User's Manual
Table Of Contents
- Chapter 1. Introduction
- Chapter 2. Using the addSWITCH
- Opening the packages
- Installing the RTU
- . In general, the typical “line-of sight” distance the RTU can communicate is 1 km (.6 miles). This is valid if both the RTU and...
- . As with all wireless communication devices, the higher the transmitter is installed, the better the communication will be.
- Field Installation
- Figure 2. LED Tool
- 1. Review the installation area and choose the best site.
- 2. Perform a connectivity check using the LED tool:
- a. Insert the LED tool into the POWER connector and wait up to 10 seconds. If the unit connects to at least one station (or a base station), it will light up the LED for about 4 seconds.
- b. Keep observing the LED tool and, after another several seconds, the LED will blink one or more times (the number of blinks indicates the number of stations it has contacted).
- 3. Assemble the rod from the set of poles.
- 4. Using a hammer, drive the aluminum rod into the ground. How far you drive the rod into the ground depends on your application. Put a plastic cap on top of the rod to protect it.
- 5. Using a ring clamp, fasten the solar panel onto the aluminum rod. Ensure that the panel is facing south (north if you are located in the southern hemisphere) and out of the way of the addSWITCH RTU.
- 6. Fasten the addSWITCH RTU to the top of the rod using another ring clamp. Adcon recommends that you perform another connectivity test, if you can, to check the positioning of the device.
- 7. Attach the counter connector to the INPUT connector and the solar panel to the POWER connector by turning the plugs’ fastening screws clockwise until secure.
- 8. Secure the extra length of the sensor cables to the rod with ties.
- More about the LED tool
- Configuring an addSWITCH RTU in the addVANTAGE software
- Maintaining and servicing the RTU
- The RTU battery
- Changing the battery
- 1. Open the lid by unscrewing the four screws in the corners of the addSWITCH RTU, then remove the lid as shown in Figure 3.
- 2. The battery pack is connected to the electronics board by means of a PCB connector. Remove the battery pack’s plug from the PCB connector, as shown in Figure 4.
- 3. Unscrew the two screws of the metal cover that holds the battery pack in place, then remove the cover. Figure 5 shows the A724 battery pack inside the RTU.
- 4. Remove the battery pack and replace it with a new one (obtainable from Adcon).
- 5. Replace the metal cover and screw the two screws back in.
- 6. Insert the battery plug into the PCB connector.
- 7. Mount the lid back, taking care that the rubber gasket sealing the box is not out of place.
- Chapter 3. Performing Advanced Functions
- Understanding connectors
- The Valve Connector
- Communicating with the RTU
- Serial communication protocol
- General format of a command
- . ID is the destination device. If you include an ID as part of a command, the node checks whether ID=ownID. If it does, the nod...
- . Command is the command proper, which can be composed of a variable string of characters (for example, SLOT). Each node can imp...
- . Param1 Param2 ... ParamN represent the parameters, which are command dependent. If you type no parameters when you issue a com...
- General format of an answer
- . ID is the answering device. If a command was further routed, it is the ID of the end device. The answer must always contain the ID on return.
- . Command is the string representing the original command. It is supplied so that a master can distinguish between the answers i...
- . Result1 Result2 ... ResultN are the result values returned by the remote node. If the ErrResult is not zero, all other possible characters and/or strings until the end of the line may be ignored.
- . ErrResult shows whether the command was successfully executed. If this value is 0, the command was successfully executed. If t...
- General format of a command
- Using terminal commands
- . new device type: A724
- . digital ports are used internally
- . additionally digital port: PORT BIT 15
- CMDS
- TIME
- FREQ
- RSSI
- ID
- SLOT
- PMP
- DATA
- Description
- Parameter
- Returns
- Remarks
- Remote
- Example
- . dd mm yyyy is the date
- . hh mm ss is the time
- . si is the size of the frame
- . ft is the frame type (39 for the A724)
- . d1 d2 ... dn are the data values (the frame content)
- . cs is a 16-bit checksum obtained by summing the bytes and discarding the carries over 0xFFFF
- IMME
- FDEV
- INFO
- Description
- Parameter
- Returns
- . rf_in and rf_out as a decimal
- . date as dd/mm/yyyy
- . time as hh:mm:ss
- . ver as x.x
- . clk, stack, and cop as decimal; they represent internal housekeeping parameters: the A724 uses cop to number watchdog occurrences, but clk and stack are currently undefined
- . batt as battery level using the standard voltage conversion equation (0 is 0 volts, 255 is 20 volts)
- . temp as internal temperature in the A724 housing, which is device dependent. The precision of the sensing element is low (±2°C...
- . days_uptime in days; together with hr:min_uptime, it represents the amount of time the device is up without a reset or watchdog
- . hr:min_uptime in hours:minutes format
- . rssi as decimal; it is the value programmed with the RSSI command
- . pmp_low and pmp_high are the programmed values with the PMP command )
- . type is used to represent the device type; the following types are currently assigned: - 0 for A730MD - 1 for A720 - 2 for A73...
- . po is the power output of the device during the last frame sent
- . err_level is the error value; 0 means no error
- . The Command Code specifies the operation that will be applied to the selected port. They are explained in Table 2.
- RX
- TX
- B
- BLST
- VER
- Commands for controlling the valves
- Returned errors list
- Command line interpreter
- Device descriptors and storage handler
- . 10 - device not found (attempt to perform a command on a nonexistent device)
- . 11 - device already exists
- . 12 - reserved
- . 13 - no more space for descriptors (too many devices)
- . 14 - no more records for the specified device
- . 15 - temporary communication break, no more data (the last request was not successful)
- . 16 - time-out (the handler blocked or is busy)
- . 17 - internal error
- . 18 - attempt to insert a reserved device ID number (0 or 65535)
- Real time clock
- Radio interface
- . 30 - error at receive (CRC, etc.)
- . 31 - unexpected frame received
- . 32 - wrong length
- . 33 - reserved
- . 34 - reserved
- . 35 - time-out (remote device not responding)
- . 36 - receiver busy (for example, just executing a polling series)
- . 37 - time stamp of a frame is too far in the future
- . 38 - general modem error
CHAPTER 1
About the A724 addSWITCH
5
Chapter 1. Introduction
This manual explains the hardware aspects of Adcon’s A724
addSWITCH remote telemetry units, including installation issues
and certain parameter configurations. The manual is divided as fol-
lows:
• "Introduction," which gives some general information and
document conventions.
• "Using the A724 RTU," which details the installation and use
of the remote telemetry unit.
• "Specifications," which describes operating parameters for the
devices.
About the A724 addSWITCH
The A724 Remote Telemetry Unit—RTU (commercial trademark
addSWITCH™
) is a low power, short range telemetry device, capa-
ble of sampling two pulse counter inputs; in addition, it can control
two irrigation valves.
The frequency of operation is in the 432 to 470 MHz range, mak-
ing it adaptable to most radio communication regulations in the
world. The output power is under 10 mW, while the modulation is
narrow band FM (12.5 or 25 kHz channel spacing).
Due to its construction, as well as to the software controlling it, the
power consumption is extremely low. The unit operates from a
built in 6.2 Volt rechargeable battery, which is charged either using
a solar panel or an external power supply adapter. A special con-
figuration may be implemented where no internal battery is used,
rather the power is obtained exclusively over an external connec-
tor.