DODO AQUA LEVEL
Submersible Hydrostatic Water-Level Sensor
Water Level · Hydrostatic Head
- Two ranges: 0-5 m and 0-10 m
- ±0.3 % F.S. (±15 mm on 5 m)
- RS-485 Modbus-RTU
- Cable 6 m or 11 m, moulded in
- Stainless steel, detachable nose cap
- DC 12-36 V
Works with DODO LOGGER, the DODOTiK Platform and the DODOLINK app — see how.
Overview
DODO AQUA LEVEL (DOT-WLS-200) is a submersible hydrostatic level sensor. It hangs on its own cable in the liquid and reports the depth of water standing above its diaphragm over RS-485 Modbus-RTU.
Hydrostatic measurement is the method of choice for boreholes, tanks, reservoirs and wet wells because nothing has to be mounted above the liquid and nothing has to see the surface. Foam, vapour, steep walls and awkward geometry do not affect it. A float has moving parts; an ultrasonic head needs a clear line of sight and loses foam; a radar unit costs several times as much. A pressure sensor sitting at the bottom simply reads the water standing on top of it.
The sensing element is a piezoresistive pressure chip with laser-trimmed temperature compensation, packaged behind a stainless steel diaphragm. The nose is a detachable stainless anti-blocking cap with a 3 mm guide hole at 45°, so the measuring chamber can be unscrewed and rinsed on site rather than returned to a workshop.
The cable is the installation. There is no thread, no bracket and no stilling well: the probe is lowered to depth and the cable carries it. Each range therefore ships with a cable a metre longer than it — 6 m on the 5 m range, 11 m on the 10 m range — so the probe can sit on the bottom while the gland still lands dry above the top. The cable is moulded into the sealed body and cannot be extended in the field, so order the range that matches the depth.
Key features
- Two ranges — 0-5 m of water on a 6 m cable, or 0-10 m on an 11 m cable
- Cable matched to the range — long enough to reach the bottom and still land dry at the top, and moulded into the sealed body
- Accurate — ±0.3 % F.S.: ±15 mm on the 5 m range, ±30 mm on the 10 m range. ±0.2 % F.S. to order
- Stable — ±0.1 % F.S. per year, ±0.02 % F.S. per °C
- Serviceable in place — detachable anti-blocking nose cap, 3 mm guide hole
- No structure needed — suspended by its own cable, no thread or bracket
- Reports in the unit you want — m H₂O, mm H₂O, kPa, bar, psi and more, selectable over the bus
- Protected supply — reverse-polarity and current-limiting protection built in
Measured parameters
| Parameter | Unit | Range | Accuracy | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water level (hydrostatic head) | m H₂O | 0-5 m or 0-10 m | ±0.3 % F.S. — ±15 mm (5 m) · ±30 mm (10 m) (±0.2 % F.S. option) | 1 count — see the decimal-point register |
Technical specifications
Measurement
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Measured parameter | Water level (hydrostatic head) |
| Measuring principle | Piezoresistive pressure chip, laser-trimmed temperature compensation |
| Measuring range | 0-5 m or 0-10 m of water column — factory-set, specify at order |
| Accuracy | ±0.3 % F.S. standard — ±15 mm on the 5 m range, ±30 mm on the 10 m range · ±0.2 % F.S. to order |
| Long-term stability | ±0.1 % F.S. per year |
| Temperature drift | ±0.02 % F.S. per °C |
| Overload capacity | 1.5 × full scale |
| Reported unit | Selectable — m H₂O, mm H₂O, MPa, kPa, Pa, bar, mbar, kg/cm², psi |
| Warm-up | 30 minutes from power-on for full stability |
| Calibration | Zero offset user-settable over the bus; span is factory-set |
Electrical
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Supply voltage | DC 12-36 V (24 V typical) |
| Output | RS-485, Modbus-RTU |
| Baud rate | 9600 (default) — 1200 to 115200 selectable over the bus |
| Frame format | 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity (8N1) |
| Default slave address | 1 |
| Addressing | Field-changeable over the bus, range 1-255 |
| Protection | Reverse polarity and current limiting on the supply |
| Cable | 6 m with the 5 m range · 11 m with the 10 m range; moulded into the body, GX12 4-pin female fitted |
Mechanical & environmental
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Body material | Stainless steel |
| Nose cap | Detachable stainless steel anti-blocking cap |
| Medium inlet | 3 mm guide hole, 45° tilt |
| Mounting | Suspended by its own cable — no thread, bracket or stilling well |
| Measuring medium | Liquids non-corrosive to stainless steel |
| Medium temperature | 0 … +50 °C, non-freezing |
| Ambient temperature | −20 … +85 °C |
| Immersion | Continuous submersion — sealed body and moulded cable gland |
Plug DA-LVL into DODO LOGGER and it is already on your phone
No firmware reflash, no driver to write, no backend deployment. The logger self-describes its schema to the platform, so a new sensor appears in the dashboard and in the app on its own.
1 · Plug in
The fitted GX12 4-pin connector screws onto the logger's Modbus RS-485 socket. No stripping, no terminal block, no tools. Up to four sensors per logger.
2 · Select it
DA-LVL is in the logger's no-code sensor library. Pick it in the web interface, assign a slot, and it starts logging.
3 · Logged locally
Every reading to microSD, always on, offline included. CSV download straight off the card.
4 · Live in the cloud
MQTT/TLS to the DODOTiK Platform — live dashboards, full history, alert thresholds, device management.
5 · On a phone
The same readings and alerts in DODOLINK for iOS and Android, for whoever is out in the field rather than at a desk.
Nothing here is lock-in. DA-LVL is a standard Modbus-RTU device on a standard RS-485 bus. The DODO LOGGER, the platform and the app are the fastest route from probe to dashboard, not the only one — the full register map is published below and in the datasheet, and the sensor can be ordered with bare leads for a PLC, DCS, SCADA or paperless recorder.
Dimensions
| Dimension | Value |
|---|---|
| Cable length | 6 m (0-5 m range) · 11 m (0-10 m range) |
| Nose cap | Detachable, stainless steel anti-blocking |
| Medium inlet | 3 mm guide hole at 45° |
| Body material | Stainless steel |
| Suspension | By cable — no thread or bracket required |
Wiring — GX12 4-pin connector
The cable is terminated in a GX12 4-pin female aviation connector, fitted as standard. It screws directly onto the DODO LOGGER Modbus RS-485 socket. For a third-party logger or a terminal block, order the bare-lead variant rather than cutting the connector off at the sensor's gland — the gland is part of the IP68 seal.
| Pin | Signal | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | VCC | Power + (DC 12-36 V) |
| 2 | GND | Ground |
| 3 | A (D+) | RS-485 A |
| 4 | B (D−) | RS-485 B |
Modbus RTU register map
RS-485 Modbus-RTU, 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity. Default slave address 1. Published in full so the sensor can be read by any Modbus master — PLC, DCS, SCADA or a paperless recorder.
| Register | Value | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0x0000 | Slave address | Read / Write | 1 by default, range 1-255 |
| 0x0001 | Baud rate | Read / Write | A code, not a value: 0=1200 · 1=2400 · 2=4800 · 3=9600 · 4=19200 · 5=38400 · 6=57600 · 7=115200 |
| 0x0002 | Reported unit | Read | 0=MPa · 1=kPa · 2=Pa · 3=bar · 4=mbar · 5=kg/cm² · 6=psi · 7=m H₂O · 8=mm H₂O |
| 0x0003 | Decimal-point position | Read | 0-3 — divide the value by 10ⁿ |
| 0x0004 | Measured value | Read | Signed 16-bit, −32768 … 32767 |
| 0x0005 | Range zero point | Read | Factory-set |
| 0x0006 | Range full scale | Read | Factory-set |
| 0x000C | Zero offset | Read / Write | Factory default 0 |
| 0x000F | Save to user area | Write | Commits address, baud and zero offset |
| 0x0010 | Restore factory parameters | Write | Write 1 |
Calibration
Calibration is performed over the bus — there is no handheld meter to carry and no transmitter to adjust.
Zero offset is the only user calibration. The span is set at the factory and the calibration registers are locked: a controller that tries to write them gets an exception code back, not a silent change.
To re-zero. Lift the probe clear of the liquid, let it settle, and read the measured value at register 0x0004. In air it should read zero; whatever it reads instead is the offset to cancel. Write the negative of that to register 0x000C with function code 0x06, then save with a write to 0x000F. Writing 0 to 0x000C clears the offset and returns the sensor to its factory zero.
The device applies it as output = calibrated measurement + zero offset, so the sign matters: a sensor reading +12 counts in air needs −12 written to 0x000C.
> A zero offset does not fix a span error. If the sensor is right at zero and wrong at depth, the range or the liquid density is the problem, not the offset. Check the specific gravity of the liquid before asking for a recalibration.
Calibration commands
| Operation | Request | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Write a −12 count zero offset | 01 06 00 0C FF F4 09 BE | 01 06 00 0C FF F4 09 BE |
| Read back the stored zero offset | 01 03 00 0C 00 01 44 09 | value returned |
| Save settings to the user area | 01 06 00 0F 00 00 B9 C9 | 01 06 00 0F 00 00 B9 C9 |
| Restore factory parameters | 01 06 00 10 00 01 49 CF | 01 06 00 10 00 01 49 CF |
Applications
Boreholes and wells — static and pumping water level, drawdown monitoring
Reservoirs, tanks and cisterns — stored volume and fill control
Irrigation storage — canal, pond and buffer-tank level
Sewage and effluent wet wells — pump start/stop level, where the liquid is non-corrosive to stainless steel
Groundwater monitoring — aquifer level networks and abstraction compliance
Pump protection — dry-run cut-out and refill control, with a DODO COMMAND relay unit on the same bus
Before you specify it
Limits worth knowing before the order goes in, rather than after the sensor is in the ground.
- Cable length is fixed to the range and moulded into the sealed body - it cannot be extended in the field, so order the range that matches the depth.
- Measuring range is factory-set and cannot be changed afterwards.
- This sensor answers on address 1, where the rest of the family answers on 6.
Ordering information
| Order code | Description |
|---|---|
| DA-LVL-R5-C6 | 0-5 m range · 6 m cable · ±15 mm · RS-485 Modbus-RTU, GX12 4-pin female fitted |
| DA-LVL-R10-C11 | 0-10 m range · 11 m cable · ±30 mm · RS-485 Modbus-RTU, GX12 4-pin female fitted |
| …-A02 | Either of the above to ±0.2 % F.S. instead of ±0.3 % |
| …-BL | Either of the above with bare leads instead of the GX12 connector |
What's in the box
- DODO AQUA LEVEL sensor with the ordered cable length, GX12 4-pin female connector fitted
- Test certificate
Quality and warranty
- Stainless steel body and diaphragm, rated for continuous submersion
- Detachable nose cap — the part that fouls is serviceable without a return
- Warranty: 1 year from date of sale
- Excluded: pressure overload beyond 1.5 × full scale, incorrect wiring, and a punctured or abraded diaphragm
Handling and maintenance
- Unscrew the anti-blocking nose cap and rinse the chamber and the 3 mm guide hole with clean water. That is the whole routine service, and it is done in place.
- Never poke the diaphragm. It is a thin stainless membrane, and a screwdriver, a wire or a jet of grit will end the sensor — the factory excludes a punctured diaphragm from warranty.
- Rinse the body after service in saline or dirty water; do not scrape it.
- Re-zero after cleaning if the dry reading has moved — see Calibration.
- Lift by the cable steadily. Do not jerk a probe that has silted in; free it with water rather than force.
Frequently asked questions
Does DODO AQUA LEVEL work with a PLC, SCADA or a third-party data logger?
Yes. DA-LVL is a standard RS-485 Modbus-RTU device at 9600 baud, 8N1, so any Modbus master can read it - PLC, DCS, SCADA or a paperless recorder. The full register map is published in the datasheet, and the sensor can be ordered with bare leads instead of the GX12 connector for terminal-block wiring. There is no proprietary driver and no lock-in.
What is the default Modbus address of DA-LVL?
1. The address is changeable in the field over the bus, so several sensors can share one RS-485 pair as long as each has a unique address.
How do I connect DODO AQUA LEVEL to DODO LOGGER?
Screw the fitted GX12 4-pin connector onto the logger's Modbus RS-485 socket - no stripping, no terminal block, no tools. DA-LVL is in the logger's no-code sensor library, so an installer selects it in the web interface and it begins logging to microSD and publishing to the DODOTiK Platform and the DODOLINK app. No firmware reflash, no backend change.
What does DA-LVL measure, and how accurately?
Water level (hydrostatic head): 0-5 m or 0-10 m, accuracy ±0.3 % F.S. - ±15 mm (5 m) · ±30 mm (10 m) (±0.2 % F.S. option).
How do I order DA-LVL, and what does it cost?
DA-LVL is sold direct and through distributors. Pricing depends on configuration and quantity, so request a quote with the order code and the quantity you need and DODOTiK will come back with export pricing and volume tiers. Available configurations: DA-LVL-R5-C6; DA-LVL-R10-C11; …-A02; …-BL.
Is there anything to watch out for when specifying DA-LVL?
Cable length is fixed to the range and moulded into the sealed body - it cannot be extended in the field, so order the range that matches the depth. Measuring range is factory-set and cannot be changed afterwards. This sensor answers on address 1, where the rest of the family answers on 6.
More from DODO AQUA
Request a quote for DA-LVL
Sold direct and through distributors. Tell us the order code, the quantity and the destination country and we will come back with export pricing, volume tiers and lead time.