The TEKBOX TBS12B is a battery-powered wireless remote terminal unit (RTU) purpose-built to bring LoRaWAN connectivity to SDI-12 sensors in the most challenging outdoor environments. It solves a specific, widespread problem in environmental monitoring, agriculture, and water management: how to reliably collect data from digital sensors deployed in remote locations where cellular network coverage is unavailable and mains power is nonexistent. By combining an ultra-low-power design with a rugged IP67 aluminium enclosure and support for all global LoRaWAN frequency bands, the TBS12B enables multi‑year, maintenance‑free sensor data collection from wells, boreholes, soil probes, weather stations, and water quality monitors—anywhere on the planet.

Built for the Long Haul — Low‑Power Engineering that Eliminates Maintenance Visits

• 5–7 µA Quiescent Current: The TBS12B draws just 5–7 microamperes in idle state, allowing it to operate for years on three standard 1.5 V D‑cell batteries. In a typical configuration measuring and transmitting once per hour, the expected battery life extends well beyond two years. For applications requiring even longer autonomy, the TBS12B‑32 variant adds individual configuration of measurement and transmission intervals, enabling even more aggressive power saving without sacrificing data granularity.
• Configurable Measurement and Transmission Intervals: Measurement and transmission intervals are fully configurable through the PC application, with timing alignment and time zone support. For applications where measurement timing is critical (e.g., synchronized hourly sampling across a watershed), the TBS12B‑32 adds time synchronization and retention, ensuring all nodes in the network sample at precisely the same moment.
• No Solar Panel, No Wiring, No Infrastructure: Unlike many competing RTUs that require a solar panel or external battery pack, the TBS12B achieves operational autonomy purely on D‑cell batteries. This eliminates the cost and complexity of mounting solar panels, running power cables, or installing enclosure heaters. The device is simply bolted to a pole, connected to the sensor, and left to operate unattended.

Plug‑and‑Play Sensor Integration with SDI‑12

• Native SDI‑12 v1.3 Protocol Support: The TBS12B is designed specifically for the SDI‑12 serial communication protocol, the industry standard for environmental sensors. It is compatible with SDI‑12 v1.3 compliant sensors from any manufacturer, including water level sensors, multi‑parameter water quality sondes, soil moisture and temperature probes, rain gauges, and weather stations. A single TBS12B can communicate with up to 62 sensors when connected through a junction box, using up to 16 programmable SDI‑12 commands configured via the PC application.
• Command Flexibility for Complex Measurements: The 16 programmable SDI‑12 commands go beyond simple "measure and report" functionality. Engineers can program concurrent measurements, CRC‑protected extended commands, and manufacturer‑specific sensor functions. This allows the TBS12B to extract the full diagnostic and multi‑parameter capability from advanced sensors—such as a water quality sonde that simultaneously measures temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, and chlorophyll—all through a single RTU.
• Direct Sensor Connection or Junction Box Expansion: The TBS12B's rugged connector accepts a single SDI‑12 sensor directly, or can be connected to a junction box for multi‑sensor local deployments. This flexibility allows a single RTU to serve an entire monitoring station, reducing the cost per measured parameter and simplifying field installation.

Deploy Anywhere — Global Frequency Bands and Rugged IP67 Housing

• Worldwide LoRaWAN Band Support in a Single SKU: The embedded LoRa modem supports both low‑band (433/470 MHz) and high‑band (868/915 MHz) LoRa radio frequencies, with full compliance to all regional parameters defined in LoRaWAN 1.02 and 1.03 specifications. This means the same TBS12B hardware can be deployed in Europe (868 MHz), North America (915 MHz), Asia (433 MHz), or Australia (915 MHz) without replacing the RF board or stocking region‑specific variants.
• IP67 Aluminium Die‑Cast Housing: The electronics are sealed in a robust IP67‑rated aluminium enclosure with a pole‑mount fixture included as standard. The housing protects against temporary submersion in water, heavy rain, dust storms, and corrosive agricultural chemicals. Combined with the -40 to +85 °C operating temperature range, the TBS12B can withstand Arctic winters and desert summers without additional environmental protection.
• Flexible LoRaWAN Activation and Data Integrity: The TBS12B supports both ABP (Activation By Personalization) and OTAA (Over‑The‑Air Activation) LoRaWAN join modes, with ACK (acknowledged) and REPEAT features to ensure data delivery reliability. EUI identifiers and encryption keys are configured through the PC application, and the platform supports configurable data rates to optimize the trade‑off between range and throughput for each deployment scenario.

Applications

• Groundwater and surface water level monitoring: wells, boreholes, streams, and reservoirs
• Agricultural soil moisture, temperature, and salinity monitoring for precision irrigation
• Meteorological and hydrological monitoring stations in remote watersheds
• Environmental compliance monitoring: landfill leachate, mine tailings, industrial discharge
• Flood warning systems and stormwater management networks
• Any application requiring long‑range, battery‑operated SDI‑12 sensor connectivity in areas without cellular coverage