IIoT · 10 min read · October 2026
Remote monitoring of pump stations and tanks with the SENECA Z-LTE 4G data logger
A site with no operator, no Ethernet and a 4G signal can still report level, flow, pump status and power failures every minute, and call you when something goes wrong. This is how we build it with one SENECA Z-LTE.
The Z-LTE is a DIN-rail data logger with a 4G LTE modem (with 3G and 2G fallback), a 10/100 Ethernet port, one RS-232/RS-485 switchable port, one dedicated RS-485 port, and its own I/O: four digital inputs with 32-bit counters, two analog inputs (0–30 V or 0–20 mA, 0.1 % accuracy) and two SPDT relay outputs rated 2 A at 250 Vac. It logs to a micro SD card (4 GB supplied, up to 32 GB), keeps a built-in rechargeable battery for power-failure reporting, and carries a GNSS receiver so a logger on a mobile asset also reports where it is.
1. What the site needs to provide
- Power: 11–40 Vdc or 19–28 Vac, up to 6.5 W. A small 24 V supply from the pump panel is enough; the internal battery reports a mains failure and keeps logging for a while, long enough to send the alarm.
- A data SIM (mini SIM) with a public APN; 50–100 MB per month covers one-minute logging of twenty values plus alarms.
- An antenna placed outside a metal cabinet. In a basement pump room a 3 m cable to a wall-mounted antenna is the difference between working and not working.
- Signals: up to 4 DI, 2 AI and 2 DO on the unit itself. For more, add Z-PC modules on the RS-485 port; the logger polls them as a Modbus RTU master.
2. Logging and alarms
Synchronous logging runs at a minimum interval of one minute; asynchronous logging reacts to up to eight trigger events, so a pump start can log a row immediately instead of waiting for the minute tick. Each device on the logger can hold up to 100 Modbus variables plus 39 embedded ones. The logic engine, SEAL, offers up to 32 blocks for thresholds, hysteresis, counters and totalisers, which is enough for "high level for more than 2 minutes while the pump is off" without a PLC.
Alarms leave the site as SMS, voice call with DTMF acknowledgement, e-mail over SMTP with SSL/TLS, HTTP POST or GET, MQTT with TLS, or as a file uploaded by FTP. The same channels carry the periodic data, so the SCADA historian receives a CSV every hour and the duty operator receives an SMS only when a limit is exceeded.
3. Getting the data into SCADA or a data hub
| Method | How it works | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| MQTT | The logger publishes JSON to a broker; SCADA, a data hub or a cloud dashboard subscribes | You want near-real-time values and many sites; the broker handles the fan-out |
| HTTP POST | The logger posts to a REST endpoint on your server | You already have a web application and want to insert rows directly |
| FTP | The logger uploads the log file on a schedule | Batch reporting, billing, audit trails |
| Modbus TCP server over the mobile link | SCADA polls the logger directly | Only with a fixed-IP SIM or a VPN; otherwise prefer the push methods above |
HOANTRANTDH delivers the logger with the SCADA screen or data-hub tags already prepared, so the site shows on the operator's screen on the day it is commissioned.
4. Typical configurations
| Site | Signals | Hardware |
|---|---|---|
| Booster pump station | Suction and discharge pressure, pump run and fault, flow meter via Modbus, mains failure | Z-LTE only |
| Water tower | Level, two pump statuses, intrusion contact | Z-LTE only |
| Solar array with string monitoring | Inverter and energy meter via Modbus, irradiance, panel temperature | Z-LTE + Z-4RTD2 |
| Cold-storage warehouse | 8–16 temperatures, door contacts, compressor status | Z-LTE + Z-4RTD2 × 2–4 or Z-8TC-1 |
5. Choosing between Z-LTE, Z-GPRS3 and Z-LOGGER3
All three share the same I/O and logging engine. Z-LTE has the 4G modem and GNSS and is the default for new sites because 2G networks are being switched off across Southeast Asia. Z-GPRS3 is the 2G version for countries where it still runs. Z-LOGGER3 has no modem and suits a site that already has Ethernet or a router.
Get a quote for this application
Send us the list of sites, what you want to measure at each, and the mobile network available – we quote the logger, antenna, SIM-independent configuration and the SCADA screen.
Quick answers
Which SIM card do I need?
Any mini SIM with a data plan; a public APN is enough for the push methods. A fixed IP is only needed if SCADA must poll the logger directly.
Can the Z-LTE control the pump?
It has two relay outputs and 32 logic blocks, so simple start/stop on level is possible. For sequencing and interlocks, keep a PLC and let the logger monitor it over Modbus.
How much data is logged?
The supplied 4 GB card holds years of one-minute logs; the card can be expanded to 32 GB.
What happens when the mobile network is down?
Logging continues on the micro SD card; queued data is sent when the link returns.