RockBLOCK RTU Micrologger

Description

RockBLOCK RTU is a compact remote I/O and micro data logger for collecting sensor readings from sites beyond terrestrial networks.

 

It gives you wired digital and analog inputs, configurable sampling, local buffering, threshold-based alerts, and satellite or cellular data delivery in a sealed outdoor device. Use it for water level monitoring, soil moisture, industrial telemetry, environmental sensing, remote equipment status, and other low power field deployments.

 

The RTU is more application-ready than a RockBLOCK module. You don't need to build the sensor interface, enclosure, antenna, power handling, or basic logging logic yourself. Connect your sensors, configure the device over Bluetooth or Cloudloop, and route the data into your own systems.

 

For control as well as monitoring, the open-drain output can be used for simple remote switching actions such as triggering a relay, pump, valve, alert beacon, or remote reset. For developers integrating the data downstream, Cloudloop can deliver readings through webhooks, email, APIs, or other configured destinations.

Key Features

  • Sealed IP67 enclosure for remote outdoor sensor deployments
  • Iridium SBD connectivity for low data telemetry, alerts, and status updates beyond terrestrial networks
  • Cellular fallback when terrestrial coverage is available
  • Remote I/O with two dry-contact digital inputs, one 0-10V / 4-20mA analog channel, and one open-drain output
  • Configurable logging, local buffering, and threshold-triggered transmissions
  • Low power operation from 8-32V DC, suitable for solar or battery-backed installations
  • Bluetooth LE setup for on-site configuration without cables or a laptop
  • Cloudloop integration for configuration, data delivery, alerts, and device management
  • Internal terminal blocks for protected field wiring.

Tech Specifications

  • Satellite service: Iridium Short Burst Data, SBD
  • Cellular: LTE fallback
  • Inputs: 2 x dry-contact digital inputs
  • Analog input: 1 x configurable 0-10V or 4-20mA channel
  • Output: 1 x open-drain output
  • Configuration: Bluetooth LE and over-the-air configuration via Cloudloop
  • Logging: configurable sampling, local buffering, and scheduled transmission
  • Alerts: threshold-triggered reporting for analog and digital inputs
  • Power input: 9-30V DC
  • Backup power: internal rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
  • Peak current: up to 450mA during satellite transmission
  • Low power mode: microcontroller-controlled standby with timer wake up
  • Field wiring: internal screw-terminal blocks
  • Antenna: internal patch antenna
  • Enclosure: sealed outdoor housing
  • Ingress protection: IP68
  • Dimensions: 140 × 90 × 60 mm
  • Weight: 480 g.

Cloudloop Platform

RockBLOCK RTU Micrologger integrates natively with our API-first Cloudloop platform. Cloudloop Data converts raw sensor telemetry and SBD packets into clean, structured data profiles for downstream system ingestion, while Subscription Manager provides programmatic control over activations, remote scaling configurations, and deployment line-billing.
Explore Cloudloop

Resources / Quick Links

RockBLOCK RTU Micrologger

FP-RB-RTU

Frequently Asked questions

Airtime is purchased separately from the hardware.

When your RockBLOCK SBD device arrives, register it online at the RockBLOCK portal. You can buy message credits, manage your device, and start sending messages without speaking to sales.

If you prefer post-pay airtime, contact our team at hello@groundcontrol.com and we can switch your account over.

You can find PAYG and post-pay airtime rates at https://www.groundcontrol.com/products/iridium/short-burst-data-range/short-burst-data-service-plans/.

No. RockBLOCK RTU Micrologger contains a factory-tuned internal patch antenna designed to transmit reliably when the unit is mounted with a clear, unobstructed view of the sky.

The internal terminal tracks support standard industrial analog sensor inputs (0–10V or 4–20mA current loops) along with digital pulse or state-change inputs for automated log monitoring.

In ideal conditions, an already-powered device can complete an Iridium SBD session roughly every 10 seconds. That assumes a clear view of the sky, good antenna placement, and a successful session on the first attempt.

We would not recommend designing your application around guaranteed 10 second reporting. In real installations, buildings, terrain, vehicle bodywork, ship structures, trees, antenna placement, RF interference, and satellite movement can all affect how quickly a session completes. A restricted view of the sky can extend transmission time from seconds to minutes.

For most applications, it's better to design around retries and occasional delays. Send when you have data to report, retry quickly if the first attempt fails, then back off to a longer retry interval if needed. SBD is well suited to compact telemetry, alerts, status updates, position reports, and commands, but it shouldn't be treated as a fixed-interval real time link.

As a rule of thumb: 10 seconds is a best case session time, not a guaranteed reporting interval.