • Check the type based on the sensor models

  • Check the Location

    • Check the attribution of the location to Location Grouping (zones or departments)

 

 

 

 

 

 

What to do if a sensor is yellow in Studio Health?

Assuming a battery powered device:

  1. Verify connection of the gateway to the sensor cloud; see step 3. Check the data on the sensor cloud (see example cases below)

  2. if gateways are all connecting to the sensor cloud: Verify on-site connection from the sensor to the gateway (are there a lot of obstructions/metal between sensor and gateway?)

  3. if sensor is next to gateway/surrounded by other sensors that are able to make good contact (green status): Make sure battery is inserted correctly (no false contact)

  4. if battery was inserted correctly: Replace the battery (taking into account the rules around battery replacement)

  5. for Browan sensors, at this stage, it’s possible to check the battery level (see https://spacewell.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/492134)

  6. if issue is not solved after battery replacement: replace the sensor

 

For any other device: see step 3. Check the data on the sensor cloud

 

What to do if a sensor is red in Studio Health?

Assuming a battery powered device:

  1. Verify connection of the gateway to the sensor cloud; see step 3. Check the data on the sensor cloud (see example cases below)

  2. if gateways are all connecting to the sensor cloud: Verify on-site connection from the sensor to the gateway (are there a lot of obstructions/metal between sensor and gateway?)

  3. if sensor is next to gateway/surrounded by other sensors that are able to make good contact (green status): Make sure battery is inserted correctly (no false contact)

  4. if battery was inserted correctly: Replace the battery (taking into account the rules around battery replacement)

  5. if issue is not solved after battery replacement: replace the sensor

 

For any other device: see step 3. Check the data on the sensor cloud

 

3. Check the data on the sensor cloud

Only Spacewell Support and Spacewell Implementation Consultants have access to the following platforms.

Depending on the kind of device that you are troubleshooting, you’ll need to visit another platform:

Be sure to check PointGrab troubleshooting

  • if sensor is not live on Pointgrab Platform:

  • if sensor is live on the Pointgrab Platform, but you’re not able to configure on Workplace platform: check if the device is live, and asset is added to the API user (can take some time)

  • if sensor is live on the Pointgrab Platform, but not on Workplace: reach out to Spacewell Support

  • if you have checked all of the above: reach out to Spacewell Support

 

Be sure to check https://spacewell.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/491864

  • if sensor is not connecting to the LoRa Platform:

    • check if the relevant gateway is connecting to the LoRa Platform (if not: see https://spacewell.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/491864 )

    • check if there is no typo in the sensor ID that you’re looking up

    • check sensor has been activated (plastic strip removed)

    • check sensor has batteries inside or device is plugged in

  • if gateway is not connecting to the LoRa Platform

    • make sure all necessary ports are open on the network (not relevant for 4G devices)

    • check if device receives power + has internet connected (eg connect your laptop to PoE cable)

For Browan sensors: A sensor that sends joining messages is trying to join our LoRa network. Due to the way that LoRa works it can take quiet a few tries before everything is synchronized.
If however the sensor is still sending joining messages after 1 day it is best to reset the sensor by removing the battery for a couple of hours and reinserting it.

If you're interested in knowing the battery health for Browan sensors, you can check this page: https://spacewell.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/492134

Be sure to check https://spacewell.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/143818753 guide

  • if sensor is not live on VergeSense Platform:

  • if sensor is live on the VergeSense Platform, but you’re not able to configure on Workplace platform: make sure the device is live, and that asset has been added to the API user by Spacewell

  • if sensor is live on the VergeSense Platform, but not on Workplace: Make sure to check the VergeSense Space reference ID is mentioned in the Workplace device ID (as described here)

  • if you have checked all of the above: reach out to Spacewell Support

 

 

4. Check physical installation on site

Troubleshooting on site

Things to take with you on site (depending on the device)

If all else fails…

If you have checked all the above settings and configurations, but data is still not flowing into the Workplace environment: please reach out to the Spacewell Support team.

Example Cases

Below you find some cases that we encountered at our customers. The questions the consultant should ask are a combination from the above Connectivity Guide and the https://spacewell.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/491864

 

Example Case A: Sensor health yellow on alternating sensors → Hub offline due to changes to the switch

On the Sensor Health floor plan, we noticed on different days that different sensors were turning up yellow.

  • Question 1: Do you notice data is not coming into the Workplace Platform during an installation? NA/Noticed after installation

  • Question 2: Are all sensor affected? Only partially

  • Question 3: At which stage is the data missing? Sensors not connecting as frequently to Sensor platform/Workplace Platform as we would like to

 

Example Case B: Sensor health yellow on alternating sensors → Hubs needed reboot

On the Sensor Health floor plan, we noticed on different days that different sensors were turning up yellow.

 

Example Case C: Sensor health red on all sensors → Change of internet provider

In this case, we noticed that all sensors were red on the Workplace Platform Sensor Health plan.

 

Example Case D: Sensor health red on many sensors → Battery change

We noticed that many sensors turned red on the Workplace Platform sensor health plan.

 

Example Case E: Sensor health red on some sensors → Config error / typo in sensor ID

We noticed that some sensors stayed red / did not turn green on the the Workplace Platform Sensor Health plan after installation.

Next steps

If the above instructions did not solve your issue, please reach out to Spacewell Support, including the results of the performed tests.

 

 

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