Web Deployment - Setting Bridges, Loggers, & Pulse Connected Meters
Table of Contents
Setting Bridges, Loggers & Pulse Connected Meters
This article details how to set Bridges, Loggers and External Meters that connect to the platform via a pulse input.
Bridges feature [2] independent KY pulse inputs channels.
To get started, the Bridge must be assigned to a site. The configuration is done in the Inventory section of a Site Dashboard.
Adding a Bridge or Logger
During the mapping stage, you will also need to add a Bridge that connect different groups of sensors to the network. Typically you will set up a Bridge per panel, or a couple of panels in the same zone.
We recommend first installing the Bridge creating the connection to the cloud. This way, once you’ve installed the sensors you’ll immediately get signals for the reception validation.
To add a new Bridge navigate to the site's Bridges & Loggers inventory table from the Site's navigation menu.
To create a new Bridge or Logger, click + Add New and select either "Bridge" or "Logger"
It is recommended to Name the Bridge based on its physical location or the panel(s) in which it is closest to. Description is a free text field that can be shown in a column on the Bridge Status window for additional details of the Bridge. Serial Number is above the barcode on the Bridge on the front (lower right corner) and the back towards the bottom.
For Loggers, give any Name you wish. Select Obvius as the Logger Type. Provide a Password. Provide the Serial Number (S/N) of the Logger. Click Apply when finished.
Adding a non-Electric External Meter
In order to set a pulse connected meter that isn't Electric type and associate it to a 4th generation bridge or a 3rd party logger, go to the External Meters tab under the Inventory section on the navigation menu of a site and click on +Add New
Fill in the meter's parameters:
- Meter Name: assign a descriptive name for the meter (what it measures)
- Meter S/N: is the S/N the meter itself, it is for record only and can help identify the physical meter connected to the Bridge.
- Meter Type: select from the supported options. Supported types are: Gas, Water, Heat and Compressed Air meters.
- Associated Bridge/Logger: Choose the Bridge/logger the meter is connected to from the list of supported Bridges and loggers set up in the site.
-
Scaling Factor: set the ratio between pulses and the measured unit. For electricity, for example, it will be kWh per pulse.
Important: use KYZ scaling factor (rather than KY scaling factor) when connecting electricity meters even though only two wires are connected to the Bridge. When connecting other types of meters, use the KY scaling factor. KY scaling factor is exactly twice that of KYZ.
Note: Different type of meters may require additional parameters.
The parameters below are relevant for Gas meters only:
- Normalization: Volume changes with temperature and pressure, therefore these parameters are relevant for flow meters such as Gas that are not Normalized.
Normal cubic meter (Nm3) - Volume in Temperature: 0 °C, Pressure: 1.01325 barA
Standard cubic meter (Sm3) - Volume in Temperature: 20 °C, Pressure: 1.01325 barA
Depending on the meters selected units type. If units are already normalized (Nm3, Sm3 or SCF), the first field in the Normalization (Normalization Factor) will be disabled. However, if you select a unit that is not normalized, you can enter the Normalization parameters to see normalized volume units.
- Calorific Factor: Calorific Factor is a measure of heating power and is dependent upon the composition of the gas meters (only). The Calorific Factor refers to the amount of energy released when a known volume of gas is completely combusted under specified conditions. The CF of gas, which is dry, gross and measured at standard conditions of temperature (15 °C) and pressure (1013.25 millibars), is usually quoted in mega-joules per cubic meter (MJ/m3).
Channel: the physical channel on the Bridge/logger the pulse is connected to
Note: "Disconnected" option in the "Associated Bridge/logger" allows to define a meter before the Bridge/logger is installed. It also allows to disassociate the meter from the logger in case a Bridge/logger needs replacement
You can edit or delete an existing meter by clicking the three dots on the of the requested meter
Later on, we will discuss how to configure an Electricity Meter in the Add Devices section of this article.
Verifying Data Flowing from the Bridge
The settings detailed above can be done before or after the physical installation of the Bridge; however, you can only verify the data after post-Bridge installation.
- First, verify that the Bridge is connected to the platform.
- Go to the Bridges inventory view by either clicking on the Bridges & Loggers view in the Inventory widget
- Make sure that the Bridge is connected. A green status icon indicates that it is.
- You can also click on the Bridge name and the Connected Sensors table will populate below and in the Last Measurement column will display the last time the Sensors within its range reported to it.
Note: The sensors are delivering the data for any Bridge within its range to collect and deliver to the server. The server will then take the one with the strongest RSSI to report its sensor's data in the system. So there is no need to be worried about multiple Bridges reading the same sensors; there will not be interference or duplicates in the data readings in the system.
- From the Site Dashboard navigation menu, click the Time View application.
- Clicking on the Measurement Type show by will present all existing meters in the site. All external meters will be presented under one of the following:
- Gas
- Heat
- Air
- Water
The daily view presents aggregated five minutes data. The Gen4 measurement resolution of electricity meters is every one minute. Use the 6 Hours view to see the data in one-minute resolution.
Sites with Gas, Heat, Flow and Temperature Meters
Gas and Heat measurement is presented in energy, and the resolution is every one hour.
Gas, Water and Compressed Air measurement are presented in flow or Volume units (cubic meter, cubic feet and Gallon), for volume measurements the resolution is every one hour and for flow measurements the resolution changes based on the period selected in the graph, illustrated in the second image. Temperature meter measurements are presented as degrees, Celsius or Fahrenheit.
Validating Heat, Gas Water, Compressed Air, and Temperature Readings
After the meters are configurated on the platform, we start the validation process to make sure the readings on the platform are the same as on the physical meter onsite.
For four hours on every round hour, take physical counter readings and pictures from all meters onsite. Compare the delta between hours of those readings to the energy view in the Time View energy graph (the view will be updated after the whole hour has passed; at the end of the measurement period, the energy of 01:00 am will be updated only at 02:01 am).
For example:
| Hour | Physical Meter Counter (kwh) | Physical Meter Counter (kwh) | UI Energy in Time View (kwh) | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07-01-2018 00:00 | 113000 | 200 kwh | 200 kwh | 100% |
| 07-01-2018 01:00 | 113200 | 230 kwh | 230 kwh | 100% |
| 07-01-2018 02:00 | 113430 | 70 kwh | 70 kwh | 100% |
| 07-01-2018 03:00 | 113500 | 0 kwh | 0 kwh | 100% |
| 07-01-2018 04:00 | 113500 | 0 kwh | 0 kwh | 100% |
This is a validated meter.
Note: the fixed difference between the UI and the physical meter might be caused by a difference in
1) the Scaling factor and
2) the Caloric factor