Try Synacl without hardware: add a simulated device
You don't need a device of your own to see how Synacl works. A simulated sensor publishes readings through the same pipeline a real device uses, so everything downstream of it behaves the way it will with real hardware:
- it comes online on the Devices page,
- its readings are stored and chart on the device page and on your dashboards,
- it shows up in Events, and a rule on one of its tags will fire.
It is not real hardware, and nothing about it pretends to be: it carries a Demo badge everywhere it appears.
Add one
- Go to Devices. On an account with no devices yet, you'll see No hardware yet.
- Click Add a simulated device.
- A device called Demo Sensor appears. The first readings arrive within a minute.
It reports three tags:
| Tag | Unit | What it does |
|---|---|---|
temperature |
°C | Drifts slowly around 22 °C |
humidity |
% | Wanders between 20 and 80 % |
light_lux |
lux | Follows a slow day/night curve |
New readings arrive every 10–30 seconds, depending on your plan.
What to try with it
- Build a dashboard. Drag a chart or gauge onto a new dashboard and bind it to
temperature. See build your first dashboard. - Create an alert. Add a rule on
temperatureorhumiditywith a threshold just above the current reading. The values keep moving, so you can watch the alert fire. See create a rule. - Watch the onboarding checklist move on. Adding the demo counts as adding your first device.
How long it lasts
A simulated device runs for one hour and is then removed automatically. The countdown is shown on its card and on its device page. To remove it sooner, click Remove now.
- It does not count towards your plan's device limit.
- You can have one at a time. The button appears on the Devices page whenever you have no devices, so once the demo has gone you can add another.
- Removing it does not raise an offline alert.
- Readings it already sent stay on your dashboards until your plan's data retention ages them out.
- Its connection settings are locked, and it has nothing to write to, so Modify and Write Data are not offered on it.
When your hardware arrives
Add the real thing the same way you would have without the demo: connect a gateway for Modbus/RS485 or wired sensors, or add a direct MQTT device. A dashboard widget built on the demo can be re-pointed at the real device's tag.
If you don't see Add a simulated device, it isn't enabled on your account yet, or your team role can't create devices.