Setting Up the NOMAD 2 POTS Option

Transcription

1 Setting Up the NOMAD 2 POTS Option Introduction Second Wind Inc. s POTS ( Plain Old Telephone System ) option adds remote connectivity to NOMAD 2. With the option installed and a dedicated telephone line, any computer running Nomad Desktop software can call NOMAD 2 by dial-up modem to transfer files and view real-time data. A POTS-equipped NOMAD 2 can also send data daily via to anywhere in the world. About POTS Standard landline telephone service is an excellent option for Nomad 2 communications. Usually the biggest obstacle to its use is the difficulty and cost of bringing a line in to the meteorological tower, but if it s available it should work well. Most towers are relatively far from populated areas, which is where most of the central office equipment hubs for POTS are located. This distance limits the communications rates at which POTS modems can connect. Even in the worst cases (e.g. 10 kilobits/second) these rates are adequate for the Nomad 2 application, rivaling the best speeds of many cellular services. About the NOMAD 2 POTS Package If there is no power at the site, we recommend that you purchase the Second Wind Solar Package to operate the POTS modem. The Solar Package includes a 10 Watt solar panel, a 12 Volt, 7.2 Ampere-Hour lead acid battery, and a charge regulator. These are usually adequate for powering the POTS modem for several hours a day, enough for most resource assessment programs. (A 20 Ampere-Hour battery is also available from Second Wind if more modem service time is desired, or long periods of minimal sunlight are anticipated.) This document assumes that the modem option is being used in conjunction with the solar package. Please take that into account if other variations of batteries and charging systems are to be used. Set Up a Telephone Account Set up an account that matches your expected usage. In most cases POTS transfers data at over 1 kilobyte per second. Your NOMAD 2 configuration is up to you, but it isn t difficult to keep data acquisition down below 100 kilobytes per day. ing and/or dial-up modem transfers should therefore take less than a couple of minutes a day. When setting up an account, make sure that it does not include features that would interfere with the modem operation, including voic and call waiting. When you get the account telephone number, write it down here: Dial-In Telephone Number: Requirements for Sending Note: If you don t want your NOMAD 2 to send data by , skip this section. To send data by , your modem-equipped NOMAD 2 will need to have access to a dial-up Internet Service Provider (ISP). The ISP account may be used exclusively for an individual NOMAD 2, or it may be shared with other NOMAD 2s, or be shared with you or other users. Setting Up the NOMAD 2 POTS Option Second Wind Inc Version 1.0 1

2 Most "generic" ISPs are appropriate for this application. ISPs with nonstandard features and services, notably AOL and MSN, will not work for NOMAD 2 dial-up access. A reliable ISP in North America is Earthlink. Whether using a new account or sharing an existing one, the NOMAD 2 will need: a. an Account User Name, to identify itself as a subscriber to the ISP. The user name is often its entire sending address, in the form: username@ispname, for example: [email protected]; b. a Password for the Account User Name that has been registered with the ISP; c. an ISP Dial-up Access Telephone Number. Most dial-up ISPs have telephone numbers for different areas. Consider choosing one that minimizes charges to your cellular account; d. an SMTP Mail Server Name that will actually send the to named recipients. The ISP provides both outgoing and incoming mail servers. The NOMAD 2 needs to know the Internet name of the outgoing mail server. This is usually of the form: smtp.ispname, for example: smtp.earthlink.net. If you are not sure of the outgoing Mail Server Name to use, check the ISP s website or call the ISP s technical support to ask. Record the ISP information here: ISP Telephone #: Account User Name: Account Password: Mail Server Name: Modem Setup and Testing We highly recommend that you set up and bench test the modem option before field installation. This requires that telephone service is available at the test location, of course. 12 Volts is necessary to power the modem. The internal 12 Volt battery is shipped with more than enough charge for normal setup and testing. If the process goes on for days or weeks, though, either connect the solar panel or battery charger or substitute a 12 Volt DC supply to avoid draining the battery. 1. Connect 12 Volt Power and Telephone Line a. Unscrew the two captive thumbscrews on the upper corners of the Interface Board. Use a screwdriver if needed, but don t turn more than necessary to free the screws. b. Pivot the Interface Board down carefully. c. Locate the two polarized, molded connectors that mate the battery to the solar charge regulator. Plug them together firmly. d. Close the Interface Board and hand-tighten the captive screws. e. Plug a telephone line cable into the jack on the upper right of the Interface Board. Setting Up the NOMAD 2 POTS Option Second Wind Inc Version 1.0 2

3 Connecting the 12 Volt Battery Plugging in the Telephone Cord 2. Create a Communication Configuration Use Nomad Desktop to create a Communication Configuration file to tell NOMAD 2 that it has the POTS option installed, that the modem should be on all the time (for testing purposes), and information for sending . Consult Nomad Desktop Help for complete instructions on the procedure. a. Configure communications as follows: 1. Modem Type*: SWI POTS 2. On at: 00:00, Off at: 23:59 3. Dial-In Telephone #: (enter your telephone account number) 4. Dial-In Security: unchecked *Note: If your version of Nomad Desktop does not have this choice on the list of modem types, choose SWI AMPS. After saving the configuration as a file, edit it using Notepad or your preferred editor, changing ModemType="SWI AMPS" to ModemType="SWI POTS". Your version of Nomad Desktop will be able to display SWI POTS properly.) b. If you are not going to have NOMAD 2 send , make sure that is unchecked on the form and go to the next step. If you do want it to send , further configure communications as follows: 5. checked 6. Telephone #: (enter the ISP access telephone number) 7. Account User Name: (enter the user name to access the ISP account) 8. Account Password: (enter the password registered for the account user name) 9. Mail Server Name: (enter the ISP s outgoing SMTP server name) 10. Data Recipient(s): (enter the address(es) the data files will be sent to) 11. Send daily at: (enter the local time of day when the NOMAD 2 will data) Tip: NOMAD 2 can send at any time of the day, regardless of when the modem is set to be on or off. Setting Up the NOMAD 2 POTS Option Second Wind Inc Version 1.0 3

4 c. Save the Communication Configuration to a file on your computer. The default name is N2ComCfg.new, the name it must be when it is transferred to NOMAD 2. You can save the file with a more descriptive name, e.g. N2comcfg for unit 1433 POTS.new, but you will have to make sure it is properly (re)named for the next step. d. If you have imported any data files from this NOMAD 2 into Nomad Desktop, an icon on the Map will already represent it. In this case, you can also Save to database the communication configuration, which among other benefits will expedite testing by dialing the correct modem s telephone number with the push of a button. 3. Configure NOMAD 2 with the Communication Configuration File NOMAD 2 reconfigures its communications settings only after it finds and reads a Communication Configuration file named N2ComCfg.new in the root directory of an inserted Compact Flash card. There are two ways to get the Communication Configuration file there: a. Write the file to the card while it is in a card reader and mapped as a computer drive, then plug it into the NOMAD 2. b. Establish a Direct Connection with the NOMAD 2 and click Upload Files to Nomad2. Select the new Communication Configuration file and click Upload Communication Configuration File as n2comcfg.new. The file will automatically be renamed and sent to the root directory of the Compact Flash card inserted in the NOMAD Test the Modem a. Establish a direct connection to Nomad 2. b. Click Talk to Nomad2 s Modem on the Communication Button Bar. Wait for the window to display SWI POTS Modem is on and working properly. Type your commands now. c. The first test is to place a call to a telephone next to you. Let s say that its phone number is Type ATDT (or ATDT if the 1 prefix if necessary). The nearby telephone should ring. Pick up and hang up. The window should display OK. (Note: the symbol represents the return/enter key on your keyboard.) d. Close the Modem PassThrough Window and disconnect. e. This and subsequent steps requires your computer to have an installed, configured modem, connected to an outgoing telephone line. Click Connect to Nomad2 by Dial-Up Modem, and enter the NOMAD 2 modem s telephone number. Click Dial. f. You should hear your PC s modem dialing and negotiating, and after a short time it should connect. g. If the connection is successful, test communications by clicking the Zoom Inputs button. The Zoom Inputs form should appear in a few seconds, then data should be displayed and updated every second. h. Click Disconnect to terminate the connection. You have now demonstrated that the modem and NOMAD 2 are set up properly to receive incoming calls. 5. Test Sending from the NOMAD 2 Setting Up the NOMAD 2 POTS Option Second Wind Inc Version 1.0 4

5 Skip this step if you haven t set the NOMAD 2 up to send . a. Wake up the front panel display again, go to the Main Menu, select Nomad2 Operation, and scroll down to and select Remote Access. You should see: State:Idle,100% RSS? Type:SWI POTS On@ 00:00-23:59 On@ 00:00-00:00 Reinitialize modem Send test (Note: The Received Signal Strength (RSS) is always displayed as 100% for the POTS modem.) b. Scroll the cursor down to Send test , then press. The first and last lines of the display will change as the NOMAD 2 proceeds with the test. Here is an example: Type:SWI POTS On@ 00:00-23:59 State:Connecting? On@ 00:00-00:00 Reinitialize modem in progress c. After several minutes, the test will finish and the last line of the display should read sent OK. Press Select to clear the message. d. Check one of the recipient accounts for the test message sent from the NOMAD 2. Look for mail sent from [email protected], subject: Nomad2 Test from {serial number} at {site name}. 6. Final Configuration If the NOMAD 2 performed acceptably in the preceding tests, its POTS option is almost ready for the field. You may need to make a few changes to the Communication Configuration to suit field operation instead of testing. We recommend that you only turn the POTS modem on for eight hours or less each day to conserve power. You can monitor the 12 Volt battery power to see how much the battery is being drained over several days time, and adjust the amount of time the modem is on accordingly. It will depend on the amount of time data is being transmitted, and the amount of solar energy at the site. If you invoked Dial-In Security you should retest to make sure you can connect. Once you have finished testing and configuration, disconnect the 12 Volt power and telephone cord from the Interface Board. The configuration will be saved even if there is no power to the logger. Field Deployment Once the POTS modem has been configured and tested, field deployment involves very little more than reconnecting 12 Volt power and a telephone cable. The 12 Volt power gets connected the same as in bench testing, but the external solar panel needs to be mounted and wired to the solar charge regulator on the NOMAD 2 Interface Board. Telephone cable connection in the field will require running a standard modular cord from the telephone line service entrance device to the telephone jack on the NOMAD 2 Interface Board. The former should be supplied with gas discharge surge suppression ( lightning arrestors ) to protect the modem and the NOMAD 2 electronics. Second Wind Inc. s 4-Circuit Lightning Arrestor can be used for this application. Setting Up the NOMAD 2 POTS Option Second Wind Inc Version 1.0 5

6 If the telephone cord is to be routed through a waterproof cable clamp at the bottom of the NOMAD 2 enclosure, the RJ11/12 connector can be crimped on after routing, or the rubbery gland insert can be slit to accommodate the pre-terminated cable. Run the cable along the right side of the Interface board to the phone jack, securing it to the pivot rail on the board with a cable tie as shown in the picture on page 3. Troubleshooting If you have trouble calling the NOMAD 2 by Dial-up Modem from Nomad Desktop: Make sure that your computer s modem is actually dialing out. Set the volume up to listen to the modem dial, and watch the status lights if it is an external modem. If your modem is dialing but you re not sure if the NOMAD 2 s modem is answering, try calling it by telephone. You should hear a modem tone. Navigate to Remote Access using NOMAD 2 s front panel operator interface. Then check that the modem will be turned on when you call in. If sending a test fails: Confirm that you have entered the correct ISP telephone number, user name, and password. Confirm that the mail server name, and user name and password (if you are not using the Second Wind mail server) are correct. If you still need help, prepare to call Second Wind Inc. for technical help from our support staff. Before you call: Have your Nomad Desktop running. Copy the file named n2-xxxxx.log (where xxxxx is its serial number) from the root directory of the Compact Flash card in the NOMAD 2 to your computer. The System Log is a text file that NOMAD 2 writes to whenever there is modem activity, among other things. Have the System Log handy to read or to the staff if requested. Setting Up the NOMAD 2 POTS Option Second Wind Inc Version 1.0 6