TARP Station: Solar-Powered Mobile Monitoring Trailer

The Challenge

TARP Station required a mobile, self-sufficient platform to deliver real-time environmental and site monitoring across remote locations. The system needed to integrate weather data, high-definition surveillance, and centralized control---all powered by solar generation and accessible from anywhere via secure remote connectivity.

Our Approach

Deftec designed and manufactured a 6x4 solar-powered trailer equipped with integrated SCADA architecture, combining a Davis weather station (with Modbus TCP gateway), Hikvision 4MP PTZ camera with AI-powered target classification, and a Teltonika 4G industrial router. The control enclosure houses PLC and networking infrastructure, while the weather vane and camera mount on custom unistrut framing. All systems communicate via MQTT through Ignition supervision software, with secure VPN tunnels and PostgreSQL data logging on cloud infrastructure. The solution delivers local monitoring and remote access through a unified dashboard accessible at demo.deftec.cloud.

The Outcome

TARP Station provides continuous, autonomous site surveillance and environmental data capture with no reliance on grid power or fixed network infrastructure. Operators can monitor wind speed, direction, temperature, and live video feeds in real time, with AI classification alerting on human and vehicle detection. The system has been proven in field deployment and is ready for rollout across multiple operational sites.

Technologies and Capabilities

• SCADA and Supervision: Inductive Automation Ignition with PostgreSQL time-series data logging
• Industrial Networking: Teltonika RUT956 4G gateway with OpenVPN secure tunneling and MQTT broker
• Weather Instrumentation: Davis Vantage Pro2 weather station with KTA-282 Modbus TCP gateway (temperature, pressure, wind, rain)
• IP Surveillance: Hikvision DS-2DE4425IW-DE(T5) 4MP PTZ speed dome with 25x optical zoom, 100m IR range, and AcuSense deep-learning target classification
• PLC and Control: Modbus RTU/TCP device integration and real-time automation logic
• Power Systems: Solar-powered DC architecture with battery storage and power management
• Mechanical Design: Custom unistrut frame, trailer-mounted control enclosure, and weather-sealed sensor mounting
• Cloud Integration: Digital Ocean infrastructure with remote access, VPN management, and data streaming