TankAlarm v1.1.1 - Industrial Tank Monitoring System

Release Date: February 20, 2026
Version: 1.1.1
Platform: Arduino Opta + Blues Wireless Notecard

A production-ready industrial monitoring system for remote tank level monitoring, alarm management, and fleet coordination using cellular IoT connectivity.

🎯 Overview

TankAlarm is a complete industrial monitoring solution designed for reliable, remote tank level monitoring with SMS/email alerts. Built on the Arduino Opta industrial controller platform with Blues Wireless cellular connectivity, it provides enterprise-grade reliability without requiring WiFi or wired network infrastructure at remote sites.

System Architecture

The system consists of three components:

Client - Remote monitoring device (deployed at tank sites)
Server - Central data aggregation and alerting hub (office/headquarters)
Viewer - Read-only monitoring device (optional, for remote viewing)

       ┌─────────────┐                  ┌─────────────┐
       │   CLIENT    │                  │   SERVER    │
       │  (Remote)   │                  │ (HQ/Office) │
       │ • Monitors  │                  │ • Dashboard │
       │ • Sensors   │                  │ • Alerts    │
       └──────▲──────┘                  └──────▲──────┘
              │                                │
              │ Cellular                       │ Cellular
              ▼                                ▼
       ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
       │            BLUES NOTEHUB (Cloud)             │
       │     (Data Exchange & Device Management)      │
       └──────────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
                              │
                              │ Cellular/WiFi
                              ▼
                       ┌─────────────┐
                       │   VIEWER    │
                       │ (Read-Only) │
                       └──────┬──────┘
                              │
                         Ethernet LAN
                        (User Display)

✨ Key Features

Client (Remote Monitoring)

Multi-Sensor Support - Monitor up to 8 objects per device
- Analog voltage (0-10V)
- 4-20mA current loop (pressure sensors, level transmitters)
- Digital on/off (float switches)
- Pulse counting (flow meters, RPM sensors)
Flexible Object Types - Tanks, engines, pumps, gas systems, flow meters
Intelligent Alarming - Configurable high/low thresholds with hysteresis and debouncing
Rate Limiting - Prevents alert flooding during transient conditions
Relay Control - Automated shutoff with multiple modes (momentary, until_clear, manual_reset)
Remote Configuration - Update all settings via server web interface
Persistent Storage - LittleFS internal flash (no SD card required)
Watchdog Protection - Automatic recovery from system hangs
Low Power Design - Optimized for battery/solar operation

Server (Central Hub)

Web Dashboard - Real-time monitoring of all clients
SMS & Email Alerts - Immediate notifications for alarm conditions
Daily Reports - Scheduled email summaries
Remote Client Management - Configure any client from web interface
RESTful API - Programmatic access for automation
Fleet Management - Centralized control via Blues Notehub
FTP Backup/Restore - Configuration archiving
Client Console - Real-time serial log viewing for troubleshooting
PIN Authentication - Secure access with constant-time comparison and rate limiting
Configuration Import/Export - JSON-based backup and templating
Config Comparison - Visual diff before deploying changes
Unsaved Changes Warning - Prevents accidental data loss
Audit Log - Track configuration changes with timestamps
Contextual Tooltips - Inline help for complex configuration options

Viewer (Read-Only Display)

Dashboard-Only - No configuration access
Stale Data Warnings - Visual indicators for outdated readings
Minimal Attack Surface - Secure deployment for public areas
Notecard Sync - Automatic data updates from server

🔧 Hardware Requirements

Client Hardware

Arduino Opta Lite - Industrial controller (STM32H747XI dual-core)
Blues Wireless for Opta - Cellular Notecard carrier board
Arduino Opta Ext A0602 (optional) - 4-20mA analog expansion for sensors
Sensors - Compatible with 0-10V, 4-20mA, digital, or pulse outputs
Power Supply - 12-24V DC (solar + battery recommended for remote sites)

Server Hardware

Arduino Opta Lite - Industrial controller
Blues Wireless for Opta - Cellular Notecard carrier board
Ethernet Connection - RJ45 to local network
Power Supply - 12-24V DC

Viewer Hardware (Optional)

Arduino Opta Lite - Industrial controller
Blues Wireless for Opta - Cellular Notecard carrier board
Ethernet Connection - RJ45 to local network
Power Supply - 12-24V DC

📋 Sensor Compatibility

Tested Sensors

Type	Model	Interface	Application
Pressure Transmitter	Dwyer 626-06-CB-P1-E5-S1	4-20mA	Tank level (0-5 PSI)
Float Switch	Dayton 3BY75	Digital	High/low level detection
Hall Effect Sensor	Generic	Pulse	Engine RPM monitoring
Flow Meter	Generic	Pulse	Liquid flow rate

Sensor Interface Types

Digital (Float Switches) - Binary on/off, 3.3V/5V compatible
Analog Voltage - 0-10V (via Opta Ext A0602)
4-20mA Current Loop - Pressure transmitters, level sensors
Pulse Counting - Flow meters, RPM sensors (up to 10 kHz)

🚀 Quick Start

1. Hardware Setup

Client (Remote Site):

Install Blues Wireless for Opta carrier on Arduino Opta
Activate Notecard at blues.io
Connect sensors to appropriate inputs
Connect 12-24V DC power (solar recommended)

Server (Office/HQ):

Install Blues Wireless for Opta carrier on Arduino Opta
Activate Notecard at blues.io
Connect Ethernet cable to local network
Connect 12-24V DC power supply

2. Software Installation

Prerequisites:

Arduino IDE 2.x or later
Arduino Mbed OS Opta Boards core (via Boards Manager)

Required Libraries:

ArduinoJson v7.x or later
Blues Wireless Notecard (latest)
LittleFS (built into Mbed core)
Ethernet (built-in)

Installation:

Clone this repository

Install TankAlarm-112025-Common library:

# Windows PowerShell (as Admin)
New-Item -ItemType Junction -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents\Arduino\libraries\TankAlarm-112025-Common" -Target "C:\path\to\ArduinoSMSTankAlarm\TankAlarm-112025-Common"

Open the appropriate sketch in Arduino IDE:
- Client: TankAlarm-112025-Client-BluesOpta/TankAlarm-112025-Client-BluesOpta.ino
- Server: TankAlarm-112025-Server-BluesOpta/TankAlarm-112025-Server-BluesOpta.ino
- Viewer: TankAlarm-112025-Viewer-BluesOpta/TankAlarm-112025-Viewer-BluesOpta.ino
Update PRODUCT_UID to match your Blues Notehub project
Compile and upload

3. Blues Notehub Configuration

Create account at notehub.io
Create a new product for your TankAlarm system
Create three fleets:
- tankalarm-server - For server device(s)
- tankalarm-clients - For all client devices
- tankalarm-viewer - For viewer device(s)
Claim all Notecards into the product
Assign each Notecard to the appropriate fleet

Detailed Instructions:

Client Setup: TankAlarm-112025-Client-BluesOpta/README.md
Server Setup: TankAlarm-112025-Server-BluesOpta/README.md
Fleet Configuration: TankAlarm-112025-Server-BluesOpta/FLEET_SETUP.md

4. Access Web Dashboard

Power on the server and wait for network connection
Check serial monitor (115200 baud) for IP address
Navigate to: http://<server-ip>/
Configure server settings and SMS/email recipients
Configure clients remotely via the dashboard

📊 Technical Specifications

Client Specifications

Lines of Code: 5,488
Memory Footprint: ~150KB flash, ~30KB RAM
Monitors per Device: Up to 8
Sample Interval: Configurable (default: 30 minutes)
Alarm Hysteresis: Configurable per monitor
Watchdog Timeout: 30 seconds
Cellular Connectivity: Blues Wireless Notecard (LTE-M/NB-IoT)
Data Persistence: LittleFS internal flash
Power Requirements: 12-24V DC, ~2W typical

Server Specifications

Lines of Code: 10,328
Memory Footprint: ~300KB flash, ~100KB RAM
Max Clients: 32 (expandable)
Max Tanks: 64 total across all clients
Web Server: HTTP (port 80)
API Endpoints: 15+ RESTful endpoints
Network: Ethernet (10/100 Mbps)
Data Persistence: LittleFS internal flash
Power Requirements: 12-24V DC, ~3W typical

Viewer Specifications

Lines of Code: 763
Memory Footprint: ~100KB flash, ~20KB RAM
Web Server: HTTP (port 80) - read-only
Network: Ethernet (10/100 Mbps)
Power Requirements: 12-24V DC, ~2W typical

📡 Communication Architecture

Fleet-Based Routing (Blues Notehub)

The system uses Blues Notehub fleet-based routing for device-to-device communication:

Client → Server: Telemetry and alarms routed to tankalarm-server fleet
Server → Client: Configuration updates routed to specific client device IDs
Server → Viewer: Status updates sent for dashboard display

Advantages:

No hardcoded device IDs in firmware
Simplified fleet management
Automatic routing via Notehub
Scalable to hundreds of devices

Data Flow

CLIENT                      BLUES NOTEHUB              SERVER
  │                               │                       │
  ├─── telemetry.qo ──────────────┤                       │
  │         (level data)          │                       │
  │                               ├─── fleet routing ────▶│
  │                               │                       │
  ├─── alarm.qo ──────────────────┤                       │
  │      (alarm event)            │                       │
  │                               ├─── fleet routing ────▶│
  │                               │                       │
  │                               │                       ├─ SMS/Email
  │                               │                       │  Alerts
  │                               │                       │
  │                               │◀─── config_push.qi ───┤
  │                               │   (new config)        │
  │◀──── route: device_id ────────┤                       │
  │     (config received)         │                       │

🛡️ Security Features

Authentication

PIN-based Access Control - Protect configuration endpoints
Constant-Time PIN Comparison - Prevents timing attack analysis
Authentication Rate Limiting - Exponential backoff with lockout after 5 failures
Optional PIN - Can be disabled for trusted networks
Session-based - PIN verified per-session

Input Validation

All POST endpoints validate JSON structure
Buffer overflow protection on string inputs
Range checking on numeric values
Client UID length validation with diagnostic logging
Hash table bounds checking to prevent out-of-bounds access
HTTP 400/401/429/500 status codes for error conditions

Network Security

HTTP Only - Deploy on trusted local networks
No Internet Exposure - Server should not be internet-facing
Ethernet Isolation - Physical network segmentation recommended

Note: HTTPS/TLS not currently supported. For internet-facing deployments, use VPN or reverse proxy with TLS termination.

📖 Documentation

🧪 Testing & Deployment

Pre-Deployment Testing Checklist

Deployment Checklist

Flash all devices with v1.1.1 firmware
Configure Blues Notehub fleet assignments
Set server IP address and network configuration
Configure SMS/email recipients
Test alarm notifications
Test relay control
Verify web dashboard access
Document device serial numbers and locations
Establish backup schedule (FTP recommended)

🔮 Roadmap

v1.2 (Planned)

Enhanced email formatting (HTML, attachments)
Historical data logging (30-day retention)
Graphical trend charts
Common header consolidation (centralize duplicated constants)
Event-driven Notecard polling (file.changes + change trackers)

v2.0 (Future)

Advanced analytics and reporting
Predictive maintenance alerts

📜 License

See LICENSE file for details.

🤝 Support

For technical support, bug reports, or feature requests, please open an issue on GitHub.

Common Resources

Blues Wireless Documentation: dev.blues.io
Arduino Opta Documentation: docs.arduino.cc
Bill of Materials: TankAlarm-112025-BillOfMaterials.md

🏗️ Repository Structure

ArduinoSMSTankAlarm/
├── TankAlarm-112025-Client-BluesOpta/    # Remote monitoring client
├── TankAlarm-112025-Server-BluesOpta/    # Central server & dashboard
├── TankAlarm-112025-Viewer-BluesOpta/    # Read-only viewer
├── TankAlarm-112025-Common/              # Shared library
├── CODE REVIEW/                          # Code reviews & documentation
├── RecycleBin/                           # Archived versions
├── Tutorials/                            # Getting started guides
├── TankAlarm-112025-BillOfMaterials.md    # Hardware BOM
└── README.md                             # This file

📋 Changelog

v1.1.1 (February 20, 2026)

Viewer Fleet: Viewer devices now join dedicated tankalarm-viewer fleet for fleet-scoped DFU and routing
Relay Forwarding: New relay_forward.qo/.qi protocol for client-to-client relay commands via server
Serial ACKs: Client emits serial_ack.qo processing/complete status during serial log requests
Config ACK Enhancements: Config version hash (cv) tracked through dispatch → ACK cycle
ArduinoJson v7: Full migration to auto-sizing JsonDocument in Server and Viewer (removed all capacity constants)
Notecard Hardening: NULL-safe card.uuid handling across all three sketches
Watchdog Fix: Corrected macro name to TANKALARM_WATCHDOG_AVAILABLE across all components
Memory Safety: Use JDelete for unsent request cleanup; fix relay body allocation leak
Dead Code Removal: ~300 lines of unused helpers removed from Common headers
Documentation: 14 tutorial guides updated for three-fleet architecture

v1.1.0 (February 19, 2026)

Security: Constant-time PIN comparison to prevent timing attacks
Security: Authentication rate limiting with exponential backoff and lockout
Security: Hash table bounds checking to prevent out-of-bounds memory access
Security: Client UID length validation with diagnostic logging
Security: Buffer boundary fix for FTP response parsing
Server Console: Configuration import/export (JSON backup & templating)
Server Console: Unsaved changes warning with browser prompt
Server Console: Configuration comparison with visual diff before deploy
Server Console: Audit log tracking last 50 configuration changes
Server Console: Contextual tooltips for complex configuration fields
Architecture: Communication architecture review and documentation
Architecture: Data usage analysis for standard vs. proxy patterns
Architecture: Common header audit identifying constants to centralize
UI: Centralized CSS with browser caching for faster page loads
Stability: JavaScript null-safety hardening across dashboard pages
Stability: UTF-8 BOM and struct compilation fixes

v1.0.1 (January 13, 2026)

Centralized CSS into single cached stylesheet
UI header standardization (Action Bar layout)
JavaScript null-safety hardening
Compilation fixes (UTF-8 BOM, struct definitions)

v1.0.0 (December 2025)

Initial production release
Client, Server, and Viewer firmware
Blues Wireless fleet-based routing
Web dashboard with SMS/email alerts
LittleFS persistent storage
Remote client configuration

Built with ❤️ for industrial IoT applications

Last Updated: February 20, 2026

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 980 Commits
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
CODE REVIEW		CODE REVIEW
RecycleBin		RecycleBin
TankAlarm-112025-Client-BluesOpta		TankAlarm-112025-Client-BluesOpta
TankAlarm-112025-Common		TankAlarm-112025-Common
TankAlarm-112025-Server-BluesOpta		TankAlarm-112025-Server-BluesOpta
TankAlarm-112025-Viewer-BluesOpta		TankAlarm-112025-Viewer-BluesOpta
Tutorials/Tutorials-112025		Tutorials/Tutorials-112025
firmware/112025		firmware/112025
.gitattributes		.gitattributes
.gitignore		.gitignore
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
TankAlarm-112025-BillOfMaterials.md		TankAlarm-112025-BillOfMaterials.md
TankAlarm-112025-Common.zip		TankAlarm-112025-Common.zip
_codeql_detected_source_root		_codeql_detected_source_root
old_ino_dump.txt		old_ino_dump.txt
search.py		search.py
search_blues.cs		search_blues.cs
search_duck.py		search_duck.py
search_results.json		search_results.json
test.cs		test.cs

License

SenaxInc/ArduinoSMSTankAlarm

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