SenseCAP ORCH S4 4-in-1 Weather Sensor (A1B)
Air Temperature, Humidity, Barometric Pressure and Light
The Seeed Studio SenseCAP ORCH S4 is an industrial-grade, all-in-one weather sensor. It measures air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure and light intensity in one compact unit. It talks over RS-485 using Modbus RTU or Modbus ASCII, runs on 3.6–16 V DC and draws very little current, so it suits remote, solar-powered monitoring sites. The temperature and humidity sensors sit inside a louvred solar radiation shield to reduce errors from direct sun. The IP66 electronics box is built for outdoor use. This A1B version comes with a 2 m cable ending in a waterproof aviation connector, so it plugs straight into a SenseCAP Sensor Hub 4G Data Logger without screw terminals.
Key features
- Four measurements in one sensor: air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure and light intensity
- Industry-standard RS-485 Modbus RTU / Modbus ASCII output (the ORCH S4 sensor also supports SDI-12 v1.4; see the compatibility notes)
- Wide 3.6–16 V DC supply range with low power draw (typically 4.7 mA at 12 V on RS-485)
- Solar radiation shield (IPX5) for more accurate temperature and humidity readings in full sun
- IP66 enclosure for outdoor use, rated for an operating temperature of −40 °C to +65 °C
- Light sensor on an adjustable flexible arm
- Built-in data pre-processing: readings come out in engineering units (°C, %RH, Pa, lux)
- A1B version: 2 m cable with a waterproof aviation plug for plug-and-play connection to the SenseCAP Sensor Hub 4G Data Logger
- Bracket with U-bolt clamp for pole mounting
Typical applications
Smart agriculture and greenhouses, environmental monitoring, smart cities and buildings, industrial sites, and other IoT weather-monitoring projects.
Specifications
| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer / model | Seeed Studio SenseCAP ORCH S4, version A1B (Seeed SKU 101990662) |
| Measured parameters | Air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, light intensity |
| Interface / protocol | RS-485: Modbus RTU or Modbus ASCII. The ORCH S4 sensor also supports SDI-12 v1.4. |
| Modbus default settings | 9600 bps, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit. Baud rate configurable from 1200 to 115200 bps. Slave address configurable from 1 to 247. |
| Data update interval (RS-485) | 1 second |
| Power supply | 3.6–16 V DC |
| Current consumption (RS-485, typical) | 3.6 mA at 16 V; 4.7 mA at 12 V; 11.0 mA at 5 V; 14.5 mA at 3.6 V |
| IP rating | IP66 (electronics enclosure); IPX5 (solar radiation shield) |
| Operating temperature | −40 °C to +65 °C |
| Operating humidity | 0–100 %RH (non-condensing) |
| Enclosure material | Engineering plastics |
| Cable | 2 m, with waterproof aviation connector (A1B version) |
| Dimensions | Approx. 130 mm (radiation shield diameter) × 260 mm (height), per Seeed's dimension drawing |
| Weight | 870 g |
| Air temperature | |
| Range / accuracy / resolution | −40 °C to +85 °C / ±0.2 °C / 0.1 °C |
| Relative humidity | |
| Range / accuracy / resolution | 0–100 %RH / ±1.5 %RH / 1 %RH |
| Long-term drift | < 0.25 %RH per year |
| Barometric pressure | |
| Range / resolution | 300–1100 hPa / 1 Pa |
| Absolute accuracy | ±1.0 hPa (0 to 65 °C); ±1.7 hPa (−20 to 0 °C) |
| Relative accuracy | ±0.12 hPa (700–900 hPa, 25 to 40 °C) |
| Long-term drift | ±1.0 hPa per year |
| Light intensity | |
| Range / accuracy / resolution | 0–188,000 lux / ±5% / 0.045 lux |
What's in the box
- 1 × SenseCAP ORCH S4 sensor (A1B) with solar radiation shield, light sensor on a flexible arm and IP66 electronics box
- 2 m cable with waterproof aviation connector (attached)
- Mounting bracket with U-bolt pole clamp
Data logger, power supply, RS-485 converter and mounting pole are not included.
Compatibility notes
- SenseCAP Sensor Hub 4G Data Logger: the A1B is designed for this logger. Plug the aviation connector into any of the Sensor Hub's four sensor ports. The Sensor Hub has built-in settings for SenseCAP RS-485 sensors, so no configuration is needed.
- Other Modbus equipment: any Modbus RTU master that supplies 3.6–16 V DC can read the sensor, for example a PLC, RS-485 gateway, or a single-board computer with an RS-485 adapter. Seeed's user guide documents the full Modbus register map. You will need a mating connector or must rewire the cable.
- LoRaWAN (SenseCAP S2100 Data Logger): for screw-terminal loggers such as the S2100, Seeed recommends the A1A version (hook-up wires). Contact us before ordering if you plan to use the A1B with the S2100 or another screw-terminal logger.
- SDI-12: the ORCH S4 sensor supports SDI-12 v1.4, but the A1B's aviation plug is intended for RS-485 connection to the Sensor Hub. Contact us to confirm before buying for an SDI-12 system.
- This sensor does not measure wind speed, wind direction or rainfall.