AquaVigil Smart Water Tank Meter User Manual

9 min read

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
- What's in the Box
- Requirements
2. Getting Started
3. E-Ink Display
4. Button Controls
- Resetting WiFi
5. Web Interface
6. Configuration
7. Sensor Setup
8. Alarms & Notifications
9. Firmware Updates
10. MQTT Integration
11. Troubleshooting
12. Technical Specifications
Support

1. Introduction #

The AquaVigil Tank Monitor is a base station receiver that monitors water tank levels from remote battery-powered sensors. It receives data via long-range LoRa radio and provides monitoring through:

E-Ink Display – Always-on, low-power display showing tank status
Web Interface – Full-featured dashboard accessible from any browser
MQTT – Integration with home automation systems
Email Alerts – Notifications for low water, low battery, and other alarms

What’s in the Box #

AquaVigil Base Station
AquaVigil Smart Tank Sensor (If included)
USB-C power cable
Quick start guide

Requirements #

WiFi network (2.4GHz)
USB power supply (5V, 1A minimum)
Compatible AquaVigil tank sensor(s)

2. Getting Started #

Step 1: Power On #

Connect the USB-C cable to the device
Connect to a USB power supply
The e-ink display will show “AquaVigil Tank Monitor” with “Booting…..”

Step 2: Connect to WiFi #

On first boot (or after a WiFi reset), the device enters Setup Mode:

On your phone or computer, look for a WiFi network named AquaVigil-XXXX (where XXXX is unique to your device)
Connect to this network – no password required
A setup page should open automatically
- On iPhone/Android: Opens automatically
- On Windows: Click the “Sign in” notification, or open a browser to 10.0.0.1
- On Mac: Opens automatically
Select your home WiFi network from the list (or type it manually)
Enter your WiFi password and tap “Connect”
The device will restart and connect to your home WiFi
The e-ink display will show the devices IP address once connected

Step 3: Access the Web Interface #

Note the IP address shown on the e-ink display (e.g., 192.168.1.100)
Open a web browser and go to http://192.168.1.100
You’ll see the AquaVigil dashboard

If WiFi Setup Fails #

If a incorrect password is entered:

The display will show “WiFi Failed” and “Check password”
After 10 seconds, it will return to Setup Mode
Try again with the correct password

3. E-Ink Display #

The e-ink display provides at-a-glance tank monitoring without needing to check your phone.

Main Screen (Tanks) #

Shows all configured tanks with:

Tank name
Fill percentage (large text)
Volume in liters
Water level visualization
Signal strength bars
Battery indicator
Alarm icons (when active)

The layout adapts based on the number of sensors:

1 tank: Full-screen layout
2 tanks: Side-by-side
3-4 tanks: Grid layout

Stats Screen #

Press the button to see detailed information:

Battery voltage and percentage
CPU temperature
Signal strength (RSSI)
Last update time
Consumption rate
Device IP address

Alarm Icons #

When an alarm is active, icons appear on the display:

Water drop with warning – Low water level
Battery outline – Low battery
Upward arrow – High water consumption

4. Button Controls #

The device has a single button for control:

Action	Duration	Function
Short press	Less than 5 seconds	Toggle between Tanks and Stats screens
Long press	5+ seconds	Reset WiFi credentials and restart in Setup Mode

Resetting WiFi #

If you need to connect to a different WiFi network:

Press and hold the button for 5 seconds
The device will restart
Connect to the AquaVigil-XXXX network
Configure the new WiFi settings

5. Web Interface #

Access the web interface by entering the device’s IP address in any web browser.

Dashboard (Home) #

The main page shows:

Device status – Uptime, WiFi signal, memory usage
Sensor cards – One card per configured tank showing:
- Tank name and fill percentage
- Animated water level visualization
- Signal strength and battery status
- Last update time
- Active alarms

The dashboard auto-refreshes every 30 seconds.

Graphs #

View historical data with interactive charts:

Time range: 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours, or 24 hours
Chart types: Line, Area, or Bar
Available charts:
- Tank Level
- Fill Percentage
- Battery Voltage
- CPU Temperature
- Signal Strength

Click “Refresh” to update data. Stats show min/max/average for the selected period.

Logging #

Real-time system logs for troubleshooting:

Filter by category (WiFi, LoRa, Sensor, Alarm, etc.)
Logs stream live via WebSocket
Download logs with “Save Logs” button
Clear screen with “Clear Screen” button

Configuration #

See Section 6: Configuration for details.

Update #

Manage firmware updates:

View current version and update status
Enable/disable automatic updates
Manually upload firmware files

See Section 9: Firmware Updates for details.

6. Configuration #

Access configuration via the Configuration tab in the web interface.

LoRa Settings #

Important: All sensors must use identical LoRa settings.

Setting	Default	Description
Frequency	915.0 MHz	Must match your region (AU915 for Australia / New Zealand)
Bandwidth	125 kHz	Radio bandwidth
Spreading Factor	7	Range vs speed (higher = longer range, slower)
Transmit Power	14 dBm	Radio power level

Time Settings #

Setting	Description
NTP Server	Time server (default: pool.ntp.org)
Timezone	Your timezone with DST support

Email Settings #

Configure email notifications for alarms:

Setting	Description
Recipient Email	Where to send notifications
Sender Email	“From” address for emails
SMTP Server	Your email provider’s server (e.g., smtp.gmail.com)
SMTP Port	Usually 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
SMTP Password	Email password or app-specific password

Gmail Users: You must use an App Password, not your regular password.

MQTT Settings #

Setting	Description
Enable MQTT	Turn MQTT publishing on/off
Broker Address	IP address of your MQTT broker
Broker Port	Usually 1883 or 8883 (SSL)
Username	MQTT username
Password	MQTT password

Notification Settings #

Setting	Description
MQTT Alarms	Publish alarms to MQTT
Email Alarms	Send email notifications
Cooldown	Minutes between repeat notifications (5-120)

Debug Settings #

Setting	Description
Serial Debug	Output logs to USB serial port
Web Debug	Show logs in web interface

7. Sensor Setup #

The receiver supports up to 4 sensors. Each sensor has its own configuration tab.

Sensor Types #

Tank Top Sensor (Ultrasonic) #

Mounted at the top of the tank
Measures distance to water surface
Additional settings: Blind Zone, Offset

In-Tank Sensor (Pressure) #

Submerged in the water
Measures water pressure/depth
No blind zone or offset needed

Sensor Configuration #

Setting	Description
Node ID	Unique 12-character sensor identifier
Name	Human-readable name (e.g., “Main Tank”)
Type	Tank Top Sensor or In-Tank Sensor
Height	Tank height in millimeters
Diameter	Tank diameter in millimeters
Parallel Tanks	Number of identical tanks (for volume calculation)

Alarm Settings (per sensor) #

Setting	Description
Alarm Level	Low water warning threshold (0-100%)
Alarm Rate	High consumption warning (liters/minute)
Battery Warning	Low battery threshold (millivolts)
Battery Type	LiPo (3.3-4.2V) or LiFePO4 (2.8-3.4V)

Trust & Timeout Settings #

Setting	Description
Trust Time	Warmup period before alarms trigger (1-30 minutes)
Fail Time	Time without data before “offline” alarm (5-120 minutes)

The Trust Time prevents false alarms when a sensor first powers on or reconnects.

8. Alarms & Notifications #

Alarm Types #

Low Level Alarm #

Triggers when: Tank fill percentage drops below the configured threshold
Example: Tank at 15% with alarm set to 20%

Low Battery Alarm #

Triggers when: Sensor battery voltage drops below threshold
Default thresholds:
- LiPo batteries: 3300 mV
- LiFePO4 batteries: 2800 mV

High Consumption Alarm #

Triggers when: Water usage rate exceeds configured L/min
Use case: Detecting leaks or unusual water usage

Sensor Offline Alarm #

Triggers when: No data received for longer than Fail Time
Causes: Dead battery, sensor powered off, out of range

Notification Methods #

E-Ink Display #

Alarm icons appear next to affected tanks
Visible at a glance without checking your phone

Web Interface #

Real-time alarm indicators on dashboard
Color changes and warning icons

Email Notifications #

Requires email configuration (see Section 6). Emails include:

Tank name
Alarm type
Current value and threshold
Timestamp

MQTT Notifications #

Publishes to: <deviceID>/alarms/<sensorID>

Integrates with Home Assistant, Node-RED, etc.
Enables custom automations

Notification Cooldown #

To prevent notification spam during sustained alarms, a cooldown period applies:

Default: 15 minutes
Configurable: 5-120 minutes
After one notification, the next is delayed by the cooldown period

9. Firmware Updates #

Automatic Updates #

The device can automatically check for and install updates:

Go to Update page
Enable Automatic Updates
Set check interval (12h, 24h, 48h, or weekly)

When an update is available:

Device downloads automatically
Verifies the file integrity
Installs and reboots
No user intervention required

Manual Updates #

To manually update firmware:

Go to Update page
In “Firmware Upload” section, click Choose File
Select the firmware .bin file
Click Upload Firmware
Wait for the progress bar to complete
Device will restart automatically

Important:

Do not power off during update
Ensure stable power supply
Update takes 2-5 minutes
Browser connection may drop during reboot

Filesystem Updates #

To update the web interface files:

Go to Update page
In “Filesystem Upload” section, click Choose File
Select the filesystem .bin file
Click Upload

10. MQTT Integration #

Enabling MQTT #

Go to Configuration > MQTT Settings
Enter your broker address and credentials
Enable MQTT
Click Save

Published Topics #

The device publishes to these MQTT topics:

Sensor Data #

<deviceID>/sensors/<sensorID>/tank_level_mm
<deviceID>/sensors/<sensorID>/fill_percent
<deviceID>/sensors/<sensorID>/battery_mv
<deviceID>/sensors/<sensorID>/cpu_temperature
<deviceID>/sensors/<sensorID>/rssi

Alarms #

<deviceID>/alarms/<sensorID>

Device Status #

<deviceID>/status

Home Assistant Integration #

Example configuration for Home Assistant:

sensor:
  - platform: mqtt
    name: "Main Tank Level"
    state_topic: "AABBCCDDEEFF/sensors/281C67FA12F4/fill_percent"
    unit_of_measurement: "%"

  - platform: mqtt
    name: "Main Tank Battery"
    state_topic: "AABBCCDDEEFF/sensors/281C67FA12F4/battery_mv"
    unit_of_measurement: "mV"

11. Troubleshooting #

Device won’t connect to WiFi #

Check password – Passwords are case-sensitive
Check WiFi band – Device only supports 2.4GHz, not 5GHz
Check signal – Move device closer to router
Reset WiFi – Hold button for 5 seconds to restart setup

No data from sensors #

Check LoRa settings – Must match between receiver and sensors
Check distance – Sensors may be out of range
Check sensor battery – Replace if low
Check signal strength – View RSSI on Stats screen or web interface

Web interface won’t load #

Check IP address – Verify on e-ink display
Check WiFi connection – Ensure you’re on the same network
Try refreshing – First load may take a moment
Try different browser – Clear cache if needed

Alarms not triggering #

Check Trust Time – Alarms don’t trigger during warmup period
Check thresholds – Verify alarm levels in configuration
Check notifications – Ensure email/MQTT is configured and enabled

Email notifications not working #

Check SMTP settings – Server, port, username, password
Gmail users – Must use App Password, not regular password
Check spam folder – Emails may be filtered
Check cooldown – Notifications are rate-limited

Display not updating #

Check WiFi – Display won’t update without connection
Check sensor data – Verify sensors are transmitting
Wait for refresh – E-ink updates are throttled to extend lifespan

12. Technical Specifications #

Hardware #

Component	Specification
Processor	ESP32-S3 dual-core @ 240MHz
Memory	8MB PSRAM, 320KB RAM
Storage	16MB Flash (FFat filesystem)
Display	2.9″ e-ink, 296×128 pixels
Radio	SX1262 LoRa transceiver
Connectivity	WiFi 2.4GHz, Bluetooth LE
Power	USB-C, 5V

LoRa Radio #

Parameter	Value
Frequency	915 MHz (AU915)
Bandwidth	125 kHz (default)
Spreading Factor	SF7 (default)
Max Range	2+ km (line of sight)
Max Packet Size	64 bytes

Software #

Feature	Specification
Framework	ESP-IDF 5.5.0
Max Sensors	4
Data History	24 hours (1440 points/sensor)
Update Method	OTA (Over-The-Air)

Network #

Protocol	Port
HTTP	80
WebSocket	80 (/ws)
MQTT	1883 or 8883 (configurable)

Support #

Website: aquavigil.com.au
Firmware Updates: Automatic or via web interface

Document Version: 1.0
Last Updated: January 2026

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Updated on January 28, 2026