Hardware & Sensors Documentation

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The SuperBox IoT Gateway supports 3 core sensor modules to enable comprehensive monitoring of industrial machines.

1

PZEM-004T - Electrical Telemetry Sensor

a. Purpose:

Directly measures and monitors AC parameters of the electrical load: Voltage (V), Current (A), Active Power (kW), Power Factor (cosφ), and Frequency (Hz).

b. Connection Pinout (UART - Bus 2):
PZEM-004T Pin ESP32 Pin Description / Notes
TX GPIO16 (RX) Connect to ESP32 serial RX
RX GPIO17 (TX) Connect to ESP32 serial TX
GND GND Common ground connection
VCC 5V / VIN Requires external 5V power supply (Do not use 3.3V)
2

AHT20 - Temperature & Humidity Sensor

a. Purpose:

Monitors environmental ambient conditions inside or near the electrical cabinet to detect overheating (alert > 60°C) or high humidity levels that could spark short-circuits.

b. Connection Pinout (I2C - Bus 0):
AHT20 Pin ESP32 Pin Description / Notes
SDA GPIO32 I2C Bus 0 Data Pin
SCL GPIO33 I2C Bus 0 Clock Pin
GND GND Common ground connection
VIN / VCC 3.3V 3.3V power source from ESP32
3

ADXL345 - Vibration Sensor

a. Purpose:

Mounted on motors or mechanical surfaces to measure acceleration and analyze vibration. Calculates RMS, Kurtosis, and Crest Factor (Z-axis) metrics to enable predictive maintenance before failure.

b. Connection Pinout (I2C - Bus 1):
ADXL345 Pin ESP32 Pin Description / Notes
SDA GPIO25 I2C Bus 1 Data Pin
SCL GPIO26 I2C Bus 1 Clock Pin
CS 3.3V Pull high to 3.3V to select I2C communication mode
SDO GND Connect to GND for default I2C address (0x53)
GND GND Common ground connection
VCC 3.3V 3.3V power source from ESP32
c. Mounting & Installation Guidelines:
  • Placement: Mount the sensor directly onto a flat metallic part of the motor frame, preferably near the bearing housing for high-fidelity vibration data.
  • Attachment Method: We recommend using mechanical screws, magnetic bases, or high-rigidity industrial epoxy. Do not use double-sided foam tape or plastic zip-ties as they dampen vibrations, degrading the accuracy of RMS, Kurtosis, and Crest Factor values.
  • Orientation (Sensitive Axis): Since Kurtosis and Crest Factor are computed specifically on the Z-axis (perpendicular to the sensor board plane), you must mount the flat back of the sensor board parallel to the motor shell. This ensures the Z-axis points radially into the center of the shaft to measure radial vibration.