Built in South Africa. Runs when the internet doesn't.

Measure anything.
Automate everything.
Keep control on site.

MakeSense controllers read the sensors you wire to them, run the logic you build in the app, and switch whatever is on the other end: pumps, valves, fans, heaters, lights or motors. The cloud is for watching. Control stays on site.

See the hardware How it works

8relay outputs 6analog inputs 20 mslogic scan OTAwith rollback

Dam level ONLINE

72.4%

Tunnel 2 temp

26.8°C

Borehole pump · relay_1 AUTO

The hardware

PLC V1. Made for a DIN rail, ready for the field.

Two ESP32-S3 processors inside: one handles the network, the other only runs your control program, so a Wi-Fi drop never stops a pump. Clip on I/O modules as the job grows.

MakeSense PLC V1 with eight I/O modules clipped on

Supply and bus terminalsPower in and the link to other units
Status displayProgram state, readings and faults on site
4-way keypadStep through screens without a phone
Field terminalsSensors, switches and probes
Clip-on I/O modulesAdd relays and inputs as you need them

Inside the box

Two ESP32-S3 modules, comms and control kept apart
RUN, FAULT, LINK and BUS status lights
RUN/STOP and MODE buttons on the board
USB-C for setup and firmware updates
Buzzer for local alarms, coin-cell clock backup

Prototype renders. The production unit may differ.

Automations

Build it in the app. The controller runs it on its own.

Connect sensors to gates, timers and comparisons on a canvas, or write a simple when-this-then-that rule. Send it to the controller and it checks every input and updates every output 50 times a second, with or without a signal.

number wireon/off wire17 node types: gates, timers, hysteresis, latches, counters, ramps, weather

How it works

The box decides.
Your phone just watches.

Every rule runs on the controller itself. If the Wi-Fi goes down or load-shedding takes the router out, the pump still stops when the dam is full.

Wire your sensors and pumps to the controller.
Set up rules in the app: when this, then that.
Check the charts from anywhere. Get an alert when something is wrong.

Dashboard

Bottom dam ONLINE

72.4%

Tunnel 2

26.8°C

Borehole pump

OFF

Where it works

If it can be measured or switched, it can be automated.

photo: tunnel interior

Tunnels and greenhouses

Vents open at 28 °C and close at 24 °C. Misters run on a timer, but only when the air is dry.

temp > 28 °Cvents ON

photo: borehole + dam

Boreholes, dams and tanks

Pump on off-peak power, stop when the tank is full, and stop if the level reading goes quiet.

22:00–05:00ANDtank < 90 %pump ON

photo: factory control panel

Factories and plant rooms

Compressors off after hours, extraction fans on while a machine runs, an alert when a motor trips.

motor tripalert

photo: home with solar

Homes and workshops

Geyser on solar surplus, gate and garden lights on schedules. Works with Home Assistant over MQTT.

solar > 2 kWgeyser ON

The range

One app. Four boards, from a single sensor to a pump room.

render: controller, 3/4 view

IN DEVELOPMENT

MakeSense Controller

Pre-wired enclosure. Assign what sits on each terminal in the app.

8 relays · 6 analog in
24 / 12 / 5 V rails
8-channel I²C bus

your render goes here

IN DEVELOPMENT

PLC V1

DIN-rail PLC with a status screen and clip-on I/O slices.

2 × ESP32-S3, split by job
LCD, keypad, RUN/STOP
Expandable I/O slices

render: node on a tunnel post

FIRST BOARD BUILT

SenseNode

Small sensor node for the far end of a tunnel or shed.

Temp, humidity, pressure
Wi-Fi, OTA updates
Same app, same charts

render: dam float + pump house

FIELD TESTING

DamLink

Dam level to the pump by radio. No Wi-Fi at the dam needed.

LoRa SX1262 link
Pump interlock on lost link
Kilometres, not metres

Setup

From the box to running in four steps.

STEP 1

Mount

Clip it on a DIN rail in your panel and connect the supply.

STEP 2

Wire

Connect probes, floats, switches and contactors to the labelled terminals.

STEP 3

Connect

The app finds the controller over Bluetooth and gives it your Wi-Fi.

STEP 4

Automate

Name each terminal, build your rules and send them to the controller.

Inputs

What it can read.

Common sensors work out of the box. Industrial probes connect through the analog inputs.

Reading	Sensor	Range	Connection
temperature	SHT30 / SHT20 / BME280 / DHT22	−40 … 125 °C	I²C / 1-wire
humidity	SHT30 / DHT22	0 … 100 %RH	I²C / 1-wire
pressure	BME280	300 … 1100 hPa	I²C
analog_1 … 6	4–20 mA and 0–10 V probes	16-bit	Analog input
level	DamLink float node	0 … 100 %	LoRa radio
weather_*	Met.no forecast for your site	48 h ahead	Cloud

Why it holds up

Controller first. Connected second.

Keeps control offline

Lose the internet and the program keeps running. Readings buffer on the device and upload when the link is back.

Updates that roll back

New firmware runs on trial. If it does not check in, the board reverts to the last good version on its own.

Share with your team

Invite a manager, your electrician or the family by their User ID. Choose per device whether they can only watch, also switch things, or manage it fully.

Get in touch

Be first to know when the hardware ships.

Send us a mail with what you want to automate. We read every one and reply ourselves.

Email info@makesensesystems.co.za

Send a mail

Measure anything.Automate everything.Keep control on site.