Milesight EM500-SMTC Soil Moisture, Temperature and EC Sensor

The robust sensor is designed for long-term installation in soil and is suitable for applications including agriculture, horticulture, field trials, irrigation systems and landscape management. Measurement data is transmitted wirelessly over long distances using LoRaWAN®.

Three soil parameters with one sensor

The EM500-SMTC combines three important soil measurements in a single sensor:

Soil moisture
Measures volumetric soil moisture over a range of 0 to 100%. Accuracy is ±2% between 0 and 50% and ±3% between 50 and 100%.

Soil temperature
Measures temperatures from -40 to +80 °C with an accuracy of ±0.5 °C.

Electrical conductivity (EC)
Measures soil electrical conductivity from 0 to 20,000 µS/cm. EC provides valuable information about the concentration of dissolved salts in the soil and can support the monitoring and optimisation of fertilisation and irrigation.

Optimise irrigation and crop conditions

Continuous monitoring of soil moisture, temperature and EC provides valuable insight into conditions around the root zone. This information can be used to determine when irrigation is required and to monitor changes in soil conditions over time.

This makes the EM500-SMTC suitable for data-driven irrigation, smart farming and research or cultivation applications where soil conditions need to be monitored over longer periods.

Wireless monitoring via LoRaWAN

Measurement data is transmitted via LoRaWAN®, allowing the sensor to be used at remote locations and across large agricultural sites where installing cables would be impractical.

Combined with a LoRaWAN gateway, multiple sensors can be integrated into a single network to monitor different measurement locations.

Designed for outdoor use

The soil sensor has an IP68 ingress protection rating and is manufactured from epoxy resin and stainless steel. The transmitter is protected by a robust IP67 enclosure.

The sensor is installed directly in the soil and connected to the transmitter by a 2-metre cable. The transmitter supports wall, pole and DIN rail mounting.

Long battery life and easy configuration

The EM500-SMTC is powered by a 19,000 mAh Li-SOCl₂ battery. Under ideal conditions, battery life of up to 10 years is possible.

Configuration can easily be performed using a smartphone via NFC. The sensor also supports configuration via USB-C and LoRaWAN downlink.

The internal data logger can store up to 1,000 measurements and supports features including data retransmission, data retrieval and threshold alarms.

Applications

The Milesight EM500-SMTC is suitable for applications including:

• agriculture and horticulture
• open-field cultivation and field trials
• smart farming
• irrigation management
• soil condition monitoring
• greenhouses and protected cultivation
• crop optimisation
• golf courses and landscape management
• agricultural and horticultural research

Key features

• Measures soil moisture, soil temperature and EC
• Soil moisture range from 0 to 100%
• Soil moisture accuracy up to ±2%
• Temperature range from -40 to +80 °C
• Temperature accuracy ±0.5 °C
• EC measuring range from 0 to 20,000 µS/cm
• Wireless LoRaWAN® communication
• Robust IP68 soil sensor
• IP67 transmitter
• Battery life up to 10 years*
• 2-metre sensor cable
• Easy NFC configuration
• Internal storage for up to 1,000 measurements
• Alarm and data retransmission functionality
• Suitable for long-term outdoor monitoring

*Actual battery life depends on factors including measurement and transmission interval, LoRaWAN settings, network conditions and ambient temperature.