OEM LoRaWAN Tank Level Sensor Manufacturer | Remote IoT

2026-09-06 09:37:15 · Views 16

Remote tanks, reservoirs and industrial containers are often inspected manually because they are located far from power, Ethernet and cellular infrastructure. Manual level checks consume labor, provide limited historical data and may fail to identify an empty tank, overflow or abnormal consumption early enough.

A LoRaWAN tank level sensor measures the liquid or material level and transmits compact readings to a gateway. The gateway forwards the data to a cloud or private platform where operators can view levels, receive alarms and plan replenishment.

The technology can be applied to agricultural water tanks, industrial liquids, wastewater systems, fuel storage, livestock drinking-water systems, silos and distributed utility infrastructure.

For OEM projects, sensor selection is only the beginning. A reliable product also requires tank geometry configuration, temperature compensation, installation design, low-power firmware, gateway coverage, data conversion and platform integration.

Shenzhen Jinshengchang Technology Co., Ltd. can evaluate customized LoRaWAN sensing projects covering PCB development, embedded firmware, wireless communication, gateway integration, APIs and IoT management platforms.

What Is a LoRaWAN Tank Level Sensor?

A LoRaWAN tank level sensor is a wireless IoT device that measures the distance to a material surface, liquid pressure, liquid height or another level-related parameter and sends the result over a LoRaWAN network.

A typical architecture is:

Level Sensor → LoRaWAN Terminal → Gateway → Network Server → Monitoring Platform

Depending on the application, the device can report:

Measured distance
Liquid height
Fill percentage
Estimated volume
High-level alarm
Low-level alarm
Rapid level-change alarm
Sensor fault
Battery voltage
Device temperature
Signal or communication status
Last measurement time

The sensor does not automatically know the tank volume. Tank dimensions, sensor mounting height and conversion rules must be configured correctly.

Where Can LoRaWAN Level Monitoring Be Used?

Agricultural Water Tanks

Large farms may use several water tanks, ponds or reservoirs across a wide area. Frequent manual checking is inefficient, especially when the locations have no fixed internet connection.

A wireless level system can help farm operators:

Check available water remotely
Receive low-level warnings
Prevent pumps from running dry
Detect unexpected consumption
Plan water delivery
Coordinate irrigation schedules
Monitor livestock drinking-water tanks
Compare usage between different fields

Irrigation Systems

Tank-level information can be combined with pumps, flow meters, pressure sensors and valves.

For example:

Low soil moisture → Check tank level → Start pump → Open valve → Confirm flow

If the tank is below a safe level, the system can block automatic irrigation or generate an alarm.

The level sensor can work alongside a LoRaWAN smart water valve as part of a wider irrigation-control solution.

Industrial Storage Tanks

Factories may store process water, cooling liquids, cleaning solutions, lubricants or other materials.

Remote level monitoring can support:

Production planning
Replenishment management
Overflow prevention
Abnormal-usage detection
Multi-tank dashboards
Maintenance scheduling

The sensor material and mounting method must be compatible with the stored medium.

Fuel and Oil Tanks

Remote fuel tanks require careful measurement because the liquid, vapor, tank construction and installation environment may introduce safety and compatibility requirements.

A standard water-level sensor should not be assumed suitable for fuel. The OEM project must assess:

Stored fuel type
Vapor environment
Electrical safety
Sensor material
Temperature range
Required approvals
Installation restrictions

No hazardous-location or explosion-protection claim should be made unless the final product has been designed, tested and certified accordingly.

Wastewater and Drainage Systems

Level sensors can monitor sewage tanks, collection chambers, drainage channels and wastewater facilities.

These environments may involve condensation, foam, sediment, corrosive gases and uneven surfaces. The sensing method should be selected after evaluating these conditions.

Silos and Solid Materials

Ultrasonic or radar sensing may also be used for grain, feed, pellets, powder or waste containers.

Solid material does not always form a flat surface. The angle of repose and filling position can cause different measurements at different points, so one sensor reading may not perfectly represent the complete volume.

Choosing the Measurement Technology

There is no universal sensor suitable for every tank.

Ultrasonic Level Measurement

An ultrasonic sensor sends an acoustic pulse toward the liquid or material surface and measures the return time.

It can provide non-contact measurement because the sensor is installed above the contents.

Advantages

No direct liquid contact
Suitable for many water applications
Relatively simple top mounting
Can measure distance and calculate fill level
Useful for open tanks and some closed tanks

Limitations

Performance may be affected by:

Foam
Condensation
Vapor
Strong air movement
Uneven material surfaces
Internal tank structures
Narrow tanks
Sensor misalignment
Temperature changes
Obstructions in the acoustic path

An ultrasonic sensor also has a near-field blind zone. The maximum liquid level must remain outside this zone.

Hydrostatic Pressure Measurement

A pressure-level sensor measures the pressure created by the liquid column. The measured pressure can be converted into liquid height when density is known.

Advantages

Suitable for deep tanks
Not dependent on a clear path above the liquid
Can work in covered tanks
Useful for wells, reservoirs and some wastewater applications

Limitations

The result may be affected by:

Liquid density
Temperature
Sensor installation depth
Venting
Atmospheric pressure
Sediment
Cable movement
Chemical compatibility
Long-term sensor drift

The probe is in contact with the liquid, so the sensing material must be compatible with the medium.

Radar Level Measurement

Radar sensors transmit electromagnetic waves and measure the reflected signal from the material surface.

Radar can be useful where vapor, temperature or other conditions make ultrasonic measurement difficult.

However, radar selection still requires evaluation of:

Frequency
Antenna type
Tank dimensions
Internal structures
Dielectric properties
Foam and turbulence
Required measurement range
Power consumption
Installation location

The higher component and system cost may be justified for demanding applications, but radar is not automatically necessary for every water tank.

Float and Contact Level Detection

Some projects only need to know whether the liquid has reached a specific high or low point.

Float switches, conductive probes or optical switches can provide discrete states such as:

Tank empty
Low level
Normal level
High level
Overflow

This approach may be simpler and lower in power than continuous measurement, but it does not provide a complete level trend.

Continuous Level or Threshold Alarm?

Before selecting hardware, the buyer should decide whether the system requires continuous measurement or only alarm points.

Continuous Measurement

Continuous measurement supports:

Percentage display
Volume estimation
Consumption trends
Refill planning
Usage analysis
Rapid-drop detection

It requires calibration and tank-geometry configuration.

Threshold Monitoring

Threshold monitoring is suitable for:

Empty warning
Minimum operating level
Overflow warning
Pump dry-run protection
Simple replenishment requests

A multi-point switch design may be sufficient when exact volume is not required.

Converting Distance Into Fill Percentage

A top-mounted sensor typically measures the empty space between the sensor and the liquid surface.

The system must know:

Sensor reference position
Empty-tank distance
Full-tank distance
Sensor blind zone
Tank height
Offset caused by the mounting bracket

A simplified calculation is:

Liquid Height = Empty Reference Distance − Measured Distance

Fill percentage can then be estimated from the usable liquid height.

Incorrect offsets can make an otherwise accurate sensor display the wrong tank percentage.

Converting Level Into Volume

For a vertical rectangular tank, the relationship between liquid height and volume is usually linear.

For many other tank shapes, it is not.

Vertical Cylindrical Tank

Volume normally changes proportionally with liquid height when the cylinder stands vertically and has a constant diameter.

Horizontal Cylindrical Tank

The volume-to-height relationship is nonlinear. A half-height reading corresponds to approximately half the tank volume, but other level points require a geometric calculation or calibration table.

Irregular Tank

An irregular tank may require a lookup table created from:

Manufacturer volume charts
Manual calibration
Known fill quantities
Existing tank documentation

The platform should support the correct tank profile instead of applying one linear formula to every installation.

Important Installation Requirements

Clear Measurement Path

A top-mounted sensor should not point toward:

Tank walls
Ladders
Pipes
Fill inlets
Support structures
Floating covers
Agitators

These objects may produce false reflections.

Sensor Alignment

The sensing face should normally be aimed at the expected material surface. A tilted sensor can measure a wall or structural object instead of the liquid.

Condensation Protection

Condensation can form on a sensor installed above warm liquid or in a humid tank.

The enclosure, sensing surface and mounting method should be evaluated for the actual environment.

Cable and Connector Protection

External probes and cables may be exposed to sunlight, moisture, animals, machinery or chemical substances.

Cable glands, connectors and strain relief must be selected and tested with the final enclosure.

Radio Position

A sensor installed inside or directly against a metal tank may experience severe radio attenuation.

Possible design approaches include:

External antenna
Antenna positioned above the tank
Remote LoRaWAN transmitter
Non-metallic mounting area
Nearby gateway placement

A site test is essential before mass installation.

Low-Power Measurement Strategy

The level sensor does not necessarily need to measure and transmit continuously.

A battery-powered device may:

Wake according to a schedule.
Power the sensing element.
Wait for stabilization.
Take several measurements.
Remove invalid readings.
Calculate a filtered result.
Check alarm thresholds.
Transmit a LoRaWAN packet.
Return to sleep.

Battery consumption depends on:

Sensor warm-up time
Measurement current
Number of samples
Reporting interval
Alarm activity
LoRaWAN data rate
Transmission power
Confirmed-message retries
Gateway coverage
Local storage
Operating temperature

Battery life should be calculated from the final measurement cycle rather than estimated only from nominal battery capacity.

Solar-Powered Tank Monitoring

Solar power may be useful for outdoor tanks that require:

Frequent measurements
Frequent LoRaWAN reports
External level probes
Local display
Valve or pump control
Additional sensors
Operation over long periods

A solar design requires more than connecting a panel to a battery.

The system should consider:

Local solar conditions
Panel orientation
Shading
Battery chemistry
Charge-controller efficiency
Temperature
Consecutive low-sunlight days
Enclosure sealing
Cable protection
Power reserve

A larger solar panel does not correct poor firmware power management or weak LoRaWAN coverage.

Alarm Design

A tank-monitoring system may generate:

Low-level warning
Critical empty alarm
High-level warning
Overflow risk
Rapid-drop alarm
Rapid-rise alarm
No-change alarm
Sensor obstruction
Invalid measurement
Low-battery warning
Device offline alert

Alarm logic should use persistence, filtering or repeated measurements. A single invalid echo should not automatically be interpreted as an empty tank.

Rapid Level Change Detection

Rapid level changes can indicate:

Pipe leakage
Unauthorized use
Tank damage
Abnormal filling
Sensor movement
Pump malfunction

However, legitimate filling and pumping operations can also cause fast changes.

The platform should distinguish expected operating schedules from abnormal behavior whenever possible.

Local Storage and Network Recovery

A remote site may temporarily lose LoRaWAN coverage or gateway backhaul.

The device can store records locally and upload them after communication recovers.

The project should define:

Measurement interval
Storage duration
Timestamp method
Memory-full behavior
Historical upload sequence
Duplicate prevention
Recovery traffic limit

Uploading a large backlog too quickly may create unnecessary LoRaWAN traffic.

LoRaWAN Payload Design

A compact level-sensor packet may include:

Device ID
Raw measured distance or pressure
Calculated liquid height
Fill percentage
Estimated volume
Alarm flags
Battery voltage
Sensor temperature
Measurement-quality status
Record sequence number
Firmware version

The payload specification should define units, scale, byte order, invalid values and protocol version.

For OEM projects, Jinshengchang’s custom LoRaWAN firmware development can cover sensor drivers, filtering, alarm logic, payload encoding, low-power control and network recovery.

Gateway Selection

The LoRaWAN gateway receives sensor data and sends it to the server through Ethernet, Wi-Fi or cellular backhaul.

Remote farms and water facilities may require an outdoor gateway with cellular and solar support. Jinshengchang’s SG50 solar LoRaWAN gateway is intended for off-grid IoT network applications.

Gateway planning should consider:

Tank distribution
Terrain
Hills and vegetation
Antenna height
Metal tanks
Underground sites
Required redundancy
Cellular signal
Local frequency plan
Sensor reporting interval

Quoted communication distance should not replace an RF survey and pilot test.

Platform Functions

A useful monitoring platform can provide:

Tank name and location
Current fill percentage
Estimated remaining volume
Historical level charts
Refill records
Low- and high-level alarms
Rapid-change alarms
Battery condition
Device online status
Gateway status
Multi-site management
User permissions
Mobile access
Data export
API integration

For delivery operations, the platform may also rank tanks according to urgency so replenishment routes can be planned more efficiently.

Regional LoRaWAN Frequencies

The sensor and gateway must use the regional frequency plan required in the deployment country.

Common plans include:

CN470
EU868
IN865
RU864
US915
AU915
KR920
AS923 variants

The destination country, permitted transmit power and channel plan should be confirmed before production.

OEM Development Options

A custom LoRaWAN tank-monitoring device may include:

Ultrasonic sensor
Hydrostatic pressure probe
Radar sensor
Float-switch inputs
RS485 or Modbus sensor interface
4–20 mA input
Multiple alarm inputs
Local flash storage
External antenna
Battery operation
External DC power
Solar charging
Local display
Bluetooth or NFC configuration
GPS installation location
Tamper detection
Customized enclosure
Customer logo and packaging
Private payload protocol
Customer platform integration

Functions should be selected according to the real project rather than adding every available interface to one device.

Recommended OEM Development Process

1. Define the Stored Material

Confirm whether the tank contains water, wastewater, fuel, chemicals, grain, feed or another material.

2. Provide Tank Information

Supply tank dimensions, shape, material, mounting position, inlet position and internal obstructions.

3. Select the Measurement Method

Evaluate ultrasonic, pressure, radar or discrete level switches according to the medium and environment.

4. Define Communication and Power

Confirm reporting interval, alarm latency, battery target, solar requirements and LoRaWAN frequency.

5. Develop the Prototype

Complete the sensor interface, PCB, antenna, firmware, enclosure and preliminary platform decoder.

6. Calibrate on a Representative Tank

Test empty, full and intermediate levels. Verify blind zones, offsets and volume conversion.

7. Conduct a Site Pilot

Evaluate real radio coverage, condensation, temperature, filling behavior and platform alarms.

8. Prepare for Production

Finalize test fixtures, calibration procedures, firmware versioning, device credentials, labels and traceability records.

Information Required for a Quotation

Provide:

Stored liquid or material
Tank dimensions and shape
Tank material
Measurement range
Required accuracy
Top, side or submerged installation
Continuous level or threshold monitoring
Reporting interval
Alarm requirements
Power or battery preference
Solar requirement
Indoor or outdoor environment
Destination country
LoRaWAN Network Server
Platform or API requirements
Prototype quantity
Expected production quantity
Branding and enclosure requirements

Photos and drawings of the tank can prevent incorrect sensor and mounting recommendations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ultrasonic sensing suitable for every tank?

No. Foam, vapor, condensation, obstructions, narrow tanks and uneven surfaces may reduce measurement reliability. Another sensing method may be more appropriate.

Can the device calculate the remaining volume?

Yes, if the tank dimensions or calibration table are available. Horizontal cylinders and irregular tanks require nonlinear conversion.

Can one gateway monitor several tanks?

Yes. Practical capacity and coverage depend on tank locations, radio conditions, payload size and reporting frequency.

Can the sensor control a pump or valve?

The system can be developed to send control commands or operate local outputs. Automatic control requires safety interlocks, manual override and defined failure behavior.

Does every sensor require a SIM card?

A LoRaWAN end device normally communicates with a shared gateway and does not require its own cellular SIM. A remote gateway may use a SIM for cellular backhaul.

Can the system work when the gateway is offline?

The device can store measurements locally and upload historical records later if this function is included in the design.

Can the sensor monitor diesel or chemicals?

Possibly, but the sensor materials, electrical design, vapor environment and regulatory requirements must be evaluated. A standard water-tank sensor should not automatically be used.

Can Jinshengchang customize the platform?

Device payloads, dashboards, alarms, APIs and private-server integration can be evaluated according to the project requirements.

Conclusion

A LoRaWAN tank level sensor can replace irregular manual inspections with remote measurements, alarms and historical data. It is especially valuable for tanks distributed across farms, industrial sites and infrastructure without convenient wired communication.

Reliable deployment depends on selecting the correct sensing method, understanding tank geometry, avoiding installation obstructions, planning the power budget and testing LoRaWAN coverage at the real site.

Shenzhen Jinshengchang Technology Co., Ltd. can evaluate OEM and ODM tank-monitoring projects covering sensor integration, PCB design, embedded firmware, LoRaWAN communication, gateway deployment, platform functions and API integration.

Request a Custom LoRaWAN Tank Level Sensor Proposal

Send your tank drawing, stored medium, measurement range, installation photos, country, expected quantity and software requirements for technical evaluation.

Shenzhen Jinshengchang Technology Co., Ltd.

WhatsApp: +86 134 8088 1974
Phone: +86 134 8088 1974
Phone: +86 177 2242 0256
Email: 397017470@qq.com