The Real-Time and Internet of Things lines meet two different needs of the sector.
The Real-Time line is more suitable for managing up to a hundred of wireless cells.
The system needs a local PC connected to a Gateway. Data are updated every second.
The IoT line is suitable for managing large networks with thousands of nodes that connect to the Cloud through one or more Gateways.
Data are updated approximately every 3 minutes. All information can be accessed by multiple devices connected to the Internet.

Comparison Table

Data refresh period	3 minutes	1 second
Data management Platform	Cloud	Local PC
Load Cell connection to Gateway	Wireless	Wireless
Gateway connection to Platform	Internet	USB Cable
Frequency	868/915MHz	868/915MHz
Network Protocol	LoRaWAN®	Proprietary
Manual calibration of radio channels	NO	NO
Internet connection required	YES	NO
Concurrent data access from multiple other devices	YES	NO
Remote monitoring	YES	NO
Max Number of Cells per Gateway	300	100
Max Number of Gateways per System	20	1
Max Number of Repeaters per System	–	2
Max Number of Cells per System	< 1000	< 100
User-friendly platform	YES	YES
Intuitive configuration with drag & drop interface	YES	YES
Management Fees	YES	NO

• In the Real-Time Line, the end nodes (load cells or other sensors) are connected wirelessly to one gateway. The gateway is in turn connected via USB to a PC, which must have the Flexa Control software installed.
• The load cells read and send the load data every second if the load is changing. If the load is stable, the transmission period varies depending on the settings configured by the user. To optimize the battery consumption, the user can vary the load threshold to change the transmission period in case of static loads.

• The maximum range of any wireless system changes according to the propagation conditions: line of sight or presence of obstacles between the nodes and the Gateway. If the propagation between the Cells and the Gateway is line of sight, the maximum range is approximately 600 meters. If longer ranges are required or large obstacles are placed in between, it is necessary to add one or more wireless Repeaters, whose maximum distance from the cells is still 600 meters and maximum distance from the Gateway is around 700 meters.

• The system operates in the unlicensed Sub-1Ghz frequency band.

• The Sub-1Ghz frequencies are regulated differently in different geographical areas. This means that a system working in Europe cannot be used in North America and vice versa. Please refer to our Wordwide Frequency Map for more details. 

• This is a specific design choice made during the development of Flexa Sensors products. The Sub-1Ghz frequencies offer two advantages with respect to higher frequencies: longer communication range and no interference from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networks (which use 2.4Ghz and/or 5Ghz frequencies). The drawback of using Sub-1Ghz is a lower communication speed, which limits the data transmission period.
• However, the protocol we designed allows data to be transmitted relatively
  frequently (1 second in the Real-Time Line), while enjoying a longer range and no interference from surrounding Wi-Fi networks, which can be quite crowded in large events.

• 2 x CR123 3V Lithium batteries. It is advised to use certified and qualified battery brands.

• To change the batteries, just unscrew the cylindrical cover by hand.
  See our tutorial for more details.

• To ensure high IP protection, the cells are not equipped with external mechanical switches. There is a magnetic switch which can be activated with the magnetic key provided with the cells. The switch is turned on or off by placing the key close to the cylindric cap of the cell. See our tutorial for more details.

• No, active safety systems have tight communication and security requirements which are not supported by wireless systems of this kind.

• The rationale of every Flexa Sensor product is to transmit large quantity of information to be monitored and stored, not to actively control any safety system.
  

• Sure. For each cell, the entire history of its applications is available, as well as the date scheduled for the next calibration (typically, it is advisable to recalibrate the load cell every 2 years).