iMatrix connects NIST-traceable Neo sensors, the Micro Gateway and iMatrix Cloud into one documented data path. For example, a reagent refrigerator held at 2–8 °C is logged continuously, alarmed in three tiers, and tied to the serial number on its calibration certificate.
An assessor will ask how a reading gets from the instrument to the report. Here is the path a reading takes.
Neo sensors are data loggers. The NEO-1DP holds up to 100,000 readings in on-device memory.
Scans for iMatrix sensors over Bluetooth 5.0 and sends their readings to iMatrix Cloud over 2.4 or 5 GHz Wi-Fi, encrypted end to end.
Stores the time series, evaluates every threshold, and archives each signed calibration certificate under the sensor serial number.
Quality staff review trends in the browser. Technicians get alarms on their phones and check the sensor at the bench.
Where each sensor and Micro Gateway goes in a lab with seven controlled locations. The reagent refrigerator gets a probe sensor with its base unit outside the door. The balance room gets a display sensor, so staff can confirm conditions before every weighing.
Figure 1: Example sensor placement. Blue markers are NIST-certified sensors, the orange marker is a Sentry-1 door sensor, and G1 and G2 are Micro Gateways.
| # | Location | Device | Why this placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sample refrigerator | NEO-1P NIST | Probe in a glycol bottle reads sample temperature, not door-open air |
| 2 | Retained samples shelving | NEO-1 NIST | Room storage condition for retained samples |
| 3 | Testing lab, bench height | NEO-1D NIST | Staff read temperature and RH on the display before starting a test |
| 4 | Water bath | NEO-1P NIST | Submersible probe in the bath water; base unit stays dry |
| 5 | Incubator | NEO-1DP NIST | Probe inside the chamber, ambient temperature and RH outside it |
| 6 | Balance room | NEO-1D NIST | Weighing conditions confirmed at the door; away from HVAC vents |
| 7 | Reagent refrigerator | NEO-1P NIST | Critical storage, in range of both Gateways |
| 8 | −20 °C freezer | NEO-1P NIST | Probe in the freezer core, high alarm at −15 °C |
| 9 | Reagent room door | Sentry-1 | Explains short temperature rises and flags a door left open |
| G1 | Corridor | Micro Gateway | Central position, UPS-backed USB outlet |
| G2 | Reagent storage | Micro Gateway | Second data path for the storage and balance rooms |
Table 1: Placement for Figure 1. Limits are examples; the lab sets its own from each method.
Figure 2: The probe sits in a glycol-filled bottle on the middle shelf, so a door opening does not swing the reading. The cable runs through the door gasket to the base unit outside.
Prices come from the live catalog. Add an iMatrix Cloud plan and annual recertification. Ask for a quote for your lab.
Every NIST variant uses the same hardware as its standard Neo model. The difference is the multi-point calibration and the signed certificate. Use a probe model wherever the controlled quantity is inside an enclosure.
| Model | Measures | Probe range | Display | Typical lab location | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEO-1 NIST | Temperature, humidity, dew point, heat index, VPD | No probe | No | Lab ambient, balance rooms, sample storage | See product page |
| NEO-1D NIST | As NEO-1 | No probe | E-ink | Benches where staff read conditions before a test | See product page |
| NEO-1P NIST | Probe temperature | −40 to 70 °C | No | Refrigerators, freezers, water baths | See product page |
| NEO-1DP NIST | Probe temperature plus ambient temperature and humidity | −40 to 70 °C | E-ink | Stability and environmental chambers | See product page |
Table 2: NIST-certified Neo sensors. See each product page for full specifications, and our sample certificate for what each sensor ships with.
The Micro Gateway is a USB dongle that bridges sensors to the site Wi-Fi. It needs no pairing: it finds iMatrix sensors in range and starts uploading. One Micro Gateway serves a small site of up to about 50 sensors.
It does not measure anything, so it carries no calibration certificate. What the lab must show instead is that the data path works and that an outage cannot pass unnoticed.
See product page · Micro Gateway details →
The Laboratory Kit ships with two Micro Gateways as a redundant pair. Power each one from a UPS-backed outlet, never from a PC that sleeps or reboots for updates.
Illustrative example: a reagent refrigerator over one day, with alarm limits drawn on the chart.
Advisory, Warning and Alarm on both the high and low side. Any tier can be switched off. A −20 °C freezer, for example, may use a high Advisory and Alarm with no low limits.
A value must stay past a limit for the dwell time before it triggers. A 300-second dwell keeps a routine door opening from paging the on-call technician.
Set thresholds inside the method's tolerance, leaving room for measurement uncertainty, so the alarm arrives before a real excursion does.
The free iMatrix app shows the sensor's status, latest readings and charts with limits drawn in, so a technician can see whether the problem is the space or the system. About the Mobile App →
The monitoring system is equipment under clause 6.4 that supports environmental conditions under clause 6.3. This table maps each requirement to what iMatrix provides and the work that stays with the lab.
| Clause | The lab must show | How iMatrix supports it | The lab's part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.3 | Environmental conditions are monitored and recorded | NIST-certified sensors at each controlled location, continuous logging, tiered thresholds | Define the conditions each method requires |
| 6.4.7 | A defined calibration programme | Annual recertification (NIST-RECERT-01) in about two weeks, with staggered scheduling for bulk orders | Set the interval and accept each result |
| 6.4.10 | Intermediate checks between calibrations | Sensor readings available to compare against a reference | Run and record checks against the lab's own reference thermometer |
| 6.4.13 | Equipment records with calibration status | Certificates archived under each sensor serial number | Keep the equipment list and track due dates |
| 6.5 | Metrological traceability | Calibration by Cal-Tek Company, accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 by A2LA, traceable to NIST | Review each certificate against the lab's criteria |
| 7.5 / 8.4 | Records that are complete, retrievable and protected | Time-series storage in iMatrix Cloud | Confirm retention and retrieval meet the lab's procedure |
| 7.10 | Nonconforming work is detected and acted on | Three-tier alarms with dwell time | Define the response and record each event |
| 7.11 | Data integrity and control of software | Sensor data encrypted end to end from device to iMatrix Cloud | Validate the data path and software for the intended use |
Table 3: Guidance only. iMatrix Systems is not an accreditation body or a calibration lab, and using this system does not by itself meet any requirement. The lab and its assessor decide what satisfies each clause.
Define the limits each test method requires, by location.
Place the sensors, with probe models inside refrigerators, freezers and baths.
Set thresholds inside each tolerance, allowing for uncertainty.
Register every sensor and Gateway in the equipment list by serial number.
Review and accept each certificate against the lab's criteria.
Validate the data path, including an unplugged-Gateway outage test.
Run intermediate checks quarterly and record the results.
Recalibrate annually, rotating spare sensors in during the two-week turnaround.
See product page
1 × NEO-1D NIST, 1 × NEO-1P NIST and 2 × Micro Gateway as a redundant pair.
Contact sales
About two weeks at Cal-Tek Company, with a new signed certificate archived to iMatrix Cloud.
See pricing
Time-series storage, alerts and the certificate archive.
Yes. Calibration is performed by Cal-Tek Company, which is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 by A2LA (certificate 7440.01), and it is traceable to NIST.
Recertification takes about two weeks. The lab should rotate a spare calibrated sensor into the location. For bulk orders, iMatrix can stagger shipments so no location goes uncovered.
No. The system supports specific requirements, but the lab remains responsible for its procedures, validation and accreditation. The assessor decides whether the requirements are met.
We will come back with a sensor and Gateway plan for your lab.
Talk to Our Team →