Deploying your Clarity Node-S (cellular)

IMPORTANT

• Node-S devices must be charged for a full 24 hours prior to deployment. Devices ship partially charged for safety reasons. A device that isn't fully charged may fail to complete configuration in the field, and will only configure once it has gathered enough solar charge — which is slow and varies by device. Charge it fully before you leave, or you may need a follow-up visit to the site.
• The Node-S must be oriented correctly to stay weatherproof. The air inlet/outlet must point straight down toward the ground. Incorrect deployment may let moisture into the device and void the warranty.

Reminders

• Your Clarity device ships with a SIM card pre-installed.
• Your Clarity device ships with a power adapter that includes US, EU, UK, and Australia plugs. Other sockets require an additional adapter you'll need to source separately.
• Set up your Clarity Node-S first using this guide, before setting up any add-on modules. If your Node-S is already set up, skip ahead to the deployment guide for your module.
• Questions about deployment? Contact support@clarity.io.

In the box

Item	Photo
1 (one) solar panel
1 (one) Clarity Node-S body with 1 solar shield attached
1 (one) power adapter with US, EU, UK, and Australia plugs
1 (one) antenna
1 (one) mounting bracket
4 (four) screws with washers for the mounting bracket

For deployment, you'll also need (not included):

• A Phillips-head screwdriver
• Stainless-steel zip ties, hose clamps, binding straps, or screws appropriate for your site(s)

Assemble the device

Attach the mounting bracket to the Node-S body.

• Generation 2 Node-S (aluminum solar shield): Your device includes an additional mounting bracket and four (4) screws that let you use hose clamps to secure the device to railings or poles. The optional bracket can be rotated and screwed to the Node body depending on the direction of the railing or pole. Examples: If you're mounting the Node-S to a wall or panel, don't use the additional bracket — rely on the flaps on the sides of the shield instead.
• Generation 1 Node-S (no aluminum solar shield): Attach the mounting bracket to the device body with the mounting screws. The bracket can be screwed in vertically or horizontally depending on the infrastructure at the site.

Attach the solar panel to the device. Do not plug the solar-panel cable into the device body yet.

Attach the antenna to the device body and orient it upright.

Charge the device

IMPORTANT

Node-S devices must be charged for a full 24 hours prior to deployment. A device that isn't charged before configuration may not complete configuration when deployed.

• Plug the device into an outlet with the provided power adapter. The device plays the Power On sound (single beep). Disregard any subsequent sounds for now.
• Charge for 24 hours. After charging fully — or to store the device — disconnect the external power adapter or solar-panel cable from the device body. Leaving the cable connected keeps the device on and drains the battery.

Configure the node on Dashboard

Configuring on Dashboard is a key step in deploying your Node-S. This assigns a location to your node, creates a new monitoring location for measurement streaming, and establishes secure communication with Clarity Cloud.

Open the configuration wizard

You have three ways to start:

• Scan the QR code on the bottom of the node. The QR code opens the configuration wizard for that exact node — if you're signed in, Dashboard finds the right organization automatically and lands you on the wizard.

• From the Devices page header: Log in to the Clarity Dashboard, open Devices (under SENSOR NETWORK in the left sidebar), and click Configure node in the top-right corner. You'll be asked "Which node are you deploying?" — pick a node from the In inventory group and click Continue.

  

  

• From the Devices page Inventory tab: On the Devices page, open the Inventory devices tab, find the node row, and open the row's ⋮ (Row actions) menu → Configure node.

Note: The Configure node action is available to org admins and technicians. If you don't have a device-management role, the button is disabled with the hint "Requires an org admin or technician role." Contact your org admin if you need access.

Step through the wizard

The wizard title reads Deploy Node <your node ID>. A Step N of M dot indicator runs across the top. The first few steps are a short pre-deployment guide that walks through charging, assembly, mounting, and powering on, followed by a Confirm before you start checklist. If you've done this before, flip the Fast toggle (top-right of the step row) to skip straight to the form steps. Your preference is remembered for next time.

After the guide, complete the form steps:

1. Name the monitoring location. Enter a New monitoring location name — this is where the node's measurements will be recorded.

   Tip: For field deployments, name it after the location (e.g. "Main Street"). For collocations, use something descriptive like "Collocation at Laney College for A20DDFG4".

   

2. Confirm the location. Set the node's deployment site:

   • Enter Latitude and Longitude manually, drag the pin on the embedded map, or click Use my location to pull your device's current position.
   • Choose Position: Indoor or Outdoor.
   • Optionally enter Height from ground [m] and Distance from road [m].

   

3. How is this node powered? Pick a Power source. The default is the standard solar panel / power adapter. If you're using Clarity's External Power System (EPS) — used with certain power-hungry add-on modules — choose that option and enter the Power module ID (the serial number on the EPS battery pack).

   

   

4. Add a photo (optional). Upload a photo of the deployed device to help identify it later. When you add an image, an edit modal lets you crop and rotate it before saving.

5. Review and configure. The wizard shows a What will happen summary with three rows:

   • Node — your node will become deployed.
   • Monitoring location — measurements will be recorded in the new monitoring location you named.
   • Subscription — which subscription will be used or created.

   Click Configure to submit.

   

For more detail, see the What is a monitoring location guide.

Watch it come online

After you click Configure, the success screen shows a live Deployment status tracker with three stages:

1. Configured
2. Connecting to Clarity Cloud
3. Receiving data

The tracker polls automatically and also shows the last reading, battery, and signal as soon as they arrive — usually within 2–20 minutes depending on cellular strength. You don't need to keep this screen open; data keeps flowing either way. When you're done, click Go to Monitoring Locations.

You can re-check this status anytime: open the location card in Monitoring Locations and click Check deployment status.

Have a module to add?

If your node uses an add-on module, the success screen also offers a Pair a module? card with a Pair a module button and quick links to each module family's deployment guide. You can also pair later from the Devices page (Pair module in the header, or a module's ⋮ menu → Pair module).

Pre-deployment tests

At the deployment site, plug the solar-panel cable or mains-power connector into the device. The device plays the Power On sound and attempts to connect to Clarity Cloud. Listen for the result:

• Connection Failure (beep beep beep): Confirm the device has been configured on Dashboard first. If that doesn't resolve it, contact support@clarity.io.
• Low Battery sound: Charge the device for at least 24 hours before continuing.
• Connection Successful sound (two beeps): Proceed to deploy the device.

After a successful connection, wait for the first data point to reach the cloud and appear on Dashboard — anywhere from 2 to 20 minutes depending on cellular strength. The fastest way to confirm this is the Deployment status tracker (open the location in Monitoring Locations → Check deployment status). You can also see a node's freshness in the Last check-in column on the Devices page (Deployed devices tab).

Deploy the device

• Mount the device to a pole, wall, or panel using stainless-steel zip ties, hose clamps, binding straps, or screws appropriate for your site (not provided). Make sure the inlet and outlet face downward and are unobstructed, with at least 250 mm / 10 in of clearance below the inlets.

Note: When deploying devices with the solar shield, mounting to a pole is recommended. Mounting to a wall or other flat surface may not be possible or may require additional equipment.

• Orient the solar panel south (northern hemisphere) or north (southern hemisphere) at the optimum angle. Find the optimum angle for your site with the solar angle calculator.

Note: The optimum solar-panel angle varies between winter and summer if you're not near the equator. You may need to adjust the panel as seasons change to maximize sun exposure. If the device is hard to reach and the panel can't be adjusted, use the more conservative winter angle — provided summer still brings plenty of direct sun.

Congratulations — the device is online and uploading data

To access the data, see "How to access the data from your Clarity devices."

Have Clarity modules to deploy? Continue with the relevant guide:

• Wind Module deployment guide
• Ozone Module deployment guide
• Black Carbon Module deployment guide
• Dust Module deployment guide
• Multi-Gas Module deployment guide
• External Power System deployment guide

What's next

• Site your Node-S correctly.
• Turn on your Clarity Node-S.
• Confirm data is uploading after deployment.
• Get an overview of your network on Live Data.

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