Nov 8, 2024 3:23:23 PM | Guides ZONE Sensor Guide

Overview

The ZONE sensors are designed to clip directly onto drying cannabis stems. When attached and assigned to an ongoing dry, the sensor measures three things:

1. The average moisture of the drying cannabis bud 🍃

2. The temperature next to the drying cannabis 🌡️

3. The humidity next to to the drying cannabis 💧

This data is transmitted via a wireless protocol to the gateways distributed throughout your drying operations. These gateways then forward the sensor data to the Growvera Cloud ☁️

Unless manually powered off, a ZONE sensor will remain operational and continuously transmit data to the Growvera Cloud through the gateways. You can check the network connection status of any ZONE sensor on the ZONE dashboard.

Powering Off a Sensor

A sensor may be powered off anytime by pressing and holding the button. While powering off, the sensor will rapidly blink its blue LED indicator 🔵. Once the blinking has stopped, a short button press will turn the sensor on. Successfully turning the sensor on will cause the sensor to beep once.

If the sensor battery has been has been replaced, the sensor will be off by default. 

Plant Connection Test 🌱

A short press of a ZONE sensor button triggers a plant connection test. While the sensor is testing for a plant connection, the sensor will blink its LED indicator. 

If the sensor detects that a good 🟡 or great 🟢 plant connection has been made, the sensor will beep three times. 

The plant connection test will last ~15 seconds. If you do not manage to hang the sensor in that time just push the button to trigger the plant connection test again. 

Sensor Anatomy🦿

Overview

The ZONE sensors have 5 core components that you will be interacting with while using ZONE.

1. Button

2. LED

3. Battery

4. Probes

5. Label

Figure 1. Labeled Growvera ZONE Sensor Components

LED

The LED will blink different indicator colors depending on how you are interacting with the sensor. Universal indications are outlined in the table below.

Battery

The ZONE sensors run on 3 Volt, CR2 batteries. These batteries may be purchased from any standard stores.

Lifetime

Batteries should last a minimum of ~6 months. With smart sensor usage, batteries will last over a 1 year.

Changing the Battery

The top portion of the enclosure is secured by two tabs

Figure 2. Labeled image of how to remove top portion of ZONE sensor enclosure

1. Bend the tabs from the top portion of the enclosure outward slightly. For the front portion of the sensor, you will need to open the jaws of the sensor a little bit. Be careful, the probes are sharp!

2. Slide the Top portion of the enclosure upwards off of the sensor.

3. Remove old battery.

4. Insert new battery using the battery silhouette that is printed on the circuit board below.

5. Align the 2 tabs from the top portion of the enclosure in the guides on the lower portion of the enclosure.

6. Slide the top portion of the enclosure back onto the lower portion using the guides until the tabs snap into place and the enclosure is sealed. Note that you may need to bend the tabs outward to get the tabs onto the guides.

Probes

The probes are the two sharp electrodes that protrude into the stem guide portion of the sensor. When clipping the sensor onto the drying cannabis, it is of the utmost importance to ensure the probes penetrate the stem.

Label

The label is located on the bottom side of the clip jaws. Each label contains the following:

1. QR Code: For quick, in app sensor identification.

2. Sensor Pack ID: Five-digit numeral identifier of the sensor pack that the sensor is contained in.

3. Sensor Alias: The Alphabetic Alias, or nickname, of the sensor that is unique within the sensor pack. A-L are valid alias letters.

4. Sensor ID: The unique, 16 digit hexadecimal ID of the sensor. This ID is unique among all other sensors.

Figure 3. A labeled image of an example sensor label.

Sensor Packs 📦

ZONE sensors are stored in sensor packs. Each sensor pack comes with 12 sensors. Each sensor is identified uniquely within a pack by its alias.

Sensor packs and the sensors within them are managed via the dashboard. Operations like assigning a sensor pack to a dry or ending a dry perform bulk communications with the individual sensors within a pack.

The outside of the sensor pack contains a sticker that has the sensor pack ID printed in the bottom right-hand corner. The inside of the sensor pack contains individual slots for the sensor storage, along with an abbreviated zone sensor guide outlining button and LED functionality.

Figure 4. A ZONE Sensor Pack alongside two ZONE sensors.

Cleaning The Sensors 🧼

Sensors may be cleaned easily with a cleaning solution, e.g. Isopropyl alcohol, and a wipe. 

FCC Compliance Statement

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

CAUTION: The grantee is not responsible for any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance. Such modifications could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy, and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

– Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

– Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

– Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

– Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

RF exposure statement

This equipment complies with the FCC RF radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with a minimum distance of 20cm between the radiator and any part of your body.

Canadian Compliance Statement

This device contains license-exempt transmitter(s)/receiver(s) that comply with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada license-exempt RSS(s). Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

(1) This device may not cause interference.

(2) This device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.

L'émetteur/récepteur exempt de licencecontenudans le présentappareilestconformeaux CNRd'Innovation, Sciences et Développementéconomique Canada applicables aux appareils radio exempts de licence. L'exploitationestautorisée aux deux conditions suivantes :

1. L'appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage;

2. L'appareildoitaccepter toutbrouillageradioélectriquesubi, mêmesi le brouillageest susceptible d'encompromettre le fonctionnement.

RF exposure statement

This equipment meets the exemption from the routine evaluation limits in section 2.5 of RSS-102. It should be installed and operated with a minimum distance of 20cm between the radiator and any part of your body.

Cetéquipementestconforme à l'exemption des limitesd'évaluationhabituelle de la section 2.5 de la norme RSS-102. Il doitêtreinstallé et utilisé à une distance minimale de 20 cm entre le radiateur et toutepartie de votre corps.