Senquip ORB-X1-G, User Manual

Page: 41 / 136

Figure 3.2. High capacity batteries
The AA batteries are user replaceable and the ORB is protected against incorrect battery insertion.
Correct battery orientation is clearly marked in the battery compartment.
The AA battery voltage is monitored to a resolution of 100mV and can be reported on a periodic basis if
enabled.
Note Note that in applications where external power is connected and batteries are used, the source with
the highest voltage will be used first. For instance, where the ORB is powered by permanent 12V power
and 4 x 3.6V AA batteries are used, the AA battery voltage will be 14.4V and so will be used in preference
to the 12V permanent power.
Note To conserve energy, the AA battery voltage is only measured when the batteries are accessed. This
may result in seeing the AA battery voltage being shown on the Senquip Portal.
3.4 Power consumption
The ORB has been designed to be suitable for use in applications where permanent power is not available
and solar and or batteries are the only source of energy. Factors affecting power consumption include the
rate at which sensor measurements are made, the number of transmissions of measured data and which
internal and external sensors that are connected.
Broadly, the state of the ORB can be divided into three modes: sleep, measurement and transmission.
Sleep mode is by far the lowest power state where most internal sensors are turned off and the device is
waiting for the next measurement period. During a measurement period, the sensors are turned on and
power consumption increases dramatically. The actual power consumed during a measurement phase
depends on the power requirements of connected sensors and the duration for which they are turned on.
For instance, a 4-20mA pressure sensor will, by default, draw between 4mA and 20mA of current when
turned on. The sensor will clearly use less energy when measuring 4mA than when measuring 20mA.
Transmission is the most energy intense operation performed by the ORB. During transmission, the
Wi-Fi and or GSM radios are turned on and data is transmitted. Limiting the length of radio transmis-
sions has a significant impact on energy consumed by the ORB.
The following strategies can be used to limit power consumption, which will be particularly useful in
battery powered applications:
ORB User Guide, Release 1.1
3.4. Power consumption 35