In data centers and various network equipment rooms, environmental stability directly determines equipment lifespan, system reliability, and business continuity. Compared with traditional coarse “room-level” monitoring, cabinet-level refined temperature and humidity monitoring is becoming the industry’s mainstream configuration.

The server room cabinet temperature and humidity monitoring solution is a key foundational system designed to meet this demand.

I. Project Overview

1. System Background

With the continuous development of information and network technologies, enterprise IT infrastructure has become widely distributed, diverse in scale, and characterized by a rapidly increasing number of unattended server rooms. A large number of network equipment rooms are deployed in branch offices, campuses, buildings, and edge nodes, while operation and maintenance capabilities have not been upgraded accordingly.

Under traditional management models, server rooms often face the following problems:

• The actual temperature and humidity inside cabinets cannot be obtained in real time

• Environmental anomalies rely on manual inspection, resulting in delayed discovery

• Local hotspots, condensation, and electrostatic risks are difficult to predict

• Environmental causes are hard to trace after failures occur

Once temperature rises excessively or humidity becomes uncontrolled, minor consequences include performance degradation, while severe cases may lead to downtime, hardware damage, or even data loss. Therefore, building a cabinet-centered temperature and humidity monitoring system has become a basic configuration for modern server rooms.

2. System Overview

The Nexisense server room cabinet temperature and humidity monitoring solution adopts an overall architecture of high-precision temperature and humidity transmitters, RS485 bus communication, an environment monitoring host, and a cloud platform, enabling continuous, stable, and visualized monitoring of cabinet internal environments.

Key features of the system include:

• Real-time temperature and humidity acquisition with local LCD display

• Standard Modbus-RTU protocol with strong compatibility

• RS485 long-distance communication up to 2000 meters

• Magnetic cabinet installation for efficient deployment

• Support for both local monitoring and remote cloud management

This solution is suitable for communication rooms, data centers, edge computing nodes, smart buildings, archives, and various unattended scenarios.

3. Monitoring Topology Description

The system uses the environment monitoring host as the core, connecting multiple cabinet-type temperature and humidity transmitters via an RS485 bus. Environmental data from each cabinet is centrally collected and uploaded to the cloud platform via Ethernet or 4G networks for unified management and remote operations.

II. System Composition and Key Device Analysis

1. Environment Monitoring Host

The environment monitoring host is the data aggregation and control center of the entire server room monitoring system, responsible for on-site data acquisition, storage, uploading, and linkage control.

Core Functional Advantages

• Supports 4G, Ethernet, and RS485 data transmission

• Built-in large LCD screen for clear on-site display

• Local storage supporting up to 520,000 records

• Supports external LED display for centralized visualization

• Supports access to leakage, voltage, and switch signals

Typical Application Value

Through centralized management, the host integrates environmental data scattered across cabinets and areas, providing a reliable data foundation for platform analysis, alarms, and maintenance decisions.

2. Cabinet-Type Temperature and Humidity Transmitter

The cabinet-type temperature and humidity transmitter is the core front-end device for cabinet-level refined monitoring.

Design and Installation Advantages

• Built-in high-precision imported temperature and humidity sensors

• Fast response and high long-term stability

• Strong rear magnets for direct cabinet attachment

• Supports wall-mounted installation

• Dual Ethernet ports for cascading and downstream power supply

Technical Performance Highlights

• Temperature accuracy: ±0.3°C

• Humidity accuracy: ±3%RH

• Refresh time: 1 second

• Communication: RS485

• Protocol: Modbus-RTU

• Operating environment: -40°C to +75°C, 0–95%RH (non-condensing)

This transmitter accurately reflects the real internal environment of cabinets, providing critical data for hot/cold aisle optimization, air conditioning control, and risk warnings.

III. Software Platform and System Functions

1. Platform Overview

The Nexisense comprehensive environment monitoring cloud platform is built on IoT, cloud computing, and big data technologies. It supports PC web, mobile app, and WeChat access, enabling centralized monitoring and remote management of server room environments.

2. Core Functionality

Real-Time Data Monitoring

The platform supports graphical and list-based real-time display of cabinet temperature and humidity data, enabling intuitive viewing of equipment distribution and status, as well as convenient data comparison and analysis.

Threshold Alarms and Event Management

• Supports upper and lower alarm thresholds and early warning settings

• Abnormal data highlighted by font and color changes

• Supports SMS, phone calls, email, and platform pop-up alarms

• Complete event logging for traceability and analysis

Historical Data Query and Export

• Supports single-point and multi-point historical data queries

• Automatically generates trend curves

• Supports PDF and Excel export formats

• Customizable export titles and unit information

Video Integration Monitoring

The platform supports video access, integrating real-time images with environmental data to avoid frequent system switching and improve remote inspection efficiency.

Relay and Remote Control

Supports remote relay control via the platform or mobile app to manage air conditioning, fresh air, and dehumidification equipment, enabling automated operations.

System Management and Account Hierarchy

• Multi-level permission and regional management

• Sub-account allocation and role definition

• Full operation logging for audit compliance

Large-Screen Visualization

Supports centralized screen casting to display rolling real-time cabinet environment data, suitable for operation and command centers.

Mobile App Support

Through the “Yunkongtong” mobile app, maintenance personnel can view real-time data, receive alarms, and check historical curves anytime, anywhere, achieving true mobile operations.

Secondary Development and Customization

The platform is neutral, permanently free, and supports secondary development for integration with existing systems and customized requirements.

IV. Practical Value of Cabinet Temperature and Humidity Monitoring

• Early detection of localized overheating and condensation risks

• Provides data support for refined cooling and energy optimization

• Reduces equipment failure rates and maintenance costs

• Enhances the safety level of unattended server rooms

• Meets data center standards and audit requirements

V. Frequently Asked Questions

Is cabinet-level monitoring necessary?
Yes. Normal overall room temperature does not guarantee safety for every cabinet. Local hotspots are a major cause of equipment failure.

Is RS485 communication stable?
RS485 offers strong anti-interference capability and long communication distance, making it highly suitable for complex electromagnetic environments in server rooms.

Is the system easy to expand later?
Yes. The Modbus-RTU protocol and modular design allow easy expansion and integration with third-party systems.

Conclusion

The server room cabinet temperature and humidity monitoring solution is a key foundation for modern data centers transitioning from passive maintenance to proactive prevention.

Through Nexisense’s high-precision sensing devices, stable communication architecture, and comprehensive cloud platform, users can truly grasp real cabinet operating environments, achieving safer, more efficient, and more sustainable server room operations.

In today’s data-intensive environment with increasing demands for business continuity, cabinet-level temperature and humidity monitoring is no longer optional—it is a standard configuration.