Frequently Asked Questions

• Configuring the sensor: All sensors are pre-configured prior to arriving on site. You are not authorised to re-configure or change the workings of the sensor. If firmware upgrades are required for your device, we will contact you in advance and do this remotely. 
• Re-setting or altering the sensor: Please refrain from pressing any 'reset' button on a device or alter any settings on a sensor. If you re-set the sensor, all pre-configuration conducted prior to arriving on your site are lost and the device will no longer work. Note: tampering with any of the sensors will void all warranties and may damage the sensor, resulting in device degradation.
• Batteries on a sensor(s) are running low: There is no battery indicator on sensors. When you visit YOUR SENSORS page on your portal, if sensor(s) batteries power is almost gone, 'low' be stated under the battery power symbol attached to the device name. When this occurs, procure replacement lithium batteries asap from Buy (cognition.world). Please ensure you check in advance what type/size of battery your sensor requires.    
• Changing batteries on a sensor: Visit RESOURCES page for instructions on how to change batteries on a device(s) and any instructions required to get the device re-broadcasting to the network. (It may not be possible to change the batteries on some long-life device types). Please do not move or tamper with any other part of the sensor, unless expressly advised by us to do so as tampering with any other part of the sensors or its settings may void warranties.
• Device(s) appears to have stopped working: It may be either a signal or battery issue.  Visit YOUR SENSORS page, if the status is a green light is flashing (beside the device name) the device is broadcasting ok. If the status flashes red then the device is typically: a) out of good signal range b) the gateway has been disconnected or c) device is low/empty on battery. If you have checked for all 3 of these issues and cannot remedy then, in order to minimise data loss, please notify us using the ‘Helpdesk’ button on top of the page.
• Verifying the sensor is broadcasting optimally: Always ensure the sensor is in an open, unobstructed environment away from draughts & any moisture and in a place where it can receive the adequate radio signal. Please also ensure any gateway(s) have not been accidentally plugged out, lost Wi-Fi signal (where relevant) or the site has not been subject to a power cut.
• Device appears broken: All devices are manually tested, pre-configured and quality assured by us prior to being sent to site. Devices are sold subject to the the manufactures' warranty. We cannot replace devices that have been damaged or broken once arrived on site. 
• Manuals / Tech Sheets: All manuals/installation guidelines are available from the RESOURCES pages under MY ACCOUNT in the portal.

These instructions for Wifi MiniHub Pro Gateways only, not 4G or LAN Gateways:

NOTE: Never press the RESET button on the device as all pre-configuration settings will be lost.

• Can I use my phone to configure the Gateway?
  • Yes, You can use either a phone or a laptop with wi-fi connectivity. 
• Gateway (when powered up) doesn’t have Wi-fi signal. 
  • Use your phone to check signal strength beside the Gateway. Move the Gateway to a socket that has the best wi-fi (and won’t be unplugged).
• Can’t find ‘MiniHubPro-XXXXXX’ Gateway listed in the available wi-fi network list      
  • This indicates the Gateway is not in ‘setup’ mode. Press the ‘setup’ button again and wait for it to appear. 
• My laptop/phone is not connecting to the Gateway
  • Double-check that the ‘WIFI PW’ (password) listed on the back of the Gateway is correctly entered. 
• The ‘Gateway Setup Page’ hasn’t automatically appeared after 1 minute
  • Type http://192.168.4.1 into an address bar on a web browser to enter the ‘Gateway Setup Page’. 
• Gateway is not connecting to your wi-fi 
  • Double check your own Wi-fi password is correctly entered in the ‘Choose a network’ section of the ‘Gateway Setup Page’
• When accessing Settings Page  (http://192.168.4.1) I see a screen titled "Authentication Required" and I am asked to enter a password to Login:
  • Use the password printed on the back of the device (this is the same password as used while connecting to the WiFi network) 
  • If you enter the password incorrectly, refresh the page and then re-enter.  
• How to understand the Colour of Mini Gateway LED flashes:
  • Orange SLOW flash = 'in setup mode' - after pressing ‘setup button’ for 5 seconds  
  • Orange FAST flash = Gateway is trying to connect to WiFi 
  • Green FAST flash = Gateway connected to Wi-fi, trying to connect to the Cloud 
  • Green SOLID = Gateway is connected successfully.  

'White-listing' the Gateway's MAC address

If your organisation has a firewall or enhanced network security in place, there is a strong chance the Gateways won't broadcast. You will need to contact your network provider to ask them to register the MAC address of the Gateway as safe or 'white-listed'. You will find the MAC on the back of the device.  

Accidental changes to the Gateway 'White-listing'

If any modifications are made to the network (eg new hardware, wifi name, network parameters) there is a chance any ‘white-listed’ parameters are lost. You will need to re-ensure the MAC address of the Gateway is ‘white-listed’ again after any changes.  

Want to find out more? Within the Resources page, in our portal, you will find a more detailed guide to Optimum LoRaWAN signal quality.

Note: Always use a qualified electrician when handling electrical panels / wiring.

a) To Check if the device is broadcasting

- Press and release the silver button on front of device for one quick push (half a second max).

- If the green indicator light on front of device flashes once, this is indicates the device is successfully broadcasting. 

- If the green indicator light does not flash the device is:

• In Sleep Mode
• Out of signal range
• Out of Battery

b) To Change the Batteries on a device

1. Note: Ensure you only use LITHIUM batteries as using ALKALINE batteries will damage the device. 

2. Use a screwdriver to open the device cover. 

3. Replace the batteries and re-screw the device cover. 

c) To Turn on a device

1. Press and hold the silver button on front of device for 3 seconds until the green indicator light flashes once. 

2. The device will then try to connect the network for a few seconds and then if successfully connected, the green indicator light will luminate for 5 seconds. 

3. The device is now connected. 

4. Note: The device may take up to an hour to reconnect. However, if you don’t see the device connecting, please contact us at support@cognition.world to have the device reset remotely on to the platform.  

d) Turning off the device

Warning – please consult us before you turn off the device as this will reset the device! 

1. If you press the silver button for 5 seconds the green indicator will flash 20 times. 

2. The device has now been switched off. 

3. The device is now in sleep mode and will not broadcast. 

For battery changes on all other device types, please see the relevant device's tech sheet on the RESOURCES page

Each device connects to a Gateway via the LoRaWAN communication network.  The signal quality of each device (RSSI & SNR) can be viewed on the YOUR SENSORS page within the portal. 

There are 3 main indicators to review when understanding your signal connectivity – the strength (RSSI), the quality (SNR) and the speed (SF) of the signal: 

• Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) depicts the strength of the signal in a negative value, measured in dBm, The closer the value is to zero, the stronger the signal.
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) depicts the quality of the signal, expressed in decibels (db). If SNR is in a positive range the quality is better. 
• Spreading Factor (SF) controls the speed of data transmission which impacts on battery power. Low SF reduces the rate of transmission.

The most common ways to improve signal are either:

1. move the Gateway to a location more central to where the device(s) are placed. (Best to avoid thick concrete, insulated walls and basement locations).  
2. move the device(s) closer to the Gateway 
3. remove any signal obstructions blocking the device(s) or the Gateway (eg metal cabinets, stock trolleys).
4. Add a booster Gateway. 

Remember: If your IT /network provider has in place (or made changes to) a firewall, Gateways typically won't broadcast. You must ask them to 'white-list' the MAC address of the Gateway.  

Where to install a sensor: Always ensure the sensor is in an open, unobstructed environment away from draughts & any moisture and in a place where it can receive the adequate radio signal. Ideally, avoid placing sensors in metal cages. 

Where to install the Gateway: Please ensure the gateway(s) are installed in an area where it cannot be accidentally plugged out, has low /lost Wi-Fi signal (where relevant) or in area of the site that could be subject to frequent power cuts.

Please note: Devices that have not been installed for more than 3-6 months after shipment to your site will impact on operation as the devices will have been transmitting ‘keep alive’ signals every 5-15mins since shipment. The impact of inactivity could be significant and so it may be that:

1. The device may have gone  into ‘sleep mode’ due to a long period of inactivity.  
2. The strength of the Lithium Batteries  may have weakened significantly due to long periods of inactivity as the device will still have been searching for the network, which is the most power-consuming activity for the device. 

Wireless Electricity Devices: Install after 90+ days:

If the Gateway is plugged in, is successfully broadcasting and the device is in range then the 

potential solutions for this problem are:

• Device is Active?: To check if the energy monitoring device is in ‘active mode’ push the silver button on the device for one push. If a green light flashes the device is not in ‘sleep mode’ and is working fine.
• Device is Inactive?: If you push the silver button for one push and no light flashes then the device may have gone into ‘sleep mode’. To turn the device on, press the silver button for three seconds. Warning: pushing the button for five seconds will turn off the device and reset all settings!!
• No lights? If you know the Gateway is successfully broadcasting and the device is in range of the Gateway then it is likely that the strength of the 2 Lithium Batteries will have weakened significantly due to long periods of inactivity and you will need to buy 2 x replacement batteries here: Buy Replacement Batteries

All other Devices: Install after 90+ days:

• Please contact us at support@cognition.world

We provide two platforms inside your portal, which - based on your subscription type and data collection requirement - is either displayed individually or jointly:

OpsMonitor (Connect360):  data visualisation and reporting from a range of wireless devices (or supplier data APIs) broadcasting in near real-time from your site to provide you with granular data highlighting what is happening to your machines, environment, rooms or activity on site. Our platform lets you see KPI’s, functional-level overviews as well as granular operational performance and insights through our user-friendly dashboard 

ESG Sustainability Reporting: a tool for integrating sustainability data from a variety of sources to produce reports for Sustainability reporting, ESG (Environment, Social or Governance) or CSRD compliance. The pre-populated data sets all combine to track total KGs of CO2 used on a monthly and annual basis at a site or company level. 

Within these products there are a number of Modules within which a group of data sets reside.  Within each module are Sub-Modules which is where specific device data sits. Access to the sub-modules within the module will depend on your device type / subscription level. It is normal not to see data in sub-modules where you do not have devices installed. 

• Modules are the grouping of specific of monitors by category (energy, activity, quality, etc.). They are visible on the left sidebar and each Module contain groups of sub-modules. 
• Sub-modules are specific components based on a unique device type (eg leak, water level or bin level) that make up each module.
• Accessing data within a sub-module:  Within each sub-module, you can view the granular details for each individual site/room/asset/sensor in boxed sections on each page. Click on the desired boxed section to see more detailed performance trends with interactive graphs. To access historical information, select a custom date range from the calendar drop down, click ‘apply’ and then click ‘submit’.

In a hurry?

Access the Dashboard to the near real-time performance (KPIs) from each site. The page is divided as per the number of sites which summarises the daily and weekly average consumption and the associated costs. 

• Homepage: This page has a series of 'quick-links' to take you to the most popular parts of the portal. 

• Your Trends: Your periodic management report, showing the performance trends from the last 4 periods. This summary comparative report is great to see at a glance how your major data sets perform over time. Hover over the box underneath 'Select Report type:'  to change the report type if you have a large amount of monitoring types. To download this report in Excel or CSV format, click 'Download Excel Summary'. Due to confidentiality restrictions, your organisation will need to have provided pre-authorised approval for the sending email of reports before you can use 'Email Excel Summary'. 

• Your Data Sources: This important section has four key parts which are essential for the day to day management of your key data sets: 1) YOUR SENSORS, 2) YOUR NOTES,  3) YOUR UPLOADS 4)YOUR SUPPLIERS: 

1. Your sensors:  This section displays the names, status of each sensor, including the device name, signal strength, and battery level.  The Red/Green colour dot left of each device displays whether that device is successfully broadcasting (green) or not (red). To rename a device's location or name, click on the pencil icon - each change is recorded and timestamped in our AUDIT LOG. Be aware that renaming devices can lead to confusion, so notify colleagues of any changes. The battery status of each device is viewed under the battery power symbol.  If 'n/a' appears, it means the device has no power or is not broadcasting power data. If 'low' appears, change (if device applicable) the batteries asap.  To check signal quality the RSSI field depicts the signal strength in a negative value, the closer the value is to zero, the stronger the signal. SNR depicts signal quality, if the number is in a positive range then the quality is better. To obtain a CVS download for a month of a sensor's monthly data, just click 'select' beside the chosen device, select the desired month from the left hand panel, then click 'download'.
2. Your Notes : This feature enables you to manually log specific a note from a particularly important time period, aiding in contextualizing your analysis at a future time. For example, "Milling machine was shut down for maintenance from 23/3 to 29/3."
3. Your Uploads: This section allows you to upload specific document sets (e.g., CSV or PDF files) necessary for integration into your site's dataset for later comparison. Uploads may include bills or production data - dependent on your data requirements. 
4. Your Suppliers:  In this section, if relevant to your site, you will see what live data feeds from your suppliers (or other data feeds that do not use sensors) and are being integrated into the platform.

• Alert Centre: The Alert Centre shows when standard thresholds or parameters are breached against selected sensors. It typically identifies when the data is at least 25% above the exact same period over the previous 2 weeks. 

• Interrogation Centre: This simple tools allows you to understand and compare several data points (e.g. machines, locations) to see the correlation on a graph of variables such as behaviour, performance, utilisation or cost by asset or site.

From the top bar ,visit My Account and select Settings  where you will see any site details programmed to your site like: name, size, operational hours and last modified. 

Within OpsMonitor (Connect360), there are a number of Modules within a group of data sets reside.  Within each module are Sub-Modules which is where specific device data sits. Access to the sub-modules within the module will depend on your device type / subscription level. It is normal to not see data in sub-modules in areas where you do not have devices installed. 

Here are the main modules:

• Dashboard: Management summary of the most critical data variables from your site.  
• Sustainability: This module targets metrics crucial to monitoring sustainability goals including electricity, gas, water and fuel.
• Activity: This module shows data about the human-generated activities being performed or triggered. The data shown relates to motion, luminosity and door openings.
• Quality: This module shows data from the live environment which may affect site production and quality - eg temperature, humidity, CO2 and waste. 
• Asset Management: The asset management module shows data about how your assets are performing as per machine utilisation, Maintenance and Vehicle tracking.
• Compliance: The compliance module shows pre-developed reports for audit purposes. The user is provided with a report template where data is auto-generated for audit purposes. Free text areas are provided to complete the narrative details on compliance activities.

• Forgotten password On the login page, select “Forgot password?”. Enter your registered email and you will shortly receive a request code. Insert the details in the reset password form and complete the procedure. Please do ensure you check your spam folder.
• Information about my sensors: The status of all the sensors installed on your site can be found on the “Your Sensors” sub-module within the “Your Data Sources” section on the left-side of the portal. If you cannot see the live status of the sensors connected within your site please contact the Helpdesk immediately.
• Download sensor data: Click the “Your Profile” section on the left-side of the portal and select “Your Sensors”. You will then see a list of all available sensors. Click ‘select’ against the desired sensor, choose a month from the calendar drop down and then click the ‘Download’ button. The data will be downloaded in CSV format to your browser.
• Viewing ‘Alerts’: The Alert Centre provides the current alarm status of the monitored assets/areas and overview of all the alarms within the business operations for the past 24 hours. These alerts will have been pre-determined by the Helpdesk.
• Changing the thresholds of ‘Alerts’: Depending on the sensor type, standard benchmark thresholds are applied in the Alert Centre. As alerts are configured for all account holders, you cannot manually change the alerting thresholds on the portal. Please contact the Helpdesk if you have any questions.
• Data is missing on the portal: You can check that a sensor is broadcasting in the “Your Sensors” section. If a sensor is broadcasting, a green flashing symbol will appear next to the sensor name. If a sensor is ‘offline’ a red flashing symbol will appear. If a sensor appears offline, please contact the Helpdesk immediately. 
• Data is missing from midnight: Just after midnight, there may be a period where data will not appear on the portal, or appears as ‘err’. This is normal and will only occur for the first 15 minutes (or depending on the sensor broadcast frequency) while the system is waiting for the first broadcast of the new day. 
• How my data is used: Our portal displays insights from encrypted data captured by IoT sensors at typically 15 minutes intervals. We don’t collect personal data (besides essential login information) and do not share data with any third-party agencies without prior permission. For more information see your terms and conditions.
• Renew/Cancel my subscription: Please contact your account manager.
• Repairing lost data: If any data that has been lost or calculated incorrectly our team will do their best to ‘backfill’ the data based on past consumption / behaviour, where possible. Please ensure you check the validity of any data that has been subject to the backfill process and notify the Helpdesk immediately.

• I see a small discrepancy in my data vs my bill: It is not atypical for a +/- 5% variation in data transmission when using wireless monitoring. This variation can be caused by site-specific issues such as Wi-Fi micro-drops or momentary signal interference. 
• I see a large discrepancy in my data vs my bill: If the variation is more significant (eg +/- 5%),  then the discrepancy may be as a result of your Distribution Service Operator (DSO) applying a meter multiplier to your account. Please check your bill to see if a meter multiplier needs to be applied to your data in order to visualise the correct consumption data. Alternatively, please check with your energy supplier to understand if they are using an estimate to calculate consumption.
• Can data be used as a substitute for my bill: It is important to understand if your recent bill is based on estimate meter readings or an actual read. Our monitors are tracking actual electrical current used on your site to provide you with data visualisation that identifies sub-optimal load performance. As the data is not from the meter it SHOULD NOT be relied upon for billing verification due to the different data systems used by your electricity distribution system operator. 
• Comparing Data gathered from other apps / services: We are not able to provide insights on the data produced by third-party providers that is not integrated with our platform. You should contact your service provider for more information on any data they provide. Comparing data from other service providers may not be directly comparable due to a number of factors:
  • Accuracy of the third-party data 
  • Methods used to capture the data (e.g. monitoring current ) 
  • Packet loss due to insufficient signal on site 
  • Does the data need a multiplier (based on wiring configuration) 
• Mains v Solar Panel panel data: If you are using solar panels on site then be aware that where you place your monitor(s) will impact your ability to easily distinguish total electricity usage between electricity used from the grid and electricity from the solar panels. Your energy supplier will only capture electricity used from the grid and has no visibility of consumption from solar panels. The location of your monitor(s) will need to vary based on what data you are looking to record:
  • Total consumption from grid + solar panels - clamp all wires  
  • Consumption from grid only - clamp supplied mains wires only
  • Consumption from solar panels only - clamp solar wires only
• Load does not correlate with expectation:  If you wish to understand power/load and the values displayed does not match expectation, please check that the correct metric (ie 'kWh' or 'kW) is selected under the 'select variable' drop-down. The platform displays kWh by default.

• Understanding the ‘timestamp’ column in my downloaded sensor data: In a downloaded CSV file, the time and date will appear as an Epoch Timestamp (also known as a Unix timestamp). This is the universal standard for digitally recording date and time in an encoded format. Depending on your software, this timestamp may need to be converted into a format best suited for you (eg Microsoft Excel). You will find the conversion formula in our help section. 

• Manually Converting ‘date & time’ in Excel from a downloaded CSV file You can convert the Epoch timestamp into ‘date’ and ‘time’ in MS Excel using this formula: “=(((A2/60)/60)/24)+DATE(1970,1,1)+1/24”

1.  Enter the formula into the first empty cell to the right of the top timestamp and hit     enter
2. If the timestamp isn’t placed in Column A, change the ‘A’ in the formula to the corresponding column. 
3. Double-click the bottom-right of the cell containing the formula to apply the formula  to all timestamps.
4. Right-click the cell containing the formula and select ‘FORMAT CELL’ options. 
5. Then choose “CUSTOM” category and select the type “dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm:ss”. 
6. Note: during winter months (GMT/UTC) please remove “+1/24” from the formula    when the daylight-saving hour is not needed.

• Open Web Browser (eg Safari / Chrome)  
• Enter your portal login address
• Tap Options symbol (3 dots on Chrome or Arrow pointing up out of box in Safari) 
• Scroll & select Add to Home Screen
• You can rename the shortcut icon, if desired
• Note - For ease of access, remember to switch on Autofill Password

• Disruption to service during portal updates: Our portal is frequently updated to provide an enhanced service. We make sure to deliver any updates overnight so disruptions to our service are minimised. We will place a notification on the portal at least 24 hours before any significant planned maintenance outage.
• Warranty period for sensors: We provide a 2-year warranty on all sensors from the date of purchase. Please contact your account manager or the Helpdesk for more details.
• Contacting the helpdesk: Our FAQ section is designed to solve straight-forward queries but please contact our Helpdesk when you cannot find an answer to your problem. On the top right corner of the screen select the ‘helpdesk’ button, fill in the form & submit your query. You can also email us at support@cognition.world.
• Tracking the progress of my support issue: You will receive an email response from our system within 1 hour of logging a query. If not, please email support@cognition.world.