Here is an overview of three (3) different remote data collection scenarios using Stevens products that can increase the reliability of your networks, can work with virtually any existing equipment, and are super easy to install, configure and reconfigure (anytime, anywhere). The three (3) are GOES dual telemetry, Cell-Net, and eTracker.
The power of the cloud’s simplicity, flexibility and reliability are the attributes at the heart of Measurements to Mind—Stevens’ M2M cloud-based data acquisition vision of shortening the communication path from the sensors to data on-line. What the sensor measures, the mind sees. Products that fly under the M2M banner include Cell-Net, eTracker, SOLO and Stevens Connect.
Here is an overview of three (3) different remote data collection scenarios using Stevens products that can increase the reliability of your networks, can work with virtually any existing equipment, and are super easy to install, configure and reconfigure (anytime, anywhere). The three (3) are GOES dual telemetry, Cell-Net, and eTracker.
SCENARIO 1: GOES with secondary telemetry
GOES is great, no doubt about it. Reliable, no costs for sending data, and easy to set up. So how do you make a good thing better? Overcome the limitations of GOES (without spending a fortune). The cons of GOES—it’s one-way only, on a fixed hourly schedule, and only transports very small data payloads—are what reduces your overall station reliability, flexibility and simplicity. For instance, one-way data means you can’t send any commands back to the datalogger to change the configuration. An hourly-only schedule means you can’t get your data when you want, and can’t have data sent right after an event occurs. And the low bandwidth prevents sending photos, video, or large datasets.
Our solution to add Cell-Net to your existing GOES transmitter, for a dual-telemetry station. GOES can continue to be the main method of collecting data, but Cell-Net will give the option to interact remotely with your datalogger or sensors (or even remotely power-cycle the station using the SOLO smart SDI-12 power manager) when needed. It will also give you the ability to have data sent at a much higher frequency or when triggered by an event (like a sudden rise in water level). Finally, cellular’s low data cost and high bandwidth allows you to have photos sent back from your station (done independent of SatComm using two-way open socket) on a regular basis, or download several months worth of data.
What if your GOES transmitter doesn’t have a secondary telemetry port? Move it to a different station, and check out Stevens SatComm which has been designed to work with a secondary telemetry.
SCENARIO 2: Cellular by dial-up or push
Using Cell-Net as a primary method of telemetry provides flexibility of data management. If your networks include landline modems workflow is designed around retrieving data by “dialing out” to the station, Cell-Net will allow you to upgrade your stations to wireless yet keep this workflow. Cell-Net will also listen for a connected logger (or smart sensor) to receive data in the buffer before transmitting. Once received, data can either be transmitted immediately, or after the buffer exceeds a defined size, or transmitted based on a user-defined interval. Of course, the flexibility doesn’t end there, as Cell-Net can forward your data to any destination, to access with any software platform, like Aquarius or our own cloud-based Stevens-Connect.
SCENARIO 3: Small station (1-3 sensors) with no data logger (store and forward to the cloud)
eTracker is ideal for small stations, because it saves costs (no data logger required), greatly simplifies the setup of the station (no data logger, configure with cloud-based utility anytime, anywhere) and allows for a lot of flexibility for what you do with the data (like Cell-Net, forward to ANY destination).
