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Industrial automation · Remote monitoring

Remote monitoring and alarms for sites nobody visits every day.

Lift stations, tank farms, generators, telecom shelters, and the PLCs that run them. An AppBlocks device reads the inputs and registers you care about, sends SMS and email when something goes wrong, and lets you change setpoints and logic without driving out.

Built for the field

What a remote site actually needs.

Cellular when there’s no network

4G LTE through a plug-in modem module, alongside Ethernet and Wi-Fi.

Alarms by SMS and email

Send an SMS straight from the device’s modem, or email through your SMTP server. SNMP traps are available too.

Watch the PLC, not just the sensors

Poll fault bits and status words over Modbus, and alarm when the PLC stops answering.

A timestamped event log

Alarms and events are stored in flash on the device and browsable from its Web Console.

Setpoints you can change remotely

Alarm thresholds and levels are settings that survive power loss and can be edited from the cloud.

Fix logic without a truck roll

Ship new firmware to one site or a whole group of devices with OTA updates.

How it works

From a float switch to a phone call-out.

Alarm on a digital input

Wire a float switch, a door contact, or a PLC alarm output to an isolated input. When it changes, the flow sends an SMS, emails the on-call engineer, and writes the event to the log. When it clears, the log records that too.

  • Isolated digital inputs on Tibbo hardware
  • SMS through a cellular modem module
  • Email through your own SMTP server
On Button Input Pressedhigh-level float switch
Send SMS+1 555 0100 · Lift station 4: HIGH LEVEL
Send Emailoncall@example.com
Add to Event Logalarm=high_level
On Button Input Releasedhigh-level float switch
Add to Event Logalarm=cleared

Keep an eye on the PLC itself

If the site already has a PLC, don’t rewire it. Poll its status word over Modbus, alarm on fault bits, and send a separate message when the PLC stops responding, so a dead PLC is never mistaken for a quiet night.

Modbus in AppBlocks
On Time Periodevery 10 s
Modbus RequestPLC · FC03 · status word
On Modbus Response
Bitwise Operationsfault = status AND 0x0004
IF Conditionfault ≠ 0
yes
Send SMSPump PLC fault at site 12
On Modbus Timeout
Send SMSSite 12 PLC not responding

Escalate in the cloud

Devices report events to AppBlocks Cloud, where a workflow can check a condition, email a technician, open a ticket through a webhook, and send a command back to a device.

Cloud Workflows
Device Eventhigh_level
Conditionlevel > 90
Send Emailon-call technician
HTTP RequestPOST to ticketing
Device Actionrun start_pump_2

Change setpoints from anywhere

Alarm thresholds, pump levels, and phone numbers are settings, stored in non-volatile memory. Flows read them like any other variable, so changing a threshold never means changing the firmware.

  • high_level_alarm and sms_recipient are settings
  • Edit them from the Web Console, the LUIS app, or AppBlocks Cloud
  • Pending changes reach the device when it next comes online
AppBlocks Cloud
On Variable Changedtank_level
IF Compound Conditiontank_level > high_level_alarm AND alarm_sent = 0
yes
Send SMSto sms_recipient
Variable Set/Mathalarm_sent = 1
FAQ

Questions, answered.

Does it work without internet at the site?

Yes. The logic runs on the device, and SMS alarms go out through the cellular modem. The Web Console works on the local network without any cloud connection.

Can it replace my RTU or telemetry unit?

For many monitoring and alarm jobs, yes: digital inputs, Modbus polling, SMS and email alarms, event logs, and remote setpoints are all built in. Check your I/O count and any utility-specific protocol requirements first, or book a session and we’ll look at it with you.

Can I see all my sites in one place?

Yes. AppBlocks Cloud shows which devices are online, charts the metrics your flows report, and lets you group sites and give each customer their own tenant. AppBlocks Cloud.

How do I update the logic after installation?

With OTA updates from AppBlocks Cloud, to one device or a whole group, or by uploading new firmware from the device’s Web Console. OTA updates.

White-glove onboarding included

Ready to build your first firmware?

Start free in your browser, follow the tutorials, or book a free one-on-one session. No board yet? We’ll demonstrate everything on ours.