Consistent machine health data collection is essential for building a reliable condition monitoring program. But in many industrial facilities, not every asset is easy to monitor the same way. Some machines may not justify permanently mounted sensors, while others may be located in areas with limited or no WiFi coverage.

To support these real-world conditions, the Petasense Mobile App now includes two new field measurement capabilities: route-based measurement collection and offline measurement upload.

Together, these features give teams more flexibility in how they collect machine condition data across their assets, whether they are performing planned walkaround routes or collecting measurements in areas where network connectivity is unavailable.

Two New Mobile Measurement Workflows

The new mobile app capabilities support two different field measurement workflows.

First, teams can set up planned walkaround routes and use one or more Petasense Vibration Motes to capture data from multiple assets without needing to permanently mount sensors on each machine.

Second, users can collect measurements from Vibration Motes in areas without WiFi coverage. The measurement data is stored locally on the mobile device and can be uploaded later once the device is back online.

These workflows help teams continue collecting important machine condition data, even when permanent sensor installation or continuous connectivity is not practical.

Route-Based Measurement Collection

Not every asset requires a permanently mounted sensor. Some machines may be lower criticality, used intermittently, or part of a larger route-based maintenance program. In these cases, teams may still want periodic data collection without installing a dedicated sensor on every machine.

With route-based measurement collection, users can set up a planned walkaround route in the Petasense Mobile App. While online, users can select and save the assets and sensors they plan to measure. These assets and sensors are stored locally on the mobile device, so technicians can follow the route in the field.

During the walk-around route, users can travel to each asset with one or more Vibration Motes and collect measurements directly from the machine. This allows teams to capture data across multiple assets using a smaller set of portable sensors.

For route-based mounting, Vibration Motes can be installed using either magnetic mounts or epoxied base plates, depending on the application. Magnetic mounts are helpful for quickly attaching a Mote to a machine for on-demand measurements, making them well suited for portable walkaround use cases. However, this approach does come with tradeoffs. For applications where speed monitoring is important, such as variable speed equipment, a magnetic mount will not allow the Mote to capture speed data, which is derived from magnetic flux measurements gathered from the motor. In these cases, an epoxied mounting pad should be used to properly capture machine running speed. The Mote can then be easily attached to the mounting pad using the specified fastener.

This workflow is especially useful for teams that want to:

1. Monitor a larger number of assets without permanently mounting sensors on every machine
2. Collect periodic data during planned walkarounds
3. Add flexibility to existing condition monitoring programs
4. Support portable measurement collection across changing asset lists
5. Standardize data collection routes for technicians
6. Troubleshoot developing issues by collecting additional measurements in the field to help narrow down the source, location, or severity of a suspected machine problem. For more on this approach, see our related article on how mobile devices unlock the full potential of wireless condition monitoring.

By enabling planned route-based collection, the mobile app helps teams expand monitoring coverage while keeping sensor deployment flexible.

Offline Measurement Collection and Upload

In many industrial environments, WiFi coverage is not available everywhere. Assets may be located in remote areas, basements, utility rooms, outdoor areas, or parts of a facility where network connectivity is limited.

With offline measurement support, users can still collect data from Vibration Motes even when they are outside WiFi coverage. Measurement data is collected in the field and stored locally on the mobile device. Once the mobile device is back in an area with WiFi, users can manually upload the measurements to the Petasense platform.

This workflow helps reduce interruptions caused by connectivity gaps. Instead of waiting for network access or skipping measurements, teams can continue collecting data and upload it later.

Offline measurement upload is especially helpful for teams working with:

• Assets located outside WiFi coverage
• Remote or hard-to-reach equipment
• Facilities with inconsistent connectivity
• Walkaround routes that pass through disconnected areas
• Maintenance teams that need to collect data first and sync later
• Spared equipment that runs intermittently and may not be operating during normal online measurement schedules

How It Works

Users can prepare for field measurements while they are still connected. From the Nearby tab in the Petasense Mobile App, users can select Setup walk around route to choose the assets and sensors they plan to work with.

Once selected, the asset and sensor information is saved locally on the mobile device. This allows the app to recognize the assigned assets and sensors later during field measurement activities.

For route-based measurements, users can follow their planned route and collect data using one or more Vibration Motes across multiple assets.

For offline measurements, users can collect data in areas without WiFi coverage. The mobile app communicates with the Vibration Mote over BLE, stores the collected measurements locally, and allows users to upload the data once connectivity is restored.

When the mobile device is back online, users can tap Upload Measurements in the Nearby tab to sync the collected data to the Petasense platform.

A More Flexible Way to Collect Machine Health Data

Industrial facilities are complex, and monitoring programs need to adapt to real-world conditions. Some assets are best suited for continuous monitoring with permanently mounted sensors, while others may only require periodic route-based measurements. Some areas may have reliable connectivity, while others may be out of range.

With route-based and offline measurement support, teams can collect machine condition data in more places and with more flexible workflows. Route-based measurements help teams monitor more assets with portable sensors, while offline upload support helps reduce missed data collection when connectivity is unavailable.

Together, these capabilities help maintenance and reliability teams expand monitoring coverage, reduce interruptions, and maintain better visibility into asset health.

About the Author

Jon Bernie is an Enterprise Account Executive at Petasense with 10 years of experience working with industrial customers across industries such as power generation, pharmaceuticals, water utilities, and manufacturing. He works closely with reliability, maintenance, and operations teams to understand challenges in the field and support successful condition monitoring programs with predictive maintenance technology.